eve's diary by mark twain illustrated by lester ralph translated from the original part 2. sunday.--it is pleasant again, now, and i am happy; but those were heavy days; i do not think of them when i can help it. i tried to get him some of those apples, but i cannot learn to throw straight. i failed, but i think the good intention pleased him. they are forbidden, and he says i shall come to harm; but so i come to harm through pleasing him, why shall i care for that harm? monday.--this morning i told him my name, hoping it would interest him. but he did not care for it. it is strange. if he should tell me his name, i would care. i think it would be pleasanter in my ears than any other sound. he talks very little. perhaps it is because he is not bright, and is sensitive about it and wishes to conceal it. it is such a pity that he should feel so, for brightness is nothing; it is in the heart that the values lie. i wish i could make him understand that a loving good heart is riches, and riches enough, and that without it intellect is poverty. although he talks so little, he has quite a considerable vocabulary. this morning he used a surprisingly good word. he evidently recognized, himself, that it was a good one, for he worked in in twice afterward, casually. it was good casual art, still it showed that he possesses a certain quality of perception. without a doubt that seed can be made to grow, if cultivated. where did he get that word? i do not think i have ever used it. no, he took no interest in my name. i tried to hide my disappointment, but i suppose i did not succeed. i went away and sat on the moss-bank with my feet in the water. it is where i go when i hunger for companionship, some one to look at, some one to talk to. it is not enough--that lovely white body painted there in the pool--but it is something, and something is better than utter loneliness. it talks when i talk; it is sad when i am sad; it comforts me with its sympathy; it says, "do not be downhearted, you poor friendless girl; i will be your friend." it is a good friend to me, and my only one; it is my sister. that first time that she forsook me! ah, i shall never forget that --never, never. my heart was lead in my body! i said, "she was all i had, and now she is gone!" in my despair i said, "break, my heart; i cannot bear my life any more!" and hid my face in my hands, and there was no solace for me. and when i took them away, after a little, there she was again, white and shining and beautiful, and i sprang into her arms! that was perfect happiness; i had known happiness before, but it was not like this, which was ecstasy. i never doubted her afterward. sometimes she stayed away--maybe an hour, maybe almost the whole day, but i waited and did not doubt; i said, "she is busy, or she is gone on a journey, but she will come." and it was so: she always did. at night she would not come if it was dark, for she was a timid little thing; but if there was a moon she would come. i am not afraid of the dark, but she is younger than i am; she was born after i was. many and many are the visits i have paid her; she is my comfort and my refuge when my life is hard--and it is mainly that. tuesday.--all the morning i was at work improving the estate; and i purposely kept away from him in the hope that he would get lonely and come. but he did not. at noon i stopped for the day and took my recreation by flitting all about with the bees and the butterflies and reveling in the flowers, those beautiful creatures that catch the smile of god out of the sky and preserve it! i gathered them, and made them into wreaths and garlands and clothed myself in them while i ate my luncheon--apples, of course; then i sat in the shade and wished and waited. but he did not come. but no matter. nothing would have come of it, for he does not care for flowers. he called them rubbish, and cannot tell one from another, and thinks it is superior to feel like that. he does not care for me, he does not care for flowers, he does not care for the painted sky at eventide--is there anything he does care for, except building shacks to coop himself up in from the good clean rain, and thumping the melons, and sampling the grapes, and fingering the fruit on the trees, to see how those properties are coming along? i laid a dry stick on the ground and tried to bore a hole in it with another one, in order to carry out a scheme that i had, and soon i got an awful fright. a thin, transparent bluish film rose out of the hole, and i dropped everything and ran! i thought it was a spirit, and i was so frightened! but i looked back, and it was not coming; so i leaned against a rock and rested and panted, and let my limbs go on trembling until they got steady again; then i crept warily back, alert, watching, and ready to fly if there was occasion; and when i was come near, i parted the branches of a rose-bush and peeped through--wishing the man was about, i was looking so cunning and pretty--but the sprite was gone. i went there, and there was a pinch of delicate pink dust in the hole. i put my finger in, to feel it, and said ouch! and took it out again. it was a cruel pain. i put my finger in my mouth; and by standing first on one foot and then the other, and grunting, i presently eased my misery; then i was full of interest, and began to examine. i was curious to know what the pink dust was. suddenly the name of it occurred to me, though i had never heard of it before. it was fire! i was as certain of it as a person could be of anything in the world. so without hesitation i named it that--fire. i had created something that didn't exist before; i had added a new thing to the world's uncountable properties; i realized this, and was proud of my achievement, and was going to run and find him and tell him about it, thinking to raise myself in his esteem--but i reflected, and did not do it. no--he would not care for it. he would ask what it was good for, and what could i answer? for if it was not good for something, but only beautiful, merely beautiful-so i sighed, and did not go. for it wasn't good for anything; it could not build a shack, it could not improve melons, it could not hurry a fruit crop; it was useless, it was a foolishness and a vanity; he would despise it and say cutting words. but to me it was not despicable; i said, "oh, you fire, i love you, you dainty pink creature, for you are beautiful--and that is enough!" and was going to gather it to my breast. but refrained. then i made another maxim out of my head, though it was so nearly like the first one that i was afraid it was only a plagiarism: "the burnt experiment shuns the fire." i wrought again; and when i had made a good deal of fire-dust i emptied it into a handful of dry brown grass, intending to carry it home and keep it always and play with it; but the wind struck it and it sprayed up and spat out at me fiercely, and i dropped it and ran. when i looked back the blue spirit was towering up and stretching and rolling away like a cloud, and instantly i thought of the name of it--smoke!--though, upon my word, i had never heard of smoke before. soon brilliant yellow and red flares shot up through the smoke, and i named them in an instant--flames--and i was right, too, though these were the very first flames that had ever been in the world. they climbed the trees, then flashed splendidly in and out of the vast and increasing volume of tumbling smoke, and i had to clap my hands and laugh and dance in my rapture, it was so new and strange and so wonderful and so beautiful! he came running, and stopped and gazed, and said not a word for many minutes. then he asked what it was. ah, it was too bad that he should ask such a direct question. i had to answer it, of course, and i did. i said it was fire. if it annoyed him that i should know and he must ask; that was not my fault; i had no desire to annoy him. after a pause he asked: "how did it come?" another direct question, and it also had to have a direct answer. "i made it." the fire was traveling farther and farther off. he went to the edge of the burned place and stood looking down, and said: "what are these?" "fire-coals." he picked up one to examine it, but changed his mind and put it down again. then he went away. nothing interests him. but i was interested. there were ashes, gray and soft and delicate and pretty--i knew what they were at once. and the embers; i knew the embers, too. i found my apples, and raked them out, and was glad; for i am very young and my appetite is active. but i was disappointed; they were all burst open and spoiled. spoiled apparently; but it was not so; they were better than raw ones. fire is beautiful; some day it will be useful, i think. friday.--i saw him again, for a moment, last monday at nightfall, but only for a moment. i was hoping he would praise me for trying to improve the estate, for i had meant well and had worked hard. but he was not pleased, and turned away and left me. he was also displeased on another account: i tried once more to persuade him to stop going over the falls. that was because the fire had revealed to me a new passion --quite new, and distinctly different from love, grief, and those others which i had already discovered--fear. and it is horrible!--i wish i had never discovered it; it gives me dark moments, it spoils my happiness, it makes me shiver and tremble and shudder. but i could not persuade him, for he has not discovered fear yet, and so he could not understand me. eve's diary by mark twain illustrated by lester ralph translated from the original part 1. saturday.--i am almost a whole day old, now. i arrived yesterday. that is as it seems to me. and it must be so, for if there was a day-before-yesterday i was not there when it happened, or i should remember it. it could be, of course, that it did happen, and that i was not noticing. very well; i will be very watchful now, and if any day-before-yesterdays happen i will make a note of it. it will be best to start right and not let the record get confused, for some instinct tells me that these details are going to be important to the historian some day. for i feel like an experiment, i feel exactly like an experiment; it would be impossible for a person to feel more like an experiment than i do, and so i am coming to feel convinced that that is what i am--an experiment; just an experiment, and nothing more. then if i am an experiment, am i the whole of it? no, i think not; i think the rest of it is part of it. i am the main part of it, but i think the rest of it has its share in the matter. is my position assured, or do i have to watch it and take care of it? the latter, perhaps. some instinct tells me that eternal vigilance is the price of supremacy. [that is a good phrase, i think, for one so young.] everything looks better today than it did yesterday. in the rush of finishing up yesterday, the mountains were left in a ragged condition, and some of the plains were so cluttered with rubbish and remnants that the aspects were quite distressing. noble and beautiful works of art should not be subjected to haste; and this majestic new world is indeed a most noble and beautiful work. and certainly marvelously near to being perfect, notwithstanding the shortness of the time. there are too many stars in some places and not enough in others, but that can be remedied presently, no doubt. the moon got loose last night, and slid down and fell out of the scheme--a very great loss; it breaks my heart to think of it. there isn't another thing among the ornaments and decorations that is comparable to it for beauty and finish. it should have been fastened better. if we can only get it back again-but of course there is no telling where it went to. and besides, whoever gets it will hide it; i know it because i would do it myself. i believe i can be honest in all other matters, but i already begin to realize that the core and center of my nature is love of the beautiful, a passion for the beautiful, and that it would not be safe to trust me with a moon that belonged to another person and that person didn't know i had it. i could give up a moon that i found in the daytime, because i should be afraid some one was looking; but if i found it in the dark, i am sure i should find some kind of an excuse for not saying anything about it. for i do love moons, they are so pretty and so romantic. i wish we had five or six; i would never go to bed; i should never get tired lying on the moss-bank and looking up at them. stars are good, too. i wish i could get some to put in my hair. but i suppose i never can. you would be surprised to find how far off they are, for they do not look it. when they first showed, last night, i tried to knock some down with a pole, but it didn't reach, which astonished me; then i tried clods till i was all tired out, but i never got one. it was because i am left-handed and cannot throw good. even when i aimed at the one i wasn't after i couldn't hit the other one, though i did make some close shots, for i saw the black blot of the clod sail right into the midst of the golden clusters forty or fifty times, just barely missing them, and if i could have held out a little longer maybe i could have got one. so i cried a little, which was natural, i suppose, for one of my age, and after i was rested i got a basket and started for a place on the extreme rim of the circle, where the stars were close to the ground and i could get them with my hands, which would be better, anyway, because i could gather them tenderly then, and not break them. but it was farther than i thought, and at last i had to give it up; i was so tired i couldn't drag my feet another step; and besides, they were sore and hurt me very much. i couldn't get back home; it was too far and turning cold; but i found some tigers and nestled in among them and was most adorably comfortable, and their breath was sweet and pleasant, because they live on strawberries. i had never seen a tiger before, but i knew them in a minute by the stripes. if i could have one of those skins, it would make a lovely gown. today i am getting better ideas about distances. i was so eager to get hold of every pretty thing that i giddily grabbed for it, sometimes when it was too far off, and sometimes when it was but six inches away but seemed a foot--alas, with thorns between! i learned a lesson; also i made an axiom, all out of my own head--my very first one; the scratched experiment shuns the thorn. i think it is a very good one for one so young. i followed the other experiment around, yesterday afternoon, at a distance, to see what it might be for, if i could. but i was not able to make [it] out. i think it is a man. i had never seen a man, but it looked like one, and i feel sure that that is what it is. i realize that i feel more curiosity about it than about any of the other reptiles. if it is a reptile, and i suppose it is; for it has frowzy hair and blue eyes, and looks like a reptile. it has no hips; it tapers like a carrot; when it stands, it spreads itself apart like a derrick; so i think it is a reptile, though it may be architecture. i was afraid of it at first, and started to run every time it turned around, for i thought it was going to chase me; but by and by i found it was only trying to get away, so after that i was not timid any more, but tracked it along, several hours, about twenty yards behind, which made it nervous and unhappy. at last it was a good deal worried, and climbed a tree. i waited a good while, then gave it up and went home. today the same thing over. i've got it up the tree again. sunday.--it is up there yet. resting, apparently. but that is a subterfuge: sunday isn't the day of rest; saturday is appointed for that. it looks to me like a creature that is more interested in resting than in anything else. it would tire me to rest so much. it tires me just to sit around and watch the tree. i do wonder what it is for; i never see it do anything. they returned the moon last night, and i was so happy! i think it is very honest of them. it slid down and fell off again, but i was not distressed; there is no need to worry when one has that kind of neighbors; they will fetch it back. i wish i could do something to show my appreciation. i would like to send them some stars, for we have more than we can use. i mean i, not we, for i can see that the reptile cares nothing for such things. it has low tastes, and is not kind. when i went there yesterday evening in the gloaming it had crept down and was trying to catch the little speckled fishes that play in the pool, and i had to clod it to make it go up the tree again and let them alone. i wonder if that is what it is for? hasn't it any heart? hasn't it any compassion for those little creature? can it be that it was designed and manufactured for such ungentle work? it has the look of it. one of the clods took it back of the ear, and it used language. it gave me a thrill, for it was the first time i had ever heard speech, except my own. i did not understand the words, but they seemed expressive. when i found it could talk i felt a new interest in it, for i love to talk; i talk, all day, and in my sleep, too, and i am very interesting, but if i had another to talk to i could be twice as interesting, and would never stop, if desired. if this reptile is a man, it isn't an it, is it? that wouldn't be grammatical, would it? i think it would be he. i think so. in that case one would parse it thus: nominative, he; dative, him; possessive, his'n. well, i will consider it a man and call it he until it turns out to be something else. this will be handier than having so many uncertainties. next week sunday.--all the week i tagged around after him and tried to get acquainted. i had to do the talking, because he was shy, but i didn't mind it. he seemed pleased to have me around, and i used the sociable "we" a good deal, because it seemed to flatter him to be included. wednesday.--we are getting along very well indeed, now, and getting better and better acquainted. he does not try to avoid me any more, which is a good sign, and shows that he likes to have me with him. that pleases me, and i study to be useful to him in every way i can, so as to increase his regard. during the last day or two i have taken all the work of naming things off his hands, and this has been a great relief to him, for he has no gift in that line, and is evidently very grateful. he can't think of a rational name to save him, but i do not let him see that i am aware of his defect. whenever a new creature comes along i name it before he has time to expose himself by an awkward silence. in this way i have saved him many embarrassments. i have no defect like this. the minute i set eyes on an animal i know what it is. i don't have to reflect a moment; the right name comes out instantly, just as if it were an inspiration, as no doubt it is, for i am sure it wasn't in me half a minute before. i seem to know just by the shape of the creature and the way it acts what animal it is. when the dodo came along he thought it was a wildcat--i saw it in his eye. but i saved him. and i was careful not to do it in a way that could hurt his pride. i just spoke up in a quite natural way of pleasing surprise, and not as if i was dreaming of conveying information, and said, "well, i do declare, if there isn't the dodo!" i explained--without seeming to be explaining--how i know it for a dodo, and although i thought maybe he was a little piqued that i knew the creature when he didn't, it was quite evident that he admired me. that was very agreeable, and i thought of it more than once with gratification before i slept. how little a thing can make us happy when we feel that we have earned it! thursday.--my first sorrow. yesterday he avoided me and seemed to wish i would not talk to him. i could not believe it, and thought there was some mistake, for i loved to be with him, and loved to hear him talk, and so how could it be that he could feel unkind toward me when i had not done anything? but at last it seemed true, so i went away and sat lonely in the place where i first saw him the morning that we were made and i did not know what he was and was indifferent about him; but now it was a mournful place, and every little thing spoke of him, and my heart was very sore. i did not know why very clearly, for it was a new feeling; i had not experienced it before, and it was all a mystery, and i could not make it out. but when night came i could not bear the lonesomeness, and went to the new shelter which he has built, to ask him what i had done that was wrong and how i could mend it and get back his kindness again; but he put me out in the rain, and it was my first sorrow. eve's diary by mark twain illustrated by lester ralph translated from the original part 3. extract from adam's diary perhaps i ought to remember that she is very young, a mere girl and make allowances. she is all interest, eagerness, vivacity, the world is to her a charm, a wonder, a mystery, a joy; she can't speak for delight when she finds a new flower, she must pet it and caress it and smell it and talk to it, and pour out endearing names upon it. and she is color-mad: brown rocks, yellow sand, gray moss, green foliage, blue sky; the pearl of the dawn, the purple shadows on the mountains, the golden islands floating in crimson seas at sunset, the pallid moon sailing through the shredded cloud-rack, the star-jewels glittering in the wastes of space--none of them is of any practical value, so far as i can see, but because they have color and majesty, that is enough for her, and she loses her mind over them. if she could quiet down and keep still a couple minutes at a time, it would be a reposeful spectacle. in that case i think i could enjoy looking at her; indeed i am sure i could, for i am coming to realize that she is a quite remarkably comely creature --lithe, slender, trim, rounded, shapely, nimble, graceful; and once when she was standing marble-white and sun-drenched on a boulder, with her young head tilted back and her hand shading her eyes, watching the flight of a bird in the sky, i recognized that she was beautiful. monday noon.--if there is anything on the planet that she is not interested in it is not in my list. there are animals that i am indifferent to, but it is not so with her. she has no discrimination, she takes to all of them, she thinks they are all treasures, every new one is welcome. when the mighty brontosaurus came striding into camp, she regarded it as an acquisition, i considered it a calamity; that is a good sample of the lack of harmony that prevails in our views of things. she wanted to domesticate it, i wanted to make it a present of the homestead and move out. she believed it could be tamed by kind treatment and would be a good pet; i said a pet twenty-one feet high and eighty-four feet long would be no proper thing to have about the place, because, even with the best intentions and without meaning any harm, it could sit down on the house and mash it, for any one could see by the look of its eye that it was absent-minded. still, her heart was set upon having that monster, and she couldn't give it up. she thought we could start a dairy with it, and wanted me to help milk it; but i wouldn't; it was too risky. the sex wasn't right, and we hadn't any ladder anyway. then she wanted to ride it, and look at the scenery. thirty or forty feet of its tail was lying on the ground, like a fallen tree, and she thought she could climb it, but she was mistaken; when she got to the steep place it was too slick and down she came, and would have hurt herself but for me. was she satisfied now? no. nothing ever satisfies her but demonstration; untested theories are not in her line, and she won't have them. it is the right spirit, i concede it; it attracts me; i feel the influence of it; if i were with her more i think i should take it up myself. well, she had one theory remaining about this colossus: she thought that if we could tame it and make him friendly we could stand in the river and use him for a bridge. it turned out that he was already plenty tame enough--at least as far as she was concerned--so she tried her theory, but it failed: every time she got him properly placed in the river and went ashore to cross over him, he came out and followed her around like a pet mountain. like the other animals. they all do that. tuesday--wednesday--thursday--and today: all without seeing him. it is a long time to be alone; still, it is better to be alone than unwelcome. friday--i had to have company--i was made for it, i think--so i made friends with the animals. they are just charming, and they have the kindest disposition and the politest ways; they never look sour, they never let you feel that you are intruding, they smile at you and wag their tail, if they've got one, and they are always ready for a romp or an excursion or anything you want to propose. i think they are perfect gentlemen. all these days we have had such good times, and it hasn't been lonesome for me, ever. lonesome! no, i should say not. why, there's always a swarm of them around--sometimes as much as four or five acres--you can't count them; and when you stand on a rock in the midst and look out over the furry expanse it is so mottled and splashed and gay with color and frisking sheen and sun-flash, and so rippled with stripes, that you might think it was a lake, only you know it isn't; and there's storms of sociable birds, and hurricanes of whirring wings; and when the sun strikes all that feathery commotion, you have a blazing up of all the colors you can think of, enough to put your eyes out. we have made long excursions, and i have seen a great deal of the world; almost all of it, i think; and so i am the first traveler, and the only one. when we are on the march, it is an imposing sight--there's nothing like it anywhere. for comfort i ride a tiger or a leopard, because it is soft and has a round back that fits me, and because they are such pretty animals; but for long distance or for scenery i ride the elephant. he hoists me up with his trunk, but i can get off myself; when we are ready to camp, he sits and i slide down the back way. the birds and animals are all friendly to each other, and there are no disputes about anything. they all talk, and they all talk to me, but it must be a foreign language, for i cannot make out a word they say; yet they often understand me when i talk back, particularly the dog and the elephant. it makes me ashamed. it shows that they are brighter than i am, for i want to be the principal experiment myself--and i intend to be, too. i have learned a number of things, and am educated, now, but i wasn't at first. i was ignorant at first. at first it used to vex me because, with all my watching, i was never smart enough to be around when the water was running uphill; but now i do not mind it. i have experimented and experimented until now i know it never does run uphill, except in the dark. i know it does in the dark, because the pool never goes dry, which it would, of course, if the water didn't come back in the night. it is best to prove things by actual experiment; then you know; whereas if you depend on guessing and supposing and conjecturing, you never get educated. some things you can't find out; but you will never know you can't by guessing and supposing: no, you have to be patient and go on experimenting until you find out that you can't find out. and it is delightful to have it that way, it makes the world so interesting. if there wasn't anything to find out, it would be dull. even trying to find out and not finding out is just as interesting as trying to find out and finding out, and i don't know but more so. the secret of the water was a treasure until i got it; then the excitement all went away, and i recognized a sense of loss. by experiment i know that wood swims, and dry leaves, and feathers, and plenty of other things; therefore by all that cumulative evidence you know that a rock will swim; but you have to put up with simply knowing it, for there isn't any way to prove it--up to now. but i shall find a way--then that excitement will go. such things make me sad; because by and by when i have found out everything there won't be any more excitements, and i do love excitements so! the other night i couldn't sleep for thinking about it. at first i couldn't make out what i was made for, but now i think it was to search out the secrets of this wonderful world and be happy and thank the giver of it all for devising it. i think there are many things to learn yet--i hope so; and by economizing and not hurrying too fast i think they will last weeks and weeks. i hope so. when you cast up a feather it sails away on the air and goes out of sight; then you throw up a clod and it doesn't. it comes down, every time. i have tried it and tried it, and it is always so. i wonder why it is? of course it doesn't come down, but why should it seem to? i suppose it is an optical illusion. i mean, one of them is. i don't know which one. it may be the feather, it may be the clod; i can't prove which it is, i can only demonstrate that one or the other is a fake, and let a person take his choice. by watching, i know that the stars are not going to last. i have seen some of the best ones melt and run down the sky. since one can melt, they can all melt; since they can all melt, they can all melt the same night. that sorrow will come--i know it. i mean to sit up every night and look at them as long as i can keep awake; and i will impress those sparkling fields on my memory, so that by and by when they are taken away i can by my fancy restore those lovely myriads to the black sky and make them sparkle again, and double them by the blur of my tears. after the fall when i look back, the garden is a dream to me. it was beautiful, surpassingly beautiful, enchantingly beautiful; and now it is lost, and i shall not see it any more. the garden is lost, but i have found him, and am content. he loves me as well as he can; i love him with all the strength of my passionate nature, and this, i think, is proper to my youth and sex. if i ask myself why i love him, i find i do not know, and do not really much care to know; so i suppose that this kind of love is not a product of reasoning and statistics, like one's love for other reptiles and animals. i think that this must be so. i love certain birds because of their song; but i do not love adam on account of his singing--no, it is not that; the more he sings the more i do not get reconciled to it. yet i ask him to sing, because i wish to learn to like everything he is interested in. i am sure i can learn, because at first i could not stand it, but now i can. it sours the milk, but it doesn't matter; i can get used to that kind of milk. it is not on account of his brightness that i love him--no, it is not that. he is not to blame for his brightness, such as it is, for he did not make it himself; he is as god make him, and that is sufficient. there was a wise purpose in it, that i know. in time it will develop, though i think it will not be sudden; and besides, there is no hurry; he is well enough just as he is. it is not on account of his gracious and considerate ways and his delicacy that i love him. no, he has lacks in this regard, but he is well enough just so, and is improving. it is not on account of his industry that i love him--no, it is not that. i think he has it in him, and i do not know why he conceals it from me. it is my only pain. otherwise he is frank and open with me, now. i am sure he keeps nothing from me but this. it grieves me that he should have a secret from me, and sometimes it spoils my sleep, thinking of it, but i will put it out of my mind; it shall not trouble my happiness, which is otherwise full to overflowing. it is not on account of his education that i love him--no, it is not that. he is self-educated, and does really know a multitude of things, but they are not so. it is not on account of his chivalry that i love him--no, it is not that. he told on me, but i do not blame him; it is a peculiarity of sex, i think, and he did not make his sex. of course i would not have told on him, i would have perished first; but that is a peculiarity of sex, too, and i do not take credit for it, for i did not make my sex. then why is it that i love him? merely because he is masculine, i think. at bottom he is good, and i love him for that, but i could love him without it. if he should beat me and abuse me, i should go on loving him. i know it. it is a matter of sex, i think. he is strong and handsome, and i love him for that, and i admire him and am proud of him, but i could love him without those qualities. if he were plain, i should love him; if he were a wreck, i should love him; and i would work for him, and slave over him, and pray for him, and watch by his bedside until i died. yes, i think i love him merely because he is mine and is masculine. there is no other reason, i suppose. and so i think it is as i first said: that this kind of love is not a product of reasonings and statistics. it just comes--none knows whence--and cannot explain itself. and doesn't need to. it is what i think. but i am only a girl, the first that has examined this matter, and it may turn out that in my ignorance and inexperience i have not got it right. forty years later it is my prayer, it is my longing, that we may pass from this life together--a longing which shall never perish from the earth, but shall have place in the heart of every wife that loves, until the end of time; and it shall be called by my name. but if one of us must go first, it is my prayer that it shall be i; for he is strong, i am weak, i am not so necessary to him as he is to me --life without him would not be life; how could i endure it? this prayer is also immortal, and will not cease from being offered up while my race continues. i am the first wife; and in the last wife i shall be repeated. at eve's grave adam: wheresoever she was, there was eden. extracts from adam's diary translated from the original ms. by mark twain [note.--i translated a portion of this diary some years ago, and a friend of mine printed a few copies in an incomplete form, but the public never got them. since then i have deciphered some more of adam's hieroglyphics, and think he has now become sufficiently important as a public character to justify this publication.--m. t.] monday this new creature with the long hair is a good deal in the way. it is always hanging around and following me about. i don't like this; i am not used to company. i wish it would stay with the other animals. cloudy to-day, wind in the east; think we shall have rain.... where did i get that word?... i remember now --the new creature uses it. tuesday been examining the great waterfall. it is the finest thing on the estate, i think. the new creature calls it niagara falls--why, i am sure i do not know. says it looks like niagara falls. that is not a reason; it is mere waywardness and imbecility. i get no chance to name anything myself. the new creature names everything that comes along, before i can get in a protest. and always that same pretext is offered--it looks like the thing. there is the dodo, for instance. says the moment one looks at it one sees at a glance that it "looks like a dodo." it will have to keep that name, no doubt. it wearies me to fret about it, and it does no good, anyway. dodo! it looks no more like a dodo than i do. wednesday built me a shelter against the rain, but could not have it to myself in peace. the new creature intruded. when i tried to put it out it shed water out of the holes it looks with, and wiped it away with the back of its paws, and made a noise such as some of the other animals make when they are in distress. i wish it would not talk; it is always talking. that sounds like a cheap fling at the poor creature, a slur; but i do not mean it so. i have never heard the human voice before, and any new and strange sound intruding itself here upon the solemn hush of these dreaming solitudes offends my ear and seems a false note. and this new sound is so close to me; it is right at my shoulder, right at my ear, first on one side and then on the other, and i am used only to sounds that are more or less distant from me. friday the naming goes recklessly on, in spite of anything i can do. i had a very good name for the estate, and it was musical and pretty --garden-of-eden. privately, i continue to call it that, but not any longer publicly. the new creature says it is all woods and rocks and scenery, and therefore has no resemblance to a garden. says it looks like a park, and does not look like anything but a park. consequently, without consulting me, it has been new-named --niagara falls park. this is sufficiently high-handed, it seems to me. and already there is a sign up: keep off the grass my life is not as happy as it was. saturday the new creature eats too much fruit. we are going to run short, most likely. "we" again--that is its word; mine too, now, from hearing it so much. good deal of fog this morning. i do not go out in the fog myself. the new creature does. it goes out in all weathers, and stumps right in with its muddy feet. and talks. it used to be so pleasant and quiet here. sunday pulled through. this day is getting to be more and more trying. it was selected and set apart last november as a day of rest. i already had six of them per week, before. this morning found the new creature trying to clod apples out of that forbidden tree. monday the new creature says its name is eve. that is all right, i have no objections. says it is to call it by when i want it to come. i said it was superfluous, then. the word evidently raised me in its respect; and indeed it is a large, good word, and will bear repetition. it says it is not an it, it is a she. this is probably doubtful; yet it is all one to me; what she is were nothing to me if she would but go by herself and not talk. tuesday she has littered the whole estate with execrable names and offensive signs: this way to the whirlpool. this way to goat island. cave of the winds this way. she says this park would make a tidy summer resort, if there was any custom for it. summer resort--another invention of hers--just words, without any meaning. what is a summer resort? but it is best not to ask her, she has such a rage for explaining. friday she has taken to beseeching me to stop going over the falls. what harm does it do? says it makes her shudder. i wonder why. i have always done it--always liked the plunge, and the excitement, and the coolness. i supposed it was what the falls were for. they have no other use that i can see, and they must have been made for something. she says they were only made for scenery--like the rhinoceros and the mastodon. i went over the falls in a barrel--not satisfactory to her. went over in a tub--still not satisfactory. swam the whirlpool and the rapids in a fig-leaf suit. it got much damaged. hence, tedious complaints about my extravagance. i am too much hampered here. what i need is change of scene. saturday i escaped last tuesday night, and travelled two days, and built me another shelter, in a secluded place, and obliterated my tracks as well as i could, but she hunted me out by means of a beast which she has tamed and calls a wolf, and came making that pitiful noise again, and shedding that water out of the places she looks with. i was obliged to return with her, but will presently emigrate again, when occasion offers. she engages herself in many foolish things: among others, trying to study out why the animals called lions and tigers live on grass and flowers, when, as she says, the sort of teeth they wear would indicate that they were intended to eat each other. this is foolish, because to do that would be to kill each other, and that would introduce what, as i understand it, is called "death;" and death, as i have been told, has not yet entered the park. which is a pity, on some accounts. sunday pulled through. monday i believe i see what the week is for: it is to give time to rest up from the weariness of sunday. it seems a good idea.... she has been climbing that tree again. clodded her out of it. she said nobody was looking. seems to consider that a sufficient justification for chancing any dangerous thing. told her that. the word justification moved her admiration--and envy too, i thought. it is a good word. thursday she told me she was made out of a rib taken from my body. this is at least doubtful, if not more than that. i have not missed any rib.... she is in much trouble about the buzzard; says grass does not agree with it; is afraid she can't raise it; thinks it was intended to live on decayed flesh. the buzzard must get along the best it can with what is provided. we cannot overturn the whole scheme to accommodate the buzzard. saturday she fell in the pond yesterday, when she was looking at herself in it, which she is always doing. she nearly strangled, and said it was most uncomfortable. this made her sorry for the creatures which live in there, which she calls fish, for she continues to fasten names on to things that don't need them and don't come when they are called by them, which is a matter of no consequence to her, as she is such a numskull anyway; so she got a lot of them out and brought them in last night and put them in my bed to keep warm, but i have noticed them now and then all day, and i don't see that they are any happier there than they were before, only quieter. when night comes i shall throw them out-doors. i will not sleep with them again, for i find them clammy and unpleasant to lie among when a person hasn't anything on. sunday pulled through. tuesday she has taken up with a snake now. the other animals are glad, for she was always experimenting with them and bothering them; and i am glad, because the snake talks, and this enables me to get a rest. friday she says the snake advises her to try the fruit of that tree, and says the result will be a great and fine and noble education. i told her there would be another result, too--it would introduce death into the world. that was a mistake--it had been better to keep the remark to myself; it only gave her an idea--she could save the sick buzzard, and furnish fresh meat to the despondent lions and tigers. i advised her to keep away from the tree. she said she wouldn't. i foresee trouble. will emigrate. wednesday i have had a variegated time. i escaped that night, and rode a horse all night as fast as he could go, hoping to get clear out of the park and hide in some other country before the trouble should begin; but it was not to be. about an hour after sunup, as i was riding through a flowery plain where thousands of animals were grazing, slumbering, or playing with each other, according to their wont, all of a sudden they broke into a tempest of frightful noises, and in one moment the plain was in a frantic commotion and every beast was destroying its neighbor. i knew what it meant--eve had eaten that fruit, and death was come into the world.... the tigers ate my horse, paying no attention when i ordered them to desist, and they would even have eaten me if i had stayed--which i didn't, but went away in much haste.... i found this place, outside the park, and was fairly comfortable for a few days, but she has found me out. found me out, and has named the place tonawanda--says it looks like that. in fact, i was not sorry she came, for there are but meagre pickings here, and she brought some of those apples. i was obliged to eat them, i was so hungry. it was against my principles, but i find that principles have no real force except when one is well fed.... she came curtained in boughs and bunches of leaves, and when i asked her what she meant by such nonsense, and snatched them away and threw them down, she tittered and blushed. i had never seen a person titter and blush before, and to me it seemed unbecoming and idiotic. she said i would soon know how it was myself. this was correct. hungry as i was, i laid down the apple half eaten--certainly the best one i ever saw, considering the lateness of the season--and arrayed myself in the discarded boughs and branches, and then spoke to her with some severity and ordered her to go and get some more and not make such a spectacle of herself. she did it, and after this we crept down to where the wild-beast battle had been, and collected some skins, and i made her patch together a couple of suits proper for public occasions. they are uncomfortable, it is true, but stylish, and that is the main point about clothes. ... i find she is a good deal of a companion. i see i should be lonesome and depressed without her, now that i have lost my property. another thing, she says it is ordered that we work for our living hereafter. she will be useful. i will superintend. ten days later she accuses me of being the cause of our disaster! she says, with apparent sincerity and truth, that the serpent assured her that the forbidden fruit was not apples, it was chestnuts. i said i was innocent, then, for i had not eaten any chestnuts. she said the serpent informed her that "chestnut" was a figurative term meaning an aged and mouldy joke. i turned pale at that, for i have made many jokes to pass the weary time, and some of them could have been of that sort, though i had honestly supposed that they were new when i made them. she asked me if i had made one just at the time of the catastrophe. i was obliged to admit that i had made one to myself, though not aloud. it was this. i was thinking about the falls, and i said to myself, "how wonderful it is to see that vast body of water tumble down there!" then in an instant a bright thought flashed into my head, and i let it fly, saying, "it would be a deal more wonderful to see it tumble up there!"--and i was just about to kill myself with laughing at it when all nature broke loose in war and death, and i had to flee for my life. "there," she said, with triumph, "that is just it; the serpent mentioned that very jest, and called it the first chestnut, and said it was coeval with the creation." alas, i am indeed to blame. would that i were not witty; oh, would that i had never had that radiant thought! next year we have named it cain. she caught it while i was up country trapping on the north shore of the erie; caught it in the timber a couple of miles from our dug-out--or it might have been four, she isn't certain which. it resembles us in some ways, and may be a relation. that is what she thinks, but this is an error, in my judgment. the difference in size warrants the conclusion that it is a different and new kind of animal--a fish, perhaps, though when i put it in the water to see, it sank, and she plunged in and snatched it out before there was opportunity for the experiment to determine the matter. i still think it is a fish, but she is indifferent about what it is, and will not let me have it to try. i do not understand this. the coming of the creature seems to have changed her whole nature and made her unreasonable about experiments. she thinks more of it than she does of any of the other animals, but is not able to explain why. her mind is disordered--everything shows it. sometimes she carries the fish in her arms half the night when it complains and wants to get to the water. at such times the water comes out of the places in her face that she looks out of, and she pats the fish on the back and makes soft sounds with her mouth to soothe it, and betrays sorrow and solicitude in a hundred ways. i have never seen her do like this with any other fish, and it troubles me greatly. she used to carry the young tigers around so, and play with them, before we lost our property; but it was only play; she never took on about them like this when their dinner disagreed with them. sunday she doesn't work sundays, but lies around all tired out, and likes to have the fish wallow over her; and she makes fool noises to amuse it, and pretends to chew its paws, and that makes it laugh. i have not seen a fish before that could laugh. this makes me doubt.... i have come to like sunday myself. superintending all the week tires a body so. there ought to be more sundays. in the old days they were tough, but now they come handy. wednesday it isn't a fish. i cannot quite make out what it is. it makes curious, devilish noises when not satisfied, and says "goo-goo" when it is. it is not one of us, for it doesn't walk; it is not a bird, for it doesn't fly; it is not a frog, for it doesn't hop; it is not a snake, for it doesn't crawl; i feel sure it is not a fish, though i cannot get a chance to find out whether it can swim or not. it merely lies around, and mostly on its back, with its feet up. i have not seen any other animal do that before. i said i believed it was an enigma, but she only admired the word without understanding it. in my judgment it is either an enigma or some kind of a bug. if it dies, i will take it apart and see what its arrangements are. i never had a thing perplex me so. three months later the perplexity augments instead of diminishing. i sleep but little. it has ceased from lying around, and goes about on its four legs now. yet it differs from the other four-legged animals in that its front legs are unusually short, consequently this causes the main part of its person to stick up uncomfortably high in the air, and this is not attractive. it is built much as we are, but its method of travelling shows that it is not of our breed. the short front legs and long hind ones indicate that it is of the kangaroo family, but it is a marked variation of the species, since the true kangaroo hops, whereas this one never does. still, it is a curious and interesting variety, and has not been catalogued before. as i discovered it, i have felt justified in securing the credit of the discovery by attaching my name to it, and hence have called it kangaroorum adamiensis.... it must have been a young one when it came, for it has grown exceedingly since. it must be five times as big, now, as it was then, and when discontented is able to make from twenty-two to thirty-eight times the noise it made at first. coercion does not modify this, but has the contrary effect. for this reason i discontinued the system. she reconciles it by persuasion, and by giving it things which she had previously told it she wouldn't give it. as already observed, i was not at home when it first came, and she told me she found it in the woods. it seems odd that it should be the only one, yet it must be so, for i have worn myself out these many weeks trying to find another one to add to my collection, and for this one to play with; for surely then it would be quieter, and we could tame it more easily. but i find none, nor any vestige of any; and strangest of all, no tracks. it has to live on the ground, it cannot help itself; therefore, how does it get about without leaving a track? i have set a dozen traps, but they do no good. i catch all small animals except that one; animals that merely go into the trap out of curiosity, i think, to see what the milk is there for. they never drink it. three months later the kangaroo still continues to grow, which is very strange and perplexing. i never knew one to be so long getting its growth. it has fur on its head now; not like kangaroo fur, but exactly like our hair, except that it is much finer and softer, and instead of being black is red. i am like to lose my mind over the capricious and harassing developments of this unclassifiable zoological freak. if i could catch another one--but that is hopeless; it is a new variety, and the only sample; this is plain. but i caught a true kangaroo and brought it in, thinking that this one, being lonesome, would rather have that for company than have no kin at all, or any animal it could feel a nearness to or get sympathy from in its forlorn condition here among strangers who do not know its ways or habits, or what to do to make it feel that it is among friends; but it was a mistake--it went into such fits at the sight of the kangaroo that i was convinced it had never seen one before. i pity the poor noisy little animal, but there is nothing i can do to make it happy. if i could tame it--but that is out of the question; the more i try, the worse i seem to make it. it grieves me to the heart to see it in its little storms of sorrow and passion. i wanted to let it go, but she wouldn't hear of it. that seemed cruel and not like her; and yet she may be right. it might be lonelier than ever; for since i cannot find another one, how could it? five months later it is not a kangaroo. no, for it supports itself by holding to her finger, and thus goes a few steps on its hind legs, and then falls down. it is probably some kind of a bear; and yet it has no tail--as yet--and no fur, except on its head. it still keeps on growing--that is a curious circumstance, for bears get their growth earlier than this. bears are dangerous--since our catastrophe--and i shall not be satisfied to have this one prowling about the place much longer without a muzzle on. i have offered to get her a kangaroo if she would let this one go, but it did no good--she is determined to run us into all sorts of foolish risks, i think. she was not like this before she lost her mind. a fortnight later i examined its mouth. there is no danger yet; it has only one tooth. it has no tail yet. it makes more noise now than it ever did before--and mainly at night. i have moved out. but i shall go over, mornings, to breakfast, and to see if it has more teeth. if it gets a mouthful of teeth, it will be time for it to go, tail or no tail, for a bear does not need a tail in order to be dangerous. four months later i have been off hunting and fishing a month, up in the region that she calls buffalo; i don't know why, unless it is because there are not any buffaloes there. meantime the bear has learned to paddle around all by itself on its hind legs, and says "poppa" and "momma." it is certainly a new species. this resemblance to words may be purely accidental, of course, and may have no purpose or meaning; but even in that case it is still extraordinary, and is a thing which no other bear can do. this imitation of speech, taken together with general absence of fur and entire absence of tail, sufficiently indicates that this is a new kind of bear. the further study of it will be exceedingly interesting. meantime i will go off on a far expedition among the forests of the north and make an exhaustive search. there must certainly be another one somewhere, and this one will be less dangerous when it has company of its own species. i will go straightway; but i will muzzle this one first. three months later it has been a weary, weary hunt, yet i have had no success. in the mean time, without stirring from the home estate, she has caught another one! i never saw such luck. i might have hunted these woods a hundred years, i never should have run across that thing. next day i have been comparing the new one with the old one, and it is perfectly plain that they are the same breed. i was going to stuff one of them for my collection, but she is prejudiced against it for some reason or other; so i have relinquished the idea, though i think it is a mistake. it would be an irreparable loss to science if they should get away. the old one is tamer than it was, and can laugh and talk like the parrot, having learned this, no doubt, from being with the parrot so much, and having the imitative faculty in a highly developed degree. i shall be astonished if it turns out to be a new kind of parrot, and yet i ought not to be astonished, for it has already been everything else it could think of, since those first days when it was a fish. the new one is as ugly now as the old one was at first; has the same sulphur-and-raw-meat complexion and the same singular head without any fur on it. she calls it abel. ten years later they are boys; we found it out long ago. it was their coming in that small, immature shape that puzzled us; we were not used to it. there are some girls now. abel is a good boy, but if cain had stayed a bear it would have improved him. after all these years, i see that i was mistaken about eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the garden with her than inside it without her. at first i thought she talked too much; but now i should be sorry to have that voice fall silent and pass out of my life. blessed be the chestnut that brought us near together and taught me to know the goodness of her heart and the sweetness of her spirit! transcriber's note: authorial idiosyncracies have been retained. the secret of the creation _by_ dr. howard d. pollyen this book, the great wonder of the literary age. contains the first and second chapters of the secret of the creation. the mightiest book ever written on earth among men. price 25c the secret of the creation _by_ dr. howard d. pollyen this book the great wonder of the literary age. contains the first and second chapters of the secret of the creation. the most mighty book ever written on earth among men. also contains songs and poems by dr. howard d. pollyen, the world's greatest author and writer of all times. author of the deepest and most mystifying songs--revealing the whole history of the human soul. the secret of the creation in full will follow this little book which is but a touch of heaven's torchlight to the human heart. the secret of the creation by dr. howard d. pollyen * * * * * chapter i the creation of the heavens jehovah has no beginning. he himself created time, and taught its principles to the living things he also created, giving to them comprehension, by which we ascribe, unto the infiniteness of jehovah a time and a beginning. before that there were not any man or angels or living creatures of any form created. when there were no worlds yet formed, nature stood in three kingdoms. they were light, water, and darkness. then the kingdom of the light strove against the kingdom of darkness, and the darkness contended with the light. the two elements came together, each of them a separate unit, contending against the other. and in their controversy the virtue of the power of each of them became formed and concentrated into a living being. their personalities are as those of men, but their substance is power. the virtue--the pre-motive--the ruling quorum--the master of all power: the being of light was much greater than the being of darkness and ruled over him; therefore was his name jehovah. the being of darkness hated him with great envy, thereby was his name satan. but they were both lonesome; being alone: even as light and darkness is obstinate to each other. then jehovah saw that he was the master of nature, all power being controlled by his hands. he looked upon the kingdom of the waters and saw that their alluvian substance could be divided and congealed into many kingdoms of minerals, and he decided to create a world. he sent a current of electricity in its first nature through the face of the waters and said, "let the minerals be gathered together, each one in its place in perfect order for the earth; and let the dry land appear above the face of the waters." and the natural electricity went forth and returned to and fro, and it was done. and jehovah came and walked upon the world which he had created, and he called it heaven. for it was a place upon which he would cause to rest the substance of life--out of which he had come. and he called to the kingdom of light and saw that it was an immensity of life. dividing it he formed and created minor beings after his own image and in his own form. and he called them souls. but they were naked, having no substance for bodies like him. all the face of the heaven was filled with them as they glittered before their creator in hosts. some of them were great and some of them were small; all being different, each one shining according to the power of its own light. then jehovah created souls for other living things of all manner of shapes and forms, great and small--unto the infinite small things until the substance of life was contained. jehovah set for his created things an order and a procession of life, creating for them bodies. and they arose up and began to fill all the face of heaven with songs and music. and thus the heaven and the hosts of it were finished. and satan enveighed jehovah and the things which he had made, for he knew that there was no power of creating forces in the virtue of darkness, and that he himself could not create or make any living thing to stand before him in life. therefore he hated life and sought with all his power to destroy the created things of jehovah. satan's power went out as a shadower of darkness towards them. it was the virtue of his own evil self--his spirit of darkness--which attempted to come upon the people and the beasts which jehovah had made, to destroy them. but a light went forth from jehovah as a refuge and a defense. it was the virtue of his own righteous self--his spirit of perfection--the embodiment of his almighty mind. the righteousness of his power went forth and filled all his creation, and shielded and protected all the living things which he had made from the darkness and evil of satan. the creation teemed with the glory of jehovah, an unmentionable space, for there was no time there. neither were there the aged or dying, for satan had not as yet cursed any thing that jehovah had made. but justice being the authority of jehovah, he must be just with satan also. he could not prevent satan from coming upon the earth and walking to and fro through his creation. jehovah could be jealous, but not selfish and unjust. if satan could persuade any of his creatures to forsake him and to receive within them the power of his own satanic spirit, justice said that they were his and jehovah should bear the loss. but satan could not withstand the light and glory of jehovah, for jehovah's brilliancy filled the heaven. he dwelt upon a throne in a temple of power. the throne and temple were living power. being gathered together a natural substance which is power, and the pre-motive glory of all beauty giving life to the living by its power of that which he chose to array his dwelling place with. the virtue of the colors, the red and green, azure, onyx, diamond, bedellium, saraf, amber, and all manner of adornments of beauty, were faded of their virgin colors and their sereness of glory, were brought forth in the construction of his temple and throne. so that no being should be able to surpass jehovah in glory hence. and the temple and the throne in the temple is one living thing of eternal life, borne by other living things. where jehovah wills to go, the temple also can go. eternal substance of power like streams of fire, but more white like the light of diamond issuing toward every point of the creation as it goes forth in its glory; and there is nothing unseen or hid from its light. in the language and knowledge of man, infinite was the time that satan sought before he was able to defile any of the sons and daughters of jehovah. but out somewhere in the eternity sin began to steal into the souls of the sons of the mighty. and they began to hate jehovah and to envy his glory in a great dispensation. satan diminishing them after his own power until one-third of all the hosts of heaven were defiled with sin. and they had fallen from their power and from their former glory, and had strayed away from their father's house; the brightness of their souls glittering not. satan had captivated them over into his great night of despair--and they knew it not, for satan had always appeared to them arrayed in glory as if jehovah, and they supposed that he was able to continually give them light. but they were cast away from jehovah, and there was darkness and violence and despair, for the light of satan was as the shadows of a great night. there was no sun and moon and stars to give them artificial light, for jehovah is the only light of the living soul, and his glory is the light of that world. the heaven was filled with violence and his name was blasphemed with many inventions. but they repented not from satan unto jehovah. then there was war upon the face of all the heaven: michael and mikrell and gabriel, and the millions of the mighty ones of the righteous came before jehovah in a council of war. and it was decreed that all the hosts of the wicked should be slain and cast out of the heaven. and that the face of the heaven should be cleansed. then one came and stood before jehovah--one whom he loved greater than the love which he had for many of his created beings. he being the excellency of his beginning, his son by love. and he said "father, if all these be slain and cast down they remain dead forever. they are satan's and he rejoices against thee that he shall ever have them. i go in their midst and redeem them from satan that they shall live again. i shall purchase them from satan with my own life. i die that they might live again. father, make for them another world that they might live again and have a chance to repent from satan unto thee. that they in their great hosts remain not dead--forever dead." and jehovah said, "son, if we make man again in our own image after our glory; again will man sin, and satan will have the mastery over him, and there would be none to inhabit the new world which i create." then the son said, "father, it shall be righteous that you make man again, for i shall go with him until a day in which i shall meet thee out upon that world and there again i will pay the price of man's sins, and redeem him from the power of satan, that not all of those be lost--forever lost." the decree of jehovah was given that they should live again. then michael, the captain of jehovah's hosts, went forth and fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his armies fought, but prevailed not; neither was there any more room found in heaven for satan and his host. and the great dragon--satan--was cast out of heaven and all his angels with him. and his right to dwell upon the face of heaven was forfeited when his servants had slain the son of jehovah. who also redeemed the souls of the dead from satan's power when they had shed the blood of the captain of salvation. and the heaven was cleansed from sin. neither could satan or any of his servants return. all those who had sinned were forever cast down. and the decree was set that they should not ascend again into heaven in the infinite eternity. but those of jehovah's servants who loved not their lives in the days of battle and were slain in the war, if they chose to follow their lost brothers down into the new world, they from there might ascend again unto their father's house. and the waters stood beneath the heavens, and there was no form or void in their substance. and the darkness prevailed unchanging. then the spirit of jehovah moved upon the face of the waters beholding all things. and jehovah said let the light appear upon the face of the deep, and let the darkness be gathered together in one place beneath the heaven, and half of its place be given for the light, and it was so. and jehovah beheld the light that it was glorious. and he said let the firmament of electricity divide the waters again beneath the heaven. and let the substance of the upper part of the waters above the firmament be gathered together and let the dry land appear. and let the waters whose substance have formed the earth be gathered together, and let the earth and the waters stand in perfectness in their orders. and let the firmament beneath the heaven of electricity remain unmovable, and let there be a door as a gateway from the heaven to the earth remain through the firmament. and thus on the first and second space of time which became days jehovah formed the earth and laid up veins of the minerals after their kinds in their places, in perfect order. the mountains rising up high above the seas, giving to the seas their places of permanency in the lower places of the earth. in the third day jehovah created the trees and vegetation--all manner of trees to eradicate the face of the earth from its nakedness. he created the seeds in the earth, each seed after its kind, so it could not change forever from the laws of nature. the fourth day he created great lights, the sun and moon and stars, and set them in the firmament above the earth. in abodement of twelve houses. made to rule the darkness and to alternate nature, giving life to the things which were to live in the parts of the earth where there was to be life. he made three hundred and sixty-four roads in the firmament above the earth, and placed the sun and the moon in them. the roads he made in an oblong shape and joined them together at one place in the east and in the west, that the sun should make his circuits over the earth and drive the darkness before him. and that the moon should make her circuits over the earth to alternate and rule the darkness. and for her aid he made the stars and set them in their places in the firmament and in the cross roads which run across the pathways of the sun and moon; setting them in order in twelve groups. and jehovah wrote the stars and their pathways upon the face of the firmament. they tell the story of his creation and his love for the things he has created. as they move in their concourses they are constantly spelling out the things which have never been changed, glittering above the mist of the earth in their work of perfection. and in the midst of the earth he set a magnet joining the heaven and the earth together that the heaven and the earth should not move out of their place forever. the magnet in its dimensions is perfectly round--a tower of bluish mist shining bright like silver--where it stands in its zone of perpetual darkness; where he made not a light to shine superior to the darkness. and the magnet revolves around perpetually in its protraction, carrying the sun and moon and stars in their circuits over the face of the earth in their roads--in their courses according to their metallic natures--around in a circuit over the parts of the earth, where he designed for his things of life to live. each monitor of the firmament moving in its own place according to its power with the magnet of its own nature to do the things it was created to do, until its work should be finished; then it falls from its place when its course is run, and is no more. and the sun sped on his course driving the darkness before him as it closed up again behind him. and the morning and the evening were the fourth day in the beginning of time. and the moon and the stars in their courses over the earth drew up the metallic substance of the earth and distilled and gave it to the sun; and he in his great speed cast them out upon the earth, again in minute atoms, and as they came in contact with their own primordial atoms which lie upon the earth, and more densely in the lower parts of the earth, they explode, causing atmospherical heat; each atom giving forth a yellow flame of light as it explodes, so minute that one light cannot be distinguished from another by the sense of man. thus on the fourth day began heat to gender upon the face of the earth, preventing the ice and snow from overcoming the life of vegetation in the circuit of life which the creator had decreed upon the plains of the world. and the sun went forth upon his circuit and came around again to the place from where he had started, encircling the magnet in the center of the earth, thus beginning an endless day and an endless night, perpetually unchanging. his roads were decreed that from hence he should run from the east to the west upon one line, then from the west to the east around on another line each day, drawing closer to the magnet on one side and falling farther away on the other side, creating an endless summer and an endless winter, and a springtime and a fall perpetually. the light of the sun as it came upon its nearest lines to the magnet where it stood in the center and lowest part of the earth, far enough distant that his rays could not penetrate into the region of the magnet and disturb its silence as it stands in its sea of ice and darkness, while the light of the sun from the outer roads from the magnet was bounded about by darkness and unchanging ice. and towards the west jehovah had set up a great chain of mountains to hold back the light while the sun was upon his outer roads, that half of the nights might be long towards the region of the magnet. while to the east he had set up no great mountains that the light of the sun on its outer roads from thence might reach across the plains towards the region of the magnet, that half of the nights might be light and giving glories of light for half of the time of the years. while in the great white way of life the continents and islands lay all teeming with glory. the large continents having divides of high lands through them, from which large rivers flow, some towards the outer seas and some of them flow down towards the lower parts of the earth towards the magnet. then the sons of jehovah and the morning stars sang together and shouted for joy when they saw the glory of jehovah's creation. and the morning of the fifth day began. and jehovah said let the waters and the earth bring forth living creatures. things to be in the seas after their kinds, and living creatures to be upon the earth and in the earth. things that have life to live in the dust of the world, and fowl that they may soar above the earth. and jehovah and his tribune formed the flesh and bones of fish to live in the waters, his spirit being in the labor and toil of the day. he formed great whales and fish of mighty propensities to consume the substance of life in the waters. and for them he made leviathan to be their king and a god over them. and the creatures of the waters were in the seas and in the rivers and in the earth, everywhere that there is water, every one after its kind unchangeable. he also made the fowl upon the earth out of the clay of the earth, every one after its kind, upon the continents and islands where it should live; and gave to them an order of life as the things of the waters, the female delivering the substance of flesh in an egg; and by the process of heat the shell becoming expanded and then the spirit of the fowl entering into the substance through the expanded pores of the shell, forming flesh to itself, while containing knowledge of the world. as soon as its flesh is strong enough it mines a passage for itself through the shell and takes its flesh into the world. and jehovah made the beasts out of the earth after their kinds, in their forms upon the islands and continents where they should live. and the tribune formed all manner of beasts, both great and small, out of the earth. they formed their flesh and bones and cast their souls in them. and they arose up in life a pair of them of every kind, in every part of the earth where the decree had gone forth that they should live. and they made beasts after the form of man, and in his appearance of many sizes and shapes, walking upon their two feet with two hands to handle things as a man. and they were of many colors, some black and brown and yellow striped, white and spotted and striped with all manner of colors. and they were upon the face of the earth and in the waters. and jehovah and his tribune made huge beasts great in power and form, to dwell upon parts of the earth. the unicorn was larger than the elephant. he had horns as the horns of a bull. he was mighty in strength and was a ferocious beast. mazaroth was much larger than the unicorn; he was a beast of the rivers, of the swamps, and glades. arcturus was a roving beast of the plains; he went in droves in his day. his army stood on the plains in the shade of the mountains as a cluster of little hills crouched, beneath the trees. he heeded not the battle cry of man in his ways. magathuren was a roving beast of the smooth parts of the earth; he could not pass up or down a steep incline or step over anything above his knees. he had a straight horn with which he lifted the trunks of fallen trees and things out of his way, as he passed to and fro over the earth. behemoth was also a beast of the plains; he was the largest beast which jehovah made to dwell upon the dry land of the earth. but he was not like leviathan, the king or the pride of the deep. and there were also great beasts made to dwell in the seas as well as upon the earth; until the substance, of life was contained. and there went up a mist from the waters of the earth, and rain fell upon the dry land, bringing forth food for the living things which were made. but as yet jehovah had not made man upon the earth. chapter ii the race of man and jehovah created a vineyard upon the high lands, from whose mountains flowed away four rivers. being parted in four ways from the vineyard. the first and second are those which encompass the land of havilah and ethiopia, and flow into the caspian sea. the third and fourth are the euphrates and hiddekel which flow into the persian gulf. and in the sixth day jehovah said let us make man in our own image after our likeness in our similitude. and he formed the body of man out of the clay of the earth, with his hands and with his spirit he made him after his own form and likeness. then he called one of the rebellious souls which had been cast out of heaven and he cast the soul into the body which he had made, and the body arose up with the vigor of life, and became an active soul before jehovah, its creator. and he called his name adam, because he had made him out of the red clay of the heights, and man was red after the appearance of jehovah. and jehovah caused all of the beasts to pass before adam. and adam gave names to them after their kinds. and he called the beast which had hands and feet and stood upright as himself, serpent. and jehovah placed adam in the vineyard to live, and gave to him the serpent to be his servant, in the garden of rest which he so named eden. and jehovah returned about and refrained from his work on the seventh day, and sanctified it as a day of rest. and adam dwelt alone in eden. and he was lonesome. but after a time jehovah returned with his hosts, and he said it is not good for adam to dwell thus alone. i will now make for man his mother. and she shall be wiser and mightier than he in wisdom, and shall be his counselor, and a light to rule over him that his days be many in the earth. and jehovah caused a sleep to come over adam, and he took out one of his ribs with the flesh of the bone, and closed up the flesh of adam. and out of it he made the body of a child,--leaving adam twelve ribs on one side and eleven on the other side. but the ribs of the child were even twelve on both sides. and jehovah placed within her a soul and gave her to adam, and he knew that she had been made of his flesh, and he called her woman. and also shall her name be eve, because she is the beginning of the mothers of man. and there was a tree which jehovah had planted in the garden of eden. as if a hundred feet to the first limb, and the leaves of the tree hung to the ground--touching the ground on all sides, "broad and strong like rubber, yet with velvet softness. beneath this tree was the home of adam and eve." beneath the downy fragrant leaves they were shielded from all heat and cold. and the eagles and the fowl of the air run into the branches of the tree in time of storm. here in this sublimeness eve grew up with adam, and the serpent was their servant. the trees of the vineyard brought forth every thing which was good for food. there were trees which bare fruits large and shining as gold, fruits of all manner colors as a field of stars in glory. a river run through the garden. crystal waters rifting over fields of beautiful stones. the bedellium and onyx stones and much gold abounding in and about the waters. and on one side of the river stood a tree which bare fruit twelve times in the year, whose substance would cause one to live forever. it was the tree of life. none that eat of its fruit should ever die. from month to month and from year to year it had power to renew life perpetually. and on the other side of the river stood a tree which had power to make one wise. it was a tree of knowledge, one whose fruit would intoxicate and revitalize,--speeding up the action of life, causing one to think rapidly, and to see with a clearer vision. setting the vitalities in a key where they must wear out, bringing forth the order of death. this tree was called the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because its power was the division between man and sin. he could eat of the tree of life and realize the power and nature of life in all its glory. but he could not realize the nature and effect of death and sorrow until he should eat of the fruit of the tree of death, and become intoxicated with the mania of its devastating forces. and for this cause jehovah commanded adam that he should not eat of the fruit of the tree of death or come near it. but the command was not given to eve, for she was but a child--left in adam's keeping. and they dwelt in glory in their home beneath the wings of the tree in the vineyard. and they were naked 'but knew it not.' satan was upon earth, and envied them in their salvation, but he could not come near the vineyard, neither could he tempt them to sin. for they were redeemed, and satan could not break the decree. but when eve was grown the servant walked to and fro beyond the templed paradise, and sat with satan by a pool. and satan taught the servant how that it could become free from its masters. then she hastened back and came again into the vineyard. and eve stood by the tree of death admiring its beauty. and the servant came and said to her, "has jehovah said that you shall not eat of every tree in this garden?" and eve said, "we may eat of the fruit of every tree but this tree, which stands in the midst of the garden we shall not eat of it, neither shall we touch it lest we die." and the servant said, "you shall not surely die,--for the creator he knows that in the day you eat of the fruit of this tree your eyes shall be open and you shall become wise like before the fall--as gods knowing the effect of good and evil." and when she saw that the tree was good for food and excellent in beauty, she commanded the servant and she brought to her the fruit and she ate of it. then she was enlightened and was as another woman. then she with her own hands brought of the fruit to adam, and when he saw its power upon her he also ate of the fruit, and the mind of them both were enlightened, and the mist was removed from over their souls; and they knew that they were not as the beast, but were naked. and they sewed leaves together for clothes and dwelt in great fear. and it was so that in the evening time of a day they heard the voice of jehovah as he walked through the garden. and they fled from their temple and hid themselves from his presence among the trees, and were not where they were wanted to be found. and jehovah called unto adam and said, "where are you adam?" and adam said i heard you talking in the garden and i was afraid, and i hid myself because i was naked. and jehovah said who told you that you was naked? have you eaten of the tree which i commanded thee not to eat? and he said the woman which you gave me she gave me of the fruit of the tree and i did eat. and jehovah said unto eve, what have you done. and she said the serpent bewitched me and i did eat. and jehovah said to the serpent, because you have done this thing you are cursed beyond everything which i have created. upon your belly you shall travel, and you shall not henceforth eat. in this, that you have caused my children to sin in the process of eating. the dust shall be your food, and i shall put envy between your race and the race of the woman. and she shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise her heel. and the serpent fell upon the earth before jehovah, and her arms and legs became into one straight body. and he took her teeth out of her mouth so that she should not masticate food. but he left in her mouth the imprints of her teeth, which is yet to be seen in the mouth of the serpent. and he placed great crooked fangs in her mouth and filled them with poison. if she should masticate food her own poison would destroy her life. but she was given power to reach forth and to inject the poison of her fangs into the flesh of man and other living things--to destroy their lives. then he parted her tongue in two parts, and upon the end of each probescue he tied a small round knot, that is the knot which is yet to be seen on the ends of the serpent's tongue unto this day. and according to the decree were all the serpents changed, in the process of nature. that they should not again speak with the voice of man. but their knowledge was not veiled. and while they cannot speak to man; yet while in contact they show their tongues and say with unmistakable signs "by my speech i cause thee to fall." this is the life of the serpent who through envy was finally bound in hell. and to eve, he said, "i will greatly multiply sorrow upon thee. with your children you shall be distressed. and man shall set thee at naught, and curse his days--defying and bearing rule over thee. and your desire shall be to your man." and unto adam he said "because you have eaten of the tree which i commanded thee not to eat, cursed is the fruit of the ground for your sake. they shall come forth in thistles and thorns before thee. and you shall turn unto the herbs of the field for food, and shall spend your days in toil, eating of the vintage in sorrow, until you return unto the ground from which you was taken. dust you are and unto the dust you shall return." and he drove adam and eve out of paradise, and left an angel to keep the vineyard, from whose sword issued a stream of power like fire as he turned about every way upon the plains. and adam and eve went out a little ways from edon northward towards the caspian sea, and set up for themselves a place of abode, and soon began to till the earth. and eve became the mother of children. her first born son she called node, and she bare him also a sister and called her name midre. and node went forth with his sister to the eastward of edon. and in time there built a city, which was called the city of nod. but node was a man of sin. and again eve bare havilah, and his sister zillah. but he also was a man of sin. and he dwelt to the west, and proclaimed a land which was called the land of havilah. and again eve bare cain, and she said he is a man to serve jehovah. and she bare also his brother abul, one to seek the will of jehovah. and adah and her brothers and sisters were also born unto the house of adam. and cain and abul sought to worship jehovah. and abul offered of the noblest of his sheep as a sacrifice to jehovah, and jehovah was well pleased with his offering. and then cain offered of the finest of his fruit of his harvest. and jehovah had no respect for his sacrifice, saying, "why bring of the things before me which i have defamed. redemption shall be found alone in the blood of that which i have not cursed." then cain was very wroth, and jehovah said unto him repent; but he would not. and in process of time as he talked with abul in a field he arose up against him and slew him. and the soul of abul cried unto jehovah from the earth. and he said to cain the voice of your brother's soul cries unto me from the ground. and now are you cursed in the blessings of the earth which has received your brother's blood by your hand. when you till the soil it shall not yield unto you her strength. a fugitive and a vagabond shall you be in the earth. and cain repented and said, "my punishment is greater than i can bear; you have driven me out from among the people, and from your face i shall be hid; and it shall come to pass that if any one should find me that they shall slay me." and jehovah said to the people, whosoever slays cain, "vengeance shall be taken upon him seven fold." and he set a mark upon cain's forehead of many colors. and cain went from the presence of jehovah and dwelt in the land of nod. and in time he became the father of a generation. but his days were evil and sullen, and when he was aged a lad slew him with an arrow. * * * * * a praise of memory the north winds howled across the rockies, with a blasting chill. the people wandered through the snow drifts, while the stars shone cold and still. there was no place on earth to rest then; no place for the children to lie. but mosier watched throughout the hosts, that none of them should die. through the desert lone and dreary; through the cold, drifting sands, the people fled from the hosts of satan, from the wrath of wicked man. the spirit of jehovah gleams across the heaven, a light for every man; showing white the road that leads to zion, shining bright in every land. watching in a city by the river, praising in music and in song, waiting for the train of zion, mosier with his hosts of angels comes speeding on. ring you bells, for the station of zion; let the music sound out over the land. mosier with his hosts of the angels comes to earth to reign with man. * * * * * a high praise the lord of these hills is king of the plains, too, and he rules the starry blue. he is coming to earth with the children of men to reign the ages through. over the hills of silvered blue, over the fields of gold and gray. the angels shall march in songs of high praise, through the great white way. when the forests and the orchards are all prepared, and the flowers are in full bloom there will be no time for the shadows of doubt, we praise in eternal noon. the children shall sing on the mountain high; the aged shall pray in the plains. while jesus, with his high spirit of power, over the hosts shall reign. the thistle and the thorns and the weeds shall bear its foods of a valiant worth. there shall be no hunger or tears of the poor, for the lord he feeds the whole earth. we will plant the rose on the mountain high, the lily in the plain, in songs with flowers we will greet our king, when he with the saints shall come to earth to reign. the oak and the chestnut and the pine shall bloom, filling the world with light. mosier alleuher's great son has banished sin's long dark night. or if this mortal shall fade or the bones be laid in the clay, this spirit shall fly away on the wings of his power, to the realms of that blessed day. * * * * * a high priest o great alleuher just for a while--only for a while it shall be, we will take our harps and fly away on the wings of your power, and soon return to thee. from out over the earth in tears tonight and from over the cloud-mist seas. a soul has been born tonight in the hills of bethany, shining in the light of thee, o alleuher, glittering in the image of thee. we will take our harps and sing praise to thee, for the glorious gift of love to the world for your memory. we see your glory asleep with the children down there; the lily of the valley, the rose of sharon shall bare. peace and good will in its season to the world of despair; while we watch and praise the ancient of days above the cloud-strewn air. o great alleuher, a new light has been made to shine for tonight, revealing his love in the deeds of his might. answering to that light that shall arise from calvary, shining to the world for ever shall be, out over the earth and the cloud-mist seas. we will take our harps and sing praise to thee, for the children of the earth and the marines of the sea. for the shepherds of the hills dwelling in light descending from thee. in the songs that arise from the high hills, in the music of the valleys and the seas. * * * * * a high praise praise him ye hosts mosier's spirit searches through the mist of the evening, through the night times of gloom; through the morning in its rising; through the brightness of noon. and i know wherever i be, as his spirit searches through the shadows, that he sees me. through the rivers and the oceans, through the starry plains of time; through the hosts of the living, mosier searches men's minds. and i know that wherever i be, as his spirit searches through the shadows, that he sees me. through the heavens and its hosts, through the nations that war; blending the minds of the whole creation, he comes seeking on this living shore. and i know wherever i be, as his spirit searches through the shadows, that he sees me. a high praise--victory one day a great train pulled out from mount zion, for a destiny well known. three passengers stepped on board, and the train moved onward for jehovah's great throne. for ages and ages the saints have been waiting for the returning of that train. when jehovah shall lift the curse of sin from the nations, in sending his son to reign. we will meet king jesus out upon the great highway, in songs of high praise. in the light of his spirit, dwelling in rest forever, given by the ancient of days. they have been making up the great train of zion, through the ages she stands by. soon the hosts of our father's glory shall come sweeping through the sky. the great conductor is standing in the depot, by the gates of praise he stands by. waiting for the saints of the whole creation, to be ready to receive his train from the sky. the music sounds out over the nations, the bells are ringing on every sea. i am going to march with the saints to zion, while the bells are tolling for me. * * * * * a praise--the rivers i wrought not these miracles by any zest of mine. the angels keep watch over the rivers, that float down by the steeps of time. he wrote with his hand upon the marble, the songs of zion's chimes. the angels watch through the stillness until the morning time. he said, "i will not forsake thee or leave thee in despair alone. the angels and my spirit shall guard upon the rivers, all those that are my own." we believed him when he descended, and the mountain smoked with his mighty power. the music rang out over the hosts, as sang heaven's mighty choir. we believe him now while ascending up the steeps of time. with the angels close by the rivers, that lead up to the heights of zion. you cannot believe him except his spirit makes himself known unto thee. or even in all your wisdom you will sail upon the unknown sea. * * * * * praise alleuher ye saints we thank thee, o great alleuher, for a redeemer; one who taught us of your way. that we should walk in the light of zion 'till we enter one eternal day. that we should know from the hills of zion, alleuher in beauty has shone forth. he made our low way in the sin's dark valley shine more brighter than any day. he came to the king of all the nations, king supreme, grand and true, he gave to the people the spirit of salvation to make the soul anew. this to us the spirit whispers, music more than we mortals sing. to our hearts ring the bells of heaven, we are the children of that great king. * * * * * a high praise we thank thee, o great alleuher, for a prophet, one to teach us in this day. all glitt'ring in thy truth of light, shining along our misty way. we whose minds are sealed over, and are driven far away, come seeking unto zion's light in the evening time of day. the lord of hosts in these mountains, o his gracious power, comes scatt'ring the aged long night, he is our refuge in every hour. * * * * * a high praise--the judgment light, great light, alleuher's high spirit, that shines above the day, searching the souls of the living things, calling his children from sin away. i will not grow weary in the times, which others may fear. he shall return at the end of each year. i will wait for his glory shining through all creation unto my spirit to appear. my soul sings by the rivers millions of songs of thee. all through the ages thou hast truly been with me, guarding my spirit from sin's reveries. * * * * * i see out in the fields of memory, a light which gleams across the night of mist to me. by its rays i walk as in times of past along by the shores of the old, old sea. i have found no mystic treasure hidden in the mines of long ago. he has kept for me a light in heaven's window, burning bright in its intrinsic glow. i see by the gleam of the yesterdays, the things of today's revene. i see the lane that leads over the river of tomorrow's bridged stream. my treasure has never been hidden, or cast away by the hand of wroth. but kept a gift of mercy, burnished bright from the dust of moth. i walked for a day by shilo's river, out in the land; i compassed the rays of eden, and harked to listen at the call of zion upon the golden strands. i pass from ages unto ages, i am a child of time. i cannot return or choose the wrath that i would gather, as i pass by the gates of my own mind. if i pass over the divide, the world shall see the things that jehovah lent to me. that great light for which his son once died on calvary. that i might sift the sheltered sands, and gather out the gold; strewn by the mystic hand of him, back in the days of old. through the hills and upon the desert, as a mighty obelisk stands, we gather out the wreaths of beauty, cast for the life of man. the hosts stand in the distance, to observe the things that we do. as our ridged furrows in the gray light come trailing through. as i wrought with my comrades, i saw some jewels glitter in the sands; ling'ring in the dust of time, to be brought within demand. the soul is always waiting, and the heart is always true; where the workmen seek to gather, from the dust beneath the azure lights of blue. * * * * * a high praise we are marching toward that city, in the great trend of mind. we see our friends gathering from over the ranges, stepping by the hours of time. we are ascending the heights from the rivers, lord plant our feet in thy zion. in the spirit in which we are calling, so shall the answer be. each deed and day shall be answered, as our souls cry to thee. we are moving in the light of your spirit; lord, plant our feet in thy zion. lord, let us pay for our ways, in the days of our time. for unto life we shall gather from over the ranges, proven by the powers of mind. let us ascend the heights from the rivers; lord, plant our feet in thy zion. soon our sorrows are ended, soon our woes shall cease. our days for us shall be brighter on through the ages, ascending the hills of peace. lord, shall we arise beyond these sorrows? lord, plant our feet in thy zion. * * * * * a praise--speed some one is watching at the windows tonight, as onward through the valleys and over the rocks of white, the gleaming wheels they speed with might; calling the stars at the approach of night; concealing them away with the speed of light. i do not know what my title holds, because the way has been long; through the orchards and by the waste lands swifter than the shadows of the dawn. but the angel who watches through the train of time hurries all on board along. the shadows of the evening that enclose upon the fleeting sunlight are swiftly turned away; as out of the night time the speeding wheels they sway, before the gloom that's left approaching into the light of day. music rings above the hill tops, from the canyons that we passed by; while sweeping beneath the light of heaven, that beckons from the windows in the sky. soon within the harbor the speeding monitor shall lie; then shall be the answer to the soul which shall never die. * * * * * a praise--reason here lie the brave and valiant-hearted, strewn by the pathway of the noble race. these are our kindred whose souls linger near their dwelling place. here lie the stars which have fallen, from the altar of the race. their light still on our memories gleam, bright before our face. these are of our people, their souls are still upon the breeze. death cannot them destroy, or blot out their secret memories. some of them were old and faded, and others were of the age of the bloom, that grows upon the lilies, and fades before the rays of noon. but out in the mist they are waiting to greet us, and we shall welcome them once more. beneath the sun that shines in stillness, upon this living shore. the battlements are faded, and the swords are laid aside, and he has come with his saints to reign through the ages, over the human tide. a meditation--life i see the people out on the plains--from the distance they call to me. come and march with us for a day, and be one of the people of the plains. floating along with the winds that blow--the great human sea. i love the sage and the vintage that grow, and the oaks that stand in chains. i love the music sung with the wings of the dust through the fields of chaffing grains, shadowed beneath the azure light of the hill's refrains. move, you angels of speed, across the white serenes. you rocks of earth stand still. you seas that lash with a turbulent rage shall all obey my will. i will watch by the things that strive and love, till all the earth be filled. you teeming hosts a' moving on--i love the things of life. you serene glories of the sun's meridian gleam across the extending plains of white; that love and live in the dust of the earth, beneath the sun's great light. move you children with the speed of fire; i love those wings that sing in their strength, and might. haste the speed of the soul that the living mind be right, you things that live in the light of the day--i hate the things of night. gather on the plains like clouds all spectered with black and gray. the things of speed shall dwell sublime, though the things that wait shall pass away. i shall call to those of my own in the midst of the sea; i shall wait for those that pray. there is a light that shines with those that tell of the speed and power. of the soul that hastens to the things of right in the days of their fleeting hours. of the things that live in the love of light you people that is of power. * * * * * a meditation--our praise mosier of the ages hear the children when they cry. out on the plains they pray. hold aright the storms that sweep over, bear the tempest far away. the chief of jehovah's tribune--his hosts above the azure lights of gray. his spirit searches over the plains through all the souls of day. we have a refuge in the light of the first morning, made brighter by the noon. unfolding from zion's harbor unto all the saints upon the spectered earth is strewn. jehovah's gift descending through the gloom. a great rock that was cut out above the earth, but not with hands was hewn. then by the river of zion all his saints shall meet once more. the angels in their salvation shall set his children then before. when the king descends to welcome his hosts upon that living shore, in one speech all voices of earth his high praises shall sing while crossing over. this is when the afterwhile has become the present, and the day to come is just now. when those who hasten to be saved before his throne they bow. the tears of grief shall be no more for ever. the call comes forth to know just how. you saints shall answer with the light of life sealed on every ransomed brow. * * * * * a praise--a charge to the spirits blow! o blow on the rocks of time you silent winds divine. glitter on the mountain heights you rifting specters bright. marching on you hosts of the senless quite. out in that day of every soul that's neither dark or light. know you your place and name and who it is you be. it is the hand of a higher one leads thee through eternity. a price was paid, its value true, back in the ages one day; as onward through the shadows gleam the vampires wing their way. the tiny feet disturb not the dewdrops, as on the rose of sharrion's breast they lie. you lights upon the stillness, you unseen passers by. how old are you thou tiny might that never has been still? before the mountains were brought forth or the sands were in the hills. with you let not sorrow, grief or pain, as in your house of clay which you oft regain. it is not yours to demand to give forth or to say. but it is of him who paid the price back in an ancient day. by him who created us of nature, to walk in nature's way. haste you spirits of silence and tell me what you know; you lights against the walls like shadows of the snow. i am not with thee; you make me hate you in my dreams. except thy feet have been dipped beneath the fountain streams; or have fallen with lebannon's cedar from the heights of boze. and grown up again in the springtime with the seed of sharrion's rose. and been judged in the dewdrops by the morning star. and been tested by judah's lion with all his might and power. come then, you messengers of love, and gladness, and speak when i am not awar. in the silence of the night time when turmoils and strife are o'er. pass over the starry valleys where maidens slumber beneath the shades of time. they shall be mothers without sin sublime. forget not the pine upon the mountain or the vine that droops from the wall. tender as the orchard bloom that lingers till the day of fall. why make you sin of the things that are sacred? did mosier tell you so? to change the heart of nature for things that would not grow. it was satan who stood about the city with his host of fiends, and accused the highest saints of jehovah of the vilest sins. cease not then in your trend of events, you travellers weep no more. for the workman of nazareth he has bridged the river o'er. * * * * * a high praise--salvation the sorrows of the living in tears that are shed, are oftimes calmed by the silent speech of those that are dead. some of them have been gone for many years. ministering souls of mosier in the great vineyard of careers. shadows of the soul's despair, are banished by the host of the saints of the air. mosier's saints as they linger near. mosier, with his saints, shall return to reign some day. by the spirit of his light over all his people of the great white way. a high praise king simon he was a rich man, in land and silver and gold. in sheep and cattle and wealth untold. he also worshiped jehovah; this was that king simon in the days of old. every year he came to zion to sacrifice--his cattle all arrayed in the finest of gold. great respect he had for jehovah, moving on in the laws of light in the things he was told. he said to his bearers at dawn, "let us arise and away. there is a sacrifice in zion and i want to be there to pray." perhaps he will respect these mites of ours before his altar we convey. there was sorrow in zion, the heavens were all faded and gray. jehovah had hid his face from the children of the world, and taken his spirit away. his son, assailed with their wrath, sang beneath the diheftie in the gates of the city that day. they cried, "yonder comes that nigger in his silken chariot of gold. come down you king, or we will crucify you and your fold." but tears of sorrow for one among man, only revealed the thoughts of his soul. he picked up the diheftie and away, and laid it down on calvary, then said to his bearers, "send those sheep and cattle away--in the wilds let them go free. for jehovah's own son in this city of tears has ended such things for me." a high praise some one is watching over the earth that is still; some one rules over the fringed hills. o you wonders of life praise him who rules over our changing wills. i watched those stars in the distances; there are some that falter and fall. i see them glitter for an instant through the azure ways, and are not found at all. does the soul have need of things? come, then, and ask of me. i will tell you where the fallen stars are found--in the treasure of the prince of galilee. the brilliant stars of a billion lights are seen to fade and pass away, as they wander through the haze of gray. out of the darkness of the night into the light of day. who is that glittering above eden's light, with the prayers of the saints scattering the night? changing the stars in their courses so bright; teaching the speeding sun to shed his light. whatever the soul desires that shall it ask of me. i, who arose from the dead on calvary. holding the earth in its place aright; ruling the seas with his powerful might. o you transcities on the hills of white; for thee changing the time into days and nights. if the soul shall cry, the prince shall hear the lord whose high spirit is always near. he cares for you as a father would; as a chickadee in the garden protects her brood. who is he that holds creation in its perfect mood? he is almighty, yet you can help him; you can if you would. what does your work profit? why labor as one great? does the lord have need of you? as the saints believe in his greatness, these are the things the lord will do. * * * * * a high praise alleuher with sin i am done, i believe on your son, i am saved by the love of the sanctified one. what more can he say, than to me he has said? showing mercy to the sinner, and raising the dead. if jairus had not believed, surely he would not have seen the salvation of mosier, his power supreme. the children came to seek him. o how they loved him then, o praise his high spirit that is given to men. yonder comes then that woman, a sinner to her people to say, "mosier rests by our city, it is time that we pray." o how the children love him, because that he is ever true. his kingdom is with power, all the ages through. * * * * * a high praise king mosier traveled through the land. he healed the sick, both of the rich and poor. he cast his spirit upon those in sorrow, and their sorrows were no more. king mosier went down to the pool of solomon, where the sick were lying upon the shore. he bid them arise, be on the way, and their diseases were no more. king mosier went down to bethany, where the dead were waiting in the tomb. o, death fell from its throne, and delivered up his own, to this power of mosier that's known. * * * * * a praise there is a beautiful sea called memory. many ships come sailing to me through the whole day, from over the beautiful sea of memory. the deep wide sea, the great high sea, my beautiful sea of memory. my beautiful ships on the great high sea. some are aged like, and hazed in the light of gray. others are as the roses that bloom in may. come sailing to me along by the shore through the whole day. deeds of kindness that are written as the stars over the deep blue sea. sailing along those that love me. my beautiful ships the light of the mind. sailing out of the yesterdays to me. over the deep wide sea, the great high sea, my beautiful sea of memory. * * * * * a high praise i sing of the great king who reigns in a city far above the star strewn blue. he is master and king over all creation, over the heaven and its angels, and the earth with its people, too. there is a story true as the ages are old, sung by all the children of nature, calling the ancient times unto the present fold. singing all the children of the great king these anthems as the ages roll. high as the heavens above the earth, so high are his ways. just children speaking of things in deeds and plays. jehovah is higher, the great creator, he who gave one for the salvation of our days. * * * * * a high praise over the rampage of the ages wild, came the voice of mosier to me. as the sighing winds blow over the mountains and orchard valleys, ye stealthy lights that gleam upon the seas; most assuredly have you been born again. have your souls been reclaimed by my spirit--i who holds that light of calverie. do you know me for yourself and not by another? are the souls that are known of me. from the surging streams of the northland sealed, of the blue that shines across the earth revealed; unto all you souls that pray. do you hear my voice in harmonies as the vespers play? as the sighing winds pass over the mountains most assuredly have you been, reclaimed by me. i have a torchlight descending from my father's throne. i who bare the sorrows of the world alone. is sorrow and pain turned to joy before thee; do you love death as the others love life. is there no secret sin with thee, as with them of unjust strife? i am your strength in this way, i keep for you the eternal treasure of love and life. my father and i have made ourselves known unto thee, you saints of light; most assuredly as the sighing winds pass over the mountains you rest beyond the night. a praise--the answer long ago we left the city of sorrow, for a city which is yet to come. we sought the way that leads to zion, and jerusalem our home. mosier has gone from this world of sorrow, to prepare for us an eternal home. and in the highway he has walked before us, he will ever care for his own. with the new song we shall praise him ever, in that city he has gone to prepare. when we enter the hilleued hills of zion, o why not come and go with us there? some people wonder why we are sincere ever; some people wonder why we are true. but to us mosier is a real friend ever, and he is our glorious king, too. memory as i wrought in the fields of time one day, i passed through the valley of beauty, of things that were hidden away. to the east and to the west and to all the horizon there were hills and mountains of blue, and gold, and gray. there were clear rivers glist'ning over rocks that were crystal white. there were flowers that bloomed in the shade of a thousand lights. there were stars that shone from the heaven, writing in the silent speech of the night. a people had lived there in that valley one day. they had sung and laughed and some times would cry or pray. as i or you live in the trend of this song that ends in the close of the day. * * * * * a praise--in memory of keturah she was once upon earth, but now she sings through the fields of the stars. she once knew distress, hunger and tears. but now they feed her at alleuher's own table through the centuries and years. she is a servant of mosier up there. with the host of the angels and the saints of the air. o alleuher's great tribune watching over the earth and its hosts of tears. i heard her voice from the plains of the stars talking to the world with the fire of speed. o alleuher, the angels unfolding the glories of heaven to me, and i rise with the hosts' glad refrain above the earth and the sea. * * * * * a praise--the answer when through this orchard life we cease to wander; when comes the close of the years. let us cross over the river and rest in the beautiful valley beyond the shadows of tears. shall we gather by the river, just out yonder? shall we meet somewhere after a while? as the evening draws nearer, upon the long road as we wander, greeted by our redeemer's smile. if i should see the glories of the saints up yonder, and should hear their glad refrain, all glittering over the world, his hosts upon higher plains, i shall know i am one of his train. we will watch their ways from the still mountains. the days of man on earth we know. changing as the drifting snow, till the redeemer calls together the souls from sorrow here below. * * * * * a high praise from samaria to shilo jesus walked along one day. a great host came praising him through the way. a blind man was barnabas, who heard some one say, "it is jesus the prophet of galilee--unto whom the people praise and pray." this we say to you that you may be content, and in your place to stay. then barnabas said to his friend, a man who also could not see: "i'll tell you i think this prophet is nowise of galilee. but jehovah's own son, who has come to earth that such as we may see." the light shines from our father's throne to the living man, out over the earth and the seas. then he cried, "o mosier, you son in the house of david, show mercy unto such as we be." then mosier said, "you that callest unto me speak in truth clear and plain. for behold i go up to judah and there for the world to be slain. that i should arise from the dead today, in my father's glory to reign." * * * * * a praise strive not to make lies your refuge, it is the fire of sorrow and woe. let not satan deceive you as along the way you go. if you have not the truth of mosier with you, life truly is in vain. it will turn to sorrow as in the revelrie you seek for honor and fame. you cannot hide behind falsehood, for investment behind the screen. it will turn to vexation, all your deeds are plainly seen. your might soon fades in the swelling vortex as brown changes the green. and when you can strive no longer, satan's falsehoods hover over the scene. but if you should have the spirit of mosier with you and have him for your friend today, he will give you high life and glory, you will have a good time all the way. then when the old house begins to shatter, brighter is life's star above the day. the angels linger near to bear the ransomed soul away. * * * * * a praise--the kingdom over the eastern star shilo's light will shine. through the many that is dimly burning ascends high the light of zion. he to reign for a thousand years, the seas the rocks obey. preparing the world for his father's throne, through all the souls to him that pray. the saints with him to reign for a thousand years, the rest of the dead is a long time gone. the angels with him shall reign, the great infinite throng. when the souls and the hills are all prepared; when the seas are overcome, the kingdom of all creation he delivers up as an obedient son. * * * * * the song of the serpent we went to calvary and stood just away. the prince of glory was there, in the hands of the people, who crucified him that day: out on judah's green hills, arrayed in the light of white and gray. we went to watch through the ages, the things that the wicked would do. the works of the evil all the way through. they have crucified his saints in all nations of the earth. all of his saints that were true. from the gates above zion the lord shall descend. his fiery wheels flaming with power--scattering the wicked of men. who have slaughtered his saints in prisons of horrid death; whosoever were known among them. a billion angels at his right, intermingling with others--the saints of might. who has ascended from death, enthroned with his light. those that were burned in the fire by the wicked, to spite. comes inclosing the evil in their eternal dark night. the voice of the serpent,--that whispers from the mire of the sea. or that sigh of the evil, from the dust ascending before thee. each soul is still weeping--each heart in sorrow alone. or that mind of the living that fell from his great throne. what joy thought the evil, that wandered in sorrow's broad trend. my soul has heard a wailing, as the song of the serpent by men. o souls what ail thee, its envy's dark cloud broader than the earth, and deeper than the sea. spread over the spirits--their wicked melee. they were a war of those that danced, in the trend of sorrow's vulgar wail. as the serpent held them by the hand, they knew that they were inshrouded in the evil dark vale. but "lo, lo," cried the company, "you shall not from us depart, for even the soul that shall fail." your door that stands closed, as a storm that darkens the noon. o soul of envy atroped senility that bloom. o you mind of the wicked, the close of the day has arriven so soon. no deeds of mercy, no work was begun, for in the heart of the wicked, the race was never run. you saints as the eagle from the heavens that cry. you mountains of love all glorious and white ascending so high. o beautiful souls, mosier's hosts, in all creation stand by. watching over the earth and its hosts, no mind of the living can die. o beautiful songs from the great throne that be. to the mind of all living--yet heard only by thee. the hosts of the heaven as the winds or the waves of the sea. giving to every soul who has understanding and a portion of light for me. alleuher is not mocked by the race, or the evil within. not by those who have fallen and rage, you terrors of sin: he keeps his city and its hosts of the earth and the air. the hours of the evil shall approach, but none of them shall come there, to that beautiful zion, that city so fair. alleuher holds the order of life. all things in their hosts and zones. a power is with them, for they are his own. a lion and an eagle and a bull and the image of a man living in his glory, and bearing to and fro his great throne. his spirit descending through the hosts, the souls of all men is known. his salvation for his saints, his glory in order is shown. through the gates above zion the hosts pass by, ascending and descending by the silvering portals. upon that beautiful road he has built through the sky. all the earth is full of his glory as the wind, his power is nigh. his saints walk in his strength. there is no death, there is none of his hosts that ever die. * * * * * a meditation--the afterwhile 1. in the twilight i wandered by the old home place, and i saw it lie in wreck; all was vanity and despair. i sought for the things that belonged to my childhood days, but none of them were there. 2. the old apple tree which stood by the gate, had aged and fallen almost away. its branches were drooped and crisp with time, through which i used to chase in games of play. 3. i looked away to the old house which stood midst the terrace blue. i thought of the days of my childhood ways, but storm and drear had changed things to an age of bronzed hue. 4. my old rose was gone which stood by the doorway, resting its hands against the wall. and seemed to watch me as i would fleet across the terrace, as if to guard against my fall. 5. i went to look through the garden of the days of long ago, and i saw that my brook lay mired and neglected, which so proudly through its vintage once did flow. 6. my old oak, too, had fallen which stood by the garden wall; crowned with azure gray like the light of fall. casting its shadows across our brook, it was so strong, so mighty, and tall. 7. my cherry trees and the peaches, too, were gone, some hand had cast them aside. and the lilies and the magnolias and all the orchard beauties of my childhood pride. 8. there were only tiny fragments of our ships which in the rustic brook still yet did lie. when since so short a time when our gay sails and flags upon its waters did fly. 9. there had been a great rain out upon the hills, and our brook had become a mighty sea. then we went with our ships to explore unknown lands, julie, and anna, and me. 10. we set our ships in order and gave up our brave young lives to fate. we proudly manned our sails from the old elm tree down to the lower gate. 11. the tide rose high and turbulent and cast our ships upon a foreign shore. and we took charge of that land in order as by our swords and crowns we swore. 12. a bull screamed in the distance upon the bronzed hills. the cattle were coming home across the fringed rills. as in haste our ships we sought to fill, with trophies of that vintage land for our conquest to tell. 13. when we heard the voice of our mother calling from over the mighty sea: "come home, children, come home," she called across the river, "for julie, and anna, and me." 14. i stood in the evening shadows with my head bare and gray. and as i looked through the evening twilight i saw my orchard beauties transplanted upon a hill to the leeward just away. 15. my old oak was there, and the apple trees, and the peaches and the pretty things that bloom in red and rone. and i thought i heard the voice of our old rose still calling my children, "come home, come home." * * * * * the victory of love early in the morning--in the morning of life. resting while the flowers unfolding to soothe the burning day of strife. fleeting hands lingering nearer, pressing down the folds of my shade. a heart of gold ye diamond light transparent, to my soul such love is made. i must rise and be ascending, while the flowers are in full bloom. through the fields be swiftly passing, the fleeting hours of noon. i shall gather while praising on the lyre, a few wreaths are strewn. that i shall rest through the evening, for the night shall triumph soon. i shall ascend beyond the evening, to a field of light that is shown. with hearts like gold ye love transparent, before a great white throne. there again it shall be morning, for he made that day of rest you see. calling those fleeting hands come hither; those that love, are loved by me. * * * * * a high praise--by thomas alvin edison, the great apostle i abjure thee by the living god that the truth be found in thee. for the soul of man also needs light, wandering through eternity. the living god he reigns in all the earth and watches on man's ways. he demands in him that we believe serving through our evil days. mosier alleuher's great son has shown the beautiful way with light for the living mind of man from the haze of these cloud-strewn days. we shall serve the living god, ministering saints of the air. or be driven from his beautiful light to the dark'ning realms of despair. the living mind hastens to prepare desperately at the closing our here. something with which to join the high hosts watching over the earth up there. behold, i show the great mystery to thee, for the lord shall make it fair. ye minds shall soon depart from the earth, to join the lord in the air. the soul's refuge is found in life that praises here. all glory to the lord on high who brought great joy and salvation near. ye thunders in darkness lash with rage, the lord is not in them found. but in peace with his saints over the beautiful world his spirit is bound. o arise ye hosts of the earth, it's in high praises by thee. that the lord shall banish the tears of grief from the great human sea. music and great joy descending from his throne in praises with thee. it's not far from there by the saints of the air to all the souls that be. while the tempest rages wild or the seas roll back from the shore. he will lead his saints through sorrow 'till all their trials are o'er. * * * * * a meditation--the shadows darkness mingles midst the tall green pines that shadow the face of the whole brown earth. doubt and despair is the fate that we share, all the days of life from the time of one's birth. o, see the pretty moths whose wings have been broken, and they cannot rise with the songs of the breeze. in silence they weep all alone, midst the shadows of the dense dark trees. o, see, the proud souls that weep alone, midst the shadows of the world's despair. their wings all shrouded with that glory which were theirs, above in the light of the clear bright air. o, see the pretty things that have come from afar; all appareled in the raiments of the homeland gay. marching in the path of the soul's refining, pretty things which tarry in passing through the shadowed ways. o, look away to the eagle's heights, see the ever green cedars how they cling in every towering ledge. from the tall rocks so white and serene, come stealthily down to the river's edge. o, see, there are enduring souls that never change; who rest secure on higher plains in every clime and age. along by the rivers and above the shadows in every life that's made, from the tiny urchin to the mighty sage. o, see, there are violets which stand close by the rivers, chaft by the rain and dew. but others are strewn all along upon the mountain sides of blue. there is some one always waiting--some one with a soul that is always true, down by the rivers or upon the mountain sides in the same state as i or you. o, see, there are souls that have no glory, weeping beneath the mist of gloom. their power is faded, before the time of noon. it is the creator that exalts things which are his own, in temperaments and harmony within each of their own zone. no soul shall be reinstated by its power and might alone. printed in the united states of america from www.ebible.org with slight reformatting by martin ward. book 01 genesis 001:001 in the beginning god{after "god," the hebrew has the two letters "aleph tav" (the first and last letters of the hebrew alphabet) as a grammatical marker.} created the heavens and the earth. 001:002 now the earth was formless and empty. darkness was on the surface of the deep. god's spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. 001:003 god said, "let there be light," and there was light. 001:004 god saw the light, and saw that it was good. god divided the light from the darkness. 001:005 god called the light day, and the darkness he called night. there was evening and there was morning, one day. 001:006 god said, "let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." 001:007 god made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 001:008 god called the expanse sky. there was evening and there was morning, a second day. 001:009 god said, "let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;" and it was so. 001:010 god called the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called seas. god saw that it was good. 001:011 god said, "let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with its seed in it, on the earth;" and it was so. 001:012 the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind; and god saw that it was good. 001:013 there was evening and there was morning, a third day. 001:014 god said, "let there be lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; 001:015 and let them be for lights in the expanse of sky to give light on the earth;" and it was so. 001:016 god made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. he also made the stars. 001:017 god set them in the expanse of sky to give light to the earth, 001:018 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. god saw that it was good. 001:019 there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. 001:020 god said, "let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of sky." 001:021 god created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. god saw that it was good. 001:022 god blessed them, saying, "be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." 001:023 there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. 001:024 god said, "let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;" and it was so. 001:025 god made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. god saw that it was good. 001:026 god said, "let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 001:027 god created man in his own image. in god's image he created him; male and female he created them. 001:028 god blessed them. god said to them, "be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 001:029 god said, "behold, i have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. it will be your food. 001:030 to every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, i have given every green herb for food;" and it was so. 001:031 god saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. 002:001 the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their vast array. 002:002 on the seventh day god finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 002:003 god blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work which he had created and made. 002:004 this is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that yahweh god made the earth and the heavens. 002:005 no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for yahweh god had not caused it to rain on the earth. there was not a man to till the ground, 002:006 but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground. 002:007 yahweh god formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 002:008 yahweh god planted a garden eastward, in eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 002:009 out of the ground yahweh god made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 002:010 a river went out of eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became four heads. 002:011 the name of the first is pishon: this is the one which flows through the whole land of havilah, where there is gold; 002:012 and the gold of that land is good. there is aromatic resin and the onyx stone. 002:013 the name of the second river is gihon: the same river that flows through the whole land of cush. 002:014 the name of the third river is hiddekel: this is the one which flows in front of assyria. the fourth river is the euphrates. 002:015 yahweh god took the man, and put him into the garden of eden to dress it and to keep it. 002:016 yahweh god commanded the man, saying, "of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 002:017 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die." 002:018 yahweh god said, "it is not good that the man should be alone; i will make him a helper suitable for him." 002:019 out of the ground yahweh god formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 002:020 the man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper suitable for him. 002:021 yahweh god caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 002:022 he made the rib, which yahweh god had taken from the man, into a woman, and brought her to the man. 002:023 the man said, "this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. she will be called woman, because she was taken out of man." 002:024 therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh. 002:025 they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. 003:001 now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which yahweh god had made. he said to the woman, "has god really said, 'you shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'" 003:002 the woman said to the serpent, "of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, 003:003 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, god has said, 'you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 003:004 the serpent said to the woman, "you won't surely die, 003:005 for god knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like god, knowing good and evil." 003:006 when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit of it, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. 003:007 the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 003:008 they heard the voice of yahweh god walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of yahweh god among the trees of the garden. 003:009 yahweh god called to the man, and said to him, "where are you?" 003:010 the man said, "i heard your voice in the garden, and i was afraid, because i was naked; and i hid myself." 003:011 god said, "who told you that you were naked? have you eaten from the tree that i commanded you not to eat from?" 003:012 the man said, "the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and i ate." 003:013 yahweh god said to the woman, "what is this you have done?" the woman said, "the serpent deceived me, and i ate." 003:014 yahweh god said to the serpent, "because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. on your belly shall you go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 003:015 i will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel." 003:016 to the woman he said, "i will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. in pain you will bring forth children. your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 003:017 to adam he said, "because you have listened to your wife's voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which i commanded you, saying, 'you shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground for your sake. in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 003:018 thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. 003:019 by the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." 003:020 the man called his wife eve, because she was the mother of all living. 003:021 yahweh god made coats of skins for adam and for his wife, and clothed them. 003:022 yahweh god said, "behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever..." 003:023 therefore yahweh god sent him forth from the garden of eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 003:024 so he drove out the man; and he placed cherubs at the east of the garden of eden, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. 004:001 the man knew eve his wife. she conceived, and gave birth to cain, and said, "i have gotten a man with yahweh's help." 004:002 again she gave birth, to cain's brother abel. abel was a keeper of sheep, but cain was a tiller of the ground. 004:003 as time passed, it happened that cain brought an offering to yahweh from the fruit of the ground. 004:004 abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat of it. yahweh respected abel and his offering, 004:005 but he didn't respect cain and his offering. cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. 004:006 yahweh said to cain, "why are you angry? why has the expression of your face fallen? 004:007 if you do well, will it not be lifted up? if you don't do well, sin crouches at the door. its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it." 004:008 cain said to abel, his brother, "let's go into the field." it happened when they were in the field, that cain rose up against abel, his brother, and killed him. 004:009 yahweh said to cain, "where is abel, your brother?" he said, "i don't know. am i my brother's keeper?" 004:010 yahweh said, "what have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. 004:011 now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 004:012 from now on, when you till the ground, it won't yield its strength to you. you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth." 004:013 cain said to yahweh, "my punishment is greater than i can bear. 004:014 behold, you have driven me out this day from the surface of the ground. i will be hidden from your face, and i will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. it will happen that whoever finds me will kill me." 004:015 yahweh said to him, "therefore whoever slays cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." yahweh appointed a sign for cain, lest any finding him should strike him. 004:016 cain went out from yahweh's presence, and lived in the land of nod, east of eden. 004:017 cain knew his wife. she conceived, and gave birth to enoch. he built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, enoch. 004:018 to enoch was born irad. irad became the father of mehujael. mehujael became the father of methushael. methushael became the father of lamech. 004:019 lamech took two wives: the name of the one was adah, and the name of the other zillah. 004:020 adah gave birth to jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 004:021 his brother's name was jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe. 004:022 zillah also gave birth to tubal cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron. tubal cain's sister was naamah. 004:023 lamech said to his wives, "adah and zillah, hear my voice. you wives of lamech, listen to my speech, for i have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me. 004:024 if cain will be avenged seven times, truly lamech seventy-seven times." 004:025 adam knew his wife again. she gave birth to a son, and named him seth, "for god has appointed me another child instead of abel, for cain killed him." 004:026 there was also born a son to seth, and he named him enosh. then men began to call on yahweh's name. 005:001 this is the book of the generations of adam. in the day that god created man, he made him in god's likeness. 005:002 he created them male and female, and blessed them, and called their name adam,{"adam" and "man" are spelled with the exact same consonants in hebrew, so this can be correctly translated either way.} in the day when they were created. 005:003 adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him seth. 005:004 the days of adam after he became the father of seth were eight hundred years, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 005:005 all the days that adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died. 005:006 seth lived one hundred five years, and became the father of enosh. 005:007 seth lived after he became the father of enosh eight hundred seven years, and became the father of sons and daughters. 005:008 all the days of seth were nine hundred twelve years, then he died. 005:009 enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of kenan. 005:010 enosh lived after he became the father of kenan, eight hundred fifteen years, and became the father of sons and daughters. 005:011 all the days of enosh were nine hundred five years, then he died. 005:012 kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of mahalalel. 005:013 kenan lived after he became the father of mahalalel eight hundred forty years, and became the father of sons and daughters 005:014 and all the days of kenan were nine hundred ten years, then he died. 005:015 mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of jared. 005:016 mahalalel lived after he became the father of jared eight hundred thirty years, and became the father of sons and daughters. 005:017 all the days of mahalalel were eight hundred ninety-five years, then he died. 005:018 jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, and became the father of enoch. 005:019 jared lived after he became the father of enoch eight hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters. 005:020 all the days of jared were nine hundred sixty-two years, then he died. 005:021 enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of methuselah. 005:022 enoch walked with god after he became the father of methuselah three hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters. 005:023 all the days of enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. 005:024 enoch walked with god, and he was not, for god took him. 005:025 methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, and became the father of lamech. 005:026 methuselah lived after he became the father of lamech seven hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of sons and daughters. 005:027 all the days of methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, then he died. 005:028 lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of a son, 005:029 and he named him noah, saying, "this same will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, because of the ground which yahweh has cursed." 005:030 lamech lived after he became the father of noah five hundred ninety-five years, and became the father of sons and daughters. 005:031 all the days of lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, then he died. 005:032 noah was five hundred years old, and noah became the father of shem, ham, and japheth. 006:001 it happened, when men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 006:002 that god's sons saw that men's daughters were beautiful, and they took for themselves wives of all that they chose. 006:003 yahweh said, "my spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; yet will his days be one hundred twenty years." 006:004 the nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when god's sons came in to men's daughters. they bore children to them. those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. 006:005 yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 006:006 yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. 006:007 yahweh said, "i will destroy man whom i have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for i am sorry that i have made them." 006:008 but noah found favor in yahweh's eyes. 006:009 this is the history of the generations of noah. noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. noah walked with god. 006:010 noah became the father of three sons: shem, ham, and japheth. 006:011 the earth was corrupt before god, and the earth was filled with violence. 006:012 god saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 006:013 god said to noah, "the end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. behold, i will destroy them with the earth. 006:014 make a ship of gopher wood. you shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. 006:015 this is how you shall make it. the length of the ship will be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 006:016 you shall make a roof in the ship, and to a cubit shall you finish it upward. you shall set the door of the ship in its side. you shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. 006:017 i, even i, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. everything that is in the earth will die. 006:018 but i will establish my covenant with you. you shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 006:019 of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. they shall be male and female. 006:020 of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come to you, to keep them alive. 006:021 take with you of all food that is eaten, and gather it to you; and it will be for food for you, and for them." 006:022 thus noah did. according to all that god commanded him, so he did. 007:001 yahweh said to noah, "come with all of your household into the ship, for i have seen your righteousness before me in this generation. 007:002 you shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female. 007:003 also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth. 007:004 in seven days, i will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. every living thing that i have made, i will destroy from the surface of the ground." 007:005 noah did everything that yahweh commanded him. 007:006 noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. 007:007 noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, because of the waters of the flood. 007:008 clean animals, animals that are not clean, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground 007:009 went by pairs to noah into the ship, male and female, as god commanded noah. 007:010 it happened after the seven days, that the waters of the flood came on the earth. 007:011 in the six hundredth year of noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky's windows were opened. 007:012 the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights. 007:013 in the same day noah, and shem, ham, and japheth, the sons of noah, and noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship; 007:014 they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 007:015 they went to noah into the ship, by pairs of all flesh with the breath of life in them. 007:016 those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as god commanded him; and yahweh shut him in. 007:017 the flood was forty days on the earth. the waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth. 007:018 the waters prevailed, and increased greatly on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. 007:019 the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth. all the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered. 007:020 the waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. 007:021 all flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 007:022 all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died. 007:023 every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. they were destroyed from the earth. only noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship. 007:024 the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred fifty days. 008:001 god remembered noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and god made a wind to pass over the earth. the waters subsided. 008:002 the deep's fountains and the sky's windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 008:003 the waters receded from the earth continually. after the end of one hundred fifty days the waters decreased. 008:004 the ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on ararat's mountains. 008:005 the waters receded continually until the tenth month. in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. 008:006 it happened at the end of forty days, that noah opened the window of the ship which he had made, 008:007 and he sent forth a raven. it went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth. 008:008 he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from the surface of the ground, 008:009 but the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him into the ship; for the waters were on the surface of the whole earth. he put forth his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ship. 008:010 he stayed yet another seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ship. 008:011 the dove came back to him at evening, and, behold, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off. so noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. 008:012 he stayed yet another seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she didn't return to him any more. 008:013 it happened in the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth. noah removed the covering of the ship, and looked. he saw that the surface of the ground was dried. 008:014 in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 008:015 god spoke to noah, saying, 008:016 "go out of the ship, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons' wives with you. 008:017 bring forth with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth." 008:018 noah went forth, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives with him. 008:019 every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the ship. 008:020 noah built an altar to yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 008:021 yahweh smelled the sweet savor. yahweh said in his heart, "i will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will i ever again strike everything living, as i have done. 008:022 while the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." 009:001 god blessed noah and his sons, and said to them, "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 009:002 the fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. everything that the ground teems with, and all the fish of the sea are delivered into your hand. 009:003 every moving thing that lives will be food for you. as the green herb, i have given everything to you. 009:004 but flesh with the life of it, the blood of it, you shall not eat. 009:005 i will surely require your blood of your lives. at the hand of every animal i will require it. at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, i will require the life of man. 009:006 whoever sheds man's blood, his blood will be shed by man, for god made man in his own image. 009:007 be fruitful and multiply. bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it." 009:008 god spoke to noah and to his sons with him, saying, 009:009 "as for me, behold, i establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 009:010 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. 009:011 i will establish my covenant with you: all flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth." 009:012 god said, "this is the token of the covenant which i make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 009:013 i set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 009:014 it will happen, when i bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 009:015 and i will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 009:016 the rainbow will be in the cloud. i will look at it, that i may remember the everlasting covenant between god and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." 009:017 god said to noah, "this is the token of the covenant which i have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth." 009:018 the sons of noah who went forth from the ship were shem, ham, and japheth. ham is the father of canaan. 009:019 these three were the sons of noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated. 009:020 noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. 009:021 he drank of the wine and got drunk. he was uncovered within his tent. 009:022 ham, the father of canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 009:023 shem and japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. their faces were backwards, and they didn't see their father's nakedness. 009:024 noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. 009:025 he said, "canaan is cursed. he will be servant of servants to his brothers." 009:026 he said, "blessed be yahweh, the god of shem. let canaan be his servant. 009:027 may god enlarge japheth. let him dwell in the tents of shem. let canaan be his servant." 009:028 noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. 009:029 all the days of noah were nine hundred fifty years, then he died. 010:001 now this is the history of the generations of the sons of noah and of shem, ham, and japheth. sons were born to them after the flood. 010:002 the sons of japheth: gomer, magog, madai, javan, tubal, meshech, and tiras. 010:003 the sons of gomer: ashkenaz, riphath, and togarmah. 010:004 the sons of javan: elishah, tarshish, kittim, and dodanim. 010:005 of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations. 010:006 the sons of ham: cush, mizraim, put, and canaan. 010:007 the sons of cush: seba, havilah, sabtah, raamah, and sabteca. the sons of raamah: sheba and dedan. 010:008 cush became the father of nimrod. he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 010:009 he was a mighty hunter before yahweh. therefore it is said, "like nimrod, a mighty hunter before yahweh." 010:010 the beginning of his kingdom was babel, erech, accad, and calneh, in the land of shinar. 010:011 out of that land he went forth into assyria, and built nineveh, rehoboth ir, calah, 010:012 and resen between nineveh and calah (the same is the great city). 010:013 mizraim became the father of ludim, anamim, lehabim, naphtuhim, 010:014 pathrusim, casluhim (which the philistines descended from), and caphtorim. 010:015 canaan became the father of sidon (his firstborn), heth, 010:016 the jebusite, the amorite, the girgashite, 010:017 the hivite, the arkite, the sinite, 010:018 the arvadite, the zemarite, and the hamathite. afterward the families of the canaanites were spread abroad. 010:019 the border of the canaanites was from sidon, as you go toward gerar, to gaza; as you go toward sodom, gomorrah, admah, and zeboiim, to lasha. 010:020 these are the sons of ham, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, in their nations. 010:021 to shem, the father of all the children of eber, the elder brother of japheth, to him also were children born. 010:022 the sons of shem: elam, asshur, arpachshad, lud, and aram. 010:023 the sons of aram: uz, hul, gether, and mash. 010:024 arpachshad became the father of shelah. shelah became the father of eber. 010:025 to eber were born two sons. the name of the one was peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. his brother's name was joktan. 010:026 joktan became the father of almodad, sheleph, hazarmaveth, jerah, 010:027 hadoram, uzal, diklah, 010:028 obal, abimael, sheba, 010:029 ophir, havilah, and jobab. all these were the sons of joktan. 010:030 their dwelling was from mesha, as you go toward sephar, the mountain of the east. 010:031 these are the sons of shem, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, after their nations. 010:032 these are the families of the sons of noah, after their generations, in their nations. of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. 011:001 the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 011:002 it happened, as they traveled east, that they found a plain in the land of shinar, and they lived there. 011:003 they said one to another, "come, let's make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." they had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 011:004 they said, "come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth." 011:005 yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. 011:006 yahweh said, "behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. 011:007 come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." 011:008 so yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. they stopped building the city. 011:009 therefore the name of it was called babel, because there yahweh confused the language of all the earth. from there, yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth. 011:010 this is the history of the generations of shem. shem was one hundred years old and became the father of arpachshad two years after the flood. 011:011 shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of arpachshad, and became the father of sons and daughters. 011:012 arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of shelah. 011:013 arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of shelah, and became the father of sons and daughters. 011:014 shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of eber: 011:015 and shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of eber, and became the father of sons and daughters. 011:016 eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of peleg. 011:017 eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of peleg, and became the father of sons and daughters. 011:018 peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of reu. 011:019 peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of reu, and became the father of sons and daughters. 011:020 reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of serug. 011:021 reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of serug, and became the father of sons and daughters. 011:022 serug lived thirty years, and became the father of nahor. 011:023 serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of nahor, and became the father of sons and daughters. 011:024 nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of terah. 011:025 nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of terah, and became the father of sons and daughters. 011:026 terah lived seventy years, and became the father of abram, nahor, and haran. 011:027 now this is the history of the generations of terah. terah became the father of abram, nahor, and haran. haran became the father of lot. 011:028 haran died before his father terah in the land of his birth, in ur of the chaldees. 011:029 abram and nahor took wives. the name of abram's wife was sarai, and the name of nahor's wife, milcah, the daughter of haran who was also the father of iscah. 011:030 sarai was barren. she had no child. 011:031 terah took abram his son, lot the son of haran, his son's son, and sarai his daughter-in-law, his son abram's wife. they went forth from ur of the chaldees, to go into the land of canaan. they came to haran and lived there. 011:032 the days of terah were two hundred five years. terah died in haran. 012:001 now yahweh said to abram, "get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that i will show you. 012:002 i will make of you a great nation. i will bless you and make your name great. you will be a blessing. 012:003 i will bless those who bless you, and i will curse him who curses you. in you will all of the families of the earth be blessed." 012:004 so abram went, as yahweh had spoken to him. lot went with him. abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of haran. 012:005 abram took sarai his wife, lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in haran, and they went forth to go into the land of canaan. into the land of canaan they came. 012:006 abram passed through the land to the place of shechem, to the oak of moreh. the canaanite was then in the land. 012:007 yahweh appeared to abram and said, "i will give this land to your seed{or, offspring}." he built an altar there to yahweh, who appeared to him. 012:008 he left from there to the mountain on the east of bethel, and pitched his tent, having bethel on the west, and ai on the east. there he built an altar to yahweh and called on the name of yahweh. 012:009 abram traveled, going on still toward the south. 012:010 there was a famine in the land. abram went down into egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land. 012:011 it happened, when he had come near to enter egypt, that he said to sarai his wife, "see now, i know that you are a beautiful woman to look at. 012:012 it will happen, when the egyptians will see you, that they will say, 'this is his wife.' they will kill me, but they will save you alive. 012:013 please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you." 012:014 it happened that when abram had come into egypt, the egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 012:015 the princes of pharaoh saw her, and praised her to pharaoh; and the woman was taken into pharaoh's house. 012:016 he dealt well with abram for her sake. he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 012:017 yahweh plagued pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of sarai, abram's wife. 012:018 pharaoh called abram and said, "what is this that you have done to me? why didn't you tell me that she was your wife? 012:019 why did you say, 'she is my sister,' so that i took her to be my wife? now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way." 012:020 pharaoh gave men charge concerning him, and they brought him on the way with his wife and all that he had. 013:001 abram went up out of egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and lot with him, into the south. 013:002 abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 013:003 he went on his journeys from the south even to bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between bethel and ai, 013:004 to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. there abram called on the name of yahweh. 013:005 lot also, who went with abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 013:006 the land was not able to bear them, that they might live together: for their substance was great, so that they could not live together. 013:007 there was a strife between the herdsmen of abram's livestock and the herdsmen of lot's livestock: and the canaanite and the perizzite lived in the land at that time. 013:008 abram said to lot, "please, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are relatives. 013:009 isn't the whole land before you? please separate yourself from me. if you go to the left hand, then i will go to the right. or if you go to the right hand, then i will go to the left." 013:010 lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before yahweh destroyed sodom and gomorrah, like the garden of yahweh, like the land of egypt, as you go to zoar. 013:011 so lot chose the plain of the jordan for himself. lot traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the other. 013:012 abram lived in the land of canaan, and lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as sodom. 013:013 now the men of sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against yahweh. 013:014 yahweh said to abram, after lot was separated from him, "now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 013:015 for all the land which you see, i will give to you, and to your offspring forever. 013:016 i will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered. 013:017 arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for i will give it to you." 013:018 abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of mamre, which are in hebron, and built an altar there to yahweh. 014:001 it happened in the days of amraphel, king of shinar, arioch, king of ellasar, chedorlaomer, king of elam, and tidal, king of goiim, 014:002 that they made war with bera, king of sodom, and with birsha, king of gomorrah, shinab, king of admah, and shemeber, king of zeboiim, and the king of bela (the same is zoar). 014:003 all these joined together in the valley of siddim (the same is the salt sea). 014:004 twelve years they served chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year, they rebelled. 014:005 in the fourteenth year chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and struck the rephaim in ashteroth karnaim, and the zuzim in ham, and the emim in shaveh kiriathaim, 014:006 and the horites in their mount seir, to elparan, which is by the wilderness. 014:007 they returned, and came to en mishpat (the same is kadesh), and struck all the country of the amalekites, and also the amorites, that lived in hazazon tamar. 014:008 the king of sodom, and the king of gomorrah, and the king of admah, and the king of zeboiim, and the king of bela (the same is zoar) went out; and they set the battle in array against them in the valley of siddim; 014:009 against chedorlaomer king of elam, and tidal king of goiim, and amraphel king of shinar, and arioch king of ellasar; four kings against the five. 014:010 now the valley of siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of sodom and gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and those who remained fled to the hills. 014:011 they took all the goods of sodom and gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way. 014:012 they took lot, abram's brother's son, who lived in sodom, and his goods, and departed. 014:013 one who had escaped came and told abram, the hebrew. now he lived by the oaks of mamre, the amorite, brother of eshcol, and brother of aner; and these were allies of abram. 014:014 when abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as dan. 014:015 he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to hobah, which is on the left hand of damascus. 014:016 he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. 014:017 the king of sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of shaveh (that is, the king's valley). 014:018 melchizedek king of salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of god most high. 014:019 he blessed him, and said, "blessed be abram of god most high, possessor of heaven and earth: 014:020 and blessed be god most high, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." abram gave him a tenth of all. 014:021 the king of sodom said to abram, "give me the people, and take the goods to yourself." 014:022 abram said to the king of sodom, "i have lifted up my hand to yahweh, god most high, possessor of heaven and earth, 014:023 that i will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'i have made abram rich.' 014:024 i will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: aner, eshcol, and mamre. let them take their portion." 015:001 after these things the word of yahweh came to abram in a vision, saying, "don't be afraid, abram. i am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." 015:002 abram said, "lord yahweh, what will you give me, seeing i go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is eliezer of damascus?" 015:003 abram said, "behold, to me you have given no seed: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir." 015:004 behold, the word of yahweh came to him, saying, "this man will not be your heir, but he who will come forth out of your own body will be your heir." 015:005 yahweh brought him outside, and said, "look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." he said to abram, "so shall your seed be." 015:006 he believed in yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. 015:007 he said to him, "i am yahweh who brought you out of ur of the chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it." 015:008 he said, "lord yahweh, how will i know that i will inherit it?" 015:009 he said to him, "bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 015:010 he brought him all of these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn't divide the birds. 015:011 the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and abram drove them away. 015:012 when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on abram. now terror and great darkness fell on him. 015:013 he said to abram, "know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. they will afflict them four hundred years. 015:014 i will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. afterward they will come out with great wealth, 015:015 but you will go to your fathers in peace. you will be buried in a good old age. 015:016 in the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the amorite is not yet full." 015:017 it came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 015:018 in that day yahweh made a covenant with abram, saying, "to your seed i have given this land, from the river of egypt to the great river, the river euphrates: 015:019 the kenites, the kenizzites, the kadmonites, 015:020 the hittites, the perizzites, the rephaim, 015:021 the amorites, the canaanites, the girgashites, and the jebusites." 016:001 now sarai, abram's wife, bore him no children. she had a handmaid, an egyptian, whose name was hagar. 016:002 sarai said to abram, "see now, yahweh has restrained me from bearing. please go in to my handmaid. it may be that i will obtain children by her." abram listened to the voice of sarai. 016:003 sarai, abram's wife, took hagar the egyptian, her handmaid, after abram had lived ten years in the land of canaan, and gave her to abram her husband to be his wife. 016:004 he went in to hagar, and she conceived. when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 016:005 sarai said to abram, "this wrong is your fault. i gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, i was despised in her eyes. yahweh judge between me and you." 016:006 but abram said to sarai, "behold, your maid is in your hand. do to her whatever is good in your eyes." sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. 016:007 the angel of yahweh found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to shur. 016:008 he said, "hagar, sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? where are you going?" she said, "i am fleeing from the face of my mistress sarai." 016:009 the angel of yahweh said to her, "return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands." 016:010 the angel of yahweh said to her, "i will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude." 016:011 the angel of yahweh said to her, "behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. you shall call his name ishmael, because yahweh has heard your affliction. 016:012 he will be like a wild donkey among men. his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. he will live opposite all of his brothers." 016:013 she called the name of yahweh who spoke to her, "you are a god who sees," for she said, "have i even stayed alive after seeing him?" 016:014 therefore the well was called beer lahai roi.{beer lahai roi means "well of the one who lives and sees me."} behold, it is between kadesh and bered. 016:015 hagar bore a son for abram. abram called the name of his son, whom hagar bore, ishmael. 016:016 abram was eighty-six years old when hagar bore ishmael to abram. 017:001 when abram was ninety-nine years old, yahweh appeared to abram, and said to him, "i am god almighty. walk before me, and be blameless. 017:002 i will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." 017:003 abram fell on his face. god talked with him, saying, 017:004 "as for me, behold, my covenant is with you. you will be the father of a multitude of nations. 017:005 neither will your name any more be called abram, but your name will be abraham; for i have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 017:006 i will make you exceedingly fruitful, and i will make nations of you. kings will come out of you. 017:007 i will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a god to you and to your seed after you. 017:008 i will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of canaan, for an everlasting possession. i will be their god." 017:009 god said to abraham, "as for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. 017:010 this is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. every male among you shall be circumcised. 017:011 you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. it will be a token of the covenant between me and you. 017:012 he who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your seed. 017:013 he who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. my covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 017:014 the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. he has broken my covenant." 017:015 god said to abraham, "as for sarai your wife, you shall not call her name sarai, but her name will be sarah. 017:016 i will bless her, and moreover i will give you a son by her. yes, i will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. kings of peoples will come from her." 017:017 then abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? will sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?" 017:018 abraham said to god, "oh that ishmael might live before you!" 017:019 god said, "no, but sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. you shall call his name isaac.{isaac means "he laughs."} i will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. 017:020 as for ishmael, i have heard you. behold, i have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. he will become the father of twelve princes, and i will make him a great nation. 017:021 but my covenant i establish with isaac, whom sarah will bear to you at this set time next year." 017:022 when he finished talking with him, god went up from abraham. 017:023 abraham took ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as god had said to him. 017:024 abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 017:025 ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 017:026 in the same day both abraham and ishmael, his son, were circumcised. 017:027 all the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him. 018:001 yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. 018:002 he lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, 018:003 and said, "my lord, if now i have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant. 018:004 now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 018:005 i will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. after that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." they said, "very well, do as you have said." 018:006 abraham hurried into the tent to sarah, and said, "quickly make ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes." 018:007 abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. he hurried to dress it. 018:008 he took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. he stood by them under the tree, and they ate. 018:009 they said to him, "where is sarah, your wife? he said, "see, in the tent." 018:010 he said, "i will certainly return to you when the season comes round. behold, sarah your wife will have a son." sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. 018:011 now abraham and sarah were old, well advanced in age. it had ceased to be with sarah after the manner of women. 018:012 sarah laughed within herself, saying, "after i have grown old will i have pleasure, my lord being old also?" 018:013 yahweh said to abraham, "why did sarah laugh, saying, 'will i really bear a child, yet i am old?' 018:014 is anything too hard for yahweh? at the set time i will return to you, when the season comes round, and sarah will have a son." 018:015 then sarah denied, saying, "i didn't laugh," for she was afraid. he said, "no, but you did laugh." 018:016 the men rose up from there, and looked toward sodom. abraham went with them to see them on their way. 018:017 yahweh said, "will i hide from abraham what i do, 018:018 seeing that abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? 018:019 for i have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that yahweh may bring on abraham that which he has spoken of him." 018:020 yahweh said, "because the cry of sodom and gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 018:021 i will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. if not, i will know." 018:022 the men turned from there, and went toward sodom, but abraham stood yet before yahweh. 018:023 abraham drew near, and said, "will you consume the righteous with the wicked? 018:024 what if there are fifty righteous within the city? will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? 018:025 be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. may that be far from you. shouldn't the judge of all the earth do right?" 018:026 yahweh said, "if i find in sodom fifty righteous within the city, then i will spare all the place for their sake." 018:027 abraham answered, "see now, i have taken it on myself to speak to the lord, who am but dust and ashes. 018:028 what if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" he said, "i will not destroy it, if i find forty-five there." 018:029 he spoke to him yet again, and said, "what if there are forty found there?" he said, "i will not do it for the forty's sake." 018:030 he said, "oh don't let the lord be angry, and i will speak. what if there are thirty found there?" he said, "i will not do it, if i find thirty there." 018:031 he said, "see now, i have taken it on myself to speak to the lord. what if there are twenty found there?" he said, "i will not destroy it for the twenty's sake." 018:032 he said, "oh don't let the lord be angry, and i will speak just once more. what if ten are found there?" he said, "i will not destroy it for the ten's sake." 018:033 yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with abraham, and abraham returned to his place. 019:001 the two angels came to sodom at evening. lot sat in the gate of sodom. lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. he bowed himself with his face to the earth, 019:002 and he said, "see now, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you will rise up early, and go on your way." they said, "no, but we will stay in the street all night." 019:003 he urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 019:004 but before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. 019:005 they called to lot, and said to him, "where are the men who came in to you this night? bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them." 019:006 lot went out to them to the door, and shut the door after him. 019:007 he said, "please, my brothers, don't act so wickedly. 019:008 see now, i have two virgin daughters. please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. only don't do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof." 019:009 they said, "stand back!" they said, "this one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. now will we deal worse with you, than with them!" they pressed hard on the man lot, and drew near to break the door. 019:010 but the men put forth their hand, and brought lot into the house to them, and shut the door. 019:011 they struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door. 019:012 the men said to lot, "do you have anybody else here? sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring them out of the place: 019:013 for we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before yahweh that yahweh has sent us to destroy it." 019:014 lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, "get up! get out of this place, for yahweh will destroy the city." but he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking. 019:015 when the morning came, then the angels hurried lot, saying, "get up! take your wife, and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city." 019:016 but he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife's hand, and his two daughters' hands, yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city. 019:017 it came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, "escape for your life! don't look behind you, and don't stay anywhere in the plain. escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed!" 019:018 lot said to them, "oh, not so, my lord. 019:019 see now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. i can't escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and i die. 019:020 see now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. oh let me escape there (isn't it a little one?), and my soul will live." 019:021 he said to him, "behold, i have granted your request concerning this thing also, that i will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 019:022 hurry, escape there, for i can't do anything until you get there." therefore the name of the city was called zoar.{zoar means "little."} 019:023 the sun had risen on the earth when lot came to zoar. 019:024 then yahweh rained on sodom and on gomorrah sulfur and fire from yahweh out of the sky. 019:025 he overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground. 019:026 but his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 019:027 abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before yahweh. 019:028 he looked toward sodom and gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and looked, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. 019:029 it happened, when god destroyed the cities of the plain, that god remembered abraham, and sent lot out of the middle of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which lot lived. 019:030 lot went up out of zoar, and lived in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to live in zoar. he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 019:031 the firstborn said to the younger, "our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. 019:032 come, let's make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father's seed." 019:033 they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father. he didn't know when she lay down, nor when she arose. 019:034 it came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, "behold, i lay last night with my father. let us make him drink wine again, tonight. you go in, and lie with him, that we may preserve our father's seed." 019:035 they made their father drink wine that night also. the younger went and lay with him. he didn't know when she lay down, nor when she got up. 019:036 thus both of lot's daughters were with child by their father. 019:037 the firstborn bore a son, and named him moab. he is the father of the moabites to this day. 019:038 the younger also bore a son, and called his name ben ammi. he is the father of the children of ammon to this day. 020:001 abraham traveled from there toward the land of the south, and lived between kadesh and shur. he lived as a foreigner in gerar. 020:002 abraham said about sarah his wife, "she is my sister." abimelech king of gerar sent, and took sarah. 020:003 but god came to abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken. for she is a man's wife." 020:004 now abimelech had not come near her. he said, "lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? 020:005 didn't he tell me, 'she is my sister?' she, even she herself, said, 'he is my brother.' in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands have i done this." 020:006 god said to him in the dream, "yes, i know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and i also withheld you from sinning against me. therefore i didn't allow you to touch her. 020:007 now therefore, restore the man's wife. for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. if you don't restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours." 020:008 abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. the men were very scared. 020:009 then abimelech called abraham, and said to him, "what have you done to us? how have i sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? you have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!" 020:010 abimelech said to abraham, "what did you see, that you have done this thing?" 020:011 abraham said, "because i thought, 'surely the fear of god is not in this place. they will kill me for my wife's sake.' 020:012 besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 020:013 it happened, when god caused me to wander from my father's house, that i said to her, 'this is your kindness which you shall show to me. everywhere that we go, say of me, "he is my brother."'" 020:014 abimelech took sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants, and gave them to abraham, and restored sarah, his wife, to him. 020:015 abimelech said, "behold, my land is before you. dwell where it pleases you." 020:016 to sarah he said, "behold, i have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. in front of all you are vindicated." 020:017 abraham prayed to god. god healed abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children. 020:018 for yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of abimelech, because of sarah, abraham's wife. 021:001 yahweh visited sarah as he had said, and yahweh did to sarah as he had spoken. 021:002 sarah conceived, and bore abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which god had spoken to him. 021:003 abraham called his son who was born to him, whom sarah bore to him, isaac.{isaac means "he laughs."} 021:004 abraham circumcised his son, isaac, when he was eight days old, as god had commanded him. 021:005 abraham was one hundred years old when his son, isaac, was born to him. 021:006 sarah said, "god has made me laugh. everyone who hears will laugh with me." 021:007 she said, "who would have said to abraham, that sarah would nurse children? for i have borne him a son in his old age." 021:008 the child grew, and was weaned. abraham made a great feast on the day that isaac was weaned. 021:009 sarah saw the son of hagar the egyptian, whom she had borne to abraham, mocking. 021:010 therefore she said to abraham, "cast out this handmaid and her son! for the son of this handmaid will not be heir with my son, isaac." 021:011 the thing was very grievous in abraham's sight on account of his son. 021:012 god said to abraham, "don't let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your handmaid. in all that sarah says to you, listen to her voice. for from isaac will your seed be called. 021:013 i will also make a nation of the son of the handmaid, because he is your seed." 021:014 abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it to hagar, putting it on her shoulder; and gave her the child, and sent her away. she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of beersheba. 021:015 the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 021:016 she went and sat down opposite him, a good way off, about a bow shot away. for she said, "don't let me see the death of the child." she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. 021:017 god heard the voice of the boy. the angel of god called to hagar out of the sky, and said to her, "what ails you, hagar? don't be afraid. for god has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 021:018 get up, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand. for i will make him a great nation." 021:019 god opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. she went, filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy drink. 021:020 god was with the boy, and he grew. he lived in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer. 021:021 he lived in the wilderness of paran. his mother took a wife for him out of the land of egypt. 021:022 it happened at that time, that abimelech and phicol the captain of his army spoke to abraham, saying, "god is with you in all that you do. 021:023 now, therefore, swear to me here by god that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. but according to the kindness that i have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner." 021:024 abraham said, "i will swear." 021:025 abraham complained to abimelech because of a water well, which abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 021:026 abimelech said, "i don't know who has done this thing. neither did you tell me, neither did i hear of it, until today." 021:027 abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to abimelech. those two made a covenant. 021:028 abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 021:029 abimelech said to abraham, "what do these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves mean?" 021:030 he said, "you shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that i have dug this well." 021:031 therefore he called that place beersheba,{beersheba can mean "well of the oath" or "well of seven."} because they both swore there. 021:032 so they made a covenant at beersheba. abimelech rose up with phicol, the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the philistines. 021:033 abraham planted a tamarisk tree in beersheba, and called there on the name of yahweh, the everlasting god. 021:034 abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the philistines many days. 022:001 it happened after these things, that god tested abraham, and said to him, "abraham!" he said, "here i am." 022:002 he said, "now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even isaac, and go into the land of moriah. offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which i will tell you of." 022:003 abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and isaac his son. he split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which god had told him. 022:004 on the third day abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off. 022:005 abraham said to his young men, "stay here with the donkey. the boy and i will go yonder. we will worship, and come back to you." 022:006 abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on isaac his son. he took in his hand the fire and the knife. they both went together. 022:007 isaac spoke to abraham his father, and said, "my father?" he said, "here i am, my son." he said, "here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 022:008 abraham said, "god will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." so they both went together. 022:009 they came to the place which god had told him of. abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 022:010 abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to kill his son. 022:011 the angel of yahweh called to him out of the sky, and said, "abraham, abraham!" he said, "here i am." 022:012 he said, "don't lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. for now i know that you fear god, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." 022:013 abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 022:014 abraham called the name of that place yahweh will provide{or, yahweh-jireh, or, yahweh-seeing}. as it is said to this day, "on yahweh's mountain, it will be provided." 022:015 the angel of yahweh called to abraham a second time out of the sky, 022:016 and said, "i have sworn by myself, says yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 022:017 that i will bless you greatly, and i will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. your seed will possess the gate of his enemies. 022:018 in your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." 022:019 so abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to beersheba. abraham lived at beersheba. 022:020 it happened after these things, that it was told abraham, saying, "behold, milcah, she also has borne children to your brother nahor: 022:021 uz his firstborn, buz his brother, kemuel the father of aram, 022:022 chesed, hazo, pildash, jidlaph, and bethuel." 022:023 bethuel became the father of rebekah. these eight milcah bore to nahor, abraham's brother. 022:024 his concubine, whose name was reumah, also bore tebah, gaham, tahash, and maacah. 023:001 sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. this was the length of sarah's life. 023:002 sarah died in kiriath arba (the same is hebron), in the land of canaan. abraham came to mourn for sarah, and to weep for her. 023:003 abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of heth, saying, 023:004 "i am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that i may bury my dead out of my sight." 023:005 the children of heth answered abraham, saying to him, 023:006 "hear us, my lord. you are a prince of god among us. bury your dead in the best of our tombs. none of us will withhold from you his tomb. bury your dead." 023:007 abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of heth. 023:008 he talked with them, saying, "if it be your mind that i should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to ephron the son of zohar, 023:009 that he may give me the cave of machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. for the full price let him give it to me among you for a possession of a burying-place." 023:010 now ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of heth. ephron the hittite answered abraham in the hearing of the children of heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 023:011 "no, my lord, hear me. i give you the field, and i give you the cave that is in it. in the presence of the children of my people i give it to you. bury your dead." 023:012 abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. 023:013 he spoke to ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, "but if you will, please hear me. i will give the price of the field. take it from me, and i will bury my dead there." 023:014 ephron answered abraham, saying to him, 023:015 "my lord, listen to me. what is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? therefore bury your dead." 023:016 abraham listened to ephron. abraham weighed to ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants' standard. 023:017 so the field of ephron, which was in machpelah, which was before mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded 023:018 to abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 023:019 after this, abraham buried sarah his wife in the cave of the field of machpelah before mamre (that is, hebron), in the land of canaan. 023:020 the field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of heth. 024:001 abraham was old, and well stricken in age. yahweh had blessed abraham in all things. 024:002 abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "please put your hand under my thigh. 024:003 i will make you swear by yahweh, the god of heaven and the god of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the canaanites, among whom i live. 024:004 but you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son isaac." 024:005 the servant said to him, "what if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? must i bring your son again to the land you came from?" 024:006 abraham said to him, "beware that you don't bring my son there again. 024:007 yahweh, the god of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'i will give this land to your seed{or, offspring}.' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 024:008 if the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. only you shall not bring my son there again." 024:009 the servant put his hand under the thigh of abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. 024:010 the servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. he arose, and went to mesopotamia, to the city of nahor. 024:011 he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. 024:012 he said, "yahweh, the god of my master abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master abraham. 024:013 behold, i am standing by the spring of water. the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 024:014 let it happen, that the young lady to whom i will say, 'please let down your pitcher, that i may drink,' and she will say, 'drink, and i will also give your camels a drink,'- let her be the one you have appointed for your servant isaac. by this i will know that you have shown kindness to my master." 024:015 it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, rebekah came out, who was born to bethuel the son of milcah, the wife of nahor, abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. 024:016 the young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known her. she went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. 024:017 the servant ran to meet her, and said, "please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher." 024:018 she said, "drink, my lord." she hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him drink. 024:019 when she had done giving him drink, she said, "i will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking." 024:020 she hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. 024:021 the man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not. 024:022 it happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, 024:023 and said, "whose daughter are you? please tell me. is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?" 024:024 she said to him, "i am the daughter of bethuel the son of milcah, whom she bore to nahor." 024:025 she said moreover to him, "we have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in." 024:026 the man bowed his head, and worshiped yahweh. 024:027 he said, "blessed be yahweh, the god of my master abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. as for me, yahweh has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives." 024:028 the young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words. 024:029 rebekah had a brother, and his name was laban. laban ran out to the man, to the spring. 024:030 it happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of rebekah his sister, saying, "this is what the man said to me," that he came to the man. behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 024:031 he said, "come in, you blessed of yahweh. why do you stand outside? for i have prepared the house, and room for the camels." 024:032 the man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. he gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 024:033 food was set before him to eat, but he said, "i will not eat until i have told my message." he said, "speak on." 024:034 he said, "i am abraham's servant. 024:035 yahweh has blessed my master greatly. he has become great. he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 024:036 sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. he has given all that he has to him. 024:037 my master made me swear, saying, 'you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the canaanites, in whose land i live, 024:038 but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.' 024:039 i said to my master, 'what if the woman will not follow me?' 024:040 he said to me, 'yahweh, before whom i walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. you shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house. 024:041 then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. if they don't give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.' 024:042 i came this day to the spring, and said, 'yahweh, the god of my master abraham, if now you do prosper my way which i go-024:043 behold, i am standing by this spring of water. let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom i will say, "give me, i pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink," 024:044 and she will tell me, "drink, and i will also draw for your camels,"--let her be the woman whom yahweh has appointed for my master's son.' 024:045 before i had done speaking in my heart, behold, rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. she went down to the spring, and drew. i said to her, 'please let me drink.' 024:046 she hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'drink, and i will also give your camels a drink.' so i drank, and she made the camels drink also. 024:047 i asked her, and said, 'whose daughter are you?' she said, 'the daughter of bethuel, nahor's son, whom milcah bore to him.' i put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. 024:048 i bowed my head, and worshiped yahweh, and blessed yahweh, the god of my master abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. 024:049 now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. if not, tell me, that i may turn to the right hand, or to the left." 024:050 then laban and bethuel answered, "the thing proceeds from yahweh. we can't speak to you bad or good. 024:051 behold, rebekah is before you. take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as yahweh has spoken." 024:052 it happened that when abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to yahweh. 024:053 the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to rebekah. he also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. 024:054 they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. they rose up in the morning, and he said, "send me away to my master." 024:055 her brother and her mother said, "let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. after that she will go." 024:056 he said to them, "don't hinder me, seeing yahweh has prospered my way. send me away that i may go to my master." 024:057 they said, "we will call the young lady, and ask her." 024:058 they called rebekah, and said to her, "will you go with this man?" she said, "i will go." 024:059 they sent away rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, abraham's servant, and his men. 024:060 they blessed rebekah, and said to her, "our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them." 024:061 rebekah arose with her ladies. they rode on the camels, and followed the man. the servant took rebekah, and went his way. 024:062 isaac came from the way of beer lahai roi, for he lived in the land of the south. 024:063 isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming. 024:064 rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw isaac, she dismounted from the camel. 024:065 she said to the servant, "who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?" the servant said, "it is my master." she took her veil, and covered herself. 024:066 the servant told isaac all the things that he had done. 024:067 isaac brought her into his mother sarah's tent, and took rebekah, and she became his wife. he loved her. isaac was comforted after his mother's death. 025:001 abraham took another wife, and her name was keturah. 025:002 she bore him zimran, jokshan, medan, midian, ishbak, and shuah. 025:003 jokshan became the father of sheba, and dedan. the sons of dedan were asshurim, letushim, and leummim. 025:004 the sons of midian: ephah, epher, hanoch, abida, and eldaah. all these were the children of keturah. 025:005 abraham gave all that he had to isaac, 025:006 but to the sons of abraham's concubines, abraham gave gifts. he sent them away from isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country. 025:007 these are the days of the years of abraham's life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years. 025:008 abraham gave up the spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 025:009 isaac and ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of machpelah, in the field of ephron, the son of zohar the hittite, which is before mamre, 025:010 the field which abraham purchased of the children of heth. abraham was buried there with sarah, his wife. 025:011 it happened after the death of abraham that god blessed isaac, his son. isaac lived by beer lahai roi. 025:012 now this is the history of the generations of ishmael, abraham's son, whom hagar the egyptian, sarah's handmaid, bore to abraham. 025:013 these are the names of the sons of ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of ishmael, nebaioth, then kedar, adbeel, mibsam, 025:014 mishma, dumah, massa, 025:015 hadad, tema, jetur, naphish, and kedemah. 025:016 these are the sons of ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations. 025:017 these are the years of the life of ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. he gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people. 025:018 they lived from havilah to shur that is before egypt, as you go toward assyria. he lived opposite all his relatives. 025:019 this is the history of the generations of isaac, abraham's son. abraham became the father of isaac. 025:020 isaac was forty years old when he took rebekah, the daughter of bethuel the syrian of paddan aram, the sister of laban the syrian, to be his wife. 025:021 isaac entreated yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. yahweh was entreated by him, and rebekah his wife conceived. 025:022 the children struggled together within her. she said, "if it be so, why do i live?" she went to inquire of yahweh. 025:023 yahweh said to her, two nations are in your womb. two peoples will be separated from your body. the one people will be stronger than the other people. the elder will serve the younger. 025:024 when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 025:025 the first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. they named him esau. 025:026 after that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on esau's heel. he was named jacob. isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 025:027 the boys grew. esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 025:028 now isaac loved esau, because he ate his venison. rebekah loved jacob. 025:029 jacob boiled stew. esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 025:030 esau said to jacob, "please feed me with that same red stew, for i am famished." therefore his name was called edom. 025:031 jacob said, "first, sell me your birthright." 025:032 esau said, "behold, i am about to die. what good is the birthright to me?" 025:033 jacob said, "swear to me first." he swore to him. he sold his birthright to jacob. 025:034 jacob gave esau bread and stew of lentils. he ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. so esau despised his birthright. 026:001 there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of abraham. isaac went to abimelech king of the philistines, to gerar. 026:002 yahweh appeared to him, and said, "don't go down into egypt. live in the land i will tell you about. 026:003 sojourn in this land, and i will be with you, and will bless you. for to you, and to your seed, i will give all these lands, and i will establish the oath which i swore to abraham your father. 026:004 i will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. in your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, 026:005 because abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." 026:006 isaac lived in gerar. 026:007 the men of the place asked him about his wife. he said, "she is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "my wife," lest, he thought, "the men of the place might kill me for rebekah, because she is beautiful to look at." 026:008 it happened, when he had been there a long time, that abimelech king of the philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, isaac was caressing rebekah, his wife. 026:009 abimelech called isaac, and said, "behold, surely she is your wife. why did you say, 'she is my sister?'" isaac said to him, "because i said, 'lest i die because of her.'" 026:010 abimelech said, "what is this you have done to us? one of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!" 026:011 abimelech charged all the people, saying, "he who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death." 026:012 isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. yahweh blessed him. 026:013 the man grew great, and grew more and more until he became very great. 026:014 he had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. the philistines envied him. 026:015 now all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of abraham his father, the philistines had stopped, and filled with earth. 026:016 abimelech said to isaac, "go from us, for you are much mightier than we." 026:017 isaac departed from there, encamped in the valley of gerar, and lived there. 026:018 isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of abraham his father. for the philistines had stopped them after the death of abraham. he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 026:019 isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 026:020 the herdsmen of gerar argued with isaac's herdsmen, saying, "the water is ours." he called the name of the well esek, because they contended with him. 026:021 they dug another well, and they argued over that, also. he called the name of it sitnah. 026:022 he left that place, and dug another well. they didn't argue over that one. he called it rehoboth. he said, "for now yahweh has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land." 026:023 he went up from there to beersheba. 026:024 yahweh appeared to him the same night, and said, "i am the god of abraham your father. don't be afraid, for i am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant abraham's sake." 026:025 he built an altar there, and called on the name of yahweh, and pitched his tent there. there isaac's servants dug a well. 026:026 then abimelech went to him from gerar, and ahuzzath his friend, and phicol the captain of his army. 026:027 isaac said to them, "why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?" 026:028 they said, "we saw plainly that yahweh was with you. we said, 'let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you, 026:029 that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.' you are now the blessed of yahweh." 026:030 he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 026:031 they rose up some time in the morning, and swore one to another. isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 026:032 it happened the same day, that isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, "we have found water." 026:033 he called it shibah.{shibah means "oath" or "seven."} therefore the name of the city is beersheba{beersheba means "well of the oath" or "well of the seven"} to this day. 026:034 when esau was forty years old, he took as wife judith, the daughter of beeri the hittite, and basemath, the daughter of elon the hittite. 026:035 they grieved isaac's and rebekah's spirits. 027:001 it happened, that when isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called esau his elder son, and said to him, "my son?" he said to him, "here i am." 027:002 he said, "see now, i am old. i don't know the day of my death. 027:003 now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison. 027:004 make me savory food, such as i love, and bring it to me, that i may eat, and that my soul may bless you before i die." 027:005 rebekah heard when isaac spoke to esau his son. esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 027:006 rebekah spoke to jacob her son, saying, "behold, i heard your father speak to esau your brother, saying, 027:007 'bring me venison, and make me savory food, that i may eat, and bless you before yahweh before my death.' 027:008 now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which i command you. 027:009 go now to the flock, and get me from there two good kids of the goats. i will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves. 027:010 you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death." 027:011 jacob said to rebekah his mother, "behold, esau my brother is a hairy man, and i am a smooth man. 027:012 what if my father touches me? i will seem to him as a deceiver, and i would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing." 027:013 his mother said to him, "let your curse be on me, my son. only obey my voice, and go get them for me." 027:014 he went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. his mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 027:015 rebekah took the good clothes of esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on jacob, her younger son. 027:016 she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck. 027:017 she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son jacob. 027:018 he came to his father, and said, "my father?" he said, "here i am. who are you, my son?" 027:019 jacob said to his father, "i am esau your firstborn. i have done what you asked me to do. please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me." 027:020 isaac said to his son, "how is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" he said, "because yahweh your god gave me success." 027:021 isaac said to jacob, "please come near, that i may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son esau or not." 027:022 jacob went near to isaac his father. he felt him, and said, "the voice is jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of esau." 027:023 he didn't recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, esau's hands. so he blessed him. 027:024 he said, "are you really my son esau?" he said, "i am." 027:025 he said, "bring it near to me, and i will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless you." he brought it near to him, and he ate. he brought him wine, and he drank. 027:026 his father isaac said to him, "come near now, and kiss me, my son." 027:027 he came near, and kissed him. he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, "behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which yahweh has blessed. 027:028 god give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine. 027:029 let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. be lord over your brothers. let your mother's sons bow down to you. cursed be everyone who curses you. blessed be everyone who blesses you." 027:030 it happened, as soon as isaac had made an end of blessing jacob, and jacob had just gone out from the presence of isaac his father, that esau his brother came in from his hunting. 027:031 he also made savory food, and brought it to his father. he said to his father, "let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that your soul may bless me." 027:032 isaac his father said to him, "who are you?" he said, "i am your son, your firstborn, esau." 027:033 isaac trembled violently, and said, "who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and i have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? yes, he will be blessed." 027:034 when esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father, "bless me, even me also, my father." 027:035 he said, "your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing." 027:036 he said, "isn't he rightly named jacob? for he has supplanted me these two times. he took away my birthright. see, now he has taken away my blessing." he said, "haven't you reserved a blessing for me?" 027:037 isaac answered esau, "behold, i have made him your lord, and all his brothers have i given to him for servants. with grain and new wine have i sustained him. what then will i do for you, my son?" 027:038 esau said to his father, "have you but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, my father." esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 027:039 isaac his father answered him, "behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling, and of the dew of the sky from above. 027:040 by your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother. it will happen, when you will break loose, that you shall shake his yoke from off your neck." 027:041 esau hated jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. esau said in his heart, "the days of mourning for my father are at hand. then i will kill my brother jacob." 027:042 the words of esau, her elder son, were told to rebekah. she sent and called jacob, her younger son, and said to him, "behold, your brother esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 027:043 now therefore, my son, obey my voice. arise, flee to laban, my brother, in haran. 027:044 stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away; 027:045 until your brother's anger turn away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. then i will send, and get you from there. why should i be bereaved of you both in one day?" 027:046 rebekah said to isaac, "i am weary of my life because of the daughters of heth. if jacob takes a wife of the daughters of heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?" 028:001 isaac called jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, "you shall not take a wife of the daughters of canaan. 028:002 arise, go to paddan aram, to the house of bethuel your mother's father. take a wife from there from the daughters of laban, your mother's brother. 028:003 may god almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, 028:004 and give you the blessing of abraham, to you, and to your seed with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which god gave to abraham." 028:005 isaac sent jacob away. he went to paddan aram to laban, son of bethuel the syrian, rebekah's brother, jacob's and esau's mother. 028:006 now esau saw that isaac had blessed jacob and sent him away to paddan aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, "you shall not take a wife of the daughters of canaan," 028:007 and that jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to paddan aram. 028:008 esau saw that the daughters of canaan didn't please isaac, his father. 028:009 esau went to ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, mahalath the daughter of ishmael, abraham's son, the sister of nebaioth, to be his wife. 028:010 jacob went out from beersheba, and went toward haran. 028:011 he came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. 028:012 he dreamed. behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. behold, the angels of god ascending and descending on it. 028:013 behold, yahweh stood above it, and said, "i am yahweh, the god of abraham your father, and the god of isaac. the land whereon you lie, to you will i give it, and to your seed. 028:014 your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. in you and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed. 028:015 behold, i am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. for i will not leave you, until i have done that which i have spoken of to you." 028:016 jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, "surely yahweh is in this place, and i didn't know it." 028:017 he was afraid, and said, "how dreadful is this place! this is none other than god's house, and this is the gate of heaven." 028:018 jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on the top of it. 028:019 he called the name of that place bethel, but the name of the city was luz at the first. 028:020 jacob vowed a vow, saying, "if god will be with me, and will keep me in this way that i go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, 028:021 so that i come again to my father's house in peace, and yahweh will be my god, 028:022 then this stone, which i have set up for a pillar, will be god's house. of all that you will give me i will surely give the tenth to you." 029:001 then jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. 029:002 he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. for out of that well they watered the flocks. the stone on the well's mouth was large. 029:003 there all the flocks were gathered. they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well's mouth in its place. 029:004 jacob said to them, "my relatives, where are you from?" they said, "we are from haran." 029:005 he said to them, "do you know laban, the son of nahor?" they said, "we know him." 029:006 he said to them, "is it well with him?" they said, "it is well. see, rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep." 029:007 he said, "behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the livestock together. water the sheep, and go and feed them." 029:008 they said, "we can't, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth. then we water the sheep." 029:009 while he was yet speaking with them, rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them. 029:010 it happened, when jacob saw rachel the daughter of laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of laban, his mother's brother, that jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of laban his mother's brother. 029:011 jacob kissed rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. 029:012 jacob told rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was rebekah's son. she ran and told her father. 029:013 it happened, when laban heard the news of jacob, his sister's son, that he ran to meet jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. jacob told laban all these things. 029:014 laban said to him, surely you are my bone and my flesh. he lived with him for a month. 029:015 laban said to jacob, "because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? tell me, what will your wages be?" 029:016 laban had two daughters. the name of the elder was leah, and the name of the younger was rachel. 029:017 leah's eyes were weak, but rachel was beautiful in form and attractive. 029:018 jacob loved rachel. he said, "i will serve you seven years for rachel, your younger daughter." 029:019 laban said, "it is better that i give her to you, than that i should give her to another man. stay with me." 029:020 jacob served seven years for rachel. they seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her. 029:021 jacob said to laban, "give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that i may go in to her." 029:022 laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 029:023 it happened in the evening, that he took leah his daughter, and brought her to him. he went in to her. 029:024 laban gave zilpah his handmaid to his daughter leah for a handmaid. 029:025 it happened in the morning that, behold, it was leah. he said to laban, "what is this you have done to me? didn't i serve with you for rachel? why then have you deceived me?" 029:026 laban said, "it is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn. 029:027 fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years." 029:028 jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. he gave him rachel his daughter as wife. 029:029 laban gave to rachel his daughter bilhah, his handmaid, to be her handmaid. 029:030 he went in also to rachel, and he loved also rachel more than leah, and served with him yet seven other years. 029:031 yahweh saw that leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but rachel was barren. 029:032 leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him reuben. for she said, "because yahweh has looked at my affliction. for now my husband will love me." 029:033 she conceived again, and bore a son, and said, "because yahweh has heard that i am hated, he has therefore given me this son also." she named him simeon. 029:034 she conceived again, and bore a son. said, "now this time will my husband be joined to me, because i have borne him three sons." therefore was his name called levi. 029:035 she conceived again, and bore a son. she said, "this time will i praise yahweh." therefore she named him judah. then she stopped bearing. 030:001 when rachel saw that she bore jacob no children, rachel envied her sister. she said to jacob, "give me children, or else i will die." 030:002 jacob's anger was kindled against rachel, and he said, "am i in god's place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" 030:003 she said, "behold, my maid bilhah. go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and i also may obtain children by her." 030:004 she gave him bilhah her handmaid as wife, and jacob went in to her. 030:005 bilhah conceived, and bore jacob a son. 030:006 rachel said, "god has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." therefore called she his name dan. 030:007 bilhah, rachel's handmaid, conceived again, and bore jacob a second son. 030:008 rachel said, "with mighty wrestlings have i wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed." she named him naphtali. 030:009 when leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to jacob as a wife. 030:010 zilpah, leah's handmaid, bore jacob a son. 030:011 leah said, "how fortunate!" she named him gad. 030:012 zilpah, leah's handmaid, bore jacob a second son. 030:013 leah said, "happy am i, for the daughters will call me happy." she named him asher. 030:014 reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, leah. then rachel said to leah, "please give me some of your son's mandrakes." 030:015 she said to her, "is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? would you take away my son's mandrakes, also?" rachel said, "therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes." 030:016 jacob came from the field in the evening, and leah went out to meet him, and said, "you must come in to me; for i have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." he lay with her that night. 030:017 god listened to leah, and she conceived, and bore jacob a fifth son. 030:018 leah said, "god has given me my hire, because i gave my handmaid to my husband." she named him issachar. 030:019 leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to jacob. 030:020 leah said, "god has endowed me with a good dowry. now my husband will live with me, because i have borne him six sons." she named him zebulun. 030:021 afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her dinah. 030:022 god remembered rachel, and god listened to her, and opened her womb. 030:023 she conceived, bore a son, and said, "god has taken away my reproach." 030:024 she named him joseph,{joseph means "may he add."} saying, "may yahweh add another son to me." 030:025 it happened, when rachel had borne joseph, that jacob said to laban, "send me away, that i may go to my own place, and to my country. 030:026 give me my wives and my children for whom i have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which i have served you." 030:027 laban said to him, "if now i have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for i have divined that yahweh has blessed me for your sake." 030:028 he said, "appoint me your wages, and i will give it." 030:029 he said to him, "you know how i have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me. 030:030 for it was little which you had before i came, and it has increased to a multitude. yahweh has blessed you wherever i turned. now when will i provide for my own house also?" 030:031 he said, "what shall i give you?" jacob said, "you shall not give me anything. if you will do this thing for me, i will again feed your flock and keep it. 030:032 i will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. this will be my hire. 030:033 so my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be counted stolen." 030:034 laban said, "behold, i desire it to be according to your word." 030:035 that day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 030:036 he set three days' journey between himself and jacob, and jacob fed the rest of laban's flocks. 030:037 jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 030:038 he set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink. they conceived when they came to drink. 030:039 the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted. 030:040 jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of laban: and he put his own droves apart, and didn't put them into laban's flock. 030:041 it happened, whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, that jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods; 030:042 but when the flock were feeble, he didn't put them in. so the feebler were laban's, and the stronger jacob's. 030:043 the man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys. 031:001 he heard the words of laban's sons, saying, "jacob has taken away all that was our father's. from that which was our father's, has he gotten all this wealth." 031:002 jacob saw the expression on laban's face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. 031:003 yahweh said to jacob, "return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and i will be with you." 031:004 jacob sent and called rachel and leah to the field to his flock, 031:005 and said to them, "i see the expression on your father's face, that it is not toward me as before; but the god of my father has been with me. 031:006 you know that i have served your father with all of my strength. 031:007 your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but god didn't allow him to hurt me. 031:008 if he said this, 'the speckled will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled. if he said this, 'the streaked will be your wages,' then all the flock bore streaked. 031:009 thus god has taken away your father's livestock, and given them to me. 031:010 it happened during mating season that i lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled. 031:011 the angel of god said to me in the dream, 'jacob,' and i said, 'here i am.' 031:012 he said, 'now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for i have seen all that laban does to you. 031:013 i am the god of bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.'" 031:014 rachel and leah answered him, "is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? 031:015 aren't we accounted by him as foreigners? for he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money. 031:016 for all the riches which god has taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's. now then, whatever god has said to you, do." 031:017 then jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels, 031:018 and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in paddan aram, to go to isaac his father, to the land of canaan. 031:019 now laban had gone to shear his sheep: and rachel stole the teraphim{teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.} that were her father's. 031:020 jacob deceived laban the syrian, in that he didn't tell him that he was running away. 031:021 so he fled with all that he had. he rose up, passed over the river, and set his face toward the mountain of gilead. 031:022 laban was told on the third day that jacob had fled. 031:023 he took his relatives with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey. he overtook him in the mountain of gilead. 031:024 god came to laban, the syrian, in a dream of the night, and said to him, "take heed to yourself that you don't speak to jacob either good or bad." 031:025 laban caught up with jacob. now jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of gilead. 031:026 laban said to jacob, "what have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword? 031:027 why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn't tell me, that i might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp; 031:028 and didn't allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now have you done foolishly. 031:029 it is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the god of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'take heed to yourself that you don't speak to jacob either good or bad.' 031:030 now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father's house, but why have you stolen my gods?" 031:031 jacob answered laban, "because i was afraid, for i said, 'lest you should take your daughters from me by force.' 031:032 anyone you find your gods with shall not live. before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it." for jacob didn't know that rachel had stolen them. 031:033 laban went into jacob's tent, into leah's tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn't find them. he went out of leah's tent, and entered into rachel's tent. 031:034 now rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. laban felt about all the tent, but didn't find them. 031:035 she said to her father, "don't let my lord be angry that i can't rise up before you; for the manner of women is on me." he searched, but didn't find the teraphim. 031:036 jacob was angry, and argued with laban. jacob answered laban, "what is my trespass? what is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me? 031:037 now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two. 031:038 these twenty years i have been with you. your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and i haven't eaten the rams of your flocks. 031:039 that which was torn of animals, i didn't bring to you. i bore the loss of it. of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 031:040 this was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes. 031:041 these twenty years i have been in your house. i served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 031:042 unless the god of my father, the god of abraham, and the fear of isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. god has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night." 031:043 laban answered jacob, "the daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine: and what can i do this day to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne? 031:044 now come, let us make a covenant, you and i; and let it be for a witness between me and you." 031:045 jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. 031:046 jacob said to his relatives, "gather stones." they took stones, and made a heap. they ate there by the heap. 031:047 laban called it jegar sahadutha,{"jegar sahadutha" means "witness heap" in aramaic.} but jacob called it galeed.{"galeed" means "witness heap" in hebrew.} 031:048 laban said, "this heap is witness between me and you this day." therefore it was named galeed 031:049 and mizpah, for he said, "yahweh watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another. 031:050 if you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, no man is with us; behold, god is witness between me and you." 031:051 laban said to jacob, "see this heap, and see the pillar, which i have set between me and you. 031:052 may this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that i will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 031:053 the god of abraham, and the god of nahor, the god of their father, judge between us." then jacob swore by the fear of his father, isaac. 031:054 jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. they ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain. 031:055 early in the morning, laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. laban departed and returned to his place. 032:001 jacob went on his way, and the angels of god met him. 032:002 when he saw them, jacob said, "this is god's army." he called the name of that place mahanaim. 032:003 jacob sent messengers in front of him to esau, his brother, to the land of seir, the field of edom. 032:004 he commanded them, saying, "this is what you shall tell my lord, esau: 'this is what your servant, jacob, says. i have lived as a foreigner with laban, and stayed until now. 032:005 i have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. i have sent to tell my lord, that i may find favor in your sight.'" 032:006 the messengers returned to jacob, saying, "we came to your brother esau. not only that, but he comes to meet you, and four hundred men with him." 032:007 then jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two companies; 032:008 and he said, "if esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape." 032:009 jacob said, "god of my father abraham, and god of my father isaac, yahweh, who said to me, 'return to your country, and to your relatives, and i will do you good,' 032:010 i am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff i passed over this jordan; and now i have become two companies. 032:011 please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of esau: for i fear him, lest he come and strike me, and the mothers with the children. 032:012 you said, 'i will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which can't be numbered because there are so many.'" 032:013 he lodged there that night, and took from that which he had with him, a present for esau, his brother: 032:014 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 032:015 thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. 032:016 he delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, "pass over before me, and put a space between herd and herd." 032:017 he commanded the foremost, saying, "when esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, 'whose are you? where are you going? whose are these before you?' 032:018 then you shall say, 'they are your servant, jacob's. it is a present sent to my lord, esau. behold, he also is behind us.'" 032:019 he commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the herds, saying, "this is how you shall speak to esau, when you find him. 032:020 you shall say, 'not only that, but behold, your servant, jacob, is behind us.'" for, he said, "i will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward i will see his face. perhaps he will accept me." 032:021 so the present passed over before him, and he himself lodged that night in the camp. 032:022 he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two handmaids, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of the jabbok. 032:023 he took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had. 032:024 jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day. 032:025 when he saw that he didn't prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of jacob's thigh was strained, as he wrestled. 032:026 the man said, "let me go, for the day breaks." jacob said, "i won't let you go, unless you bless me." 032:027 he said to him, "what is your name?" he said, "jacob." 032:028 he said, "your name will no longer be called jacob, but israel; for you have fought with god and with men, and have prevailed." 032:029 jacob asked him, "please tell me your name." he said, "why is it that you ask what my name is?" he blessed him there. 032:030 jacob called the name of the place peniel{peniel means "face of god."}: for, he said, "i have seen god face to face, and my life is preserved." 032:031 the sun rose on him as he passed over peniel, and he limped because of his thigh. 032:032 therefore the children of israel don't eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip. 033:001 jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. he divided the children between leah, rachel, and the two handmaids. 033:002 he put the handmaids and their children in front, leah and her children after, and rachel and joseph at the rear. 033:003 he himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 033:004 esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. 033:005 he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, "who are these with you?" he said, "the children whom god has graciously given your servant." 033:006 then the handmaids came near with their children, and they bowed themselves. 033:007 leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. after them, joseph came near with rachel, and they bowed themselves. 033:008 esau said, "what do you mean by all this company which i met?" jacob said, "to find favor in the sight of my lord." 033:009 esau said, "i have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours." 033:010 jacob said, "please, no, if i have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because i have seen your face, as one sees the face of god, and you were pleased with me. 033:011 please take the gift that i brought to you, because god has dealt graciously with me, and because i have enough." he urged him, and he took it. 033:012 esau said, "let us take our journey, and let us go, and i will go before you." 033:013 jacob said to him, "my lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. 033:014 please let my lord pass over before his servant, and i will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until i come to my lord to seir." 033:015 esau said, "let me now leave with you some of the folk who are with me." he said, "why? let me find favor in the sight of my lord." 033:016 so esau returned that day on his way to seir. 033:017 jacob traveled to succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. therefore the name of the place is called succoth.{succoth means shelters or booths.} 033:018 jacob came in peace to the city of shechem, which is in the land of canaan, when he came from paddan aram; and encamped before the city. 033:019 he bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of hamor, shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money. 033:020 he erected an altar there, and called it el elohe israel.{el elohe israel means "god, the god of israel" or "the god of israel is mighty."} 034:001 dinah, the daughter of leah, whom she bore to jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 034:002 shechem the son of hamor the hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. he took her, lay with her, and humbled her. 034:003 his soul joined to dinah, the daughter of jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady. 034:004 shechem spoke to his father, hamor, saying, "get me this young lady as a wife." 034:005 now jacob heard that he had defiled dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field. jacob held his peace until they came. 034:006 hamor the father of shechem went out to jacob to talk with him. 034:007 the sons of jacob came in from the field when they heard it. the men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in israel in lying with jacob's daughter; a which thing ought not to be done. 034:008 hamor talked with them, saying, "the soul of my son, shechem, longs for your daughter. please give her to him as a wife. 034:009 make marriages with us. give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 034:010 you shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. live and trade in it, and get possessions in it." 034:011 shechem said to her father and to her brothers, "let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you will tell me i will give. 034:012 ask me a great amount for a dowry, and i will give whatever you ask of me, but give me the young lady as a wife." 034:013 the sons of jacob answered shechem and hamor his father with deceit, and spoke, because he had defiled dinah their sister, 034:014 and said to them, "we can't do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; for that is a reproach to us. 034:015 only on this condition will we consent to you. if you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised; 034:016 then will we give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 034:017 but if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our sister,{hebrew has, literally, "daughter"} and we will be gone." 034:018 their words pleased hamor and shechem, hamor's son. 034:019 the young man didn't wait to do this thing, because he had delight in jacob's daughter, and he was honored above all the house of his father. 034:020 hamor and shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying, 034:021 "these men are peaceful with us. therefore let them live in the land and trade in it. for behold, the land is large enough for them. let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. 034:022 only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people, if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised. 034:023 won't their livestock and their possessions and all their animals be ours? only let us give our consent to them, and they will dwell with us." 034:024 all who went out of the gate of his city listened to hamor, and to shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. 034:025 it happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of jacob's sons, simeon and levi, dinah's brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. 034:026 they killed hamor and shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took dinah out of shechem's house, and went away. 034:027 jacob's sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 034:028 they took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field, 034:029 and all their wealth. they took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house. 034:030 jacob said to simeon and levi, "you have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the canaanites and the perizzites. i am few in number. they will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and i will be destroyed, i and my house." 034:031 they said, "should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?" 035:001 god said to jacob, "arise, go up to bethel, and live there. make there an altar to god, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of esau your brother." 035:002 then jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, "put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments. 035:003 let us arise, and go up to bethel. i will make there an altar to god, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which i went." 035:004 they gave to jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and jacob hid them under the oak which was by shechem. 035:005 they traveled, and a terror of god was on the cities that were around them, and they didn't pursue the sons of jacob. 035:006 so jacob came to luz (that is, bethel), which is in the land of canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 035:007 he built an altar there, and called the place el beth el; because there god was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 035:008 deborah, rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below bethel under the oak; and the name of it was called allon bacuth. 035:009 god appeared to jacob again, when he came from paddan aram, and blessed him. 035:010 god said to him, "your name is jacob. your name shall not be jacob any more, but your name will be israel." he named him israel. 035:011 god said to him, "i am god almighty. be fruitful and multiply. a nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body. 035:012 the land which i gave to abraham and isaac, i will give it to you, and to your seed after you will i give the land." 035:013 god went up from him in the place where he spoke with him. 035:014 jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. he poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. 035:015 jacob called the name of the place where god spoke with him "bethel." 035:016 they traveled from bethel. there was still some distance to come to ephrath, and rachel travailed. she had hard labor. 035:017 when she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, "don't be afraid, for now you will have another son." 035:018 it happened, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him benoni,{"benoni" means "son of my trouble."} but his father named him benjamin.{"benjamin" means "son of my right hand."} 035:019 rachel died, and was buried in the way to ephrath (the same is bethlehem). 035:020 jacob set up a pillar on her grave. the same is the pillar of rachel's grave to this day. 035:021 israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of eder. 035:022 it happened, while israel lived in that land, that reuben went and lay with bilhah, his father's concubine, and israel heard of it. now the sons of jacob were twelve. 035:023 the sons of leah: reuben (jacob's firstborn), simeon, levi, judah, issachar, and zebulun. 035:024 the sons of rachel: joseph and benjamin. 035:025 the sons of bilhah (rachel's handmaid): dan and naphtali. 035:026 the sons of zilpah (leah's handmaid): gad and asher. these are the sons of jacob, who were born to him in paddan aram. 035:027 jacob came to isaac his father, to mamre, to kiriath arba (which is hebron), where abraham and isaac lived as foreigners. 035:028 the days of isaac were one hundred eighty years. 035:029 isaac gave up the spirit, and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. esau and jacob, his sons, buried him. 036:001 now this is the history of the generations of esau (that is, edom). 036:002 esau took his wives from the daughters of canaan: adah the daughter of elon, the hittite; and oholibamah the daughter of anah, the daughter of zibeon, the hivite; 036:003 and basemath, ishmael's daughter, sister of nebaioth. 036:004 adah bore to esau eliphaz. basemath bore reuel. 036:005 oholibamah bore jeush, jalam, and korah. these are the sons of esau, who were born to him in the land of canaan. 036:006 esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, with his livestock, all his animals, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of canaan, and went into a land away from his brother jacob. 036:007 for their substance was too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their travels couldn't bear them because of their livestock. 036:008 esau lived in the hill country of seir. esau is edom. 036:009 this is the history of the generations of esau the father of the edomites in the hill country of seir: 036:010 these are the names of esau's sons: eliphaz, the son of adah, the wife of esau; and reuel, the son of basemath, the wife of esau. 036:011 the sons of eliphaz were teman, omar, zepho, and gatam, and kenaz. 036:012 timna was concubine to eliphaz, esau's son; and she bore to eliphaz amalek. these are the sons of adah, esau's wife. 036:013 these are the sons of reuel: nahath, zerah, shammah, and mizzah. these were the sons of basemath, esau's wife. 036:014 these were the sons of oholibamah, the daughter of anah, the daughter of zibeon, esau's wife: she bore to esau jeush, jalam, and korah. 036:015 these are the chiefs of the sons of esau: the sons of eliphaz the firstborn of esau: chief teman, chief omar, chief zepho, chief kenaz, 036:016 chief korah, chief gatam, chief amalek: these are the chiefs who came of eliphaz in the land of edom; these are the sons of adah. 036:017 these are the sons of reuel, esau's son: chief nahath, chief zerah, chief shammah, chief mizzah: these are the chiefs who came of reuel in the land of edom; these are the sons of basemath, esau's wife. 036:018 these are the sons of oholibamah, esau's wife: chief jeush, chief jalam, chief korah: these are the chiefs who came of oholibamah the daughter of anah, esau's wife. 036:019 these are the sons of esau (that is, edom), and these are their chiefs. 036:020 these are the sons of seir the horite, the inhabitants of the land: lotan, shobal, zibeon, anah, 036:021 dishon, ezer, and dishan. these are the chiefs who came of the horites, the children of seir in the land of edom. 036:022 the children of lotan were hori and heman. lotan's sister was timna. 036:023 these are the children of shobal: alvan, manahath, ebal, shepho, and onam. 036:024 these are the children of zibeon: aiah and anah. this is anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed the donkeys of zibeon his father. 036:025 these are the children of anah: dishon and oholibamah, the daughter of anah. 036:026 these are the children of dishon: hemdan, eshban, ithran, and cheran. 036:027 these are the children of ezer: bilhan, zaavan, and akan. 036:028 these are the children of dishan: uz and aran. 036:029 these are the chiefs who came of the horites: chief lotan, chief shobal, chief zibeon, chief anah, 036:030 chief dishon, chief ezer, and chief dishan: these are the chiefs who came of the horites, according to their chiefs in the land of seir. 036:031 these are the kings who reigned in the land of edom, before any king reigned over the children of israel. 036:032 bela, the son of beor, reigned in edom. the name of his city was dinhabah. 036:033 bela died, and jobab, the son of zerah of bozrah, reigned in his place. 036:034 jobab died, and husham of the land of the temanites reigned in his place. 036:035 husham died, and hadad, the son of bedad, who struck midian in the field of moab, reigned in his place. the name of his city was avith. 036:036 hadad died, and samlah of masrekah reigned in his place. 036:037 samlah died, and shaul of rehoboth by the river, reigned in his place. 036:038 shaul died, and baal hanan, the son of achbor reigned in his place. 036:039 baal hanan the son of achbor died, and hadar reigned in his place. the name of his city was pau. his wife's name was mehetabel, the daughter of matred, the daughter of mezahab. 036:040 these are the names of the chiefs who came from esau, according to their families, after their places, and by their names: chief timna, chief alvah, chief jetheth, 036:041 chief oholibamah, chief elah, chief pinon, 036:042 chief kenaz, chief teman, chief mibzar, 036:043 chief magdiel, and chief iram. these are the chiefs of edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession. this is esau, the father of the edomites. 037:001 jacob lived in the land of his father's travels, in the land of canaan. 037:002 this is the history of the generations of jacob. joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. he was a boy with the sons of bilhah and zilpah, his father's wives. joseph brought an evil report of them to their father. 037:003 now israel loved joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors. 037:004 his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn't speak peaceably to him. 037:005 joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more. 037:006 he said to them, "please hear this dream which i have dreamed: 037:007 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf." 037:008 his brothers said to him, "will you indeed reign over us? or will you indeed have dominion over us?" they hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words. 037:009 he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, "behold, i have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me." 037:010 he told it to his father and to his brothers. his father rebuked him, and said to him, "what is this dream that you have dreamed? will i and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to you to the earth?" 037:011 his brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind. 037:012 his brothers went to feed their father's flock in shechem. 037:013 israel said to joseph, "aren't your brothers feeding the flock in shechem? come, and i will send you to them." he said to him, "here i am." 037:014 he said to him, "go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again." so he sent him out of the valley of hebron, and he came to shechem. 037:015 a certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. the man asked him, "what are you looking for?" 037:016 he said, "i am looking for my brothers. tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock." 037:017 the man said, "they have left here, for i heard them say, 'let us go to dothan.'" joseph went after his brothers, and found them in dothan. 037:018 they saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. 037:019 they said one to another, "behold, this dreamer comes. 037:020 come now therefore, and let's kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, 'an evil animal has devoured him.' we will see what will become of his dreams." 037:021 reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, "let's not take his life." 037:022 reuben said to them, "shed no blood. throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him"- that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father. 037:023 it happened, when joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him; 037:024 and they took him, and threw him into the pit. the pit was empty. there was no water in it. 037:025 they sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of ishmaelites was coming from gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to egypt. 037:026 judah said to his brothers, "what profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 037:027 come, and let's sell him to the ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh." his brothers listened to him. 037:028 midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up joseph out of the pit, and sold joseph to the ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. they brought joseph into egypt. 037:029 reuben returned to the pit; and saw that joseph wasn't in the pit; and he tore his clothes. 037:030 he returned to his brothers, and said, "the child is no more; and i, where will i go?" 037:031 they took joseph's coat, and killed a male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. 037:032 they took the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, "we have found this. examine it, now, whether it is your son's coat or not." 037:033 he recognized it, and said, "it is my son's coat. an evil animal has devoured him. joseph is without doubt torn in pieces." 037:034 jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 037:035 all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. he said, "for i will go down to sheol{sheol is the place of the dead.} to my son mourning." his father wept for him. 037:036 the midianites sold him into egypt to potiphar, an officer of pharaoh's, the captain of the guard. 038:001 it happened at that time, that judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain adullamite, whose name was hirah. 038:002 judah saw there a daughter of a certain canaanite whose name was shua. he took her, and went in to her. 038:003 she conceived, and bore a son; and he named him er. 038:004 she conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him onan. 038:005 she yet again bore a son, and named him shelah: and he was at chezib, when she bore him. 038:006 judah took a wife for er, his firstborn, and her name was tamar. 038:007 er, judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of yahweh. yahweh killed him. 038:008 judah said to onan, "go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and raise up seed to your brother." 038:009 onan knew that the seed wouldn't be his; and it happened, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. 038:010 the thing which he did was evil in the sight of yahweh, and he killed him also. 038:011 then judah said to tamar, his daughter-in-law, "remain a widow in your father's house, until shelah, my son, is grown up;" for he said, "lest he also die, like his brothers." tamar went and lived in her father's house. 038:012 after many days, shua's daughter, the wife of judah, died. judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers to timnah, he and his friend hirah, the adullamite. 038:013 it was told tamar, saying, "behold, your father-in-law is going up to timnah to shear his sheep." 038:014 she took off of her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of enaim, which is by the way to timnah; for she saw that shelah was grown up, and she wasn't given to him as a wife. 038:015 when judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 038:016 he turned to her by the way, and said, "please come, let me come in to you," for he didn't know that she was his daughter-in-law. she said, "what will you give me, that you may come in to me?" 038:017 he said, "i will send you a kid of the goats from the flock." she said, "will you give me a pledge, until you send it?" 038:018 he said, "what pledge will i give you?" she said, "your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." he gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him. 038:019 she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 038:020 judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend, the adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, but he didn't find her. 038:021 then he asked the men of her place, saying, "where is the prostitute, that was at enaim by the road?" they said, "there has been no prostitute here." 038:022 he returned to judah, and said, "i haven't found her; and also the men of the place said, 'there has been no prostitute here.'" 038:023 judah said, "let her keep it, lest we be shamed. behold, i sent this kid, and you haven't found her." 038:024 it happened about three months later, that it was told judah, saying, "tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute; and moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution." judah said, "bring her forth, and let her be burnt." 038:025 when she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "by the man, whose these are, i am with child." she also said, "please discern whose are these--the signet, and the cords, and the staff." 038:026 judah acknowledged them, and said, "she is more righteous than i, because i didn't give her to shelah, my son." he knew her again no more. 038:027 it happened in the time of her travail, that behold, twins were in her womb. 038:028 when she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "this came out first." 038:029 it happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out, and she said, "why have you made a breach for yourself?" therefore his name was called perez.{perez means "breaking out."} 038:030 afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called zerah.{zerah means "scarlet" or "brightness."} 039:001 joseph was brought down to egypt. potiphar, an officer of pharaoh's, the captain of the guard, an egyptian, bought him from the hand of the ishmaelites that had brought him down there. 039:002 yahweh was with joseph, and he was a prosperous man. he was in the house of his master the egyptian. 039:003 his master saw that yahweh was with him, and that yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand. 039:004 joseph found favor in his sight. he ministered to him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 039:005 it happened from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that yahweh blessed the egyptian's house for joseph's sake; and the blessing of yahweh was on all that he had, in the house and in the field. 039:006 he left all that he had in joseph's hand. he didn't concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. joseph was well-built and handsome. 039:007 it happened after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes on joseph; and she said, "lie with me." 039:008 but he refused, and said to his master's wife, "behold, my master doesn't know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand. 039:009 he isn't greater in this house than i, neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. how then can i do this great wickedness, and sin against god?" 039:010 as she spoke to joseph day by day, he didn't listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 039:011 about this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside. 039:012 she caught him by his garment, saying, "lie with me!" he left his garment in her hand, and ran outside. 039:013 when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside, 039:014 she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, "behold, he has brought in a hebrew to us to mock us. he came in to me to lie with me, and i cried with a loud voice. 039:015 it happened, when he heard that i lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and ran outside." 039:016 she laid up his garment by her, until his master came home. 039:017 she spoke to him according to these words, saying, "the hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me, 039:018 and it happened, as i lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and ran outside." 039:019 it happened, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "this is what your servant did to me," that his wrath was kindled. 039:020 joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody. 039:021 but yahweh was with joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 039:022 the keeper of the prison committed to joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. whatever they did there, he was responsible for it. 039:023 the keeper of the prison didn't look after anything that was under his hand, because yahweh was with him; and that which he did, yahweh made it prosper. 040:001 it happened after these things, that the butler of the king of egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of egypt. 040:002 pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 040:003 he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where joseph was bound. 040:004 the captain of the guard assigned them to joseph, and he took care of them. they stayed in prison many days. 040:005 they both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of egypt, who were bound in the prison. 040:006 joseph came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad. 040:007 he asked pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, saying, "why do you look so sad today?" 040:008 they said to him, "we have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it." joseph said to them, "don't interpretations belong to god? please tell it to me." 040:009 the chief cupbearer told his dream to joseph, and said to him, "in my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me, 040:010 and in the vine were three branches. it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters of it brought forth ripe grapes. 040:011 pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and i took the grapes, and pressed them into pharaoh's cup, and i gave the cup into pharaoh's hand." 040:012 joseph said to him, "this is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days. 040:013 within three more days, pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. you will give pharaoh's cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cupbearer. 040:014 but remember me when it will be well with you, and show kindness, please, to me, and make mention of me to pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. 040:015 for indeed, i was stolen away out of the land of the hebrews, and here also have i done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon." 040:016 when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to joseph, "i also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head. 040:017 in the uppermost basket there was all kinds of baked food for pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head." 040:018 joseph answered, "this is the interpretation of it. the three baskets are three days. 040:019 within three more days, pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you." 040:020 it happened the third day, which was pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 040:021 he restored the chief cupbearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into pharaoh's hand; 040:022 but he hanged the chief baker, as joseph had interpreted to them. 040:023 yet the chief cupbearer didn't remember joseph, but forgot him. 041:001 it happened at the end of two full years, that pharaoh dreamed: and behold, he stood by the river. 041:002 behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass. 041:003 behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river. 041:004 the ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. so pharaoh awoke. 041:005 he slept and dreamed a second time: and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good. 041:006 behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. 041:007 the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 041:008 it happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of egypt's magicians and wise men. pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to pharaoh. 041:009 then the chief cupbearer spoke to pharaoh, saying, "i remember my faults today. 041:010 pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker. 041:011 we dreamed a dream in one night, i and he. we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 041:012 there was with us there a young man, a hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. to each man according to his dream he interpreted. 041:013 it happened, as he interpreted to us, so it was: he restored me to my office, and he hanged him." 041:014 then pharaoh sent and called joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. he shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to pharaoh. 041:015 pharaoh said to joseph, "i have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. i have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." 041:016 joseph answered pharaoh, saying, "it isn't in me. god will give pharaoh an answer of peace." 041:017 pharaoh spoke to joseph, "in my dream, behold, i stood on the brink of the river: 041:018 and behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, fat and sleek. they fed in the marsh grass, 041:019 and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as i never saw in all the land of egypt for ugliness. 041:020 the thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle, 041:021 and when they had eaten them up, it couldn't be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. so i awoke. 041:022 i saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good: 041:023 and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. 041:024 the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. i told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me." 041:025 joseph said to pharaoh, "the dream of pharaoh is one. what god is about to do he has declared to pharaoh. 041:026 the seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. the dream is one. 041:027 the seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine. 041:028 that is the thing which i spoke to pharaoh. what god is about to do he has shown to pharaoh. 041:029 behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of egypt. 041:030 there will arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of egypt. the famine will consume the land, 041:031 and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous. 041:032 the dream was doubled to pharaoh, because the thing is established by god, and god will shortly bring it to pass. 041:033 "now therefore let pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of egypt. 041:034 let pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of egypt's produce in the seven plenteous years. 041:035 let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 041:036 the food will be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of egypt; that the land not perish through the famine." 041:037 the thing was good in the eyes of pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 041:038 pharaoh said to his servants, "can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the spirit of god?" 041:039 pharaoh said to joseph, "because god has shown you all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as you. 041:040 you shall be over my house, and according to your word will all my people be ruled. only in the throne i will be greater than you." 041:041 pharaoh said to joseph, "behold, i have set you over all the land of egypt." 041:042 pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on joseph's hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck, 041:043 and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had. they cried before him, "bow the knee!" he set him over all the land of egypt. 041:044 pharaoh said to joseph, "i am pharaoh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of egypt." 041:045 pharaoh called joseph's name zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him asenath, the daughter of potiphera priest of on as a wife. joseph went out over the land of egypt. 041:046 joseph was thirty years old when he stood before pharaoh king of egypt. joseph went out from the presence of pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of egypt. 041:047 in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth abundantly. 041:048 he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, he laid up in the same. 041:049 joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number. 041:050 to joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom asenath, the daughter of potiphera priest of on, bore to him. 041:051 joseph called the name of the firstborn manasseh,{"manasseh" sounds like the hebrew for "forget."} "for," he said, "god has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house." 041:052 the name of the second, he called ephraim{"ephraim" sounds like the hebrew for "twice fruitful."}: "for god has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." 041:053 the seven years of plenty, that were in the land of egypt, came to an end. 041:054 the seven years of famine began to come, just as joseph had said. there was famine in all lands, but in all the land of egypt there was bread. 041:055 when all the land of egypt was famished, the people cried to pharaoh for bread, and pharaoh said to all the egyptians, "go to joseph. what he says to you, do." 041:056 the famine was over all the surface of the earth. joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the egyptians. the famine was severe in the land of egypt. 041:057 all countries came into egypt, to joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth. 042:001 now jacob saw that there was grain in egypt, and jacob said to his sons, "why do you look at one another?" 042:002 he said, "behold, i have heard that there is grain in egypt. go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die." 042:003 joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from egypt. 042:004 but jacob didn't send benjamin, joseph's brother, with his brothers; for he said, "lest perhaps harm happen to him." 042:005 the sons of israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of canaan. 042:006 joseph was the governor over the land. it was he who sold to all the people of the land. joseph's brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth. 042:007 joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. he said to them, "where did you come from?" they said, "from the land of canaan to buy food." 042:008 joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him. 042:009 joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "you are spies! you have come to see the nakedness of the land." 042:010 they said to him, "no, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 042:011 we are all one man's sons; we are honest men. your servants are not spies." 042:012 he said to them, "no, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land." 042:013 they said, "we, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more." 042:014 joseph said to them, "it is like i told you, saying, 'you are spies.' 042:015 by this you shall be tested. by the life of pharaoh, you shall not go forth from here, unless your youngest brother comes here. 042:016 send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of pharaoh surely you are spies." 042:017 he put them all together into custody for three days. 042:018 joseph said to them the third day, "do this, and live, for i fear god. 042:019 if you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses. 042:020 bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won't die." they did so. 042:021 they said one to another, "we are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn't listen. therefore this distress has come upon us." 042:022 reuben answered them, saying, "didn't i tell you, saying, 'don't sin against the child,' and you wouldn't listen? therefore also, behold, his blood is required." 042:023 they didn't know that joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them. 042:024 he turned himself away from them, and wept. then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes. 042:025 then joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. so it was done to them. 042:026 they loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there. 042:027 as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money. behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 042:028 he said to his brothers, "my money is restored! behold, it is in my sack!" their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, "what is this that god has done to us?" 042:029 they came to jacob their father, to the land of canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying, 042:030 "the man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 042:031 we said to him, 'we are honest men. we are no spies. 042:032 we are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of canaan.' 042:033 the man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'by this i will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way. 042:034 bring your youngest brother to me. then i will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. so i will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.'" 042:035 it happened as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack. when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 042:036 jacob, their father, said to them, "you have bereaved me of my children! joseph is no more, simeon is no more, and you want to take benjamin away. all these things are against me." 042:037 reuben spoke to his father, saying, "kill my two sons, if i don't bring him to you. entrust him to my care, and i will bring him to you again." 042:038 he said, "my son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. if harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to sheol." 043:001 the famine was severe in the land. 043:002 it happened, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of egypt, their father said to them, "go again, buy us a little more food." 043:003 judah spoke to him, saying, "the man solemnly warned us, saying, 'you shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.' 043:004 if you'll send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy you food, 043:005 but if you'll not send him, we'll not go down, for the man said to us, 'you shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'" 043:006 israel said, "why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?" 043:007 they said, "the man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, 'is your father still alive? have you another brother?' we just answered his questions. is there any way we could know that he would say, 'bring your brother down?'" 043:008 judah said to israel, his father, "send the boy with me, and we'll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones. 043:009 i'll be collateral for him. from my hand will you require him. if i don't bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever, 043:010 for if we hadn't delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now." 043:011 their father, israel, said to them, "if it must be so, then do this. take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds; 043:012 and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. perhaps it was an oversight. 043:013 take your brother also, get up, and return to the man. 043:014 may god almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and benjamin. if i am bereaved of my children, i am bereaved." 043:015 the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and benjamin; and got up, went down to egypt, and stood before joseph. 043:016 when joseph saw benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and make ready; for the men will dine with me at noon." 043:017 the man did as joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to joseph's house. 043:018 the men were afraid, because they were brought to joseph's house; and they said, "because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time, we're brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys." 043:019 they came near to the steward of joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house, 043:020 and said, "oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. 043:021 when we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. we have brought it back in our hand. 043:022 we have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. we don't know who put our money in our sacks." 043:023 he said, "peace be to you. don't be afraid. your god, and the god of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. i received your money." he brought simeon out to them. 043:024 the man brought the men into joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. he gave their donkeys fodder. 043:025 they made ready the present for joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there. 043:026 when joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to him to the earth. 043:027 he asked them of their welfare, and said, "is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? is he yet alive?" 043:028 they said, "your servant, our father, is well. he is still alive." they bowed the head, and did homage. 043:029 he lifted up his eyes, and saw benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and said, "is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" he said, "god be gracious to you, my son." 043:030 joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. he entered into his room, and wept there. 043:031 he washed his face, and came out. he controlled himself, and said, "serve the meal." 043:032 they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the egyptians, that ate with him, by themselves, because the egyptians don't eat bread with the hebrews, for that is an abomination to the egyptians. 043:033 they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another. 043:034 he sent portions to them from before him, but benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. they drank, and were merry with him. 044:001 he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. 044:002 put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, with his grain money." he did according to the word that joseph had spoken. 044:003 as soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 044:004 when they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, joseph said to his steward, "up, follow after the men. when you overtake them, ask them, 'why have you rewarded evil for good? 044:005 isn't this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? you have done evil in so doing.'" 044:006 he overtook them, and he spoke these words to them. 044:007 they said to him, "why does my lord speak such words as these? far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! 044:008 behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of canaan. how then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord's house? 044:009 with whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondservants." 044:010 he said, "now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found will be my bondservant; and you will be blameless." 044:011 then they hurried, and every man took his sack down to the ground, and every man opened his sack. 044:012 he searched, beginning with the eldest, and ending at the youngest. the cup was found in benjamin's sack. 044:013 then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city. 044:014 judah and his brothers came to joseph's house, and he was still there. they fell on the ground before him. 044:015 joseph said to them, "what deed is this that you have done? don't you know that such a man as i can indeed divine?" 044:016 judah said, "what will we tell my lord? what will we speak? or how will we clear ourselves? god has found out the iniquity of your servants. behold, we are my lord's bondservants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found." 044:017 he said, "far be it from me that i should do so. the man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my bondservant; but as for you, go up in peace to your father." 044:018 then judah came near to him, and said, "oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and don't let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as pharaoh. 044:019 my lord asked his servants, saying, 'have you a father, or a brother?' 044:020 we said to my lord, 'we have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.' 044:021 you said to your servants, 'bring him down to me, that i may set my eyes on him.' 044:022 we said to my lord, 'the boy can't leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.' 044:023 you said to your servants, 'unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.' 044:024 it happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 044:025 our father said, 'go again, buy us a little food.' 044:026 we said, 'we can't go down. if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man's face, unless our youngest brother is with us.' 044:027 your servant, my father, said to us, 'you know that my wife bore me two sons: 044:028 and the one went out from me, and i said, "surely he is torn in pieces;" and i haven't seen him since. 044:029 if you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to sheol.' 044:030 now therefore when i come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the boy's life; 044:031 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to sheol. 044:032 for your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'if i don't bring him to you, then i will bear the blame to my father forever.' 044:033 now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, a bondservant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers. 044:034 for how will i go up to my father, if the boy isn't with me?- lest i see the evil that will come on my father." 045:001 then joseph couldn't control himself before all those who stood before him, and he cried, "cause every man to go out from me!" no one else stood with him, while joseph made himself known to his brothers. 045:002 he wept aloud. the egyptians heard, and the house of pharaoh heard. 045:003 joseph said to his brothers, "i am joseph! does my father still live?" his brothers couldn't answer him; for they were terrified at his presence. 045:004 joseph said to his brothers, "come near to me, please." they came near. "he said, i am joseph, your brother, whom you sold into egypt. 045:005 now don't be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for god sent me before you to preserve life. 045:006 for these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 045:007 god sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. 045:008 so now it wasn't you who sent me here, but god, and he has made me a father to pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of egypt. 045:009 hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, 'this is what your son joseph says, "god has made me lord of all egypt. come down to me. don't wait. 045:010 you shall dwell in the land of goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children's children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 045:011 there i will nourish you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have."' 045:012 behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 045:013 you shall tell my father of all my glory in egypt, and of all that you have seen. you shall hurry and bring my father down here." 045:014 he fell on his brother benjamin's neck, and wept, and benjamin wept on his neck. 045:015 he kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. after that his brothers talked with him. 045:016 the report of it was heard in pharaoh's house, saying, "joseph's brothers have come." it pleased pharaoh well, and his servants. 045:017 pharaoh said to joseph, "tell your brothers, 'do this. load your animals, and go, travel to the land of canaan. 045:018 take your father and your households, and come to me, and i will give you the good of the land of egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.' 045:019 now you are commanded: do this. take wagons out of the land of egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 045:020 also, don't concern yourselves about your belongings, for the good of all of the land of egypt is yours." 045:021 the sons of israel did so. joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. 045:022 he gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. 045:023 to his father, he sent after this manner: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way. 045:024 so he sent his brothers away, and they departed. he said to them, "see that you don't quarrel on the way." 045:025 they went up out of egypt, and came into the land of canaan, to jacob their father. 045:026 they told him, saying, "joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of egypt." his heart fainted, for he didn't believe them. 045:027 they told him all the words of joseph, which he had said to them. when he saw the wagons which joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of jacob, their father, revived. 045:028 israel said, "it is enough. joseph my son is still alive. i will go and see him before i die." 046:001 israel traveled with all that he had, and came to beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the god of his father, isaac. 046:002 god spoke to israel in the visions of the night, and said, "jacob, jacob!" he said, "here i am." 046:003 he said, "i am god, the god of your father. don't be afraid to go down into egypt, for there i will make of you a great nation. 046:004 i will go down with you into egypt. i will also surely bring you up again. joseph will close your eyes." 046:005 jacob rose up from beersheba, and the sons of israel carried jacob, their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which pharaoh had sent to carry him. 046:006 they took their livestock, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of canaan, and came into egypt--jacob, and all his seed with him, 046:007 his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and he brought all his seed with him into egypt. 046:008 these are the names of the children of israel, who came into egypt, jacob and his sons: reuben, jacob's firstborn. 046:009 the sons of reuben: hanoch, pallu, hezron, and carmi. 046:010 the sons of simeon: jemuel, jamin, ohad, jachin, zohar, and shaul the son of a canaanite woman. 046:011 the sons of levi: gershon, kohath, and merari. 046:012 the sons of judah: er, onan, shelah, perez, and zerah; but er and onan died in the land of canaan. the sons of perez were hezron and hamul. 046:013 the sons of issachar: tola, puvah, iob, and shimron. 046:014 the sons of zebulun: sered, elon, and jahleel. 046:015 these are the sons of leah, whom she bore to jacob in paddan aram, with his daughter dinah. all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three. 046:016 the sons of gad: ziphion, haggi, shuni, ezbon, eri, arodi, and areli. 046:017 the sons of asher: imnah, ishvah, ishvi, beriah, and serah their sister. the sons of beriah: heber and malchiel. 046:018 these are the sons of zilpah, whom laban gave to leah, his daughter, and these she bore to jacob, even sixteen souls. 046:019 the sons of rachel, jacob's wife: joseph and benjamin. 046:020 to joseph in the land of egypt were born manasseh and ephraim, whom asenath, the daughter of potiphera, priest of on, bore to him. 046:021 the sons of benjamin: bela, becher, ashbel, gera, naaman, ehi, rosh, muppim, huppim, and ard. 046:022 these are the sons of rachel, who were born to jacob: all the souls were fourteen. 046:023 the son of dan: hushim. 046:024 the sons of naphtali: jahzeel, guni, jezer, and shillem. 046:025 these are the sons of bilhah, whom laban gave to rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to jacob: all the souls were seven. 046:026 all the souls who came with jacob into egypt, who were his direct descendants, besides jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were sixty-six. 046:027 the sons of joseph, who were born to him in egypt, were two souls. all the souls of the house of jacob, who came into egypt, were seventy. 046:028 he sent judah before him to joseph, to show the way before him to goshen, and they came into the land of goshen. 046:029 joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet israel, his father, in goshen. he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 046:030 israel said to joseph, "now let me die, since i have seen your face, that you are still alive." 046:031 joseph said to his brothers, and to his father's house, "i will go up, and speak with pharaoh, and will tell him, 'my brothers, and my father's house, who were in the land of canaan, have come to me. 046:032 these men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.' 046:033 it will happen, when pharaoh summons you, and will say, 'what is your occupation?' 046:034 that you shall say, 'your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers:' that you may dwell in the land of goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the egyptians." 047:001 then joseph went in and told pharaoh, and said, "my father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of canaan; and behold, they are in the land of goshen." 047:002 from among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to pharaoh. 047:003 pharaoh said to his brothers, "what is your occupation?" they said to pharaoh, "your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers." 047:004 they said to pharaoh, "we have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks. for the famine is severe in the land of canaan. now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of goshen." 047:005 pharaoh spoke to joseph, saying, "your father and your brothers have come to you. 047:006 the land of egypt is before you. make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. let them dwell in the land of goshen. if you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock." 047:007 joseph brought in jacob, his father, and set him before pharaoh, and jacob blessed pharaoh. 047:008 pharaoh said to jacob, "how many are the days of the years of your life?" 047:009 jacob said to pharaoh, "the days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." 047:010 jacob blessed pharaoh, and went out from the presence of pharaoh. 047:011 joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of rameses, as pharaoh had commanded. 047:012 joseph nourished his father, his brothers, and all of his father's household, with bread, according to their families. 047:013 there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of egypt and the land of canaan fainted by reason of the famine. 047:014 joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of egypt, and in the land of canaan, for the grain which they bought: and joseph brought the money into pharaoh's house. 047:015 when the money was all spent in the land of egypt, and in the land of canaan, all the egyptians came to joseph, and said, "give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? for our money fails." 047:016 joseph said, "give me your livestock; and i will give you food for your livestock, if your money is gone." 047:017 they brought their livestock to joseph, and joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock for that year. 047:018 when that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, "we will not hide from my lord how our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock are my lord's. there is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands. 047:019 why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to pharaoh. give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won't be desolate." 047:020 so joseph bought all the land of egypt for pharaoh, for the egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became pharaoh's. 047:021 as for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of egypt even to the other end of it. 047:022 only he didn't buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from pharaoh, and ate their portion which pharaoh gave them. that is why they didn't sell their land. 047:023 then joseph said to the people, "behold, i have bought you and your land today for pharaoh. behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 047:024 it will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of the field, for your food, for them of your households, and for food for your little ones." 047:025 they said, "you have saved our lives! let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be pharaoh's servants." 047:026 joseph made it a statute concerning the land of egypt to this day, that pharaoh should have the fifth. only the land of the priests alone didn't become pharaoh's. 047:027 israel lived in the land of egypt, in the land of goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly. 047:028 jacob lived in the land of egypt seventeen years. so the days of jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years. 047:029 the time drew near that israel must die, and he called his son joseph, and said to him, "if now i have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. please don't bury me in egypt, 047:030 but when i sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of egypt, and bury me in their burying place." he said, "i will do as you have said." 047:031 he said, "swear to me," and he swore to him. israel bowed himself on the bed's head. 048:001 it happened after these things, that someone said to joseph, "behold, your father is sick." he took with him his two sons, manasseh and ephraim. 048:002 someone told jacob, and said, "behold, your son joseph comes to you," and israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed. 048:003 jacob said to joseph, "god almighty appeared to me at luz in the land of canaan, and blessed me, 048:004 and said to me, 'behold, i will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and i will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.' 048:005 now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of egypt before i came to you into egypt, are mine; ephraim and manasseh, even as reuben and simeon, will be mine. 048:006 your issue, who you become the father of after them, will be yours. they will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 048:007 as for me, when i came from paddan, rachel died by me in the land of canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come to ephrath, and i buried her there in the way to ephrath (the same is bethlehem)." 048:008 israel saw joseph's sons, and said, "who are these?" 048:009 joseph said to his father, "they are my sons, whom god has given me here." he said, "please bring them to me, and i will bless them." 048:010 now the eyes of israel were dim for age, so that he couldn't see. he brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 048:011 israel said to joseph, "i didn't think i would see your face, and behold, god has let me see your seed also." 048:012 joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 048:013 joseph took them both, ephraim in his right hand toward israel's left hand, and manasseh in his left hand toward israel's right hand, and brought them near to him. 048:014 israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for manasseh was the firstborn. 048:015 he blessed joseph, and said, "the god before whom my fathers abraham and isaac did walk, the god who has fed me all my life long to this day, 048:016 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers abraham and isaac. let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." 048:017 when joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of ephraim, it displeased him. he held up his father's hand, to remove it from ephraim's head to manasseh's head. 048:018 joseph said to his father, "not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." 048:019 his father refused, and said, "i know, my son, i know. he also will become a people, and he also will be great. however, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations." 048:020 he blessed them that day, saying, "in you will israel bless, saying, 'god make you as ephraim and as manasseh'" he set ephraim before manasseh. 048:021 israel said to joseph, "behold, i am dying, but god will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. 048:022 moreover i have given to you one portion above your brothers, which i took out of the hand of the amorite with my sword and with my bow." 049:001 jacob called to his sons, and said: "gather yourselves together, that i may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come. 049:002 assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of jacob. listen to israel, your father. 049:003 "reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. 049:004 boiling over as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed, then defiled it. he went up to my couch. 049:005 "simeon and levi are brothers. their swords are weapons of violence. 049:006 my soul, don't come into their council. my glory, don't be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. in their self-will they hamstrung oxen. 049:007 cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. i will divide them in jacob, and scatter them in israel. 049:008 "judah, your brothers will praise you. your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. your father's sons will bow down before you. 049:009 judah is a lion's cub. from the prey, my son, you have gone up. he stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. who will rouse him up? 049:010 the scepter will not depart from judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. to him will the obedience of the peoples be. 049:011 binding his foal to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice vine; he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 049:012 his eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk. 049:013 "zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. he will be for a haven of ships. his border will be on sidon. 049:014 "issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags. 049:015 he saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. he bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor. 049:016 "dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of israel. 049:017 dan will be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward. 049:018 i have waited for your salvation, yahweh. 049:019 "a troop will press on gad, but he will press on their heel. 049:020 "asher's food will be rich. he will yield royal dainties. 049:021 "naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns. 049:022 "joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. his branches run over the wall. 049:023 the archers have sorely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him: 049:024 but his bow remained strong. the arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the mighty one of jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of israel), 049:025 even by the god of your father, who will help you; by the almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. 049:026 the blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. they will be on the head of joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers. 049:027 "benjamin is a ravenous wolf. in the morning he will devour the prey. at evening he will divide the spoil." 049:028 all these are the twelve tribes of israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. he blessed everyone according to his blessing. 049:029 he charged them, and said to them, "i am to be gathered to my people. bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of ephron the hittite, 049:030 in the cave that is in the field of machpelah, which is before mamre, in the land of canaan, which abraham bought with the field from ephron the hittite as a burial place. 049:031 there they buried abraham and sarah, his wife. there they buried isaac and rebekah, his wife, and there i buried leah: 049:032 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of heth." 049:033 when jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people. 050:001 joseph fell on his father's face, wept on him, and kissed him. 050:002 joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed israel. 050:003 forty days were fulfilled for him, for that is how many the days it takes to embalm. the egyptians wept for him for seventy days. 050:004 when the days of weeping for him were past, joseph spoke to the house of pharaoh, saying, "if now i have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of pharaoh, saying, 050:005 'my father made me swear, saying, "behold, i am dying. bury me in my grave which i have dug for myself in the land of canaan." now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and i will come again.'" 050:006 pharaoh said, "go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear." 050:007 joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of egypt, 050:008 all the house of joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of goshen. 050:009 there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. it was a very great company. 050:010 they came to the threshing floor of atad, which is beyond the jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and sore lamentation. he mourned for his father seven days. 050:011 when the inhabitants of the land, the canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of atad, they said, "this is a grievous mourning by the egyptians." therefore, the name of it was called abel mizraim, which is beyond the jordan. 050:012 his sons did to him just as he commanded them, 050:013 for his sons carried him into the land of canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of machpelah, which abraham bought with the field, for a possession of a burial site, from ephron the hittite, before mamre. 050:014 joseph returned into egypt--he, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. 050:015 when joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "it may be that joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all of the evil which we did to him." 050:016 they sent a message to joseph, saying, "your father commanded before he died, saying, 050:017 'you shall tell joseph, "now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you."' now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the god of your father." joseph wept when they spoke to him. 050:018 his brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, "behold, we are your servants." 050:019 joseph said to them, "don't be afraid, for am i in the place of god? 050:020 as for you, you meant evil against me, but god meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive. 050:021 now therefore don't be afraid. i will nourish you and your little ones." he comforted them, and spoke kindly to them. 050:022 joseph lived in egypt, he, and his father's house. joseph lived one hundred ten years. 050:023 joseph saw ephraim's children to the third generation. the children also of machir, the son of manasseh, were born on joseph's knees. 050:024 joseph said to his brothers, "i am dying, but god will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to abraham, to isaac, and to jacob." 050:025 joseph took an oath of the children of israel, saying, "god will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here." 050:026 so joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in egypt. this ebook was produced by david widger with the help of derek andrew's text from january 1992 and the work of bryan taylor in november 2002. book 01 genesis 01:001:001 in the beginning god created the heaven and the earth. 01:001:002 and the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. and the spirit of god moved upon the face of the waters. 01:001:003 and god said, let there be light: and there was light. 01:001:004 and god saw the light, that it was good: and god divided the light from the darkness. 01:001:005 and god called the light day, and the darkness he called night. and the evening and the morning were the first day. 01:001:006 and god said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 01:001:007 and god made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 01:001:008 and god called the firmament heaven. and the evening and the morning were the second day. 01:001:009 and god said, let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 01:001:010 and god called the dry land earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he seas: and god saw that it was good. 01:001:011 and god said, let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 01:001:012 and the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and god saw that it was good. 01:001:013 and the evening and the morning were the third day. 01:001:014 and god said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 01:001:015 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 01:001:016 and god made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 01:001:017 and god set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 01:001:018 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and god saw that it was good. 01:001:019 and the evening and the morning were the fourth day. 01:001:020 and god said, let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 01:001:021 and god created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and god saw that it was good. 01:001:022 and god blessed them, saying, be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 01:001:023 and the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 01:001:024 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. 01:001:025 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. 01:001:026 and god said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 01:001:027 so god created man in his own image, in the image of god created he him; male and female created he them. 01:001:028 and god blessed them, and god said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and 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. 01:001:029 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. 01:001:030 and to every beast of the earth, and to every 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. 01:001:031 and god saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. and the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 01:002:001 thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 01:002:002 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. 01:002:003 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. 01:002:004 these are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the lord god made the earth and the heavens, 01:002:005 and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the lord god had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 01:002:006 but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 01:002:007 and the lord god formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 01:002:008 and the lord god planted a garden eastward in eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 01:002:009 and out of the ground made the lord god to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 01:002:010 and a river went out of eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 01:002:011 the name of the first is pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of havilah, where there is gold; 01:002:012 and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 01:002:013 and the name of the second river is gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of ethiopia. 01:002:014 and the name of the third river is hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of assyria. and the fourth river is euphrates. 01:002:015 and the lord god took the man, and put him into the garden of eden to dress it and to keep it. 01:002:016 and the lord god commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 01:002:017 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 01:002:018 and the lord god said, it is not good that the man should be alone; i will make him an help meet for him. 01:002:019 and out of the ground the lord god formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 01:002:020 and adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for adam there was not found an help meet for him. 01:002:021 and the lord god caused a deep sleep to fall upon adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 01:002:022 and the rib, which the lord god had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 01:002:023 and adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. 01:002:024 therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 01:002:025 and they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. 01:003:001 now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the lord god had made. and he said unto the woman, yea, hath god said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 01:003:002 and the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 01:003:003 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, god hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 01:003:004 and the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die: 01:003:005 for god doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 01:003:006 and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 01:003:007 and the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 01:003:008 and they heard the voice of the lord god walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the lord god amongst the trees of the garden. 01:003:009 and the lord god called unto adam, and said unto him, where art thou? 01:003:010 and he said, i heard thy voice in the garden, and i was afraid, because i was naked; and i hid myself. 01:003:011 and he said, who told thee that thou wast naked? hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof i commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 01:003:012 and the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and i did eat. 01:003:013 and the lord god said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? and the woman said, the serpent beguiled me, and i did eat. 01:003:014 and the lord god said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 01:003:015 and i will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 01:003:016 unto the woman he said, i will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 01:003:017 and unto adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which i commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 01:003:018 thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 01:003:019 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 01:003:020 and adam called his wife's name eve; because she was the mother of all living. 01:003:021 unto adam also and to his wife did the lord god make coats of skins, and clothed them. 01:003:022 and the lord god said, behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 01:003:023 therefore the lord god sent him forth from the garden of eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 01:003:024 so he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of eden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 01:004:001 and adam knew eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare cain, and said, i have gotten a man from the lord. 01:004:002 and she again bare his brother abel. and abel was a keeper of sheep, but cain was a tiller of the ground. 01:004:003 and in process of time it came to pass, that cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the lord. 01:004:004 and abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. and the lord had respect unto abel and to his offering: 01:004:005 but unto cain and to his offering he had not respect. and cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 01:004:006 and the lord said unto cain, why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 01:004:007 if thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. and unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 01:004:008 and cain talked with abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that cain rose up against abel his brother, and slew him. 01:004:009 and the lord said unto cain, where is abel thy brother? and he said, i know not: am i my brother's keeper? 01:004:010 and he said, what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 01:004:011 and now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 01:004:012 when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 01:004:013 and cain said unto the lord, my punishment is greater than i can bear. 01:004:014 behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall i be hid; and i shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 01:004:015 and the lord said unto him, therefore whosoever slayeth cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. and the lord set a mark upon cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 01:004:016 and cain went out from the presence of the lord, and dwelt in the land of nod, on the east of eden. 01:004:017 and cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, enoch. 01:004:018 and unto enoch was born irad: and irad begat mehujael: and mehujael begat methusael: and methusael begat lamech. 01:004:019 and lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was adah, and the name of the other zillah. 01:004:020 and adah bare jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 01:004:021 and his brother's name was jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. 01:004:022 and zillah, she also bare tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of tubalcain was naamah. 01:004:023 and lamech said unto his wives, adah and zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of lamech, hearken unto my speech: for i have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 01:004:024 if cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly lamech seventy and sevenfold. 01:004:025 and adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name seth: for god, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of abel, whom cain slew. 01:004:026 and to seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name enos: then began men to call upon the name of the lord. 01:005:001 this is the book of the generations of adam. in the day that god created man, in the likeness of god made he him; 01:005:002 male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name adam, in the day when they were created. 01:005:003 and adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name seth: 01:005:004 and the days of adam after he had begotten seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: 01:005:005 and all the days that adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. 01:005:006 and seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat enos: 01:005:007 and seth lived after he begat enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: 01:005:008 and all the days of seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. 01:005:009 and enos lived ninety years, and begat cainan: 01:005:010 and enos lived after he begat cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: 01:005:011 and all the days of enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died. 01:005:012 and cainan lived seventy years and begat mahalaleel: 01:005:013 and cainan lived after he begat mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: 01:005:014 and all the days of cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. 01:005:015 and mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat jared: 01:005:016 and mahalaleel lived after he begat jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: 01:005:017 and all the days of mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. 01:005:018 and jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat enoch: 01:005:019 and jared lived after he begat enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 01:005:020 and all the days of jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. 01:005:021 and enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat methuselah: 01:005:022 and enoch walked with god after he begat methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 01:005:023 and all the days of enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 01:005:024 and enoch walked with god: and he was not; for god took him. 01:005:025 and methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat lamech. 01:005:026 and methuselah lived after he begat lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: 01:005:027 and all the days of methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. 01:005:028 and lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: 01:005:029 and he called his name noah, saying, this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the lord hath cursed. 01:005:030 and lamech lived after he begat noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: 01:005:031 and all the days of lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. 01:005:032 and noah was five hundred years old: and noah begat shem, ham, and japheth. 01:006:001 and it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 01:006:002 that the sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 01:006:003 and the lord said, my spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 01:006:004 there were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of god came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 01:006:005 and god saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 01:006:006 and it repented the lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 01:006:007 and the lord said, i will destroy man whom i have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that i have made them. 01:006:008 but noah found grace in the eyes of the lord. 01:006:009 these are the generations of noah: noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and noah walked with god. 01:006:010 and noah begat three sons, shem, ham, and japheth. 01:006:011 the earth also was corrupt before god, and the earth was filled with violence. 01:006:012 and god looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 01:006:013 and god said unto noah, the end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, i will destroy them with the earth. 01:006:014 make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 01:006:015 and this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 01:006:016 a window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 01:006:017 and, behold, i, even i, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. 01:006:018 but with thee will i establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. 01:006:019 and of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. 01:006:020 of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. 01:006:021 and take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. 01:006:022 thus did noah; according to all that god commanded him, so did he. 01:007:001 and the lord said unto noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have i seen righteous before me in this generation. 01:007:002 of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. 01:007:003 of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. 01:007:004 for yet seven days, and i will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that i have made will i destroy from off the face of the earth. 01:007:005 and noah did according unto all that the lord commanded him. 01:007:006 and noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. 01:007:007 and noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. 01:007:008 of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, 01:007:009 there went in two and two unto noah into the ark, the male and the female, as god had commanded noah. 01:007:010 and it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. 01:007:011 in the six hundredth year of noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 01:007:012 and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 01:007:013 in the selfsame day entered noah, and shem, and ham, and japheth, the sons of noah, and noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; 01:007:014 they, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. 01:007:015 and they went in unto noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 01:007:016 and they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as god had commanded him: and the lord shut him in. 01:007:017 and the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. 01:007:018 and the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. 01:007:019 and the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. 01:007:020 fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. 01:007:021 and all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 01:007:022 all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 01:007:023 and every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. 01:007:024 and the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. 01:008:001 and god remembered noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and god made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; 01:008:002 the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; 01:008:003 and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. 01:008:004 and the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of ararat. 01:008:005 and the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. 01:008:006 and it came to pass at the end of forty days, that noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: 01:008:007 and he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. 01:008:008 also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; 01:008:009 but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. 01:008:010 and he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; 01:008:011 and the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. 01:008:012 and he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. 01:008:013 and it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. 01:008:014 and in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. 01:008:015 and god spake unto noah, saying, 01:008:016 go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. 01:008:017 bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. 01:008:018 and noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: 01:008:019 every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. 01:008:020 and noah builded an altar unto the lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 01:008:021 and the lord smelled a sweet savour; and the lord said in his heart, i will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will i again smite any more every thing living, as i have done. 01:008:022 while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. 01:009:001 and god blessed noah and his sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 01:009:002 and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. 01:009:003 every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have i given you all things. 01:009:004 but flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 01:009:005 and surely your blood of your lives will i require; at the hand of every beast will i require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will i require the life of man. 01:009:006 whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of god made he man. 01:009:007 and you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. 01:009:008 and god spake unto noah, and to his sons with him, saying, 01:009:009 and i, behold, i establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 01:009:010 and with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 01:009:011 and i will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 01:009:012 and god said, this is the token of the covenant which i make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 01:009:013 i do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 01:009:014 and it shall come to pass, when i bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 01:009:015 and i will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 01:009:016 and the bow shall be in the cloud; and i will look upon it, that i may remember the everlasting covenant between god and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 01:009:017 and god said unto noah, this is the token of the covenant, which i have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. 01:009:018 and the sons of noah, that went forth of the ark, were shem, and ham, and japheth: and ham is the father of canaan. 01:009:019 these are the three sons of noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. 01:009:020 and noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 01:009:021 and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. 01:009:022 and ham, the father of canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 01:009:023 and shem and japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. 01:009:024 and noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 01:009:025 and he said, cursed be canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 01:009:026 and he said, blessed be the lord god of shem; and canaan shall be his servant. 01:009:027 god shall enlarge japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of shem; and canaan shall be his servant. 01:009:028 and noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 01:009:029 and all the days of noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died. 01:010:001 now these are the generations of the sons of noah, shem, ham, and japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. 01:010:002 the sons of japheth; gomer, and magog, and madai, and javan, and tubal, and meshech, and tiras. 01:010:003 and the sons of gomer; ashkenaz, and riphath, and togarmah. 01:010:004 and the sons of javan; elishah, and tarshish, kittim, and dodanim. 01:010:005 by these were the isles of the gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. 01:010:006 and the sons of ham; cush, and mizraim, and phut, and canaan. 01:010:007 and the sons of cush; seba, and havilah, and sabtah, and raamah, and sabtechah: and the sons of raamah; sheba, and dedan. 01:010:008 and cush begat nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 01:010:009 he was a mighty hunter before the lord: wherefore it is said, even as nimrod the mighty hunter before the lord. 01:010:010 and the beginning of his kingdom was babel, and erech, and accad, and calneh, in the land of shinar. 01:010:011 out of that land went forth asshur, and builded nineveh, and the city rehoboth, and calah, 01:010:012 and resen between nineveh and calah: the same is a great city. 01:010:013 and mizraim begat ludim, and anamim, and lehabim, and naphtuhim, 01:010:014 and pathrusim, and casluhim, (out of whom came philistim,) and caphtorim. 01:010:015 and canaan begat sidon his first born, and heth, 01:010:016 and the jebusite, and the amorite, and the girgasite, 01:010:017 and the hivite, and the arkite, and the sinite, 01:010:018 and the arvadite, and the zemarite, and the hamathite: and afterward were the families of the canaanites spread abroad. 01:010:019 and the border of the canaanites was from sidon, as thou comest to gerar, unto gaza; as thou goest, unto sodom, and gomorrah, and admah, and zeboim, even unto lasha. 01:010:020 these are the sons of ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. 01:010:021 unto shem also, the father of all the children of eber, the brother of japheth the elder, even to him were children born. 01:010:022 the children of shem; elam, and asshur, and arphaxad, and lud, and aram. 01:010:023 and the children of aram; uz, and hul, and gether, and mash. 01:010:024 and arphaxad begat salah; and salah begat eber. 01:010:025 and unto eber were born two sons: the name of one was peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was joktan. 01:010:026 and joktan begat almodad, and sheleph, and hazarmaveth, and jerah, 01:010:027 and hadoram, and uzal, and diklah, 01:010:028 and obal, and abimael, and sheba, 01:010:029 and ophir, and havilah, and jobab: all these were the sons of joktan. 01:010:030 and their dwelling was from mesha, as thou goest unto sephar a mount of the east. 01:010:031 these are the sons of shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. 01:010:032 these are the families of the sons of noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. 01:011:001 and the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 01:011:002 and it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of shinar; and they dwelt there. 01:011:003 and they said one to another, go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. and they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 01:011:004 and they said, go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 01:011:005 and the lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 01:011:006 and the lord said, behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 01:011:007 go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 01:011:008 so the lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 01:011:009 therefore is the name of it called babel; because the lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. 01:011:010 these are the generations of shem: shem was an hundred years old, and begat arphaxad two years after the flood: 01:011:011 and shem lived after he begat arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 01:011:012 and arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat salah: 01:011:013 and arphaxad lived after he begat salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 01:011:014 and salah lived thirty years, and begat eber: 01:011:015 and salah lived after he begat eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 01:011:016 and eber lived four and thirty years, and begat peleg: 01:011:017 and eber lived after he begat peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 01:011:018 and peleg lived thirty years, and begat reu: 01:011:019 and peleg lived after he begat reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. 01:011:020 and reu lived two and thirty years, and begat serug: 01:011:021 and reu lived after he begat serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. 01:011:022 and serug lived thirty years, and begat nahor: 01:011:023 and serug lived after he begat nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 01:011:024 and nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat terah: 01:011:025 and nahor lived after he begat terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. 01:011:026 and terah lived seventy years, and begat abram, nahor, and haran. 01:011:027 now these are the generations of terah: terah begat abram, nahor, and haran; and haran begat lot. 01:011:028 and haran died before his father terah in the land of his nativity, in ur of the chaldees. 01:011:029 and abram and nahor took them wives: the name of abram's wife was sarai; and the name of nahor's wife, milcah, the daughter of haran, the father of milcah, and the father of iscah. 01:011:030 but sarai was barren; she had no child. 01:011:031 and terah took abram his son, and lot the son of haran his son's son, and sarai his daughter in law, his son abram's wife; and they went forth with them from ur of the chaldees, to go into the land of canaan; and they came unto haran, and dwelt there. 01:011:032 and the days of terah were two hundred and five years: and terah died in haran. 01:012:001 now the lord had said unto abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that i will shew thee: 01:012:002 and i will make of thee a great nation, and i will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 01:012:003 and i will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 01:012:004 so abram departed, as the lord had spoken unto him; and lot went with him: and abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of haran. 01:012:005 and abram took sarai his wife, and lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in haran; and they went forth to go into the land of canaan; and into the land of canaan they came. 01:012:006 and abram passed through the land unto the place of sichem, unto the plain of moreh. and the canaanite was then in the land. 01:012:007 and the lord appeared unto abram, and said, unto thy seed will i give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the lord, who appeared unto him. 01:012:008 and he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of bethel, and pitched his tent, having bethel on the west, and hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the lord, and called upon the name of the lord. 01:012:009 and abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. 01:012:010 and there was a famine in the land: and abram went down into egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. 01:012:011 and it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into egypt, that he said unto sarai his wife, behold now, i know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: 01:012:012 therefore it shall come to pass, when the egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, this is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. 01:012:013 say, i pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. 01:012:014 and it came to pass, that, when abram was come into egypt, the egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. 01:012:015 the princes also of pharaoh saw her, and commended her before pharaoh: and the woman was taken into pharaoh's house. 01:012:016 and he entreated abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. 01:012:017 and the lord plagued pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of sarai abram's wife. 01:012:018 and pharaoh called abram and said, what is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 01:012:019 why saidst thou, she is my sister? so i might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 01:012:020 and pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had. 01:013:001 and abram went up out of egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and lot with him, into the south. 01:013:002 and abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 01:013:003 and he went on his journeys from the south even to bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between bethel and hai; 01:013:004 unto the place of the altar, which he had make there at the first: and there abram called on the name of the lord. 01:013:005 and lot also, which went with abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 01:013:006 and the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 01:013:007 and there was a strife between the herdmen of abram's cattle and the herdmen of lot's cattle: and the canaanite and the perizzite dwelled then in the land. 01:013:008 and abram said unto lot, let there be no strife, i pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 01:013:009 is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, i pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then i will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then i will go to the left. 01:013:010 and lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the lord destroyed sodom and gomorrah, even as the garden of the lord, like the land of egypt, as thou comest unto zoar. 01:013:011 then lot chose him all the plain of jordan; and lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 01:013:012 abram dwelled in the land of canaan, and lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward sodom. 01:013:013 but the men of sodom were wicked and sinners before the lord exceedingly. 01:013:014 and the lord said unto abram, after that lot was separated from him, lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 01:013:015 for all the land which thou seest, to thee will i give it, and to thy seed for ever. 01:013:016 and i will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 01:013:017 arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for i will give it unto thee. 01:013:018 then abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of mamre, which is in hebron, and built there an altar unto the lord. 01:014:001 and it came to pass in the days of amraphel king of shinar, arioch king of ellasar, chedorlaomer king of elam, and tidal king of nations; 01:014:002 that these made war with bera king of sodom, and with birsha king of gomorrah, shinab king of admah, and shemeber king of zeboiim, and the king of bela, which is zoar. 01:014:003 all these were joined together in the vale of siddim, which is the salt sea. 01:014:004 twelve years they served chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 01:014:005 and in the fourteenth year came chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the rephaims in ashteroth karnaim, and the zuzims in ham, and the emins in shaveh kiriathaim, 01:014:006 and the horites in their mount seir, unto elparan, which is by the wilderness. 01:014:007 and they returned, and came to enmishpat, which is kadesh, and smote all the country of the amalekites, and also the amorites, that dwelt in hazezontamar. 01:014:008 and there went out the king of sodom, and the king of gomorrah, and the king of admah, and the king of zeboiim, and the king of bela (the same is zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of siddim; 01:014:009 with chedorlaomer the king of elam, and with tidal king of nations, and amraphel king of shinar, and arioch king of ellasar; four kings with five. 01:014:010 and the vale of siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of sodom and gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. 01:014:011 and they took all the goods of sodom and gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 01:014:012 and they took lot, abram's brother's son, who dwelt in sodom, and his goods, and departed. 01:014:013 and there came one that had escaped, and told abram the hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of mamre the amorite, brother of eshcol, and brother of aner: and these were confederate with abram. 01:014:014 and when abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto dan. 01:014:015 and he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto hobah, which is on the left hand of damascus. 01:014:016 and he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. 01:014:017 and the king of sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of shaveh, which is the king's dale. 01:014:018 and melchizedek king of salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high god. 01:014:019 and he blessed him, and said, blessed be abram of the most high god, possessor of heaven and earth: 01:014:020 and blessed be the most high god, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. and he gave him tithes of all. 01:014:021 and the king of sodom said unto abram, give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. 01:014:022 and abram said to the king of sodom, i have lift up mine hand unto the lord, the most high god, the possessor of heaven and earth, 01:014:023 that i will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that i will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, i have made abram rich: 01:014:024 save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, aner, eshcol, and mamre; let them take their portion. 01:015:001 after these things the word of the lord came unto abram in a vision, saying, fear not, abram: i am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 01:015:002 and abram said, lord god, what wilt thou give me, seeing i go childless, and the steward of my house is this eliezer of damascus? 01:015:003 and abram said, behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 01:015:004 and, behold, the word of the lord came unto him, saying, this shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 01:015:005 and he brought him forth abroad, and said, look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. 01:015:006 and he believed in the lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. 01:015:007 and he said unto him, i am the lord that brought thee out of ur of the chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 01:015:008 and he said, lord god, whereby shall i know that i shall inherit it? 01:015:009 and he said unto him, take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 01:015:010 and he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. 01:015:011 and when the fowls came down upon the carcases, abram drove them away. 01:015:012 and when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 01:015:013 and he said unto abram, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 01:015:014 and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will i judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 01:015:015 and thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 01:015:016 but in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the amorites is not yet full. 01:015:017 and it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 01:015:018 in the same day the lord made a covenant with abram, saying, unto thy seed have i given this land, from the river of egypt unto the great river, the river euphrates: 01:015:019 the kenites, and the kenizzites, and the kadmonites, 01:015:020 and the hittites, and the perizzites, and the rephaims, 01:015:021 and the amorites, and the canaanites, and the girgashites, and the jebusites. 01:016:001 now sarai abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an egyptian, whose name was hagar. 01:016:002 and sarai said unto abram, behold now, the lord hath restrained me from bearing: i pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that i may obtain children by her. and abram hearkened to the voice of sarai. 01:016:003 and sarai abram's wife took hagar her maid the egyptian, after abram had dwelt ten years in the land of canaan, and gave her to her husband abram to be his wife. 01:016:004 and he went in unto hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 01:016:005 and sarai said unto abram, my wrong be upon thee: i have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, i was despised in her eyes: the lord judge between me and thee. 01:016:006 but abram said unto sarai, behold, thy maid is in thine hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. and when sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. 01:016:007 and the angel of the lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to shur. 01:016:008 and he said, hagar, sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? and she said, i flee from the face of my mistress sarai. 01:016:009 and the angel of the lord said unto her, return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 01:016:010 and the angel of the lord said unto her, i will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 01:016:011 and the angel of the lord said unto her, behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name ishmael; because the lord hath heard thy affliction. 01:016:012 and he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 01:016:013 and she called the name of the lord that spake unto her, thou god seest me: for she said, have i also here looked after him that seeth me? 01:016:014 wherefore the well was called beerlahairoi; behold, it is between kadesh and bered. 01:016:015 and hagar bare abram a son: and abram called his son's name, which hagar bare, ishmael. 01:016:016 and abram was fourscore and six years old, when hagar bare ishmael to abram. 01:017:001 and when abram was ninety years old and nine, the lord appeared to abram, and said unto him, i am the almighty god; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 01:017:002 and i will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 01:017:003 and abram fell on his face: and god talked with him, saying, 01:017:004 as for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 01:017:005 neither shall thy name any more be called abram, but thy name shall be abraham; for a father of many nations have i made thee. 01:017:006 and i will make thee exceeding fruitful, and i will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 01:017:007 and i will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a god unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 01:017:008 and i will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of canaan, for an everlasting possession; and i will be their god. 01:017:009 and god said unto abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 01:017:010 this is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; every man child among you shall be circumcised. 01:017:011 and ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 01:017:012 and he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 01:017:013 he that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 01:017:014 and the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. 01:017:015 and god said unto abraham, as for sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name sarai, but sarah shall her name be. 01:017:016 and i will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, i will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. 01:017:017 then abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 01:017:018 and abraham said unto god, o that ishmael might live before thee! 01:017:019 and god said, sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name isaac: and i will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 01:017:020 and as for ishmael, i have heard thee: behold, i have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and i will make him a great nation. 01:017:021 but my covenant will i establish with isaac, which sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. 01:017:022 and he left off talking with him, and god went up from abraham. 01:017:023 and abraham took ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as god had said unto him. 01:017:024 and abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 01:017:025 and ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 01:017:026 in the selfsame day was abraham circumcised, and ishmael his son. 01:017:027 and all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him. 01:018:001 and the lord appeared unto him in the plains of mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 01:018:002 and he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 01:018:003 and said, my lord, if now i have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, i pray thee, from thy servant: 01:018:004 let a little water, i pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 01:018:005 and i will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. and they said, so do, as thou hast said. 01:018:006 and abraham hastened into the tent unto sarah, and said, make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 01:018:007 and abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. 01:018:008 and he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. 01:018:009 and they said unto him, where is sarah thy wife? and he said, behold, in the tent. 01:018:010 and he said, i will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, sarah thy wife shall have a son. and sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 01:018:011 now abraham and sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with sarah after the manner of women. 01:018:012 therefore sarah laughed within herself, saying, after i am waxed old shall i have pleasure, my lord being old also? 01:018:013 and the lord said unto abraham, wherefore did sarah laugh, saying, shall i of a surety bear a child, which am old? 01:018:014 is any thing too hard for the lord? at the time appointed i will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and sarah shall have a son. 01:018:015 then sarah denied, saying, i laughed not; for she was afraid. and he said, nay; but thou didst laugh. 01:018:016 and the men rose up from thence, and looked toward sodom: and abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 01:018:017 and the lord said, shall i hide from abraham that thing which i do; 01:018:018 seeing that abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 01:018:019 for i know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the lord, to do justice and judgment; that the lord may bring upon abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 01:018:020 and the lord said, because the cry of sodom and gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 01:018:021 i will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, i will know. 01:018:022 and the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward sodom: but abraham stood yet before the lord. 01:018:023 and abraham drew near, and said, wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 01:018:024 peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 01:018:025 that be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: shall not the judge of all the earth do right? 01:018:026 and the lord said, if i find in sodom fifty righteous within the city, then i will spare all the place for their sakes. 01:018:027 and abraham answered and said, behold now, i have taken upon me to speak unto the lord, which am but dust and ashes: 01:018:028 peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? and he said, if i find there forty and five, i will not destroy it. 01:018:029 and he spake unto him yet again, and said, peradventure there shall be forty found there. and he said, i will not do it for forty's sake. 01:018:030 and he said unto him, oh let not the lord be angry, and i will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. and he said, i will not do it, if i find thirty there. 01:018:031 and he said, behold now, i have taken upon me to speak unto the lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. and he said, i will not destroy it for twenty's sake. 01:018:032 and he said, oh let not the lord be angry, and i will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. and he said, i will not destroy it for ten's sake. 01:018:033 and the lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with abraham: and abraham returned unto his place. 01:019:001 and there came two angels to sodom at even; and lot sat in the gate of sodom: and lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 01:019:002 and he said, behold now, my lords, turn in, i pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. and they said, nay; but we will abide in the street all night. 01:019:003 and he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. 01:019:004 but before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: 01:019:005 and they called unto lot, and said unto him, where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. 01:019:006 and lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, 01:019:007 and said, i pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. 01:019:008 behold now, i have two daughters which have not known man; let me, i pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. 01:019:009 and they said, stand back. and they said again, this one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. and they pressed sore upon the man, even lot, and came near to break the door. 01:019:010 but the men put forth their hand, and pulled lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. 01:019:011 and they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. 01:019:012 and the men said unto lot, hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: 01:019:013 for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the lord; and the lord hath sent us to destroy it. 01:019:014 and lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, up, get you out of this place; for the lord will destroy this city. but he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. 01:019:015 and when the morning arose, then the angels hastened lot, saying, arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 01:019:016 and while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. 01:019:017 and it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. 01:019:018 and lot said unto them, oh, not so, my lord: 01:019:019 behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and i cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and i die: 01:019:020 behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. 01:019:021 and he said unto him, see, i have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that i will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. 01:019:022 haste thee, escape thither; for i cannot do anything till thou be come thither. therefore the name of the city was called zoar. 01:019:023 the sun was risen upon the earth when lot entered into zoar. 01:019:024 then the lord rained upon sodom and upon gomorrah brimstone and fire from the lord out of heaven; 01:019:025 and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 01:019:026 but his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 01:019:027 and abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the lord: 01:019:028 and he looked toward sodom and gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. 01:019:029 and it came to pass, when god destroyed the cities of the plain, that god remembered abraham, and sent lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which lot dwelt. 01:019:030 and lot went up out of zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 01:019:031 and the firstborn said unto the younger, our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: 01:019:032 come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 01:019:033 and they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 01:019:034 and it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, behold, i lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 01:019:035 and they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 01:019:036 thus were both the daughters of lot with child by their father. 01:019:037 and the first born bare a son, and called his name moab: the same is the father of the moabites unto this day. 01:019:038 and the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name benammi: the same is the father of the children of ammon unto this day. 01:020:001 and abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between kadesh and shur, and sojourned in gerar. 01:020:002 and abraham said of sarah his wife, she is my sister: and abimelech king of gerar sent, and took sarah. 01:020:003 but god came to abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. 01:020:004 but abimelech had not come near her: and he said, lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 01:020:005 said he not unto me, she is my sister? and she, even she herself said, he is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have i done this. 01:020:006 and god said unto him in a dream, yea, i know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for i also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered i thee not to touch her. 01:020:007 now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. 01:020:008 therefore abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid. 01:020:009 then abimelech called abraham, and said unto him, what hast thou done unto us? and what have i offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. 01:020:010 and abimelech said unto abraham, what sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? 01:020:011 and abraham said, because i thought, surely the fear of god is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. 01:020:012 and yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 01:020:013 and it came to pass, when god caused me to wander from my father's house, that i said unto her, this is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, he is my brother. 01:020:014 and abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto abraham, and restored him sarah his wife. 01:020:015 and abimelech said, behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. 01:020:016 and unto sarah he said, behold, i have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved. 01:020:017 so abraham prayed unto god: and god healed abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. 01:020:018 for the lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of abimelech, because of sarah abraham's wife. 01:021:001 and the lord visited sarah as he had said, and the lord did unto sarah as he had spoken. 01:021:002 for sarah conceived, and bare abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which god had spoken to him. 01:021:003 and abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom sarah bare to him, isaac. 01:021:004 and abraham circumcised his son isaac being eight days old, as god had commanded him. 01:021:005 and abraham was an hundred years old, when his son isaac was born unto him. 01:021:006 and sarah said, god hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 01:021:007 and she said, who would have said unto abraham, that sarah should have given children suck? for i have born him a son in his old age. 01:021:008 and the child grew, and was weaned: and abraham made a great feast the same day that isaac was weaned. 01:021:009 and sarah saw the son of hagar the egyptian, which she had born unto abraham, mocking. 01:021:010 wherefore she said unto abraham, cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with isaac. 01:021:011 and the thing was very grievous in abraham's sight because of his son. 01:021:012 and god said unto abraham, let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in isaac shall thy seed be called. 01:021:013 and also of the son of the bondwoman will i make a nation, because he is thy seed. 01:021:014 and abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of beersheba. 01:021:015 and the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 01:021:016 and she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, let me not see the death of the child. and she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. 01:021:017 and god heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of god called to hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, what aileth thee, hagar? fear not; for god hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 01:021:018 arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for i will make him a great nation. 01:021:019 and god opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 01:021:020 and god was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 01:021:021 and he dwelt in the wilderness of paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of egypt. 01:021:022 and it came to pass at that time, that abimelech and phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto abraham, saying, god is with thee in all that thou doest: 01:021:023 now therefore swear unto me here by god that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that i have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. 01:021:024 and abraham said, i will swear. 01:021:025 and abraham reproved abimelech because of a well of water, which abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 01:021:026 and abimelech said, i wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard i of it, but to day. 01:021:027 and abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 01:021:028 and abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 01:021:029 and abimelech said unto abraham, what mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 01:021:030 and he said, for these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that i have digged this well. 01:021:031 wherefore he called that place beersheba; because there they sware both of them. 01:021:032 thus they made a covenant at beersheba: then abimelech rose up, and phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the philistines. 01:021:033 and abraham planted a grove in beersheba, and called there on the name of the lord, the everlasting god. 01:021:034 and abraham sojourned in the philistines' land many days. 01:022:001 and it came to pass after these things, that god did tempt abraham, and said unto him, abraham: and he said, behold, here i am. 01:022:002 and he said, take now thy son, thine only son isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which i will tell thee of. 01:022:003 and abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which god had told him. 01:022:004 then on the third day abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 01:022:005 and abraham said unto his young men, abide ye here with the ass; and i and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 01:022:006 and abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 01:022:007 and isaac spake unto abraham his father, and said, my father: and he said, here am i, my son. and he said, behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 01:022:008 and abraham said, my son, god will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 01:022:009 and they came to the place which god had told him of; and abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 01:022:010 and abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 01:022:011 and the angel of the lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, abraham, abraham: and he said, here am i. 01:022:012 and he said, lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now i know that thou fearest god, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 01:022:013 and abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 01:022:014 and abraham called the name of that place jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, in the mount of the lord it shall be seen. 01:022:015 and the angel of the lord called unto abraham out of heaven the second time, 01:022:016 and said, by myself have i sworn, saith the lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 01:022:017 that in blessing i will bless thee, and in multiplying i will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 01:022:018 and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 01:022:019 so abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to beersheba; and abraham dwelt at beersheba. 01:022:020 and it came to pass after these things, that it was told abraham, saying, behold, milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother nahor; 01:022:021 huz his firstborn, and buz his brother, and kemuel the father of aram, 01:022:022 and chesed, and hazo, and pildash, and jidlaph, and bethuel. 01:022:023 and bethuel begat rebekah: these eight milcah did bear to nahor, abraham's brother. 01:022:024 and his concubine, whose name was reumah, she bare also tebah, and gaham, and thahash, and maachah. 01:023:001 and sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of sarah. 01:023:002 and sarah died in kirjatharba; the same is hebron in the land of canaan: and abraham came to mourn for sarah, and to weep for her. 01:023:003 and abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of heth, saying, 01:023:004 i am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that i may bury my dead out of my sight. 01:023:005 and the children of heth answered abraham, saying unto him, 01:023:006 hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. 01:023:007 and abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of heth. 01:023:008 and he communed with them, saying, if it be your mind that i should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to ephron the son of zohar, 01:023:009 that he may give me the cave of machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you. 01:023:010 and ephron dwelt among the children of heth: and ephron the hittite answered abraham in the audience of the children of heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, 01:023:011 nay, my lord, hear me: the field give i thee, and the cave that is therein, i give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give i it thee: bury thy dead. 01:023:012 and abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. 01:023:013 and he spake unto ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, but if thou wilt give it, i pray thee, hear me: i will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and i will bury my dead there. 01:023:014 and ephron answered abraham, saying unto him, 01:023:015 my lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. 01:023:016 and abraham hearkened unto ephron; and abraham weighed to ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. 01:023:017 and the field of ephron which was in machpelah, which was before mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure 01:023:018 unto abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. 01:023:019 and after this, abraham buried sarah his wife in the cave of the field of machpelah before mamre: the same is hebron in the land of canaan. 01:023:020 and the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of heth. 01:024:001 and abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the lord had blessed abraham in all things. 01:024:002 and abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, put, i pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: 01:024:003 and i will make thee swear by the lord, the god of heaven, and the god of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the canaanites, among whom i dwell: 01:024:004 but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son isaac. 01:024:005 and the servant said unto him, peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must i needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? 01:024:006 and abraham said unto him, beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. 01:024:007 the lord god of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, unto thy seed will i give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. 01:024:008 and if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. 01:024:009 and the servant put his hand under the thigh of abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. 01:024:010 and the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to mesopotamia, unto the city of nahor. 01:024:011 and he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. 01:024:012 and he said o lord god of my master abraham, i pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master abraham. 01:024:013 behold, i stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 01:024:014 and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom i shall say, let down thy pitcher, i pray thee, that i may drink; and she shall say, drink, and i will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant isaac; and thereby shall i know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. 01:024:015 and it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, rebekah came out, who was born to bethuel, son of milcah, the wife of nahor, abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 01:024:016 and the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 01:024:017 and the servant ran to meet her, and said, let me, i pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. 01:024:018 and she said, drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 01:024:019 and when she had done giving him drink, she said, i will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. 01:024:020 and she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 01:024:021 and the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the lord had made his journey prosperous or not. 01:024:022 and it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 01:024:023 and said, whose daughter art thou? tell me, i pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in? 01:024:024 and she said unto him, i am the daughter of bethuel the son of milcah, which she bare unto nahor. 01:024:025 she said moreover unto him, we have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. 01:024:026 and the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the lord. 01:024:027 and he said, blessed be the lord god of my master abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: i being in the way, the lord led me to the house of my master's brethren. 01:024:028 and the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things. 01:024:029 and rebekah had a brother, and his name was laban: and laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. 01:024:030 and it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of rebekah his sister, saying, thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. 01:024:031 and he said, come in, thou blessed of the lord; wherefore standest thou without? for i have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 01:024:032 and the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him. 01:024:033 and there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, i will not eat, until i have told mine errand. and he said, speak on. 01:024:034 and he said, i am abraham's servant. 01:024:035 and the lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. 01:024:036 and sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. 01:024:037 and my master made me swear, saying, thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the canaanites, in whose land i dwell: 01:024:038 but thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. 01:024:039 and i said unto my master, peradventure the woman will not follow me. 01:024:040 and he said unto me, the lord, before whom i walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: 01:024:041 then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath. 01:024:042 and i came this day unto the well, and said, o lord god of my master abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which i go: 01:024:043 behold, i stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and i say to her, give me, i pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; 01:024:044 and she say to me, both drink thou, and i will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the lord hath appointed out for my master's son. 01:024:045 and before i had done speaking in mine heart, behold, rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and i said unto her, let me drink, i pray thee. 01:024:046 and she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, drink, and i will give thy camels drink also: so i drank, and she made the camels drink also. 01:024:047 and i asked her, and said, whose daughter art thou? and she said, the daughter of bethuel, nahor's son, whom milcah bare unto him: and i put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. 01:024:048 and i bowed down my head, and worshipped the lord, and blessed the lord god of my master abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. 01:024:049 and now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that i may turn to the right hand, or to the left. 01:024:050 then laban and bethuel answered and said, the thing proceedeth from the lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. 01:024:051 behold, rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the lord hath spoken. 01:024:052 and it came to pass, that, when abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the lord, bowing himself to the earth. 01:024:053 and the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. 01:024:054 and they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, send me away unto my master. 01:024:055 and her brother and her mother said, let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. 01:024:056 and he said unto them, hinder me not, seeing the lord hath prospered my way; send me away that i may go to my master. 01:024:057 and they said, we will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. 01:024:058 and they called rebekah, and said unto her, wilt thou go with this man? and she said, i will go. 01:024:059 and they sent away rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and abraham's servant, and his men. 01:024:060 and they blessed rebekah, and said unto her, thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. 01:024:061 and rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took rebekah, and went his way. 01:024:062 and isaac came from the way of the well lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country. 01:024:063 and isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. 01:024:064 and rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw isaac, she lighted off the camel. 01:024:065 for she had said unto the servant, what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? and the servant had said, it is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. 01:024:066 and the servant told isaac all things that he had done. 01:024:067 and isaac brought her into his mother sarah's tent, and took rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and isaac was comforted after his mother's death. 01:025:001 then again abraham took a wife, and her name was keturah. 01:025:002 and she bare him zimran, and jokshan, and medan, and midian, and ishbak, and shuah. 01:025:003 and jokshan begat sheba, and dedan. and the sons of dedan were asshurim, and letushim, and leummim. 01:025:004 and the sons of midian; ephah, and epher, and hanoch, and abidah, and eldaah. all these were the children of keturah. 01:025:005 and abraham gave all that he had unto isaac. 01:025:006 but unto the sons of the concubines, which abraham had, abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. 01:025:007 and these are the days of the years of abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. 01:025:008 then abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. 01:025:009 and his sons isaac and ishmael buried him in the cave of machpelah, in the field of ephron the son of zohar the hittite, which is before mamre; 01:025:010 the field which abraham purchased of the sons of heth: there was abraham buried, and sarah his wife. 01:025:011 and it came to pass after the death of abraham, that god blessed his son isaac; and isaac dwelt by the well lahairoi. 01:025:012 now these are the generations of ishmael, abraham's son, whom hagar the egyptian, sarah's handmaid, bare unto abraham: 01:025:013 and these are the names of the sons of ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of ishmael, nebajoth; and kedar, and adbeel, and mibsam, 01:025:014 and mishma, and dumah, and massa, 01:025:015 hadar, and tema, jetur, naphish, and kedemah: 01:025:016 these are the sons of ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations. 01:025:017 and these are the years of the life of ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people. 01:025:018 and they dwelt from havilah unto shur, that is before egypt, as thou goest toward assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren. 01:025:019 and these are the generations of isaac, abraham's son: abraham begat isaac: 01:025:020 and isaac was forty years old when he took rebekah to wife, the daughter of bethuel the syrian of padanaram, the sister to laban the syrian. 01:025:021 and isaac intreated the lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the lord was intreated of him, and rebekah his wife conceived. 01:025:022 and the children struggled together within her; and she said, if it be so, why am i thus? and she went to enquire of the lord. 01:025:023 and the lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. 01:025:024 and when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 01:025:025 and the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name esau. 01:025:026 and after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on esau's heel; and his name was called jacob: and isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. 01:025:027 and the boys grew: and esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 01:025:028 and isaac loved esau, because he did eat of his venison: but rebekah loved jacob. 01:025:029 and jacob sod pottage: and esau came from the field, and he was faint: 01:025:030 and esau said to jacob, feed me, i pray thee, with that same red pottage; for i am faint: therefore was his name called edom. 01:025:031 and jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. 01:025:032 and esau said, behold, i am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 01:025:033 and jacob said, swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto jacob. 01:025:034 then jacob gave esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus esau despised his birthright. 01:026:001 and there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of abraham. and isaac went unto abimelech king of the philistines unto gerar. 01:026:002 and the lord appeared unto him, and said, go not down into egypt; dwell in the land which i shall tell thee of: 01:026:003 sojourn in this land, and i will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, i will give all these countries, and i will perform the oath which i sware unto abraham thy father; 01:026:004 and i will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 01:026:005 because that abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. 01:026:006 and isaac dwelt in gerar: 01:026:007 and the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, she is my sister: for he feared to say, she is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. 01:026:008 and it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that abimelech king of the philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, isaac was sporting with rebekah his wife. 01:026:009 and abimelech called isaac, and said, behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, she is my sister? and isaac said unto him, because i said, lest i die for her. 01:026:010 and abimelech said, what is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. 01:026:011 and abimelech charged all his people, saying, he that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. 01:026:012 then isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the lord blessed him. 01:026:013 and the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 01:026:014 for he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the philistines envied him. 01:026:015 for all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of abraham his father, the philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. 01:026:016 and abimelech said unto isaac, go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. 01:026:017 and isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of gerar, and dwelt there. 01:026:018 and isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of abraham his father; for the philistines had stopped them after the death of abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 01:026:019 and isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 01:026:020 and the herdmen of gerar did strive with isaac's herdmen, saying, the water is ours: and he called the name of the well esek; because they strove with him. 01:026:021 and they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it sitnah. 01:026:022 and he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it rehoboth; and he said, for now the lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. 01:026:023 and he went up from thence to beersheba. 01:026:024 and the lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, i am the god of abraham thy father: fear not, for i am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant abraham's sake. 01:026:025 and he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the lord, and pitched his tent there: and there isaac's servants digged a well. 01:026:026 then abimelech went to him from gerar, and ahuzzath one of his friends, and phichol the chief captain of his army. 01:026:027 and isaac said unto them, wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? 01:026:028 and they said, we saw certainly that the lord was with thee: and we said, let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; 01:026:029 that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the lord. 01:026:030 and he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. 01:026:031 and they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 01:026:032 and it came to pass the same day, that isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, we have found water. 01:026:033 and he called it shebah: therefore the name of the city is beersheba unto this day. 01:026:034 and esau was forty years old when he took to wife judith the daughter of beeri the hittite, and bashemath the daughter of elon the hittite: 01:026:035 which were a grief of mind unto isaac and to rebekah. 01:027:001 and it came to pass, that when isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called esau his eldest son, and said unto him, my son: and he said unto him, behold, here am i. 01:027:002 and he said, behold now, i am old, i know not the day of my death: 01:027:003 now therefore take, i pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; 01:027:004 and make me savoury meat, such as i love, and bring it to me, that i may eat; that my soul may bless thee before i die. 01:027:005 and rebekah heard when isaac spake to esau his son. and esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 01:027:006 and rebekah spake unto jacob her son, saying, behold, i heard thy father speak unto esau thy brother, saying, 01:027:007 bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that i may eat, and bless thee before the lord before my death. 01:027:008 now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which i command thee. 01:027:009 go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and i will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: 01:027:010 and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. 01:027:011 and jacob said to rebekah his mother, behold, esau my brother is a hairy man, and i am a smooth man: 01:027:012 my father peradventure will feel me, and i shall seem to him as a deceiver; and i shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. 01:027:013 and his mother said unto him, upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. 01:027:014 and he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. 01:027:015 and rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon jacob her younger son: 01:027:016 and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: 01:027:017 and she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son jacob. 01:027:018 and he came unto his father, and said, my father: and he said, here am i; who art thou, my son? 01:027:019 and jacob said unto his father, i am esau thy first born; i have done according as thou badest me: arise, i pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. 01:027:020 and isaac said unto his son, how is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? and he said, because the lord thy god brought it to me. 01:027:021 and isaac said unto jacob, come near, i pray thee, that i may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son esau or not. 01:027:022 and jacob went near unto isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, the voice is jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of esau. 01:027:023 and he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother esau's hands: so he blessed him. 01:027:024 and he said, art thou my very son esau? and he said, i am. 01:027:025 and he said, bring it near to me, and i will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. and he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank. 01:027:026 and his father isaac said unto him, come near now, and kiss me, my son. 01:027:027 and he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, see, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the lord hath blessed: 01:027:028 therefore god give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: 01:027:029 let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. 01:027:030 and it came to pass, as soon as isaac had made an end of blessing jacob, and jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of isaac his father, that esau his brother came in from his hunting. 01:027:031 and he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. 01:027:032 and isaac his father said unto him, who art thou? and he said, i am thy son, thy firstborn esau. 01:027:033 and isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and i have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. 01:027:034 and when esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, bless me, even me also, o my father. 01:027:035 and he said, thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. 01:027:036 and he said, is not he rightly named jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. and he said, hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 01:027:037 and isaac answered and said unto esau, behold, i have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have i given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have i sustained him: and what shall i do now unto thee, my son? 01:027:038 and esau said unto his father, hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, o my father. and esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 01:027:039 and isaac his father answered and said unto him, behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; 01:027:040 and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. 01:027:041 and esau hated jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and esau said in his heart, the days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will i slay my brother jacob. 01:027:042 and these words of esau her elder son were told to rebekah: and she sent and called jacob her younger son, and said unto him, behold, thy brother esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 01:027:043 now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to laban my brother to haran; 01:027:044 and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; 01:027:045 until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then i will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should i be deprived also of you both in one day? 01:027:046 and rebekah said to isaac, i am weary of my life because of the daughters of heth: if jacob take a wife of the daughters of heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? 01:028:001 and isaac called jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of canaan. 01:028:002 arise, go to padanaram, to the house of bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughers of laban thy mother's brother. 01:028:003 and god almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; 01:028:004 and give thee the blessing of abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which god gave unto abraham. 01:028:005 and isaac sent away jacob: and he went to padanaram unto laban, son of bethuel the syrian, the brother of rebekah, jacob's and esau's mother. 01:028:006 when esau saw that isaac had blessed jacob, and sent him away to padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, thou shalt not take a wife of the daughers of canaan; 01:028:007 and that jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to padanaram; 01:028:008 and esau seeing that the daughters of canaan pleased not isaac his father; 01:028:009 then went esau unto ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had mahalath the daughter of ishmael abraham's son, the sister of nebajoth, to be his wife. 01:028:010 and jacob went out from beersheba, and went toward haran. 01:028:011 and he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 01:028:012 and he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of god ascending and descending on it. 01:028:013 and, behold, the lord stood above it, and said, i am the lord god of abraham thy father, and the god of isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will i give it, and to thy seed; 01:028:014 and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 01:028:015 and, behold, i am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for i will not leave thee, until i have done that which i have spoken to thee of. 01:028:016 and jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, surely the lord is in this place; and i knew it not. 01:028:017 and he was afraid, and said, how dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of god, and this is the gate of heaven. 01:028:018 and jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 01:028:019 and he called the name of that place bethel: but the name of that city was called luz at the first. 01:028:020 and jacob vowed a vow, saying, if god will be with me, and will keep me in this way that i go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 01:028:021 so that i come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the lord be my god: 01:028:022 and this stone, which i have set for a pillar, shall be god's house: and of all that thou shalt give me i will surely give the tenth unto thee. 01:029:001 then jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. 01:029:002 and he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth. 01:029:003 and thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place. 01:029:004 and jacob said unto them, my brethren, whence be ye? and they said, of haran are we. 01:029:005 and he said unto them, know ye laban the son of nahor? and they said, we know him. 01:029:006 and he said unto them, is he well? and they said, he is well: and, behold, rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. 01:029:007 and he said, lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. 01:029:008 and they said, we cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep. 01:029:009 and while he yet spake with them, rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them. 01:029:010 and it came to pass, when jacob saw rachel the daughter of laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of laban his mother's brother, that jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of laban his mother's brother. 01:029:011 and jacob kissed rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. 01:029:012 and jacob told rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father. 01:029:013 and it came to pass, when laban heard the tidings of jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. and he told laban all these things. 01:029:014 and laban said to him, surely thou art my bone and my flesh. and he abode with him the space of a month. 01:029:015 and laban said unto jacob, because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? 01:029:016 and laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was leah, and the name of the younger was rachel. 01:029:017 leah was tender eyed; but rachel was beautiful and well favoured. 01:029:018 and jacob loved rachel; and said, i will serve thee seven years for rachel thy younger daughter. 01:029:019 and laban said, it is better that i give her to thee, than that i should give her to another man: abide with me. 01:029:020 and jacob served seven years for rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. 01:029:021 and jacob said unto laban, give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that i may go in unto her. 01:029:022 and laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 01:029:023 and it came to pass in the evening, that he took leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 01:029:024 and laban gave unto his daughter leah zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 01:029:025 and it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was leah: and he said to laban, what is this thou hast done unto me? did not i serve with thee for rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? 01:029:026 and laban said, it must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 01:029:027 fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. 01:029:028 and jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him rachel his daughter to wife also. 01:029:029 and laban gave to rachel his daughter bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. 01:029:030 and he went in also unto rachel, and he loved also rachel more than leah, and served with him yet seven other years. 01:029:031 and when the lord saw that leah was hated, he opened her womb: but rachel was barren. 01:029:032 and leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name reuben: for she said, surely the lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. 01:029:033 and she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, because the lord hath heard i was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name simeon. 01:029:034 and she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because i have born him three sons: therefore was his name called levi. 01:029:035 and she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, now will i praise the lord: therefore she called his name judah; and left bearing. 01:030:001 and when rachel saw that she bare jacob no children, rachel envied her sister; and said unto jacob, give me children, or else i die. 01:030:002 and jacob's anger was kindled against rachel: and he said, am i in god's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? 01:030:003 and she said, behold my maid bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that i may also have children by her. 01:030:004 and she gave him bilhah her handmaid to wife: and jacob went in unto her. 01:030:005 and bilhah conceived, and bare jacob a son. 01:030:006 and rachel said, god hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name dan. 01:030:007 and bilhah rachel's maid conceived again, and bare jacob a second son. 01:030:008 and rachel said, with great wrestlings have i wrestled with my sister, and i have prevailed: and she called his name naphtali. 01:030:009 when leah saw that she had left bearing, she took zilpah her maid, and gave her jacob to wife. 01:030:010 and zilpah leah's maid bare jacob a son. 01:030:011 and leah said, a troop cometh: and she called his name gad. 01:030:012 and zilpah leah's maid bare jacob a second son. 01:030:013 and leah said, happy am i, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name asher. 01:030:014 and reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother leah. then rachel said to leah, give me, i pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. 01:030:015 and she said unto her, is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? and rachel said, therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. 01:030:016 and jacob came out of the field in the evening, and leah went out to meet him, and said, thou must come in unto me; for surely i have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. and he lay with her that night. 01:030:017 and god hearkened unto leah, and she conceived, and bare jacob the fifth son. 01:030:018 and leah said, god hath given me my hire, because i have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name issachar. 01:030:019 and leah conceived again, and bare jacob the sixth son. 01:030:020 and leah said, god hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because i have born him six sons: and she called his name zebulun. 01:030:021 and afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name dinah. 01:030:022 and god remembered rachel, and god hearkened to her, and opened her womb. 01:030:023 and she conceived, and bare a son; and said, god hath taken away my reproach: 01:030:024 and she called his name joseph; and said, the lord shall add to me another son. 01:030:025 and it came to pass, when rachel had born joseph, that jacob said unto laban, send me away, that i may go unto mine own place, and to my country. 01:030:026 give me my wives and my children, for whom i have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which i have done thee. 01:030:027 and laban said unto him, i pray thee, if i have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for i have learned by experience that the lord hath blessed me for thy sake. 01:030:028 and he said, appoint me thy wages, and i will give it. 01:030:029 and he said unto him, thou knowest how i have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me. 01:030:030 for it was little which thou hadst before i came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall i provide for mine own house also? 01:030:031 and he said, what shall i give thee? and jacob said, thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, i will again feed and keep thy flock. 01:030:032 i will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. 01:030:033 so shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. 01:030:034 and laban said, behold, i would it might be according to thy word. 01:030:035 and he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 01:030:036 and he set three days' journey betwixt himself and jacob: and jacob fed the rest of laban's flocks. 01:030:037 and jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 01:030:038 and he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. 01:030:039 and the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted. 01:030:040 and jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto laban's cattle. 01:030:041 and it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 01:030:042 but when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were laban's, and the stronger jacob's. 01:030:043 and the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses. 01:031:001 and he heard the words of laban's sons, saying, jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory. 01:031:002 and jacob beheld the countenance of laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. 01:031:003 and the lord said unto jacob, return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and i will be with thee. 01:031:004 and jacob sent and called rachel and leah to the field unto his flock, 01:031:005 and said unto them, i see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the god of my father hath been with me. 01:031:006 and ye know that with all my power i have served your father. 01:031:007 and your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but god suffered him not to hurt me. 01:031:008 if he said thus, the speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, the ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked. 01:031:009 thus god hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. 01:031:010 and it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that i lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled. 01:031:011 and the angel of god spake unto me in a dream, saying, jacob: and i said, here am i. 01:031:012 and he said, lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for i have seen all that laban doeth unto thee. 01:031:013 i am the god of bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. 01:031:014 and rachel and leah answered and said unto him, is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? 01:031:015 are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. 01:031:016 for all the riches which god hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever god hath said unto thee, do. 01:031:017 then jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; 01:031:018 and he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in padanaram, for to go to isaac his father in the land of canaan. 01:031:019 and laban went to shear his sheep: and rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. 01:031:020 and jacob stole away unawares to laban the syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. 01:031:021 so he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount gilead. 01:031:022 and it was told laban on the third day that jacob was fled. 01:031:023 and he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount gilead. 01:031:024 and god came to laban the syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, take heed that thou speak not to jacob either good or bad. 01:031:025 then laban overtook jacob. now jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of gilead. 01:031:026 and laban said to jacob, what hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? 01:031:027 wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that i might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? 01:031:028 and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. 01:031:029 it is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the god of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, take thou heed that thou speak not to jacob either good or bad. 01:031:030 and now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? 01:031:031 and jacob answered and said to laban, because i was afraid: for i said, peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. 01:031:032 with whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. for jacob knew not that rachel had stolen them. 01:031:033 and laban went into jacob's tent, and into leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. then went he out of leah's tent, and entered into rachel's tent. 01:031:034 now rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. and laban searched all the tent, but found them not. 01:031:035 and she said to her father, let it not displease my lord that i cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. and he searched but found not the images. 01:031:036 and jacob was wroth, and chode with laban: and jacob answered and said to laban, what is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? 01:031:037 whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. 01:031:038 this twenty years have i been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have i not eaten. 01:031:039 that which was torn of beasts i brought not unto thee; i bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. 01:031:040 thus i was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. 01:031:041 thus have i been twenty years in thy house; i served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. 01:031:042 except the god of my father, the god of abraham, and the fear of isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. god hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. 01:031:043 and laban answered and said unto jacob, these daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can i do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born? 01:031:044 now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, i and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. 01:031:045 and jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. 01:031:046 and jacob said unto his brethren, gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap. 01:031:047 and laban called it jegarsahadutha: but jacob called it galeed. 01:031:048 and laban said, this heap is a witness between me and thee this day. therefore was the name of it called galeed; 01:031:049 and mizpah; for he said, the lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. 01:031:050 if thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, god is witness betwixt me and thee. 01:031:051 and laban said to jacob, behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which i have cast betwixt me and thee: 01:031:052 this heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that i will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. 01:031:053 the god of abraham, and the god of nahor, the god of their father, judge betwixt us. and jacob sware by the fear of his father isaac. 01:031:054 then jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount. 01:031:055 and early in the morning laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and laban departed, and returned unto his place. 01:032:001 and jacob went on his way, and the angels of god met him. 01:032:002 and when jacob saw them, he said, this is god's host: and he called the name of that place mahanaim. 01:032:003 and jacob sent messengers before him to esau his brother unto the land of seir, the country of edom. 01:032:004 and he commanded them, saying, thus shall ye speak unto my lord esau; thy servant jacob saith thus, i have sojourned with laban, and stayed there until now: 01:032:005 and i have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and i have sent to tell my lord, that i may find grace in thy sight. 01:032:006 and the messengers returned to jacob, saying, we came to thy brother esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. 01:032:007 then jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; 01:032:008 and said, if esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape. 01:032:009 and jacob said, o god of my father abraham, and god of my father isaac, the lord which saidst unto me, return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and i will deal well with thee: 01:032:010 i am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff i passed over this jordan; and now i am become two bands. 01:032:011 deliver me, i pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of esau: for i fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. 01:032:012 and thou saidst, i will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. 01:032:013 and he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for esau his brother; 01:032:014 two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, 01:032:015 thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. 01:032:016 and he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. 01:032:017 and he commanded the foremost, saying, when esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? 01:032:018 then thou shalt say, they be thy servant jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. 01:032:019 and so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, on this manner shall ye speak unto esau, when ye find him. 01:032:020 and say ye moreover, behold, thy servant jacob is behind us. for he said, i will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward i will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. 01:032:021 so went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. 01:032:022 and he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford jabbok. 01:032:023 and he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. 01:032:024 and jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 01:032:025 and when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 01:032:026 and he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. and he said, i will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 01:032:027 and he said unto him, what is thy name? and he said, jacob. 01:032:028 and he said, thy name shall be called no more jacob, but israel: for as a prince hast thou power with god and with men, and hast prevailed. 01:032:029 and jacob asked him, and said, tell me, i pray thee, thy name. and he said, wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? and he blessed him there. 01:032:030 and jacob called the name of the place peniel: for i have seen god face to face, and my life is preserved. 01:032:031 and as he passed over penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. 01:032:032 therefore the children of israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank. 01:033:001 and jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, esau came, and with him four hundred men. and he divided the children unto leah, and unto rachel, and unto the two handmaids. 01:033:002 and he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and leah and her children after, and rachel and joseph hindermost. 01:033:003 and he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 01:033:004 and esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. 01:033:005 and he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, who are those with thee? and he said, the children which god hath graciously given thy servant. 01:033:006 then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. 01:033:007 and leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came joseph near and rachel, and they bowed themselves. 01:033:008 and he said, what meanest thou by all this drove which i met? and he said, these are to find grace in the sight of my lord. 01:033:009 and esau said, i have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. 01:033:010 and jacob said, nay, i pray thee, if now i have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore i have seen thy face, as though i had seen the face of god, and thou wast pleased with me. 01:033:011 take, i pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because god hath dealt graciously with me, and because i have enough. and he urged him, and he took it. 01:033:012 and he said, let us take our journey, and let us go, and i will go before thee. 01:033:013 and he said unto him, my lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. 01:033:014 let my lord, i pray thee, pass over before his servant: and i will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until i come unto my lord unto seir. 01:033:015 and esau said, let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. and he said, what needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord. 01:033:016 so esau returned that day on his way unto seir. 01:033:017 and jacob journeyed to succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called succoth. 01:033:018 and jacob came to shalem, a city of shechem, which is in the land of canaan, when he came from padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city. 01:033:019 and he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of hamor, shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. 01:033:020 and he erected there an altar, and called it eleloheisrael. 01:034:001 and dinah the daughter of leah, which she bare unto jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 01:034:002 and when shechem the son of hamor the hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her. 01:034:003 and his soul clave unto dinah the daughter of jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel. 01:034:004 and shechem spake unto his father hamor, saying, get me this damsel to wife. 01:034:005 and jacob heard that he had defiled dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and jacob held his peace until they were come. 01:034:006 and hamor the father of shechem went out unto jacob to commune with him. 01:034:007 and the sons of jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in israel in lying with jacob's daughter: which thing ought not to be done. 01:034:008 and hamor communed with them, saying, the soul of my son shechem longeth for your daughter: i pray you give her him to wife. 01:034:009 and make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you. 01:034:010 and ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein. 01:034:011 and shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me i will give. 01:034:012 ask me never so much dowry and gift, and i will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife. 01:034:013 and the sons of jacob answered shechem and hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled dinah their sister: 01:034:014 and they said unto them, we cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us: 01:034:015 but in this will we consent unto you: if ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; 01:034:016 then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 01:034:017 but if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone. 01:034:018 and their words pleased hamor, and shechem hamor's son. 01:034:019 and the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father. 01:034:020 and hamor and shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying, 01:034:021 these men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. 01:034:022 only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. 01:034:023 shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of their's be our's? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us. 01:034:024 and unto hamor and unto shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city. 01:034:025 and it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of jacob, simeon and levi, dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. 01:034:026 and they slew hamor and shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took dinah out of shechem's house, and went out. 01:034:027 the sons of jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. 01:034:028 they took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field, 01:034:029 and all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house. 01:034:030 and jacob said to simeon and levi, ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the canaanites and the perizzites: and i being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and i shall be destroyed, i and my house. 01:034:031 and they said, should he deal with our sister as with an harlot? 01:035:001 and god said unto jacob, arise, go up to bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto god, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of esau thy brother. 01:035:002 then jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 01:035:003 and let us arise, and go up to bethel; and i will make there an altar unto god, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which i went. 01:035:004 and they gave unto jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and jacob hid them under the oak which was by shechem. 01:035:005 and they journeyed: and the terror of god was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of jacob. 01:035:006 so jacob came to luz, which is in the land of canaan, that is, bethel, he and all the people that were with him. 01:035:007 and he built there an altar, and called the place elbethel: because there god appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 01:035:008 but deborah rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called allonbachuth. 01:035:009 and god appeared unto jacob again, when he came out of padanaram, and blessed him. 01:035:010 and god said unto him, thy name is jacob: thy name shall not be called any more jacob, but israel shall be thy name: and he called his name israel. 01:035:011 and god said unto him, i am god almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 01:035:012 and the land which i gave abraham and isaac, to thee i will give it, and to thy seed after thee will i give the land. 01:035:013 and god went up from him in the place where he talked with him. 01:035:014 and jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. 01:035:015 and jacob called the name of the place where god spake with him, bethel. 01:035:016 and they journeyed from bethel; and there was but a little way to come to ephrath: and rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. 01:035:017 and it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, fear not; thou shalt have this son also. 01:035:018 and it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name benoni: but his father called him benjamin. 01:035:019 and rachel died, and was buried in the way to ephrath, which is bethlehem. 01:035:020 and jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of rachel's grave unto this day. 01:035:021 and israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of edar. 01:035:022 and it came to pass, when israel dwelt in that land, that reuben went and lay with bilhah his father's concubine: and israel heard it. now the sons of jacob were twelve: 01:035:023 the sons of leah; reuben, jacob's firstborn, and simeon, and levi, and judah, and issachar, and zebulun: 01:035:024 the sons of rachel; joseph, and benjamin: 01:035:025 and the sons of bilhah, rachel's handmaid; dan, and naphtali: 01:035:026 and the sons of zilpah, leah's handmaid: gad, and asher: these are the sons of jacob, which were born to him in padanaram. 01:035:027 and jacob came unto isaac his father unto mamre, unto the city of arbah, which is hebron, where abraham and isaac sojourned. 01:035:028 and the days of isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. 01:035:029 and isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons esau and jacob buried him. 01:036:001 now these are the generations of esau, who is edom. 01:036:002 esau took his wives of the daughters of canaan; adah the daughter of elon the hittite, and aholibamah the daughter of anah the daughter of zibeon the hivite; 01:036:003 and bashemath ishmael's daughter, sister of nebajoth. 01:036:004 and adah bare to esau eliphaz; and bashemath bare reuel; 01:036:005 and aholibamah bare jeush, and jaalam, and korah: these are the sons of esau, which were born unto him in the land of canaan. 01:036:006 and esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother jacob. 01:036:007 for their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle. 01:036:008 thus dwelt esau in mount seir: esau is edom. 01:036:009 and these are the generations of esau the father of the edomites in mount seir: 01:036:010 these are the names of esau's sons; eliphaz the son of adah the wife of esau, reuel the son of bashemath the wife of esau. 01:036:011 and the sons of eliphaz were teman, omar, zepho, and gatam, and kenaz. 01:036:012 and timna was concubine to eliphaz esau's son; and she bare to eliphaz amalek: these were the sons of adah esau's wife. 01:036:013 and these are the sons of reuel; nahath, and zerah, shammah, and mizzah: these were the sons of bashemath esau's wife. 01:036:014 and these were the sons of aholibamah, the daughter of anah the daughter of zibeon, esau's wife: and she bare to esau jeush, and jaalam, and korah. 01:036:015 these were dukes of the sons of esau: the sons of eliphaz the firstborn son of esau; duke teman, duke omar, duke zepho, duke kenaz, 01:036:016 duke korah, duke gatam, and duke amalek: these are the dukes that came of eliphaz in the land of edom; these were the sons of adah. 01:036:017 and these are the sons of reuel esau's son; duke nahath, duke zerah, duke shammah, duke mizzah: these are the dukes that came of reuel in the land of edom; these are the sons of bashemath esau's wife. 01:036:018 and these are the sons of aholibamah esau's wife; duke jeush, duke jaalam, duke korah: these were the dukes that came of aholibamah the daughter of anah, esau's wife. 01:036:019 these are the sons of esau, who is edom, and these are their dukes. 01:036:020 these are the sons of seir the horite, who inhabited the land; lotan, and shobal, and zibeon, and anah, 01:036:021 and dishon, and ezer, and dishan: these are the dukes of the horites, the children of seir in the land of edom. 01:036:022 and the children of lotan were hori and hemam; and lotan's sister was timna. 01:036:023 and the children of shobal were these; alvan, and manahath, and ebal, shepho, and onam. 01:036:024 and these are the children of zibeon; both ajah, and anah: this was that anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of zibeon his father. 01:036:025 and the children of anah were these; dishon, and aholibamah the daughter of anah. 01:036:026 and these are the children of dishon; hemdan, and eshban, and ithran, and cheran. 01:036:027 the children of ezer are these; bilhan, and zaavan, and akan. 01:036:028 the children of dishan are these; uz, and aran. 01:036:029 these are the dukes that came of the horites; duke lotan, duke shobal, duke zibeon, duke anah, 01:036:030 duke dishon, duke ezer, duke dishan: these are the dukes that came of hori, among their dukes in the land of seir. 01:036:031 and these are the kings that reigned in the land of edom, before there reigned any king over the children of israel. 01:036:032 and bela the son of beor reigned in edom: and the name of his city was dinhabah. 01:036:033 and bela died, and jobab the son of zerah of bozrah reigned in his stead. 01:036:034 and jobab died, and husham of the land of temani reigned in his stead. 01:036:035 and husham died, and hadad the son of bedad, who smote midian in the field of moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was avith. 01:036:036 and hadad died, and samlah of masrekah reigned in his stead. 01:036:037 and samlah died, and saul of rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead. 01:036:038 and saul died, and baalhanan the son of achbor reigned in his stead. 01:036:039 and baalhanan the son of achbor died, and hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was pau; and his wife's name was mehetabel, the daughter of matred, the daughter of mezahab. 01:036:040 and these are the names of the dukes that came of esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke timnah, duke alvah, duke jetheth, 01:036:041 duke aholibamah, duke elah, duke pinon, 01:036:042 duke kenaz, duke teman, duke mibzar, 01:036:043 duke magdiel, duke iram: these be the dukes of edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession: he is esau the father of the edomites. 01:037:001 and jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of canaan. 01:037:002 these are the generations of jacob. joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of bilhah, and with the sons of zilpah, his father's wives: and joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 01:037:003 now israel loved joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 01:037:004 and when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. 01:037:005 and joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 01:037:006 and he said unto them, hear, i pray you, this dream which i have dreamed: 01:037:007 for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 01:037:008 and his brethren said to him, shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? and they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 01:037:009 and he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, behold, i have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 01:037:010 and he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, what is this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall i and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 01:037:011 and his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. 01:037:012 and his brethren went to feed their father's flock in shechem. 01:037:013 and israel said unto joseph, do not thy brethren feed the flock in shechem? come, and i will send thee unto them. and he said to him, here am i. 01:037:014 and he said to him, go, i pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. so he sent him out of the vale of hebron, and he came to shechem. 01:037:015 and a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, what seekest thou? 01:037:016 and he said, i seek my brethren: tell me, i pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 01:037:017 and the man said, they are departed hence; for i heard them say, let us go to dothan. and joseph went after his brethren, and found them in dothan. 01:037:018 and when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 01:037:019 and they said one to another, behold, this dreamer cometh. 01:037:020 come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 01:037:021 and reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, let us not kill him. 01:037:022 and reuben said unto them, shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. 01:037:023 and it came to pass, when joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; 01:037:024 and they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 01:037:025 and they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of ishmeelites came from gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to egypt. 01:037:026 and judah said unto his brethren, what profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 01:037:027 come, and let us sell him to the ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. and his brethren were content. 01:037:028 then there passed by midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up joseph out of the pit, and sold joseph to the ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought joseph into egypt. 01:037:029 and reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 01:037:030 and he returned unto his brethren, and said, the child is not; and i, whither shall i go? 01:037:031 and they took joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 01:037:032 and they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, this have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 01:037:033 and he knew it, and said, it is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 01:037:034 and jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 01:037:035 and all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, for i will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. thus his father wept for him. 01:037:036 and the midianites sold him into egypt unto potiphar, an officer of pharaoh's, and captain of the guard. 01:038:001 and it came to pass at that time, that judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain adullamite, whose name was hirah. 01:038:002 and judah saw there a daughter of a certain canaanite, whose name was shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. 01:038:003 and she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name er. 01:038:004 and she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name onan. 01:038:005 and she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name shelah: and he was at chezib, when she bare him. 01:038:006 and judah took a wife for er his firstborn, whose name was tamar. 01:038:007 and er, judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the lord; and the lord slew him. 01:038:008 and judah said unto onan, go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 01:038:009 and onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 01:038:010 and the thing which he did displeased the lord: wherefore he slew him also. 01:038:011 then said judah to tamar his daughter in law, remain a widow at thy father's house, till shelah my son be grown: for he said, lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. and tamar went and dwelt in her father's house. 01:038:012 and in process of time the daughter of shuah judah's wife died; and judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to timnath, he and his friend hirah the adullamite. 01:038:013 and it was told tamar, saying, behold thy father in law goeth up to timnath to shear his sheep. 01:038:014 and she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to timnath; for she saw that shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. 01:038:015 when judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. 01:038:016 and he turned unto her by the way, and said, go to, i pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) and she said, what wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? 01:038:017 and he said, i will send thee a kid from the flock. and she said, wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? 01:038:018 and he said, what pledge shall i give thee? and she said, thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. and he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 01:038:019 and she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 01:038:020 and judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not. 01:038:021 then he asked the men of that place, saying, where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? and they said, there was no harlot in this place. 01:038:022 and he returned to judah, and said, i cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place. 01:038:023 and judah said, let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, i sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. 01:038:024 and it came to pass about three months after, that it was told judah, saying, tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. and judah said, bring her forth, and let her be burnt. 01:038:025 when she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, by the man, whose these are, am i with child: and she said, discern, i pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. 01:038:026 and judah acknowledged them, and said, she hath been more righteous than i; because that i gave her not to shelah my son. and he knew her again no more. 01:038:027 and it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 01:038:028 and it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, this came out first. 01:038:029 and it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, how hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called pharez. 01:038:030 and afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called zarah. 01:039:001 and joseph was brought down to egypt; and potiphar, an officer of pharaoh, captain of the guard, an egyptian, bought him of the hands of the ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. 01:039:002 and the lord was with joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the egyptian. 01:039:003 and his master saw that the lord was with him, and that the lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 01:039:004 and joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 01:039:005 and it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the lord blessed the egyptian's house for joseph's sake; and the blessing of the lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 01:039:006 and he left all that he had in joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. and joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. 01:039:007 and it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon joseph; and she said, lie with me. 01:039:008 but he refused, and said unto his master's wife, behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 01:039:009 there is none greater in this house than i; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can i do this great wickedness, and sin against god? 01:039:010 and it came to pass, as she spake to joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 01:039:011 and it came to pass about this time, that joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 01:039:012 and she caught him by his garment, saying, lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. 01:039:013 and it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 01:039:014 that she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, see, he hath brought in an hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and i cried with a loud voice: 01:039:015 and it came to pass, when he heard that i lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. 01:039:016 and she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 01:039:017 and she spake unto him according to these words, saying, the hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: 01:039:018 and it came to pass, as i lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. 01:039:019 and it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, after this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. 01:039:020 and joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. 01:039:021 but the lord was with joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 01:039:022 and the keeper of the prison committed to joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 01:039:023 the keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the lord was with him, and that which he did, the lord made it to prosper. 01:040:001 and it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of egypt. 01:040:002 and pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. 01:040:003 and he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where joseph was bound. 01:040:004 and the captain of the guard charged joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward. 01:040:005 and they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of egypt, which were bound in the prison. 01:040:006 and joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. 01:040:007 and he asked pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, wherefore look ye so sadly to day? 01:040:008 and they said unto him, we have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. and joseph said unto them, do not interpretations belong to god? tell me them, i pray you. 01:040:009 and the chief butler told his dream to joseph, and said to him, in my dream, behold, a vine was before me; 01:040:010 and in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: 01:040:011 and pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and i took the grapes, and pressed them into pharaoh's cup, and i gave the cup into pharaoh's hand. 01:040:012 and joseph said unto him, this is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days: 01:040:013 yet within three days shall pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. 01:040:014 but think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, i pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: 01:040:015 for indeed i was stolen away out of the land of the hebrews: and here also have i done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. 01:040:016 when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto joseph, i also was in my dream, and, behold, i had three white baskets on my head: 01:040:017 and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. 01:040:018 and joseph answered and said, this is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days: 01:040:019 yet within three days shall pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee. 01:040:020 and it came to pass the third day, which was pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 01:040:021 and he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into pharaoh's hand: 01:040:022 but he hanged the chief baker: as joseph had interpreted to them. 01:040:023 yet did not the chief butler remember joseph, but forgat him. 01:041:001 and it came to pass at the end of two full years, that pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. 01:041:002 and, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. 01:041:003 and, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 01:041:004 and the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. so pharaoh awoke. 01:041:005 and he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 01:041:006 and, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. 01:041:007 and the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. and pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 01:041:008 and it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto pharaoh. 01:041:009 then spake the chief butler unto pharaoh, saying, i do remember my faults this day: 01:041:010 pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker: 01:041:011 and we dreamed a dream in one night, i and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 01:041:012 and there was there with us a young man, an hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 01:041:013 and it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. 01:041:014 then pharaoh sent and called joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto pharaoh. 01:041:015 and pharaoh said unto joseph, i have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and i have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 01:041:016 and joseph answered pharaoh, saying, it is not in me: god shall give pharaoh an answer of peace. 01:041:017 and pharaoh said unto joseph, in my dream, behold, i stood upon the bank of the river: 01:041:018 and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: 01:041:019 and, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as i never saw in all the land of egypt for badness: 01:041:020 and the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: 01:041:021 and when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. so i awoke. 01:041:022 and i saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: 01:041:023 and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: 01:041:024 and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and i told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me. 01:041:025 and joseph said unto pharaoh, the dream of pharaoh is one: god hath shewed pharaoh what he is about to do. 01:041:026 the seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 01:041:027 and the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 01:041:028 this is the thing which i have spoken unto pharaoh: what god is about to do he sheweth unto pharaoh. 01:041:029 behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of egypt: 01:041:030 and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 01:041:031 and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. 01:041:032 and for that the dream was doubled unto pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by god, and god will shortly bring it to pass. 01:041:033 now therefore let pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of egypt. 01:041:034 let pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of egypt in the seven plenteous years. 01:041:035 and let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 01:041:036 and that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. 01:041:037 and the thing was good in the eyes of pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 01:041:038 and pharaoh said unto his servants, can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the spirit of god is? 01:041:039 and pharaoh said unto joseph, forasmuch as god hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 01:041:040 thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will i be greater than thou. 01:041:041 and pharaoh said unto joseph, see, i have set thee over all the land of egypt. 01:041:042 and pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 01:041:043 and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of egypt. 01:041:044 and pharaoh said unto joseph, i am pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of egypt. 01:041:045 and pharaoh called joseph's name zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife asenath the daughter of potipherah priest of on. and joseph went out over all the land of egypt. 01:041:046 and joseph was thirty years old when he stood before pharaoh king of egypt. and joseph went out from the presence of pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of egypt. 01:041:047 and in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 01:041:048 and he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 01:041:049 and joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. 01:041:050 and unto joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which asenath the daughter of potipherah priest of on bare unto him. 01:041:051 and joseph called the name of the firstborn manasseh: for god, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. 01:041:052 and the name of the second called he ephraim: for god hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. 01:041:053 and the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of egypt, were ended. 01:041:054 and the seven years of dearth began to come, according as joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of egypt there was bread. 01:041:055 and when all the land of egypt was famished, the people cried to pharaoh for bread: and pharaoh said unto all the egyptians, go unto joseph; what he saith to you, do. 01:041:056 and the famine was over all the face of the earth: and joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of egypt. 01:041:057 and all countries came into egypt to joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. 01:042:001 now when jacob saw that there was corn in egypt, jacob said unto his sons, why do ye look one upon another? 01:042:002 and he said, behold, i have heard that there is corn in egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. 01:042:003 and joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in egypt. 01:042:004 but benjamin, joseph's brother, jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, lest peradventure mischief befall him. 01:042:005 and the sons of israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of canaan. 01:042:006 and joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 01:042:007 and joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, whence come ye? and they said, from the land of canaan to buy food. 01:042:008 and joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 01:042:009 and joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 01:042:010 and they said unto him, nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. 01:042:011 we are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. 01:042:012 and he said unto them, nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 01:042:013 and they said, thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. 01:042:014 and joseph said unto them, that is it that i spake unto you, saying, ye are spies: 01:042:015 hereby ye shall be proved: by the life of pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 01:042:016 send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of pharaoh surely ye are spies. 01:042:017 and he put them all together into ward three days. 01:042:018 and joseph said unto them the third day, this do, and live; for i fear god: 01:042:019 if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: 01:042:020 but bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. and they did so. 01:042:021 and they said one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. 01:042:022 and reuben answered them, saying, spake i not unto you, saying, do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. 01:042:023 and they knew not that joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. 01:042:024 and he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them simeon, and bound him before their eyes. 01:042:025 then joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. 01:042:026 and they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. 01:042:027 and as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth. 01:042:028 and he said unto his brethren, my money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, what is this that god hath done unto us? 01:042:029 and they came unto jacob their father unto the land of canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, 01:042:030 the man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 01:042:031 and we said unto him, we are true men; we are no spies: 01:042:032 we be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of canaan. 01:042:033 and the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, hereby shall i know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: 01:042:034 and bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall i know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will i deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land. 01:042:035 and it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 01:042:036 and jacob their father said unto them, me have ye bereaved of my children: joseph is not, and simeon is not, and ye will take benjamin away: all these things are against me. 01:042:037 and reuben spake unto his father, saying, slay my two sons, if i bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and i will bring him to thee again. 01:042:038 and he said, my son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 01:043:001 and the famine was sore in the land. 01:043:002 and it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of egypt, their father said unto them, go again, buy us a little food. 01:043:003 and judah spake unto him, saying, the man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 01:043:004 if thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: 01:043:005 but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 01:043:006 and israel said, wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? 01:043:007 and they said, the man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, bring your brother down? 01:043:008 and judah said unto israel his father, send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. 01:043:009 i will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if i bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: 01:043:010 for except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. 01:043:011 and their father israel said unto them, if it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: 01:043:012 and take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: 01:043:013 take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: 01:043:014 and god almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and benjamin. if i be bereaved of my children, i am bereaved. 01:043:015 and the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand and benjamin; and rose up, and went down to egypt, and stood before joseph. 01:043:016 and when joseph saw benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 01:043:017 and the man did as joseph bade; and the man brought the men into joseph's house. 01:043:018 and the men were afraid, because they were brought into joseph's house; and they said, because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. 01:043:019 and they came near to the steward of joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 01:043:020 and said, o sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: 01:043:021 and it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 01:043:022 and other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. 01:043:023 and he said, peace be to you, fear not: your god, and the god of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: i had your money. and he brought simeon out unto them. 01:043:024 and the man brought the men into joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. 01:043:025 and they made ready the present against joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there. 01:043:026 and when joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. 01:043:027 and he asked them of their welfare, and said, is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? is he yet alive? 01:043:028 and they answered, thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. and they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. 01:043:029 and he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother benjamin, his mother's son, and said, is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? and he said, god be gracious unto thee, my son. 01:043:030 and joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 01:043:031 and he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, set on bread. 01:043:032 and they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the egyptians might not eat bread with the hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the egyptians. 01:043:033 and they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 01:043:034 and he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of their's. and they drank, and were merry with him. 01:044:001 and he commanded the steward of his house, saying, fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. 01:044:002 and put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. and he did according to the word that joseph had spoken. 01:044:003 as soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 01:044:004 and when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, joseph said unto his steward, up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? 01:044:005 is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. 01:044:006 and he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. 01:044:007 and they said unto him, wherefore saith my lord these words? god forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: 01:044:008 behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? 01:044:009 with whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. 01:044:010 and he said, now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. 01:044:011 then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. 01:044:012 and he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in benjamin's sack. 01:044:013 then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. 01:044:014 and judah and his brethren came to joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. 01:044:015 and joseph said unto them, what deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as i can certainly divine? 01:044:016 and judah said, what shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? god hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. 01:044:017 and he said, god forbid that i should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. 01:044:018 then judah came near unto him, and said, oh my lord, let thy servant, i pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as pharaoh. 01:044:019 my lord asked his servants, saying, have ye a father, or a brother? 01:044:020 and we said unto my lord, we have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. 01:044:021 and thou saidst unto thy servants, bring him down unto me, that i may set mine eyes upon him. 01:044:022 and we said unto my lord, the lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. 01:044:023 and thou saidst unto thy servants, except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. 01:044:024 and it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 01:044:025 and our father said, go again, and buy us a little food. 01:044:026 and we said, we cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. 01:044:027 and thy servant my father said unto us, ye know that my wife bare me two sons: 01:044:028 and the one went out from me, and i said, surely he is torn in pieces; and i saw him not since: 01:044:029 and if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 01:044:030 now therefore when i come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; 01:044:031 it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 01:044:032 for thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, if i bring him not unto thee, then i shall bear the blame to my father for ever. 01:044:033 now therefore, i pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. 01:044:034 for how shall i go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure i see the evil that shall come on my father. 01:045:001 then joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, cause every man to go out from me. and there stood no man with him, while joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 01:045:002 and he wept aloud: and the egyptians and the house of pharaoh heard. 01:045:003 and joseph said unto his brethren, i am joseph; doth my father yet live? and his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 01:045:004 and joseph said unto his brethren, come near to me, i pray you. and they came near. and he said, i am joseph your brother, whom ye sold into egypt. 01:045:005 now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for god did send me before you to preserve life. 01:045:006 for these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 01:045:007 and god sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 01:045:008 so now it was not you that sent me hither, but god: and he hath made me a father to pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of egypt. 01:045:009 haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, thus saith thy son joseph, god hath made me lord of all egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: 01:045:010 and thou shalt dwell in the land of goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: 01:045:011 and there will i nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. 01:045:012 and, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. 01:045:013 and ye shall tell my father of all my glory in egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. 01:045:014 and he fell upon his brother benjamin's neck, and wept; and benjamin wept upon his neck. 01:045:015 moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him. 01:045:016 and the fame thereof was heard in pharaoh's house, saying, joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased pharaoh well, and his servants. 01:045:017 and pharaoh said unto joseph, say unto thy brethren, this do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of canaan; 01:045:018 and take your father and your households, and come unto me: and i will give you the good of the land of egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 01:045:019 now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 01:045:020 also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of egypt is your's. 01:045:021 and the children of israel did so: and joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. 01:045:022 to all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. 01:045:023 and to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. 01:045:024 so he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, see that ye fall not out by the way. 01:045:025 and they went up out of egypt, and came into the land of canaan unto jacob their father, 01:045:026 and told him, saying, joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of egypt. and jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. 01:045:027 and they told him all the words of joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of jacob their father revived: 01:045:028 and israel said, it is enough; joseph my son is yet alive: i will go and see him before i die. 01:046:001 and israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the god of his father isaac. 01:046:002 and god spake unto israel in the visions of the night, and said, jacob, jacob. and he said, here am i. 01:046:003 and he said, i am god, the god of thy father: fear not to go down into egypt; for i will there make of thee a great nation: 01:046:004 i will go down with thee into egypt; and i will also surely bring thee up again: and joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. 01:046:005 and jacob rose up from beersheba: and the sons of israel carried jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which pharaoh had sent to carry him. 01:046:006 and they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of canaan, and came into egypt, jacob, and all his seed with him: 01:046:007 his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into egypt. 01:046:008 and these are the names of the children of israel, which came into egypt, jacob and his sons: reuben, jacob's firstborn. 01:046:009 and the sons of reuben; hanoch, and phallu, and hezron, and carmi. 01:046:010 and the sons of simeon; jemuel, and jamin, and ohad, and jachin, and zohar, and shaul the son of a canaanitish woman. 01:046:011 and the sons of levi; gershon, kohath, and merari. 01:046:012 and the sons of judah; er, and onan, and shelah, and pharez, and zarah: but er and onan died in the land of canaan. and the sons of pharez were hezron and hamul. 01:046:013 and the sons of issachar; tola, and phuvah, and job, and shimron. 01:046:014 and the sons of zebulun; sered, and elon, and jahleel. 01:046:015 these be the sons of leah, which she bare unto jacob in padanaram, with his daughter dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three. 01:046:016 and the sons of gad; ziphion, and haggi, shuni, and ezbon, eri, and arodi, and areli. 01:046:017 and the sons of asher; jimnah, and ishuah, and isui, and beriah, and serah their sister: and the sons of beriah; heber, and malchiel. 01:046:018 these are the sons of zilpah, whom laban gave to leah his daughter, and these she bare unto jacob, even sixteen souls. 01:046:019 the sons of rachel jacob's wife; joseph, and benjamin. 01:046:020 and unto joseph in the land of egypt were born manasseh and ephraim, which asenath the daughter of potipherah priest of on bare unto him. 01:046:021 and the sons of benjamin were belah, and becher, and ashbel, gera, and naaman, ehi, and rosh, muppim, and huppim, and ard. 01:046:022 these are the sons of rachel, which were born to jacob: all the souls were fourteen. 01:046:023 and the sons of dan; hushim. 01:046:024 and the sons of naphtali; jahzeel, and guni, and jezer, and shillem. 01:046:025 these are the sons of bilhah, which laban gave unto rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto jacob: all the souls were seven. 01:046:026 all the souls that came with jacob into egypt, which came out of his loins, besides jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six; 01:046:027 and the sons of joseph, which were born him in egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of jacob, which came into egypt, were threescore and ten. 01:046:028 and he sent judah before him unto joseph, to direct his face unto goshen; and they came into the land of goshen. 01:046:029 and joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet israel his father, to goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 01:046:030 and israel said unto joseph, now let me die, since i have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive. 01:046:031 and joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, i will go up, and shew pharaoh, and say unto him, my brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of canaan, are come unto me; 01:046:032 and the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. 01:046:033 and it shall come to pass, when pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, what is your occupation? 01:046:034 that ye shall say, thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the egyptians. 01:047:001 then joseph came and told pharaoh, and said, my father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of goshen. 01:047:002 and he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto pharaoh. 01:047:003 and pharaoh said unto his brethren, what is your occupation? and they said unto pharaoh, thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 01:047:004 they said morever unto pharaoh, for to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of goshen. 01:047:005 and pharaoh spake unto joseph, saying, thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: 01:047:006 the land of egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. 01:047:007 and joseph brought in jacob his father, and set him before pharaoh: and jacob blessed pharaoh. 01:047:008 and pharaoh said unto jacob, how old art thou? 01:047:009 and jacob said unto pharaoh, the days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. 01:047:010 and jacob blessed pharaoh, and went out from before pharaoh. 01:047:011 and joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of rameses, as pharaoh had commanded. 01:047:012 and joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families. 01:047:013 and there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of egypt and all the land of canaan fainted by reason of the famine. 01:047:014 and joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of egypt, and in the land of canaan, for the corn which they bought: and joseph brought the money into pharaoh's house. 01:047:015 and when money failed in the land of egypt, and in the land of canaan, all the egyptians came unto joseph, and said, give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. 01:047:016 and joseph said, give your cattle; and i will give you for your cattle, if money fail. 01:047:017 and they brought their cattle unto joseph: and joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year. 01:047:018 when that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, we will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: 01:047:019 wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. 01:047:020 and joseph bought all the land of egypt for pharaoh; for the egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became pharaoh's. 01:047:021 and as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of egypt even to the other end thereof. 01:047:022 only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of pharaoh, and did eat their portion which pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands. 01:047:023 then joseph said unto the people, behold, i have bought you this day and your land for pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. 01:047:024 and it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. 01:047:025 and they said, thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be pharaoh's servants. 01:047:026 and joseph made it a law over the land of egypt unto this day, that pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of the priests only, which became not pharaoh's. 01:047:027 and israel dwelt in the land of egypt, in the country of goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. 01:047:028 and jacob lived in the land of egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. 01:047:029 and the time drew nigh that israel must die: and he called his son joseph, and said unto him, if now i have found grace in thy sight, put, i pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, i pray thee, in egypt: 01:047:030 but i will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. and he said, i will do as thou hast said. 01:047:031 and he said, swear unto me. and he sware unto him. and israel bowed himself upon the bed's head. 01:048:001 and it came to pass after these things, that one told joseph, behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, manasseh and ephraim. 01:048:002 and one told jacob, and said, behold, thy son joseph cometh unto thee: and israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. 01:048:003 and jacob said unto joseph, god almighty appeared unto me at luz in the land of canaan, and blessed me, 01:048:004 and said unto me, behold, i will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and i will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 01:048:005 and now thy two sons, ephraim and manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of egypt before i came unto thee into egypt, are mine; as reuben and simeon, they shall be mine. 01:048:006 and thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. 01:048:007 and as for me, when i came from padan, rachel died by me in the land of canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto ephrath: and i buried her there in the way of ephrath; the same is bethlehem. 01:048:008 and israel beheld joseph's sons, and said, who are these? 01:048:009 and joseph said unto his father, they are my sons, whom god hath given me in this place. and he said, bring them, i pray thee, unto me, and i will bless them. 01:048:010 now the eyes of israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. and he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 01:048:011 and israel said unto joseph, i had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, god hath shewed me also thy seed. 01:048:012 and joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 01:048:013 and joseph took them both, ephraim in his right hand toward israel's left hand, and manasseh in his left hand toward israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. 01:048:014 and israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for manasseh was the firstborn. 01:048:015 and he blessed joseph, and said, god, before whom my fathers abraham and isaac did walk, the god which fed me all my life long unto this day, 01:048:016 the angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers abraham and isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. 01:048:017 and when joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from ephraim's head unto manasseh's head. 01:048:018 and joseph said unto his father, not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 01:048:019 and his father refused, and said, i know it, my son, i know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. 01:048:020 and he blessed them that day, saying, in thee shall israel bless, saying, god make thee as ephraim and as manasseh: and he set ephraim before manasseh. 01:048:021 and israel said unto joseph, behold, i die: but god shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. 01:048:022 moreover i have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which i took out of the hand of the amorite with my sword and with my bow. 01:049:001 and jacob called unto his sons, and said, gather yourselves together, that i may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. 01:049:002 gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of jacob; and hearken unto israel your father. 01:049:003 reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: 01:049:004 unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. 01:049:005 simeon and levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 01:049:006 o my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. 01:049:007 cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: i will divide them in jacob, and scatter them in israel. 01:049:008 judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 01:049:009 judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 01:049:010 the sceptre shall not depart from judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 01:049:011 binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 01:049:012 his eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk. 01:049:013 zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto zidon. 01:049:014 issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 01:049:015 and he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. 01:049:016 dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of israel. 01:049:017 dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. 01:049:018 i have waited for thy salvation, o lord. 01:049:019 gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. 01:049:020 out of asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. 01:049:021 naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. 01:049:022 joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 01:049:023 the archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 01:049:024 but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty god of jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of israel:) 01:049:025 even by the god of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 01:049:026 the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. 01:049:027 benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. 01:049:028 all these are the twelve tribes of israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them. 01:049:029 and he charged them, and said unto them, i am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of ephron the hittite, 01:049:030 in the cave that is in the field of machpelah, which is before mamre, in the land of canaan, which abraham bought with the field of ephron the hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. 01:049:031 there they buried abraham and sarah his wife; there they buried isaac and rebekah his wife; and there i buried leah. 01:049:032 the purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of heth. 01:049:033 and when jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people. 01:050:001 and joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 01:050:002 and joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed israel. 01:050:003 and forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. 01:050:004 and when the days of his mourning were past, joseph spake unto the house of pharaoh, saying, if now i have found grace in your eyes, speak, i pray you, in the ears of pharaoh, saying, 01:050:005 my father made me swear, saying, lo, i die: in my grave which i have digged for me in the land of canaan, there shalt thou bury me. now therefore let me go up, i pray thee, and bury my father, and i will come again. 01:050:006 and pharaoh said, go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear. 01:050:007 and joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of egypt, 01:050:008 and all the house of joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of goshen. 01:050:009 and there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. 01:050:010 and they came to the threshingfloor of atad, which is beyond jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 01:050:011 and when the inhabitants of the land, the canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of atad, they said, this is a grievous mourning to the egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called abelmizraim, which is beyond jordan. 01:050:012 and his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: 01:050:013 for his sons carried him into the land of canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of machpelah, which abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of ephron the hittite, before mamre. 01:050:014 and joseph returned into egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. 01:050:015 and when joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 01:050:016 and they sent a messenger unto joseph, saying, thy father did command before he died, saying, 01:050:017 so shall ye say unto joseph, forgive, i pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the god of thy father. and joseph wept when they spake unto him. 01:050:018 and his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, behold, we be thy servants. 01:050:019 and joseph said unto them, fear not: for am i in the place of god? 01:050:020 but as for you, ye thought evil against me; but god meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 01:050:021 now therefore fear ye not: i will nourish you, and your little ones. and he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. 01:050:022 and joseph dwelt in egypt, he, and his father's house: and joseph lived an hundred and ten years. 01:050:023 and joseph saw ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of machir the son of manasseh were brought up upon joseph's knees. 01:050:024 and joseph said unto his brethren, i die: and god will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to abraham, to isaac, and to jacob. 01:050:025 and joseph took an oath of the children of israel, saying, god will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. 01:050:026 so joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in egypt. this ebook was produced by david widger from etext #1581 prepared by dennis mccarthy, atlanta, georgia and tad book, student, pontifical north american college, rome. the holy bible translated from the latin vulgate diligently compared with the hebrew, greek, and other editions in divers languages the old testament first published by the english college at douay a.d. 1609 & 1610 and the new testament first published by the english college at rheims a.d. 1582 with annotations the whole revised and diligently compared with the latin vulgate by bishop richard challoner a.d. 1749-1752 history this e-text comes from multiple editions of challoner's revised douayrheims version of the holy bible. in 1568 english exiles, many from oxford, established the english college of douay (douai/doway), flanders, under william (later cardinal) allen. in october, 1578, gregory martin began the work of preparing an english translation of the bible for catholic readers, the first such translation into modern english. assisting were william allen, richard bristow, thomas worthington, and william reynolds who revised, criticized, and corrected dr. martin's work. the college published the new testament at rheims (reims/rhemes), france, in 1582 through john fogny with a preface and explanatory notes, authored chiefly by bristol, allen, and worthington. later the old testament was published at douay in two parts (1609 and 1610) by laurence kellam through the efforts of dr. worthington, then superior of the seminary. the translation had been prepared before the appearance of the new testament, but the publication was delayed due to financial difficulties. the religious and scholarly adherence to the latin vulgate text led to the less elegant and idiomatic words and phrases often found in the translation. in some instances where no english word conveyed the full meaning of the latin, a latin word was anglicized and its meaning defined in a glossary. although ridiculed by critics, many of these words later found common usage in the english language. spellings of proper names and the numbering of the psalms are adopted from the latin vulgate. in 1749 dr. richard challoner began a major revision of the douay and rheims texts, the spellings and phrasing of which had become increasingly archaic in the almost two centuries since the translations were first produced. he modernized the diction and introduced a more fluid style, while faithfully maintaining the accuracy of dr. martin's texts. this revision became the 'de facto' standard text for english speaking catholics until the twentieth century. it is still highly regarded by many for its style, although it is now rarely used for liturgical purposes. the notes included in this electronic edition are generally attributed to bishop challoner. contents the old testament book of genesis book of exodus book of leviticus book of numbers book of deuteronomy book of josue book of judges book of ruth first book of samuel, alias 1 kings second book of samuel, alias 2 kings third book of kings fourth book of kings first book of paralipomenon second book of paralipomenon first book of esdras book of nehemias, alias 2 esdras book of tobias book of judith book of esther book of job book of psalms book of proverbs ecclesiastes solomon's canticle of canticles book of wisdom ecclesiasticus prophecy of isaias prophecy of jeremias lamentations of jeremias prophecy of baruch prophecy of ezechiel prophecy of daniel prophecy of osee prophecy of joel prophecy of amos prophecy of abdias prophecy of jonas prophecy of micheas prophecy of nahum prophecy of habacuc prophecy of sophonias prophecy of aggeus prophecy of zacharias prophecy of malachias first book of machabees second book of machabees the new testament gospel according to st. matthew gospel according to st. mark gospel according to st. luke gospel according to st. john acts of the apostles epistle of st. paul to the romans first epistle of st. paul to the corinthians second epistle of st. paul to the corinthians epistle of st. paul to the galatians epistle of st. paul to the ephesians epistle of st. paul to the philippians epistle of st. paul to the colossians first epistle of st. paul to the thessalonians second epistle of st. paul to the thessalonians first epistle of st. paul to timothy second epistle of st. paul to timothy epistle of st. paul to titus epistle of st. paul to philemon epistle of st. paul to the hebrews catholic epistle of st. james the apostle first epistle of st. peter the apostle second epistle of st. peter the apostle first epistle of st. john the apostle second epistle of st. john the apostle third epistle of st. john the apostle catholic epistle of st. jude the apostle apocalypse of st. john the apostle the book of genesis this book is so called from its treating of the generation, that is, of the creation and the beginning of the world. the hebrews call it beresith, from the word with which it begins. it contains not only the history of the creation of the world; but also an account of its progress during the space of 2369 years, that is, until the death of joseph. genesis chapter 1 god createth heaven and earth, and all things therein, in six days. 1:1. in the beginning god created heaven, and earth. 1:2. and the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of god moved over the waters. 1:3. and god said: be light made. and light was made. 1:4. and god saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness. 1:5. and he called the light day, and the darkness night; and there was evening and morning one day. 1:6. and god said: let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters. a firmament... by this name is here understood the whole space between the earth, and the highest stars. the lower part of which divideth the waters that are upon the earth, from those that are above in the clouds. 1:7. and god made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so. 1:8. and god called the firmament, heaven; and the evening and morning were the second day. 1:9. god also said; let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear. and it was so done. 1:10. and god called the dry land, earth; and the gathering together of the waters, he called seas. and god saw that it was good. 1:11. and he said: let the earth bring forth green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have seed in itself upon the earth. and it was so done. 1:12. and the earth brought forth the green herb, and such as yieldeth seed according to its kind, and the tree that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to its kind. and god saw that it was good. 1:13. and the evening and the morning were the third day. 1:14. and god said: let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: 1:15. to shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth, and it was so done. 1:16. and god made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day; and a lesser light to rule the night: and the stars. two great lights... god created on the first day, light, which being moved from east to west, by its rising and setting, made morning and evening. but on the fourth day he ordered and distributed this light, and made the sun, moon, and stars. the moon, though much less than the stars, is here called a great light, from its giving a far greater light to the earth than any of them. 1:17. and he set them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth. 1:18. and to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness. and god saw that it was good. 1:19. and the evening and morning were the fourth day. 1:20. god also said: let the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven. 1:21. and god created the great whales, and every living and moving creature, which the waaters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged fowl according to its kind. and god saw that it was good. 1:22. and he blessed them, saying: increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth. 1:23. and the evening and morning were the fifth day. 1:24. and god said: let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds. and it was so done. 1:25. and god made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and cattle, and every thing that creepeth on the earth after its kind. and god saw that it was good. 1:26. and he said: let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth. let us make man to our image... this image of god in man, is not in the body, but in the soul; which is a spiritual substance, endued with understanding and free will. god speaketh here in the plural number, to insinuate the plurality of persons in the deity. 1:27. and god created man to his own image: to the image of god he created him: male and female he created them. 1:28. and god blessed them, saying: increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth. increase and multiply... this is not a precept, as some protestant controvertists would have it, but a blessing, rendering them fruitful; for god had said the same words to the fishes, and birds, (ver. 22) who were incapable of receiving a precept. 1:29. and god said: behold i have given you every herb bearing seed upon the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, to be your meat: 1:30. and to all beasts of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to all that move upon the earth, and wherein there is life, that they may have to feed upon. and it was so done. 1:31. and god saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good. and the evening and morning were the sixth day. genesis chapter 2 god resteth on the seventh day and blesseth it. the earthly paradise, in which god placeth man. he commandeth him not to eat of the tree of knowledge. and formeth a woman of his rib. 2:1. so the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the furniture of them. 2:2. 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 done. he rested, etc... that is, he ceased to make or create any new kinds of things. though, as our lord tells us, john 5.17, "he still worketh", viz., by conserving and governing all things, and creating souls. 2:3. and he blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it he had rested from all his work which god created and made. 2:4. these are the generations of the heaven and the earth, when they were created, in the day that the lord god made the heaven and the earth: 2:5. and every plant of the field before it sprung up in the earth, and every herb of the ground before it grew: for the lord god had not rained upon the earth; and there was not a man to till the earth. 2:6. but a spring rose out of the earth, watering all the surface of the earth. 2:7. and the lord god formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. 2:8. and the lord god had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning: wherein he placed man whom he had formed. 2:9. and the lord god brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to behold, and pleasant to eat of: the tree of life also in the midst of paradise: and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. the tree of life... so called because it had that quality, that by eating of the fruit of it, man would have been preserved in a constant state of health, vigour, and strength, and would not have died at all. the tree of knowledge... to which the deceitful serpent falsely attributed the power of imparting a superior kind of knowledge, beyond that which god was pleased to give. 2:10. and a river went out of the place of pleasure to water paradise, which from thence is divided into four heads. 2:11. the name of the one is phison: that is it which compasseth all the land of hevilath, where gold groweth. 2:12. and the gold of that land is very good: there is found bdellium, and the onyx stone. 2:13. and the name of the second river is gehon: the same is it that compasseth all the land of ethiopia. 2:14. and the name of the third river is tigris: the same passeth along by the assyrians. and the fourth river is euphrates. 2:15. and the lord god took man, and put him into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it. 2:16. and he commanded him, saying: of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat: 2:17. but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. for in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death. 2:18. and the lord god said: it is not good for man to be alone: let us make him a help like unto himself. 2:19. and the lord god having formed out of the ground all the beasts of the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to adam to see what he would call them: for whatsoever adam called any living creature the same is its name. 2:20. and adam called all the beasts by their names, and all the fowls of the air, and all the cattle of the field: but for adam there was not found a helper like himself. 2:21. then the lord god cast a deep sleep upon adam: and when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for it. 2:22. and the lord god built the rib which he took from adam into a woman: and brought her to adam. 2:23. and adam said: this now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. 2:24. wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh. 2:25. and they were both naked: to wit, adam and his wife: and were not ashamed. genesis chapter 3 the serpent's craft. the fall of our first parents. their punishment. the promise of a redeemer. 3:1. now the serpent was more subtle tha any of the beasts of the earth which the lord god had made. and he said to the woman: why hath god commanded you, that you should not eat of every tree of paradise? 3:2. and the woman answered him, saying: of the fruit of the trees that are in paradise we do eat: 3:3. but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, god hath commanded us that we should not eat; and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we die. 3:4. and the serpent said to the woman: no, you shall not die the death. 3:5. for god doth know that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened: and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 3:6. and the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold: and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband, who did eat. 3:7. and the eyes of them both were opened: and when they perceived themselves to be naked, they sewed together fig leaves, and made themselves aprons. and the eyes, etc... not that they were blind before, (for the woman saw that the tree was fair to the eyes, ver. 6.) nor yet that their eyes were opened to any more perfect knowledge of good; but only to the unhappy experience of having lost the good of original grace and innocence, and incurred the dreadful evil of sin. from whence followed a shame of their being naked; which they minded not before; because being now stript of original grace, they quickly began to be subject to the shameful rebellions of the flesh. 3:8. and when they heard the voice of the lord god walking in paradise at the afternoon air, adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the lord god, amidst the trees of paradise. 3:9. and the lord god called adam, and said to him: where art thou? 3:10. and he said: i heard thy voice in paradise; and i was afraid, because i was naked, and i hid myself. 3:11. and he said to him: and who hath told thee that thou wast naked, but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof i commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? 3:12. and adam said: the woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me of the tree, and i did eat. 3:13. and the lord god said to the woman: why hast thou done this? and she answered: the serpent deceived me, and i did eat. 3:14. and the lord god said to the serpent: because thou hast done this thing, thou art cursed among all cattle, and beasts of the earth: upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. 3:15. i will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall cursh thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel. she shall crush... ipsa, the woman; so divers of the fathers read this place, conformably to the latin: others read it ipsum, viz., the seed. the sense is the same: for it is by her seed, jesus christ, that the woman crushes the serpent's head. 3:16. to the woman also he said: i will multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions: in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thou shalt be under thy husband's power, and he shall have dominion over thee. 3:17. and to adam he said: because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof i commanded thee, that thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work: with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life. 3:18. thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herbs of the earth. 3:19. in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the earth out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return. 3:20. and adam called the name of his wife eve: because she was the mother of all the living. 3:21. and the lord god made for adam and his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. 3:22. and he said: behold adam is become as one of us, knowing good and evil: now therefore lest perhaps he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever. behold adam, etc... this was spoken by way of reproaching him with his pride, in affecting a knowledge that might make him like to god. 3:23. and the lord god sent him out of the paradise of pleasure, to till the earth from which he was taken. 3:24. and he cast out adam: and placed before the paradise of pleasure cherubims, and a flaming sword, turning every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. genesis chapter 4 the history of cain and abel. 4:1. and adam knew eve his wife; who conceived and brought forth cain, saying: i have gotten a man through god. 4:2. and again she brought forth his brother abel. and abel was a shepherd, and cain a husbandman. 4:3. and it came to pass after many days, that cain offered, of the fruits of the earth, gifts to the lord. 4:4. abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the lord had respect to abel, and to his offerings. had respect... that is, shewed his acceptance of his sacrifice (as coming from a heart full of devotion): and that, as we may suppose, by some visible token, such as sending fire from heaven upon his offerings. 4:5. but to cain and his offerings he had no respect: and cain was exceeding angry, and his countenance fell. 4:6. and the lord said to him: why art thou angry? and why is thy countenance fallen? 4:7. if thou do well, shalt thou not receive? but if ill, shall not sin forthwith be present at the door? but the lust thereof shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it. 4:8. and cain said to abel his brother: let us go forth abroad. and when they were in the field, cain rose up against his brother abel, and slew him. 4:9. and the lord said to cain: where is thy brother abel? and he answered: i know not: am i my brother's keeper? 4:10. and he said to him: what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth. 4:11. now therefore cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath opened her mouth and recieved the blood of thy brother at thy hand. 4:12. when thou shalt till it, it shall not yield to thee its fruit: a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth. 4:13. and cain said to the lord: my iniquity is greater than that i may deserve pardon. 4:14. behold thou dost cast me out this day from the face of the earth, and from thy face i shall be hid, and i shall be a vagabond and a fugitive on the earth: every one therefore that findeth me, shall kill me. every one that findeth me shall kill me... his guilty conscience made him fear his own brothers and nephews; of whom, by this time, there might be a good number upon the earth; which had now endured near 130 years; as may be gathered from gen. 5.3, compared with chap. 4.25, though in the compendious account given in the scriptures, only cain and abel are mentioned. 4:15. and the lord said to him: no, it shall not so be: but whosoever shall kill cain, shall be punished sevenfold. and the lord set a mark upon cain, that whosoever found him should not kill him. set a mark, etc... the more common opinion of the interpreters of holy writ supposes this mark to have been a trembling of the body; or a horror and consternation in his countenance. 4:16. and cain went out from the face of the lord, and dwelt as a fugitive on the earth at the east side of eden. 4:17. and cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and brought forth henoch: and he built a city, and called the name thereof by the name of his son henoch. his wife... she was a daughter of adam, and cain's own sister; god dispensing with such marriages in the beginning of the world, as mankind could not otherwise be propagated. he built a city, viz... in process of time, when his race was multiplied, so as to be numerous enough to people it. for in the many hundred years he lived, his race might be multiplied even to millions. 4:18. and henoch begot irad, and irad begot maviael, and maviael begot mathusael, and mathusael begot lamech, 4:19. who took two wives: the name of the one was ada, and the name of the other sella. 4:20. and ada brought forth jabel: who was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of herdsmen. 4:21. and his brother's name was jubal: he was the father of them that play upon the harp and the organs. 4:22. sella also brought forth tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artificer in every work of brass and iron. and the sister of tubalcain was noema. 4:23. and lamech said to his wives ada and sella: hear my voice, ye wives of lamech, hearken to my speech: for i have slain a man to the wounding of myself, and a stripling to my own bruising. i have slain a man, etc... it is the tradition of the hebrews, that lamech in hunting slew cain, mistaking him for a wild beast; and that having discovered what he had done, he beat so unmercifully the youth, by whom he was led into that mistake, that he died of the blows. 4:24. sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for cain: but for lamech seventy times sevenfold. 4:25. adam also knew his wife again: and she brought forth a son, and called his name seth, saying: god hath given me another seed for abel, whom cain slew. 4:26. but to seth also was born a son, whom he called enos: this man began to call upon the name of the lord. began to call upon, etc... not that adam and seth had not called upon god, before the birth of enos; but that enos used more solemnity in the worship and invocation of god. genesis chapter 5 the genealogy, age, and death of the patriarchs, from adam to noe. the translation of henoch. 5:1. this is the book of the generation of adam. in the day that god created man, he made him to the likeness of god. 5:2. he created them male and female; and blessed them: and called their name adam, in the day when they were created. 5:3. and adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begot a son to his own image and likeness, and called his name seth. 5:4. and the days of adam, after he begot seth, were eight hundred years: and he begot sons and daughters. 5:5. and all the time that adam lived, came to nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. 5:6. seth also lived a hundred and five years, and begot enos. 5:7. and seth lived after he begot enos, eight hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters. 5:8. and all the days of seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. 5:9. and enos lived ninety years, and begot cainan. 5:10. after whose birth he lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and begot sons and daughters. 5:11. and all the days of enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died. 5:12. and cainan lived seventy years, and begot malaleel. 5:13. and cainan lived after he begot malaleel, eight hundred and forty years, and begot sons and daughters. 5:14. and all the days of cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. 5:15. and malaleel lived sixty-five years and begot jared. 5:16. and malaleel lived after he begot jared, eight hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters. 5:17. and all the days of malaleel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died. 5:18. and jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years, and begot henoch. 5:19. and jared lived after he begot henoch, eight hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 5:20. and all the days of jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died. 5:21. and henoch lived sixty-five years, and begot mathusala. 5:22. and henoch walked with god: and lived after he begot mathusala, three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 5:23. and all the days of henoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 5:24. and he walked with god, and was seen no more: because god took him. 5:25. and mathusala lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot lamech. 5:26. and mathlusala lived after he begot lamech, seven hundred and eighty-two years, and begot sons and daughters. 5:27. and all the days of mathusala were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died. 5:28. and lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years, and begot a son. 5:29. and he called his name noe, saying: this same shall comfort us from the works and labours of our hands on the earth, which the lord hath cursed. 5:30. and lamech lived after he begot noe, five hundred and ninety-five years, and begot sons and daughters. 5:31. and all the days of lamech came to seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died. and noe, when he was five hundred years old, begot sem, cham, and japheth. genesis chapter 6 man's sin is the cause of the deluge. noe is commanded to build the ark. 6:1. and after that men began to be multiplied upon the earth, and daughters were born to them, 6:2. the sons of god seeing the daughters of men, that they were fair, took to themselves wives of all which they chose. the sons of god... the descendants of seth and enos are here called sons of god from their religion and piety: whereas the ungodly race of cain, who by their carnal affections lay grovelling upon the earth, are called the children of men. the unhappy consequence of the former marrying with the latter, ought to be a warning to christians to be very circumspect in their marriages; and not to suffer themselves to be determined in their choice by their carnal passion, to the prejudice of virtue or religion. 6:3. and god said: my spirit shall not remain in man for ever, because he is flesh, and his days shall be a hundred and twenty years. his days shall be, etc... the meaning is, that man's days, which before the flood were usually 900 years, should now be reduced to 120 years. or rather, that god would allow men this term of 120 years, for their repentance and conversion, before he would send the deluge. 6:4. now giants were upon the earth in those days. for after the sons of god went in to the daughters of men, and they brought forth children, these are the mighty men of old, men of renown. giants... it is likely the generality of men before the flood were of a gigantic stature in comparison with what men now are. but these here spoken of are called giants, as being not only tall in stature, but violent and savage in their dispositions, and mere monsters of cruelty and lust. 6:5. and god seeing that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all times, 6:6. it repented him that he had made man on the earth. and being touched inwardly with sorrow of heart, it repented him, etc... god, who is unchangeable, is not capable of repentance, grief, or any other passion. but these expressions are used to declare the enormity of the sins of men, which was so provoking as to determine their creator to destroy these his creatures, whom before he had so much favoured. 6:7. he said: i will destroy man, whom i have created, from the face of the earth, from man even to beasts, from the creeping thing even to the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that i have made them. 6:8. but noe found grace before the lord. 6:9. these are the generations of noe: noe was a just and perfect man in his generations, he walked with god. 6:10. and he begot three sons, sem, cham, and japheth. 6:11. and the earth was corrupted before god, and was filled with iniquity. 6:12. and when god had seen that the earth was corrupted (for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth), 6:13. he said to noe: the end of all flesh is come before me, the earth is filled with iniquity through them, and i will destroy them with the earth. 6:14. make thee an ark of timber planks: thou shalt make little rooms in the ark, and thou shalt pitch it within and without. 6:15. and thus shalt thou make it. the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits: the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. three hundred cubits, etc... the ark, according to the dimensions here set down, contained four hundred and fifty thousand square cubits; which was more than enough to contain all the kinds of living creatures, with all necessary provisions: even supposing the cubits here spoken of to have been only a foot and a half each, which was the least king of cubits. 6:16. thou shalt make a window in the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish the top of it: and the door of the ark thou shalt set in the side: with lower, middle chambers, and third stories shalt thou make it. 6:17. behold, i will bring the waters of a great flood upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life under heaven. all things that are in the earth shall be consumed. 6:18. and i will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt enter into the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife, and the wives of thy sons with thee. 6:19. and of every living creature of all flesh, thou shalt bring two of a sort into the ark, that they may live with thee: of the male sex, and the female. 6:20. of fowls according to their kind, and of beasts in their kind, and of every thing that creepeth on the earth according to its kind: two of every sort shall go in with thee, that they may live. 6:21. thou shalt take unto thee of all food that may be eaten, and thou shalt lay it up with thee: and it shall be food for thee and them. 6:22. and noe did all things which god commanded him. genesis chapter 7 noe with his family go into the ark. the deluge overflows the earth. 7:1. and the lord said to him: go in, thou and all thy house, into the ark: for thee i have seen just before me in this generation. 7:2. of all clean beasts take seven and seven, the male and the female. of all clean... the distintion of clean and unclean beasts appears to have been made before the law of moses, which was not promulgated till the year of the world 2514. 7:3. but of the beasts that are unclean two and two, the male and the female. of the fowls also of the air seven and seven, the male and the female: that seed may be saved upon the face of the whole earth. 7:4. for yet a while, and after seven days, i will rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights: and i will destroy every substance that i have made, from the face of the earth. 7:5. and noe did all things which the lord had commanded him. 7:6. and he was six hundred years old, when the waters of the flood overflowed the earth. 7:7. and noe went in and his sons, his wife and the wives of his sons with him into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. 7:8. and of beasts clean and unclean, and of fowls, and of every thing that moveth upon the earth, 7:9. two and two went in to noe into the ark, male and female, as the lord had commanded noe. 7:10. and after the seven days were passed, the waters of the flood overflowed the earth. 7:11. in the six hundredth year of the life of noe, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the floodgates of heaven were opened: 7:12. and the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 7:13. in the selfsame day noe, and sem, and cham, and japheth, his sons: his wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, went into the ark. 7:14. they and every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle in their kind, and every thing that moveth upon the earth, according to its kind, and every fowl according to its kind, all birds, and all that fly, 7:15. went in to noe into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein was the breath of life. 7:16. and they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as god had commanded him: and the lord shut him in on the outside. 7:17. and the flood was forty days upon the earth: and the waters increased, and lifted up the ark on high from the earth. 7:18. for they overflowed exceedingly: and filled all on the face of the earth: and the ark was carried upon the waters. 7:19. and the waters prevailed beyond measure upon the earth: and all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. 7:20. the water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountains which it covered. 7:21. and all flesh was destroyed that moved upon the earth, both of fowl and of cattle, and of beasts, and of all creeping things that creep upon the earth: and all men. 7:22. and all things wherein there is the breath of life on the earth, died. 7:23. and he destroyed all the substance that was upon the earth, from man even to beast, and the creeping things and fowls of the air: and they were destroyed from the earth: and noe only remained, and they that were with him in the ark. 7:24. and the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days. genesis chapter 8 the deluge ceaseth. noe goeth out of the ark, and offereth a sacrifice. god's covenant to him. 8:1. and god remembered noe, and all the living creatures, and all the cattle which were with him in the ark, and brought a wind upon the earth, and the waters were abated: 8:2. the fountains also of the deep, and the floodgates of heaven, were shut up, and the rain from heaven was restrained. 8:3. and the waters returned from off the earth going and coming: and they began to be abated after a hundred and fifty days. 8:4. and the ark rested in the seventh month, the seven and twentieth day of the month, upon the mountains of armenia. 8:5. and the waters were going and decreasing until the tenth month: for in the tenth month, the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared. 8:6. and after that forty days were passed, noe opening the window of the ark, which he had made, sent forth a raven: 8:7. which went forth and did not return, till the waters were dried up upon the earth. did not return... the raven did not return into the ark; but (as it may be gathered from the hebrew) went to and fro; sometimes going to the mountains, where it found carcasses to feed on: and other times returning, to rest upon the top of the ark. 8:8. he sent forth also a dove after him, to see if the waters had now ceased upon the face of the earth. 8:9. but she not finding where her foot might rest, returned to him into the ark: for the waters were upon the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, and caught her, and brought her into the ark. 8:10. and having waited yet seven other days, he again sent forth the dove out of the ark. 8:11. and she came to him in the evening carrying a bough of an olive tree, with green leaves, in her mouth. noe therefore understood that the waters were ceased upon the earth. 8:12. and he stayed yet other seven days: and he sent forth the dove, which returned not any more unto him. 8:13. therefore in the six hundredth and first year, the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were lessened upon the earth, and noe opening the covering of the ark, looked, and saw that the face of the earth was dried. 8:14. in the second month, the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth was dried. 8:15. and god spoke to noe, saying: 8:16. go out of the ark, thou and thy wife, thy sons and the wives of thy sons with thee. 8:17. all living things that are with thee of all flesh, as well in fowls as in beasts, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, bring out with thee, and go ye upon the earth: increase and multiply upon it. 8:18. so noe went out, he and his sons: his wife, and the wives of his sons with him. 8:19. and all living things, and cattle, and creeping things that creep upon the earth, according to their kinds went out of the ark. 8:20. and noe built an altar unto the lord: and taking of all cattle and fowls that were clean, offered holocausts upon the altar. holocausts,... or whole burnt offerings. in which the whole victim was consumed by fire upon god's altar, and no part was reserved for the use of priest or people. 8:21. and the lord smelled a sweet savour, and said: i will no more curse the earth for the sake of man: for the imagination and thought of man's heart are prone to evil from his youth: therefore i will no more destroy every living soul as i have done. smelled, etc... a figurative expression, denoting that god was well pleased with the sacrifices which his servant offered. 8:22. all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, night and day, shall not cease. genesis chapter 9 god besseth noe: forbiddeth blood, and promiseth never more to destroy the world by water. the blessing of sem and japheth. 9:1. and god blessed noe and his sons. and he said to them: increase, and multiply, and fill the earth. 9:2. and let the fear and dread of you be upon all the beasts of the earth, and upon all the fowls of the air, and all that move upon the earth: all the fishes of the sea are delivered into your hand. 9:3. and every thing that moveth, and liveth shall be meat for you: even as the green herbs have i delivered them all to you: 9:4. saving that flesh with blood you shall not eat. 9:5. for i will require the blood of your lives at the hand of every beast, and at the hand of man, at the hand of every man, and of his brother, will i require the life of man. 9:6. whosoever shall shed man's blood, his blood shall be shed: for man was made to the image of god. 9:7. but increase you and multiply, and go upon the earth and fill it. 9:8. thus also said god to noe, and to his sons with him: 9:9. behold i will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you: 9:10. and with every living soul that is with you, as well in all birds, as in cattle and beasts of the earth, that are come forth out of the ark, and in all the beasts of the earth. 9:11. i will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall be no more destroyed with the waters of a flood, neither shall there be from henceforth a flood to waste the earth. 9:12. and god said: this is the sign of the covenant which i give between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations. 9:13. i will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me and between the earth. 9:14. and when i shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds: 9:15. and i will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood to destroy all flesh. 9:16. and the bow shall be in the clouds, and i shall see it, and shall remember the everlasting covenant, that was made between god and every living soul of all flesh which is upon the earth. 9:17. and god said to noe: this shall be the sign of the covenant, which i have established, between me and all flesh upon the earth. 9:18. and the sons of noe, who came out of the ark, were sem, cham, and japheth: and cham is the father of chanaan. 9:19. these three are the sons of noe: and from these was all mankind spread over the whole earth. 9:20. and noe a husbandman began to till the ground, and planted a vineyard. 9:21. and drinking of the wine was made drunk, and was uncovered in his tent. drunk... noe by the judgment of the fathers was not guilty of sin, in being overcome by wine: because he knew not the strength of it. 9:22. which when cham the father of chanaan had seen, to wit, that his father's nakedness was uncovered, he told it to his two brethren without. 9:23. but sem and japheth put a cloak upon their shoulders, and going backward, covered the nakedness of their father: and their faces were turned away, and they saw not their father's nakedness. covered the nakedness... thus, as st. gregory takes notice l. 35; moral. c. 22, we ought to cover the nakedness, that is, the sins, of our spiritual parents and superiors. 9:24. and noe awaking from the wine, when he had learned what his younger son had done to him, 9:25. he said: cursed be chanaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. cursed be chanaan... the curses, as well as the blessings, of the partiarchs, were prophetical: and this in particular is here recorded by moses, for the children of israel, who were to possess the land of chanaan. but why should chanaan be cursed for his father's faults? the hebrews answer, that he being then a boy, was the first that saw his grandfather's nakedness, and told his father cham of it; and joined with him in laughing at it: which drew upon him, rather than upon the rest of the children of cham, this prophetical curse. 9:26. and he said: blessed be the lord god of sem, be chanaan his servant. 9:27. may god enlarge japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of sem, and chanaan be his servant. 9:28. and noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 9:29. and all his days were in the whole nine hundred and fifty years: and he died. genesis chapter 10 the genealogy of the children of noe, by whom the world was peopled after the flood. 10:1. these are the generations of the sons of noe: sem, cham, and japheth: and unto them sons were born after the flood. 10:2. the sons of japheth: gomer, and magog, and madai, and javan, and thubal, and mosoch, and thiras. 10:3. and the sons of gomer: ascenez and riphath and thogorma. 10:4. and the sons of javan: elisa and tharsis, cetthim and dodanim. 10:5. by these were divided the islands of the gentiles in their lands, every one according to his tongue and their families in their nations. the islands... so the hebrews called all the remote countries, to which they went by ships from judea, to greece, italy, spain, etc. 10:6. and the sons of cham: chus, and mesram, and phuth, and chanaan. 10:7. and the sons of chus: saba, and hevila, and sabatha, and regma, and sabatacha. the sons of regma: saba, and dadan. 10:8. now chus begot nemrod: he began to be mighty on the earth. 10:9. and he was a stout hunter before the lord. hence came a proverb: even as nemrod the stout hunter before the lord. a stout hunter... not of beasts but of men: whom by violence and tyranny he brought under his dominion. and such he was, not only in the opinion of men, but before the lord, that is, in his sight who cannot be deceived. 10:10. and the beginning of his kingdom was babylon, and arach, and achad, and chalanne in the land of sennaar. 10:11. out of that land came forth assur, and built ninive, and the streets of the city, and chale. 10:12. resen also between ninive and chale: this is the great city. 10:13. and mesraim begot ludim, and anamim and laabim, nephthuim. 10:14. and phetrusim, and chasluim; of whom came forth the philistines, and the capthorim. 10:15. and chanaan begot sidon his firstborn, the hethite, 10:16. and the jebusite, and the amorrhite, and the gergesite. 10:17. the hevite and aracite: the sinite, 10:18. and the aradian, the samarite, and the hamathite: and afterwards the families of the chanaanites were spread abroad. 10:19. and the limits of chanaan were from sidon as one comes to gerara even to gaza, until thou enter sodom and gomorrha, and adama, and seboim even to lesa. 10:20. these are the children of cham in their kindreds and tongues, and generations, and lands, and nations. 10:21. of sem also the father of all the children of heber, the elder brother of japheth, sons were born. 10:22. the sons of sem: elam and assur, and arphaxad, and lud, and aram. 10:23. the sons of aram: us, and hull, and gether; and mes. 10:24. but arphaxad begot sale, of whom was born heber. 10:25. and to heber were born two sons: the name of the one was phaleg, because in his days was the earth divided: and his brother's name jectan. 10:26. which jectan begot elmodad, and saleph, and asarmoth, jare, 10:27. and aduram, and uzal, and decla, 10:28. and ebal, and abimael, saba, 10:29. and ophir, and hevila, and jobab. all these were the sons of jectan. 10:30. and their dwelling was from messa as we go on as far as sephar, a mountain in the east. 10:31. these are the children of sem according to their kindreds and tongues, and countries in their nations. 10:32. these are the families of noe, according to their people and nations. by these were the nations divided on the earth after the flood. genesis chapter 11 the tower of babel. the confusion of tongues. the genealogy of sem down to abram. 11:1. and the earth was of one tongue, and of the same speech. 11:2. and when they removed from the east, they found a plain in the land of sennaar, and dwelt in it. 11:3. and each one said to his neighbour: come let us make brick, and bake them with fire. and they had brick instead of stones, and slime instead of mortar: 11:4. and they said: come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof may reach to heaven; and let us make our name famous before we be scattered abroad into all lands. 11:5. and the lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of adam were building. 11:6. and he said: behold, it is one people, and all have one tongue: and they have begun to do this, neither will they leave off from their designs, till they accomplish them in deed. 11:7. come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their tongue, that they may not understand one another's speech. 11:8. and so the lord scattered them from that place into all lands, and they ceased to build the city. 11:9. and therefore the name thereof was called babel, because there the language of the whole earth was confounded: and from thence the lord scattered them abroad upon the face of all countries. babel... that is, confusion. 11:10. these are the generations of sem: sem was a hundred years old when he begot arphaxad, two years after the flood. 11:11. and sem lived after he begot arphaxad, five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 11:12. and arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot sale. 11:13. and arphaxad lived after he begot sale, three hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. 11:14. sale also lived thirty years, and begot heber. 11:15. and sale lived after he begot heber, four hundred and three years: and begot sons and daughters. 11:16. and heber lived thirty-four years, and begot phaleg. 11:17. and heber lived after he begot phaleg, four hundred and thirty years: and begot sons and daughters. 11:18. phaleg also lived thirty years, and begot reu. 11:19. and phaleg lived after he begot reu, two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters. 11:20. and reu lived thirty-two years, and begot sarug. 11:21. and reu lived after he begot sarug, two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters. 11:22. and sarug lived thirty years, and begot nachor. 11:23. and sarug lived after he begot nachor, two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 11:24. and nachor lived nine and twenty years, and begot thare. 11:25. and nachor lived after he begot thare, a hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters. 11:26. and thare lived seventy years, and begot abram, and nachor, and aran. 11:27. and these are the generations of thare: thare begot abram, nachor, and aran. and aran begot lot. 11:28. and aran died before thare his father, in the land of his nativity in ur of the chaldees. 11:29. and abram and nachor married wives: the name of abram's wife was sarai: and the name of nachor's wife, melcha, the daughter of aran, father of melcha and father of jescha. 11:30. and sarai was barren, and had no children. 11:31. and thare took abram his son, and lot the son of aran, his son's son, and sarai his daughter in law, the wife of abram his son, and brought them out of ur of the chaldees, to go into the land of chanaan: and they came as far as haran, and dwelt there. 11:32. and the days of thare were two hundred and five years, and he died in haran. genesis chapter 12 the call of abram, and the promise made to him. he sojourneth in chanaan, and then by occasion of a famine, goeth down to egypt. 12:1. and the lord said to abram: go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and out of thy father's house, and come into the land which i shall shew thee. 12:2. and i will make of thee a great nation, and i will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed. 12:3. i will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, and in thee shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 12:4. so abram went out as the lord had commanded him, and lot went with him: abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from haran. 12:5. and he took sarai his wife, and lot his brother's son, and all the substance which they had gathered, and the souls which they had gotten in haran: and they went out to go into the land of chanaan. and when they were come into it, 12:6. abram passed through the country unto the place of sichem, as far as the noble vale: now the chanaanite was at that time in the land. 12:7. and the lord appeared to abram, and said to him: to thy seed will i give this land. and he built there an altar to the lord, who had appeared to him. 12:8. and passing on from thence to a mountain, that was on the east side of bethel, he there pitched his tent, having bethel on the west, and hai on the east: he built there also an altar to the lord, and called upon his name. 12:9. and abram went forward, going and proceeding on to the south. 12:10. and there came a famine in the country: and abram went down into egypt, to sojourn there: for the famine was very grievous in the land. 12:11. and when he was near to enter into egypt, he said to sarai his wife: i know that thou art a beautiful woman: 12:12. and that when the egyptians shall see thee, they will say: she is his wife: and they will kill me, and keep thee. 12:13. say, therefore, i pray thee, that thou art my sister: that i may be well used for thee, and that my soul may live for thy sake. my sister... this was no lie; because she was his niece, being daughter to his brother aran, and therefore, in the style of the hebrews, she might truly be called his sister, as lot is called abram's brother, gen. 14.14. see gen. 20.12. 12:14. and when abram was come into egypt, the egyptians saw the woman that she was very beautiful. 12:15. and the princes told pharao, and praised her before him: and the woman was taken into the house of pharao. 12:16. and they used abram well for her sake. and he had sheep and oxen and he asses, and men servants, and maid servants, and she asses, and camels. 12:17. but the lord scourged pharao and his house with most grievous stripes for sarai, abram's wife. 12:18. and pharao called abram, and said to him: what is this that thou hast done to me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 12:19. for what cause didst thou say, she was thy sister, that i might take her to my wife? now therefore there is thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 12:20. and pharao gave his men orders concerning abram: and they led him away and his wife, and all that he had. genesis chapter 13 abram and lot part from each other. god's promise to abram. 13:1. and abram went up out of egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and lot with him into the south. 13:2. and he was very rich in possession of gold and silver. 13:3. and he returned by the way, that he came, from the south to bethel, to the place where before he had pitched his tent between bethel and hai, 13:4. in the place of the altar which he had made before, and there he called upon the name of the lord. 13:5. but lot also, who was with abram, had flocks of sheep, and herds of beasts, and tents. 13:6. neither was the land able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, and they could not dwell together. 13:7. whereupon also there arose a strife between the herdsmen of abram and of lot. and at that time the chanaanite and the pherezite dwelled in that country. 13:8. abram therefore said to lot: let there be no quarrel, i beseech thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen: for we are brethren. 13:9. behold the whole land is before thee: depart from me, i pray thee: if thou wilt go to the left hand, i will take the right: if thou choose the right hand, i will pass to the left. 13:10. and lot lifting up his eyes, saw all the country about the jordan, which was watered throughout, before the lord destroyed sodom and gomorrha, as the paradise of the lord, and like egypt as one comes to segor. 13:11. and lot chose to himself the country about the jordan, and he departed from the east: and they were separated one brother from the other. 13:12. abram dwelt in the land of chanaan: and lot abode in the towns, that were about the jordan, and dwelt in sodom. 13:13. and the men of sodom were very wicked, and sinners before the face of the lord beyond measure. 13:14. and the lord said to abram, after lot was separated from him: lift up thy eyes, and look from the place wherein thou now art, to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west. 13:15. all the land which thou seest, i will give to thee, and to thy seed for ever. 13:16. and i will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: if any man be able to number the dust of the earth, he shall be able to number thy seed also. 13:17. arise and walk through the land in the length, and the breadth thereof: for i will give it to thee. 13:18. so abram removing his tent, came, and dwelt by the vale of mambre, which is in hebron: and he built there an altar to the lord. genesis chapter 14 the expedition of the four kings; the victory of abram; he is blessed by melchisedech. 14:1. and it came to pass at that time, that amraphel, king of sennaar, and arioch, king of pontus, and chodorlahomor, king of the elamites, and thadal, king of nations, 14:2. made war against bara, king of sodom, and against bersa, king of gomorrha, and against sennaab, king of adama, and against semeber, king of seboim, and against the king of bala, which is segor. 14:3. all these came together into the woodland vale, which now is the salt sea. 14:4. for they had served chodorlahomor twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they revolted from him. 14:5. and in the fourteenth year came chodorlahomor, and the kings that were with him: and they smote the raphaim in astarothcarnaim, and the zuzim with them, and the emim in save of cariathaim. 14:6. and the chorreans in the mountains of seir, even to the plains of pharan, which is in the wilderness. 14:7. and they returned, and came to the fountain of misphat, the same is cades: and they smote all the country of the amalecites, and the amorrhean that dwelt in asasonthamar. 14:8. and the king of sodom, and the king of gomorrha, and the king of adama, and the king of seboim, and the king of bala, which is segor, went out: and they set themselves against them in battle array, in the woodland vale: 14:9. to wit, against chodorlahomor king of the elamites, and thadal king of nations, and amraphel king of sennaar, and arioch king of pontus: four kings against five. 14:10. now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. and the king of sodom, and the king of gomorrha turned their backs, and were overthrown there: and they that remained, fled to the mountain. of slime. bituminis... this was a kind of pitch, which served for mortar in the building of babel, gen. 11.3, and was used by noe in pitching the ark. 14:11. and they took all the substance of the sodomites, and gomorrhites, and all their victuals, and went their way: 14:12. and lot also, the son of abram's brother, who dwelt in sodom, and his substance. 14:13. and behold one, that had escaped, told abram the hebrew, who dwelt in the vale of mambre the amorrhite, the brother of escol, and the brother of aner: for these had made a league with abram. 14:14. which when abram had heard, to wit, that his brother lot was taken, he numbered of the servants born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, well appointed: and pursued them to dan. 14:15. and dividing his company, he rushed upon them in the night, and defeated them: and pursued them as far as hoba, which is on the left hand of damascus. 14:16. and he brought back all the substance, and lot his brother, with his substance, the women also, and the people. 14:17. and the king of sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter of chodorlahomor, and of the kings that were with him in the vale of save, which is the king's vale. 14:18. but melchisedech, the king of salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high god, 14:19. blessed him, and said: blessed be abram by the most high god, who created heaven and earth. 14:20. and blessed be the most high god, by whose protection, the enemies are in thy hands. and he gave him the tithes of all. 14:21. and the king of sodom said to abram: give me the persons, and the rest take to thyself. 14:22. and he answered him: i lift up my hand to the lord god the most high, the possessor of heaven and earth, 14:23. that from the very woofthread unto the shoe latchet, i will not take of any things that are thine, lest thou say: i have enriched abram. 14:24. except such things as the young men have eaten, and the shares of the men that came with me, aner, escol, and mambre: these shall take their shares. genesis chapter 15 god promiseth seed to abram. his faith, sacrifice and vision. 15:1. now when these things were done, the word of the lord came to abram by a vision, saying: fear not, abram, i am thy protector, and thy reward exceeding great. 15:2. and abram said: lord god, what wilt thou give me? i shall go without children: and the son of the steward of my house is this damascus eliezer. 15:3. and abram added: but to me thou hast not given seed: and lo my servant born in my house, shall be my heir. 15:4. and immediately the word of the lord came to him, saying: he shall not be thy heir: but he that shall come out of thy bowels, him shalt thou have for thy heir. 15:5. and he brought him forth abroad, and said to him: look up to heaven and number the stars if thou canst. and he said to him: so shall thy seed be. 15:6. abram believed god, and it was reputed to him unto justice. 15:7. and he said to him: i am the lord who brought thee out from ur of the chaldees, to give thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it. 15:8. but he said: lord god, whereby may i know that i shall possess it? 15:9. and the lord answered, and said: take me a cow of three years old, and a she goat of three years and a ram of three years, a turtle also, and a pigeon. 15:10. and he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the two pieces of each one against the other: but the birds he divided not. 15:11. and the fowls came down upon the carcasses, and abram drove them away. 15:12. and when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon abram, and a great and darksome horror seized upon him. 15:13. and it was said unto him: know thou beforehand that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall bring them under bondage, and afflict them four hundred years. 15:14. but i will judge the nation which they shall serve, and after this they shall come out with great substance. 15:15. and thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, and be buried in a good old age. 15:16. but in the fourth generation they shall return hither: for as yet the iniquities of the amorrhites are not at the full until this present time. 15:17. and when the sun was set, there arose a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace, and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions. 15:18. that day god made a covenant with abram, saying: to thy seed will i give this land, from the river to egypt even to the great river euphrates. 15:19. the cineans, and cenezites, the cedmonites, 15:20. and the hethites, and the pherezites, the raphaim also, 15:21. and the amorrhites, and the chanaanites, and the gergesites, and the jebusites. genesis chapter 16 abram marrieth agar, who bringeth forth ismael. 16:1. now sarai, the wife of abram, had brought forth no children: but having a handmaid, an egyptian, named agar, 16:2. she said to her husband: behold, the lord hath restrained me from bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be i may have children of her at least. and when he agreed to her request, 16:3. she took agar the egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife. to wife... plurality of wives, though contrary to the primitive institution of marriage, gen. 2.24, was by divine dispensation allowed to the patriarchs: which allowance seems to have continued during the time of the law of moses. but christ our lord reduced marriage to its primitive institution. matt. 19. 16:4. and he went in to her. but she perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress. 16:5. and sarai said to abram: thou dost unjustly with me: i gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and she perceiving herself to be with child, despiseth me. the lord judge between me and thee. 16:6. and abram made answer, and said to her: behold thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. and when sarai afflicted her, she ran away. 16:7. and the angel of the lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to sur in the desert, 16:8. he said to her: agar, handmaid of sarai, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? and she answered: i flee from the face of sarai, my mistress. 16:9. and the angel of the lord said to her: return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand. 16:10. and again he said: i will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude. 16:11. and again: behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name ismael, because the lord hath heard thy affliction. 16:12. he shall be a wild man: his hand will be against all men, and all men's hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all his brethren. 16:13. and she called the name of the lord that spoke unto her: thou the god who hast seen me. for she said: verily, here have i seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me. 16:14. therefore she called that well, the well of him that liveth and seeth me. the same is between cades and barad. 16:15. and agar brought forth a son to abram: who called his name ismael. 16:16. abram was four score and six years old when agar brought him forth ismael. genesis chapter 17 the covenant of circumcision. 17:1. and after he began to be ninety and nine years old, the lord appeared to him: and said unto him: i am the almighty god: walk before me, and be perfect. 17:2. and i will make my covenant between me and thee: and i will multiply thee exceedingly. 17:3. abram fell flat on his face. 17:4. and god said to him: i am, and my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 17:5. neither shall thy name be called any more abram: but thou shalt be called abraham: because i have made thee a father of many nations. abram... in the hebrew, signifies a high father: but abraham, the father of the multitude; sarai signifies my lady, but sara absolutely lady. 17:6. and i will make thee increase exceedingly, and i will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 17:7. and i will establish my covenant between me and thee, and between thy seed after thee in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be a god to thee, and to thy seed after thee. 17:8. and i will give to thee, and to thy seed, the land of thy sojournment, all the land of chanaan, for a perpetual possession, and i will be their god. 17:9. again god said to abraham: and thou therefore shalt keep my covenant, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 17:10. this is my covenant which you shall observe between me and you, and thy seed after thee: all the male kind of you shall be circumcised. 17:11. and you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, that it may be for a sign of the covenant between me and you. 17:12. an infant of eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every manchild in your generations: he that is born in the house, as well as the bought servant, shall be circumcised, and whosoever is not of your stock: 17:13. and my covenant shall be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant. 17:14. the male whose flesh of his foreskin shall not be circumcised, that soul shall be destroyed out of his people: because he hath broken my covenant. 17:15. god said also to abraham: sarai thy wife thou shalt not call sarai, but sara. 17:16. and i will bless her, and of her i will give thee a son, whom i will bless, and he shall become nations, and kings of people shall spring from him. 17:17. abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, saying in his heart: shall a son, thinkest thou, be born to him that is a hundred years old? and shall sara that is ninety years old bring forth? 17:18. and he said to god: o that ismael may live before thee. 17:19. and god said to abraham: sara thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name isaac, and i will establish my covenant with him for a perpetual covenant, and with his seed after him. 17:20. and as for ismael i have also heard thee. behold, i will bless him, and increase, and multiply him exceedingly: he shall beget twelve chiefs, and i will make him a great nation. 17:21. but my covenant i will establish with isaac, whom sara shall bring forth to thee at this time in the next year. 17:22. and when he had left off speaking with him, god went up from abraham. 17:23. and abraham took ismael his son, and all that were born in his house: and all whom he had bought, every male among the men of his house: and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin forthwith the very same day, as god had commanded him. 17:24. abraham was ninety and nine years old, when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin. 17:25. and ismael his son was full thirteen years old at the time of his circumcision. 17:26. the selfsame day was abraham circumcised and ismael his son. 17:27. and all the men of his house, as well they that were born in his house, as the bought servants and strangers, were circumcised with him. genesis chapter 18 angels are entertained by abraham. they foretell the birth of isaac. abraham's prayer for the men of sodom. 18:1. and the lord appeared to him in the vale of mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day. 18:2. and when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near to him: and as soon as he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground. 18:3. and he said: lord, if i have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant. 18:4. but i will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree. 18:5. and i will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant. and they said: do as thou hast spoken. 18:6. abraham made haste into the tent to sara, and said to her: make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth. 18:7. and he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf, very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man, who made haste and boiled it. 18:8. he took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree. 18:9. and when they had eaten, they said to him: where is sara thy wife? he answered: lo she is in the tent. 18:10. and he said to him: i will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying, and sara, thy wife, shall have a son. which when sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent. 18:11. now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with sara after the manner of women. 18:12. and she laughed secretly, saying: after i am grown old, and my lord is an old man, shall i give myself to pleasure? 18:13. and the lord said to abraham: why did sara laugh, saying: shall i, who am an old woman, bear a child indeed? 18:14. is there any thing hard to god? according to appointment i will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and sara shall have a son. 18:15. sara denied, saying: i did not laugh: for she was afraid. but the lord said: nay; but thou didst laugh. 18:16. and when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards sodom: and abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way. 18:17. and the lord said: can i hide from abraham what i am about to do: 18:18. seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed? 18:19. for i know that he will command his children, and his household after him, to keep the way of the lord, and do judgment and justice: that for abraham's sake, the lord may bring to effect all the things he hath spoken unto him. 18:20. and the lord said: the cry of sodom and gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous. 18:21. i will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me; or whether it be not so, that i may know. i will go down, etc... the lord here accommodates his discourse to the way of speaking and acting amongst men; for he knoweth all things, and needeth not to go anywhere for information. note here, that two of the three angels went away immediately for sodom; whilst the third, who represented the lord, remained with abraham. 18:22. and they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to sodom: but abraham as yet stood before the lord. 18:23. and drawing nigh, he said: wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked? 18:24. if there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they be therein? 18:25. far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked; this is not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this judgment. 18:26. and the lord said to him: if i find in sodom fifty just within the city, i will spare the whole place for their sake. 18:27. and abraham answered, and said: seeing i have once begun, i will speak to my lord, whereas i am dust and ashes. 18:28. what if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city: and he said: i will not destroy it, if i find five and forty. 18:29. and again he said to him: but if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? he said: i will not destroy it for the sake of forty. 18:30. lord, saith he, be not angry, i beseech thee, if i speak: what if thirty shall be found there? he answered: i will not do it, if i find thirty there. 18:31. seeing, saith he, i have once begun, i will speak to my lord: what if twenty be found there? he said: i will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. 18:32. i beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, lord, if i speak yet once more: what if ten shall be found there? and he said: i will not destroy it for the sake of ten. 18:33. and the lord departed, after he had left speaking to abraham: and abraham returned to his place. genesis chapter 19 lot, entertaining angels in his house, is delivered from sodom, which is destroyed: his wife for looking back is turned into a statue of salt. 19:1. and the two angels came to sodom in the evening, and lot was sitting in the gate of the city. and seeing them, he rose up and went to meet them: and worshipped prostrate to the ground. 19:2. and said: i beseech you, my lords, turn in to the house of your servant, and lodge there: wash your feet, and in the morning you shall go on your way. and they said: no, but we will abide in the street. 19:3. he pressed them very much to turn in unto him: and when they were come into his house, he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate: 19:4. but before they went to bed, the men of the city beset the house, both young and old, all the people together. 19:5. and they called lot, and said to him: where are the men that came in to thee at night? bring them out hither, that we may know them: 19:6. lot went out to them, and shut the door after him, and said: 19:7. do not so, i beseech you, my brethren, do not commit this evil. 19:8. i have two daughters who, as yet, have not known man; i will bring them out to you, and abuse you them as it shall please you, so that you do no evil to these men, because they are come in under the shadow of my roof. 19:9. but they said: get thee back thither. and again: thou camest in, said they, as a stranger, was it to be a judge? therefore we will afflict thee more than them. and they pressed very violently upon lot: and they were even at the point of breaking open the doors. 19:10. and behold the men put out their hand, and drew in lot unto them, and shut the door. 19:11. and them, that were without, they struck with blindness from the least to the greatest, so that they could not find the door. 19:12. and they said to lot: hast thou here any of thine? son in law, or sons, or daughters, all that are thine bring them out of this city: 19:13. for we will destroy this place, because their cry is grown loud before the lord, who hath sent us to destroy them. 19:14. so lot went out, and spoke to his sons in law that were to have his daughters, and said: arise: get you out of this place, because the lord will destroy this city. and he seemed to them to speak as it were in jest. 19:15. and when it was morning, the angels pressed him, saying: arise, take thy wife, and the two daughters that thou hast: lest thou also perish in the wickedness of the city. 19:16. and as he lingered, they took his hand, and the hand of his wife, and of his two daughters, because the lord spared him. 19:17. and they brought him forth, and set him without the city: and there they spoke to him, saying: save thy life: look not back, neither stay thou in all the country about: but save thy self in the mountain, lest thou be also consumed. 19:18. and lot said to them: i beseech thee, my lord, 19:19. because thy servant hath found grace before thee, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewn to me, in saving my life, and i cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil seize me, and i die. 19:20. there is this city here at hand, to which i may flee, it is a little one, and i shall be saved in it: is it not a little one, and my soul shall live? 19:21. and he said to him: behold also in this, i have heard thy prayers, not to destroy the city for which thou hast spoken. 19:22. make haste, and be saved there: because i cannot do any thing till thou go in thither. therefore the name of that city was called segor. segor... that is, a little one. 19:23. the sun was risen upon the earth, and lot entered into segor. 19:24. and the lord rained upon sodom and gomorrha brimstone and fire from the lord out of heaven. 19:25. and he destroyed these cities, and all the country about, all the inhabitants of the cities, and all things that spring from the earth. 19:26. and his wife looking behind her, was turned into a statue of salt. and his wife... as a standing memorial to the servants of god to proceed in virtue, and not to look back to vice or its allurements. 19:27. and abraham got up early in the morning, and in the place where he had stood before with the lord: 19:28. he looked towards sodom and gomorrha, and the whole land of that country: and he saw the ashes rise up from the earth as the smoke of a furnace. 19:29. now when god destroyed the cities of that country, remembering abraham, he delivered lot out of the destruction of the cities wherein he had dwelt. 19:30. and lot went up out of segor, and abode in the mountain, and his two daughters with him (for he was afraid to stay in segor) and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters with him. 19:31. and the elder said to the younger: our father is old, and there is no man left on the earth, to come in unto us after the manner of the whole earth. 19:32. come, let us make him drunk with wine, and let us lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 19:33. and they made their father drink wine that night: and the elder went in, and lay with her father: but he perceived not, neither when his daughter lay down, nor when she rose up. 19:34. and the next day the elder said to the younger: behold i lay last night with my father, let us make him drink wine also to night, and thou shalt lie with him, that we may save seed of our father. 19:35. they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in, and lay with him: and neither then did he perceive when she lay down, nor when she rose up. 19:36. so the two daughters of lot were with child by their father. 19:37. and the elder bore a son, and she called his name moab: he is the father of the moabites unto this day. 19:38. the younger also bore a son, and she called his name ammon; that is, the son of my people: he is the father of the ammonites unto this day. genesis chapter 20 abraham sojourned in gerara: sara is taken into king abimelech's house, but by god's commandment is restored untouched. 20:1. abraham removed from thence to the south country, and dwelt between cades and sur, and sojourned in gerara. 20:2. and he said of sara his wife: she is my sister. so abimelech the king of gerara sent, and took her. 20:3. and god came to abimelech in a dream by night, and he said to him: lo thou shalt die for the woman that thou hast taken: for she hath a husband. 20:4. now abimelech had not touched her, and he said: lord, wilt thou slay a nation that is ignorant and just? 20:5. did not he say to me: she is my sister: and she say, he is my brother? in the simplicity of my heart, and cleanness of my hands have i done this. 20:6. and god said to him: and i know that thou didst it with a sincere heart: and therefore i withheld thee from sinning against me, and i suffered thee not to touch her. 20:7. now therefore restore the man his wife, for he is a prophet: and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: but if thou wilt not restore her, know that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine. 20:8. and abimelech forthwith rising up in the night, called all his servants: and spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were exceedingly afraid. 20:9. and abimelech called also for abraham, and said to him: what hast thou done to us? what have we offended thee in, that thou hast brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done to us what thou oughtest not to do. 20:10. and again he expostulated with him, and said: what sawest thou, that thou hast done this? 20:11. abraham answered: i thought with myself, saying: perhaps there is not the fear of god in this place: and they will kill me for the sake of my wife: 20:12. howbeit, otherwise also she is truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and i took her to wife. 20:13. and after god brought me out of my father's house, i said to her: thou shalt do me this kindness: in every place, to which we shall come, thou shalt say that i am thy brother. 20:14. and abimelech took sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gave to abraham: and restored to him sara his wife, 20:15. and said: the land is before you, dwell wheresoever it shall please thee. 20:16. and to sara he said: behold i have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, this shall serve thee for a covering of thy eyes to all that are with thee, and whithersoever thou shalt go: and remember thou wast taken. 20:17. and when abraham prayed, god healed abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bore children: 20:18. for the lord had closed up every womb of the house of abimelech, on account of sara, abraham's wife. genesis chapter 21 isaac is born. agar and ismael are cast forth. 21:1. and the lord visited sara, as he had promised: and fulfilled what he had spoken. 21:2. and she conceived and bore a son in her old age, at the time that god had foretold her. 21:3. and abraham called the name of his son, whom sara bore him, isaac. isaac... this word signifies laughter. 21:4. and he circumcised him the eighth day, as god had commanded him, 21:5. when he was a hundred years old: for at this age of his father, was isaac born. 21:6. and sara said: god hath made a laughter for me: whosoever shall hear of it will laugh with me. 21:7. and again she said: who would believe that abraham should hear that sara gave suck to a son, whom she bore to him in his old age? 21:8. and the child grew, and was weaned: and abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning. 21:9. and when sara had seen the son of agar, the egyptian, playing with isaac, her son, she said to abraham: 21:10. cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son isaac. 21:11. abraham took this grievously for his son. 21:12. and god said to him: let it not seem grievous to thee for the boy, and for thy bondwoman: in all that sara hath said to thee, hearken to her voice: for in isaac shall thy seed be called. 21:13. but i will make the son also of the bondwoman a great nation, because he is thy seed. 21:14. so abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her away. and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of bersabee. 21:15. and when the water in the bottle was spent, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there. 21:16. and she went her way, and sat overagainst him a great way off, as far as a bow can carry, for she said: i will not see the boy die: and sitting overagainst, she lifted up her voice and wept. 21:17. and god heard the voice of the boy: and an angel of god called to agar from heaven, saying: what art thou doing, agar? fear not; for god hath heard the voice of the boy, from the place wherein he is. 21:18. arise, take up the boy, and hold him by the hand, for i will make him a great nation. 21:19. and god opened her eyes: and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the bottle, and gave the boy to drink. 21:20. and god was with him: and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became a young man, an archer. 21:21. and he dwelt in the wilderness of pharan, and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of egypt. 21:22. at the same time abimelech, and phicol the general of his army, said to abraham: god is with thee in all that thou dost. 21:23. swear therefore by god, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my posterity, nor my stock: but according to the kindness that i have done to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land wherein thou hast lived a stranger. 21:24. and abraham said: i will swear. 21:25. and he reproved abimelech for a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force. 21:26. and abimelech answered: i knew not who did this thing: and thou didst not tell me, and i heard not of it till today. 21:27. then abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to abimelech: and both of them made a league. 21:28. and abraham set apart seven ewelambs of the flock. 21:29. and abimelech said to him: what mean these seven ewelambs which thou hast set apart? 21:30. but he said: thou shalt take seven ewelambs at my hand: that they may be a testimony for me, that i dug this well. 21:31. therefore that place was called bersabee; because there both of them did swear. bersabee... that is, the well of oath. 21:32. and they made a league for the well of oath. 21:33. and abimelech and phicol, the general of his army, arose and returned to the land of the palestines. but abraham planted a grove in bersabee, and there called upon the name of the lord god eternal. 21:34. and he was a sojourner in the land of the palestines many days. genesis chapter 22 the faith and obedience of abraham is proved in his readiness to sacrifice his son isaac. he is stayed from the act by an angel. former promises are renewed to him. his brother nachor's issue. 22:1. after these things, god tempted abraham, and said to him: abraham, abraham. and he answered: here i am. god tempted, etc... god tempteth no man to evil, james 1.13; but by trial and experiment maketh known to the world, and to ourselves, what we are, as here by this trial the singular faith and obedience of abraham was made manifest. 22:2. he said to him: take thy only begotten son isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of vision; and there thou shalt offer him for an holocaust upon one of the mountains which i will shew thee. 22:3. so abraham rising up in the night, saddled his ass, and took with him two young men, and isaac his son: and when he had cut wood for the holocaust, he went his way to the place which god had commanded him. 22:4. and on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place afar off. 22:5. and he said to his young men: stay you here with the ass; i and the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have worshipped, will return to you. 22:6. and he took the wood for the holocaust, and laid it upon isaac his son; and he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. and as they two went on together, 22:7. isaac said to his father: my father. and he answered: what wilt thou, son? behold, saith he, fire and wood: where is the victim for the holocaust? 22:8. and abraham said: god will provide himself a victim for an holocaust, my son. so they went on together. 22:9. and they came to the place which god had shewn him, where he built an altar, and laid the wood in order upon it; and when he had bound isaac his son, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood. 22:10. and he put forth his hand, and took the sword, to sacrifice his son. 22:11. and behold, an angel of the lord from heaven called to him, saying: abraham, abraham. and he answered: here i am. 22:12. and he said to him: lay not thy hand upon the boy, neither do thou any thing to him: now i know that thou fearest god, and hast not spared thy only begotten son for my sake. 22:13. abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw behind his back a ram, amongst the briers, sticking fast by the horns, which he took and offered for a holocaust instead of his son. 22:14. and he called the name of that place, the lord seeth. whereupon, even to this day, it is said: in the mountain the lord will see. 22:15. and the angel of the lord called to abraham a second time from heaven, saying: 22:16. by my own self have i sworn, saith the lord: because thou hast done this thing, and hast not spared thy only begotten son for my sake: 22:17. i will bless thee, and i will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the sea shore; thy seed shall possess the gates of their enemies. 22:18. and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. 22:19. abraham returned to his young men, and they went to bersabee together, and he dwelt there. 22:20. after these things, it was told abraham, that melcha also had borne children to nachor his brother. 22:21. hus, the firstborn, and buz, his brother, and camuel the father of the syrians, 22:22. and cased, and azau, and pheldas, and jedlaph, 22:23. and bathuel, of whom was born rebecca: these eight did melcha bear to nachor, abraham's brother. 22:24. and his concubine, named roma, bore tabee, and gaham, and tahas, and maacha. genesis chapter 23 sara's death and burial in the field bought of ephron. 23:1. and sara lived a hundred and twenty-seven years. 23:2. and she died in the city of arbee which is hebron, in the land of chanaan: and abraham came to mourn and weep for her. 23:3. and after he rose up from the funeral obsequies, he spoke to the children of heth, saying: 23:4. i am a stranger and sojourner among you: give me the right of a burying place with you, that i may bury my dead. 23:5. the children of heth answered, saying: 23:6. my lord, hear us, thou art a prince of god among us: bury thy dead in our principal sepulchres: and no man shall have power to hinder thee from burying thy dead in his sepulchre. 23:7. abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, to wit, the children of heth: bowed down to the people... adoravit, literally adored. but this word here, as well as in many other places in the latin scriptures, is used to signify only an inferior honour and reverence paid to men, expressed by a bowing down of the body. 23:8. and said to them: if it please your soul that i should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede for me to ephron the son of seor. 23:9. that he may give me the double cave, which he hath in the end of his field: for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me before you, for a possession of a burying place. 23:10. now ephron dwelt in the midst of the children of heth. and ephron made answer to abraham in the hearing of all that went in at the gate of the city, saying: 23:11. let it not be so, my lord, but do thou rather hearken to what i say: the field i deliver to thee, and the cave that is therein; in the presence of the children of my people, bury thy dead. 23:12. abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 23:13. and he spoke to ephron, in the presence of the people: i beseech thee to hear me: i will give money for the field; take it, and so will i bury my dead in it. 23:14. and ephron answered: 23:15. my lord, hear me. the ground which thou desirest, is worth four hundred sicles of silver: this is the price between me and thee: but what is this? bury thy dead. 23:16. and when abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that ephron had asked, in the hearing of the children of heth, four hundred sicles of silver, of common current money. 23:17. and the field that before was ephron's, wherein was the double cave, looking towards mambre, both it and the cave, and all the trees thereof, in all its limits round about, 23:18. was made sure to abraham for a possession, in the sight of the children of heth, and of all that went in at the gate of his city. 23:19. and so abraham buried sara, his wife, in the double cave of the field, that looked towards mambre, this is hebron in the land of chanaan. 23:20. and the field was made sure to abraham, and the cave that was in it, for a possession to bury in, by the children of heth. genesis chapter 24 abraham's servant, sent by him into mesopotamia, bringeth from thence rebecca, who is married to isaac. 24:1. now abraham was old, and advanced in age; and the lord had blessed him in all things. 24:2. and he said to the elder servant of his house, who was ruler over all he had: put thy hand under my thigh, 24:3. that i may make thee swear by the lord, the god of heaven and earth, that thou take not a wife for my son, of the daughters of the chanaanites, among whom i dwell: 24:4. but that thou go to my own country and kindred, and take a wife from thence for my son isaac. 24:5. the servant answered: if the woman will not come with me into this land, must i bring thy son back again to the place from whence thou camest out? 24:6. and abraham said: beware thou never bring my son back again thither. 24:7. the lord god of heaven, who took me out of my father's house, and out of my native country, who spoke to me, and swore to me, saying: to thy seed will i give this land: he will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take from thence a wife for my son. he will send his angel before thee... this shows that the hebrews believed that god gave them guardian angels for their protection. 24:8. but if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt not be bound by the oath: only bring not my son back thither again. 24:9. the servant, therefore, put his hand under the thigh of abraham, his lord, and swore to him upon his word. 24:10. and he took ten camels of his master's herd, and departed, carrying something of all his goods with him, and he set forward and went on to mesopotamia, to the city of nachor. 24:11. and when he had made the camels lie down without the town, near a well of water, in the evening, at the time when women are wont to come out to draw water, he said: 24:12. o lord, the god of my master, abraham, meet me today, i beseech thee, and shew kindness to my master, abraham. 24:13. behold, i stand nigh the spring of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of this city will come out to draw water: 24:14. now, therefore, the maid to whom i shall say: let down thy pitcher that i may drink: and she shall answer, drink, and i will give thy camels drink also: let it be the same whom thou hast provided for thy servant isaac: and by this, i shall understand that thou hast shewn kindness to my master. 24:15. he had not yet ended these words within himself, and behold rebecca came out, the daughter of bathuel, son of melcha, wife to nachor the brother of abraham, having a pitcher on her shoulder: 24:16. an exceeding comely maid, and a most beautiful virgin, and not known to man: and she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and was coming back. 24:17. and the servant ran to meet her, and said: give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher. 24:18. and she answered: drink, my lord. and quickly she let down the pitcher upon her arm, and gave him drink. 24:19. and when he had drunk, she said: i will draw water for thy camels also, till they all drink. 24:20. and pouring out the pitcher into the troughs, she ran back to the well to draw water; and having drawn, she gave to all the camels. 24:21. but he musing, beheld her with silence, desirous to know whether the lord had made his journey prosperous or not. 24:22. and after that the camels had drunk, the man took out golden earrings, weighing two sicles; and as many bracelets, of ten sicles weight. 24:23. and he said to her: whose daughter art thou? tell me: is there any place in thy father's house to lodge? 24:24. and she answered: i am the daughter of bathuel, the son of melcha, whom she bore to nachor. 24:25. and she said, moreover, to him: we have good store of both straw and hay, and a large place to lodge in. 24:26. the man bowed himself down, and adored the lord, 24:27. saying: blessed be the lord god of my master abraham, who hath not taken away his mercy and truth from my master, and hath brought me the straight way into the house of my master's brother. 24:28. then the maid ran, and told in her mother's house all that she had heard. 24:29. and rebecca had a brother, named laban, who went out in haste to the man, to the well. 24:30. and when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister's hands, and had heard all that she related, saying, thus and thus the man spoke to me: he came to the man who stood by the camels, and near to the spring of water, 24:31. and said to him: come in, thou blessed of the lord; why standest thou without? i have prepared the house, and a place for the camels. 24:32. and he brought him into his lodging; and he unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and hay, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men that were come with him. 24:33. and bread was set before him. but he said: i will not eat, till i tell my message. he answered him: speak. 24:34. and he said: i am the servant of abraham: 24:35. and the lord hath blessed my master wonderfully, and he is become great: and he hath given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, men servants and women servants, camels and asses. 24:36. and sara, my master's wife, hath borne my master a son in her old age, and he hath given him all that he had. 24:37. and my master made me swear, saying: thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the chanaanites, in whose land i dwell: 24:38. but thou shalt go to my father's house, and shalt take a wife of my own kindred for my son: 24:39. but i answered my master: what if the woman will not come with me? 24:40. the lord, said he, in whose sight i walk, will send his angel with thee, and will direct thy way: and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my own kindred, and of my father's house. 24:41. but thou shalt be clear from my curse, when thou shalt come to my kindred, if they will not give thee one. 24:42. and i came today to the well of water, and said: o lord god of my master, abraham, if thou hast prospered my way, wherein i now walk, 24:43. behold, i stand by the well of water, and the virgin, that shall come out to draw water, who shall hear me say: give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher: 24:44. and shall say to me: both drink thou, and i will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman, whom the lord hath prepared for my master's son. 24:45. and whilst i pondered these things secretly with myself, rebecca appeared, coming with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder: and she went down to the well and drew water. and i said to her: give me a little to drink. 24:46. and she speedily let down the pitcher from her shoulder, and said to me: both drink thou, and to thy camels i will give drink. i drank, and she watered the camels. 24:47. and i asked her, and said: whose daughter art thou? and she answered: i am the daughter of bathuel, the son of nachor, whom melcha bore to him. so i put earrings on her to adorn her face, and i put bracelets on her hands. 24:48. and falling down, i adored the lord, blessing the lord god of my master, abraham, who hath brought me the straight way to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son. 24:49. wherefore, if you do according to mercy and truth with my master, tell me: but if it please you otherwise, tell me that also, that i may go to the right hand, or to the left. 24:50. and laban and bathuel answered: the word hath proceeded from the lord: we cannot speak any other thing to thee but his pleasure. 24:51. behold, rebecca is before thee, take her and go thy way, and let her be the wife of thy master's son, as the lord hath spoken. 24:52. which when abraham's servant heard, falling down to the ground, he adored the lord. 24:53. and bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, and garments, he gave them to rebecca, for a present. he offered gifts also to her brothers, and to her mother. 24:54. and a banquet was made, and they ate and drank together, and lodged there. and in the morning, the servant arose, and said: let me depart, that i may go to my master. 24:55. and her brother and mother answered: let the maid stay, at least, ten days with us, and afterwards she shall depart. 24:56. stay me not, said he, because the lord hath prospered my way: send me away, that i may go to my master. 24:57. and they said: let us call the maid, and ask her will. let us call the maid, and ask her will... not as to her marriage, as she had already consented, but of her quitting her parents and going to her husband. 24:58. and they called her, and when she was come, they asked: wilt thou go with this man? she said: i will go. 24:59. so they sent her away, and her nurse, and abraham's servant, and his company. 24:60. wishing prosperity to their sister, and saying: thou art our sister, mayst thou increase to thousands of thousands; and may thy seed possess the gates of their enemies. 24:61. so rebecca and her maids, being set upon camels, followed the man: who with speed returned to his master. 24:62. at the same time, isaac was walking along the way to the well which is called of the living and the seeing: for he dwelt in the south country: 24:63. and he was gone forth to meditate in the field, the day being now well spent: and when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming afar off. 24:64. rebecca also, when she saw isaac, lighted off the camel, 24:65. and said to the servant: who is that man who cometh towards us along the field? and he said to her: that man is my master. but she quickly took her cloak, and covered herself. 24:66. and the servant told isaac all that he had done. 24:67. who brought her into the tent of sara his mother, and took her to wife: and he loved her so much, that it moderated the sorrow which was occasioned by his mother's death. genesis chapter 25 abraham's children by cetura; his death and that of ismael. isaac hath esau and jacob twins. esau selleth his first birthright to jacob. 25:1. and abraham married another wife named cetura: 25:2. who bore him zamram, and jecsan, and madan, and madian, and jesboc, and sue. 25:3. jecsan also begot saba, and dadan. the children of dadan were assurim, and latusim, and loomim. 25:4. but of madian was born epha, and opher, and henoch, and abida, and eldaa: all these were the children of cetura. 25:5. and abraham gave all his possessions to isaac: 25:6. and to the children of the concubines he gave gifts, and separated them from isaac his son, while he yet lived, to the east country. concubines... agar and cetura are here called concubines, (though they were lawful wives, and in other places are so called,) because they were of an inferior degree, and such in scripture are usually called concubines. 25:7. and the days of abraham's life were a hundred and seventy-five years. 25:8. and decaying he died in a good old age, and having lived a long time, and being full of days: and was gathered to his people. 25:9. and isaac and ismael his sons buried him in the double cave, which was situated in the field of ephron the son of seor the hethite, over against mambre, 25:10. which he had bought of the children of heth: there was he buried, and sara his wife. 25:11. and after his death, god blessed isaac his son, who dwelt by the well named of the living and seeing. 25:12. these are the generations of ismael the son of abraham, whom agar the egyptian, sara's servant, bore unto him: 25:13. and these are the names of his children according to their calling and generations. the firstborn of ismael was nabajoth, then cedar, and adbeel, and mabsam, 25:14. and masma, and duma, and massa, 25:15. hadar, and thema, and jethur, and naphis, and cedma. 25:16. these are the sons of ismael: and these are their names by their castles and towns, twelve princes of their tribes. 25:17. and the years of ismael's life were a hundred and thirty-seven, and decaying he died, and was gathered unto his people. 25:18. and he dwelt from hevila as far as sur, which looketh towards egypt, to them that go towards the assyrians. he died in the presence of all his brethren. 25:19. these also are the generations of isaac the son of abraham: abraham begot isaac: 25:20. who when he was forty years old, took to wife rebecca the daughter of bathuel the syrian of mesopotamia, sister to laban. 25:21. and isaac besought the lord for his wife, because she was barren: and he heard him, and made rebecca to conceive. 25:22. but the children struggled in her womb, and she said: if it were to be so with me, what need was there to conceive? and she went to consult the lord. 25:23. and he answering, said: two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be divided out of thy womb, and one people shall overcome the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. 25:24. and when her time was come to be delivered, behold twins were found in her womb. 25:25. he that came forth first was red, and hairy like a skin: and his name was called esau. immediately the other coming forth, held his brother's foot in his hand: and therefore he was called jacob. 25:26. isaac was threescore years old when the children were born unto him. 25:27. and when they were grown up, esau became a skilful hunter, and a husbandman: but jacob, a plain man, dwelt in tents. 25:28. isaac loved esau, because he ate of his hunting: and rebecca loved jacob. 25:29. and jacob boiled pottage: to whom esau, coming faint out of the field, 25:30. said: give me of this red pottage, for i am exceeding faint. for which reason his name was called edom. 25:31. and jacob said to him: sell me thy first birthright. 25:32. he answered: lo i die, what will the first birthright avail me? 25:33. jacob said: swear therefore to me. esau swore to him, and sold his first birthright. 25:34. and so taking bread and the pottage of lentils, he ate, and drank, and went on his way; making little account of having sold his first birthright. genesis chapter 26 isaac sojourneth in gerara, where god reneweth to him the promise made to abraham. king abimelech maketh league with him. 26:1. and when a famine came in the land, after that barrenness which had happened in the days of abraham, isaac went to abimelech, king of the palestines, to gerara. 26:2. and the lord appeared to him, and said: go not down into egypt, but stay in the land that i shall tell thee. 26:3. and sojourn in it, and i will be with thee, and will bless thee: for to thee and to thy seed i will give all these countries, to fulfil the oath which i swore to abraham thy father. 26:4. and i will multiply thy seed like the stars of heaven: and i will give to thy posterity all these countries: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. 26:5. because abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my precepts and commandments, and observed my ceremonies and laws. 26:6. so isaac abode in gerara. 26:7. and when he was asked by the men of that place, concerning his wife, he answered: she is my sister: for he was afraid to confess that she was his wife, thinking lest perhaps they would kill him because of her beauty. 26:8. and when very many days were passed, and he abode there, abimelech, king of the palestines, looking out through a window, saw him playing with rebecca, his wife. 26:9. and calling for him, he said: it is evident she is thy wife: why didst thou feign her to be thy sister? he answered: i feared lest i should die for her sake. 26:10. and abimelech said: why hast thou deceived us? some man of the people might have lain with thy wife, and thou hadst brought upon us a great sin. and he commanded all the people, saying: 26:11. he that shall touch this man's wife, shall surely be put to death. 26:12. and isaac sowed in that land, and he found that same year a hundredfold: and the lord blessed him. 26:13. and the man was enriched, and he went on prospering and increasing, till he became exceeding great. 26:14. and he had possessions of sheep and of herds, and a very great family. wherefore the palestines envying him, 26:15. stopped up at that time all the wells, that the servants of his father, abraham, had digged, filling them up with earth: 26:16. insomuch that abimelech himself said to isaac: depart from us, for thou art become much mightier than we. 26:17. so he departed, and came to the torrent of gerara, to dwell there: 26:18. and he digged again other wells, which the servants of his father, abraham, had digged, and which, after his death, the philistines had of old stopped up: and he called them by the same names, by which his father before had called them. 26:19. and they digged in the torrent, and found living water: torrent... that is, a channel where sometimes a torrent or violent stream had run. 26:20. but there also the herdsmen of gerara strove against the herdsmen of isaac, saying: it is our water. wherefore he called the name of the well, on occasion of that which had happened, calumny. 26:21. and they digged also another; and for that they quarrelled likewise, and he called the name of it, enmity. 26:22. going forward from thence, he digged another well, for which they contended not; therefore he called the name thereof, latitude, saying: now hath the lord given us room, and made us to increase upon the earth. latitude... that is, wideness, or room. 26:23. and he went up from that place to bersabee, 26:24. where the lord appeared to him that same night, saying: i am the god of abraham thy father, do not fear, for i am with thee: i will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant abraham's sake. 26:25. and he built there an altar: and called upon the name of the lord, and pitched his tent; and commanded his servants to dig a well. 26:26. to which place when abimelech, and ochozath his friend, and phicol chief captain of his soldiers, came from gerara, 26:27. isaac said to them: why are ye come to me, a man whom you hate, and have thrust out from you? 26:28. and they answered: we saw that the lord is with thee, and therefore we said: let there be an oath between us, and let us make a covenant, 26:29. that thou do us no harm, as we on our part have touched nothing of thine, nor have done any thing to hurt thee; but with peace have sent thee away, increased with the blessing of the lord. 26:30. and he made them a feast, and after they had eaten and drunk: 26:31. arising in the morning, they swore one to another: and isaac sent them away peaceably to their own home. 26:32. and behold, the same day the servants of isaac came, telling him of a well which they had digged, and saying: we have found water. 26:33. whereupon he called it abundance: and the name of the city was called bersabee, even to this day. 26:34. and esau being forty years old, married wives, judith, the daughter of beeri, the hethite, and basemath, the daughter of elon, of the same place. 26:35. and they both offended the mind of isaac and rebecca. genesis chapter 27 jacob, by him mother's counsel, obtaineth his father's blessing instead of esau. and by her is advised to fly to his uncle laban. 27:1. now isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, and he could not see: and he called esau, his elder son, and said to him: my son? and he answered: here i am. 27:2. and his father said to him, thou seest that i am old, and know not the day of my death. 27:3. take thy arms, thy quiver, and bow, and go abroad; and when thou hast taken something by hunting, 27:4. make me a savoury meat thereof, as thou knowest i like, and bring it that i may eat: and my soul may bless thee, before i die. 27:5. and when rebecca had heard this, and he was gone into the field to fulfil his father's commandment, 27:6. she said to her son jacob: i heard thy father talking with esau, thy brother, and saying to him: 27:7. bring me of thy hunting, and make me meats that i may eat, and bless thee in the sight of the lord, before i die. 27:8. now therefore, my son, follow my counsel: 27:9. and go thy way to the flock, bring me two kids of the best, that i may make of them meat for thy father, such as he gladly eateth. 27:10. which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die. 27:11. and he answered her: thou knowest that esau, my brother, is a hairy man, and i am smooth: 27:12. if my father should feel me, and perceive it, i fear lest he will think i would have mocked him, and i shall bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing. 27:13. and his mother said to him: upon me be this curse, my son: only hear thou my voice, and go, fetch me the things which i have said. 27:14. he went, and brought, and gave them to his mother. she dressed meats, such as she knew his father liked. 27:15. and she put on him very good garments of esau, which she had at home with her: 27:16. and the little skins of the kids she put about his hands, and covered the bare of his neck. 27:17. and she gave him the savoury meat, and delivered him bread that she had baked. 27:18. which when he had carried in, he said: my father? but he answered: i hear. who art thou, my son? 27:19. and jacob said: i am esau, thy firstborn: i have done as thou didst command me: arise, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. i am esau thy firstborn... st. augustine (l. contra mendacium, c. 10), treating at large upon this place, excuseth jacob from a lie, because this whole passage was mysterious, as relating to the preference which was afterwards to be given to the gentiles before the carnal jews, which jacob by prophetic light might understand. so far is certain, that the first birthright, both by divine election and by esau's free cession belonged to jacob: so that if there were any lie in the case, it could be no more than an officious and venial one. 27:20. and isaac said to his son: how couldst thou find it so quickly, my son? he answered: it was the will of god, that what i sought came quickly in my way: 27:21. and isaac said: come hither, that i may feel thee, my son, and may prove whether thou be my son esau, or no. 27:22. he came near to his father, and when he had felt him, isaac said: the voice indeed is the voice of jacob; but the hands, are the hands of esau. 27:23. and he knew him not, because his hairy hands made him like to the elder. then blessing him, 27:24. he said: art thou my son esau? he answered: i am. 27:25. then he said: bring me the meats of thy hunting, my son, that my soul may bless thee. and when they were brought, and he had eaten, he offered him wine also, which after he had drunk, 27:26. he said to him: come near me, and give me a kiss, my son. 27:27. he came near, and kissed him. and immediately as he smelled the fragrant smell of his garments, blessing him, he said: behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the lord hath blessed. 27:28. god give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine. 27:29. and let peoples serve thee, and tribes worship thee: be thou lord of thy brethren, and let thy mother's children bow down before thee. cursed be he that curseth thee: and let him that blesseth thee be filled with blessings. 27:30. isaac had scarce ended his words, when, jacob being now gone out abroad, esau came, 27:31. and brought in to his father meats, made of what he had taken in hunting, saying: arise, my father, and eat of thy son's venison; that thy soul may bless me. 27:32. and isaac said to him: why! who art thou? he answered: i am thy firstborn son, esau. 27:33. isaac was struck with fear, and astonished exceedingly; and wondering beyond what can be believed, said: who is he then that even now brought me venison that he had taken, and i ate of all before thou camest? and i have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. 27:34. esau having heard his father's words, roared out with a great cry; and, being in a consternation, said: bless me also, my father. 27:35. and he said: thy brother came deceitfully and got thy blessing. 27:36. but he said again: rightly is his name called jacob; for he hath supplanted me lo this second time: my birthright he took away before, and now this second time he hath stolen away my blessing. and again he said to his father: hast thou not reserved me also a blessing? jacob... that is, a supplanter. 27:37. isaac answered: i have appointed him thy lord, and have made all his brethren his servants: i have established him with corn and wine, and after this, what shall i do more for thee, my son? 27:38. and esau said to him: hast thou only one blessing, father? i beseech thee bless me also. and when he wept with a loud cry, 27:39. isaac being moved, said to him: in the fat of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above, 27:40. shall thy blessing be. thou shalt live by the sword, and shalt serve thy brother: and the time shall come, when thou shalt shake off and loose his yoke from thy neck. 27:41. esau therefore always hated jacob, for the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him; and he said in his heart: the days will come of the mourning for my father, and i will kill my brother jacob. 27:42. these things were told to rebecca: and she sent and called jacob, her son, and said to him: behold esau, thy brother, threateneth to kill thee. 27:43. now therefore, my son, hear my voice, arise and flee to laban, my brother, to haran: 27:44. and thou shalt dwell with him a few days, till the wrath of thy brother be assuaged, 27:45. and his indignation cease, and he forget the things thou hast done to him: afterwards i will send, and bring thee from thence hither. why shall i be deprived of both my sons in one day? 27:46. and rebecca said to isaac: i am weary of my life, because of the daughters of heth: if jacob take a wife of the stock of this land, i choose not to live. genesis chapter 28 jacob's journey to mesopotamia: his vision and vow. 28:1. and isaac called jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, saying: take not a wife of the stock of chanaan: 28:2. but go, and take a journey to mesopotamia of syria, to the house of bathuel, thy mother's father, and take thee a wife thence of the daughters of laban, thy uncle. 28:3. and god almighty bless thee, and make thee to increase and multiply thee: that thou mayst be a multitude of people. 28:4. and give the blessings of araham to thee, and to thy seed after thee: that thou mayst possess the land of thy sojournment, which he promised to thy grandfather. 28:5. and when isaac had sent him away, he took his journey and went to mesopotamia of syria, to laban, the son of bathuel, the syrian, brother to rebecca, his mother. 28:6. and esau seeing that his father had blessed jacob, and had sent him into mesopotamia of syria, to marry a wife thence; and that after the blessing he had charged him, saying: thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of chanaan: 28:7. and that jacob obeying his parents, was gone into syria: 28:8. experiencing also, that his father was not well pleased with the daughters of chanaan: 28:9. he went to ismael, and took to wife, besides them he had before, maheleth, the daughter of ismael, abraham's son, the sister of nabajoth. 28:10. but jacob being departed from bersabee, went on to haran. 28:11. and when he was come to a certain place, and would rest in it after sunset, he took of the stones that lay there, and putting under his head, slept in the same place. 28:12. and he saw in his sleep a ladder standing upon the earth, and the top thereof touching heaven: the angels also of god ascending and descending by it. 28:13. and the lord leaning upon the ladder saying to him: i am the lord god of abraham thy father, and the god of isaac: the land, wherein thou sleepest, i will give to thee and to thy seed. 28:14. and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth: thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and thy seed, all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed. 28:15. and i will be thy keeper whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee back into this land: neither will i leave thee, till i shall have accomplished all that i have said. 28:16. and when jacob awaked out of sleep, he said: indeed the lord is in this place, and i knew it not. 28:17. and trembling, he said: how terrible is this place? this is no other but the house of god, and the gate of heaven. 28:18. and jacob arising in the morning, took the stone which he had laid under his head, and set it up for a title, pouring oil upon the top of it. 28:19. and he called the name of the city bethel, which before was called luza. bethel... this name signifies the house of god. 28:20. and he made a vow, saying: if god shall be with me, and shall keep me in the way, by which i walk, and shall give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 28:21. and i shall return prosperously to my father's house: the lord shall be my god: 28:22. and this stone, which i have set up for a title, shall be called the house of god: and of all things that thou shalt give to me, i will offer tithes to thee. genesis chapter 29 jacob serveth laban seven years for rachel: but is deceived with lia: he afterwards marrieth rachel. lia bears him four sons. 29:1. then jacob went on in his journey, and came into the east country. 29:2. and he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying by it: for the beasts were watered out of it, and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone. 29:3. and the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to roll away the stone, and after the sheep were watered, to put it on the mouth of the well again. 29:4. and he said to the shepherds: brethren, whence are you? they answered: of haran. 29:5. and he asked them, saying: know you laban, the son of nachor? they said: we know him. 29:6. he said: is he in health? he is in health, say they: and behold, rachel, his daughter, cometh with his flock. 29:7. and jacob said: there is yet much day remaining, neither is it time to bring the flocks into the folds again: first give the sheep drink, and so lead them back to feed. 29:8. they answered: we cannot, till all the cattle be gathered together, and we remove the stone from the well's mouth, that we may water the flocks. 29:9. they were yet speaking, and behold rachel came with her father's sheep; for she fed the flock. 29:10. and when jacob saw her, and knew her to be his cousin german, and that they were the sheep of laban, his uncle: he removed the stone wherewith the well was closed. 29:11. and having watered the flock, he kissed her: and lifting up his voice wept. 29:12. and he told her that he was her father's brother, and the son of rebecca: but she went in haste and told her father. 29:13. who, when he heard that jacob his sister's son was come, ran forth to meet him: and embracing him, and heartily kissing him, brought him into his house. and when he had heard the causes of his journey, 29:14. he answered: thou art my bone and my flesh. and after the days of one month were expired, 29:15. he said to him: because thou art my brother, shalt thou serve me without wages? tell me what wages thou wilt have. 29:16. now he had two daughters, the name of the elder was lia; and the younger was called rachel. 29:17. but lia was blear eyed: rachel was well favoured, and of a beautiful countenance. 29:18. and jacob being in love with her, said: i will serve thee seven years for rachel, thy younger daughter. 29:19. laban answered: it is better that i give her to thee than to another man; stay with me. 29:20. so jacob served seven years for rachel: and they seemed but a few days, because of the greatness of his love. 29:21. and he said to laban: give me my wife; for now the time is fulfilled, that i may go in unto her. 29:22. and he, having invited a great number of his friends to the feast, made the marriage. 29:23. and at night he brought in lia, his daughter, to him, 29:24. giving his daughter a handmaid, named zelpha. now when jacob had gone in to her according to custom, when morning was come he saw it was lia. 29:25. and he said to his father in law: what is it that thou didst mean to do? did not i serve thee for rachel? why hast thou deceived me? 29:26. laban answered: it is not the custom in this place, to give the younger in marriage first. 29:27. make up the week of days of this match: and i will give thee her also, for the service that thou shalt render me other seven years. 29:28. he yielded to his pleasure: and after the week was past, he married rachel: 29:29. to whom her father gave bala, for her servant. 29:30. and having at length obtained the marriage he wished for, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and served with him other seven years. 29:31. and the lord seeing that he despised lia, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren. 29:32. and she conceived and bore a son, and called his name ruben, saying: the lord saw my affliction: now my husband will love me. 29:33. and again she conceived and bore a son, and said: because the lord heard that i was despised, he hath given this also to me: and she called his name simeon. 29:34. and she conceived the third time, and bore another son, and said: now also my husband will be joined to me, because i have borne him three sons: and therefore she called his name levi. 29:35. the fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and said: now will i praise the lord: and for this she called him juda. and she left bearing. genesis chapter 30 rachel, being barren, delivereth her handmaid to jacob; she beareth two sons. lia ceasing to bear, giveth also her handmaid, and she beareth two more. then lia beareth other two sons and one daughter. rachel beareth joseph. jacob, desirous to return home, is hired to stay for a certain part of the flock's increase, whereby he becometh exceeding rich. 30:1. and rachel seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: give me children, otherwise i shall die. 30:2. and jacob being angry with her, answered: am i as god, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy womb? 30:3. but she said: i have here my servant bala: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my knees, and i may have children by her. 30:4. and she gave him bala in marriage: who, 30:5. when her husband had gone in unto her, conceived and bore a son. 30:6. and rachel said: the lord hath judged for me, and hath heard my voice, giving me a son; and therefore she called his name dan. 30:7. and again bala conceived, and bore another, 30:8. for whom rachel said: god hath compared me with my sister, and i have prevailed: and she called him nephthali. 30:9. lia perceiving that she had left of bearing, gave zelpha, her handmaid, to her husband. 30:10. and when she had conceived, and brought forth a son, 30:11. she said: happily. and therefore called his name gad. 30:12. zelpha also bore another. 30:13. and lia said: this is for my happiness: for women will call me blessed. therefore she called him aser. 30:14. and ruben going out in the time of the wheat harvest into the field, found mandrakes: which he brought to his mother lia. and rachel said: give me part of thy son's mandrakes. 30:15. she answered: dost thou think it a small matter, that thou hast taken my husband from me, unless thou take also my son's mandrakes? rachel said: he shall sleep with thee this night, for thy son's mandrakes. 30:16. and when jacob returned at even from the field, lia went out to meet him, and said: thou shalt come in unto me, because i have hired thee for my son's mandrakes. and he slept with her that night. 30:17. and god heard her prayers; and she conceived: and bore a fifth son: 30:18. and said: god hath given me a reward, because i gave my handmaid to my husband. and she called his name issachar. 30:19. and lia conceived again, and bore the sixth son, 30:20. and said: god hath endowed me with a good dowry; this turn also my husband will be with me, because i have borne him six sons: and therefore she called his name zabulon. 30:21. after whom she bore a daughter, named dina. 30:22. the lord also remembering rachel, heard her, and opened her womb. 30:23. and she conceived, and bore a son, saying: god hath taken away my reproach. 30:24. and she called his name joseph: saying: the lord give me also another son. 30:25. and when joseph was born, jacob said to his father in law: send me away, that i may return into my country, and to my land. 30:26. give me my wives, and my children, for whom i have served thee, that i may depart: thou knowest the service that i have rendered thee. 30:27. laban said to him: let me find favour in thy sight: i have learned, by experience, that god hath blessed me for thy sake. 30:28. appoint thy wages which i shall give thee. 30:29. but he answered: thou knowest how i have served thee, and how great thy possession hath been in my hands. 30:30. thou hadst but little before i came to thee, and now thou art become rich: and the lord hath blessed thee at my coming. it is reasonable, therefore, that i should now provide also for my own house. 30:31. and laban said: what shall i give thee? but he said: i require nothing; but if thou wilt do what i demand, i will feed and keep thy sheep again. 30:32. go round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of divers colours, and speckled; and all that is brown and spotted, and of divers colours, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall be my wages. 30:33. and my justice shall answer for me tomorrow before thee, when the time of the bargain shall come; and all that is not of divers colours, and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall accurse me of theft. 30:34. and laban said: i like well what thou demandest. 30:35. and he separated the same day the she goats, and the sheep, and the he goats, and the rams of divers colours, and spotted; and all the flock of one colour, that is, of white and black fleece, he deliverdd into the hands of his sons. 30:36. and he set the space of three days journey betwixt himself and his son in law, who fed the rest of his flock. 30:37. and jacob took green rods of poplar, and of almond, and of plane trees, and pilled them in part: so when the bark was taken off, in the parts that were pilled, there appeared whiteness: but the parts that were whole, remained green: and by this means the colour was divers. 30:38. and he put them in the troughs, where the water was poured out; that when the flocks should come to drink, they might have the rods before their eyes, and in the sight of them might conceive. 30:39. and it came to pass, that in the very heat of coition, the sheep beheld the rods, and brought forth spotted, and of divers colours, and speckled. 30:40. and jacob separated the flock, and put the rods in the troughs before the eyes of the rams; and all the white and the black were laban's, and the rest were jacob's, when the flocks were separated one from the other. 30:41. so when the ewes went first to ram, jacob put the rods in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams, and of the ewes, that they might conceive while they were looking upon them. 30:42. but when the later coming was, and the last conceiving, he did not put them. and those that were lateward, became laban's; and they of the first time, jacob's. 30:43. and the man was enriched exceedingly, and he had many flocks, maidservants and menservants, camels and asses. genesis chapter 31 jacob's departure: he is pursued and overtaken by laban. they make a covenant. 31:1. but after that he had heard the words of the sons of laban, saying: jacob hath taken away all that was our father's, and being enriched by his substance is become great. 31:2. and perceiving also, that laban's countenance was not towards him as yesterday and the other day. 31:3. especially the lord saying to him: return into the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, and i will be with thee. 31:4. he sent, and called rachel and lia into the field, where he fed the flocks, 31:5. and said to them: i see your father's countenance is not towards me as yesterday and the other day: but the god of my father hath been with me. 31:6. and you know that i have served your father to the uttermost of my power. 31:7. yea your father hath also overreached me, and hath changed my wages ten times: and yet god hath not suffered him to hurt me. 31:8. if at any time, he said: the speckled shall be thy wages: all the sheep brought forth speckled: but when he said on the contrary: thou shalt take all the white one for thy wages: all the flocks brought forth white ones. 31:9. and god hath taken your father's substance, and given it to me. 31:10. for after the time came of the ewes conceiving, i lifted up my eyes, and saw in my sleep, that the males which leaped upon the females were of divers colours, and spotted, and speckled. 31:11. and the angel of god said to me in my sleep: jacob. and i answered: here i am. 31:12. and he said: lift up thy eyes, and see that all the males leaping upon the females, are of divers colours, spotted and speckled. for i have seen all that laban hath done to thee. 31:13. i am the god of bethel, where thou didst anoint the stone, and make a vow to me. now therefore arise, and go out of this land, and return into thy native country. 31:14. and rachel and lia answered: have we any thing left among the goods and inheritance of our father's house? 31:15. hath he not counted us as strangers, and sold us, and eaten up the price of us? 31:16. but god hath taken our father's riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore, do all that god hath commanded thee. 31:17. then jacob rose up, and having set his children and wives upon camels, went his way. 31:18. and he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had gotten in mesopotamia, and went forward to isaac, his father, to the land of chanaan. 31:19. at that time laban was gone to shear his sheep, and rachel stole away her father's idols. her father's idols... by this it appears that laban was an idolater; and some of the fathers are of opinion that rachel stole away these idols to withdraw him from idolatry, removing the occasion of his sin. 31:20. and jacob would not confess to his father in law that he was flying away. 31:21. and when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having passed the river, was going on towards mount galaad, 31:22. it was told laban on the third day, that jacob fled. 31:23. and he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days; and overtook him in the mount of galaad. 31:24. and he saw in a dream god, saying to him: take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against jacob. 31:25. now jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and when he, with his brethren, had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount of galaad. 31:26. and he said to jacob: why hast thou done thus, to carry away, without my knowledge, my daughters as captives taken with the sword? 31:27. why wouldst thou run away privately, and not acquaint me, that i might have brought thee on the way with joy, and with songs, and with timbrels, and with harps? 31:28. thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and daughters; thou hast done foolishly; and now indeed, 31:29. it is in my power to return thee evil; but the god of your father said to me yesterday: take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against jacob. 31:30. suppose thou didst desire to go to thy friends, and hadst a longing after thy father's house: why hast thou stolen away my gods? 31:31. jacob answered: that i departed unknown to thee, it was for fear lest thou wouldst take away thy daughters by force. 31:32. but, whereas, thou chargest me with theft: with whomsoever thou shalt find thy gods, let him be slain before our brethren. search, and if thou find any of thy things with me, take them away. now when he said this, he knew not that rachel had stolen the idols. 31:33. so laban went into the tent of jacob, and of lia, and of both the handmaids, and found them not. and when he was entered into rachel's tent, 31:34. she, in haste, hid the idols under the camel's furniture, and sat upon them: and when he had searched all the tent, and found nothing, 31:35. she said: let not my lord be angry that i cannot rise up before thee, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women. so his careful search was in vain. 31:36. and jacob being angry, said in a chiding manner: for what fault of mine, and for what offence on my part hast thou so hotly pursued me, 31:37. and searched all my household stuff? what hast thou found of all the substance of thy house? lay it here before my brethren, and thy brethren, and let them judge between me and thee. 31:38. have i, therefore, been with thee twenty years? thy ewes and goats were not barren, the rams of thy flocks i did not eat: 31:39. neither did i shew thee that which the beast had torn; i made good all the damage: whatsoever was lost by theft, thou didst exact it of me: 31:40. day and night was i parched with heat, and with frost, and sleep departed from my eyes. 31:41. and in this manner have i served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters, and six for thy flocks: thou hast changed also my wages ten times. 31:42. unless the god of my father, abraham, and the fear of isaac, had stood by me, peradventure now thou hadst sent me away naked: god beheld my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesterday. 31:43. laban answered him: the daughters are mine, and the children, and thy flocks, and all things that thou seest are mine: what can i do to my children, and grandchildren? 31:44. come, therefore, let us enter into a league; that it may be for a testimony between me and thee. 31:45. and jacob took a stone, and set it up for a title. 31:46. and he said to his brethren: bring hither stones. and they, gathering stones together, made a heap, and they ate upon it. 31:47. and laban called it, the witness heap; and jacob, the hillock of testimony: each of them according to the propriety of his language. 31:48. and laban said: this heap shall be a witness between me and thee this day, and therefore the name thereof was called galaad, that is, the witness heap. 31:49. the lord behold and judge between us, when we shall be gone one from the other. 31:50. if thou afflict my daughters, and if thou bring in other wives over them: none is witness of our speech but god, who is present and beholdeth. 31:51. and he said again to jacob: behold this heap, and the stone which i have set up between me and thee, 31:52. shall be a witness: this heap, i say, and the stone, be they for a testimony, if either i shall pass beyond it going towards thee, or thou shalt pass beyond it thinking harm to me. 31:53. the god of abraham, and the god of nachor, the god of their father, judge betweeen us. and jacob swore by the fear of his father isaac: 31:54. and after he had offered sacrifices in the mountain, he called his brethren to eat bread. and when they had eaten, they lodged there: 31:55. but laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them: and returned to his place. genesis chapter 32 jacob's vision of angels; his message and presents to esau; his wrestling with an angel. 32:1. jacob also went on the journey he had begun: and the angels of god met him. 32:2. and when he saw them, he said: these are the camps of god, and he called the name of that place mahanaim, that is, camps. 32:3. and he sent messengers before him to esau, his brother, to the land of seir, to the country of edom: 32:4. and he commanded them, saying: thus shall ye speak to my lord esau: thus saith thy brother jacob: i have sojourned with laban, and have been with him until this day: 32:5. i have oxen, and asses, and sheep, and menservants, and womenservants: and now i send a message to my lord, that i may find favour in thy sight. 32:6. and the messengers returned to jacob, saying: we came to esau, thy brother, and behold he cometh with speed to meet thee with four hundred men. 32:7. then jacob was greatly afraid; and in his fear divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies, 32:8. saying: if esau come to one company, and destroy it, the other company that is left, shall escape. 32:9. and jacob said: o god of my fahter abraham, and god of my father isaac: o lord who saidst to me, return to thy land, and to the place of thy birth, and i will do well for thee. 32:10. i am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. with my staff i passed over this jordan; and now i return with two companies. 32:11. deliver me from the hand of my brother esau, for i am greatly afraid of him; lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the children. 32:12. thou didst say, that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my seed like the sand of the sea, which connot be numbered for multitude. 32:13. and when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother esau, 32:14. two hundred she goats, twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, 32:15. thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she asses, and ten of their foals. 32:16. and he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: go before me, and let there be a space between drove and drove. 32:17. and he commanded the first, saying: if thou meet my brother esau, and he ask thee: whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee? 32:18. thou shalt answer: thy servant jacob's: he hath sent them as a present to my lord esau; and he cometh after us. 32:19. in like manner he commanded the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: speak ye the same words to esau, when ye find him. 32:20. and ye shall add: thy servant jacob himself also followeth after us; for he said: i will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards i will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me. 32:21. so the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp. 32:22. and rising early, he took his two wives and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of jaboc. 32:23. and when all things were brought over that belonged to him, 32:24. he remained alone; and behold, a man wrestled with him till morning. a man, etc... this was an angel in human shape, as we learn from osee 12.4. he is called god, ver. 28 and 30, because he represented the person of the son of god. this wrestling, in which jacob, assisted by god, was a match for an angel, was so ordered (ver. 28,) that he might learn by this experiment of the divine assistance, that neither esau, nor any other man, should have power to hurt him.-it was also spiritual, as appeareth by his earnest prayer, urging and at last obtaining the angel's blessing. 32:25. and when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank. 32:26. and he said to him: let me go, for it is break of day. he answered: i will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 32:27. and he said: what is thy name? he answered: jacob. 32:28. but he said: thy name shall not be called jacob, but israel; for if thou hast been strong against god, how much more shalt thou prevail against men? 32:29. jacob asked him: tell me by what name art thou called? he answered: why dost thou ask my name? and he blessed him in the same place. 32:30. and jacob called the name of the place phanuel, saying: i have seen god face to face, and my soul has been saved. phanuel... this word signifies the face of god, or the sight, or seeing of god. 32:31. and immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past phanuel; but he halted on his foot. 32:32. therefore the children of israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in jacob's thigh: because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank. genesis chapter 33 jacob and esau meet: jacob goeth to salem, where he raiseth an altar. 33:1. and jacob lifting up his eyes, saw esau coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of lia and of rachel, and of the two handmaids. 33:2. and he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and lia and her children in the second place: and rachel and joseph last. 33:3. and he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times, until his brother came near. 33:4. then esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept. 33:5. and lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: what mean these? and do they belong to thee? he answered: they are the children which god hath given to me, thy servant. 33:6. then the handmaids and their children came near and bowed themselves. 33:7. lia also, with her children, came near and bowed down in like manner; and last of all, joseph and rachel bowed down. 33:8. and esau said: what are the droves that i met? he answered: that i might find favour before my lord. 33:9. but he said: i have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself. 33:10. and jacob said: do not so i beseech thee, but if i have found favour in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for i have seen thy face, as if i should have seen the countenance of god: be gracious to me, 33:11. and take the blessing which i have brought thee, and which god hath given me, who giveth all things. he took it with much ado at his brother's earnest pressing him, 33:12. and said: let us go on together, and i will accompany thee in thy journey. 33:13. and jacob said: my lord, thou knowest that i have with me tender children, and sheep, and kine with young: which if i should cause to be overdriven, in one day all the flocks will die. 33:14. may it please my lord to go before his servant: and i will follow softly after him, as i shall see my children to be able, until i come to my lord in seir. 33:15. esau answered: i beseech thee, that some of the people, at least, who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. and he said: there is no necessity: i want nothing else but only to find favour, my lord, in thy sight. 33:16. so esau returned that day, the way that he came, to seir. 33:17. and jacob came to socoth: where having built a house, and pitched tents, he called the name of the place socoth, that is, tents. 33:18. and he passed over to salem, a city of the sichemites, which is in the land of chanaan, after he returned from mesopotamia of syria: and he dwelt by the town. 33:19. and he bought that part of the field, in which he pitched his tents, of the children of hemor, the father of sichem, for a hundred lambs. 33:20. and raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty god of israel. genesis chapter 34 dina is ravished, for which the sichemites are destroyed. 34:1. and dina the daughter of lia went out to see the women of that country. 34:2. and when sichem the son of hemor the hevite, the prince of that land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with her, ravishing the virgin. 34:3. and his soul was fast knit unto her; and whereas she was sad, he comforted her with sweet words. 34:4. and going to hemor his father, he said: get me this damsel to wife. 34:5. but when jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back. 34:6. and when hemor the father of sichem was come out to speak to jacob, 34:7. behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had passed, they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in israel, and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing jacob's daughter. 34:8. and hemor spoke to them: the soul of my son sichem has a longing for your daughter: give her him to wife: 34:9. and let us contract marriages one with another: give us your daughters, and take you our daughters. 34:10. and dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it. 34:11. sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: let me find favour in your sight, and whatsoever you shall appoint i will give: 34:12. raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and i will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife. 34:13. the sons of jacob answered sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister: deceitfully... the sons of jacob, on this occasion, were guilty of a grievous sin, as well by falsely pretending religion, as by excess of revenge: though otherwise their zeal against so foul a crime was commendable. 34:14. we cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; which with us is unlawful and abominable. 34:15. but in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, and all the male sex among you be circumcised: 34:16. then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours; and we will dwell with you, and will be one people: 34:17. but if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart. 34:18. their offer pleased hemor, and sichem, his son: 34:19. and the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was required: for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest man in all his father's house. 34:20. and going into the gate of the city, they spoke to the people: 34:21. these men are peaceable, and are willing to dwell with us: let them trade in the land, and till it, which being large and wide wanteth men to till it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and we will give them ours. 34:22. one thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: we must circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation. 34:23. and their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, shall be ours; only in this let us condescend, and by dwelling together, we shall make one people. 34:24. and they all agreed, and circumcised all the males. 34:25. and behold the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest: two of the sons of jacob, simeon and levi, the brothers of dina, taking their swords, entered boldly into the city and slew all the men. 34:26. and they killed also hemor and sichem, and took away their sister dina out of sichem's house. 34:27. and when they were gone out, the other sons of jacob came upon the slain; and plundered the city in revenge of the rape. 34:28. and they took their sheep, and their herds, and their asses, wasting all they had in their houses and in their fields. 34:29. and their children and wives they took captive. 34:30. and when they had boldly perpetrated these things, jacob said to simeon and levi: you have troubled me, and made me hateful to the chanaanites and pherezites, the inhabitants of this land. we are few: they will gather themselves together and kill me; and both i, and my house shall be destroyed. 34:31. they answered: should they abuse our sister as a strumpet? genesis chapter 35 jacob purgeth his family from idols: goeth by god's commandment to bethel, and there buildeth an altar. god appearing again to jacob blesseth him, and changeth his name into israel. rachel dieth in childbirth. isaac also dieth. 35:1. in the mean time god said to jacob: arise and go up to bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to god, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from esau, thy brother. 35:2. and jacob having called together all his household, said: cast away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed, and change your garments. 35:3. arise, and let us go up to bethel, that we may make there an altar to god; who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompained me in my journey. 35:4. so they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of sichem. 35:5. and when they were departed, the terror of god fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away. 35:6. and jacob came to luza, which is in the land of chanaan, surnamed bethel: he and all the people that were with him. 35:7. and he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, the house of god: for there god appeared to him when he fled from his brother. 35:8. at the same time debora, the nurse of rebecca, died, and was buried at the foot of bethel, under an oak, and the name of that place was called, the oak of weeping. 35:9. and god appeared again to jacob, after he returned from mesopotamia of syria, and he blessed him, 35:10. saying: thou shalt not be called any more jacob, but israel shall be thy name. and he called him israel. israel... this name signifieth one that prevaileth with god. 35:11. and said to him: i am god almighty, increase thou and be multiplied. nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins. 35:12. and the land which i gave to abraham and isaac, i will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee. 35:13. and he departed from him. 35:14. but he set up a monument of stone, in the place where god had spoken to him: pouring drink fferings upon it, and pouring oil thereon: 35:15. and calling the name of that place bethel. 35:16. and going forth from thence, he came in the spring time to the land which leadeth to ephrata: wherein when rachel was in travail, 35:17. by reason of her hard labour, she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: fear not, for thou shalt have this son also. 35:18. and when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son benoni, that is, the son of my pain: but his father called him benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand. 35:19. so rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to ephrata, this is bethlehem. 35:20. and jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar of rachel's monument, to this day. 35:21. departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the flock tower. 35:22. and when he dwelt in that country, ruben went, and slept with bala the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. now the sons of jacob were twelve. the concubine... she was his lawful wife; but, according to the style of the hebrews, is called concubine, because of her servile extraction. 35:23. the sons of lia: ruben the first born, and simeon, and levi, and juda, and issachar, and zabulon. 35:24. the sons of rachel: joseph and benjamin. 35:25. the sons of bala, rachel's handmaid: dan and nephthali. 35:26. the sons of zelpha, lia's handmaid: gad and aser: these are the sons of jacob, that were born to him in mesopotamia of syria. 35:27. and he came to isaac his father in mambre, the city of arbee, this is hebron: wherein abraham and isaac sojourned. 35:28. and the days of isaac were a hundred and eighty years. 35:29. and being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons esau and jacob buried him. genesis chapter 36 esau with his wives and children parteth from jacob. an account of his descendants, and of the first kings of edom. 36:1. and these are the generations of esau, the same is edom. 36:2. esau took wives of the daughters of chanaan: ada the daughter of elon the hethite, and oolibama the daughter of ana, the daughter of sebeon the hevite: ada... these wives of esau are called by other names, gen. 26. but it was very common amongst the ancients for the same persons to have two names, as esau himself was also called edom. 36:3. and basemath, the daughter of ismael, sister of nabajoth. 36:4. and ada bore eliphaz: basemath bore rahuel. 36:5. oolibama bore jehus, and ihelon, and core. these are the sons of esau, that were born to him in the land of chanaan. 36:6. and esau took his wives, and his sons and daughters, and every soul of his house, and his substance, and cattle, and all that he was able to acquire in the land of chanaan: and went into another country, and departed from his brother jacob. 36:7. for they were exceeding rich, and could not dwell together: neither was the land in which they sojourned able to bear them, for the multitude of their flocks. 36:8. and esau dwelt in mount seir: he is edom. 36:9. and these are the generations of esau, the father of edom, in mount seir. 36:10. and these the names of his sons: eliphaz the son of ada, the wife of esau: and rahuel, the son of basemath, his wife. 36:11. and eliphaz had sons: theman, omar, sepho, and gatham and cenez. 36:12. and thamna was the concubine of eliphaz, the son of esau: and she bore him amalech. these are the sons of ada, the wife of esau. 36:13. and the sons of rahuel were nahath and zara, samma and meza. these were the sons of basemath, the wife of esau. 36:14. and these were the sons of oolibama, the daughter of ana, the daughter of sebeon, the wife of esau, whom she bore to him, jehus, and ihelon, and core. 36:15. these were dukes of the sons of esau: the sons of eliphaz, the firstborn of esau: duke theman, duke omar, duke sepho, duke cenez, 36:16. duke core, duke gatham, duke amalech: these are the sons of eliphaz, in the land of edom, and these the sons of ada. 36:17. and these were the sons of rahuel, the son of esau: duke nahath, duke zara, duke samma, duke meza. and these are the dukes of rahuel, in the land of edom: these the sons of basemath, the wife of esau. 36:18. and these the sons of oolibama, the wife of esau: duke jehus, duke ihelon, duke core. these are the dukes of oolibama, the daughter of ana, and wife of esau. 36:19. these are the sons of esau, and these the dukes of them: the same is edom. 36:20. these are the sons of seir, the horrite, the inhabitants of the land: lotan, and sobal, and sebeon, and ana, 36:21. and dison, and eser, and disan. these are dukes of the horrites, the sons of seir, in the land of edom. 36:22. and lotan had sons: hori and heman. and the sister of lotan was thamna. 36:23. and these the sons of sobal: alvan, and manahat, and ebal, and sepho, and onam. 36:24. and these the sons of sebeon: aia and ana. this is ana that found the hot waters in the wilderness, when he fed the asses of sebeon, his father: 36:25. and he had a son dison, and a daughter oolibama. 36:26. and these were the sons of dison: hamdan, and eseban, and jethram, and charan. 36:27. these also were the sons of eser: balaan, and zavan, and acan. 36:28. and dison had sons: hus and aram. 36:29. these were dukes of the horrites: duke lotan, duke sobal, duke sebeon, duke ana, 36:30. duke dison, duke eser, duke disan: these were dukes of the horrites that ruled in the land of seir. 36:31. and the kings that ruled in the land of edom, before the children of israel had a king, were these: 36:32. bela the son of beor, and the name of his city denaba. 36:33. and bela died, and jobab, the son of zara, of bosra, reigned in his stead. 36:34. and when jobab was dead, husam, of the land of the themanites, reigned in his stead. 36:35. and after his death, adad, the son of badad, reigned in his stead, who defeated the madianites in the country of boab; and the name of his city was avith. 36:36. and when adad was dead, there reigned in his stead, semla, of masreca. 36:37. and he being dead, saul, of the river rohoboth, reigned in his stead. 36:38. and when he also was dead, balanan, the son of achobor, succeeded to the kingdom. 36:39. this man also being dead, adar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was phau: and his wife was called meetabel, the daughter of matred, daughter of mezaab. 36:40. and these are the names of the dukes of esau in their kindreds, and places, and callings: duke thamna, duke alva, duke jetheth, 36:41. duke oolibama, duke ela, duke phinon, 36:42. duke cenez, duke theman, duke mabsar, 36:43. duke magdiel, duke hiram: these are the dukes of edom dwelling in the land of their government; the same is esau, the father of the edomites. genesis chapter 37 joseph's dreams: he is sold by his brethren, and carried into egypt. 37:1. and jacob dwelt in the land of chanaan, wherein his father sojourned. 37:2. and these are his generations: joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of bala and of zelpha his father's wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime. 37:3. now israel loved joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours. 37:4. and his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated hem, and could not speak peaceably to him. 37:5. now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more. a dream... these dreams of joseph were prophetical, and sent from god; as were also those which he interpreted, gen. 40. and 41.; otherwise generally speaking, the observing of dreams is condemned in the scripture, as superstitious and sinful. see deut. 18.10; eccli. 34.2,3. 37:6. and he said to them: hear my dream which i dreamed. 37:7. i thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about bowed down before my sheaf. 37:8. his brethren answered: shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred. 37:9. he dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: i saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me. 37:10. and when he had told this to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him and said: what meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall i and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth? worship... this word is not used here to signify divine worship, but an inferior veneration, expressed by the bowing of the body, and that, according to the manner of the eastern nations, down to the ground. 37:11. his brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself. 37:12. and when his brethren abode in sechem, feeding their father's flocks, 37:13. israel said to him: thy brethren feed the sheep in sichem: come, i will send thee to them. and when he answered: 37:14. i am ready: he said to him: go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. so being sent from the vale of hebron, he came to sichem: 37:15. and a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought. 37:16. but he answered: i seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the flocks. 37:17. and the man said to him: they are departed from this place: for i heard them say: let us go to dothain. and joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in dothain. 37:18. and when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him: 37:19. and said one to another: behold the dreamer cometh. 37:20. come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him: 37:21. and ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said: 37:22. do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father. 37:23. and as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours: 37:24. and cast him into an old pit where there was not water. 37:25. and sitting down to eat bread, they saw some ismaelites on their way coming from galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to egypt. 37:26. and juda said to his brethren: what will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood? 37:27. it is better that he be sold to the ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. his brethren agreed to his words. 37:28. and when the madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into egypt. 37:29. and ruben returning to the pit, found not the boy: 37:30. and rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: the boy doth not appear, and whither shall i go? 37:31. and they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed: 37:32. sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: this we have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or not. 37:33. and the father acknowledging it, said: it is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured joseph. 37:34. and tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time. 37:35. and all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: i will go down to my son into hell, mourning. and whilst he continued weeping, into hell... that is, into limbo, the place where the souls of the just were received before the death of our redeemer. for allowing that the word hell sometimes is taken for the grave, it cannot be so taken in this place; since jacob did not believe his son to be in the grave, (whom he supposed to be devoured by a wild beast,) and therefore could not mean to go down to him thither: but certainly meant the place of rest where he believed his soul to be. 37:36. the madianites sold joseph in egypt to putiphar, an eunuch of pharao, captain of the soldiers. an eunuch... this word sometimes signifies a chamberlain, courtier, or officer of the king: and so it is taken in this place. genesis chapter 38 the sons of juda: the death of her and onan: the birth of phares and zara. 38:1. at that time juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain odollamite, named hiras. 38:2. and he saw there the daughter of a man of chanaan, called sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her. 38:3. and she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name her. 38:4. and conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him onan. 38:5. she bore also a third: whom she called sela. after whose birth, she ceased to bear any more. 38:6. and juda took a wife for her, his first born, whose name was thamar. 38:7. and her, the first born of juda, was wicked in the sight of the lord: and was slain by him. 38:8. juda, therefore, said to onan his son: go in to thy brother's wife and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother. 38:9. he knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother's wife, he spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother's name. 38:10. and therefore the lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing: 38:11. wherefore juda said to thamar his daughter-in-law: remain a widow in thy father's house, till sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest he also might die, as his brethren did. she went her way, and dwelt in her father's house. 38:12. and after many days were past: the daughter of sue the wife of juda died: and when he had taken comfort after his mourning, he went up to thamnas, to the shearers of his sheep, he and hiras the odollamite, the shepherd of his flock. 38:13. and it was told thamar that her father-in-law was come up to thamnas to shear his sheep. 38:14. and she put off the garments of her widowhood, and took a veil: and changing her dress, sat in the cross way, that leadeth to thamnas: because sela was grown up, and she had not been married to him. 38:15. when juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot: for she had covered her face, lest she should be known. 38:16. and going to her, he said: suffer me to lie with thee: for he knew her not to be his daughter-in-law. and she answered: what wilt thou give me to enjoy my company? 38:17. he said: i will send thee a kid out of the flock. and when she said again: i will suffer what thou wilt, if thou give me a pledge, till thou send what thou promisest. 38:18. juda said: what wilt thou have for a pledge? she answered: thy ring and bracelet, and the staff which thou holdest in thy hand. the woman therefore at one copulation conceived. 38:19. and she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood. 38:20. and juda sent a kid by his shepherd, the odollamite, that he might receive the pledge again, which he had given to the woman: but he, not finding her, 38:21. asked the men of that place: where is the woman that sat in the cross way? and when they all made answer: there was no harlot in this place, 38:22. he returned to juda, and said to him: i have not found her; moreover, the men of that place said to me, that there never sat a harlot there. 38:23. juda said: let her take it to herself, surely she cannot charge us with a lie, i sent the kid which i promised: and thou didst not find her. 38:24. and behold, after three months, they told juda, saying: thamar, thy daughter-in-law, hath played the harlot, and she appeareth to have a big belly. and juda said: bring her out that she may be burnt. 38:25. but when she was led to execution, she sent to her father in law, saying: by the man, to whom these things belong, i am with child. see whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is. 38:26. but he acknowledging the gifts, said: she is juster than i: because i did not give her to sela, my son. however he knew her no more. 38:27. and when she was ready to be brought to bed, there appeared twins in her womb: and in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, whereon the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying: 38:28. this shall come forth the first. 38:29. but he drawing back his hand, the other came forth: and the woman said: why is the partition divided for thee? and therefore called his name phares. phares... that is, a breach or division. 38:30. afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread: and she called his name zara. genesis chapter 39 joseph hath charge of his master's house: rejecteth his mistress's solicitations: is falsely accused by her, and cast into prison, where he hath the charge of all the prisoners. 39:1. and joseph was brought into egypt, and putiphar, an eunuch of pharao, chief captain of the army, an egyptian, bought him of the ismaelites, by whom he was brought. 39:2. and the lord was with him, and he was a prosperous man in all things: and he dwelt in his master's house: 39:3. who knew very well that the lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 39:4. and joseph found favour in the sight of his master, and ministered to him: and being set over all by him, he governed the house committed to him, and all things that were delivered to him: 39:5. and the lord blessed the house of the egyptian for joseph's sake, and multiplied all his substance, both at home and in the fields. 39:6. neither knew he any other thing, but the bread which he ate. and joseph was of a beautiful countenance, and comely to behold. 39:7. and after many days, his mistress cast her eyes on joseph, and said: lie with me. 39:8. but he in no wise consenting to that wicked act said to her: behold, my master hath delivered all things to me, and knoweth not what he hath in his own house: 39:9. neither is there any thing which is not in my power, or that he hath not delivered to me, but thee, who art his wife; how then can i do this wicked thing, and sin against my god? 39:10. with such words as these day by day, both the woman was importunate with the young man, and he refused the adultery. 39:11. now it happened on a certain day, that joseph went into the house, and was doing some business, without any man with him: 39:12. and she catching the skirt of his garment, said: lie with me. but he leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out. 39:13. and when the woman saw the garment in her hands, and herself disregarded, 39:14. she called to her the men of her house, and said to them: see, he hath brought in a hebrew, to abuse us: he came in to me, to lie with me; and when i cried out, 39:15. and he heard my voice, he left the garment that i held, and got him out. 39:16. for a proof therefore of her fidelity, she kept the garment, and shewed it to her husband when he returned home: a proof of her fidelity... or an argument to gain credit, argumentum fidei. 39:17. and said: the hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought, came to me to abuse me. 39:18. and when he heard me cry, he left the garment which i held, and fled out. 39:19. his master hearing these things, and giving too much credit to his wife's words, was very angry, 39:20. and cast joseph into the prison, where the king's prisoners were kept, and he was there shut up. 39:21. but the lord was with joseph, and having mercy upon him gave him favour in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison: 39:22. who delivered into his hand all the prisoners that were kept in custody: and whatsoever was done, was under him. 39:23. neither did he himself know any thing, having committed all things to him: for the lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper. genesis chapter 40 joseph interpreteth the dreams of two of pharao's servants in prison: the event declareth the interpretations to be true, but joseph is forgotten. 40:1. after this, it came to pass, that two eunuchs, the butler and the baker of the king of egypt, offended their lord. 40:2. and pharao being angry with them, (now the one was chief butler, the other chief baker,) 40:3. he sent them to the prison of the commander of the soldiers, in which joseph also was prisoner. 40:4. but the keeper of the prison delivered them to joseph, and he served them. some little time passed, and they were kept in custody. 40:5. and they both dreamed a dream the same night, according to the interpretation agreeing to themselves: 40:6. and when joseph was come into them in the morning, and saw them sad, 40:7. he asked them, saying: why is your countenance sadder today than usual? 40:8. they answered: we have dreamed a dream, and there is nobody to interpret it to us. and joseph said to them: doth not interpretation belong to god? tell me what you have dreamed: doth not interpretation belong to god?... when dreams are from god, as these were, the interpretation of them is a gift of god. but the generality of dreams are not of this sort; but either proceed from the natural complexions and dispositions of persons, or the roving of their imaginations in the day on such objects as they are much affected with, or from their mind being disturbed with cares and troubles, and oppressed with bodily infirmities: or they are suggested by evil spirits, to flatter, or to terrify weak minds, in order to gain belief, and so draw them into error or superstition; or at least to trouble them in their sleep, whom they cannot move when they are awake: so that the general rule, with regard to dreams, is not to observe them, nor to give any credit to them. 40:9. the chief butler first told his dream: i saw before me a vine, 40:10. on which were three branches, which by little and little sent out buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe grapes: 40:11. and the cup of pharao was in my hand: and i took the grapes, and pressed them into the cup which i held, and i gave the cup to pharao. 40:12. joseph answered: this is the interpretation of the dream: the three branches, are yet three days: 40:13. after which pharao will remember thy service, and will restore thee to thy former place: and thou shalt present him the cup according to thy office, as before thou was wont to do. 40:14. only remember me when it shall be well with thee, and do me this kindness: to put pharao in mind to take me out of this prison: 40:15. for i was stolen away out of the land of the hebrews, and here without any fault was cast into the dungeon. 40:16. the chief baker seeing that he had wisely interpreted the dream, said: i also dreamed a dream, that i had three baskets of meal upon my head: 40:17. and that in one basket which was uppermost, i carried all meats that are made by the art of baking, and that the birds ate out of it. 40:18. joseph answered: this is the interpretation of the dream: the three baskets, are yet three days: 40:19. after which pharao will take thy head from thee, and hang thee on a cross, and the birds shall tear thy flesh. 40:20. the third day after this was the birthday of pharao: and he made a great feast for his servants, and at the banquet remembered the chief butler, and the chief baker. 40:21. and he restored the one to his place, to present him the cup: 40:22. the other he hanged on a gibbet, that the truth of the interpreter might be shewn. 40:23. but the chief butler, when things prospered with him, forgot his interpreter. genesis chapter 41 joseph interpreteth the two dreams of pharao: he is made ruler over all egypt. 41:1. after two years pharao had a dream. he thought he stood by the river, 41:2. out of which came up seven kine, very beautiful and fat: and they fed in marshy places. 41:3. other seven also came up out of the river, ill favoured, and lean fleshed: and they fed on the very bank of the river, in green places: 41:4. and they devoured them, whose bodies were very beautiful and well conditioned. so pharao awoke. 41:5. he slept again, and dreamed another dream: seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk full and fair: 41:6. then seven other ears sprung up thin and blasted, 41:7. and devoured all the beauty of the former. pharao awaked after his rest: 41:8. and when morning was come, being struck with fear, he sent to all the interpreters of egypt, and to all the wise men: and they being called for, he told them his dream, and there was not any one that could interpret it. 41:9. then at length the chief butler remembering, said: i confess my sin: 41:10. the king being angry with his servants, commanded me and the chief baker to be cast into the prison of the captain of the soldiers. 41:11. where in one night both of us dreamed a dream forboding things to come. 41:12. there was there a young man a hebrew, servant to the same captain of the soldiers: to whom we told our dreams, 41:13. and we heard what afterwards the event of the thing proved to be so. for i was restored to my office: and he was hanged upon a gibbet. 41:14. forthwith at the king's command joseph was brought out of the prison, and they shaved him: and changing his apparel brought him in to him. 41:15. and he said to him: i have dreamed dreams, and there is no one that can expound them: now i have heard that thou art very wise at interpreting them: 41:16. joseph answered: without me, god shall give pharao a prosperous answer. 41:17. so pharao told what he had dreamed: methought i stood upon the bank of the river, 41:18. and seven kine came up out of the river, exceeding beautiful and full of flesh: and they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture. 41:19. and behold, there followed these, other seven kine, so very ill favoured and lean, that i never saw the like in the land of egypt: 41:20. and they devoured and consumed the former, 41:21. and yet gave no mark of their being full: but were as lean and ill favoured as before. i awoke, and then fell asleep again, 41:22. and dreamed a dream: seven ears of corn grew up upon one stalk, full and very fair. 41:23. other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stalk: 41:24. and they devoured the beauty of the former: i told this dream to the conjecturers, and there is no man that can expound it. 41:25. joseph answered: the king's dream is one: god hath shewn to pharao what he is about to do. 41:26. the seven beautiful kine, and the seven full ears, are seven years of plenty: and both contain the same meaning of the dream. 41:27. and the seven lean and thin kine that came up after them, and the seven thin ears that were blasted with the burning wind, are seven years of famine to come: 41:28. which shall be fulfilled in this order. 41:29. behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty in the whole land of egypt: 41:30. after which shall follow other seven years of so great scarcity, that all the abundance before shall be forgotten: for the famine shall consume all the land, 41:31. and the greatness of the scarcity shall destroy the greatness of the plenty. 41:32. and for that thou didst see the second time a dream pertaining to the same thing: it is a token of the certainty, and that the word of god cometh to pass, and is fulfilled speedily. 41:33. now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and make him ruler over the land of egypt: 41:34. that he may appoint overseers over all the countries: and gather into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful years, 41:35. that shall now presently ensue: and let all the corn be laid up, under pharao's hands, and be reserved in the cities. 41:36. and let it be in readiness, against the famine of seven years to come, which shall oppress egypt, and the land shall not be consumed with scarcity. 41:37. the counsel pleased pharao, and all his servants. 41:38. and he said to them: can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of god? 41:39. he said therefore to joseph: seeing god hath shewn thee all that thou hast said, can i find one wiser and one like unto thee? 41:40. thou shalt be over my house, and at the commandment of thy mouth all the people shall obey: only in the kingly throne will i be above thee. 41:41. and again pharao said to joseph: behold, i have appointed thee over the whole land of egypt. 41:42. and he took his ring from his own hand, and gave it into his hand: and he put upon him a robe of silk, and put a chain of gold about his neck. 41:43. and he made him go up into his second chariot, the crier proclaiming that all should bow their knee before him, and that they should know he was made governor over the whole land of egypt. 41:44. and the king said to joseph: i am pharao: without thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of egypt. 41:45. and he turned his name, and called him in the egyptian tongue the saviour of the world. and he gave him to wife aseneth, the daughter of putiphare, priest of heliopolis. then joseph went out to the land of egypt. the saviour of the world... zaphnah paaneah. 41:46. (now he was thirty years old when he stood before king pharao), and he went round all the countries of egypt. 41:47. and the fruitfulness of the seven years came: and the corn being bound up into sheaves, was gathered together into the barns of egypt. 41:48. and all the abundance of grain was laid up in every city. 41:49. and there was so great abundance of wheat, that it was equal to the sand of the sea, and the plenty exceeded measure. 41:50. and before the famine came, joseph had two sons born: whom aseneth, the daughter of putiphare, priest of heliopolis, bore unto him. 41:51. and he called the name of the firstborn manasses, saying: god hath made me to forget all my labours, and my father's house. manasses... that is, oblivion, or forgetting. 41:52. and he named the second ephraim, saying: god hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty. ephraim... that is, fruitful, or growing. 41:53. now when the seven years of plenty that had been in egypt were passed: 41:54. the seven years of scarcity, which joseph had foretold, began to come: and the famine prevailed in the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of egypt. 41:55. and when there also they began to be famished, the people cried to pharao, for food. and he said to them: go to joseph: and do all that he shall say to you. 41:56. and the famine increased daily in all the land: and joseph opened all the barns, and sold to the egyptians: for the famine had oppressed them also. 41:57. and all provinces came into egypt, to buy food, and to seek some relief of their want. genesis chapter 42 jacob sendeth his ten sons to buy corn in egypt. their treatment by joseph. 42:1. and jacob hearing that food was sold in egypt, said to his sons: why are ye careless? 42:2. i have heard that wheat is sold in egypt: go ye down, and buy us necessaries, that we may live, and not be consumed with want. 42:3. so the ten brethren of joseph went down, to buy corn in egypt: 42:4. whilst benjamin was kept at home by jacob, who said to his brethren: lest perhaps he take any harm in the journey. 42:5. and they entered into the land of egypt with others that went to buy. for the famine was in the land of chanaan. 42:6. and joseph was governor in the land of egypt, and corn was sold by his direction to the people. and when his brethren had bowed down to him, 42:7. and he knew them, he spoke as it were to strangers, somewhat roughly, asking them: whence came you? they answered: from the land of chanaan, to buy necessaries of life. 42:8. and though he knew his brethren, he was not known by them. 42:9. and remembering the dreams, which formerly he had dreamed, he said to them: you are spies. you are come to view the weaker parts of the land. you are spies... this he said by way of examining them, to see what they would answer. 42:10. but they said: it is not so, my lord; but thy servants are come to buy food. 42:11. we are all the sons of one man: we are come as peaceable men, neither do thy servants go about any evil. 42:12. and he answered them: it is otherwise: you are come to consider the unfenced parts of this land. 42:13. but they said: we thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of chanaan: the youngest is with our father, the other is not living. 42:14. he saith, this is it that i said: you are spies. 42:15. i shall now presently try what you are: by the health of pharao, you shall not depart hence, until your youngest brother come. 42:16. send one of you to fetch him: and you shall be in prison, till what you have said be proved, whether it be true or false: or else by the health of pharao you are spies. or else by the health of pharao you are spies... that is, if these things you say be proved false, you are to be held for spies for your lying, and shall be treated as such. joseph dealt in this manner with his brethren, to bring them by the means of affliction to a sense of their former sin, and a sincere repentance for it. 42:17. so he put them in prison three days. 42:18. and the third day he brought them out of prison, and said: do as i have said, and you shall live: for i fear god. 42:19. if you be peaceable men, let one of your brethren be bound in prison: and go ye your ways, and carry the corn that you have bought, unto your houses. 42:20. and bring your youngest brother to me, that i may find your words to be true, and you may not die. they did as he had said. 42:21. and they talked one to another: we deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is this affliction come upon us. 42:22. and ruben, one of them, said: did not i say to you: do not sin against the boy; and you would not hear me? behold his blood is required. 42:23. and they knew not that joseph understood, because he spoke to them by an interpreter. 42:24. and he turned himself away a little while, and wept: and returning, he spoke to them. 42:25. and taking simeon, and binding him in their presence, he commanded his servants to fill their sacks with wheat, and to put every man's money again in their sacks, and to give them besides provisions for the way: and they did so. 42:26. but they having loaded their asses with the corn went their way. 42:27. and one of them opening his sack, to give his beast provender in the inn, saw the money in the sack's mouth, 42:28. and said to his brethren: my money is given me again; behold it is in the sack. and they were astonished, and troubled, and said to one another: what is this that god hath done unto us? 42:29. and they came to jacob their father in the land of chanaan, and they told him all things that had befallen them, saying: 42:30. the lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us to be spies of the country. 42:31. and we answered him: we are peaceable men, and we mean no plot. 42:32. we are twelve brethren born of one father: one is not living, the youngest is with our father in the land of chanaan. 42:33. and he said to us: hereby shall i know that you are peaceable men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take ye necessary provision for your houses, and go your ways, 42:34. and bring your youngest brother to me, that i may know you are not spies: and you may receive this man again, that is kept in prison: and afterwards may have leave to buy what you will. 42:35. when they had told this, they poured out their corn, and every man found his money tied in the mouth of his sack: and all being astonished together, 42:36. their father jacob said: you have made me to be without children: joseph is not living, simeon is kept in bonds, and benjamin you will take away: all these evils are fallen upon me. 42:37. and ruben answered him: kill my two sons, if i bring him not again to thee: deliver him into my hand, and i will restore him to thee. 42:38. but he said: my son shall not go down with you: his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if any mischief befall him in the land to which you go, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to hell. to hell... that is, to that place, where the souls then remained, as above, chapter 37. ver. 35. genesis chapter 43 the sons of jacob go again into egypt with benjamin. they are entertained by joseph. 43:1. in the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land. 43:2. and when they had eaten up all the corn, which they had brought out of egypt, jacob said to his sons: go again, and buy us a little food. 43:3. juda answered: the man declared unto us with the attestation of an oath, saying: you shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you. 43:4. if therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee. 43:5. but if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have often said, declared unto us, saying: you shall not see my face without your youngest brother. 43:6. israel said to them: you have done this for my misery, in that you told him you had also another brother. 43:7. but they answered: the man asked us in order concerning our kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would say: bring hither your brother with you? 43:8. and juda said to his father: send the boy with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish. 43:9. i take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless i bring him again, and restore him to thee, i will be guilty of sin against thee for ever. 43:10. if delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time. 43:11. then israel said to them: if it must needs be so, do what you will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, turpentine, and almonds. balm... literally rosin, resinae; but here by that name is meant balm. 43:12. and take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake. 43:13. and take also your brother, and go to the man. 43:14. and may my almighty god make him favourable to you: and send back with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this benjamin: and as for me i shall be desolate without children. 43:15. so the men took the presents, and double money, and benjamin: and went down into egypt, and stood before joseph. 43:16. and when he had seen them, and benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: bring in the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at noon. 43:17. he did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house. 43:18. and they being much afraid, said there one to another: because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by violence make slaves of us and our asses. 43:19. wherefore, going up to the steward of the house, at the door, 43:20. they said: sir, we desire thee to hear us. we came down once before to buy food: 43:21. and when we had bought, and were come to the inn, we opened our sacks, and found our money in the mouths of the sacks: which we have now brought again in the same weight. 43:22. and we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we cannot tell who put it in our bags. 43:23. but he answered: peace be with you, fear not: your god, and the god of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks. for the money, which you gave me, i have for good. and he brought simeon out to them. 43:24. and having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses. 43:25. but they made ready the presents, against joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there. 43:26. then joseph came in to his house, and they offered him the presents, holding them in their hands; and they bowed down with their face to the ground. 43:27. but he courteously saluting them again, asked them, saying: is the old man your father in health, of whom you told me? is he yet living? 43:28. and they answered: thy servant our father, is in health; he is yet living. and bowing themselves, they made obeisance to him. 43:29. and joseph lifting up his eyes, saw benjamin, his brother by the same mother, and said: is this your young brother, of whom you told me? and he said: god be gracious to thee, my son. 43:30. and he made haste, because his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out: and going into his chamber, he wept. 43:31. and when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: set bread on the table. 43:32. and when it was set on, for joseph apart, and for his brethren apart, for the egyptians also that ate with him apart, (for it is unlawful for the egyptians to eat with the hebrews, and they think such a feast profane): 43:33. they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. and they wondered very much; 43:34. taking the messes which they received of him: and the greater mess came to benjamin, so that it exceeded by five parts. and they drank, and were merry with him. genesis chapter 44 joseph's contrivance to stop his brethren. the humble supplication of juda. 44:1. and joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack. 44:2. and in the mouth of the younger's sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. and it was so done. 44:3. and when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses. 44:4. and when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way: joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: why have you returned evil for good? 44:5. the cup which you have stolen, is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing. 44:6. he did as he had commanded him. and having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words. 44:7. and they answered: why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact? 44:8. the money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord's house, gold or silver? 44:9. with whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord. 44:10. and he said to them: let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless. 44:11. then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack. 44:12. which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest, and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in benjamin's sack. 44:13. then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town. 44:14. and juda at the head of his brethren went in to joseph (for he was not yet gone out of the place) and they all together fell down before him on the ground. 44:15. and he said to them: why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining. the science of divining... he speaks of himself according to what he was esteemed in that kingdom. and indeed, he being truly a prophet, knew more without comparison than any of the egyptian sorcerers. 44:16. and juda said to him: what shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? god hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found. 44:17. joseph answered: god forbid that i should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father. 44:18. then juda coming nearer, said boldly: i beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after pharao thou art. 44:19. my lord. thou didst ask thy servants the first time: have you a father or a brother. 44:20. and we answered thee, my lord: we have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead; and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly. 44:21. and thou saidst to thy servants: bring him hither to me, and i will set my eyes on him. 44:22. we suggested to my lord: the boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die. 44:23. and thou saidst to thy servants: except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more. 44:24. therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said. 44:25. and our father said: go again, and buy us a little wheat. 44:26. and we said to him: we cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man's face. 44:27. whereunto he answered: you know that my wife bore me two. 44:28. one went out, and you said: a beast devoured him; and hitherto he appeareth not. 44:29. if you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow unto hell. 44:30. therefore, if i shall go to thy servant, our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him,) 44:31. and he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his grey hairs with sorrow unto hell. his gray hairs... that is, his person, now far advanced in years.-with sorrow unto hell... the hebrew word for hell is here sheol, the greek hades: it is not taken for the hell of the damned; but for that place of souls below where the servants of god were kept before the coming of christ. which place, both in the scripture and in the creed, is named hell. 44:32. let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: if i bring him not again, i will be guilty of sin against my father for ever. 44:33. therefore i, thy servant, will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren. 44:34. for i cannot return to my father without the boy, lest i be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father. genesis chapter 45 joseph maketh himself known to his brethren: and sendeth for his father. 45:1. joseph could no longer refrain himself before many that stood by: whereupon he commanded that all should go out, and no stranger be present at their knowing one another. 45:2. and he lifted up his voice with weeping, which the egyptians, and all the house of pharao heard. 45:3. and he said to his brethren: i am joseph: is my father yet living? his brethren could not answer him, being struck with exceeding great fear. 45:4. and he said mildly to them: come nearer to me. and when they were come near him, he said: i am joseph, your brother, whom you sold into egypt. 45:5. be not afraid, and let it not seem to you a hard case that you sold me into these countries: for god sent me before you into egypt for your preservation. 45:6. for it is two years since the famine began to be upon the land, and five years more remain, wherein there can be neither ploughing nor reaping. 45:7. and god sent me before, that you may be preserved upon the earth, and may have food to live. 45:8. not by your counsel was i sent hither, but by the will of god: who hath made me as it were a father to pharao, and lord of his whole house, and governor in all the land of egypt. 45:9. make haste, and go ye up to my father, and say to him: thus saith thy son joseph: god hath made me lord of the whole land of egypt; come down to me, linger not. 45:10. and thou shalt dwell in the land of gessen: and thou shalt be near me, thou and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, thy sheep, and thy herds, and all things that thou hast. 45:11. and there i will feed thee, (for there are yet five years of famine remaining) lest both thou perish, and thy house, and all things that thou hast. 45:12. behold, your eyes, and the eyes of my brother benjamin, see that it is my mouth that speaketh to you. 45:13. you shall tell my father of all my glory, and all things that you have seen in egypt: make haste and bring him to me. 45:14. and falling upon the neck of his brother benjamin, he embraced him and wept: and benjamin in like manner wept also on his neck. 45:15. and joseph kissed all his brethren, and wept upon every one of them: after which they were emboldened to speak to him. 45:16. and it was heard, and the fame was spread abroad in the king's court: the brethren of joseph are come; and pharao with all his family was glad. 45:17. and he spoke to joseph that he should give orders to his brethren, saying: load your beasts, and go into the land of chanaan, 45:18. and bring away from thence your father and kindred, and come to me; and i will give you all the good things of egypt, that you may eat the marrow of the land. 45:19. give orders also that they take wagons out of the land of egypt, for the carriage of their children and their wives; and say: take up your father, and make haste to come with all speed: 45:20. and leave nothing of your household stuff; for all the riches of egypt shall be yours. 45:21. and the sons of israel did as they were bid. and joseph gave them wagons according to pharao's commandment: and provisions for the way. 45:22. he ordered also to be brought out for every one of them two robes: but to benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, with five robes of the best: 45:23. sending to his father as much money and raiment; adding besides, ten he asses, to carry off all the riches of egypt, and as many she asses, carrying wheat and bread for the journey. 45:24. so he sent away his brethren, and at their departing said to them: be not angry in the way. 45:25. and they went up out of egypt, and came into the land of chanaan, to their father jacob. 45:26. and they told him, saying: joseph, thy son, is living; and he is ruler in all the land of egypt. which when jacob heard, he awaked as it were out of a deep sleep, yet did not believe them. 45:27. they, on the other side, told the whole order of the thing. and when he saw the wagons, and all that he had sent, his spirit revived, 45:28. and he said: it is enough for me if joseph, my son, be yet living: i will go and see him before i die. genesis chapter 46 israel, waranted by a vision from god, goeth down into egypt with all his family. 46:1. and israel taking his journey, with all that he had, came to the well of the oath, and killing victims there to the god of his father isaac, the well of the oath... bersabee. 46:2. he heard him, by a vision in the night, calling him, and saying to him: jacob, jacob. and he answered him: lo, here i am. 46:3. god said to him: i am the most mighty god of thy father; fear not, go down into egypt, for i will make a great nation of thee there. 46:4. i will go down with thee thither, and will bring thee back again from thence: joseph also shall put his hands upon thy eyes. 46:5. and jacob rose up from the well of the oath: and his sons took him up, with their children and wives in the wagons, which pharao had sent to carry the old man, 46:6. and all that he had in the land of chanaan: and he came into egypt with all his seed; 46:7. his sons, and grandsons, daughters, and all his offspring together. 46:8. and these are the names of the children of israel, that entered into egypt, he and his children. his firstborn ruben, 46:9. the sons of ruben: henoch and phallu, and hesron and charmi. 46:10. the sons of simeon: jamuel and jamin and ahod, and jachin and sohar, and saul, the son of a woman of chanaan. 46:11. the sons of levi: gerson and caath, and merari. 46:12. the sons of juda: her and onan, and sela, and phares and zara. and her and onan died in the land of chanaan. and sons were born to phares: hesron and hamul. 46:13. the sons of issachar: thola and phua, and job and semron. 46:14. the sons of zabulon: sared, and elon, and jahelel. 46:15. these are the sons of lia, whom she bore in mesopotamia of syria, with dina, his daughter. all the souls of her sons and daughters, thirty-three. 46:16. the sons of gad: sephion and haggi, and suni and esebon, and heri and arodi, and areli. 46:17. the sons of aser: jamne and jesua, and jessuri and beria, and sara their sister. the sons of beria: heber and melchiel. 46:18. these are the sons of zelpha, whom laban gave to lia, his daughter. and these she bore to jacob, sixteen souls. 46:19. the sons of rachel, jacob's wife: joseph and benjamin. 46:20. and sons were born to joseph, in the land of egypt, whom aseneth, the daughter of putiphare, priest of heliopolis, bore him: manasses and ephraim. 46:21. the sons of benjamin: bela and bechor, and asbel and gera, and naaman and echi, and ross and mophim, and ophim and ared. 46:22. these are the sons of rachel, whom she bore to jacob: all the souls, fourteen. 46:23. the sons of dan: husim. 46:24. the sons of nephthali: jaziel and guni, and jeser and sallem. 46:25. these are the sons of bala, whom laban gave to rachel, his daughter: and these she bore to jacob: all the souls, seven. 46:26. all the souls that went with jacob into egypt, and that came out of his thigh, besides his sons' wives, sixty-six. 46:27. and the sons of joseph, that were born to him in the land of egypt, two souls. all the souls of the house of jacob, that entered into egypt, were seventy. 46:28. and he sent juda before him to joseph, to tell him; and that he should meet him in gessen. 46:29. and when he was come thither, joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet his father in the same place: and seeing him, he fell upon his neck, and embracing him, wept. 46:30. and the father said to joseph: now shall i die with joy, becuase i have seen thy face, and leave thee alive. 46:31. and joseph said to his brethren, and to all his father's house: i will go up, and will tell pharao, and will say to him: my brethren, and my father's house, that were in the land of chanaan, are come to me: 46:32. and the men are shepherds, and their occupation is to feed cattle; their flocks, and herds, and all they have, they have brought with them. 46:33. and when he shall call you, and shall say: what is your occupation? 46:34. you shall answer: we, thy servants, are shepherds, from our infancy until now, both we and our fathers. and this you shall say, that you may dwell in the land of gessen, because the egyptians have all shepherds in abomination. genesis chapter 47 jacob and his sons are presented before pharao: he giveth them the land of gessen. the famine forceth the egyptians to sell all their possessions to the king. 47:1. then joseph went in and told pharao, saying: my father and brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are come out of the land of chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of gessen. 47:2. five men also, the last of his brethren, he presented before the king: the last...extremos. some interpret this word of the chiefest, and most rightly: but joseph seems rather to have chosen out such as had the meanest appearance, that pharao might not think of employing them at court, with danger of their morals and religion. 47:3. and he asked them: what is your occupation? they answered: we, thy servants, are shepherds, both we and our fathers. 47:4. we are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be in the land of gessen. 47:5. the king therefore said to joseph: thy father and thy brethren are come to thee. 47:6. the land of egypt is before thee: and make them dwell in the best place, and give them the land of gessen. and if thou knowest that there are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle. 47:7. after this joseph brought in his father to the king, and presented him before him: and he blessed him. 47:8. and being asked by him: how many are the days of the years of thy life? 47:9. he answered: the days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few, and evil, and they are not come up to the days of the pilgrimage of my fathers. 47:10. and blessing the king, he went out. 47:11. but joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in egypt, in the best place of the land, in ramesses, as pharao had commanded. 47:12. and he nourished them, and all his father's house, allowing food to every one. 47:13. for in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land, more especially of egypt and chanaan; 47:14. out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which they bought, and brought it in to the king's treasure. 47:15. and when the buyers wanted money, all egypt came to joseph, saying: give us bread: why should we die in thy presence, having now no money? 47:16. and he answered them: bring me your cattle, and for them i will give you food, if you have no money. 47:17. and when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses: and he maintained them that year for the exchange of their cattle. 47:18. and they came the second year, and said to him: we will not hide from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our bodies and our lands. 47:19. why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thine, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king's servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness. 47:20. so joesph bought all the land of egypt, every man selling his possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. and he brought it into pharao's hands: 47:21. and all its people from one end of the borders of egypt, even to the other end thereof, 47:22. except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the public stores, and therefore they were not forced to sell their possessions. 47:23. then joseph said to the people: behold, as you see, both you and your lands belong to pharao; take seed and sow the fields, 47:24. that you may have corn. the fifth part you shall give to the king; the other four you shall have for seed, and for food for your families and children. 47:25. and they answered: our life is in thy hand; only let my lord look favourably upon us, and we will gladly serve the king. 47:26. from that time unto this day, in the whole land of egypt, the fifth part is paid to the kings, and it is become as a law, except the land of the priests, which was free from this covenant. 47:27. so israel dwelt in egypt, that is, in the land of gessen, and possessed it; and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly. 47:28. and he lived in it seventeen years: and all the days of his life came to a hundred and forty-seven years. 47:29. and when he saw that the day of his death drew nigh, he called his son joseph, and said to him: if i have found favour in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh; and thou shalt shew me this kindness and truth, not to bury me in egypt. 47:30. but i will sleep with my fathers, and thou shalt take me away out of this land, and bury me in the burying place of my ancestors. and joseph answered him: i will do what thou hast commanded. 47:31. and he said: swear then to me. and as he was swearing, israel adored god, turning to the bed's head. to the bed's head... st. paul, heb. 11.21, following the greek translation of the septuagint, reads adored the top of his rod. where note, that the same word in the hebrew, according to the different pointing of it, signifies both a bed and a rod. and to verify both these sentences, we must understand that jacob leaning on joseph's rod adored, turning towards the head of his bed: which adoration, inasmuch as it was referred to god, was an absolute and sovereign worship: but inasmuch as it was referred to the rod of joseph, as a figure of the sceptre, that is, of the royal dignity of christ, was only an inferior and relative honour. genesis chapter 48 joseph visiteth his father in his sickness, who adopteth his two sons manasses and ephraim, and blesseth them, preferring the younger before the elder. 48:1. after these things, it was told joseph that his father was sick; and he set out to go to him, taking his two sons manasses and ephraim. 48:2. and it was told the old man: behold thy son joseph cometh to thee. and being strengthened, he sat on his bed. 48:3. and when joseph was come in to him, he said: god almighty apppeared to me at luza, which is in the land of chanaan, and he blessed me, 48:4. and said: i will cause thee to increase and multiply, and i will make of thee a multitude of people: and i will give this land to thee, and to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 48:5. so thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of egypt before i came hither to thee, shall be mine: ephraim and manasses shall be reputed to me as ruben and simeon. 48:6. but the rest whom thou shalt have after them, shall be thine, and shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions. 48:7. for, when i came out of mesopotamia, rachel died from me in the land of chanaan in the very journey, and it was spring time: and i was going to ephrata, and i buried her near the way of ephrata, which by another name is called bethlehem. 48:8. then seeing his sons, he said to him: who are these? 48:9. he answered: they are my sons, whom god hath given me in this place. and he said: bring them to me, that i may bless them. 48:10. for israel's eyes were dim by reason of his great age, and he could not see clearly. and when they were brought to him, he kissed and embraced them, 48:11. and said to his son: i am not deprived of seeing thee; moreover god hath shewn me thy seed. 48:12. and when joseph had taken them from his father's lap, he bowed down with his face to the ground. 48:13. and he set ephraim on his right hand, that is, towards the left hand of israel; but manasses on his left hand, to wit, towards his father's right hand, and brought them near to him. 48:14. but he, stretching forth his right hand, put it upon the head of ephraim, the younger brother; and the left upon the head of manasses, who was the elder, changing his hands. 48:15. and jacob blessed the sons of joseph, and said: god, in whose sight my fathers abraham and isaac walked, god that feedeth me from my youth until this day: 48:16. the angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers abraham and isaac; and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth. 48:17. and joseph seeing that his father had put his right hand upon the head of ephraim, was much displeased: and taking his father's hand, he tried to lift it from ephraim's head, and to remove it to the head of manasses. 48:18. and he said to his father: it should not be so, my father; for this is the firstborn, put thy right hand upon his head. 48:19. but he refusing, said: i know, my son, i know: and this also shall become a people, and shall be multiplied; but his younger brother shall be greater than he; and his seed shall grow into nations. 48:20. and he blessed them at that time, saying: in thee shall israel be blessed, and it shall be said: god do to thee as to ephraim, and as to manasses. and he set ephraim before manasses. 48:21. and he said to joseph, his son: behold i die, and god will be with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers. 48:22. i give thee a portion above thy brethren, which i took out of the hand of the amorrhite with my sword and bow. genesis chapter 49 jacob's prophetical blessings of his twelve sons: his death. 49:1. and jacob called his sons, and said to them: gather yourselves together, that i may tell you the things that shall befall you in the last days. 49:2. gather yourselves together, and hear, o ye sons of jacob, hearken to israel, your father: 49:3. ruben, my firstborn, thou art my strength, and the beginning of my sorrow; excelling in gifts, greater in command. my strength, etc... he calls him his strength, as being born whilst his father was in his full strength and vigour: he calls him the beginning of his sorrow, because cares and sorrows usually come on with the birth of children. excelling in gifts, etc., because the firstborn had a title to a double portion, and to have the command over his brethren, which ruben forfeited by his sin; being poured out as water, that is, spilt and lost. 49:4. thou art poured out as water, grow thou not; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, and didst defile his couch. grow thou not... this was not meant by way of a curse or imprecation; but by way of a prophecy foretelling that the tribe of ruben should not inherit the pre-eminences usually annexed to the first birthright, viz., the double portion, the being prince or lord over the other brethren, and the priesthood: of which the double portion was given to joseph, the princely office to juda, and the priesthood to levi. 49:5. simeon and levi brethren: vessels of iniquity waging war. 49:6. let not my soul go into their counsel, nor my glory be in their assembly: because in their fury they slew a man, and in their selfwill they undermined a wall. slew a man,... viz., sichem the son of hemor, with all his people, gen. 34.; mystically and prophetically it alludes to christ, whom their posterity, viz., the priests and the scribes, put to death. 49:7. cursed be their fury, because it was stubborn: and their wrath, because it was cruel: i will divide them in jacob, and will scatter them in israel. 49:8. juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hand shall be on the necks of thy enemies; the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee. 49:9. juda is a lion's whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him? a lion's whelp, etc... this blessing of juda foretelleth the strength of his tribe, the fertility of his inheritance; and principally that the sceptre and legislative power should not be utterly taken away from his race till about the time of the coming of christ: as in effect it never was: which is a demonstration against the modern jews, that the messiah is long since come; for the sceptre has long since been utterly taken away from juda. 49:10. the sceptre shall not be taken away from juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations. 49:11. tying his foal to the vineyard, and his ass, o my son, to the vine. he shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape. 49:12. his eyes are more beautiful than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. 49:13. zabulon shall dwell on the seashore, and in the road of ships, reaching as far as sidon. 49:14. issachar shall be a strong ass, lying down between the borders. 49:15. he saw rest that it was good: and the land that it was excellent: and he bowed his shoulder to carry, and became a servant under tribute. 49:16. dan shall judge his people like another tribe in israel. dan shall judge, etc... this was verified in samson, who was of the tribe of dan, and began to deliver israel. judges 13.5. but as this deliverance was but temporal and very imperfect, the holy patriarch (ver. 18) aspires after another kind of deliverer, saying: i will look for thy salvation, o lord. 49:17. let dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, that his rider may fall backward. 49:18. i will look for thy salvation, o lord. 49:19. gad, being girded, shall fight before him: and he himself shall be girded backward. gad being girded, etc... it seems to allude to the tribe of gad; when after they had received for their lot the land of galaad, they marched in arms before the rest of the israelites, to the conquest of the land of chanaan: from whence they afterwards returned loaded with spoils. see jos. 4. and 12. 49:20. aser, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield dainties to kings. 49:21. nephthali, a hart let loose, and giving words of beauty. 49:22. joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold: the daughters run to and fro upon the wall; run to and fro, etc... to behold his beauty; whilst his envious brethren turned their darts against him, etc. 49:23. but they that held darts, provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied him. 49:24. his bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of jacob: thence he came forth a pastor, the stone of israel. his bow rested upon the strong, etc... that is, upon god, who was his strength: who also loosed his bands, and brought him out of prison to be the pastor, that is, the feeder and ruler of egypt, and the stone, that is, the rock and support of israel. 49:25. the god of thy father shall be thy helper, and the almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 49:26. the blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come: may they be upon the head of joseph, and upon the crown of the nazarite among his brethren. the blessings of thy father, etc... that is, thy father's blessings are made more prevalent and effectual in thy regard, by the additional strength they receive from his inheriting the blessings of his progenitors abraham and isaac. the desire of the everlasting hills, etc... these blessings all looked forward towards christ, called the desire of the everlasting hills, as being longed for, as it were, by the whole creation. mystically, the patriarchs and prophets are called the everlasting hills, by reason of the eminence of their wisdom and holiness. the nazarite... this word signifies one separated; and agrees to joseph, as being separated from, and more eminent than, his brethren. as the ancient nazarites were so called from their being set aside for god, and vowed to him. 49:27. benjamin a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide the spoil. 49:28. all these are the twelve tribes of israel: these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed every one with their proper blessings. 49:29. and he charged them, saying: i am now going to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of ephron the hethite, to be gathered to my people... that is, i am going to die, and so to follow my ancestors that are gone before me, and to join their company in another world. 49:30. over against mambre, in the land of chanaan, which abraham bought together with the field, of ephron the hethite, for a possession to bury in. 49:31. there they buried him, and sara his wife: there was isaac buried with rebecca, his wife: there also lia doth lie buried. 49:32. and when he had ended the commandments, wherewith he instructed his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was gathered to his people. genesis chapter 50 the mourning for jacob, and his interment. joseph's kindness towards his brethren. his death. 50:1. and when joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, weeping and kissing him. 50:2. and he commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father. 50:3. and while they were fulfilling his commands, there passed forty days: for this was the manner with bodies that were embalmed, and egypt mourned for him seventy days. 50:4. and the time of the mourning being expired, joseph spoke to the family of pharao: if i have found favour in your sight, speak in the ears of pharao: 50:5. for my father made me swear to him, saying: behold i die; thou shalt bury me in my sepulchre which i have digged for myself in the land of chanaan. so i will go up and bury my father, and return. 50:6. and pharao said to him: go up and bury thy father according as he made thee swear. 50:7. so he went up, and there went with him all the ancients of pharao's house, and all the elders of the land of egypt. 50:8. and the house of joseph with his brethren, except their children, and their flocks and herds, which they left in the land of gessen. 50:9. he had also in his train chariots and horsemen: and it was a great company. 50:10. and they came to the threshing floor of atad, which is situated beyond the jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days. 50:11. and when the inhabitants of chanaan saw this, they said: this is a great mourning to the egyptians. and therefore the name of that place was called, the mourning of egypt. 50:12. so the sons of jacob did as he had commanded them. 50:13. and carrying him into the land of chanaan, they buried him in the double cave, which abraham had bought together with the field for a possession of a burying place, of ehpron, the hethite, over against mambre. 50:14. and joseph returned into egypt with his brethren, and all that were in his company, after he had buried his father. 50:15. now he being dead, his brethren were afraid, and talked one with another: lest perhaps he should remember the wrong he suffered, and requite us all the evil that we did to him. 50:16. and they sent a message to him, saying: thy father commanded us before he died, 50:17. that we should say thus much to thee from him: i beseech thee to forget the wickedness of thy brethren, and the sin and malice they practised against thee: we also pray thee, to forgive the servants of the god of thy father this wickedness. and when joseph heard this, he wept. 50:18. and his brethren came to him; and worshipping prostrate on the ground, they said: we are thy servants. 50:19. and he answered them: fear not: can we resist the will of god? 50:20. you thought evil against me: but god turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people. 50:21. fear not: i will feed you and your children. and he comforted them, and spoke gently and mildly. 50:22. and he dwelt in egypt with all his father's house; and lived a hundred and ten years. and he saw the children of ephraim to the third generation. the children also of machir, the sons of manasses, were born on joseph's knees. 50:23. after which he told his brethren: god will visit you after my death, and will make you go up out of this land, to the land which he swore to abraham, isaac, and jacob. 50:24. and he made them swear to him, saying: god will visit you, carry my bones with you out of this place: 50:25. and he died, being a hundred and ten years old. and being embalmed, he was laid in a coffin in egypt. this is the february 1992 project gutenberg release of: paradise lost by john milton the oldest etext known to project gutenberg (ca. 1964-1965) (if you know of any older ones, please let us know.) introduction (one page) this etext was originally created in 1964-1965 according to dr. joseph raben of queens college, ny, to whom it is attributed by project gutenberg. we had heard of this etext for years but it was not until 1991 that we actually managed to track it down to a specific location, and then it took months to convince people to let us have a copy, then more months for them actually to do the copying and get it to us. then another month to convert to something we could massage with our favorite 486 in dos. after that is was only a matter of days to get it into this shape you will see below. the original was, of course, in caps only, and so were all the other etexts of the 60's and early 70's. don't let anyone fool you into thinking any etext with both upper and lower case is an original; all those original project gutenberg etexts were also in upper case and were translated or rewritten many times to get them into their current condition. they have been worked on by many people throughout the world. in the course of our searches for professor raben and his etext we were never able to determine where copies were or which of a variety of editions he may have used as a source. we did get a little information here and there, but even after we received a copy of the etext we were unwilling to release it without first determining that it was in fact public domain and finding raben to verify this and get his permission. interested enough, in a totally unrelated action to our searches for him, the professor subscribed to the project gutenberg listserver and we happened, by accident, to notice his name. (we don't really look at every subscription request as the computers usually handle them.) the etext was then properly identified, copyright analyzed, and the current edition prepared. to give you an estimation of the difference in the original and what we have today: the original was probably entered on cards commonly known at the time as "ibm cards" (do not fold, spindle or mutilate) and probably took in excess of 100,000 of them. a single card could hold 80 characters (hence 80 characters is an accepted standard for so many computer margins), and the entire original edition we received in all caps was over 800,000 chars in length, including line enumeration, symbols for caps and the punctuation marks, etc., since they were not available keyboard characters at the time (probably the keyboards operated at baud rates of around 113, meaning the typists had to type slowly for the keyboard to keep up). this is the second version of paradise lost released by project gutenberg. the first was released as our october, 1991 etext. paradise lost book i of man's first disobedience, and the fruit of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste brought death into the world, and all our woe, with loss of eden, till one greater man restore us, and regain the blissful seat, sing, heavenly muse, that, on the secret top of oreb, or of sinai, didst inspire that shepherd who first taught the chosen seed in the beginning how the heavens and earth rose out of chaos: or, if sion hill delight thee more, and siloa's brook that flowed fast by the oracle of god, i thence invoke thy aid to my adventurous song, that with no middle flight intends to soar above th' aonian mount, while it pursues things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme. and chiefly thou, o spirit, that dost prefer before all temples th' upright heart and pure, instruct me, for thou know'st; thou from the first wast present, and, with mighty wings outspread, dove-like sat'st brooding on the vast abyss, and mad'st it pregnant: what in me is dark illumine, what is low raise and support; that, to the height of this great argument, i may assert eternal providence, and justify the ways of god to men. say first--for heaven hides nothing from thy view, nor the deep tract of hell--say first what cause moved our grand parents, in that happy state, favoured of heaven so highly, to fall off from their creator, and transgress his will for one restraint, lords of the world besides. who first seduced them to that foul revolt? th' infernal serpent; he it was whose guile, stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived the mother of mankind, what time his pride had cast him out from heaven, with all his host of rebel angels, by whose aid, aspiring to set himself in glory above his peers, he trusted to have equalled the most high, if he opposed, and with ambitious aim against the throne and monarchy of god, raised impious war in heaven and battle proud, with vain attempt. him the almighty power hurled headlong flaming from th' ethereal sky, with hideous ruin and combustion, down to bottomless perdition, there to dwell in adamantine chains and penal fire, who durst defy th' omnipotent to arms. nine times the space that measures day and night to mortal men, he, with his horrid crew, lay vanquished, rolling in the fiery gulf, confounded, though immortal. but his doom reserved him to more wrath; for now the thought both of lost happiness and lasting pain torments him: round he throws his baleful eyes, that witnessed huge affliction and dismay, mixed with obdurate pride and steadfast hate. at once, as far as angels ken, he views the dismal situation waste and wild. a dungeon horrible, on all sides round, as one great furnace flamed; yet from those flames no light; but rather darkness visible served only to discover sights of woe, regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace and rest can never dwell, hope never comes that comes to all, but torture without end still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed with ever-burning sulphur unconsumed. such place eternal justice has prepared for those rebellious; here their prison ordained in utter darkness, and their portion set, as far removed from god and light of heaven as from the centre thrice to th' utmost pole. oh how unlike the place from whence they fell! there the companions of his fall, o'erwhelmed with floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous fire, he soon discerns; and, weltering by his side, one next himself in power, and next in crime, long after known in palestine, and named beelzebub. to whom th' arch-enemy, and thence in heaven called satan, with bold words breaking the horrid silence, thus began:- "if thou beest he--but o how fallen! how changed from him who, in the happy realms of light clothed with transcendent brightness, didst outshine myriads, though bright!--if he whom mutual league, united thoughts and counsels, equal hope and hazard in the glorious enterprise joined with me once, now misery hath joined in equal ruin; into what pit thou seest from what height fallen: so much the stronger proved he with his thunder; and till then who knew the force of those dire arms? yet not for those, nor what the potent victor in his rage can else inflict, do i repent, or change, though changed in outward lustre, that fixed mind, and high disdain from sense of injured merit, that with the mightiest raised me to contend, and to the fierce contentions brought along innumerable force of spirits armed, that durst dislike his reign, and, me preferring, his utmost power with adverse power opposed in dubious battle on the plains of heaven, and shook his throne. what though the field be lost? all is not lost--the unconquerable will, and study of revenge, immortal hate, and courage never to submit or yield: and what is else not to be overcome? that glory never shall his wrath or might extort from me. to bow and sue for grace with suppliant knee, and deify his power who, from the terror of this arm, so late doubted his empire--that were low indeed; that were an ignominy and shame beneath this downfall; since, by fate, the strength of gods, and this empyreal substance, cannot fail; since, through experience of this great event, in arms not worse, in foresight much advanced, we may with more successful hope resolve to wage by force or guile eternal war, irreconcilable to our grand foe, who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joy sole reigning holds the tyranny of heaven." so spake th' apostate angel, though in pain, vaunting aloud, but racked with deep despair; and him thus answered soon his bold compeer:- "o prince, o chief of many throned powers that led th' embattled seraphim to war under thy conduct, and, in dreadful deeds fearless, endangered heaven's perpetual king, and put to proof his high supremacy, whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate, too well i see and rue the dire event that, with sad overthrow and foul defeat, hath lost us heaven, and all this mighty host in horrible destruction laid thus low, as far as gods and heavenly essences can perish: for the mind and spirit remains invincible, and vigour soon returns, though all our glory extinct, and happy state here swallowed up in endless misery. but what if he our conqueror (whom i now of force believe almighty, since no less than such could have o'erpowered such force as ours) have left us this our spirit and strength entire, strongly to suffer and support our pains, that we may so suffice his vengeful ire, or do him mightier service as his thralls by right of war, whate'er his business be, here in the heart of hell to work in fire, or do his errands in the gloomy deep? what can it the avail though yet we feel strength undiminished, or eternal being to undergo eternal punishment?" whereto with speedy words th' arch-fiend replied:-"fallen cherub, to be weak is miserable, doing or suffering: but of this be sure-to do aught good never will be our task, but ever to do ill our sole delight, as being the contrary to his high will whom we resist. if then his providence out of our evil seek to bring forth good, our labour must be to pervert that end, and out of good still to find means of evil; which ofttimes may succeed so as perhaps shall grieve him, if i fail not, and disturb his inmost counsels from their destined aim. but see! the angry victor hath recalled his ministers of vengeance and pursuit back to the gates of heaven: the sulphurous hail, shot after us in storm, o'erblown hath laid the fiery surge that from the precipice of heaven received us falling; and the thunder, winged with red lightning and impetuous rage, perhaps hath spent his shafts, and ceases now to bellow through the vast and boundless deep. let us not slip th' occasion, whether scorn or satiate fury yield it from our foe. seest thou yon dreary plain, forlorn and wild, the seat of desolation, void of light, save what the glimmering of these livid flames casts pale and dreadful? thither let us tend from off the tossing of these fiery waves; there rest, if any rest can harbour there; and, re-assembling our afflicted powers, consult how we may henceforth most offend our enemy, our own loss how repair, how overcome this dire calamity, what reinforcement we may gain from hope, if not, what resolution from despair." thus satan, talking to his nearest mate, with head uplift above the wave, and eyes that sparkling blazed; his other parts besides prone on the flood, extended long and large, lay floating many a rood, in bulk as huge as whom the fables name of monstrous size, titanian or earth-born, that warred on jove, briareos or typhon, whom the den by ancient tarsus held, or that sea-beast leviathan, which god of all his works created hugest that swim th' ocean-stream. him, haply slumbering on the norway foam, the pilot of some small night-foundered skiff, deeming some island, oft, as seamen tell, with fixed anchor in his scaly rind, moors by his side under the lee, while night invests the sea, and wished morn delays. so stretched out huge in length the arch-fiend lay, chained on the burning lake; nor ever thence had risen, or heaved his head, but that the will and high permission of all-ruling heaven left him at large to his own dark designs, that with reiterated crimes he might heap on himself damnation, while he sought evil to others, and enraged might see how all his malice served but to bring forth infinite goodness, grace, and mercy, shewn on man by him seduced, but on himself treble confusion, wrath, and vengeance poured. forthwith upright he rears from off the pool his mighty stature; on each hand the flames driven backward slope their pointing spires, and rolled in billows, leave i' th' midst a horrid vale. then with expanded wings he steers his flight aloft, incumbent on the dusky air, that felt unusual weight; till on dry land he lights--if it were land that ever burned with solid, as the lake with liquid fire, and such appeared in hue as when the force of subterranean wind transports a hill torn from pelorus, or the shattered side of thundering etna, whose combustible and fuelled entrails, thence conceiving fire, sublimed with mineral fury, aid the winds, and leave a singed bottom all involved with stench and smoke. such resting found the sole of unblest feet. him followed his next mate; both glorying to have scaped the stygian flood as gods, and by their own recovered strength, not by the sufferance of supernal power. "is this the region, this the soil, the clime," said then the lost archangel, "this the seat that we must change for heaven?--this mournful gloom for that celestial light? be it so, since he who now is sovereign can dispose and bid what shall be right: farthest from him is best whom reason hath equalled, force hath made supreme above his equals. farewell, happy fields, where joy for ever dwells! hail, horrors! hail, infernal world! and thou, profoundest hell, receive thy new possessor--one who brings a mind not to be changed by place or time. the mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. what matter where, if i be still the same, and what i should be, all but less than he whom thunder hath made greater? here at least we shall be free; th' almighty hath not built here for his envy, will not drive us hence: here we may reign secure; and, in my choice, to reign is worth ambition, though in hell: better to reign in hell than serve in heaven. but wherefore let we then our faithful friends, th' associates and co-partners of our loss, lie thus astonished on th' oblivious pool, and call them not to share with us their part in this unhappy mansion, or once more with rallied arms to try what may be yet regained in heaven, or what more lost in hell?" so satan spake; and him beelzebub thus answered:--"leader of those armies bright which, but th' omnipotent, none could have foiled! if once they hear that voice, their liveliest pledge of hope in fears and dangers--heard so oft in worst extremes, and on the perilous edge of battle, when it raged, in all assaults their surest signal--they will soon resume new courage and revive, though now they lie grovelling and prostrate on yon lake of fire, as we erewhile, astounded and amazed; no wonder, fallen such a pernicious height!" he scarce had ceased when the superior fiend was moving toward the shore; his ponderous shield, ethereal temper, massy, large, and round, behind him cast. the broad circumference hung on his shoulders like the moon, whose orb through optic glass the tuscan artist views at evening, from the top of fesole, or in valdarno, to descry new lands, rivers, or mountains, in her spotty globe. his spear--to equal which the tallest pine hewn on norwegian hills, to be the mast of some great ammiral, were but a wand-he walked with, to support uneasy steps over the burning marl, not like those steps on heaven's azure; and the torrid clime smote on him sore besides, vaulted with fire. nathless he so endured, till on the beach of that inflamed sea he stood, and called his legions--angel forms, who lay entranced thick as autumnal leaves that strow the brooks in vallombrosa, where th' etrurian shades high over-arched embower; or scattered sedge afloat, when with fierce winds orion armed hath vexed the red-sea coast, whose waves o'erthrew busiris and his memphian chivalry, while with perfidious hatred they pursued the sojourners of goshen, who beheld from the safe shore their floating carcases and broken chariot-wheels. so thick bestrown, abject and lost, lay these, covering the flood, under amazement of their hideous change. he called so loud that all the hollow deep of hell resounded:--"princes, potentates, warriors, the flower of heaven--once yours; now lost, if such astonishment as this can seize eternal spirits! or have ye chosen this place after the toil of battle to repose your wearied virtue, for the ease you find to slumber here, as in the vales of heaven? or in this abject posture have ye sworn to adore the conqueror, who now beholds cherub and seraph rolling in the flood with scattered arms and ensigns, till anon his swift pursuers from heaven-gates discern th' advantage, and, descending, tread us down thus drooping, or with linked thunderbolts transfix us to the bottom of this gulf? awake, arise, or be for ever fallen!" they heard, and were abashed, and up they sprung upon the wing, as when men wont to watch on duty, sleeping found by whom they dread, rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake. nor did they not perceive the evil plight in which they were, or the fierce pains not feel; yet to their general's voice they soon obeyed innumerable. as when the potent rod of amram's son, in egypt's evil day, waved round the coast, up-called a pitchy cloud of locusts, warping on the eastern wind, that o'er the realm of impious pharaoh hung like night, and darkened all the land of nile; so numberless were those bad angels seen hovering on wing under the cope of hell, 'twixt upper, nether, and surrounding fires; till, as a signal given, th' uplifted spear of their great sultan waving to direct their course, in even balance down they light on the firm brimstone, and fill all the plain: a multitude like which the populous north poured never from her frozen loins to pass rhene or the danaw, when her barbarous sons came like a deluge on the south, and spread beneath gibraltar to the libyan sands. forthwith, form every squadron and each band, the heads and leaders thither haste where stood their great commander--godlike shapes, and forms excelling human; princely dignities; and powers that erst in heaven sat on thrones, though on their names in heavenly records now be no memorial, blotted out and rased by their rebellion from the books of life. nor had they yet among the sons of eve got them new names, till, wandering o'er the earth, through god's high sufferance for the trial of man, by falsities and lies the greatest part of mankind they corrupted to forsake god their creator, and th' invisible glory of him that made them to transform oft to the image of a brute, adorned with gay religions full of pomp and gold, and devils to adore for deities: then were they known to men by various names, and various idols through the heathen world. say, muse, their names then known, who first, who last, roused from the slumber on that fiery couch, at their great emperor's call, as next in worth came singly where he stood on the bare strand, while the promiscuous crowd stood yet aloof? the chief were those who, from the pit of hell roaming to seek their prey on earth, durst fix their seats, long after, next the seat of god, their altars by his altar, gods adored among the nations round, and durst abide jehovah thundering out of sion, throned between the cherubim; yea, often placed within his sanctuary itself their shrines, abominations; and with cursed things his holy rites and solemn feasts profaned, and with their darkness durst affront his light. first, moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood of human sacrifice, and parents' tears; though, for the noise of drums and timbrels loud, their children's cries unheard that passed through fire to his grim idol. him the ammonite worshiped in rabba and her watery plain, in argob and in basan, to the stream of utmost arnon. nor content with such audacious neighbourhood, the wisest heart of solomon he led by fraud to build his temple right against the temple of god on that opprobrious hill, and made his grove the pleasant valley of hinnom, tophet thence and black gehenna called, the type of hell. next chemos, th' obscene dread of moab's sons, from aroar to nebo and the wild of southmost abarim; in hesebon and horonaim, seon's real, beyond the flowery dale of sibma clad with vines, and eleale to th' asphaltic pool: peor his other name, when he enticed israel in sittim, on their march from nile, to do him wanton rites, which cost them woe. yet thence his lustful orgies he enlarged even to that hill of scandal, by the grove of moloch homicide, lust hard by hate, till good josiah drove them thence to hell. with these came they who, from the bordering flood of old euphrates to the brook that parts egypt from syrian ground, had general names of baalim and ashtaroth--those male, these feminine. for spirits, when they please, can either sex assume, or both; so soft and uncompounded is their essence pure, not tried or manacled with joint or limb, nor founded on the brittle strength of bones, like cumbrous flesh; but, in what shape they choose, dilated or condensed, bright or obscure, can execute their airy purposes, and works of love or enmity fulfil. for those the race of israel oft forsook their living strength, and unfrequented left his righteous altar, bowing lowly down to bestial gods; for which their heads as low bowed down in battle, sunk before the spear of despicable foes. with these in troop came astoreth, whom the phoenicians called astarte, queen of heaven, with crescent horns; to whose bright image nightly by the moon sidonian virgins paid their vows and songs; in sion also not unsung, where stood her temple on th' offensive mountain, built by that uxorious king whose heart, though large, beguiled by fair idolatresses, fell to idols foul. thammuz came next behind, whose annual wound in lebanon allured the syrian damsels to lament his fate in amorous ditties all a summer's day, while smooth adonis from his native rock ran purple to the sea, supposed with blood of thammuz yearly wounded: the love-tale infected sion's daughters with like heat, whose wanton passions in the sacred porch ezekiel saw, when, by the vision led, his eye surveyed the dark idolatries of alienated judah. next came one who mourned in earnest, when the captive ark maimed his brute image, head and hands lopt off, in his own temple, on the grunsel-edge, where he fell flat and shamed his worshippers: dagon his name, sea-monster, upward man and downward fish; yet had his temple high reared in azotus, dreaded through the coast of palestine, in gath and ascalon, and accaron and gaza's frontier bounds. him followed rimmon, whose delightful seat was fair damascus, on the fertile banks of abbana and pharphar, lucid streams. he also against the house of god was bold: a leper once he lost, and gained a king-ahaz, his sottish conqueror, whom he drew god's altar to disparage and displace for one of syrian mode, whereon to burn his odious offerings, and adore the gods whom he had vanquished. after these appeared a crew who, under names of old renown-osiris, isis, orus, and their train-with monstrous shapes and sorceries abused fanatic egypt and her priests to seek their wandering gods disguised in brutish forms rather than human. nor did israel scape th' infection, when their borrowed gold composed the calf in oreb; and the rebel king doubled that sin in bethel and in dan, likening his maker to the grazed ox-jehovah, who, in one night, when he passed from egypt marching, equalled with one stroke both her first-born and all her bleating gods. belial came last; than whom a spirit more lewd fell not from heaven, or more gross to love vice for itself. to him no temple stood or altar smoked; yet who more oft than he in temples and at altars, when the priest turns atheist, as did eli's sons, who filled with lust and violence the house of god? in courts and palaces he also reigns, and in luxurious cities, where the noise of riot ascends above their loftiest towers, and injury and outrage; and, when night darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons of belial, flown with insolence and wine. witness the streets of sodom, and that night in gibeah, when the hospitable door exposed a matron, to avoid worse rape. these were the prime in order and in might: the rest were long to tell; though far renowned th' ionian gods--of javan's issue held gods, yet confessed later than heaven and earth, their boasted parents;--titan, heaven's first-born, with his enormous brood, and birthright seized by younger saturn: he from mightier jove, his own and rhea's son, like measure found; so jove usurping reigned. these, first in crete and ida known, thence on the snowy top of cold olympus ruled the middle air, their highest heaven; or on the delphian cliff, or in dodona, and through all the bounds of doric land; or who with saturn old fled over adria to th' hesperian fields, and o'er the celtic roamed the utmost isles. all these and more came flocking; but with looks downcast and damp; yet such wherein appeared obscure some glimpse of joy to have found their chief not in despair, to have found themselves not lost in loss itself; which on his countenance cast like doubtful hue. but he, his wonted pride soon recollecting, with high words, that bore semblance of worth, not substance, gently raised their fainting courage, and dispelled their fears. then straight commands that, at the warlike sound of trumpets loud and clarions, be upreared his mighty standard. that proud honour claimed azazel as his right, a cherub tall: who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurled th' imperial ensign; which, full high advanced, shone like a meteor streaming to the wind, with gems and golden lustre rich emblazed, seraphic arms and trophies; all the while sonorous metal blowing martial sounds: at which the universal host up-sent a shout that tore hell's concave, and beyond frighted the reign of chaos and old night. all in a moment through the gloom were seen ten thousand banners rise into the air, with orient colours waving: with them rose a forest huge of spears; and thronging helms appeared, and serried shields in thick array of depth immeasurable. anon they move in perfect phalanx to the dorian mood of flutes and soft recorders--such as raised to height of noblest temper heroes old arming to battle, and instead of rage deliberate valour breathed, firm, and unmoved with dread of death to flight or foul retreat; nor wanting power to mitigate and swage with solemn touches troubled thoughts, and chase anguish and doubt and fear and sorrow and pain from mortal or immortal minds. thus they, breathing united force with fixed thought, moved on in silence to soft pipes that charmed their painful steps o'er the burnt soil. and now advanced in view they stand--a horrid front of dreadful length and dazzling arms, in guise of warriors old, with ordered spear and shield, awaiting what command their mighty chief had to impose. he through the armed files darts his experienced eye, and soon traverse the whole battalion views--their order due, their visages and stature as of gods; their number last he sums. and now his heart distends with pride, and, hardening in his strength, glories: for never, since created man, met such embodied force as, named with these, could merit more than that small infantry warred on by cranes--though all the giant brood of phlegra with th' heroic race were joined that fought at thebes and ilium, on each side mixed with auxiliar gods; and what resounds in fable or romance of uther's son, begirt with british and armoric knights; and all who since, baptized or infidel, jousted in aspramont, or montalban, damasco, or marocco, or trebisond, or whom biserta sent from afric shore when charlemain with all his peerage fell by fontarabbia. thus far these beyond compare of mortal prowess, yet observed their dread commander. he, above the rest in shape and gesture proudly eminent, stood like a tower. his form had yet not lost all her original brightness, nor appeared less than archangel ruined, and th' excess of glory obscured: as when the sun new-risen looks through the horizontal misty air shorn of his beams, or, from behind the moon, in dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds on half the nations, and with fear of change perplexes monarchs. darkened so, yet shone above them all th' archangel: but his face deep scars of thunder had intrenched, and care sat on his faded cheek, but under brows of dauntless courage, and considerate pride waiting revenge. cruel his eye, but cast signs of remorse and passion, to behold the fellows of his crime, the followers rather (far other once beheld in bliss), condemned for ever now to have their lot in pain-millions of spirits for his fault amerced of heaven, and from eternal splendours flung for his revolt--yet faithful how they stood, their glory withered; as, when heaven's fire hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines, with singed top their stately growth, though bare, stands on the blasted heath. he now prepared to speak; whereat their doubled ranks they bend from wing to wing, and half enclose him round with all his peers: attention held them mute. thrice he assayed, and thrice, in spite of scorn, tears, such as angels weep, burst forth: at last words interwove with sighs found out their way:- "o myriads of immortal spirits! o powers matchless, but with th' almighty!--and that strife was not inglorious, though th' event was dire, as this place testifies, and this dire change, hateful to utter. but what power of mind, forseeing or presaging, from the depth of knowledge past or present, could have feared how such united force of gods, how such as stood like these, could ever know repulse? for who can yet believe, though after loss, that all these puissant legions, whose exile hath emptied heaven, shall fail to re-ascend, self-raised, and repossess their native seat? for me, be witness all the host of heaven, if counsels different, or danger shunned by me, have lost our hopes. but he who reigns monarch in heaven till then as one secure sat on his throne, upheld by old repute, consent or custom, and his regal state put forth at full, but still his strength concealed-which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall. henceforth his might we know, and know our own, so as not either to provoke, or dread new war provoked: our better part remains to work in close design, by fraud or guile, what force effected not; that he no less at length from us may find, who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe. space may produce new worlds; whereof so rife there went a fame in heaven that he ere long intended to create, and therein plant a generation whom his choice regard should favour equal to the sons of heaven. thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps our first eruption--thither, or elsewhere; for this infernal pit shall never hold celestial spirits in bondage, nor th' abyss long under darkness cover. but these thoughts full counsel must mature. peace is despaired; for who can think submission? war, then, war open or understood, must be resolved." he spake; and, to confirm his words, outflew millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs of mighty cherubim; the sudden blaze far round illumined hell. highly they raged against the highest, and fierce with grasped arms clashed on their sounding shields the din of war, hurling defiance toward the vault of heaven. there stood a hill not far, whose grisly top belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire shone with a glossy scurf--undoubted sign that in his womb was hid metallic ore, the work of sulphur. thither, winged with speed, a numerous brigade hastened: as when bands of pioneers, with spade and pickaxe armed, forerun the royal camp, to trench a field, or cast a rampart. mammon led them on-mammon, the least erected spirit that fell from heaven; for even in heaven his looks and thoughts were always downward bent, admiring more the riches of heaven's pavement, trodden gold, than aught divine or holy else enjoyed in vision beatific. by him first men also, and by his suggestion taught, ransacked the centre, and with impious hands rifled the bowels of their mother earth for treasures better hid. soon had his crew opened into the hill a spacious wound, and digged out ribs of gold. let none admire that riches grow in hell; that soil may best deserve the precious bane. and here let those who boast in mortal things, and wondering tell of babel, and the works of memphian kings, learn how their greatest monuments of fame and strength, and art, are easily outdone by spirits reprobate, and in an hour what in an age they, with incessant toil and hands innumerable, scarce perform. nigh on the plain, in many cells prepared, that underneath had veins of liquid fire sluiced from the lake, a second multitude with wondrous art founded the massy ore, severing each kind, and scummed the bullion-dross. a third as soon had formed within the ground a various mould, and from the boiling cells by strange conveyance filled each hollow nook; as in an organ, from one blast of wind, to many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes. anon out of the earth a fabric huge rose like an exhalation, with the sound of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet-built like a temple, where pilasters round were set, and doric pillars overlaid with golden architrave; nor did there want cornice or frieze, with bossy sculptures graven; the roof was fretted gold. not babylon nor great alcairo such magnificence equalled in all their glories, to enshrine belus or serapis their gods, or seat their kings, when egypt with assyria strove in wealth and luxury. th' ascending pile stood fixed her stately height, and straight the doors, opening their brazen folds, discover, wide within, her ample spaces o'er the smooth and level pavement: from the arched roof, pendent by subtle magic, many a row of starry lamps and blazing cressets, fed with naptha and asphaltus, yielded light as from a sky. the hasty multitude admiring entered; and the work some praise, and some the architect. his hand was known in heaven by many a towered structure high, where sceptred angels held their residence, and sat as princes, whom the supreme king exalted to such power, and gave to rule, each in his hierarchy, the orders bright. nor was his name unheard or unadored in ancient greece; and in ausonian land men called him mulciber; and how he fell from heaven they fabled, thrown by angry jove sheer o'er the crystal battlements: from morn to noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve, a summer's day, and with the setting sun dropt from the zenith, like a falling star, on lemnos, th' aegaean isle. thus they relate, erring; for he with this rebellious rout fell long before; nor aught availed him now to have built in heaven high towers; nor did he scape by all his engines, but was headlong sent, with his industrious crew, to build in hell. meanwhile the winged heralds, by command of sovereign power, with awful ceremony and trumpet's sound, throughout the host proclaim a solemn council forthwith to be held at pandemonium, the high capital of satan and his peers. their summons called from every band and squared regiment by place or choice the worthiest: they anon with hundreds and with thousands trooping came attended. all access was thronged; the gates and porches wide, but chief the spacious hall (though like a covered field, where champions bold wont ride in armed, and at the soldan's chair defied the best of paynim chivalry to mortal combat, or career with lance), thick swarmed, both on the ground and in the air, brushed with the hiss of rustling wings. as bees in spring-time, when the sun with taurus rides. pour forth their populous youth about the hive in clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers fly to and fro, or on the smoothed plank, the suburb of their straw-built citadel, new rubbed with balm, expatiate, and confer their state-affairs: so thick the airy crowd swarmed and were straitened; till, the signal given, behold a wonder! they but now who seemed in bigness to surpass earth's giant sons, now less than smallest dwarfs, in narrow room throng numberless--like that pygmean race beyond the indian mount; or faery elves, whose midnight revels, by a forest-side or fountain, some belated peasant sees, or dreams he sees, while overhead the moon sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth wheels her pale course: they, on their mirth and dance intent, with jocund music charm his ear; at once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. thus incorporeal spirits to smallest forms reduced their shapes immense, and were at large, though without number still, amidst the hall of that infernal court. but far within, and in their own dimensions like themselves, the great seraphic lords and cherubim in close recess and secret conclave sat, a thousand demi-gods on golden seats, frequent and full. after short silence then, and summons read, the great consult began. book ii high on a throne of royal state, which far outshone the wealth of ormus and of ind, or where the gorgeous east with richest hand showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold, satan exalted sat, by merit raised to that bad eminence; and, from despair thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue vain war with heaven; and, by success untaught, his proud imaginations thus displayed:- "powers and dominions, deities of heaven!-for, since no deep within her gulf can hold immortal vigour, though oppressed and fallen, i give not heaven for lost: from this descent celestial virtues rising will appear more glorious and more dread than from no fall, and trust themselves to fear no second fate!-me though just right, and the fixed laws of heaven, did first create your leader--next, free choice with what besides in council or in fight hath been achieved of merit--yet this loss, thus far at least recovered, hath much more established in a safe, unenvied throne, yielded with full consent. the happier state in heaven, which follows dignity, might draw envy from each inferior; but who here will envy whom the highest place exposes foremost to stand against the thunderer's aim your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share of endless pain? where there is, then, no good for which to strive, no strife can grow up there from faction: for none sure will claim in hell precedence; none whose portion is so small of present pain that with ambitious mind will covet more! with this advantage, then, to union, and firm faith, and firm accord, more than can be in heaven, we now return to claim our just inheritance of old, surer to prosper than prosperity could have assured us; and by what best way, whether of open war or covert guile, we now debate. who can advise may speak." he ceased; and next him moloch, sceptred king, stood up--the strongest and the fiercest spirit that fought in heaven, now fiercer by despair. his trust was with th' eternal to be deemed equal in strength, and rather than be less cared not to be at all; with that care lost went all his fear: of god, or hell, or worse, he recked not, and these words thereafter spake:- "my sentence is for open war. of wiles, more unexpert, i boast not: them let those contrive who need, or when they need; not now. for, while they sit contriving, shall the rest-millions that stand in arms, and longing wait the signal to ascend--sit lingering here, heaven's fugitives, and for their dwelling-place accept this dark opprobrious den of shame, the prison of his tyranny who reigns by our delay? no! let us rather choose, armed with hell-flames and fury, all at once o'er heaven's high towers to force resistless way, turning our tortures into horrid arms against the torturer; when, to meet the noise of his almighty engine, he shall hear infernal thunder, and, for lightning, see black fire and horror shot with equal rage among his angels, and his throne itself mixed with tartarean sulphur and strange fire, his own invented torments. but perhaps the way seems difficult, and steep to scale with upright wing against a higher foe! let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench of that forgetful lake benumb not still, that in our proper motion we ascend up to our native seat; descent and fall to us is adverse. who but felt of late, when the fierce foe hung on our broken rear insulting, and pursued us through the deep, with what compulsion and laborious flight we sunk thus low? th' ascent is easy, then; th' event is feared! should we again provoke our stronger, some worse way his wrath may find to our destruction, if there be in hell fear to be worse destroyed! what can be worse than to dwell here, driven out from bliss, condemned in this abhorred deep to utter woe! where pain of unextinguishable fire must exercise us without hope of end the vassals of his anger, when the scourge inexorably, and the torturing hour, calls us to penance? more destroyed than thus, we should be quite abolished, and expire. what fear we then? what doubt we to incense his utmost ire? which, to the height enraged, will either quite consume us, and reduce to nothing this essential--happier far than miserable to have eternal being!-or, if our substance be indeed divine, and cannot cease to be, we are at worst on this side nothing; and by proof we feel our power sufficient to disturb his heaven, and with perpetual inroads to alarm, though inaccessible, his fatal throne: which, if not victory, is yet revenge." he ended frowning, and his look denounced desperate revenge, and battle dangerous to less than gods. on th' other side up rose belial, in act more graceful and humane. a fairer person lost not heaven; he seemed for dignity composed, and high exploit. but all was false and hollow; though his tongue dropped manna, and could make the worse appear the better reason, to perplex and dash maturest counsels: for his thoughts were low-to vice industrious, but to nobler deeds timorous and slothful. yet he pleased the ear, and with persuasive accent thus began:- "i should be much for open war, o peers, as not behind in hate, if what was urged main reason to persuade immediate war did not dissuade me most, and seem to cast ominous conjecture on the whole success; when he who most excels in fact of arms, in what he counsels and in what excels mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair and utter dissolution, as the scope of all his aim, after some dire revenge. first, what revenge? the towers of heaven are filled with armed watch, that render all access impregnable: oft on the bordering deep encamp their legions, or with obscure wing scout far and wide into the realm of night, scorning surprise. or, could we break our way by force, and at our heels all hell should rise with blackest insurrection to confound heaven's purest light, yet our great enemy, all incorruptible, would on his throne sit unpolluted, and th' ethereal mould, incapable of stain, would soon expel her mischief, and purge off the baser fire, victorious. thus repulsed, our final hope is flat despair: we must exasperate th' almighty victor to spend all his rage; and that must end us; that must be our cure-to be no more. sad cure! for who would lose, though full of pain, this intellectual being, those thoughts that wander through eternity, to perish rather, swallowed up and lost in the wide womb of uncreated night, devoid of sense and motion? and who knows, let this be good, whether our angry foe can give it, or will ever? how he can is doubtful; that he never will is sure. will he, so wise, let loose at once his ire, belike through impotence or unaware, to give his enemies their wish, and end them in his anger whom his anger saves to punish endless? "wherefore cease we, then?" say they who counsel war; "we are decreed, reserved, and destined to eternal woe; whatever doing, what can we suffer more, what can we suffer worse?" is this, then, worst-thus sitting, thus consulting, thus in arms? what when we fled amain, pursued and struck with heaven's afflicting thunder, and besought the deep to shelter us? this hell then seemed a refuge from those wounds. or when we lay chained on the burning lake? that sure was worse. what if the breath that kindled those grim fires, awaked, should blow them into sevenfold rage, and plunge us in the flames; or from above should intermitted vengeance arm again his red right hand to plague us? what if all her stores were opened, and this firmament of hell should spout her cataracts of fire, impendent horrors, threatening hideous fall one day upon our heads; while we perhaps, designing or exhorting glorious war, caught in a fiery tempest, shall be hurled, each on his rock transfixed, the sport and prey or racking whirlwinds, or for ever sunk under yon boiling ocean, wrapt in chains, there to converse with everlasting groans, unrespited, unpitied, unreprieved, ages of hopeless end? this would be worse. war, therefore, open or concealed, alike my voice dissuades; for what can force or guile with him, or who deceive his mind, whose eye views all things at one view? he from heaven's height all these our motions vain sees and derides, not more almighty to resist our might than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles. shall we, then, live thus vile--the race of heaven thus trampled, thus expelled, to suffer here chains and these torments? better these than worse, by my advice; since fate inevitable subdues us, and omnipotent decree, the victor's will. to suffer, as to do, our strength is equal; nor the law unjust that so ordains. this was at first resolved, if we were wise, against so great a foe contending, and so doubtful what might fall. i laugh when those who at the spear are bold and venturous, if that fail them, shrink, and fear what yet they know must follow--to endure exile, or ignominy, or bonds, or pain, the sentence of their conqueror. this is now our doom; which if we can sustain and bear, our supreme foe in time may much remit his anger, and perhaps, thus far removed, not mind us not offending, satisfied with what is punished; whence these raging fires will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames. our purer essence then will overcome their noxious vapour; or, inured, not feel; or, changed at length, and to the place conformed in temper and in nature, will receive familiar the fierce heat; and, void of pain, this horror will grow mild, this darkness light; besides what hope the never-ending flight of future days may bring, what chance, what change worth waiting--since our present lot appears for happy though but ill, for ill not worst, if we procure not to ourselves more woe." thus belial, with words clothed in reason's garb, counselled ignoble ease and peaceful sloth, not peace; and after him thus mammon spake:- "either to disenthrone the king of heaven we war, if war be best, or to regain our own right lost. him to unthrone we then may hope, when everlasting fate shall yield to fickle chance, and chaos judge the strife. the former, vain to hope, argues as vain the latter; for what place can be for us within heaven's bound, unless heaven's lord supreme we overpower? suppose he should relent and publish grace to all, on promise made of new subjection; with what eyes could we stand in his presence humble, and receive strict laws imposed, to celebrate his throne with warbled hymns, and to his godhead sing forced hallelujahs, while he lordly sits our envied sovereign, and his altar breathes ambrosial odours and ambrosial flowers, our servile offerings? this must be our task in heaven, this our delight. how wearisome eternity so spent in worship paid to whom we hate! let us not then pursue, by force impossible, by leave obtained unacceptable, though in heaven, our state of splendid vassalage; but rather seek our own good from ourselves, and from our own live to ourselves, though in this vast recess, free and to none accountable, preferring hard liberty before the easy yoke of servile pomp. our greatness will appear then most conspicuous when great things of small, useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse, we can create, and in what place soe'er thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain through labour and endurance. this deep world of darkness do we dread? how oft amidst thick clouds and dark doth heaven's all-ruling sire choose to reside, his glory unobscured, and with the majesty of darkness round covers his throne, from whence deep thunders roar. mustering their rage, and heaven resembles hell! as he our darkness, cannot we his light imitate when we please? this desert soil wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold; nor want we skill or art from whence to raise magnificence; and what can heaven show more? our torments also may, in length of time, become our elements, these piercing fires as soft as now severe, our temper changed into their temper; which must needs remove the sensible of pain. all things invite to peaceful counsels, and the settled state of order, how in safety best we may compose our present evils, with regard of what we are and where, dismissing quite all thoughts of war. ye have what i advise." he scarce had finished, when such murmur filled th' assembly as when hollow rocks retain the sound of blustering winds, which all night long had roused the sea, now with hoarse cadence lull seafaring men o'erwatched, whose bark by chance or pinnace, anchors in a craggy bay after the tempest. such applause was heard as mammon ended, and his sentence pleased, advising peace: for such another field they dreaded worse than hell; so much the fear of thunder and the sword of michael wrought still within them; and no less desire to found this nether empire, which might rise, by policy and long process of time, in emulation opposite to heaven. which when beelzebub perceived--than whom, satan except, none higher sat--with grave aspect he rose, and in his rising seemed a pillar of state. deep on his front engraven deliberation sat, and public care; and princely counsel in his face yet shone, majestic, though in ruin. sage he stood with atlantean shoulders, fit to bear the weight of mightiest monarchies; his look drew audience and attention still as night or summer's noontide air, while thus he spake:- "thrones and imperial powers, offspring of heaven, ethereal virtues! or these titles now must we renounce, and, changing style, be called princes of hell? for so the popular vote inclines--here to continue, and build up here a growing empire; doubtless! while we dream, and know not that the king of heaven hath doomed this place our dungeon, not our safe retreat beyond his potent arm, to live exempt from heaven's high jurisdiction, in new league banded against his throne, but to remain in strictest bondage, though thus far removed, under th' inevitable curb, reserved his captive multitude. for he, to be sure, in height or depth, still first and last will reign sole king, and of his kingdom lose no part by our revolt, but over hell extend his empire, and with iron sceptre rule us here, as with his golden those in heaven. what sit we then projecting peace and war? war hath determined us and foiled with loss irreparable; terms of peace yet none vouchsafed or sought; for what peace will be given to us enslaved, but custody severe, and stripes and arbitrary punishment inflicted? and what peace can we return, but, to our power, hostility and hate, untamed reluctance, and revenge, though slow, yet ever plotting how the conqueror least may reap his conquest, and may least rejoice in doing what we most in suffering feel? nor will occasion want, nor shall we need with dangerous expedition to invade heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or siege, or ambush from the deep. what if we find some easier enterprise? there is a place (if ancient and prophetic fame in heaven err not)--another world, the happy seat of some new race, called man, about this time to be created like to us, though less in power and excellence, but favoured more of him who rules above; so was his will pronounced among the gods, and by an oath that shook heaven's whole circumference confirmed. thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn what creatures there inhabit, of what mould or substance, how endued, and what their power and where their weakness: how attempted best, by force of subtlety. though heaven be shut, and heaven's high arbitrator sit secure in his own strength, this place may lie exposed, the utmost border of his kingdom, left to their defence who hold it: here, perhaps, some advantageous act may be achieved by sudden onset--either with hell-fire to waste his whole creation, or possess all as our own, and drive, as we were driven, the puny habitants; or, if not drive, seduce them to our party, that their god may prove their foe, and with repenting hand abolish his own works. this would surpass common revenge, and interrupt his joy in our confusion, and our joy upraise in his disturbance; when his darling sons, hurled headlong to partake with us, shall curse their frail original, and faded bliss-faded so soon! advise if this be worth attempting, or to sit in darkness here hatching vain empires." thus beelzebub pleaded his devilish counsel--first devised by satan, and in part proposed: for whence, but from the author of all ill, could spring so deep a malice, to confound the race of mankind in one root, and earth with hell to mingle and involve, done all to spite the great creator? but their spite still serves his glory to augment. the bold design pleased highly those infernal states, and joy sparkled in all their eyes: with full assent they vote: whereat his speech he thus renews:-"well have ye judged, well ended long debate, synod of gods, and, like to what ye are, great things resolved, which from the lowest deep will once more lift us up, in spite of fate, nearer our ancient seat--perhaps in view of those bright confines, whence, with neighbouring arms, and opportune excursion, we may chance re-enter heaven; or else in some mild zone dwell, not unvisited of heaven's fair light, secure, and at the brightening orient beam purge off this gloom: the soft delicious air, to heal the scar of these corrosive fires, shall breathe her balm. but, first, whom shall we send in search of this new world? whom shall we find sufficient? who shall tempt with wandering feet the dark, unbottomed, infinite abyss, and through the palpable obscure find out his uncouth way, or spread his airy flight, upborne with indefatigable wings over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive the happy isle? what strength, what art, can then suffice, or what evasion bear him safe, through the strict senteries and stations thick of angels watching round? here he had need all circumspection: and we now no less choice in our suffrage; for on whom we send the weight of all, and our last hope, relies." this said, he sat; and expectation held his look suspense, awaiting who appeared to second, or oppose, or undertake the perilous attempt. but all sat mute, pondering the danger with deep thoughts; and each in other's countenance read his own dismay, astonished. none among the choice and prime of those heaven-warring champions could be found so hardy as to proffer or accept, alone, the dreadful voyage; till, at last, satan, whom now transcendent glory raised above his fellows, with monarchal pride conscious of highest worth, unmoved thus spake:- "o progeny of heaven! empyreal thrones! with reason hath deep silence and demur seized us, though undismayed. long is the way and hard, that out of hell leads up to light. our prison strong, this huge convex of fire, outrageous to devour, immures us round ninefold; and gates of burning adamant, barred over us, prohibit all egress. these passed, if any pass, the void profound of unessential night receives him next, wide-gaping, and with utter loss of being threatens him, plunged in that abortive gulf. if thence he scape, into whatever world, or unknown region, what remains him less than unknown dangers, and as hard escape? but i should ill become this throne, o peers, and this imperial sovereignty, adorned with splendour, armed with power, if aught proposed and judged of public moment in the shape of difficulty or danger, could deter me from attempting. wherefore do i assume these royalties, and not refuse to reign, refusing to accept as great a share of hazard as of honour, due alike to him who reigns, and so much to him due of hazard more as he above the rest high honoured sits? go, therefore, mighty powers, terror of heaven, though fallen; intend at home, while here shall be our home, what best may ease the present misery, and render hell more tolerable; if there be cure or charm to respite, or deceive, or slack the pain of this ill mansion: intermit no watch against a wakeful foe, while i abroad through all the coasts of dark destruction seek deliverance for us all. this enterprise none shall partake with me." thus saying, rose the monarch, and prevented all reply; prudent lest, from his resolution raised, others among the chief might offer now, certain to be refused, what erst they feared, and, so refused, might in opinion stand his rivals, winning cheap the high repute which he through hazard huge must earn. but they dreaded not more th' adventure than his voice forbidding; and at once with him they rose. their rising all at once was as the sound of thunder heard remote. towards him they bend with awful reverence prone, and as a god extol him equal to the highest in heaven. nor failed they to express how much they praised that for the general safety he despised his own: for neither do the spirits damned lose all their virtue; lest bad men should boast their specious deeds on earth, which glory excites, or close ambition varnished o'er with zeal. thus they their doubtful consultations dark ended, rejoicing in their matchless chief: as, when from mountain-tops the dusky clouds ascending, while the north wind sleeps, o'erspread heaven's cheerful face, the louring element scowls o'er the darkened landscape snow or shower, if chance the radiant sun, with farewell sweet, extend his evening beam, the fields revive, the birds their notes renew, and bleating herds attest their joy, that hill and valley rings. o shame to men! devil with devil damned firm concord holds; men only disagree of creatures rational, though under hope of heavenly grace, and, god proclaiming peace, yet live in hatred, enmity, and strife among themselves, and levy cruel wars wasting the earth, each other to destroy: as if (which might induce us to accord) man had not hellish foes enow besides, that day and night for his destruction wait! the stygian council thus dissolved; and forth in order came the grand infernal peers: midst came their mighty paramount, and seemed alone th' antagonist of heaven, nor less than hell's dread emperor, with pomp supreme, and god-like imitated state: him round a globe of fiery seraphim enclosed with bright emblazonry, and horrent arms. then of their session ended they bid cry with trumpet's regal sound the great result: toward the four winds four speedy cherubim put to their mouths the sounding alchemy, by herald's voice explained; the hollow abyss heard far and wide, and all the host of hell with deafening shout returned them loud acclaim. thence more at ease their minds, and somewhat raised by false presumptuous hope, the ranged powers disband; and, wandering, each his several way pursues, as inclination or sad choice leads him perplexed, where he may likeliest find truce to his restless thoughts, and entertain the irksome hours, till his great chief return. part on the plain, or in the air sublime, upon the wing or in swift race contend, as at th' olympian games or pythian fields; part curb their fiery steeds, or shun the goal with rapid wheels, or fronted brigades form: as when, to warn proud cities, war appears waged in the troubled sky, and armies rush to battle in the clouds; before each van prick forth the airy knights, and couch their spears, till thickest legions close; with feats of arms from either end of heaven the welkin burns. others, with vast typhoean rage, more fell, rend up both rocks and hills, and ride the air in whirlwind; hell scarce holds the wild uproar:-as when alcides, from oechalia crowned with conquest, felt th' envenomed robe, and tore through pain up by the roots thessalian pines, and lichas from the top of oeta threw into th' euboic sea. others, more mild, retreated in a silent valley, sing with notes angelical to many a harp their own heroic deeds, and hapless fall by doom of battle, and complain that fate free virtue should enthrall to force or chance. their song was partial; but the harmony (what could it less when spirits immortal sing?) suspended hell, and took with ravishment the thronging audience. in discourse more sweet (for eloquence the soul, song charms the sense) others apart sat on a hill retired, in thoughts more elevate, and reasoned high of providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate-fixed fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute, and found no end, in wandering mazes lost. of good and evil much they argued then, of happiness and final misery, passion and apathy, and glory and shame: vain wisdom all, and false philosophy!-yet, with a pleasing sorcery, could charm pain for a while or anguish, and excite fallacious hope, or arm th' obdured breast with stubborn patience as with triple steel. another part, in squadrons and gross bands, on bold adventure to discover wide that dismal world, if any clime perhaps might yield them easier habitation, bend four ways their flying march, along the banks of four infernal rivers, that disgorge into the burning lake their baleful streams-abhorred styx, the flood of deadly hate; sad acheron of sorrow, black and deep; cocytus, named of lamentation loud heard on the rueful stream; fierce phlegeton, whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage. far off from these, a slow and silent stream, lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls her watery labyrinth, whereof who drinks forthwith his former state and being forgets-forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain. beyond this flood a frozen continent lies dark and wild, beat with perpetual storms of whirlwind and dire hail, which on firm land thaws not, but gathers heap, and ruin seems of ancient pile; all else deep snow and ice, a gulf profound as that serbonian bog betwixt damiata and mount casius old, where armies whole have sunk: the parching air burns frore, and cold performs th' effect of fire. thither, by harpy-footed furies haled, at certain revolutions all the damned are brought; and feel by turns the bitter change of fierce extremes, extremes by change more fierce, from beds of raging fire to starve in ice their soft ethereal warmth, and there to pine immovable, infixed, and frozen round periods of time,--thence hurried back to fire. they ferry over this lethean sound both to and fro, their sorrow to augment, and wish and struggle, as they pass, to reach the tempting stream, with one small drop to lose in sweet forgetfulness all pain and woe, all in one moment, and so near the brink; but fate withstands, and, to oppose th' attempt, medusa with gorgonian terror guards the ford, and of itself the water flies all taste of living wight, as once it fled the lip of tantalus. thus roving on in confused march forlorn, th' adventurous bands, with shuddering horror pale, and eyes aghast, viewed first their lamentable lot, and found no rest. through many a dark and dreary vale they passed, and many a region dolorous, o'er many a frozen, many a fiery alp, rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death-a universe of death, which god by curse created evil, for evil only good; where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things, obominable, inutterable, and worse than fables yet have feigned or fear conceived, gorgons, and hydras, and chimeras dire. meanwhile the adversary of god and man, satan, with thoughts inflamed of highest design, puts on swift wings, and toward the gates of hell explores his solitary flight: sometimes he scours the right hand coast, sometimes the left; now shaves with level wing the deep, then soars up to the fiery concave towering high. as when far off at sea a fleet descried hangs in the clouds, by equinoctial winds close sailing from bengala, or the isles of ternate and tidore, whence merchants bring their spicy drugs; they on the trading flood, through the wide ethiopian to the cape, ply stemming nightly toward the pole: so seemed far off the flying fiend. at last appear hell-bounds, high reaching to the horrid roof, and thrice threefold the gates; three folds were brass, three iron, three of adamantine rock, impenetrable, impaled with circling fire, yet unconsumed. before the gates there sat on either side a formidable shape. the one seemed woman to the waist, and fair, but ended foul in many a scaly fold, voluminous and vast--a serpent armed with mortal sting. about her middle round a cry of hell-hounds never-ceasing barked with wide cerberean mouths full loud, and rung a hideous peal; yet, when they list, would creep, if aught disturbed their noise, into her womb, and kennel there; yet there still barked and howled within unseen. far less abhorred than these vexed scylla, bathing in the sea that parts calabria from the hoarse trinacrian shore; nor uglier follow the night-hag, when, called in secret, riding through the air she comes, lured with the smell of infant blood, to dance with lapland witches, while the labouring moon eclipses at their charms. the other shape-if shape it might be called that shape had none distinguishable in member, joint, or limb; or substance might be called that shadow seemed, for each seemed either--black it stood as night, fierce as ten furies, terrible as hell, and shook a dreadful dart: what seemed his head the likeness of a kingly crown had on. satan was now at hand, and from his seat the monster moving onward came as fast with horrid strides; hell trembled as he strode. th' undaunted fiend what this might be admired-admired, not feared (god and his son except, created thing naught valued he nor shunned), and with disdainful look thus first began:- "whence and what art thou, execrable shape, that dar'st, though grim and terrible, advance thy miscreated front athwart my way to yonder gates? through them i mean to pass, that be assured, without leave asked of thee. retire; or taste thy folly, and learn by proof, hell-born, not to contend with spirits of heaven." to whom the goblin, full of wrath, replied:-"art thou that traitor angel? art thou he, who first broke peace in heaven and faith, till then unbroken, and in proud rebellious arms drew after him the third part of heaven's sons, conjured against the highest--for which both thou and they, outcast from god, are here condemned to waste eternal days in woe and pain? and reckon'st thou thyself with spirits of heaven hell-doomed, and breath'st defiance here and scorn, where i reign king, and, to enrage thee more, thy king and lord? back to thy punishment, false fugitive; and to thy speed add wings, lest with a whip of scorpions i pursue thy lingering, or with one stroke of this dart strange horror seize thee, and pangs unfelt before." so spake the grisly terror, and in shape, so speaking and so threatening, grew tenfold, more dreadful and deform. on th' other side, incensed with indignation, satan stood unterrified, and like a comet burned, that fires the length of ophiuchus huge in th' arctic sky, and from his horrid hair shakes pestilence and war. each at the head levelled his deadly aim; their fatal hands no second stroke intend; and such a frown each cast at th' other as when two black clouds, with heaven's artillery fraught, came rattling on over the caspian,--then stand front to front hovering a space, till winds the signal blow to join their dark encounter in mid-air. so frowned the mighty combatants that hell grew darker at their frown; so matched they stood; for never but once more was wither like to meet so great a foe. and now great deeds had been achieved, whereof all hell had rung, had not the snaky sorceress, that sat fast by hell-gate and kept the fatal key, risen, and with hideous outcry rushed between. "o father, what intends thy hand," she cried, "against thy only son? what fury, o son, possesses thee to bend that mortal dart against thy father's head? and know'st for whom? for him who sits above, and laughs the while at thee, ordained his drudge to execute whate'er his wrath, which he calls justice, bids-his wrath, which one day will destroy ye both!" she spake, and at her words the hellish pest forbore: then these to her satan returned:- "so strange thy outcry, and thy words so strange thou interposest, that my sudden hand, prevented, spares to tell thee yet by deeds what it intends, till first i know of thee what thing thou art, thus double-formed, and why, in this infernal vale first met, thou call'st me father, and that phantasm call'st my son. i know thee not, nor ever saw till now sight more detestable than him and thee." t' whom thus the portress of hell-gate replied:-"hast thou forgot me, then; and do i seem now in thine eye so foul?--once deemed so fair in heaven, when at th' assembly, and in sight of all the seraphim with thee combined in bold conspiracy against heaven's king, all on a sudden miserable pain surprised thee, dim thine eyes and dizzy swum in darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast threw forth, till on the left side opening wide, likest to thee in shape and countenance bright, then shining heavenly fair, a goddess armed, out of thy head i sprung. amazement seized all th' host of heaven; back they recoiled afraid at first, and called me sin, and for a sign portentous held me; but, familiar grown, i pleased, and with attractive graces won the most averse--thee chiefly, who, full oft thyself in me thy perfect image viewing, becam'st enamoured; and such joy thou took'st with me in secret that my womb conceived a growing burden. meanwhile war arose, and fields were fought in heaven: wherein remained (for what could else?) to our almighty foe clear victory; to our part loss and rout through all the empyrean. down they fell, driven headlong from the pitch of heaven, down into this deep; and in the general fall i also: at which time this powerful key into my hands was given, with charge to keep these gates for ever shut, which none can pass without my opening. pensive here i sat alone; but long i sat not, till my womb, pregnant by thee, and now excessive grown, prodigious motion felt and rueful throes. at last this odious offspring whom thou seest, thine own begotten, breaking violent way, tore through my entrails, that, with fear and pain distorted, all my nether shape thus grew transformed: but he my inbred enemy forth issued, brandishing his fatal dart, made to destroy. i fled, and cried out death! hell trembled at the hideous name, and sighed from all her caves, and back resounded death! i fled; but he pursued (though more, it seems, inflamed with lust than rage), and, swifter far, me overtook, his mother, all dismayed, and, in embraces forcible and foul engendering with me, of that rape begot these yelling monsters, that with ceaseless cry surround me, as thou saw'st--hourly conceived and hourly born, with sorrow infinite to me; for, when they list, into the womb that bred them they return, and howl, and gnaw my bowels, their repast; then, bursting forth afresh, with conscious terrors vex me round, that rest or intermission none i find. before mine eyes in opposition sits grim death, my son and foe, who set them on, and me, his parent, would full soon devour for want of other prey, but that he knows his end with mine involved, and knows that i should prove a bitter morsel, and his bane, whenever that shall be: so fate pronounced. but thou, o father, i forewarn thee, shun his deadly arrow; neither vainly hope to be invulnerable in those bright arms, through tempered heavenly; for that mortal dint, save he who reigns above, none can resist." she finished; and the subtle fiend his lore soon learned, now milder, and thus answered smooth:- "dear daughter--since thou claim'st me for thy sire, and my fair son here show'st me, the dear pledge of dalliance had with thee in heaven, and joys then sweet, now sad to mention, through dire change befallen us unforeseen, unthought-of--know, i come no enemy, but to set free from out this dark and dismal house of pain both him and thee, and all the heavenly host of spirits that, in our just pretences armed, fell with us from on high. from them i go this uncouth errand sole, and one for all myself expose, with lonely steps to tread th' unfounded deep, and through the void immense to search, with wandering quest, a place foretold should be--and, by concurring signs, ere now created vast and round--a place of bliss in the purlieus of heaven; and therein placed a race of upstart creatures, to supply perhaps our vacant room, though more removed, lest heaven, surcharged with potent multitude, might hap to move new broils. be this, or aught than this more secret, now designed, i haste to know; and, this once known, shall soon return, and bring ye to the place where thou and death shall dwell at ease, and up and down unseen wing silently the buxom air, embalmed with odours. there ye shall be fed and filled immeasurably; all things shall be your prey." he ceased; for both seemed highly pleased, and death grinned horrible a ghastly smile, to hear his famine should be filled, and blessed his maw destined to that good hour. no less rejoiced his mother bad, and thus bespake her sire:- "the key of this infernal pit, by due and by command of heaven's all-powerful king, i keep, by him forbidden to unlock these adamantine gates; against all force death ready stands to interpose his dart, fearless to be o'ermatched by living might. but what owe i to his commands above, who hates me, and hath hither thrust me down into this gloom of tartarus profound, to sit in hateful office here confined, inhabitant of heaven and heavenly born-here in perpetual agony and pain, with terrors and with clamours compassed round of mine own brood, that on my bowels feed? thou art my father, thou my author, thou my being gav'st me; whom should i obey but thee? whom follow? thou wilt bring me soon to that new world of light and bliss, among the gods who live at ease, where i shall reign at thy right hand voluptuous, as beseems thy daughter and thy darling, without end." thus saying, from her side the fatal key, sad instrument of all our woe, she took; and, towards the gate rolling her bestial train, forthwith the huge portcullis high up-drew, which, but herself, not all the stygian powers could once have moved; then in the key-hole turns th' intricate wards, and every bolt and bar of massy iron or solid rock with ease unfastens. on a sudden open fly, with impetuous recoil and jarring sound, th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate harsh thunder, that the lowest bottom shook of erebus. she opened; but to shut excelled her power: the gates wide open stood, that with extended wings a bannered host, under spread ensigns marching, might pass through with horse and chariots ranked in loose array; so wide they stood, and like a furnace-mouth cast forth redounding smoke and ruddy flame. before their eyes in sudden view appear the secrets of the hoary deep--a dark illimitable ocean, without bound, without dimension; where length, breadth, and height, and time, and place, are lost; where eldest night and chaos, ancestors of nature, hold eternal anarchy, amidst the noise of endless wars, and by confusion stand. for hot, cold, moist, and dry, four champions fierce, strive here for mastery, and to battle bring their embryon atoms: they around the flag of each his faction, in their several clans, light-armed or heavy, sharp, smooth, swift, or slow, swarm populous, unnumbered as the sands of barca or cyrene's torrid soil, levied to side with warring winds, and poise their lighter wings. to whom these most adhere he rules a moment: chaos umpire sits, and by decision more embroils the fray by which he reigns: next him, high arbiter, chance governs all. into this wild abyss, the womb of nature, and perhaps her grave, of neither sea, nor shore, nor air, nor fire, but all these in their pregnant causes mixed confusedly, and which thus must ever fight, unless th' almighty maker them ordain his dark materials to create more worlds-into this wild abyss the wary fiend stood on the brink of hell and looked a while, pondering his voyage; for no narrow frith he had to cross. nor was his ear less pealed with noises loud and ruinous (to compare great things with small) than when bellona storms with all her battering engines, bent to rase some capital city; or less than if this frame of heaven were falling, and these elements in mutiny had from her axle torn the steadfast earth. at last his sail-broad vans he spread for flight, and, in the surging smoke uplifted, spurns the ground; thence many a league, as in a cloudy chair, ascending rides audacious; but, that seat soon failing, meets a vast vacuity. all unawares, fluttering his pennons vain, plumb-down he drops ten thousand fathom deep, and to this hour down had been falling, had not, by ill chance, the strong rebuff of some tumultuous cloud, instinct with fire and nitre, hurried him as many miles aloft. that fury stayed-quenched in a boggy syrtis, neither sea, nor good dry land--nigh foundered, on he fares, treading the crude consistence, half on foot, half flying; behoves him now both oar and sail. as when a gryphon through the wilderness with winged course, o'er hill or moory dale, pursues the arimaspian, who by stealth had from his wakeful custody purloined the guarded gold; so eagerly the fiend o'er bog or steep, through strait, rough, dense, or rare, with head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues his way, and swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies. at length a universal hubbub wild of stunning sounds, and voices all confused, borne through the hollow dark, assaults his ear with loudest vehemence. thither he plies undaunted, to meet there whatever power or spirit of the nethermost abyss might in that noise reside, of whom to ask which way the nearest coast of darkness lies bordering on light; when straight behold the throne of chaos, and his dark pavilion spread wide on the wasteful deep! with him enthroned sat sable-vested night, eldest of things, the consort of his reign; and by them stood orcus and ades, and the dreaded name of demogorgon; rumour next, and chance, and tumult, and confusion, all embroiled, and discord with a thousand various mouths. t' whom satan, turning boldly, thus:--"ye powers and spirits of this nethermost abyss, chaos and ancient night, i come no spy with purpose to explore or to disturb the secrets of your realm; but, by constraint wandering this darksome desert, as my way lies through your spacious empire up to light, alone and without guide, half lost, i seek, what readiest path leads where your gloomy bounds confine with heaven; or, if some other place, from your dominion won, th' ethereal king possesses lately, thither to arrive i travel this profound. direct my course: directed, no mean recompense it brings to your behoof, if i that region lost, all usurpation thence expelled, reduce to her original darkness and your sway (which is my present journey), and once more erect the standard there of ancient night. yours be th' advantage all, mine the revenge!" thus satan; and him thus the anarch old, with faltering speech and visage incomposed, answered: "i know thee, stranger, who thou art-that mighty leading angel, who of late made head against heaven's king, though overthrown. i saw and heard; for such a numerous host fled not in silence through the frighted deep, with ruin upon ruin, rout on rout, confusion worse confounded; and heaven-gates poured out by millions her victorious bands, pursuing. i upon my frontiers here keep residence; if all i can will serve that little which is left so to defend, encroached on still through our intestine broils weakening the sceptre of old night: first, hell, your dungeon, stretching far and wide beneath; now lately heaven and earth, another world hung o'er my realm, linked in a golden chain to that side heaven from whence your legions fell! if that way be your walk, you have not far; so much the nearer danger. go, and speed; havoc, and spoil, and ruin, are my gain." he ceased; and satan stayed not to reply, but, glad that now his sea should find a shore, with fresh alacrity and force renewed springs upward, like a pyramid of fire, into the wild expanse, and through the shock of fighting elements, on all sides round environed, wins his way; harder beset and more endangered than when argo passed through bosporus betwixt the justling rocks, or when ulysses on the larboard shunned charybdis, and by th' other whirlpool steered. so he with difficulty and labour hard moved on, with difficulty and labour he; but, he once passed, soon after, when man fell, strange alteration! sin and death amain, following his track (such was the will of heaven) paved after him a broad and beaten way over the dark abyss, whose boiling gulf tamely endured a bridge of wondrous length, from hell continued, reaching th' utmost orb of this frail world; by which the spirits perverse with easy intercourse pass to and fro to tempt or punish mortals, except whom god and good angels guard by special grace. but now at last the sacred influence of light appears, and from the walls of heaven shoots far into the bosom of dim night a glimmering dawn. here nature first begins her farthest verge, and chaos to retire, as from her outmost works, a broken foe, with tumult less and with less hostile din; that satan with less toil, and now with ease, wafts on the calmer wave by dubious light, and, like a weather-beaten vessel, holds gladly the port, though shrouds and tackle torn; or in the emptier waste, resembling air, weighs his spread wings, at leisure to behold far off th' empyreal heaven, extended wide in circuit, undetermined square or round, with opal towers and battlements adorned of living sapphire, once his native seat; and, fast by, hanging in a golden chain, this pendent world, in bigness as a star of smallest magnitude close by the moon. thither, full fraught with mischievous revenge, accursed, and in a cursed hour, he hies. book iii hail, holy light, offspring of heaven firstborn, or of the eternal coeternal beam may i express thee unblam'd? since god is light, and never but in unapproached light dwelt from eternity, dwelt then in thee bright effluence of bright essence increate. or hear'st thou rather pure ethereal stream, whose fountain who shall tell? before the sun, before the heavens thou wert, and at the voice of god, as with a mantle, didst invest the rising world of waters dark and deep, won from the void and formless infinite. thee i re-visit now with bolder wing, escap'd the stygian pool, though long detain'd in that obscure sojourn, while in my flight through utter and through middle darkness borne, with other notes than to the orphean lyre i sung of chaos and eternal night; taught by the heavenly muse to venture down the dark descent, and up to re-ascend, though hard and rare: thee i revisit safe, and feel thy sovran vital lamp; but thou revisit'st not these eyes, that roll in vain to find thy piercing ray, and find no dawn; so thick a drop serene hath quench'd their orbs, or dim suffusion veil'd. yet not the more cease i to wander, where the muses haunt, clear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill, smit with the love of sacred song; but chief thee, sion, and the flowery brooks beneath, that wash thy hallow'd feet, and warbling flow, nightly i visit: nor sometimes forget so were i equall'd with them in renown, thy sovran command, that man should find grace; blind thamyris, and blind maeonides, and tiresias, and phineus, prophets old: then feed on thoughts, that voluntary move harmonious numbers; as the wakeful bird sings darkling, and in shadiest covert hid tunes her nocturnal note. thus with the year seasons return; but not to me returns day, or the sweet approach of even or morn, or sight of vernal bloom, or summer's rose, or flocks, or herds, or human face divine; but cloud instead, and ever-during dark surrounds me, from the cheerful ways of men cut off, and for the book of knowledge fair presented with a universal blank of nature's works to me expung'd and ras'd, and wisdom at one entrance quite shut out. so much the rather thou, celestial light, shine inward, and the mind through all her powers irradiate; there plant eyes, all mist from thence purge and disperse, that i may see and tell of things invisible to mortal sight. now had the almighty father from above, from the pure empyrean where he sits high thron'd above all highth, bent down his eye his own works and their works at once to view: about him all the sanctities of heaven stood thick as stars, and from his sight receiv'd beatitude past utterance; on his right the radiant image of his glory sat, his only son; on earth he first beheld our two first parents, yet the only two of mankind in the happy garden plac'd reaping immortal fruits of joy and love, uninterrupted joy, unrivall'd love, in blissful solitude; he then survey'd hell and the gulf between, and satan there coasting the wall of heaven on this side night in the dun air sublime, and ready now to stoop with wearied wings, and willing feet, on the bare outside of this world, that seem'd firm land imbosom'd, without firmament, uncertain which, in ocean or in air. him god beholding from his prospect high, wherein past, present, future, he beholds, thus to his only son foreseeing spake. only begotten son, seest thou what rage transports our adversary? whom no bounds prescrib'd no bars of hell, nor all the chains heap'd on him there, nor yet the main abyss wide interrupt, can hold; so bent he seems on desperate revenge, that shall redound upon his own rebellious head. and now, through all restraint broke loose, he wings his way not far off heaven, in the precincts of light, directly towards the new created world, and man there plac'd, with purpose to assay if him by force he can destroy, or, worse, by some false guile pervert; and shall pervert; for man will hearken to his glozing lies, and easily transgress the sole command, sole pledge of his obedience: so will fall he and his faithless progeny: whose fault? whose but his own? ingrate, he had of me all he could have; i made him just and right, sufficient to have stood, though free to fall. such i created all the ethereal powers and spirits, both them who stood, and them who fail'd; freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. not free, what proof could they have given sincere of true allegiance, constant faith or love, where only what they needs must do appear'd, not what they would? what praise could they receive? what pleasure i from such obedience paid, when will and reason (reason also is choice) useless and vain, of freedom both despoil'd, made passive both, had serv'd necessity, not me. they therefore, as to right belong'd, so were created, nor can justly accuse their maker, or their making, or their fate, as if predestination over-rul'd their will dispos'd by absolute decree or high foreknowledge they themselves decreed their own revolt, not i; if i foreknew, foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, which had no less proved certain unforeknown. so without least impulse or shadow of fate, or aught by me immutably foreseen, they trespass, authors to themselves in all both what they judge, and what they choose; for so i form'd them free: and free they must remain, till they enthrall themselves; i else must change their nature, and revoke the high decree unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd their freedom: they themselves ordain'd their fall. the first sort by their own suggestion fell, self-tempted, self-deprav'd: man falls, deceiv'd by the other first: man therefore shall find grace, the other none: in mercy and justice both, through heaven and earth, so shall my glory excel; but mercy, first and last, shall brightest shine. thus while god spake, ambrosial fragrance fill'd all heaven, and in the blessed spirits elect sense of new joy ineffable diffus'd. beyond compare the son of god was seen most glorious; in him all his father shone substantially express'd; and in his face divine compassion visibly appear'd, love without end, and without measure grace, which uttering, thus he to his father spake. o father, gracious was that word which clos'd thy sovran command, that man should find grace; for which both heaven and earth shall high extol thy praises, with the innumerable sound of hymns and sacred songs, wherewith thy throne encompass'd shall resound thee ever blest. for should man finally be lost, should man, thy creature late so lov'd, thy youngest son, fall circumvented thus by fraud, though join'd with his own folly? that be from thee far, that far be from thee, father, who art judge of all things made, and judgest only right. or shall the adversary thus obtain his end, and frustrate thine? shall he fulfill his malice, and thy goodness bring to nought, or proud return, though to his heavier doom, yet with revenge accomplish'd, and to hell draw after him the whole race of mankind, by him corrupted? or wilt thou thyself abolish thy creation, and unmake for him, what for thy glory thou hast made? so should thy goodness and thy greatness both be question'd and blasphem'd without defence. to whom the great creator thus replied. o son, in whom my soul hath chief delight, son of my bosom, son who art alone. my word, my wisdom, and effectual might, all hast thou spoken as my thoughts are, all as my eternal purpose hath decreed; man shall not quite be lost, but sav'd who will; yet not of will in him, but grace in me freely vouchsaf'd; once more i will renew his lapsed powers, though forfeit; and enthrall'd by sin to foul exorbitant desires; upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand on even ground against his mortal foe; by me upheld, that he may know how frail his fallen condition is, and to me owe all his deliverance, and to none but me. some i have chosen of peculiar grace, elect above the rest; so is my will: the rest shall hear me call, and oft be warn'd their sinful state, and to appease betimes the incensed deity, while offer'd grace invites; for i will clear their senses dark, what may suffice, and soften stony hearts to pray, repent, and bring obedience due. to prayer, repentance, and obedience due, though but endeavour'd with sincere intent, mine ear shall not be slow, mine eye not shut. and i will place within them as a guide, my umpire conscience; whom if they will hear, light after light, well us'd, they shall attain, and to the end, persisting, safe arrive. this my long sufferance, and my day of grace, they who neglect and scorn, shall never taste; but hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more, that they may stumble on, and deeper fall; and none but such from mercy i exclude. but yet all is not done; man disobeying, disloyal, breaks his fealty, and sins against the high supremacy of heaven, affecting god-head, and, so losing all, to expiate his treason hath nought left, but to destruction sacred and devote, he, with his whole posterity, must die, die he or justice must; unless for him some other able, and as willing, pay the rigid satisfaction, death for death. say, heavenly powers, where shall we find such love? which of you will be mortal, to redeem man's mortal crime, and just the unjust to save? dwells in all heaven charity so dear? he ask'd, but all the heavenly quire stood mute, and silence was in heaven: on man's behalf patron or intercessour none appear'd, much less that durst upon his own head draw the deadly forfeiture, and ransom set. and now without redemption all mankind must have been lost, adjudg'd to death and hell by doom severe, had not the son of god, in whom the fulness dwells of love divine, his dearest mediation thus renew'd. father, thy word is past, man shall find grace; and shall grace not find means, that finds her way, the speediest of thy winged messengers, to visit all thy creatures, and to all comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unsought? happy for man, so coming; he her aid can never seek, once dead in sins, and lost; atonement for himself, or offering meet, indebted and undone, hath none to bring; behold me then: me for him, life for life i offer: on me let thine anger fall; account me man; i for his sake will leave thy bosom, and this glory next to thee freely put off, and for him lastly die well pleased; on me let death wreak all his rage. under his gloomy power i shall not long lie vanquished. thou hast given me to possess life in myself for ever; by thee i live; though now to death i yield, and am his due, all that of me can die, yet, that debt paid, thou wilt not leave me in the loathsome grave his prey, nor suffer my unspotted soul for ever with corruption there to dwell; but i shall rise victorious, and subdue my vanquisher, spoiled of his vaunted spoil. death his death's wound shall then receive, and stoop inglorious, of his mortal sting disarmed; i through the ample air in triumph high shall lead hell captive maugre hell, and show the powers of darkness bound. thou, at the sight pleased, out of heaven shalt look down and smile, while, by thee raised, i ruin all my foes; death last, and with his carcase glut the grave; then, with the multitude of my redeemed, shall enter heaven, long absent, and return, father, to see thy face, wherein no cloud of anger shall remain, but peace assured and reconcilement: wrath shall be no more thenceforth, but in thy presence joy entire. his words here ended; but his meek aspect silent yet spake, and breathed immortal love to mortal men, above which only shone filial obedience: as a sacrifice glad to be offered, he attends the will of his great father. admiration seized all heaven, what this might mean, and whither tend, wondering; but soon th' almighty thus replied: o thou in heaven and earth the only peace found out for mankind under wrath, o thou my sole complacence! well thou know'st how dear to me are all my works; nor man the least, though last created, that for him i spare thee from my bosom and right hand, to save, by losing thee a while, the whole race lost. thou, therefore, whom thou only canst redeem, their nature also to thy nature join; and be thyself man among men on earth, made flesh, when time shall be, of virgin seed, by wondrous birth; be thou in adam's room the head of all mankind, though adam's son. as in him perish all men, so in thee, as from a second root, shall be restored as many as are restored, without thee none. his crime makes guilty all his sons; thy merit, imputed, shall absolve them who renounce their own both righteous and unrighteous deeds, and live in thee transplanted, and from thee receive new life. so man, as is most just, shall satisfy for man, be judged and die, and dying rise, and rising with him raise his brethren, ransomed with his own dear life. so heavenly love shall outdo hellish hate, giving to death, and dying to redeem, so dearly to redeem what hellish hate so easily destroyed, and still destroys in those who, when they may, accept not grace. nor shalt thou, by descending to assume man's nature, lessen or degrade thine own. because thou hast, though throned in highest bliss equal to god, and equally enjoying god-like fruition, quitted all, to save a world from utter loss, and hast been found by merit more than birthright son of god, found worthiest to be so by being good, far more than great or high; because in thee love hath abounded more than glory abounds; therefore thy humiliation shall exalt with thee thy manhood also to this throne: here shalt thou sit incarnate, here shalt reign both god and man, son both of god and man, anointed universal king; all power i give thee; reign for ever, and assume thy merits; under thee, as head supreme, thrones, princedoms, powers, dominions, i reduce: all knees to thee shall bow, of them that bide in heaven, or earth, or under earth in hell. when thou, attended gloriously from heaven, shalt in the sky appear, and from thee send the summoning arch-angels to proclaim thy dread tribunal; forthwith from all winds, the living, and forthwith the cited dead of all past ages, to the general doom shall hasten; such a peal shall rouse their sleep. then, all thy saints assembled, thou shalt judge bad men and angels; they, arraigned, shall sink beneath thy sentence; hell, her numbers full, thenceforth shall be for ever shut. mean while the world shall burn, and from her ashes spring new heaven and earth, wherein the just shall dwell, and, after all their tribulations long, see golden days, fruitful of golden deeds, with joy and peace triumphing, and fair truth. then thou thy regal scepter shalt lay by, for regal scepter then no more shall need, god shall be all in all. but, all ye gods, adore him, who to compass all this dies; adore the son, and honour him as me. no sooner had the almighty ceased, but all the multitude of angels, with a shout loud as from numbers without number, sweet as from blest voices, uttering joy, heaven rung with jubilee, and loud hosannas filled the eternal regions: lowly reverent towards either throne they bow, and to the ground with solemn adoration down they cast their crowns inwove with amarant and gold; immortal amarant, a flower which once in paradise, fast by the tree of life, began to bloom; but soon for man's offence to heaven removed, where first it grew, there grows, and flowers aloft shading the fount of life, and where the river of bliss through midst of heaven rolls o'er elysian flowers her amber stream; with these that never fade the spirits elect bind their resplendent locks inwreathed with beams; now in loose garlands thick thrown off, the bright pavement, that like a sea of jasper shone, impurpled with celestial roses smiled. then, crowned again, their golden harps they took, harps ever tuned, that glittering by their side like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet of charming symphony they introduce their sacred song, and waken raptures high; no voice exempt, no voice but well could join melodious part, such concord is in heaven. thee, father, first they sung omnipotent, immutable, immortal, infinite, eternal king; the author of all being, fountain of light, thyself invisible amidst the glorious brightness where thou sit'st throned inaccessible, but when thou shadest the full blaze of thy beams, and, through a cloud drawn round about thee like a radiant shrine, dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear, yet dazzle heaven, that brightest seraphim approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes. thee next they sang of all creation first, begotten son, divine similitude, in whose conspicuous countenance, without cloud made visible, the almighty father shines, whom else no creature can behold; on thee impressed the effulgence of his glory abides, transfused on thee his ample spirit rests. he heaven of heavens and all the powers therein by thee created; and by thee threw down the aspiring dominations: thou that day thy father's dreadful thunder didst not spare, nor stop thy flaming chariot-wheels, that shook heaven's everlasting frame, while o'er the necks thou drovest of warring angels disarrayed. back from pursuit thy powers with loud acclaim thee only extolled, son of thy father's might, to execute fierce vengeance on his foes, not so on man: him through their malice fallen, father of mercy and grace, thou didst not doom so strictly, but much more to pity incline: no sooner did thy dear and only son perceive thee purposed not to doom frail man so strictly, but much more to pity inclined, he to appease thy wrath, and end the strife of mercy and justice in thy face discerned, regardless of the bliss wherein he sat second to thee, offered himself to die for man's offence. o unexampled love, love no where to be found less than divine! hail, son of god, saviour of men! thy name shall be the copious matter of my song henceforth, and never shall my heart thy praise forget, nor from thy father's praise disjoin. thus they in heaven, above the starry sphere, their happy hours in joy and hymning spent. mean while upon the firm opacous globe of this round world, whose first convex divides the luminous inferiour orbs, enclosed from chaos, and the inroad of darkness old, satan alighted walks: a globe far off it seemed, now seems a boundless continent dark, waste, and wild, under the frown of night starless exposed, and ever-threatening storms of chaos blustering round, inclement sky; save on that side which from the wall of heaven, though distant far, some small reflection gains of glimmering air less vexed with tempest loud: here walked the fiend at large in spacious field. as when a vultur on imaus bred, whose snowy ridge the roving tartar bounds, dislodging from a region scarce of prey to gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids, on hills where flocks are fed, flies toward the springs of ganges or hydaspes, indian streams; but in his way lights on the barren plains of sericana, where chineses drive with sails and wind their cany waggons light: so, on this windy sea of land, the fiend walked up and down alone, bent on his prey; alone, for other creature in this place, living or lifeless, to be found was none; none yet, but store hereafter from the earth up hither like aereal vapours flew of all things transitory and vain, when sin with vanity had filled the works of men: both all things vain, and all who in vain things built their fond hopes of glory or lasting fame, or happiness in this or the other life; all who have their reward on earth, the fruits of painful superstition and blind zeal, nought seeking but the praise of men, here find fit retribution, empty as their deeds; all the unaccomplished works of nature's hand, abortive, monstrous, or unkindly mixed, dissolved on earth, fleet hither, and in vain, till final dissolution, wander here; not in the neighbouring moon as some have dreamed; those argent fields more likely habitants, translated saints, or middle spirits hold betwixt the angelical and human kind. hither of ill-joined sons and daughters born first from the ancient world those giants came with many a vain exploit, though then renowned: the builders next of babel on the plain of sennaar, and still with vain design, new babels, had they wherewithal, would build: others came single; he, who, to be deemed a god, leaped fondly into aetna flames, empedocles; and he, who, to enjoy plato's elysium, leaped into the sea, cleombrotus; and many more too long, embryos, and idiots, eremites, and friars white, black, and gray, with all their trumpery. here pilgrims roam, that strayed so far to seek in golgotha him dead, who lives in heaven; and they, who to be sure of paradise, dying, put on the weeds of dominick, or in franciscan think to pass disguised; they pass the planets seven, and pass the fixed, and that crystalling sphere whose balance weighs the trepidation talked, and that first moved; and now saint peter at heaven's wicket seems to wait them with his keys, and now at foot of heaven's ascent they lift their feet, when lo a violent cross wind from either coast blows them transverse, ten thousand leagues awry into the devious air: then might ye see cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, tost and fluttered into rags; then reliques, beads, indulgences, dispenses, pardons, bulls, the sport of winds: all these, upwhirled aloft, fly o'er the backside of the world far off into a limbo large and broad, since called the paradise of fools, to few unknown long after; now unpeopled, and untrod. all this dark globe the fiend found as he passed, and long he wandered, till at last a gleam of dawning light turned thither-ward in haste his travelled steps: far distant he descries ascending by degrees magnificent up to the wall of heaven a structure high; at top whereof, but far more rich, appeared the work as of a kingly palace-gate, with frontispiece of diamond and gold embellished; thick with sparkling orient gems the portal shone, inimitable on earth by model, or by shading pencil, drawn. these stairs were such as whereon jacob saw angels ascending and descending, bands of guardians bright, when he from esau fled to padan-aram, in the field of luz dreaming by night under the open sky and waking cried, this is the gate of heaven. each stair mysteriously was meant, nor stood there always, but drawn up to heaven sometimes viewless; and underneath a bright sea flowed of jasper, or of liquid pearl, whereon who after came from earth, failing arrived wafted by angels, or flew o'er the lake rapt in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds. the stairs were then let down, whether to dare the fiend by easy ascent, or aggravate his sad exclusion from the doors of bliss: direct against which opened from beneath, just o'er the blissful seat of paradise, a passage down to the earth, a passage wide, wider by far than that of after-times over mount sion, and, though that were large, over the promised land to god so dear; by which, to visit oft those happy tribes, on high behests his angels to and fro passed frequent, and his eye with choice regard from paneas, the fount of jordan's flood, to beersaba, where the holy land borders on egypt and the arabian shore; so wide the opening seemed, where bounds were set to darkness, such as bound the ocean wave. satan from hence, now on the lower stair, that scaled by steps of gold to heaven-gate, looks down with wonder at the sudden view of all this world at once. as when a scout, through dark and desert ways with peril gone all night; at last by break of cheerful dawn obtains the brow of some high-climbing hill, which to his eye discovers unaware the goodly prospect of some foreign land first seen, or some renowned metropolis with glistering spires and pinnacles adorned, which now the rising sun gilds with his beams: such wonder seised, though after heaven seen, the spirit malign, but much more envy seised, at sight of all this world beheld so fair. round he surveys (and well might, where he stood so high above the circling canopy of night's extended shade,) from eastern point of libra to the fleecy star that bears andromeda far off atlantick seas beyond the horizon; then from pole to pole he views in breadth, and without longer pause down right into the world's first region throws his flight precipitant, and winds with ease through the pure marble air his oblique way amongst innumerable stars, that shone stars distant, but nigh hand seemed other worlds; or other worlds they seemed, or happy isles, like those hesperian gardens famed of old, fortunate fields, and groves, and flowery vales, thrice happy isles; but who dwelt happy there he staid not to inquire: above them all the golden sun, in splendour likest heaven, allured his eye; thither his course he bends through the calm firmament, (but up or down, by center, or eccentrick, hard to tell, or longitude,) where the great luminary aloof the vulgar constellations thick, that from his lordly eye keep distance due, dispenses light from far; they, as they move their starry dance in numbers that compute days, months, and years, towards his all-cheering lamp turn swift their various motions, or are turned by his magnetick beam, that gently warms the universe, and to each inward part with gentle penetration, though unseen, shoots invisible virtue even to the deep; so wonderously was set his station bright. there lands the fiend, a spot like which perhaps astronomer in the sun's lucent orb through his glazed optick tube yet never saw. the place he found beyond expression bright, compared with aught on earth, metal or stone; not all parts like, but all alike informed with radiant light, as glowing iron with fire; if metal, part seemed gold, part silver clear; if stone, carbuncle most or chrysolite, ruby or topaz, to the twelve that shone in aaron's breast-plate, and a stone besides imagined rather oft than elsewhere seen, that stone, or like to that which here below philosophers in vain so long have sought, in vain, though by their powerful art they bind volatile hermes, and call up unbound in various shapes old proteus from the sea, drained through a limbeck to his native form. what wonder then if fields and regions here breathe forth elixir pure, and rivers run potable gold, when with one virtuous touch the arch-chemick sun, so far from us remote, produces, with terrestrial humour mixed, here in the dark so many precious things of colour glorious, and effect so rare? here matter new to gaze the devil met undazzled; far and wide his eye commands; for sight no obstacle found here, nor shade, but all sun-shine, as when his beams at noon culminate from the equator, as they now shot upward still direct, whence no way round shadow from body opaque can fall; and the air, no where so clear, sharpened his visual ray to objects distant far, whereby he soon saw within ken a glorious angel stand, the same whom john saw also in the sun: his back was turned, but not his brightness hid; of beaming sunny rays a golden tiar circled his head, nor less his locks behind illustrious on his shoulders fledge with wings lay waving round; on some great charge employed he seemed, or fixed in cogitation deep. glad was the spirit impure, as now in hope to find who might direct his wandering flight to paradise, the happy seat of man, his journey's end and our beginning woe. but first he casts to change his proper shape, which else might work him danger or delay: and now a stripling cherub he appears, not of the prime, yet such as in his face youth smiled celestial, and to every limb suitable grace diffused, so well he feigned: under a coronet his flowing hair in curls on either cheek played; wings he wore of many a coloured plume, sprinkled with gold; his habit fit for speed succinct, and held before his decent steps a silver wand. he drew not nigh unheard; the angel bright, ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turned, admonished by his ear, and straight was known the arch-angel uriel, one of the seven who in god's presence, nearest to his throne, stand ready at command, and are his eyes that run through all the heavens, or down to the earth bear his swift errands over moist and dry, o'er sea and land: him satan thus accosts. uriel, for thou of those seven spirits that stand in sight of god's high throne, gloriously bright, the first art wont his great authentick will interpreter through highest heaven to bring, where all his sons thy embassy attend; and here art likeliest by supreme decree like honour to obtain, and as his eye to visit oft this new creation round; unspeakable desire to see, and know all these his wonderous works, but chiefly man, his chief delight and favour, him for whom all these his works so wonderous he ordained, hath brought me from the quires of cherubim alone thus wandering. brightest seraph, tell in which of all these shining orbs hath man his fixed seat, or fixed seat hath none, but all these shining orbs his choice to dwell; that i may find him, and with secret gaze or open admiration him behold, on whom the great creator hath bestowed worlds, and on whom hath all these graces poured; that both in him and all things, as is meet, the universal maker we may praise; who justly hath driven out his rebel foes to deepest hell, and, to repair that loss, created this new happy race of men to serve him better: wise are all his ways. so spake the false dissembler unperceived; for neither man nor angel can discern hypocrisy, the only evil that walks invisible, except to god alone, by his permissive will, through heaven and earth: and oft, though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps at wisdom's gate, and to simplicity resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill where no ill seems: which now for once beguiled uriel, though regent of the sun, and held the sharpest-sighted spirit of all in heaven; who to the fraudulent impostor foul, in his uprightness, answer thus returned. fair angel, thy desire, which tends to know the works of god, thereby to glorify the great work-master, leads to no excess that reaches blame, but rather merits praise the more it seems excess, that led thee hither from thy empyreal mansion thus alone, to witness with thine eyes what some perhaps, contented with report, hear only in heaven: for wonderful indeed are all his works, pleasant to know, and worthiest to be all had in remembrance always with delight; but what created mind can comprehend their number, or the wisdom infinite that brought them forth, but hid their causes deep? i saw when at his word the formless mass, this world's material mould, came to a heap: confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined; till at his second bidding darkness fled, light shone, and order from disorder sprung: swift to their several quarters hasted then the cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire; and this ethereal quintessence of heaven flew upward, spirited with various forms, that rolled orbicular, and turned to stars numberless, as thou seest, and how they move; each had his place appointed, each his course; the rest in circuit walls this universe. look downward on that globe, whose hither side with light from hence, though but reflected, shines; that place is earth, the seat of man; that light his day, which else, as the other hemisphere, night would invade; but there the neighbouring moon (so call that opposite fair star) her aid timely interposes, and her monthly round still ending, still renewing, through mid heaven, with borrowed light her countenance triform hence fills and empties to enlighten the earth, and in her pale dominion checks the night. that spot, to which i point, is paradise, adam's abode; those lofty shades, his bower. thy way thou canst not miss, me mine requires. thus said, he turned; and satan, bowing low, as to superiour spirits is wont in heaven, where honour due and reverence none neglects, took leave, and toward the coast of earth beneath, down from the ecliptick, sped with hoped success, throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel; nor staid, till on niphates' top he lights. book iv o, for that warning voice, which he, who saw the apocalypse, heard cry in heaven aloud, then when the dragon, put to second rout, came furious down to be revenged on men, woe to the inhabitants on earth! that now, while time was, our first parents had been warned the coming of their secret foe, and 'scaped, haply so 'scaped his mortal snare: for now satan, now first inflamed with rage, came down, the tempter ere the accuser of mankind, to wreak on innocent frail man his loss of that first battle, and his flight to hell: yet, not rejoicing in his speed, though bold far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast, begins his dire attempt; which nigh the birth now rolling boils in his tumultuous breast, and like a devilish engine back recoils upon himself; horrour and doubt distract his troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir the hell within him; for within him hell he brings, and round about him, nor from hell one step, no more than from himself, can fly by change of place: now conscience wakes despair, that slumbered; wakes the bitter memory of what he was, what is, and what must be worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue. sometimes towards eden, which now in his view lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad; sometimes towards heaven, and the full-blazing sun, which now sat high in his meridian tower: then, much revolving, thus in sighs began. o thou, that, with surpassing glory crowned, lookest from thy sole dominion like the god of this new world; at whose sight all the stars hide their diminished heads; to thee i call, but with no friendly voice, and add thy name, of sun! to tell thee how i hate thy beams, that bring to my remembrance from what state i fell, how glorious once above thy sphere; till pride and worse ambition threw me down warring in heaven against heaven's matchless king: ah, wherefore! he deserved no such return from me, whom he created what i was in that bright eminence, and with his good upbraided none; nor was his service hard. what could be less than to afford him praise, the easiest recompence, and pay him thanks, how due! yet all his good proved ill in me, and wrought but malice; lifted up so high i 'sdeined subjection, and thought one step higher would set me highest, and in a moment quit the debt immense of endless gratitude, so burdensome still paying, still to owe, forgetful what from him i still received, and understood not that a grateful mind by owing owes not, but still pays, at once indebted and discharged; what burden then o, had his powerful destiny ordained me some inferiour angel, i had stood then happy; no unbounded hope had raised ambition! yet why not some other power as great might have aspired, and me, though mean, drawn to his part; but other powers as great fell not, but stand unshaken, from within or from without, to all temptations armed. hadst thou the same free will and power to stand? thou hadst: whom hast thou then or what to accuse, but heaven's free love dealt equally to all? be then his love accursed, since love or hate, to me alike, it deals eternal woe. nay, cursed be thou; since against his thy will chose freely what it now so justly rues. me miserable! which way shall i fly infinite wrath, and infinite despair? which way i fly is hell; myself am hell; and, in the lowest deep, a lower deep still threatening to devour me opens wide, to which the hell i suffer seems a heaven. o, then, at last relent: is there no place left for repentance, none for pardon left? none left but by submission; and that word disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame among the spirits beneath, whom i seduced with other promises and other vaunts than to submit, boasting i could subdue the omnipotent. ay me! they little know how dearly i abide that boast so vain, under what torments inwardly i groan, while they adore me on the throne of hell. with diadem and scepter high advanced, the lower still i fall, only supreme in misery: such joy ambition finds. but say i could repent, and could obtain, by act of grace, my former state; how soon would highth recall high thoughts, how soon unsay what feigned submission swore? ease would recant vows made in pain, as violent and void. for never can true reconcilement grow, where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep: which would but lead me to a worse relapse and heavier fall: so should i purchase dear short intermission bought with double smart. this knows my punisher; therefore as far from granting he, as i from begging, peace; all hope excluded thus, behold, instead of us out-cast, exil'd, his new delight, mankind created, and for him this world. so farewell, hope; and with hope farewell, fear; farewell, remorse! all good to me is lost; evil, be thou my good; by thee at least divided empire with heaven's king i hold, by thee, and more than half perhaps will reign; as man ere long, and this new world, shall know. thus while he spake, each passion dimmed his face thrice changed with pale, ire, envy, and despair; which marred his borrowed visage, and betrayed him counterfeit, if any eye beheld. for heavenly minds from such distempers foul are ever clear. whereof he soon aware, each perturbation smoothed with outward calm, artificer of fraud; and was the first that practised falsehood under saintly show, deep malice to conceal, couched with revenge: yet not enough had practised to deceive uriel once warned; whose eye pursued him down the way he went, and on the assyrian mount saw him disfigured, more than could befall spirit of happy sort; his gestures fierce he marked and mad demeanour, then alone, as he supposed, all unobserved, unseen. so on he fares, and to the border comes of eden, where delicious paradise, now nearer, crowns with her enclosure green, as with a rural mound, the champaign head of a steep wilderness, whose hairy sides with thicket overgrown, grotesque and wild, access denied; and overhead upgrew insuperable height of loftiest shade, cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm, a sylvan scene, and, as the ranks ascend, shade above shade, a woody theatre of stateliest view. yet higher than their tops the verdurous wall of paradise upsprung; which to our general sire gave prospect large into his nether empire neighbouring round. and higher than that wall a circling row of goodliest trees, loaden with fairest fruit, blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue, appeared, with gay enamelled colours mixed: on which the sun more glad impressed his beams than in fair evening cloud, or humid bow, when god hath showered the earth; so lovely seemed that landskip: and of pure now purer air meets his approach, and to the heart inspires vernal delight and joy, able to drive all sadness but despair: now gentle gales, fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole those balmy spoils. as when to them who fail beyond the cape of hope, and now are past mozambick, off at sea north-east winds blow sabean odours from the spicy shore of araby the blest; with such delay well pleased they slack their course, and many a league cheered with the grateful smell old ocean smiles: so entertained those odorous sweets the fiend, who came their bane; though with them better pleased than asmodeus with the fishy fume that drove him, though enamoured, from the spouse of tobit's son, and with a vengeance sent from media post to egypt, there fast bound. now to the ascent of that steep savage hill satan had journeyed on, pensive and slow; but further way found none, so thick entwined, as one continued brake, the undergrowth of shrubs and tangling bushes had perplexed all path of man or beast that passed that way. one gate there only was, and that looked east on the other side: which when the arch-felon saw, due entrance he disdained; and, in contempt, at one flight bound high over-leaped all bound of hill or highest wall, and sheer within lights on his feet. as when a prowling wolf, whom hunger drives to seek new haunt for prey, watching where shepherds pen their flocks at eve in hurdled cotes amid the field secure, leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold: or as a thief, bent to unhoard the cash of some rich burgher, whose substantial doors, cross-barred and bolted fast, fear no assault, in at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles: so clomb this first grand thief into god's fold; so since into his church lewd hirelings climb. thence up he flew, and on the tree of life, the middle tree and highest there that grew, sat like a cormorant; yet not true life thereby regained, but sat devising death to them who lived; nor on the virtue thought of that life-giving plant, but only used for prospect, what well used had been the pledge of immortality. so little knows any, but god alone, to value right the good before him, but perverts best things to worst abuse, or to their meanest use. beneath him with new wonder now he views, to all delight of human sense exposed, in narrow room, nature's whole wealth, yea more, a heaven on earth: for blissful paradise of god the garden was, by him in the east of eden planted; eden stretched her line from auran eastward to the royal towers of great seleucia, built by grecian kings, or where the sons of eden long before dwelt in telassar: in this pleasant soil his far more pleasant garden god ordained; out of the fertile ground he caused to grow all trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste; and all amid them stood the tree of life, high eminent, blooming ambrosial fruit of vegetable gold; and next to life, our death, the tree of knowledge, grew fast by, knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill. southward through eden went a river large, nor changed his course, but through the shaggy hill passed underneath ingulfed; for god had thrown that mountain as his garden-mould high raised upon the rapid current, which, through veins of porous earth with kindly thirst up-drawn, rose a fresh fountain, and with many a rill watered the garden; thence united fell down the steep glade, and met the nether flood, which from his darksome passage now appears, and now, divided into four main streams, runs diverse, wandering many a famous realm and country, whereof here needs no account; but rather to tell how, if art could tell, how from that sapphire fount the crisped brooks, rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold, with mazy errour under pendant shades ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed flowers worthy of paradise, which not nice art in beds and curious knots, but nature boon poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain, both where the morning sun first warmly smote the open field, and where the unpierced shade imbrowned the noontide bowers: thus was this place a happy rural seat of various view; groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm, others whose fruit, burnished with golden rind, hung amiable, hesperian fables true, if true, here only, and of delicious taste: betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks grazing the tender herb, were interposed, or palmy hillock; or the flowery lap of some irriguous valley spread her store, flowers of all hue, and without thorn the rose: another side, umbrageous grots and caves of cool recess, o'er which the mantling vine lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps luxuriant; mean while murmuring waters fall down the slope hills, dispersed, or in a lake, that to the fringed bank with myrtle crowned her crystal mirrour holds, unite their streams. the birds their quire apply; airs, vernal airs, breathing the smell of field and grove, attune the trembling leaves, while universal pan, knit with the graces and the hours in dance, led on the eternal spring. not that fair field of enna, where proserpine gathering flowers, herself a fairer flower by gloomy dis was gathered, which cost ceres all that pain to seek her through the world; nor that sweet grove of daphne by orontes, and the inspired castalian spring, might with this paradise of eden strive; nor that nyseian isle girt with the river triton, where old cham, whom gentiles ammon call and libyan jove, hid amalthea, and her florid son young bacchus, from his stepdame rhea's eye; nor where abassin kings their issue guard, mount amara, though this by some supposed true paradise under the ethiop line by nilus' head, enclosed with shining rock, a whole day's journey high, but wide remote from this assyrian garden, where the fiend saw, undelighted, all delight, all kind of living creatures, new to sight, and strange two of far nobler shape, erect and tall, godlike erect, with native honour clad in naked majesty seemed lords of all: and worthy seemed; for in their looks divine the image of their glorious maker shone, truth, wisdom, sanctitude severe and pure, (severe, but in true filial freedom placed,) whence true authority in men; though both not equal, as their sex not equal seemed; for contemplation he and valour formed; for softness she and sweet attractive grace; he for god only, she for god in him: his fair large front and eye sublime declared absolute rule; and hyacinthine locks round from his parted forelock manly hung clustering, but not beneath his shoulders broad: she, as a veil, down to the slender waist her unadorned golden tresses wore dishevelled, but in wanton ringlets waved as the vine curls her tendrils, which implied subjection, but required with gentle sway, and by her yielded, by him best received, yielded with coy submission, modest pride, and sweet, reluctant, amorous delay. nor those mysterious parts were then concealed; then was not guilty shame, dishonest shame of nature's works, honour dishonourable, sin-bred, how have ye troubled all mankind with shows instead, mere shows of seeming pure, and banished from man's life his happiest life, simplicity and spotless innocence! so passed they naked on, nor shunned the sight of god or angel; for they thought no ill: so hand in hand they passed, the loveliest pair, that ever since in love's embraces met; adam the goodliest man of men since born his sons, the fairest of her daughters eve. under a tuft of shade that on a green stood whispering soft, by a fresh fountain side they sat them down; and, after no more toil of their sweet gardening labour than sufficed to recommend cool zephyr, and made ease more easy, wholesome thirst and appetite more grateful, to their supper-fruits they fell, nectarine fruits which the compliant boughs yielded them, side-long as they sat recline on the soft downy bank damasked with flowers: the savoury pulp they chew, and in the rind, still as they thirsted, scoop the brimming stream; nor gentle purpose, nor endearing smiles wanted, nor youthful dalliance, as beseems fair couple, linked in happy nuptial league, alone as they. about them frisking played all beasts of the earth, since wild, and of all chase in wood or wilderness, forest or den; sporting the lion ramped, and in his paw dandled the kid; bears, tigers, ounces, pards, gambolled before them; the unwieldy elephant, to make them mirth, used all his might, and wreathed his lithe proboscis; close the serpent sly, insinuating, wove with gordian twine his braided train, and of his fatal guile gave proof unheeded; others on the grass couched, and now filled with pasture gazing sat, or bedward ruminating; for the sun, declined, was hasting now with prone career to the ocean isles, and in the ascending scale of heaven the stars that usher evening rose: when satan still in gaze, as first he stood, scarce thus at length failed speech recovered sad. o hell! what do mine eyes with grief behold! into our room of bliss thus high advanced creatures of other mould, earth-born perhaps, not spirits, yet to heavenly spirits bright little inferiour; whom my thoughts pursue with wonder, and could love, so lively shines in them divine resemblance, and such grace the hand that formed them on their shape hath poured. ah! gentle pair, ye little think how nigh your change approaches, when all these delights will vanish, and deliver ye to woe; more woe, the more your taste is now of joy; happy, but for so happy ill secured long to continue, and this high seat your heaven ill fenced for heaven to keep out such a foe as now is entered; yet no purposed foe to you, whom i could pity thus forlorn, though i unpitied: league with you i seek, and mutual amity, so strait, so close, that i with you must dwell, or you with me henceforth; my dwelling haply may not please, like this fair paradise, your sense; yet such accept your maker's work; he gave it me, which i as freely give: hell shall unfold, to entertain you two, her widest gates, and send forth all her kings; there will be room, not like these narrow limits, to receive your numerous offspring; if no better place, thank him who puts me loth to this revenge on you who wrong me not for him who wronged. and should i at your harmless innocence melt, as i do, yet publick reason just, honour and empire with revenge enlarged, by conquering this new world, compels me now to do what else, though damned, i should abhor. so spake the fiend, and with necessity, the tyrant's plea, excused his devilish deeds. then from his lofty stand on that high tree down he alights among the sportful herd of those four-footed kinds, himself now one, now other, as their shape served best his end nearer to view his prey, and, unespied, to mark what of their state he more might learn, by word or action marked. about them round a lion now he stalks with fiery glare; then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied in some purlieu two gentle fawns at play, straight couches close, then, rising, changes oft his couchant watch, as one who chose his ground, whence rushing, he might surest seize them both, griped in each paw: when, adam first of men to first of women eve thus moving speech, turned him, all ear to hear new utterance flow. sole partner, and sole part, of all these joys, dearer thyself than all; needs must the power that made us, and for us this ample world, be infinitely good, and of his good as liberal and free as infinite; that raised us from the dust, and placed us here in all this happiness, who at his hand have nothing merited, nor can perform aught whereof he hath need; he who requires from us no other service than to keep this one, this easy charge, of all the trees in paradise that bear delicious fruit so various, not to taste that only tree of knowledge, planted by the tree of life; so near grows death to life, whate'er death is, some dreadful thing no doubt; for well thou knowest god hath pronounced it death to taste that tree, the only sign of our obedience left, among so many signs of power and rule conferred upon us, and dominion given over all other creatures that possess earth, air, and sea. then let us not think hard one easy prohibition, who enjoy free leave so large to all things else, and choice unlimited of manifold delights: but let us ever praise him, and extol his bounty, following our delightful task, to prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers, which were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet. to whom thus eve replied. o thou for whom and from whom i was formed, flesh of thy flesh, and without whom am to no end, my guide and head! what thou hast said is just and right. for we to him indeed all praises owe, and daily thanks; i chiefly, who enjoy so far the happier lot, enjoying thee pre-eminent by so much odds, while thou like consort to thyself canst no where find. that day i oft remember, when from sleep i first awaked, and found myself reposed under a shade on flowers, much wondering where and what i was, whence thither brought, and how. not distant far from thence a murmuring sound of waters issued from a cave, and spread into a liquid plain, then stood unmoved pure as the expanse of heaven; i thither went with unexperienced thought, and laid me down on the green bank, to look into the clear smooth lake, that to me seemed another sky. as i bent down to look, just opposite a shape within the watery gleam appeared, bending to look on me: i started back, it started back; but pleased i soon returned, pleased it returned as soon with answering looks of sympathy and love: there i had fixed mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire, had not a voice thus warned me; "what thou seest, what there thou seest, fair creature, is thyself; with thee it came and goes: but follow me, and i will bring thee where no shadow stays thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he whose image thou art; him thou shalt enjoy inseparably thine, to him shalt bear multitudes like thyself, and thence be called mother of human race." what could i do, but follow straight, invisibly thus led? till i espied thee, fair indeed and tall, under a platane; yet methought less fair, less winning soft, less amiably mild, than that smooth watery image: back i turned; thou following cryedst aloud, "return, fair eve; whom flyest thou? whom thou flyest, of him thou art, his flesh, his bone; to give thee being i lent out of my side to thee, nearest my heart, substantial life, to have thee by my side henceforth an individual solace dear; part of my soul i seek thee, and thee claim my other half:" with that thy gentle hand seised mine: i yielded; and from that time see how beauty is excelled by manly grace, and wisdom, which alone is truly fair. so spake our general mother, and with eyes of conjugal attraction unreproved, and meek surrender, half-embracing leaned on our first father; half her swelling breast naked met his, under the flowing gold of her loose tresses hid: he in delight both of her beauty, and submissive charms, smiled with superiour love, as jupiter on juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds that shed mayflowers; and pressed her matron lip with kisses pure: aside the devil turned for envy; yet with jealous leer malign eyed them askance, and to himself thus plained. sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these two, imparadised in one another's arms, the happier eden, shall enjoy their fill of bliss on bliss; while i to hell am thrust, where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire, among our other torments not the least, still unfulfilled with pain of longing pines. yet let me not forget what i have gained from their own mouths: all is not theirs, it seems; one fatal tree there stands, of knowledge called, forbidden them to taste: knowledge forbidden suspicious, reasonless. why should their lord envy them that? can it be sin to know? can it be death? and do they only stand by ignorance? is that their happy state, the proof of their obedience and their faith? o fair foundation laid whereon to build their ruin! hence i will excite their minds with more desire to know, and to reject envious commands, invented with design to keep them low, whom knowledge might exalt equal with gods: aspiring to be such, they taste and die: what likelier can ensue but first with narrow search i must walk round this garden, and no corner leave unspied; a chance but chance may lead where i may meet some wandering spirit of heaven by fountain side, or in thick shade retired, from him to draw what further would be learned. live while ye may, yet happy pair; enjoy, till i return, short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed! so saying, his proud step he scornful turned, but with sly circumspection, and began through wood, through waste, o'er hill, o'er dale, his roam mean while in utmost longitude, where heaven with earth and ocean meets, the setting sun slowly descended, and with right aspect against the eastern gate of paradise levelled his evening rays: it was a rock of alabaster, piled up to the clouds, conspicuous far, winding with one ascent accessible from earth, one entrance high; the rest was craggy cliff, that overhung still as it rose, impossible to climb. betwixt these rocky pillars gabriel sat, chief of the angelick guards, awaiting night; about him exercised heroick games the unarmed youth of heaven, but nigh at hand celestial armoury, shields, helms, and spears, hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold. thither came uriel, gliding through the even on a sun-beam, swift as a shooting star in autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fired impress the air, and shows the mariner from what point of his compass to beware impetuous winds: he thus began in haste. gabriel, to thee thy course by lot hath given charge and strict watch, that to this happy place no evil thing approach or enter in. this day at highth of noon came to my sphere a spirit, zealous, as he seemed, to know more of the almighty's works, and chiefly man, god's latest image: i described his way bent all on speed, and marked his aery gait; but in the mount that lies from eden north, where he first lighted, soon discerned his looks alien from heaven, with passions foul obscured: mine eye pursued him still, but under shade lost sight of him: one of the banished crew, i fear, hath ventured from the deep, to raise new troubles; him thy care must be to find. to whom the winged warriour thus returned. uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight, amid the sun's bright circle where thou sitst, see far and wide: in at this gate none pass the vigilance here placed, but such as come well known from heaven; and since meridian hour no creature thence: if spirit of other sort, so minded, have o'er-leaped these earthly bounds on purpose, hard thou knowest it to exclude spiritual substance with corporeal bar. but if within the circuit of these walks, in whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom thou tellest, by morrow dawning i shall know. so promised he; and uriel to his charge returned on that bright beam, whose point now raised bore him slope downward to the sun now fallen beneath the azores; whether the prime orb, incredible how swift, had thither rolled diurnal, or this less volubil earth, by shorter flight to the east, had left him there arraying with reflected purple and gold the clouds that on his western throne attend. now came still evening on, and twilight gray had in her sober livery all things clad; silence accompanied; for beast and bird, they to their grassy couch, these to their nests were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale; she all night long her amorous descant sung; silence was pleased: now glowed the firmament with living sapphires: hesperus, that led the starry host, rode brightest, till the moon, rising in clouded majesty, at length apparent queen unveiled her peerless light, and o'er the dark her silver mantle threw. when adam thus to eve. fair consort, the hour of night, and all things now retired to rest, mind us of like repose; since god hath set labour and rest, as day and night, to men successive; and the timely dew of sleep, now falling with soft slumbrous weight, inclines our eye-lids: other creatures all day long rove idle, unemployed, and less need rest; man hath his daily work of body or mind appointed, which declares his dignity, and the regard of heaven on all his ways; while other animals unactive range, and of their doings god takes no account. to-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the east with first approach of light, we must be risen, and at our pleasant labour, to reform yon flowery arbours, yonder alleys green, our walk at noon, with branches overgrown, that mock our scant manuring, and require more hands than ours to lop their wanton growth: those blossoms also, and those dropping gums, that lie bestrown, unsightly and unsmooth, ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease; mean while, as nature wills, night bids us rest. to whom thus eve, with perfect beauty adorned my author and disposer, what thou bidst unargued i obey: so god ordains; god is thy law, thou mine: to know no more is woman's happiest knowledge, and her praise. with thee conversing i forget all time; all seasons, and their change, all please alike. sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet, with charm of earliest birds: pleasant the sun, when first on this delightful land he spreads his orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flower, glistering with dew; fragrant the fertile earth after soft showers; and sweet the coming on of grateful evening mild; then silent night, with this her solemn bird, and this fair moon, and these the gems of heaven, her starry train: but neither breath of morn, when she ascends with charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun on this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower, glistering with dew; nor fragrance after showers; nor grateful evening mild; nor silent night, with this her solemn bird, nor walk by moon, or glittering star-light, without thee is sweet. but wherefore all night long shine these? for whom this glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all eyes? to whom our general ancestor replied. daughter of god and man, accomplished eve, these have their course to finish round the earth, by morrow evening, and from land to land in order, though to nations yet unborn, ministring light prepared, they set and rise; lest total darkness should by night regain her old possession, and extinguish life in nature and all things; which these soft fires not only enlighten, but with kindly heat of various influence foment and warm, temper or nourish, or in part shed down their stellar virtue on all kinds that grow on earth, made hereby apter to receive perfection from the sun's more potent ray. these then, though unbeheld in deep of night, shine not in vain; nor think, though men were none, that heaven would want spectators, god want praise: millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep: all these with ceaseless praise his works behold both day and night: how often from the steep of echoing hill or thicket have we heard celestial voices to the midnight air, sole, or responsive each to others note, singing their great creator? oft in bands while they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk, with heavenly touch of instrumental sounds in full harmonick number joined, their songs divide the night, and lift our thoughts to heaven. thus talking, hand in hand alone they passed on to their blissful bower: it was a place chosen by the sovran planter, when he framed all things to man's delightful use; the roof of thickest covert was inwoven shade laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew of firm and fragrant leaf; on either side acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub, fenced up the verdant wall; each beauteous flower, iris all hues, roses, and jessamin, reared high their flourished heads between, and wrought mosaick; underfoot the violet, crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay broidered the ground, more coloured than with stone of costliest emblem: other creature here, bird, beast, insect, or worm, durst enter none, such was their awe of man. in shadier bower more sacred and sequestered, though but feigned, pan or sylvanus never slept, nor nymph nor faunus haunted. here, in close recess, with flowers, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs, espoused eve decked first her nuptial bed; and heavenly quires the hymenaean sung, what day the genial angel to our sire brought her in naked beauty more adorned, more lovely, than pandora, whom the gods endowed with all their gifts, and o! too like in sad event, when to the unwiser son of japhet brought by hermes, she ensnared mankind with her fair looks, to be avenged on him who had stole jove's authentick fire. thus, at their shady lodge arrived, both stood, both turned, and under open sky adored the god that made both sky, air, earth, and heaven, which they beheld, the moon's resplendent globe, and starry pole: thou also madest the night, maker omnipotent, and thou the day, which we, in our appointed work employed, have finished, happy in our mutual help and mutual love, the crown of all our bliss ordained by thee; and this delicious place for us too large, where thy abundance wants partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground. but thou hast promised from us two a race to fill the earth, who shall with us extol thy goodness infinite, both when we wake, and when we seek, as now, thy gift of sleep. this said unanimous, and other rites observing none, but adoration pure which god likes best, into their inmost bower handed they went; and, eased the putting off these troublesome disguises which we wear, straight side by side were laid; nor turned, i ween, adam from his fair spouse, nor eve the rites mysterious of connubial love refused: whatever hypocrites austerely talk of purity, and place, and innocence, defaming as impure what god declares pure, and commands to some, leaves free to all. our maker bids encrease; who bids abstain but our destroyer, foe to god and man? hail, wedded love, mysterious law, true source of human offspring, sole propriety in paradise of all things common else! by thee adulterous lust was driven from men among the bestial herds to range; by thee founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure, relations dear, and all the charities of father, son, and brother, first were known. far be it, that i should write thee sin or blame, or think thee unbefitting holiest place, perpetual fountain of domestick sweets, whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced, present, or past, as saints and patriarchs used. here love his golden shafts employs, here lights his constant lamp, and waves his purple wings, reigns here and revels; not in the bought smile of harlots, loveless, joyless, unendeared, casual fruition; nor in court-amours, mixed dance, or wanton mask, or midnight ball, or serenate, which the starved lover sings to his proud fair, best quitted with disdain. these, lulled by nightingales, embracing slept, and on their naked limbs the flowery roof showered roses, which the morn repaired. sleep on, blest pair; and o! yet happiest, if ye seek no happier state, and know to know no more. now had night measured with her shadowy cone half way up hill this vast sublunar vault, and from their ivory port the cherubim, forth issuing at the accustomed hour, stood armed to their night watches in warlike parade; when gabriel to his next in power thus spake. uzziel, half these draw off, and coast the south with strictest watch; these other wheel the north; our circuit meets full west. as flame they part, half wheeling to the shield, half to the spear. from these, two strong and subtle spirits he called that near him stood, and gave them thus in charge. ithuriel and zephon, with winged speed search through this garden, leave unsearched no nook; but chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge, now laid perhaps asleep, secure of harm. this evening from the sun's decline arrived, who tells of some infernal spirit seen hitherward bent (who could have thought?) escaped the bars of hell, on errand bad no doubt: such, where ye find, seise fast, and hither bring. so saying, on he led his radiant files, dazzling the moon; these to the bower direct in search of whom they sought: him there they found squat like a toad, close at the ear of eve, assaying by his devilish art to reach the organs of her fancy, and with them forge illusions, as he list, phantasms and dreams; or if, inspiring venom, he might taint the animal spirits, that from pure blood arise like gentle breaths from rivers pure, thence raise at least distempered, discontented thoughts, vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate desires, blown up with high conceits ingendering pride. him thus intent ithuriel with his spear touched lightly; for no falshood can endure touch of celestial temper, but returns of force to its own likeness: up he starts discovered and surprised. as when a spark lights on a heap of nitrous powder, laid fit for the tun some magazine to store against a rumoured war, the smutty grain, with sudden blaze diffused, inflames the air; so started up in his own shape the fiend. back stept those two fair angels, half amazed so sudden to behold the grisly king; yet thus, unmoved with fear, accost him soon. which of those rebel spirits adjudged to hell comest thou, escaped thy prison? and, transformed, why sat'st thou like an enemy in wait, here watching at the head of these that sleep? know ye not then said satan, filled with scorn, know ye not me? ye knew me once no mate for you, there sitting where ye durst not soar: not to know me argues yourselves unknown, the lowest of your throng; or, if ye know, why ask ye, and superfluous begin your message, like to end as much in vain? to whom thus zephon, answering scorn with scorn. think not, revolted spirit, thy shape the same, or undiminished brightness to be known, as when thou stoodest in heaven upright and pure; that glory then, when thou no more wast good, departed from thee; and thou resemblest now thy sin and place of doom obscure and foul. but come, for thou, be sure, shalt give account to him who sent us, whose charge is to keep this place inviolable, and these from harm. so spake the cherub; and his grave rebuke, severe in youthful beauty, added grace invincible: abashed the devil stood, and felt how awful goodness is, and saw virtue in her shape how lovely; saw, and pined his loss; but chiefly to find here observed his lustre visibly impaired; yet seemed undaunted. if i must contend, said he, best with the best, the sender, not the sent, or all at once; more glory will be won, or less be lost. thy fear, said zephon bold, will save us trial what the least can do single against thee wicked, and thence weak. the fiend replied not, overcome with rage; but, like a proud steed reined, went haughty on, champing his iron curb: to strive or fly he held it vain; awe from above had quelled his heart, not else dismayed. now drew they nigh the western point, where those half-rounding guards just met, and closing stood in squadron joined, a waiting next command. to whom their chief, gabriel, from the front thus called aloud. o friends! i hear the tread of nimble feet hasting this way, and now by glimpse discern ithuriel and zephon through the shade; and with them comes a third of regal port, but faded splendour wan; who by his gait and fierce demeanour seems the prince of hell, not likely to part hence without contest; stand firm, for in his look defiance lours. he scarce had ended, when those two approached, and brief related whom they brought, where found, how busied, in what form and posture couched. to whom with stern regard thus gabriel spake. why hast thou, satan, broke the bounds prescribed to thy transgressions, and disturbed the charge of others, who approve not to transgress by thy example, but have power and right to question thy bold entrance on this place; employed, it seems, to violate sleep, and those whose dwelling god hath planted here in bliss! to whom thus satan with contemptuous brow. gabriel? thou hadst in heaven the esteem of wise, and such i held thee; but this question asked puts me in doubt. lives there who loves his pain! who would not, finding way, break loose from hell, though thither doomed! thou wouldst thyself, no doubt and boldly venture to whatever place farthest from pain, where thou mightst hope to change torment with ease, and soonest recompense dole with delight, which in this place i sought; to thee no reason, who knowest only good, but evil hast not tried: and wilt object his will who bounds us! let him surer bar his iron gates, if he intends our stay in that dark durance: thus much what was asked. the rest is true, they found me where they say; but that implies not violence or harm. thus he in scorn. the warlike angel moved, disdainfully half smiling, thus replied. o loss of one in heaven to judge of wise since satan fell, whom folly overthrew, and now returns him from his prison 'scaped, gravely in doubt whether to hold them wise or not, who ask what boldness brought him hither unlicensed from his bounds in hell prescribed; so wise he judges it to fly from pain however, and to 'scape his punishment! so judge thou still, presumptuous! till the wrath, which thou incurrest by flying, meet thy flight sevenfold, and scourge that wisdom back to hell, which taught thee yet no better, that no pain can equal anger infinite provoked. but wherefore thou alone? wherefore with thee came not all hell broke loose? or thou than they less hardy to endure? courageous chief! the first in flight from pain! hadst thou alleged to thy deserted host this cause of flight, thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive. to which the fiend thus answered, frowning stern. not that i less endure, or shrink from pain, insulting angel! well thou knowest i stood thy fiercest, when in battle to thy aid the blasting vollied thunder made all speed, and seconded thy else not dreaded spear. but still thy words at random, as before, argue thy inexperience what behoves from hard assays and ill successes past a faithful leader, not to hazard all through ways of danger by himself untried: i, therefore, i alone first undertook to wing the desolate abyss, and spy this new created world, whereof in hell fame is not silent, here in hope to find better abode, and my afflicted powers to settle here on earth, or in mid air; though for possession put to try once more what thou and thy gay legions dare against; whose easier business were to serve their lord high up in heaven, with songs to hymn his throne, and practised distances to cringe, not fight, to whom the warriour angel soon replied. to say and straight unsay, pretending first wise to fly pain, professing next the spy, argues no leader but a liar traced, satan, and couldst thou faithful add? o name, o sacred name of faithfulness profaned! faithful to whom? to thy rebellious crew? army of fiends, fit body to fit head. was this your discipline and faith engaged, your military obedience, to dissolve allegiance to the acknowledged power supreme? and thou, sly hypocrite, who now wouldst seem patron of liberty, who more than thou once fawned, and cringed, and servilely adored heaven's awful monarch? wherefore, but in hope to dispossess him, and thyself to reign? but mark what i arreed thee now, avant; fly neither whence thou fledst! if from this hour within these hallowed limits thou appear, back to the infernal pit i drag thee chained, and seal thee so, as henceforth not to scorn the facile gates of hell too slightly barred. so threatened he; but satan to no threats gave heed, but waxing more in rage replied. then when i am thy captive talk of chains, proud limitary cherub! but ere then far heavier load thyself expect to feel from my prevailing arm, though heaven's king ride on thy wings, and thou with thy compeers, us'd to the yoke, drawest his triumphant wheels in progress through the road of heaven star-paved. while thus he spake, the angelick squadron bright turned fiery red, sharpening in mooned horns their phalanx, and began to hem him round with ported spears, as thick as when a field of ceres ripe for harvest waving bends her bearded grove of ears, which way the wind sways them; the careful plowman doubting stands, left on the threshing floor his hopeless sheaves prove chaff. on the other side, satan, alarmed, collecting all his might, dilated stood, like teneriff or atlas, unremoved: his stature reached the sky, and on his crest sat horrour plumed; nor wanted in his grasp what seemed both spear and shield: now dreadful deeds might have ensued, nor only paradise in this commotion, but the starry cope of heaven perhaps, or all the elements at least had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn with violence of this conflict, had not soon the eternal, to prevent such horrid fray, hung forth in heaven his golden scales, yet seen betwixt astrea and the scorpion sign, wherein all things created first he weighed, the pendulous round earth with balanced air in counterpoise, now ponders all events, battles and realms: in these he put two weights, the sequel each of parting and of fight: the latter quick up flew, and kicked the beam, which gabriel spying, thus bespake the fiend. satan, i know thy strength, and thou knowest mine; neither our own, but given: what folly then to boast what arms can do? since thine no more than heaven permits, nor mine, though doubled now to trample thee as mire: for proof look up, and read thy lot in yon celestial sign; where thou art weighed, and shown how light, how weak, if thou resist. the fiend looked up, and knew his mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled murmuring, and with him fled the shades of night. book v now morn, her rosy steps in the eastern clime advancing, sowed the earth with orient pearl, when adam waked, so customed; for his sleep was aery-light, from pure digestion bred, and temperate vapours bland, which the only sound of leaves and fuming rills, aurora's fan, lightly dispersed, and the shrill matin song of birds on every bough; so much the more his wonder was to find unwakened eve with tresses discomposed, and glowing cheek, as through unquiet rest: he, on his side leaning half raised, with looks of cordial love hung over her enamoured, and beheld beauty, which, whether waking or asleep, shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice mild, as when zephyrus on flora breathes, her hand soft touching, whispered thus. awake, my fairest, my espoused, my latest found, heaven's last best gift, my ever new delight! awake: the morning shines, and the fresh field calls us; we lose the prime, to mark how spring our tender plants, how blows the citron grove, what drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed, how nature paints her colours, how the bee sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet. such whispering waked her, but with startled eye on adam, whom embracing, thus she spake. o sole in whom my thoughts find all repose, my glory, my perfection! glad i see thy face, and morn returned; for i this night (such night till this i never passed) have dreamed, if dreamed, not, as i oft am wont, of thee, works of day past, or morrow's next design, but of offence and trouble, which my mind knew never till this irksome night: methought, close at mine ear one called me forth to walk with gentle voice; i thought it thine: it said, "why sleepest thou, eve? now is the pleasant time, the cool, the silent, save where silence yields to the night-warbling bird, that now awake tunes sweetest his love-laboured song; now reigns full-orbed the moon, and with more pleasing light shadowy sets off the face of things; in vain, if none regard; heaven wakes with all his eyes, whom to behold but thee, nature's desire? in whose sight all things joy, with ravishment attracted by thy beauty still to gaze." i rose as at thy call, but found thee not; to find thee i directed then my walk; and on, methought, alone i passed through ways that brought me on a sudden to the tree of interdicted knowledge: fair it seemed, much fairer to my fancy than by day: and, as i wondering looked, beside it stood one shaped and winged like one of those from heaven by us oft seen; his dewy locks distilled ambrosia; on that tree he also gazed; and "o fair plant," said he, "with fruit surcharged, deigns none to ease thy load, and taste thy sweet, nor god, nor man? is knowledge so despised? or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste? forbid who will, none shall from me withhold longer thy offered good; why else set here?" this said, he paused not, but with venturous arm he plucked, he tasted; me damp horrour chilled at such bold words vouched with a deed so bold: but he thus, overjoyed; "o fruit divine, sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropt, forbidden here, it seems, as only fit for gods, yet able to make gods of men: and why not gods of men; since good, the more communicated, more abundant grows, the author not impaired, but honoured more? here, happy creature, fair angelick eve! partake thou also; happy though thou art, happier thou mayest be, worthier canst not be: taste this, and be henceforth among the gods thyself a goddess, not to earth confined, but sometimes in the air, as we, sometimes ascend to heaven, by merit thine, and see what life the gods live there, and such live thou!" so saying, he drew nigh, and to me held, even to my mouth of that same fruit held part which he had plucked; the pleasant savoury smell so quickened appetite, that i, methought, could not but taste. forthwith up to the clouds with him i flew, and underneath beheld the earth outstretched immense, a prospect wide and various: wondering at my flight and change to this high exaltation; suddenly my guide was gone, and i, methought, sunk down, and fell asleep; but o, how glad i waked to find this but a dream! thus eve her night related, and thus adam answered sad. best image of myself, and dearer half, the trouble of thy thoughts this night in sleep affects me equally; nor can i like this uncouth dream, of evil sprung, i fear; yet evil whence? in thee can harbour none, created pure. but know that in the soul are many lesser faculties, that serve reason as chief; among these fancy next her office holds; of all external things which the five watchful senses represent, she forms imaginations, aery shapes, which reason, joining or disjoining, frames all what we affirm or what deny, and call our knowledge or opinion; then retires into her private cell, when nature rests. oft in her absence mimick fancy wakes to imitate her; but, misjoining shapes, wild work produces oft, and most in dreams; ill matching words and deeds long past or late. some such resemblances, methinks, i find of our last evening's talk, in this thy dream, but with addition strange; yet be not sad. evil into the mind of god or man may come and go, so unreproved, and leave no spot or blame behind: which gives me hope that what in sleep thou didst abhor to dream, waking thou never will consent to do. be not disheartened then, nor cloud those looks, that wont to be more cheerful and serene, than when fair morning first smiles on the world; and let us to our fresh employments rise among the groves, the fountains, and the flowers that open now their choisest bosomed smells, reserved from night, and kept for thee in store. so cheered he his fair spouse, and she was cheered; but silently a gentle tear let fall from either eye, and wiped them with her hair; two other precious drops that ready stood, each in their crystal sluice, he ere they fell kissed, as the gracious signs of sweet remorse and pious awe, that feared to have offended. so all was cleared, and to the field they haste. but first, from under shady arborous roof soon as they forth were come to open sight of day-spring, and the sun, who, scarce up-risen, with wheels yet hovering o'er the ocean-brim, shot parallel to the earth his dewy ray, discovering in wide landskip all the east of paradise and eden's happy plains, lowly they bowed adoring, and began their orisons, each morning duly paid in various style; for neither various style nor holy rapture wanted they to praise their maker, in fit strains pronounced, or sung unmeditated; such prompt eloquence flowed from their lips, in prose or numerous verse, more tuneable than needed lute or harp to add more sweetness; and they thus began. these are thy glorious works, parent of good, almighty! thine this universal frame, thus wonderous fair; thyself how wonderous then! unspeakable, who sitst above these heavens to us invisible, or dimly seen in these thy lowest works; yet these declare thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine. speak, ye who best can tell, ye sons of light, angels; for ye behold him, and with songs and choral symphonies, day without night, circle his throne rejoicing; ye in heaven on earth join all ye creatures to extol him first, him last, him midst, and without end. fairest of stars, last in the train of night, if better thou belong not to the dawn, sure pledge of day, that crownest the smiling morn with thy bright circlet, praise him in thy sphere, while day arises, that sweet hour of prime. thou sun, of this great world both eye and soul, acknowledge him thy greater; sound his praise in thy eternal course, both when thou climbest, and when high noon hast gained, and when thou fallest. moon, that now meetest the orient sun, now flyest, with the fixed stars, fixed in their orb that flies; and ye five other wandering fires, that move in mystick dance not without song, resound his praise, who out of darkness called up light. air, and ye elements, the eldest birth of nature's womb, that in quaternion run perpetual circle, multiform; and mix and nourish all things; let your ceaseless change vary to our great maker still new praise. ye mists and exhalations, that now rise from hill or steaming lake, dusky or gray, till the sun paint your fleecy skirts with gold, in honour to the world's great author rise; whether to deck with clouds the uncoloured sky, or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers, rising or falling still advance his praise. his praise, ye winds, that from four quarters blow, breathe soft or loud; and, wave your tops, ye pines, with every plant, in sign of worship wave. fountains, and ye that warble, as ye flow, melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise. join voices, all ye living souls: ye birds, that singing up to heaven-gate ascend, bear on your wings and in your notes his praise. ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk the earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep; witness if i be silent, morn or even, to hill, or valley, fountain, or fresh shade, made vocal by my song, and taught his praise. hail, universal lord, be bounteous still to give us only good; and if the night have gathered aught of evil, or concealed, disperse it, as now light dispels the dark! so prayed they innocent, and to their thoughts firm peace recovered soon, and wonted calm. on to their morning's rural work they haste, among sweet dews and flowers; where any row of fruit-trees over-woody reached too far their pampered boughs, and needed hands to check fruitless embraces: or they led the vine to wed her elm; she, spoused, about him twines her marriageable arms, and with him brings her dower, the adopted clusters, to adorn his barren leaves. them thus employed beheld with pity heaven's high king, and to him called raphael, the sociable spirit, that deigned to travel with tobias, and secured his marriage with the seventimes-wedded maid. raphael, said he, thou hearest what stir on earth satan, from hell 'scaped through the darksome gulf, hath raised in paradise; and how disturbed this night the human pair; how he designs in them at once to ruin all mankind. go therefore, half this day as friend with friend converse with adam, in what bower or shade thou findest him from the heat of noon retired, to respite his day-labour with repast, or with repose; and such discourse bring on, as may advise him of his happy state, happiness in his power left free to will, left to his own free will, his will though free, yet mutable; whence warn him to beware he swerve not, too secure: tell him withal his danger, and from whom; what enemy, late fallen himself from heaven, is plotting now the fall of others from like state of bliss; by violence? no, for that shall be withstood; but by deceit and lies: this let him know, lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend surprisal, unadmonished, unforewarned. so spake the eternal father, and fulfilled all justice: nor delayed the winged saint after his charge received; but from among thousand celestial ardours, where he stood veiled with his gorgeous wings, up springing light, flew through the midst of heaven; the angelick quires, on each hand parting, to his speed gave way through all the empyreal road; till, at the gate of heaven arrived, the gate self-opened wide on golden hinges turning, as by work divine the sovran architect had framed. from hence no cloud, or, to obstruct his sight, star interposed, however small he sees, not unconformed to other shining globes, earth, and the garden of god, with cedars crowned above all hills. as when by night the glass of galileo, less assured, observes imagined lands and regions in the moon: or pilot, from amidst the cyclades delos or samos first appearing, kens a cloudy spot. down thither prone in flight he speeds, and through the vast ethereal sky sails between worlds and worlds, with steady wing now on the polar winds, then with quick fan winnows the buxom air; till, within soar of towering eagles, to all the fowls he seems a phoenix, gazed by all as that sole bird, when, to enshrine his reliques in the sun's bright temple, to egyptian thebes he flies. at once on the eastern cliff of paradise he lights, and to his proper shape returns a seraph winged: six wings he wore, to shade his lineaments divine; the pair that clad each shoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breast with regal ornament; the middle pair girt like a starry zone his waist, and round skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold and colours dipt in heaven; the third his feet shadowed from either heel with feathered mail, sky-tinctured grain. like maia's son he stood, and shook his plumes, that heavenly fragrance filled the circuit wide. straight knew him all the bands of angels under watch; and to his state, and to his message high, in honour rise; for on some message high they guessed him bound. their glittering tents he passed, and now is come into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh, and flowering odours, cassia, nard, and balm; a wilderness of sweets; for nature here wantoned as in her prime, and played at will her virgin fancies pouring forth more sweet, wild above rule or art, enormous bliss. him through the spicy forest onward come adam discerned, as in the door he sat of his cool bower, while now the mounted sun shot down direct his fervid rays to warm earth's inmost womb, more warmth than adam needs: and eve within, due at her hour prepared for dinner savoury fruits, of taste to please true appetite, and not disrelish thirst of nectarous draughts between, from milky stream, berry or grape: to whom thus adam called. haste hither, eve, and worth thy sight behold eastward among those trees, what glorious shape comes this way moving; seems another morn risen on mid-noon; some great behest from heaven to us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe this day to be our guest. but go with speed, and, what thy stores contain, bring forth, and pour abundance, fit to honour and receive our heavenly stranger: well we may afford our givers their own gifts, and large bestow from large bestowed, where nature multiplies her fertile growth, and by disburthening grows more fruitful, which instructs us not to spare. to whom thus eve. adam, earth's hallowed mould, of god inspired! small store will serve, where store, all seasons, ripe for use hangs on the stalk; save what by frugal storing firmness gains to nourish, and superfluous moist consumes: but i will haste, and from each bough and brake, each plant and juciest gourd, will pluck such choice to entertain our angel-guest, as he beholding shall confess, that here on earth god hath dispensed his bounties as in heaven. so saying, with dispatchful looks in haste she turns, on hospitable thoughts intent what choice to choose for delicacy best, what order, so contrived as not to mix tastes, not well joined, inelegant, but bring taste after taste upheld with kindliest change; bestirs her then, and from each tender stalk whatever earth, all-bearing mother, yields in india east or west, or middle shore in pontus or the punick coast, or where alcinous reigned, fruit of all kinds, in coat rough, or smooth rind, or bearded husk, or shell, she gathers, tribute large, and on the board heaps with unsparing hand; for drink the grape she crushes, inoffensive must, and meaths from many a berry, and from sweet kernels pressed she tempers dulcet creams; nor these to hold wants her fit vessels pure; then strows the ground with rose and odours from the shrub unfumed. mean while our primitive great sire, to meet his god-like guest, walks forth, without more train accompanied than with his own complete perfections; in himself was all his state, more solemn than the tedious pomp that waits on princes, when their rich retinue long of horses led, and grooms besmeared with gold, dazzles the croud, and sets them all agape. nearer his presence adam, though not awed, yet with submiss approach and reverence meek, as to a superiour nature bowing low, thus said. native of heaven, for other place none can than heaven such glorious shape contain; since, by descending from the thrones above, those happy places thou hast deigned a while to want, and honour these, vouchsafe with us two only, who yet by sovran gift possess this spacious ground, in yonder shady bower to rest; and what the garden choicest bears to sit and taste, till this meridian heat be over, and the sun more cool decline. whom thus the angelick virtue answered mild. adam, i therefore came; nor art thou such created, or such place hast here to dwell, as may not oft invite, though spirits of heaven, to visit thee; lead on then where thy bower o'ershades; for these mid-hours, till evening rise, i have at will. so to the sylvan lodge they came, that like pomona's arbour smiled, with flowerets decked, and fragrant smells; but eve, undecked save with herself, more lovely fair than wood-nymph, or the fairest goddess feigned of three that in mount ida naked strove, stood to entertain her guest from heaven; no veil she needed, virtue-proof; no thought infirm altered her cheek. on whom the angel hail bestowed, the holy salutation used long after to blest mary, second eve. hail, mother of mankind, whose fruitful womb shall fill the world more numerous with thy sons, than with these various fruits the trees of god have heaped this table!--raised of grassy turf their table was, and mossy seats had round, and on her ample square from side to side all autumn piled, though spring and autumn here danced hand in hand. a while discourse they hold; no fear lest dinner cool; when thus began our author. heavenly stranger, please to taste these bounties, which our nourisher, from whom all perfect good, unmeasured out, descends, to us for food and for delight hath caused the earth to yield; unsavoury food perhaps to spiritual natures; only this i know, that one celestial father gives to all. to whom the angel. therefore what he gives (whose praise be ever sung) to man in part spiritual, may of purest spirits be found no ingrateful food: and food alike those pure intelligential substances require, as doth your rational; and both contain within them every lower faculty of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, taste, tasting concoct, digest, assimilate, and corporeal to incorporeal turn. for know, whatever was created, needs to be sustained and fed: of elements the grosser feeds the purer, earth the sea, earth and the sea feed air, the air those fires ethereal, and as lowest first the moon; whence in her visage round those spots, unpurged vapours not yet into her substance turned. nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale from her moist continent to higher orbs. the sun that light imparts to all, receives from all his alimental recompence in humid exhalations, and at even sups with the ocean. though in heaven the trees of life ambrosial fruitage bear, and vines yield nectar; though from off the boughs each morn we brush mellifluous dews, and find the ground covered with pearly grain: yet god hath here varied his bounty so with new delights, as may compare with heaven; and to taste think not i shall be nice. so down they sat, and to their viands fell; nor seemingly the angel, nor in mist, the common gloss of theologians; but with keen dispatch of real hunger, and concoctive heat to transubstantiate: what redounds, transpires through spirits with ease; nor wonder; if by fire of sooty coal the empirick alchemist can turn, or holds it possible to turn, metals of drossiest ore to perfect gold, as from the mine. mean while at table eve ministered naked, and their flowing cups with pleasant liquours crowned: o innocence deserving paradise! if ever, then, then had the sons of god excuse to have been enamoured at that sight; but in those hearts love unlibidinous reigned, nor jealousy was understood, the injured lover's hell. thus when with meats and drinks they had sufficed, not burdened nature, sudden mind arose in adam, not to let the occasion pass given him by this great conference to know of things above his world, and of their being who dwell in heaven, whose excellence he saw transcend his own so far; whose radiant forms, divine effulgence, whose high power, so far exceeded human; and his wary speech thus to the empyreal minister he framed. inhabitant with god, now know i well thy favour, in this honour done to man; under whose lowly roof thou hast vouchsafed to enter, and these earthly fruits to taste, food not of angels, yet accepted so, as that more willingly thou couldst not seem at heaven's high feasts to have fed: yet what compare to whom the winged hierarch replied. o adam, one almighty is, from whom all things proceed, and up to him return, if not depraved from good, created all such to perfection, one first matter all, endued with various forms, various degrees of substance, and, in things that live, of life; but more refined, more spiritous, and pure, as nearer to him placed, or nearer tending each in their several active spheres assigned, till body up to spirit work, in bounds proportioned to each kind. so from the root springs lighter the green stalk, from thence the leaves more aery, last the bright consummate flower spirits odorous breathes: flowers and their fruit, man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublimed, to vital spirits aspire, to animal, to intellectual; give both life and sense, fancy and understanding; whence the soul reason receives, and reason is her being, discursive, or intuitive; discourse is oftest yours, the latter most is ours, differing but in degree, of kind the same. wonder not then, what god for you saw good if i refuse not, but convert, as you to proper substance. time may come, when men with angels may participate, and find no inconvenient diet, nor too light fare; and from these corporal nutriments perhaps your bodies may at last turn all to spirit, improved by tract of time, and, winged, ascend ethereal, as we; or may, at choice, here or in heavenly paradises dwell; if ye be found obedient, and retain unalterably firm his love entire, whose progeny you are. mean while enjoy your fill what happiness this happy state can comprehend, incapable of more. to whom the patriarch of mankind replied. o favourable spirit, propitious guest, well hast thou taught the way that might direct our knowledge, and the scale of nature set from center to circumference; whereon, in contemplation of created things, by steps we may ascend to god. but say, what meant that caution joined, if ye be found obedient? can we want obedience then to him, or possibly his love desert, who formed us from the dust and placed us here full to the utmost measure of what bliss human desires can seek or apprehend? to whom the angel. son of heaven and earth, attend! that thou art happy, owe to god; that thou continuest such, owe to thyself, that is, to thy obedience; therein stand. this was that caution given thee; be advised. god made thee perfect, not immutable; and good he made thee, but to persevere he left it in thy power; ordained thy will by nature free, not over-ruled by fate inextricable, or strict necessity: our voluntary service he requires, not our necessitated; such with him finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how can hearts, not free, be tried whether they serve willing or no, who will but what they must by destiny, and can no other choose? myself, and all the angelick host, that stand in sight of god, enthroned, our happy state hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds; on other surety none: freely we serve, because we freely love, as in our will to love or not; in this we stand or fall: and some are fallen, to disobedience fallen, and so from heaven to deepest hell; o fall from what high state of bliss, into what woe! to whom our great progenitor. thy words attentive, and with more delighted ear, divine instructer, i have heard, than when cherubick songs by night from neighbouring hills aereal musick send: nor knew i not to be both will and deed created free; yet that we never shall forget to love our maker, and obey him whose command single is yet so just, my constant thoughts assured me, and still assure: though what thou tellest hath passed in heaven, some doubt within me move, but more desire to hear, if thou consent, the full relation, which must needs be strange, worthy of sacred silence to be heard; and we have yet large day, for scarce the sun hath finished half his journey, and scarce begins his other half in the great zone of heaven. thus adam made request; and raphael, after short pause assenting, thus began. high matter thou enjoinest me, o prime of men, sad task and hard: for how shall i relate to human sense the invisible exploits of warring spirits? how, without remorse, the ruin of so many glorious once and perfect while they stood? how last unfold the secrets of another world, perhaps not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good this is dispensed; and what surmounts the reach of human sense, i shall delineate so, by likening spiritual to corporal forms, as may express them best; though what if earth be but a shadow of heaven, and things therein each to other like, more than on earth is thought? as yet this world was not, and chaos wild reigned where these heavens now roll, where earth now rests upon her center poised; when on a day (for time, though in eternity, applied to motion, measures all things durable by present, past, and future,) on such day as heaven's great year brings forth, the empyreal host of angels by imperial summons called, innumerable before the almighty's throne forthwith, from all the ends of heaven, appeared under their hierarchs in orders bright: ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanced, standards and gonfalons 'twixt van and rear stream in the air, and for distinction serve of hierarchies, of orders, and degrees; or in their glittering tissues bear imblazed holy memorials, acts of zeal and love recorded eminent. thus when in orbs of circuit inexpressible they stood, orb within orb, the father infinite, by whom in bliss imbosomed sat the son, amidst as from a flaming mount, whose top brightness had made invisible, thus spake. hear, all ye angels, progeny of light, thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers; hear my decree, which unrevoked shall stand. this day i have begot whom i declare my only son, and on this holy hill him have anointed, whom ye now behold at my right hand; your head i him appoint; and by myself have sworn, to him shall bow all knees in heaven, and shall confess him lord: under his great vice-gerent reign abide united, as one individual soul, for ever happy: him who disobeys, me disobeys, breaks union, and that day, cast out from god and blessed vision, falls into utter darkness, deep ingulfed, his place ordained without redemption, without end. so spake the omnipotent, and with his words all seemed well pleased; all seemed, but were not all. that day, as other solemn days, they spent in song and dance about the sacred hill; mystical dance, which yonder starry sphere of planets, and of fixed, in all her wheels resembles nearest, mazes intricate, eccentrick, intervolved, yet regular then most, when most irregular they seem; and in their motions harmony divine so smooths her charming tones, that god's own ear listens delighted. evening now approached, (for we have also our evening and our morn, we ours for change delectable, not need;) forthwith from dance to sweet repast they turn desirous; all in circles as they stood, tables are set, and on a sudden piled with angels food, and rubied nectar flows in pearl, in diamond, and massy gold, fruit of delicious vines, the growth of heaven. on flowers reposed, and with fresh flowerets crowned, they eat, they drink, and in communion sweet quaff immortality and joy, secure of surfeit, where full measure only bounds excess, before the all-bounteous king, who showered with copious hand, rejoicing in their joy. now when ambrosial night with clouds exhaled from that high mount of god, whence light and shade spring both, the face of brightest heaven had changed to grateful twilight, (for night comes not there in darker veil) and roseate dews disposed all but the unsleeping eyes of god to rest; wide over all the plain, and wider far than all this globous earth in plain outspread, (such are the courts of god) the angelick throng, dispersed in bands and files, their camp extend by living streams among the trees of life, pavilions numberless, and sudden reared, celestial tabernacles, where they slept fanned with cool winds; save those, who, in their course, melodious hymns about the sovran throne alternate all night long: but not so waked satan; so call him now, his former name is heard no more in heaven; he of the first, if not the first arch-angel, great in power, in favour and pre-eminence, yet fraught with envy against the son of god, that day honoured by his great father, and proclaimed messiah king anointed, could not bear through pride that sight, and thought himself impaired. deep malice thence conceiving and disdain, soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolved with all his legions to dislodge, and leave unworshipt, unobeyed, the throne supreme, contemptuous; and his next subordinate awakening, thus to him in secret spake. sleepest thou, companion dear? what sleep can close thy eye-lids? and rememberest what decree of yesterday, so late hath passed the lips of heaven's almighty. thou to me thy thoughts wast wont, i mine to thee was wont to impart; both waking we were one; how then can now thy sleep dissent? new laws thou seest imposed; new laws from him who reigns, new minds may raise in us who serve, new counsels to debate what doubtful may ensue: more in this place to utter is not safe. assemble thou of all those myriads which we lead the chief; tell them, that by command, ere yet dim night her shadowy cloud withdraws, i am to haste, and all who under me their banners wave, homeward, with flying march, where we possess the quarters of the north; there to prepare fit entertainment to receive our king, the great messiah, and his new commands, who speedily through all the hierarchies intends to pass triumphant, and give laws. so spake the false arch-angel, and infused bad influence into the unwary breast of his associate: he together calls, or several one by one, the regent powers, under him regent; tells, as he was taught, that the most high commanding, now ere night, now ere dim night had disincumbered heaven, the great hierarchal standard was to move; tells the suggested cause, and casts between ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound or taint integrity: but all obeyed the wonted signal, and superiour voice of their great potentate; for great indeed his name, and high was his degree in heaven; his countenance, as the morning-star that guides the starry flock, allured them, and with lies drew after him the third part of heaven's host. mean while the eternal eye, whose sight discerns abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy mount, and from within the golden lamps that burn nightly before him, saw without their light rebellion rising; saw in whom, how spread among the sons of morn, what multitudes were banded to oppose his high decree; and, smiling, to his only son thus said. son, thou in whom my glory i behold in full resplendence, heir of all my might, nearly it now concerns us to be sure of our omnipotence, and with what arms we mean to hold what anciently we claim of deity or empire: such a foe is rising, who intends to erect his throne equal to ours, throughout the spacious north; nor so content, hath in his thought to try in battle, what our power is, or our right. let us advise, and to this hazard draw with speed what force is left, and all employ in our defence; lest unawares we lose this our high place, our sanctuary, our hill. to whom the son with calm aspect and clear, lightning divine, ineffable, serene, made answer. mighty father, thou thy foes justly hast in derision, and, secure, laughest at their vain designs and tumults vain, matter to me of glory, whom their hate illustrates, when they see all regal power given me to quell their pride, and in event know whether i be dextrous to subdue thy rebels, or be found the worst in heaven. so spake the son; but satan, with his powers, far was advanced on winged speed; an host innumerable as the stars of night, or stars of morning, dew-drops, which the sun impearls on every leaf and every flower. regions they passed, the mighty regencies of seraphim, and potentates, and thrones, in their triple degrees; regions to which all thy dominion, adam, is no more than what this garden is to all the earth, and all the sea, from one entire globose stretched into longitude; which having passed, at length into the limits of the north they came; and satan to his royal seat high on a hill, far blazing, as a mount raised on a mount, with pyramids and towers from diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold; the palace of great lucifer, (so call that structure in the dialect of men interpreted,) which not long after, he affecting all equality with god, in imitation of that mount whereon messiah was declared in sight of heaven, the mountain of the congregation called; for thither he assembled all his train, pretending so commanded to consult about the great reception of their king, thither to come, and with calumnious art of counterfeited truth thus held their ears. thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers; if these magnifick titles yet remain not merely titular, since by decree another now hath to himself engrossed all power, and us eclipsed under the name of king anointed, for whom all this haste of midnight-march, and hurried meeting here, this only to consult how we may best, with what may be devised of honours new, receive him coming to receive from us knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile! too much to one! but double how endured, to one, and to his image now proclaimed? but what if better counsels might erect our minds, and teach us to cast off this yoke? will ye submit your necks, and choose to bend the supple knee? ye will not, if i trust to know ye right, or if ye know yourselves natives and sons of heaven possessed before by none; and if not equal all, yet free, equally free; for orders and degrees jar not with liberty, but well consist. who can in reason then, or right, assume monarchy over such as live by right his equals, if in power and splendour less, in freedom equal? or can introduce law and edict on us, who without law err not? much less for this to be our lord, and look for adoration, to the abuse of those imperial titles, which assert our being ordained to govern, not to serve. thus far his bold discourse without controul had audience; when among the seraphim abdiel, than whom none with more zeal adored the deity, and divine commands obeyed, stood up, and in a flame of zeal severe the current of his fury thus opposed. o argument blasphemous, false, and proud! words which no ear ever to hear in heaven expected, least of all from thee, ingrate, in place thyself so high above thy peers. canst thou with impious obloquy condemn the just decree of god, pronounced and sworn, that to his only son, by right endued with regal scepter, every soul in heaven shall bend the knee, and in that honour due confess him rightful king? unjust, thou sayest, flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free, and equal over equals to let reign, one over all with unsucceeded power. shalt thou give law to god? shalt thou dispute with him the points of liberty, who made thee what thou art, and formed the powers of heaven such as he pleased, and circumscribed their being? yet, by experience taught, we know how good, and of our good and of our dignity how provident he is; how far from thought to make us less, bent rather to exalt our happy state, under one head more near united. but to grant it thee unjust, that equal over equals monarch reign: thyself, though great and glorious, dost thou count, or all angelick nature joined in one, equal to him begotten son? by whom, as by his word, the mighty father made all things, even thee; and all the spirits of heaven by him created in their bright degrees, crowned them with glory, and to their glory named thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers, essential powers; nor by his reign obscured, but more illustrious made; since he the head one of our number thus reduced becomes; his laws our laws; all honour to him done returns our own. cease then this impious rage, and tempt not these; but hasten to appease the incensed father, and the incensed son, while pardon may be found in time besought. so spake the fervent angel; but his zeal none seconded, as out of season judged, or singular and rash: whereat rejoiced the apostate, and, more haughty, thus replied. that we were formed then sayest thou? and the work of secondary hands, by task transferred from father to his son? strange point and new! doctrine which we would know whence learned: who saw when this creation was? rememberest thou thy making, while the maker gave thee being? we know no time when we were not as now; know none before us, self-begot, self-raised by our own quickening power, when fatal course had circled his full orb, the birth mature of this our native heaven, ethereal sons. our puissance is our own; our own right hand shall teach us highest deeds, by proof to try who is our equal: then thou shalt behold whether by supplication we intend address, and to begirt the almighty throne beseeching or besieging. this report, these tidings carry to the anointed king; and fly, ere evil intercept thy flight. he said; and, as the sound of waters deep, hoarse murmur echoed to his words applause through the infinite host; nor less for that the flaming seraph fearless, though alone encompassed round with foes, thus answered bold. o alienate from god, o spirit accursed, forsaken of all good! i see thy fall determined, and thy hapless crew involved in this perfidious fraud, contagion spread both of thy crime and punishment: henceforth no more be troubled how to quit the yoke of god's messiah; those indulgent laws will not be now vouchsafed; other decrees against thee are gone forth without recall; that golden scepter, which thou didst reject, is now an iron rod to bruise and break thy disobedience. well thou didst advise; yet not for thy advice or threats i fly these wicked tents devoted, lest the wrath impendent, raging into sudden flame, distinguish not: for soon expect to feel his thunder on thy head, devouring fire. then who created thee lamenting learn, when who can uncreate thee thou shalt know. so spake the seraph abdiel, faithful found among the faithless, faithful only he; among innumerable false, unmoved, unshaken, unseduced, unterrified, his loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal; nor number, nor example, with him wrought to swerve from truth, or change his constant mind, though single. from amidst them forth he passed, long way through hostile scorn, which he sustained superiour, nor of violence feared aught; and, with retorted scorn, his back he turned on those proud towers to swift destruction doomed. book vi all night the dreadless angel, unpursued, through heaven's wide champain held his way; till morn, waked by the circling hours, with rosy hand unbarred the gates of light. there is a cave within the mount of god, fast by his throne, where light and darkness in perpetual round lodge and dislodge by turns, which makes through heaven grateful vicissitude, like day and night; light issues forth, and at the other door obsequious darkness enters, till her hour to veil the heaven, though darkness there might well seem twilight here: and now went forth the morn such as in highest heaven arrayed in gold empyreal; from before her vanished night, shot through with orient beams; when all the plain covered with thick embattled squadrons bright, chariots, and flaming arms, and fiery steeds, reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view: war he perceived, war in procinct; and found already known what he for news had thought to have reported: gladly then he mixed among those friendly powers, who him received with joy and acclamations loud, that one, that of so many myriads fallen, yet one returned not lost. on to the sacred hill they led him high applauded, and present before the seat supreme; from whence a voice, from midst a golden cloud, thus mild was heard. servant of god. well done; well hast thou fought the better fight, who single hast maintained against revolted multitudes the cause of truth, in word mightier than they in arms; and for the testimony of truth hast borne universal reproach, far worse to bear than violence; for this was all thy care to stand approved in sight of god, though worlds judged thee perverse: the easier conquest now remains thee, aided by this host of friends, back on thy foes more glorious to return, than scorned thou didst depart; and to subdue by force, who reason for their law refuse, right reason for their law, and for their king messiah, who by right of merit reigns. go, michael, of celestial armies prince, and thou, in military prowess next, gabriel, lead forth to battle these my sons invincible; lead forth my armed saints, by thousands and by millions, ranged for fight, equal in number to that godless crew rebellious: them with fire and hostile arms fearless assault; and, to the brow of heaven pursuing, drive them out from god and bliss, into their place of punishment, the gulf of tartarus, which ready opens wide his fiery chaos to receive their fall. so spake the sovran voice, and clouds began to darken all the hill, and smoke to roll in dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign of wrath awaked; nor with less dread the loud ethereal trumpet from on high 'gan blow: at which command the powers militant, that stood for heaven, in mighty quadrate joined of union irresistible, moved on in silence their bright legions, to the sound of instrumental harmony, that breathed heroick ardour to adventurous deeds under their god-like leaders, in the cause of god and his messiah. on they move indissolubly firm; nor obvious hill, nor straitening vale, nor wood, nor stream, divides their perfect ranks; for high above the ground their march was, and the passive air upbore their nimble tread; as when the total kind of birds, in orderly array on wing, came summoned over eden to receive their names of thee; so over many a tract of heaven they marched, and many a province wide, tenfold the length of this terrene: at last, far in the horizon to the north appeared from skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretched in battailous aspect, and nearer view bristled with upright beams innumerable of rigid spears, and helmets thronged, and shields various, with boastful argument portrayed, the banded powers of satan hasting on with furious expedition; for they weened that self-same day, by fight or by surprise, to win the mount of god, and on his throne to set the envier of his state, the proud aspirer; but their thoughts proved fond and vain in the mid way: though strange to us it seemed at first, that angel should with angel war, and in fierce hosting meet, who wont to meet so oft in festivals of joy and love unanimous, as sons of one great sire, hymning the eternal father: but the shout of battle now began, and rushing sound of onset ended soon each milder thought. high in the midst, exalted as a god, the apostate in his sun-bright chariot sat, idol of majesty divine, enclosed with flaming cherubim, and golden shields; then lighted from his gorgeous throne, for now 'twixt host and host but narrow space was left, a dreadful interval, and front to front presented stood in terrible array of hideous length: before the cloudy van, on the rough edge of battle ere it joined, satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced, came towering, armed in adamant and gold; abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds, and thus his own undaunted heart explores. o heaven! that such resemblance of the highest should yet remain, where faith and realty remain not: wherefore should not strength and might there fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove where boldest, though to fight unconquerable? his puissance, trusting in the almighty's aid, i mean to try, whose reason i have tried unsound and false; nor is it aught but just, that he, who in debate of truth hath won, should win in arms, in both disputes alike victor; though brutish that contest and foul, when reason hath to deal with force, yet so most reason is that reason overcome. so pondering, and from his armed peers forth stepping opposite, half-way he met his daring foe, at this prevention more incensed, and thus securely him defied. proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reached the highth of thy aspiring unopposed, the throne of god unguarded, and his side abandoned, at the terrour of thy power or potent tongue: fool! not to think how vain against the omnipotent to rise in arms; who out of smallest things could, without end, have raised incessant armies to defeat thy folly; or with solitary hand reaching beyond all limit, at one blow, unaided, could have finished thee, and whelmed thy legions under darkness: but thou seest all are not of thy train; there be, who faith prefer, and piety to god, though then to thee not visible, when i alone seemed in thy world erroneous to dissent from all: my sect thou seest; now learn too late how few sometimes may know, when thousands err. whom the grand foe, with scornful eye askance, thus answered. ill for thee, but in wished hour of my revenge, first sought for, thou returnest from flight, seditious angel! to receive thy merited reward, the first assay of this right hand provoked, since first that tongue, inspired with contradiction, durst oppose a third part of the gods, in synod met their deities to assert; who, while they feel vigour divine within them, can allow omnipotence to none. but well thou comest before thy fellows, ambitious to win from me some plume, that thy success may show destruction to the rest: this pause between, (unanswered lest thou boast) to let thee know, at first i thought that liberty and heaven to heavenly souls had been all one; but now i see that most through sloth had rather serve, ministring spirits, trained up in feast and song! such hast thou armed, the minstrelsy of heaven, servility with freedom to contend, as both their deeds compared this day shall prove. to whom in brief thus abdiel stern replied. apostate! still thou errest, nor end wilt find of erring, from the path of truth remote: unjustly thou depravest it with the name of servitude, to serve whom god ordains, or nature: god and nature bid the same, when he who rules is worthiest, and excels them whom he governs. this is servitude, to serve the unwise, or him who hath rebelled against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled; yet lewdly darest our ministring upbraid. reign thou in hell, thy kingdom; let me serve in heaven god ever blest, and his divine behests obey, worthiest to be obeyed; yet chains in hell, not realms, expect: mean while from me returned, as erst thou saidst, from flight, this greeting on thy impious crest receive. so saying, a noble stroke he lifted high, which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell on the proud crest of satan, that no sight, nor motion of swift thought, less could his shield, such ruin intercept: ten paces huge he back recoiled; the tenth on bended knee his massy spear upstaid; as if on earth winds under ground, or waters forcing way, sidelong had pushed a mountain from his seat, half sunk with all his pines. amazement seised the rebel thrones, but greater rage, to see thus foiled their mightiest; ours joy filled, and shout, presage of victory, and fierce desire of battle: whereat michael bid sound the arch-angel trumpet; through the vast of heaven it sounded, and the faithful armies rung hosanna to the highest: nor stood at gaze the adverse legions, nor less hideous joined the horrid shock. now storming fury rose, and clamour such as heard in heaven till now was never; arms on armour clashing brayed horrible discord, and the madding wheels of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise of conflict; over head the dismal hiss of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew, and flying vaulted either host with fire. so under fiery cope together rushed both battles main, with ruinous assault and inextinguishable rage. all heaven resounded; and had earth been then, all earth had to her center shook. what wonder? when millions of fierce encountering angels fought on either side, the least of whom could wield these elements, and arm him with the force of all their regions: how much more of power army against army numberless to raise dreadful combustion warring, and disturb, though not destroy, their happy native seat; had not the eternal king omnipotent, from his strong hold of heaven, high over-ruled and limited their might; though numbered such as each divided legion might have seemed a numerous host; in strength each armed hand a legion; led in fight, yet leader seemed each warriour single as in chief, expert when to advance, or stand, or turn the sway of battle, open when, and when to close the ridges of grim war: no thought of flight, none of retreat, no unbecoming deed that argued fear; each on himself relied, as only in his arm the moment lay of victory: deeds of eternal fame were done, but infinite; for wide was spread that war and various; sometimes on firm ground a standing fight, then, soaring on main wing, tormented all the air; all air seemed then conflicting fire. long time in even scale the battle hung; till satan, who that day prodigious power had shown, and met in arms no equal, ranging through the dire attack of fighting seraphim confused, at length saw where the sword of michael smote, and felled squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway brandished aloft, the horrid edge came down wide-wasting; such destruction to withstand he hasted, and opposed the rocky orb of tenfold adamant, his ample shield, a vast circumference. at his approach the great arch-angel from his warlike toil surceased, and glad, as hoping here to end intestine war in heaven, the arch-foe subdued or captive dragged in chains, with hostile frown and visage all inflamed first thus began. author of evil, unknown till thy revolt, unnamed in heaven, now plenteous as thou seest these acts of hateful strife, hateful to all, though heaviest by just measure on thyself, and thy adherents: how hast thou disturbed heaven's blessed peace, and into nature brought misery, uncreated till the crime of thy rebellion! how hast thou instilled thy malice into thousands, once upright and faithful, now proved false! but think not here to trouble holy rest; heaven casts thee out from all her confines. heaven, the seat of bliss, brooks not the works of violence and war. hence then, and evil go with thee along, thy offspring, to the place of evil, hell; thou and thy wicked crew! there mingle broils, ere this avenging sword begin thy doom, or some more sudden vengeance, winged from god, precipitate thee with augmented pain. so spake the prince of angels; to whom thus the adversary. nor think thou with wind of aery threats to awe whom yet with deeds thou canst not. hast thou turned the least of these to flight, or if to fall, but that they rise unvanquished, easier to transact with me that thou shouldst hope, imperious, and with threats to chase me hence? err not, that so shall end the strife which thou callest evil, but we style the strife of glory; which we mean to win, or turn this heaven itself into the hell thou fablest; here however to dwell free, if not to reign: mean while thy utmost force, and join him named almighty to thy aid, i fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh. they ended parle, and both addressed for fight unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue of angels, can relate, or to what things liken on earth conspicuous, that may lift human imagination to such highth of godlike power? for likest gods they seemed, stood they or moved, in stature, motion, arms, fit to decide the empire of great heaven. now waved their fiery swords, and in the air made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields blazed opposite, while expectation stood in horrour: from each hand with speed retired, where erst was thickest fight, the angelick throng, and left large field, unsafe within the wind of such commotion; such as, to set forth great things by small, if, nature's concord broke, among the constellations war were sprung, two planets, rushing from aspect malign of fiercest opposition, in mid sky should combat, and their jarring spheres confound. together both with next to almighty arm up-lifted imminent, one stroke they aimed that might determine, and not need repeat, as not of power at once; nor odds appeared in might or swift prevention: but the sword of michael from the armoury of god was given him tempered so, that neither keen nor solid might resist that edge: it met the sword of satan, with steep force to smite descending, and in half cut sheer; nor staid, but with swift wheel reverse, deep entering, shared all his right side: then satan first knew pain, and writhed him to and fro convolved; so sore the griding sword with discontinuous wound passed through him: but the ethereal substance closed, not long divisible; and from the gash a stream of necturous humour issuing flowed sanguine, such as celestial spirits may bleed, and all his armour stained, ere while so bright. forthwith on all sides to his aid was run by angels many and strong, who interposed defence, while others bore him on their shields back to his chariot, where it stood retired from off the files of war: there they him laid gnashing for anguish, and despite, and shame, to find himself not matchless, and his pride humbled by such rebuke, so far beneath his confidence to equal god in power. yet soon he healed; for spirits that live throughout vital in every part, not as frail man in entrails, heart of head, liver or reins, cannot but by annihilating die; nor in their liquid texture mortal wound receive, no more than can the fluid air: all heart they live, all head, all eye, all ear, all intellect, all sense; and, as they please, they limb themselves, and colour, shape, or size assume, as likes them best, condense or rare. mean while in other parts like deeds deserved memorial, where the might of gabriel fought, and with fierce ensigns pierced the deep array of moloch, furious king; who him defied, and at his chariot-wheels to drag him bound threatened, nor from the holy one of heaven refrained his tongue blasphemous; but anon down cloven to the waist, with shattered arms and uncouth pain fled bellowing. on each wing uriel, and raphael, his vaunting foe, though huge, and in a rock of diamond armed, vanquished adramelech, and asmadai, two potent thrones, that to be less than gods disdained, but meaner thoughts learned in their flight, mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and mail. nor stood unmindful abdiel to annoy the atheist crew, but with redoubled blow ariel, and arioch, and the violence of ramiel scorched and blasted, overthrew. i might relate of thousands, and their names eternize here on earth; but those elect angels, contented with their fame in heaven, seek not the praise of men: the other sort, in might though wonderous and in acts of war, nor of renown less eager, yet by doom cancelled from heaven and sacred memory, nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell. for strength from truth divided, and from just, illaudable, nought merits but dispraise and ignominy; yet to glory aspires vain-glorious, and through infamy seeks fame: therefore eternal silence be their doom. and now, their mightiest quelled, the battle swerved, with many an inroad gored; deformed rout entered, and foul disorder; all the ground with shivered armour strown, and on a heap chariot and charioteer lay overturned, and fiery-foaming steeds; what stood, recoiled o'er-wearied, through the faint satanick host defensive scarce, or with pale fear surprised, then first with fear surprised, and sense of pain, fled ignominious, to such evil brought by sin of disobedience; till that hour not liable to fear, or flight, or pain. far otherwise the inviolable saints, in cubick phalanx firm, advanced entire, invulnerable, impenetrably armed; such high advantages their innocence gave them above their foes; not to have sinned, not to have disobeyed; in fight they stood unwearied, unobnoxious to be pained by wound, though from their place by violence moved, now night her course began, and, over heaven inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed, and silence on the odious din of war: under her cloudy covert both retired, victor and vanquished: on the foughten field michael and his angels prevalent encamping, placed in guard their watches round, cherubick waving fires: on the other part, satan with his rebellious disappeared, far in the dark dislodged; and, void of rest, his potentates to council called by night; and in the midst thus undismayed began. o now in danger tried, now known in arms not to be overpowered, companions dear, found worthy not of liberty alone, too mean pretence! but what we more affect, honour, dominion, glory, and renown; who have sustained one day in doubtful fight, (and if one day, why not eternal days?) what heaven's lord had powerfullest to send against us from about his throne, and judged sufficient to subdue us to his will, but proves not so: then fallible, it seems, of future we may deem him, though till now omniscient thought. true is, less firmly armed, some disadvantage we endured and pain, till now not known, but, known, as soon contemned; since now we find this our empyreal form incapable of mortal injury, imperishable, and, though pierced with wound, soon closing, and by native vigour healed. of evil then so small as easy think the remedy; perhaps more valid arms, weapons more violent, when next we meet, may serve to better us, and worse our foes, or equal what between us made the odds, in nature none: if other hidden cause left them superiour, while we can preserve unhurt our minds, and understanding sound, due search and consultation will disclose. he sat; and in the assembly next upstood nisroch, of principalities the prime; as one he stood escaped from cruel fight, sore toiled, his riven arms to havock hewn, and cloudy in aspect thus answering spake. deliverer from new lords, leader to free enjoyment of our right as gods; yet hard for gods, and too unequal work we find, against unequal arms to fight in pain, against unpained, impassive; from which evil ruin must needs ensue; for what avails valour or strength, though matchless, quelled with pain which all subdues, and makes remiss the hands of mightiest? sense of pleasure we may well spare out of life perhaps, and not repine, but live content, which is the calmest life: but pain is perfect misery, the worst of evils, and, excessive, overturns all patience. he, who therefore can invent with what more forcible we may offend our yet unwounded enemies, or arm ourselves with like defence, to me deserves no less than for deliverance what we owe. whereto with look composed satan replied. not uninvented that, which thou aright believest so main to our success, i bring. which of us who beholds the bright surface of this ethereous mould whereon we stand, this continent of spacious heaven, adorned with plant, fruit, flower ambrosial, gems, and gold; whose eye so superficially surveys these things, as not to mind from whence they grow deep under ground, materials dark and crude, of spiritous and fiery spume, till touched with heaven's ray, and tempered, they shoot forth so beauteous, opening to the ambient light? these in their dark nativity the deep shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame; which, into hollow engines, long and round, thick rammed, at the other bore with touch of fire dilated and infuriate, shall send forth from far, with thundering noise, among our foes such implements of mischief, as shall dash to pieces, and o'erwhelm whatever stands adverse, that they shall fear we have disarmed the thunderer of his only dreaded bolt. nor long shall be our labour; yet ere dawn, effect shall end our wish. mean while revive; abandon fear; to strength and counsel joined think nothing hard, much less to be despaired. he ended, and his words their drooping cheer enlightened, and their languished hope revived. the invention all admired, and each, how he to be the inventer missed; so easy it seemed once found, which yet unfound most would have thought impossible: yet, haply, of thy race in future days, if malice should abound, some one intent on mischief, or inspired with devilish machination, might devise like instrument to plague the sons of men for sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent. forthwith from council to the work they flew; none arguing stood; innumerable hands were ready; in a moment up they turned wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath the originals of nature in their crude conception; sulphurous and nitrous foam they found, they mingled, and, with subtle art, concocted and adusted they reduced to blackest grain, and into store conveyed: part hidden veins digged up (nor hath this earth entrails unlike) of mineral and stone, whereof to found their engines and their balls of missive ruin; part incentive reed provide, pernicious with one touch to fire. so all ere day-spring, under conscious night, secret they finished, and in order set, with silent circumspection, unespied. now when fair morn orient in heaven appeared, up rose the victor-angels, and to arms the matin trumpet sung: in arms they stood of golden panoply, refulgent host, soon banded; others from the dawning hills look round, and scouts each coast light-armed scour, each quarter to descry the distant foe, where lodged, or whither fled, or if for fight, in motion or in halt: him soon they met under spread ensigns moving nigh, in slow but firm battalion; back with speediest sail zophiel, of cherubim the swiftest wing, came flying, and in mid air aloud thus cried. arm, warriours, arm for fight; the foe at hand, whom fled we thought, will save us long pursuit this day; fear not his flight; so thick a cloud he comes, and settled in his face i see sad resolution, and secure: let each his adamantine coat gird well, and each fit well his helm, gripe fast his orbed shield, borne even or high; for this day will pour down, if i conjecture aught, no drizzling shower, but rattling storm of arrows barbed with fire. so warned he them, aware themselves, and soon in order, quit of all impediment; instant without disturb they took alarm, and onward moved embattled: when behold! not distant far with heavy pace the foe approaching gross and huge, in hollow cube training his devilish enginery, impaled on every side with shadowing squadrons deep, to hide the fraud. at interview both stood a while; but suddenly at head appeared satan, and thus was heard commanding loud. vanguard, to right and left the front unfold; that all may see who hate us, how we seek peace and composure, and with open breast stand ready to receive them, if they like our overture; and turn not back perverse: but that i doubt; however witness, heaven! heaven, witness thou anon! while we discharge freely our part: ye, who appointed stand do as you have in charge, and briefly touch what we propound, and loud that all may hear! so scoffing in ambiguous words, he scarce had ended; when to right and left the front divided, and to either flank retired: which to our eyes discovered, new and strange, a triple mounted row of pillars laid on wheels (for like to pillars most they seemed, or hollowed bodies made of oak or fir, with branches lopt, in wood or mountain felled,) brass, iron, stony mould, had not their mouths with hideous orifice gaped on us wide, portending hollow truce: at each behind a seraph stood, and in his hand a reed stood waving tipt with fire; while we, suspense, collected stood within our thoughts amused, not long; for sudden all at once their reeds put forth, and to a narrow vent applied with nicest touch. immediate in a flame, but soon obscured with smoke, all heaven appeared, from those deep-throated engines belched, whose roar embowelled with outrageous noise the air, and all her entrails tore, disgorging foul their devilish glut, chained thunderbolts and hail of iron globes; which, on the victor host levelled, with such impetuous fury smote, that, whom they hit, none on their feet might stand, though standing else as rocks, but down they fell by thousands, angel on arch-angel rolled; the sooner for their arms; unarmed, they might have easily, as spirits, evaded swift by quick contraction or remove; but now foul dissipation followed, and forced rout; nor served it to relax their serried files. what should they do? if on they rushed, repulse repeated, and indecent overthrow doubled, would render them yet more despised, and to their foes a laughter; for in view stood ranked of seraphim another row, in posture to displode their second tire of thunder: back defeated to return they worse abhorred. satan beheld their plight, and to his mates thus in derision called. o friends! why come not on these victors proud ere while they fierce were coming; and when we, to entertain them fair with open front and breast, (what could we more?) propounded terms of composition, straight they changed their minds, flew off, and into strange vagaries fell, as they would dance; yet for a dance they seemed somewhat extravagant and wild; perhaps for joy of offered peace: but i suppose, if our proposals once again were heard, we should compel them to a quick result. to whom thus belial, in like gamesome mood. leader! the terms we sent were terms of weight, of hard contents, and full of force urged home; such as we might perceive amused them all, and stumbled many: who receives them right, had need from head to foot well understand; not understood, this gift they have besides, they show us when our foes walk not upright. so they among themselves in pleasant vein stood scoffing, hightened in their thoughts beyond all doubt of victory: eternal might to match with their inventions they presumed so easy, and of his thunder made a scorn, and all his host derided, while they stood a while in trouble: but they stood not long; rage prompted them at length, and found them arms against such hellish mischief fit to oppose. forthwith (behold the excellence, the power, which god hath in his mighty angels placed!) their arms away they threw, and to the hills (for earth hath this variety from heaven of pleasure situate in hill and dale,) light as the lightning glimpse they ran, they flew; from their foundations loosening to and fro, they plucked the seated hills, with all their load, rocks, waters, woods, and by the shaggy tops up-lifting bore them in their hands: amaze, be sure, and terrour, seized the rebel host, when coming towards them so dread they saw the bottom of the mountains upward turned; till on those cursed engines' triple-row they saw them whelmed, and all their confidence under the weight of mountains buried deep; themselves invaded next, and on their heads main promontories flung, which in the air came shadowing, and oppressed whole legions armed; their armour helped their harm, crushed in and bruised into their substance pent, which wrought them pain implacable, and many a dolorous groan; long struggling underneath, ere they could wind out of such prison, though spirits of purest light, purest at first, now gross by sinning grown. the rest, in imitation, to like arms betook them, and the neighbouring hills uptore: so hills amid the air encountered hills, hurled to and fro with jaculation dire; that under ground they fought in dismal shade; infernal noise! war seemed a civil game to this uproar; horrid confusion heaped upon confusion rose: and now all heaven had gone to wrack, with ruin overspread; had not the almighty father, where he sits shrined in his sanctuary of heaven secure, consulting on the sum of things, foreseen this tumult, and permitted all, advised: that his great purpose he might so fulfil, to honour his anointed son avenged upon his enemies, and to declare all power on him transferred: whence to his son, the assessour of his throne, he thus began. effulgence of my glory, son beloved, son, in whose face invisible is beheld visibly, what by deity i am; and in whose hand what by decree i do, second omnipotence! two days are past, two days, as we compute the days of heaven, since michael and his powers went forth to tame these disobedient: sore hath been their fight, as likeliest was, when two such foes met armed; for to themselves i left them; and thou knowest, equal in their creation they were formed, save what sin hath impaired; which yet hath wrought insensibly, for i suspend their doom; whence in perpetual fight they needs must last endless, and no solution will be found: war wearied hath performed what war can do, and to disordered rage let loose the reins with mountains, as with weapons, armed; which makes wild work in heaven, and dangerous to the main. two days are therefore past, the third is thine; for thee i have ordained it; and thus far have suffered, that the glory may be thine of ending this great war, since none but thou can end it. into thee such virtue and grace immense i have transfused, that all may know in heaven and hell thy power above compare; and, this perverse commotion governed thus, to manifest thee worthiest to be heir of all things; to be heir, and to be king by sacred unction, thy deserved right. go then, thou mightiest, in thy father's might; ascend my chariot, guide the rapid wheels that shake heaven's basis, bring forth all my war, my bow and thunder, my almighty arms gird on, and sword upon thy puissant thigh; pursue these sons of darkness, drive them out from all heaven's bounds into the utter deep: there let them learn, as likes them, to despise god, and messiah his anointed king. he said, and on his son with rays direct shone full; he all his father full expressed ineffably into his face received; and thus the filial godhead answering spake. o father, o supreme of heavenly thrones, first, highest, holiest, best; thou always seek'st to glorify thy son, i always thee, as is most just: this i my glory account, my exaltation, and my whole delight, that thou, in me well pleased, declarest thy will fulfilled, which to fulfil is all my bliss. scepter and power, thy giving, i assume, and gladlier shall resign, when in the end thou shalt be all in all, and i in thee for ever; and in me all whom thou lovest: but whom thou hatest, i hate, and can put on thy terrours, as i put thy mildness on, image of thee in all things; and shall soon, armed with thy might, rid heaven of these rebelled; to their prepared ill mansion driven down, to chains of darkness, and the undying worm; that from thy just obedience could revolt, whom to obey is happiness entire. then shall thy saints unmixed, and from the impure far separate, circling thy holy mount, unfeigned halleluiahs to thee sing, hymns of high praise, and i among them chief. so said, he, o'er his scepter bowing, rose from the right hand of glory where he sat; and the third sacred morn began to shine, dawning through heaven. forth rushed with whirlwind sound the chariot of paternal deity, flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn, itself instinct with spirit, but convoyed by four cherubick shapes; four faces each had wonderous; as with stars, their bodies all and wings were set with eyes; with eyes the wheels of beryl, and careering fires between; over their heads a crystal firmament, whereon a sapphire throne, inlaid with pure amber, and colours of the showery arch. he, in celestial panoply all armed of radiant urim, work divinely wrought, ascended; at his right hand victory sat eagle-winged; beside him hung his bow and quiver with three-bolted thunder stored; and from about him fierce effusion rolled of smoke, and bickering flame, and sparkles dire: attended with ten thousand thousand saints, he onward came; far off his coming shone; and twenty thousand (i their number heard) chariots of god, half on each hand, were seen; he on the wings of cherub rode sublime on the crystalline sky, in sapphire throned, illustrious far and wide; but by his own first seen: them unexpected joy surprised, when the great ensign of messiah blazed aloft by angels borne, his sign in heaven; under whose conduct michael soon reduced his army, circumfused on either wing, under their head imbodied all in one. before him power divine his way prepared; at his command the uprooted hills retired each to his place; they heard his voice, and went obsequious; heaven his wonted face renewed, and with fresh flowerets hill and valley smiled. this saw his hapless foes, but stood obdured, and to rebellious fight rallied their powers, insensate, hope conceiving from despair. in heavenly spirits could such perverseness dwell? but to convince the proud what signs avail, or wonders move the obdurate to relent? they, hardened more by what might most reclaim, grieving to see his glory, at the sight took envy; and, aspiring to his highth, stood re-embattled fierce, by force or fraud weening to prosper, and at length prevail against god and messiah, or to fall in universal ruin last; and now to final battle drew, disdaining flight, or faint retreat; when the great son of god to all his host on either hand thus spake. stand still in bright array, ye saints; here stand, ye angels armed; this day from battle rest: faithful hath been your warfare, and of god accepted, fearless in his righteous cause; and as ye have received, so have ye done, invincibly: but of this cursed crew the punishment to other hand belongs; vengeance is his, or whose he sole appoints: number to this day's work is not ordained, nor multitude; stand only, and behold god's indignation on these godless poured by me; not you, but me, they have despised, yet envied; against me is all their rage, because the father, to whom in heaven s'preme kingdom, and power, and glory appertains, hath honoured me, according to his will. therefore to me their doom he hath assigned; that they may have their wish, to try with me in battle which the stronger proves; they all, or i alone against them; since by strength they measure all, of other excellence not emulous, nor care who them excels; nor other strife with them do i vouchsafe. so spake the son, and into terrour changed his countenance too severe to be beheld, and full of wrath bent on his enemies. at once the four spread out their starry wings with dreadful shade contiguous, and the orbs of his fierce chariot rolled, as with the sound of torrent floods, or of a numerous host. he on his impious foes right onward drove, gloomy as night; under his burning wheels the stedfast empyrean shook throughout, all but the throne itself of god. full soon among them he arrived; in his right hand grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent before him, such as in their souls infixed plagues: they, astonished, all resistance lost, all courage; down their idle weapons dropt: o'er shields, and helms, and helmed heads he rode of thrones and mighty seraphim prostrate, that wished the mountains now might be again thrown on them, as a shelter from his ire. nor less on either side tempestuous fell his arrows, from the fourfold-visaged four distinct with eyes, and from the living wheels distinct alike with multitude of eyes; one spirit in them ruled; and every eye glared lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire among the accursed, that withered all their strength, and of their wonted vigour left them drained, exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fallen. yet half his strength he put not forth, but checked his thunder in mid volley; for he meant not to destroy, but root them out of heaven: the overthrown he raised, and as a herd of goats or timorous flock together thronged drove them before him thunder-struck, pursued with terrours, and with furies, to the bounds and crystal wall of heaven; which, opening wide, rolled inward, and a spacious gap disclosed into the wasteful deep: the monstrous sight struck them with horrour backward, but far worse urged them behind: headlong themselves they threw down from the verge of heaven; eternal wrath burnt after them to the bottomless pit. hell heard the unsufferable noise, hell saw heaven ruining from heaven, and would have fled affrighted; but strict fate had cast too deep her dark foundations, and too fast had bound. nine days they fell: confounded chaos roared, and felt tenfold confusion in their fall through his wild anarchy, so huge a rout incumbered him with ruin: hell at last yawning received them whole, and on them closed; hell, their fit habitation, fraught with fire unquenchable, the house of woe and pain. disburdened heaven rejoiced, and soon repaired her mural breach, returning whence it rolled. sole victor, from the expulsion of his foes, messiah his triumphal chariot turned: to meet him all his saints, who silent stood eye-witnesses of his almighty acts, with jubilee advanced; and, as they went, shaded with branching palm, each order bright, sung triumph, and him sung victorious king, son, heir, and lord, to him dominion given, worthiest to reign: he, celebrated, rode triumphant through mid heaven, into the courts and temple of his mighty father throned on high; who into glory him received, where now he sits at the right hand of bliss. thus, measuring things in heaven by things on earth, at thy request, and that thou mayest beware by what is past, to thee i have revealed what might have else to human race been hid; the discord which befel, and war in heaven among the angelick powers, and the deep fall of those too high aspiring, who rebelled with satan; he who envies now thy state, who now is plotting how he may seduce thee also from obedience, that, with him bereaved of happiness, thou mayest partake his punishment, eternal misery; which would be all his solace and revenge, as a despite done against the most high, thee once to gain companion of his woe. but listen not to his temptations, warn thy weaker; let it profit thee to have heard, by terrible example, the reward of disobedience; firm they might have stood, yet fell; remember, and fear to transgress. book vii descend from heaven, urania, by that name if rightly thou art called, whose voice divine following, above the olympian hill i soar, above the flight of pegasean wing! the meaning, not the name, i call: for thou nor of the muses nine, nor on the top of old olympus dwellest; but, heavenly-born, before the hills appeared, or fountain flowed, thou with eternal wisdom didst converse, wisdom thy sister, and with her didst play in presence of the almighty father, pleased with thy celestial song. up led by thee into the heaven of heavens i have presumed, an earthly guest, and drawn empyreal air, thy tempering: with like safety guided down return me to my native element: lest from this flying steed unreined, (as once bellerophon, though from a lower clime,) dismounted, on the aleian field i fall, erroneous there to wander, and forlorn. half yet remains unsung, but narrower bound within the visible diurnal sphere; standing on earth, not rapt above the pole, more safe i sing with mortal voice, unchanged to hoarse or mute, though fallen on evil days, on evil days though fallen, and evil tongues; in darkness, and with dangers compassed round, and solitude; yet not alone, while thou visitest my slumbers nightly, or when morn purples the east: still govern thou my song, urania, and fit audience find, though few. but drive far off the barbarous dissonance of bacchus and his revellers, the race of that wild rout that tore the thracian bard in rhodope, where woods and rocks had ears to rapture, till the savage clamour drowned both harp and voice; nor could the muse defend her son. so fail not thou, who thee implores: for thou art heavenly, she an empty dream. say, goddess, what ensued when raphael, the affable arch-angel, had forewarned adam, by dire example, to beware apostasy, by what befel in heaven to those apostates; lest the like befall in paradise to adam or his race, charged not to touch the interdicted tree, if they transgress, and slight that sole command, so easily obeyed amid the choice of all tastes else to please their appetite, though wandering. he, with his consorted eve, the story heard attentive, and was filled with admiration and deep muse, to hear of things so high and strange; things, to their thought so unimaginable, as hate in heaven, and war so near the peace of god in bliss, with such confusion: but the evil, soon driven back, redounded as a flood on those from whom it sprung; impossible to mix with blessedness. whence adam soon repealed the doubts that in his heart arose: and now led on, yet sinless, with desire to know what nearer might concern him, how this world of heaven and earth conspicuous first began; when, and whereof created; for what cause; what within eden, or without, was done before his memory; as one whose drouth yet scarce allayed still eyes the current stream, whose liquid murmur heard new thirst excites, proceeded thus to ask his heavenly guest. great things, and full of wonder in our ears, far differing from this world, thou hast revealed, divine interpreter! by favour sent down from the empyrean, to forewarn us timely of what might else have been our loss, unknown, which human knowledge could not reach; for which to the infinitely good we owe immortal thanks, and his admonishment receive, with solemn purpose to observe immutably his sovran will, the end of what we are. but since thou hast vouchsafed gently, for our instruction, to impart things above earthly thought, which yet concerned our knowing, as to highest wisdom seemed, deign to descend now lower, and relate what may no less perhaps avail us known, how first began this heaven which we behold distant so high, with moving fires adorned innumerable; and this which yields or fills all space, the ambient air wide interfused embracing round this floried earth; what cause moved the creator, in his holy rest through all eternity, so late to build in chaos; and the work begun, how soon absolved; if unforbid thou mayest unfold what we, not to explore the secrets ask of his eternal empire, but the more to magnify his works, the more we know. and the great light of day yet wants to run much of his race though steep; suspense in heaven, held by thy voice, thy potent voice, he hears, and longer will delay to hear thee tell his generation, and the rising birth of nature from the unapparent deep: or if the star of evening and the moon haste to thy audience, night with her will bring, silence; and sleep, listening to thee, will watch; or we can bid his absence, till thy song end, and dismiss thee ere the morning shine. thus adam his illustrious guest besought: and thus the godlike angel answered mild. this also thy request, with caution asked, obtain; though to recount almighty works what words or tongue of seraph can suffice, or heart of man suffice to comprehend? yet what thou canst attain, which best may serve to glorify the maker, and infer thee also happier, shall not be withheld thy hearing; such commission from above i have received, to answer thy desire of knowledge within bounds; beyond, abstain to ask; nor let thine own inventions hope things not revealed, which the invisible king, only omniscient, hath suppressed in night; to none communicable in earth or heaven: enough is left besides to search and know. but knowledge is as food, and needs no less her temperance over appetite, to know in measure what the mind may well contain; oppresses else with surfeit, and soon turns wisdom to folly, as nourishment to wind. know then, that, after lucifer from heaven (so call him, brighter once amidst the host of angels, than that star the stars among,) fell with his flaming legions through the deep into his place, and the great son returned victorious with his saints, the omnipotent eternal father from his throne beheld their multitude, and to his son thus spake. at least our envious foe hath failed, who thought all like himself rebellious, by whose aid this inaccessible high strength, the seat of deity supreme, us dispossessed, he trusted to have seised, and into fraud drew many, whom their place knows here no more: yet far the greater part have kept, i see, their station; heaven, yet populous, retains number sufficient to possess her realms though wide, and this high temple to frequent with ministeries due, and solemn rites: but, lest his heart exalt him in the harm already done, to have dispeopled heaven, my damage fondly deemed, i can repair that detriment, if such it be to lose self-lost; and in a moment will create another world, out of one man a race of men innumerable, there to dwell, not here; till, by degrees of merit raised, they open to themselves at length the way up hither, under long obedience tried; and earth be changed to heaven, and heaven to earth, one kingdom, joy and union without end. mean while inhabit lax, ye powers of heaven; and thou my word, begotten son, by thee this i perform; speak thou, and be it done! my overshadowing spirit and might with thee i send along; ride forth, and bid the deep within appointed bounds be heaven and earth; boundless the deep, because i am who fill infinitude, nor vacuous the space. though i, uncircumscribed myself, retire, and put not forth my goodness, which is free to act or not, necessity and chance approach not me, and what i will is fate. so spake the almighty, and to what he spake his word, the filial godhead, gave effect. immediate are the acts of god, more swift than time or motion, but to human ears cannot without process of speech be told, so told as earthly notion can receive. great triumph and rejoicing was in heaven, when such was heard declared the almighty's will; glory they sung to the most high, good will to future men, and in their dwellings peace; glory to him, whose just avenging ire had driven out the ungodly from his sight and the habitations of the just; to him glory and praise, whose wisdom had ordained good out of evil to create; instead of spirits malign, a better race to bring into their vacant room, and thence diffuse his good to worlds and ages infinite. so sang the hierarchies: mean while the son on his great expedition now appeared, girt with omnipotence, with radiance crowned of majesty divine; sapience and love immense, and all his father in him shone. about his chariot numberless were poured cherub, and seraph, potentates, and thrones, and virtues, winged spirits, and chariots winged from the armoury of god; where stand of old myriads, between two brazen mountains lodged against a solemn day, harnessed at hand, celestial equipage; and now came forth spontaneous, for within them spirit lived, attendant on their lord: heaven opened wide her ever-during gates, harmonious sound on golden hinges moving, to let forth the king of glory, in his powerful word and spirit, coming to create new worlds. on heavenly ground they stood; and from the shore they viewed the vast immeasurable abyss outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild, up from the bottom turned by furious winds and surging waves, as mountains, to assault heaven's highth, and with the center mix the pole. silence, ye troubled waves, and thou deep, peace, said then the omnifick word; your discord end! nor staid; but, on the wings of cherubim uplifted, in paternal glory rode far into chaos, and the world unborn; for chaos heard his voice: him all his train followed in bright procession, to behold creation, and the wonders of his might. then staid the fervid wheels, and in his hand he took the golden compasses, prepared in god's eternal store, to circumscribe this universe, and all created things: one foot he centered, and the other turned round through the vast profundity obscure; and said, thus far extend, thus far thy bounds, this be thy just circumference, o world! thus god the heaven created, thus the earth, matter unformed and void: darkness profound covered the abyss: but on the watery calm his brooding wings the spirit of god outspread, and vital virtue infused, and vital warmth throughout the fluid mass; but downward purged the black tartareous cold infernal dregs, adverse to life: then founded, then conglobed like things to like; the rest to several place disparted, and between spun out the air; and earth self-balanced on her center hung. let there be light, said god; and forthwith light ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure, sprung from the deep; and from her native east to journey through the aery gloom began, sphered in a radiant cloud, for yet the sun was not; she in a cloudy tabernacle sojourned the while. god saw the light was good; and light from darkness by the hemisphere divided: light the day, and darkness night, he named. thus was the first day even and morn: nor past uncelebrated, nor unsung by the celestial quires, when orient light exhaling first from darkness they beheld; birth-day of heaven and earth; with joy and shout the hollow universal orb they filled, and touched their golden harps, and hymning praised god and his works; creator him they sung, both when first evening was, and when first morn. again, god said, let there be firmament amid the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters; and god made the firmament, expanse of liquid, pure, transparent, elemental air, diffused in circuit to the uttermost convex of this great round; partition firm and sure, the waters underneath from those above dividing: for as earth, so he the world built on circumfluous waters calm, in wide crystalline ocean, and the loud misrule of chaos far removed; lest fierce extremes contiguous might distemper the whole frame: and heaven he named the firmament: so even and morning chorus sung the second day. the earth was formed, but in the womb as yet of waters, embryon immature involved, appeared not: over all the face of earth main ocean flowed, not idle; but, with warm prolifick humour softening all her globe, fermented the great mother to conceive, satiate with genial moisture; when god said, be gathered now ye waters under heaven into one place, and let dry land appear. immediately the mountains huge appear emergent, and their broad bare backs upheave into the clouds; their tops ascend the sky: so high as heaved the tumid hills, so low down sunk a hollow bottom broad and deep, capacious bed of waters: thither they hasted with glad precipitance, uprolled, as drops on dust conglobing from the dry: part rise in crystal wall, or ridge direct, for haste; such flight the great command impressed on the swift floods: as armies at the call of trumpet (for of armies thou hast heard) troop to their standard; so the watery throng, wave rolling after wave, where way they found, if steep, with torrent rapture, if through plain, soft-ebbing; nor withstood them rock or hill; but they, or under ground, or circuit wide with serpent errour wandering, found their way, and on the washy oose deep channels wore; easy, ere god had bid the ground be dry, all but within those banks, where rivers now stream, and perpetual draw their humid train. the dry land, earth; and the great receptacle of congregated waters, he called seas: and saw that it was good; and said, let the earth put forth the verdant grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree yielding fruit after her kind, whose seed is in herself upon the earth. he scarce had said, when the bare earth, till then desart and bare, unsightly, unadorned, brought forth the tender grass, whose verdure clad her universal face with pleasant green; then herbs of every leaf, that sudden flowered opening their various colours, and made gay her bosom, smelling sweet: and, these scarce blown, forth flourished thick the clustering vine, forth crept the swelling gourd, up stood the corny reed embattled in her field, and the humble shrub, and bush with frizzled hair implicit: last rose, as in dance, the stately trees, and spread their branches hung with copious fruit, or gemmed their blossoms: with high woods the hills were crowned; with tufts the valleys, and each fountain side; with borders long the rivers: that earth now seemed like to heaven, a seat where gods might dwell, or wander with delight, and love to haunt her sacred shades: though god had yet not rained upon the earth, and man to till the ground none was; but from the earth a dewy mist went up, and watered all the ground, and each plant of the field; which, ere it was in the earth, god made, and every herb, before it grew on the green stem: god saw that it was good: so even and morn recorded the third day. again the almighty spake, let there be lights high in the expanse of heaven, to divide the day from night; and let them be for signs, for seasons, and for days, and circling years; and let them be for lights, as i ordain their office in the firmament of heaven, to give light on the earth; and it was so. and god made two great lights, great for their use to man, the greater to have rule by day, the less by night, altern; and made the stars, and set them in the firmament of heaven to illuminate the earth, and rule the day in their vicissitude, and rule the night, and light from darkness to divide. god saw, surveying his great work, that it was good: for of celestial bodies first the sun a mighty sphere he framed, unlightsome first, though of ethereal mould: then formed the moon globose, and every magnitude of stars, and sowed with stars the heaven, thick as a field: of light by far the greater part he took, transplanted from her cloudy shrine, and placed in the sun's orb, made porous to receive and drink the liquid light; firm to retain her gathered beams, great palace now of light. hither, as to their fountain, other stars repairing, in their golden urns draw light, and hence the morning-planet gilds her horns; by tincture or reflection they augment their small peculiar, though from human sight so far remote, with diminution seen, first in his east the glorious lamp was seen, regent of day, and all the horizon round invested with bright rays, jocund to run his longitude through heaven's high road; the gray dawn, and the pleiades, before him danced, shedding sweet influence: less bright the moon, but opposite in levelled west was set, his mirrour, with full face borrowing her light from him; for other light she needed none in that aspect, and still that distance keeps till night; then in the east her turn she shines, revolved on heaven's great axle, and her reign with thousand lesser lights dividual holds, with thousand thousand stars, that then appeared spangling the hemisphere: then first adorned with their bright luminaries that set and rose, glad evening and glad morn crowned the fourth day. and god said, let the waters generate reptile with spawn abundant, living soul: and let fowl fly above the earth, with wings displayed on the open firmament of heaven. and god created the great whales, and each soul living, each that crept, which plenteously the waters generated by their kinds; and every bird of wing after his kind; and saw that it was good, and blessed them, saying. be fruitful, multiply, and in the seas, and lakes, and running streams, the waters fill; and let the fowl be multiplied, on the earth. forthwith the sounds and seas, each creek and bay, with fry innumerable swarm, and shoals of fish that with their fins, and shining scales, glide under the green wave, in sculls that oft bank the mid sea: part single, or with mate, graze the sea-weed their pasture, and through groves of coral stray; or, sporting with quick glance, show to the sun their waved coats dropt with gold; or, in their pearly shells at ease, attend moist nutriment; or under rocks their food in jointed armour watch: on smooth the seal and bended dolphins play: part huge of bulk wallowing unwieldy, enormous in their gait, tempest the ocean: there leviathan, hugest of living creatures, on the deep stretched like a promontory sleeps or swims, and seems a moving land; and at his gills draws in, and at his trunk spouts out, a sea. mean while the tepid caves, and fens, and shores, their brood as numerous hatch, from the egg that soon bursting with kindly rupture forth disclosed their callow young; but feathered soon and fledge they summed their pens; and, soaring the air sublime, with clang despised the ground, under a cloud in prospect; there the eagle and the stork on cliffs and cedar tops their eyries build: part loosely wing the region, part more wise in common, ranged in figure, wedge their way, intelligent of seasons, and set forth their aery caravan, high over seas flying, and over lands, with mutual wing easing their flight; so steers the prudent crane her annual voyage, borne on winds; the air floats as they pass, fanned with unnumbered plumes: from branch to branch the smaller birds with song solaced the woods, and spread their painted wings till even; nor then the solemn nightingale ceased warbling, but all night tun'd her soft lays: others, on silver lakes and rivers, bathed their downy breast; the swan with arched neck, between her white wings mantling proudly, rows her state with oary feet; yet oft they quit the dank, and, rising on stiff pennons, tower the mid aereal sky: others on ground walked firm; the crested cock whose clarion sounds the silent hours, and the other whose gay train adorns him, coloured with the florid hue of rainbows and starry eyes. the waters thus with fish replenished, and the air with fowl, evening and morn solemnized the fifth day. the sixth, and of creation last, arose with evening harps and matin; when god said, let the earth bring forth soul living in her kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beast of the earth, each in their kind. the earth obeyed, and straight opening her fertile womb teemed at a birth innumerous living creatures, perfect forms, limbed and full grown: out of the ground up rose, as from his lair, the wild beast where he wons in forest wild, in thicket, brake, or den; among the trees in pairs they rose, they walked: the cattle in the fields and meadows green: those rare and solitary, these in flocks pasturing at once, and in broad herds upsprung. the grassy clods now calved; now half appeared the tawny lion, pawing to get free his hinder parts, then springs as broke from bonds, and rampant shakes his brinded mane; the ounce, the libbard, and the tiger, as the mole rising, the crumbled earth above them threw in hillocks: the swift stag from under ground bore up his branching head: scarce from his mould behemoth biggest born of earth upheaved his vastness: fleeced the flocks and bleating rose, as plants: ambiguous between sea and land the river-horse, and scaly crocodile. at once came forth whatever creeps the ground, insect or worm: those waved their limber fans for wings, and smallest lineaments exact in all the liveries decked of summer's pride with spots of gold and purple, azure and green: these, as a line, their long dimension drew, streaking the ground with sinuous trace; not all minims of nature; some of serpent-kind, wonderous in length and corpulence, involved their snaky folds, and added wings. first crept the parsimonious emmet, provident of future; in small room large heart enclosed; pattern of just equality perhaps hereafter, joined in her popular tribes of commonalty: swarming next appeared the female bee, that feeds her husband drone deliciously, and builds her waxen cells with honey stored: the rest are numberless, and thou their natures knowest, and gavest them names, needless to thee repeated; nor unknown the serpent, subtlest beast of all the field, of huge extent sometimes, with brazen eyes and hairy mane terrifick, though to thee not noxious, but obedient at thy call. now heaven in all her glory shone, and rolled her motions, as the great first mover's hand first wheeled their course: earth in her rich attire consummate lovely smiled; air, water, earth, by fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walked, frequent; and of the sixth day yet remained: there wanted yet the master-work, the end of all yet done; a creature, who, not prone and brute as other creatures, but endued with sanctity of reason, might erect his stature, and upright with front serene govern the rest, self-knowing; and from thence magnanimous to correspond with heaven, but grateful to acknowledge whence his good descends, thither with heart, and voice, and eyes directed in devotion, to adore and worship god supreme, who made him chief of all his works: therefore the omnipotent eternal father (for where is not he present?) thus to his son audibly spake. let us make now man in our image, man in our similitude, and let them rule over the fish and fowl of sea and air, beast of the field, and over all the earth, and every creeping thing that creeps the ground. this said, he formed thee, adam, thee, o man, dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breathed the breath of life; in his own image he created thee, in the image of god express; and thou becamest a living soul. male he created thee; but thy consort female, for race; then blessed mankind, and said, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth; subdue it, and throughout dominion hold over fish of the sea, and fowl of the air, and every living thing that moves on the earth. wherever thus created, for no place is yet distinct by name, thence, as thou knowest, he brought thee into this delicious grove, this garden, planted with the trees of god, delectable both to behold and taste; and freely all their pleasant fruit for food gave thee; all sorts are here that all the earth yields, variety without end; but of the tree, which, tasted, works knowledge of good and evil, thou mayest not; in the day thou eatest, thou diest; death is the penalty imposed; beware, and govern well thy appetite; lest sin surprise thee, and her black attendant death. here finished he, and all that he had made viewed, and behold all was entirely good; so even and morn accomplished the sixth day: yet not till the creator from his work desisting, though unwearied, up returned, up to the heaven of heavens, his high abode; thence to behold this new created world, the addition of his empire, how it showed in prospect from his throne, how good, how fair, answering his great idea. up he rode followed with acclamation, and the sound symphonious of ten thousand harps, that tuned angelick harmonies: the earth, the air resounded, (thou rememberest, for thou heardst,) the heavens and all the constellations rung, the planets in their station listening stood, while the bright pomp ascended jubilant. open, ye everlasting gates! they sung, open, ye heavens! your living doors; let in the great creator from his work returned magnificent, his six days work, a world; open, and henceforth oft; for god will deign to visit oft the dwellings of just men, delighted; and with frequent intercourse thither will send his winged messengers on errands of supernal grace. so sung the glorious train ascending: he through heaven, that opened wide her blazing portals, led to god's eternal house direct the way; a broad and ample road, whose dust is gold and pavement stars, as stars to thee appear, seen in the galaxy, that milky way, which nightly, as a circling zone, thou seest powdered with stars. and now on earth the seventh evening arose in eden, for the sun was set, and twilight from the east came on, forerunning night; when at the holy mount of heaven's high-seated top, the imperial throne of godhead, fixed for ever firm and sure, the filial power arrived, and sat him down with his great father; for he also went invisible, yet staid, (such privilege hath omnipresence) and the work ordained, author and end of all things; and, from work now resting, blessed and hallowed the seventh day, as resting on that day from all his work, but not in silence holy kept: the harp had work and rested not; the solemn pipe, and dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop, all sounds on fret by string or golden wire, tempered soft tunings, intermixed with voice choral or unison: of incense clouds, fuming from golden censers, hid the mount. creation and the six days acts they sung: great are thy works, jehovah! infinite thy power! what thought can measure thee, or tongue relate thee! greater now in thy return than from the giant angels: thee that day thy thunders magnified; but to create is greater than created to destroy. who can impair thee, mighty king, or bound thy empire! easily the proud attempt of spirits apostate, and their counsels vain, thou hast repelled; while impiously they thought thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw the number of thy worshippers. who seeks to lessen thee, against his purpose serves to manifest the more thy might: his evil thou usest, and from thence createst more good. witness this new-made world, another heaven from heaven-gate not far, founded in view on the clear hyaline, the glassy sea; of amplitude almost immense, with stars numerous, and every star perhaps a world of destined habitation; but thou knowest their seasons: among these the seat of men, earth, with her nether ocean circumfused, their pleasant dwelling-place. thrice happy men, and sons of men, whom god hath thus advanced! created in his image, there to dwell and worship him; and in reward to rule over his works, on earth, in sea, or air, and multiply a race of worshippers holy and just: thrice happy, if they know their happiness, and persevere upright! so sung they, and the empyrean rung with halleluiahs: thus was sabbath kept. and thy request think now fulfilled, that asked how first this world and face of things began, and what before thy memory was done from the beginning; that posterity, informed by thee, might know: if else thou seekest aught, not surpassing human measure, say. book viii the angel ended, and in adam's ear so charming left his voice, that he a while thought him still speaking, still stood fixed to hear; then, as new waked, thus gratefully replied. what thanks sufficient, or what recompence equal, have i to render thee, divine historian, who thus largely hast allayed the thirst i had of knowledge, and vouchsafed this friendly condescension to relate things, else by me unsearchable; now heard with wonder, but delight, and, as is due, with glory attributed to the high creator! something yet of doubt remains, which only thy solution can resolve. when i behold this goodly frame, this world, of heaven and earth consisting; and compute their magnitudes; this earth, a spot, a grain, an atom, with the firmament compared and all her numbered stars, that seem to roll spaces incomprehensible, (for such their distance argues, and their swift return diurnal,) merely to officiate light round this opacous earth, this punctual spot, one day and night; in all her vast survey useless besides; reasoning i oft admire, how nature wise and frugal could commit such disproportions, with superfluous hand so many nobler bodies to create, greater so manifold, to this one use, for aught appears, and on their orbs impose such restless revolution day by day repeated; while the sedentary earth, that better might with far less compass move, served by more noble than herself, attains her end without least motion, and receives, as tribute, such a sumless journey brought of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light; speed, to describe whose swiftness number fails. so spake our sire, and by his countenance seemed entering on studious thoughts abstruse; which eve perceiving, where she sat retired in sight, with lowliness majestick from her seat, and grace that won who saw to wish her stay, rose, and went forth among her fruits and flowers, to visit how they prospered, bud and bloom, her nursery; they at her coming sprung, and, touched by her fair tendance, gladlier grew. yet went she not, as not with such discourse delighted, or not capable her ear of what was high: such pleasure she reserved, adam relating, she sole auditress; her husband the relater she preferred before the angel, and of him to ask chose rather; he, she knew, would intermix grateful digressions, and solve high dispute with conjugal caresses: from his lip not words alone pleased her. o! when meet now such pairs, in love and mutual honour joined? with goddess-like demeanour forth she went, not unattended; for on her, as queen, a pomp of winning graces waited still, and from about her shot darts of desire into all eyes, to wish her still in sight. and raphael now, to adam's doubt proposed, benevolent and facile thus replied. to ask or search, i blame thee not; for heaven is as the book of god before thee set, wherein to read his wonderous works, and learn his seasons, hours, or days, or months, or years: this to attain, whether heaven move or earth, imports not, if thou reckon right; the rest from man or angel the great architect did wisely to conceal, and not divulge his secrets to be scanned by them who ought rather admire; or, if they list to try conjecture, he his fabrick of the heavens hath left to their disputes, perhaps to move his laughter at their quaint opinions wide hereafter; when they come to model heaven and calculate the stars, how they will wield the mighty frame; how build, unbuild, contrive to save appearances; how gird the sphere with centrick and eccentrick scribbled o'er, cycle and epicycle, orb in orb: already by thy reasoning this i guess, who art to lead thy offspring, and supposest that bodies bright and greater should not serve the less not bright, nor heaven such journeys run, earth sitting still, when she alone receives the benefit: consider first, that great or bright infers not excellence: the earth though, in comparison of heaven, so small, nor glistering, may of solid good contain more plenty than the sun that barren shines; whose virtue on itself works no effect, but in the fruitful earth; there first received, his beams, unactive else, their vigour find. yet not to earth are those bright luminaries officious; but to thee, earth's habitant. and for the heaven's wide circuit, let it speak the maker's high magnificence, who built so spacious, and his line stretched out so far; that man may know he dwells not in his own; an edifice too large for him to fill, lodged in a small partition; and the rest ordained for uses to his lord best known. the swiftness of those circles attribute, though numberless, to his omnipotence, that to corporeal substances could add speed almost spiritual: me thou thinkest not slow, who since the morning-hour set out from heaven where god resides, and ere mid-day arrived in eden; distance inexpressible by numbers that have name. but this i urge, admitting motion in the heavens, to show invalid that which thee to doubt it moved; not that i so affirm, though so it seem to thee who hast thy dwelling here on earth. god, to remove his ways from human sense, placed heaven from earth so far, that earthly sight, if it presume, might err in things too high, and no advantage gain. what if the sun be center to the world; and other stars, by his attractive virtue and their own incited, dance about him various rounds? their wandering course now high, now low, then hid, progressive, retrograde, or standing still, in six thou seest; and what if seventh to these the planet earth, so stedfast though she seem, insensibly three different motions move? which else to several spheres thou must ascribe, moved contrary with thwart obliquities; or save the sun his labour, and that swift nocturnal and diurnal rhomb supposed, invisible else above all stars, the wheel of day and night; which needs not thy belief, if earth, industrious of herself, fetch day travelling east, and with her part averse from the sun's beam meet night, her other part still luminous by his ray. what if that light, sent from her through the wide transpicuous air, to the terrestrial moon be as a star, enlightening her by day, as she by night this earth? reciprocal, if land be there, fields and inhabitants: her spots thou seest as clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce fruits in her softened soil for some to eat allotted there; and other suns perhaps, with their attendant moons, thou wilt descry, communicating male and female light; which two great sexes animate the world, stored in each orb perhaps with some that live. for such vast room in nature unpossessed by living soul, desart and desolate, only to shine, yet scarce to contribute each orb a glimpse of light, conveyed so far down to this habitable, which returns light back to them, is obvious to dispute. but whether thus these things, or whether not; but whether the sun, predominant in heaven, rise on the earth; or earth rise on the sun; he from the east his flaming road begin; or she from west her silent course advance, with inoffensive pace that spinning sleeps on her soft axle, while she paces even, and bears thee soft with the smooth hair along; sollicit not thy thoughts with matters hid; leave them to god above; him serve, and fear! of other creatures, as him pleases best, wherever placed, let him dispose; joy thou in what he gives to thee, this paradise and thy fair eve; heaven is for thee too high to know what passes there; be lowly wise: think only what concerns thee, and thy being; dream not of other worlds, what creatures there live, in what state, condition, or degree; contented that thus far hath been revealed not of earth only, but of highest heaven. to whom thus adam, cleared of doubt, replied. how fully hast thou satisfied me, pure intelligence of heaven, angel serene! and, freed from intricacies, taught to live the easiest way; nor with perplexing thoughts to interrupt the sweet of life, from which god hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares, and not molest us; unless we ourselves seek them with wandering thoughts, and notions vain. but apt the mind or fancy is to rove unchecked, and of her roving is no end; till warned, or by experience taught, she learn, that, not to know at large of things remote from use, obscure and subtle; but, to know that which before us lies in daily life, is the prime wisdom: what is more, is fume, or emptiness, or fond impertinence: and renders us, in things that most concern, unpractised, unprepared, and still to seek. therefore from this high pitch let us descend a lower flight, and speak of things at hand useful; whence, haply, mention may arise of something not unseasonable to ask, by sufferance, and thy wonted favour, deigned. thee i have heard relating what was done ere my remembrance: now, hear me relate my story, which perhaps thou hast not heard; and day is not yet spent; till then thou seest how subtly to detain thee i devise; inviting thee to hear while i relate; fond! were it not in hope of thy reply: for, while i sit with thee, i seem in heaven; and sweeter thy discourse is to my ear than fruits of palm-tree pleasantest to thirst and hunger both, from labour, at the hour of sweet repast; they satiate, and soon fill, though pleasant; but thy words, with grace divine imbued, bring to their sweetness no satiety. to whom thus raphael answered heavenly meek. nor are thy lips ungraceful, sire of men, nor tongue ineloquent; for god on thee abundantly his gifts hath also poured inward and outward both, his image fair: speaking, or mute, all comeliness and grace attends thee; and each word, each motion, forms; nor less think we in heaven of thee on earth than of our fellow-servant, and inquire gladly into the ways of god with man: for god, we see, hath honoured thee, and set on man his equal love: say therefore on; for i that day was absent, as befel, bound on a voyage uncouth and obscure, far on excursion toward the gates of hell; squared in full legion (such command we had) to see that none thence issued forth a spy, or enemy, while god was in his work; lest he, incensed at such eruption bold, destruction with creation might have mixed. not that they durst without his leave attempt; but us he sends upon his high behests for state, as sovran king; and to inure our prompt obedience. fast we found, fast shut, the dismal gates, and barricadoed strong; but long ere our approaching heard within noise, other than the sound of dance or song, torment, and loud lament, and furious rage. glad we returned up to the coasts of light ere sabbath-evening: so we had in charge. but thy relation now; for i attend, pleased with thy words no less than thou with mine. so spake the godlike power, and thus our sire. for man to tell how human life began is hard; for who himself beginning knew desire with thee still longer to converse induced me. as new waked from soundest sleep, soft on the flowery herb i found me laid, in balmy sweat; which with his beams the sun soon dried, and on the reeking moisture fed. straight toward heaven my wondering eyes i turned, and gazed a while the ample sky; till, raised by quick instinctive motion, up i sprung, as thitherward endeavouring, and upright stood on my feet: about me round i saw hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains, and liquid lapse of murmuring streams; by these, creatures that lived and moved, and walked, or flew; birds on the branches warbling; all things smiled; with fragrance and with joy my heart o'erflowed. myself i then perused, and limb by limb surveyed, and sometimes went, and sometimes ran with supple joints, as lively vigour led: but who i was, or where, or from what cause, knew not; to speak i tried, and forthwith spake; my tongue obeyed, and readily could name whate'er i saw. thou sun, said i, fair light, and thou enlightened earth, so fresh and gay, ye hills, and dales, ye rivers, woods, and plains, and ye that live and move, fair creatures, tell, tell, if ye saw, how i came thus, how here?-not of myself;--by some great maker then, in goodness and in power pre-eminent: tell me, how may i know him, how adore, from whom i have that thus i move and live, and feel that i am happier than i know.-while thus i called, and strayed i knew not whither, from where i first drew air, and first beheld this happy light; when, answer none returned, on a green shady bank, profuse of flowers, pensive i sat me down: there gentle sleep first found me, and with soft oppression seised my droused sense, untroubled, though i thought i then was passing to my former state insensible, and forthwith to dissolve: when suddenly stood at my head a dream, whose inward apparition gently moved my fancy to believe i yet had being, and lived: one came, methought, of shape divine, and said, "thy mansion wants thee, adam; rise, first man, of men innumerable ordained first father! called by thee, i come thy guide to the garden of bliss, thy seat prepared." so saying, by the hand he took me raised, and over fields and waters, as in air smooth-sliding without step, last led me up a woody mountain; whose high top was plain, a circuit wide, enclosed, with goodliest trees planted, with walks, and bowers; that what i saw of earth before scarce pleasant seemed. each tree, loaden with fairest fruit that hung to the eye tempting, stirred in me sudden appetite to pluck and eat; whereat i waked, and found before mine eyes all real, as the dream had lively shadowed: here had new begun my wandering, had not he, who was my guide up hither, from among the trees appeared, presence divine. rejoicing, but with awe, in adoration at his feet i fell submiss: he reared me, and "whom thou soughtest i am," said mildly, "author of all this thou seest above, or round about thee, or beneath. this paradise i give thee, count it thine to till and keep, and of the fruit to eat: of every tree that in the garden grows eat freely with glad heart; fear here no dearth: but of the tree whose operation brings knowledge of good and ill, which i have set the pledge of thy obedience and thy faith, amid the garden by the tree of life, remember what i warn thee, shun to taste, and shun the bitter consequence: for know, the day thou eatest thereof, my sole command transgressed, inevitably thou shalt die, from that day mortal; and this happy state shalt lose, expelled from hence into a world of woe and sorrow." sternly he pronounced the rigid interdiction, which resounds yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice not to incur; but soon his clear aspect returned, and gracious purpose thus renewed. "not only these fair bounds, but all the earth to thee and to thy race i give; as lords possess it, and all things that therein live, or live in sea, or air; beast, fish, and fowl. in sign whereof, each bird and beast behold after their kinds; i bring them to receive from thee their names, and pay thee fealty with low subjection; understand the same of fish within their watery residence, not hither summoned, since they cannot change their element, to draw the thinner air." as thus he spake, each bird and beast behold approaching two and two; these cowering low with blandishment; each bird stooped on his wing. i named them, as they passed, and understood their nature, with such knowledge god endued my sudden apprehension: but in these i found not what methought i wanted still; and to the heavenly vision thus presumed. o, by what name, for thou above all these, above mankind, or aught than mankind higher, surpassest far my naming; how may i adore thee, author of this universe, and all this good to man? for whose well being so amply, and with hands so liberal, thou hast provided all things: but with me i see not who partakes. in solitude what happiness, who can enjoy alone, or, all enjoying, what contentment find? thus i presumptuous; and the vision bright, as with a smile more brightened, thus replied. what callest thou solitude? is not the earth with various living creatures, and the air replenished, and all these at thy command to come and play before thee? knowest thou not their language and their ways? they also know, and reason not contemptibly: with these find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm is large. so spake the universal lord, and seemed so ordering: i, with leave of speech implored, and humble deprecation, thus replied. let not my words offend thee, heavenly power; my maker, be propitious while i speak. hast thou not made me here thy substitute, and these inferiour far beneath me set? among unequals what society can sort, what harmony, or true delight? which must be mutual, in proportion due given and received; but, in disparity the one intense, the other still remiss, cannot well suit with either, but soon prove tedious alike: of fellowship i speak such as i seek, fit to participate all rational delight: wherein the brute cannot be human consort: they rejoice each with their kind, lion with lioness; so fitly them in pairs thou hast combined: much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl so well converse, nor with the ox the ape; worse then can man with beast, and least of all. whereto the almighty answered, not displeased. a nice and subtle happiness, i see, thou to thyself proposest, in the choice of thy associates, adam! and wilt taste no pleasure, though in pleasure, solitary. what thinkest thou then of me, and this my state? seem i to thee sufficiently possessed of happiness, or not? who am alone from all eternity; for none i know second to me or like, equal much less. how have i then with whom to hold converse, save with the creatures which i made, and those to me inferiour, infinite descents beneath what other creatures are to thee? he ceased; i lowly answered. to attain the highth and depth of thy eternal ways all human thoughts come short, supreme of things! thou in thyself art perfect, and in thee is no deficience found: not so is man, but in degree; the cause of his desire by conversation with his like to help or solace his defects. no need that thou shouldst propagate, already infinite; and through all numbers absolute, though one: but man by number is to manifest his single imperfection, and beget like of his like, his image multiplied, in unity defective; which requires collateral love, and dearest amity. thou in thy secresy although alone, best with thyself accompanied, seekest not social communication; yet, so pleased, canst raise thy creature to what highth thou wilt of union or communion, deified: i, by conversing, cannot these erect from prone; nor in their ways complacence find. thus i emboldened spake, and freedom used permissive, and acceptance found; which gained this answer from the gracious voice divine. thus far to try thee, adam, i was pleased; and find thee knowing, not of beasts alone, which thou hast rightly named, but of thyself; expressing well the spirit within thee free, my image, not imparted to the brute; whose fellowship therefore unmeet for thee good reason was thou freely shouldst dislike; and be so minded still: i, ere thou spakest, knew it not good for man to be alone; and no such company as then thou sawest intended thee; for trial only brought, to see how thou couldest judge of fit and meet: what next i bring shall please thee, be assured, thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self, thy wish exactly to thy heart's desire. he ended, or i heard no more; for now my earthly by his heavenly overpowered, which it had long stood under, strained to the highth in that celestial colloquy sublime, as with an object that excels the sense dazzled and spent, sunk down; and sought repair of sleep, which instantly fell on me, called by nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes. mine eyes he closed, but open left the cell of fancy, my internal sight; by which, abstract as in a trance, methought i saw, though sleeping, where i lay, and saw the shape still glorious before whom awake i stood: who stooping opened my left side, and took from thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm, and life-blood streaming fresh; wide was the wound, but suddenly with flesh filled up and healed: the rib he formed and fashioned with his hands; under his forming hands a creature grew, man-like, but different sex; so lovely fair, that what seemed fair in all the world, seemed now mean, or in her summed up, in her contained and in her looks; which from that time infused sweetness into my heart, unfelt before, and into all things from her air inspired the spirit of love and amorous delight. she disappeared, and left me dark; i waked to find her, or for ever to deplore her loss, and other pleasures all abjure: when out of hope, behold her, not far off, such as i saw her in my dream, adorned with what all earth or heaven could bestow to make her amiable: on she came, led by her heavenly maker, though unseen, and guided by his voice; nor uninformed of nuptial sanctity, and marriage rites: grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye, in every gesture dignity and love. i, overjoyed, could not forbear aloud. this turn hath made amends; thou hast fulfilled thy words, creator bounteous and benign, giver of all things fair! but fairest this of all thy gifts! nor enviest. i now see bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself before me: woman is her name; of man extracted: for this cause he shall forego father and mother, and to his wife adhere; and they shall be one flesh, one heart, one soul. she heard me thus; and though divinely brought, yet innocence, and virgin modesty, her virtue, and the conscience of her worth, that would be wooed, and not unsought be won, not obvious, not obtrusive, but, retired, the more desirable; or, to say all, nature herself, though pure of sinful thought, wrought in her so, that, seeing me, she turned: i followed her; she what was honour knew, and with obsequious majesty approved my pleaded reason. to the nuptial bower i led her blushing like the morn: all heaven, and happy constellations, on that hour shed their selectest influence; the earth gave sign of gratulation, and each hill; joyous the birds; fresh gales and gentle airs whispered it to the woods, and from their wings flung rose, flung odours from the spicy shrub, disporting, till the amorous bird of night sung spousal, and bid haste the evening-star on his hill top, to light the bridal lamp. thus have i told thee all my state, and brought my story to the sum of earthly bliss, which i enjoy; and must confess to find in all things else delight indeed, but such as, used or not, works in the mind no change, nor vehement desire; these delicacies i mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits, and flowers, walks, and the melody of birds: but here far otherwise, transported i behold, transported touch; here passion first i felt, commotion strange! in all enjoyments else superiour and unmoved; here only weak against the charm of beauty's powerful glance. or nature failed in me, and left some part not proof enough such object to sustain; or, from my side subducting, took perhaps more than enough; at least on her bestowed too much of ornament, in outward show elaborate, of inward less exact. for well i understand in the prime end of nature her the inferiour, in the mind and inward faculties, which most excel; in outward also her resembling less his image who made both, and less expressing the character of that dominion given o'er other creatures: yet when i approach her loveliness, so absolute she seems and in herself complete, so well to know her own, that what she wills to do or say, seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best: all higher knowledge in her presence falls degraded; wisdom in discourse with her loses discountenanced, and like folly shows; authority and reason on her wait, as one intended first, not after made occasionally; and, to consummate all, greatness of mind and nobleness their seat build in her loveliest, and create an awe about her, as a guard angelick placed. to whom the angel with contracted brow. accuse not nature, she hath done her part; do thou but thine; and be not diffident of wisdom; she deserts thee not, if thou dismiss not her, when most thou needest her nigh, by attributing overmuch to things less excellent, as thou thyself perceivest. for, what admirest thou, what transports thee so, an outside? fair, no doubt, and worthy well thy cherishing, thy honouring, and thy love; not thy subjection: weigh with her thyself; then value: oft-times nothing profits more than self-esteem, grounded on just and right well managed; of that skill the more thou knowest, the more she will acknowledge thee her head, and to realities yield all her shows: made so adorn for thy delight the more, so awful, that with honour thou mayest love thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise. but if the sense of touch, whereby mankind is propagated, seem such dear delight beyond all other; think the same vouchsafed to cattle and each beast; which would not be to them made common and divulged, if aught therein enjoyed were worthy to subdue the soul of man, or passion in him move. what higher in her society thou findest attractive, human, rational, love still; in loving thou dost well, in passion not, wherein true love consists not: love refines the thoughts, and heart enlarges; hath his seat in reason, and is judicious; is the scale by which to heavenly love thou mayest ascend, not sunk in carnal pleasure; for which cause, among the beasts no mate for thee was found. to whom thus, half abashed, adam replied. neither her outside formed so fair, nor aught in procreation common to all kinds, (though higher of the genial bed by far, and with mysterious reverence i deem,) so much delights me, as those graceful acts, those thousand decencies, that daily flow from all her words and actions mixed with love and sweet compliance, which declare unfeigned union of mind, or in us both one soul; harmony to behold in wedded pair more grateful than harmonious sound to the ear. yet these subject not; i to thee disclose what inward thence i feel, not therefore foiled, who meet with various objects, from the sense variously representing; yet, still free, approve the best, and follow what i approve. to love, thou blamest me not; for love, thou sayest, leads up to heaven, is both the way and guide; bear with me then, if lawful what i ask: love not the heavenly spirits, and how their love express they? by looks only? or do they mix irradiance, virtual or immediate touch? to whom the angel, with a smile that glowed celestial rosy red, love's proper hue, answered. let it suffice thee that thou knowest us happy, and without love no happiness. whatever pure thou in the body enjoyest, (and pure thou wert created) we enjoy in eminence; and obstacle find none of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive bars; easier than air with air, if spirits embrace, total they mix, union of pure with pure desiring, nor restrained conveyance need, as flesh to mix with flesh, or soul with soul. but i can now no more; the parting sun beyond the earth's green cape and verdant isles hesperian sets, my signal to depart. be strong, live happy, and love! but, first of all, him, whom to love is to obey, and keep his great command; take heed lest passion sway thy judgement to do aught, which else free will would not admit: thine, and of all thy sons, the weal or woe in thee is placed; beware! i in thy persevering shall rejoice, and all the blest: stand fast; to stand or fall free in thine own arbitrement it lies. perfect within, no outward aid require; and all temptation to transgress repel. so saying, he arose; whom adam thus followed with benediction. since to part, go, heavenly guest, ethereal messenger, sent from whose sovran goodness i adore! gentle to me and affable hath been thy condescension, and shall be honoured ever with grateful memory: thou to mankind be good and friendly still, and oft return! so parted they; the angel up to heaven from the thick shade, and adam to his bower. book ix no more of talk where god or angel guest with man, as with his friend, familiar us'd, to sit indulgent, and with him partake rural repast; permitting him the while venial discourse unblam'd. i now must change those notes to tragick; foul distrust, and breach disloyal on the part of man, revolt, and disobedience: on the part of heaven now alienated, distance and distaste, anger and just rebuke, and judgement given, that brought into this world a world of woe, sin and her shadow death, and misery death's harbinger: sad task! yet argument not less but more heroick than the wrath of stern achilles on his foe pursued thrice fugitive about troy wall; or rage of turnus for lavinia disespous'd; or neptune's ire, or juno's, that so long perplexed the greek, and cytherea's son: if answerable style i can obtain of my celestial patroness, who deigns her nightly visitation unimplor'd, and dictates to me slumbering; or inspires easy my unpremeditated verse: since first this subject for heroick song pleas'd me long choosing, and beginning late; not sedulous by nature to indite wars, hitherto the only argument heroick deem'd chief mastery to dissect with long and tedious havock fabled knights in battles feign'd; the better fortitude of patience and heroick martyrdom unsung; or to describe races and games, or tilting furniture, imblazon'd shields, impresses quaint, caparisons and steeds, bases and tinsel trappings, gorgeous knights at joust and tournament; then marshall'd feast serv'd up in hall with sewers and seneshals; the skill of artifice or office mean, not that which justly gives heroick name to person, or to poem. me, of these nor skill'd nor studious, higher argument remains; sufficient of itself to raise that name, unless an age too late, or cold climate, or years, damp my intended wing depress'd; and much they may, if all be mine, not hers, who brings it nightly to my ear. the sun was sunk, and after him the star of hesperus, whose office is to bring twilight upon the earth, short arbiter 'twixt day and night, and now from end to end night's hemisphere had veil'd the horizon round: when satan, who late fled before the threats of gabriel out of eden, now improv'd in meditated fraud and malice, bent on man's destruction, maugre what might hap of heavier on himself, fearless returned by night he fled, and at midnight returned from compassing the earth; cautious of day, since uriel, regent of the sun, descried his entrance, and foreworned the cherubim that kept their watch; thence full of anguish driven, the space of seven continued nights he rode with darkness; thrice the equinoctial line he circled; four times crossed the car of night from pole to pole, traversing each colure; on the eighth returned; and, on the coast averse from entrance or cherubick watch, by stealth found unsuspected way. there was a place, now not, though sin, not time, first wrought the change, where tigris, at the foot of paradise, into a gulf shot under ground, till part rose up a fountain by the tree of life: in with the river sunk, and with it rose satan, involved in rising mist; then sought where to lie hid; sea he had searched, and land, from eden over pontus and the pool maeotis, up beyond the river ob; downward as far antarctick; and in length, west from orontes to the ocean barred at darien; thence to the land where flows ganges and indus: thus the orb he roamed with narrow search; and with inspection deep considered every creature, which of all most opportune might serve his wiles; and found the serpent subtlest beast of all the field. him after long debate, irresolute of thoughts revolved, his final sentence chose fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in whom to enter, and his dark suggestions hide from sharpest sight: for, in the wily snake whatever sleights, none would suspicious mark, as from his wit and native subtlety proceeding; which, in other beasts observed, doubt might beget of diabolick power active within, beyond the sense of brute. thus he resolved, but first from inward grief his bursting passion into plaints thus poured. more justly, seat worthier of gods, as built with second thoughts, reforming what was old! o earth, how like to heaven, if not preferred for what god, after better, worse would build? terrestrial heaven, danced round by other heavens that shine, yet bear their bright officious lamps, light above light, for thee alone, as seems, in thee concentring all their precious beams of sacred influence! as god in heaven is center, yet extends to all; so thou, centring, receivest from all those orbs: in thee, not in themselves, all their known virtue appears productive in herb, plant, and nobler birth of creatures animate with gradual life of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in man. with what delight could i have walked thee round, if i could joy in aught, sweet interchange of hill, and valley, rivers, woods, and plains, now land, now sea and shores with forest crowned, rocks, dens, and caves! but i in none of these find place or refuge; and the more i see pleasures about me, so much more i feel torment within me, as from the hateful siege of contraries: all good to me becomes bane, and in heaven much worse would be my state. but neither here seek i, no nor in heaven to dwell, unless by mastering heaven's supreme; nor hope to be myself less miserable by what i seek, but others to make such as i, though thereby worse to me redound: for only in destroying i find ease to my relentless thoughts; and, him destroyed, or won to what may work his utter loss, for whom all this was made, all this will soon follow, as to him linked in weal or woe; in woe then; that destruction wide may range: to me shall be the glory sole among the infernal powers, in one day to have marred what he, almighty styled, six nights and days continued making; and who knows how long before had been contriving? though perhaps not longer than since i, in one night, freed from servitude inglorious well nigh half the angelick name, and thinner left the throng of his adorers: he, to be avenged, and to repair his numbers thus impaired, whether such virtue spent of old now failed more angels to create, if they at least are his created, or, to spite us more, determined to advance into our room a creature formed of earth, and him endow, exalted from so base original, with heavenly spoils, our spoils: what he decreed, he effected; man he made, and for him built magnificent this world, and earth his seat, him lord pronounced; and, o indignity! subjected to his service angel-wings, and flaming ministers to watch and tend their earthly charge: of these the vigilance i dread; and, to elude, thus wrapt in mist of midnight vapour glide obscure, and pry in every bush and brake, where hap may find the serpent sleeping; in whose mazy folds to hide me, and the dark intent i bring. o foul descent! that i, who erst contended with gods to sit the highest, am now constrained into a beast; and, mixed with bestial slime, this essence to incarnate and imbrute, that to the highth of deity aspired! but what will not ambition and revenge descend to? who aspires, must down as low as high he soared; obnoxious, first or last, to basest things. revenge, at first though sweet, bitter ere long, back on itself recoils: let it; i reck not, so it light well aimed, since higher i fall short, on him who next provokes my envy, this new favourite of heaven, this man of clay, son of despite, whom, us the more to spite, his maker raised from dust: spite then with spite is best repaid. so saying, through each thicket dank or dry, like a black mist low-creeping, he held on his midnight-search, where soonest he might find the serpent; him fast-sleeping soon he found in labyrinth of many a round self-rolled, his head the midst, well stored with subtile wiles: not yet in horrid shade or dismal den, nor nocent yet; but, on the grassy herb, fearless unfeared he slept: in at his mouth the devil entered; and his brutal sense, in heart or head, possessing, soon inspired with act intelligential; but his sleep disturbed not, waiting close the approach of morn. now, when as sacred light began to dawn in eden on the humid flowers, that breathed their morning incense, when all things, that breathe, from the earth's great altar send up silent praise to the creator, and his nostrils fill with grateful smell, forth came the human pair, and joined their vocal worship to the quire of creatures wanting voice; that done, partake the season prime for sweetest scents and airs: then commune, how that day they best may ply their growing work: for much their work out-grew the hands' dispatch of two gardening so wide, and eve first to her husband thus began. adam, well may we labour still to dress this garden, still to tend plant, herb, and flower, our pleasant task enjoined; but, till more hands aid us, the work under our labour grows, luxurious by restraint; what we by day lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind, one night or two with wanton growth derides tending to wild. thou therefore now advise, or bear what to my mind first thoughts present: let us divide our labours; thou, where choice leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind the woodbine round this arbour, or direct the clasping ivy where to climb; while i, in yonder spring of roses intermixed with myrtle, find what to redress till noon: for, while so near each other thus all day our task we choose, what wonder if so near looks intervene and smiles, or object new casual discourse draw on; which intermits our day's work, brought to little, though begun early, and the hour of supper comes unearned? to whom mild answer adam thus returned. sole eve, associate sole, to me beyond compare above all living creatures dear! well hast thou motioned, well thy thoughts employed, how we might best fulfil the work which here god hath assigned us; nor of me shalt pass unpraised: for nothing lovelier can be found in woman, than to study houshold good, and good works in her husband to promote. yet not so strictly hath our lord imposed labour, as to debar us when we need refreshment, whether food, or talk between, food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse of looks and smiles; for smiles from reason flow, to brute denied, and are of love the food; love, not the lowest end of human life. for not to irksome toil, but to delight, he made us, and delight to reason joined. these paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide as we need walk, till younger hands ere long assist us; but, if much converse perhaps thee satiate, to short absence i could yield: for solitude sometimes is best society, and short retirement urges sweet return. but other doubt possesses me, lest harm befall thee severed from me; for thou knowest what hath been warned us, what malicious foe envying our happiness, and of his own despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame by sly assault; and somewhere nigh at hand watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find his wish and best advantage, us asunder; hopeless to circumvent us joined, where each to other speedy aid might lend at need: whether his first design be to withdraw our fealty from god, or to disturb conjugal love, than which perhaps no bliss enjoyed by us excites his envy more; or this, or worse, leave not the faithful side that gave thee being, still shades thee, and protects. the wife, where danger or dishonour lurks, safest and seemliest by her husband stays, who guards her, or with her the worst endures. to whom the virgin majesty of eve, as one who loves, and some unkindness meets, with sweet austere composure thus replied. offspring of heaven and earth, and all earth's lord! that such an enemy we have, who seeks our ruin, both by thee informed i learn, and from the parting angel over-heard, as in a shady nook i stood behind, just then returned at shut of evening flowers. but, that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt to god or thee, because we have a foe may tempt it, i expected not to hear. his violence thou fearest not, being such as we, not capable of death or pain, can either not receive, or can repel. his fraud is then thy fear; which plain infers thy equal fear, that my firm faith and love can by his fraud be shaken or seduced; thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast, adam, mis-thought of her to thee so dear? to whom with healing words adam replied. daughter of god and man, immortal eve! for such thou art; from sin and blame entire: not diffident of thee do i dissuade thy absence from my sight, but to avoid the attempt itself, intended by our foe. for he who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses the tempted with dishonour foul; supposed not incorruptible of faith, not proof against temptation: thou thyself with scorn and anger wouldst resent the offered wrong, though ineffectual found: misdeem not then, if such affront i labour to avert from thee alone, which on us both at once the enemy, though bold, will hardly dare; or daring, first on me the assault shall light. nor thou his malice and false guile contemn; subtle he needs must be, who could seduce angels; nor think superfluous other's aid. i, from the influence of thy looks, receive access in every virtue; in thy sight more wise, more watchful, stronger, if need were of outward strength; while shame, thou looking on, shame to be overcome or over-reached, would utmost vigour raise, and raised unite. why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel when i am present, and thy trial choose with me, best witness of thy virtue tried? so spake domestick adam in his care and matrimonial love; but eve, who thought less attributed to her faith sincere, thus her reply with accent sweet renewed. if this be our condition, thus to dwell in narrow circuit straitened by a foe, subtle or violent, we not endued single with like defence, wherever met; how are we happy, still in fear of harm? but harm precedes not sin: only our foe, tempting, affronts us with his foul esteem of our integrity: his foul esteem sticks no dishonour on our front, but turns foul on himself; then wherefore shunned or feared by us? who rather double honour gain from his surmise proved false; find peace within, favour from heaven, our witness, from the event. and what is faith, love, virtue, unassayed alone, without exteriour help sustained? let us not then suspect our happy state left so imperfect by the maker wise, as not secure to single or combined. frail is our happiness, if this be so, and eden were no eden, thus exposed. to whom thus adam fervently replied. o woman, best are all things as the will of god ordained them: his creating hand nothing imperfect or deficient left of all that he created, much less man, or aught that might his happy state secure, secure from outward force; within himself the danger lies, yet lies within his power: against his will he can receive no harm. but god left free the will; for what obeys reason, is free; and reason he made right, but bid her well be ware, and still erect; lest, by some fair-appearing good surprised, she dictate false; and mis-inform the will to do what god expressly hath forbid. not then mistrust, but tender love, enjoins, that i should mind thee oft; and mind thou me. firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve; since reason not impossibly may meet some specious object by the foe suborned, and fall into deception unaware, not keeping strictest watch, as she was warned. seek not temptation then, which to avoid were better, and most likely if from me thou sever not: trial will come unsought. wouldst thou approve thy constancy, approve first thy obedience; the other who can know, not seeing thee attempted, who attest? but, if thou think, trial unsought may find us both securer than thus warned thou seemest, go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more; go in thy native innocence, rely on what thou hast of virtue; summon all! for god towards thee hath done his part, do thine. so spake the patriarch of mankind; but eve persisted; yet submiss, though last, replied. with thy permission then, and thus forewarned chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words touched only; that our trial, when least sought, may find us both perhaps far less prepared, the willinger i go, nor much expect a foe so proud will first the weaker seek; so bent, the more shall shame him his repulse. thus saying, from her husband's hand her hand soft she withdrew; and, like a wood-nymph light, oread or dryad, or of delia's train, betook her to the groves; but delia's self in gait surpassed, and goddess-like deport, though not as she with bow and quiver armed, but with such gardening tools as art yet rude, guiltless of fire, had formed, or angels brought. to pales, or pomona, thus adorned, likest she seemed, pomona when she fled vertumnus, or to ceres in her prime, yet virgin of proserpina from jove. her long with ardent look his eye pursued delighted, but desiring more her stay. oft he to her his charge of quick return repeated; she to him as oft engaged to be returned by noon amid the bower, and all things in best order to invite noontide repast, or afternoon's repose. o much deceived, much failing, hapless eve, of thy presumed return! event perverse! thou never from that hour in paradise foundst either sweet repast, or sound repose; such ambush, hid among sweet flowers and shades, waited with hellish rancour imminent to intercept thy way, or send thee back despoiled of innocence, of faith, of bliss! for now, and since first break of dawn, the fiend, mere serpent in appearance, forth was come; and on his quest, where likeliest he might find the only two of mankind, but in them the whole included race, his purposed prey. in bower and field he sought, where any tuft of grove or garden-plot more pleasant lay, their tendance, or plantation for delight; by fountain or by shady rivulet he sought them both, but wished his hap might find eve separate; he wished, but not with hope of what so seldom chanced; when to his wish, beyond his hope, eve separate he spies, veiled in a cloud of fragrance, where she stood, half spied, so thick the roses blushing round about her glowed, oft stooping to support each flower of slender stalk, whose head, though gay carnation, purple, azure, or specked with gold, hung drooping unsustained; them she upstays gently with myrtle band, mindless the while herself, though fairest unsupported flower, from her best prop so far, and storm so nigh. nearer he drew, and many a walk traversed of stateliest covert, cedar, pine, or palm; then voluble and bold, now hid, now seen, among thick-woven arborets, and flowers imbordered on each bank, the hand of eve: spot more delicious than those gardens feigned or of revived adonis, or renowned alcinous, host of old laertes' son; or that, not mystick, where the sapient king held dalliance with his fair egyptian spouse. much he the place admired, the person more. as one who long in populous city pent, where houses thick and sewers annoy the air, forth issuing on a summer's morn, to breathe among the pleasant villages and farms adjoined, from each thing met conceives delight; the smell of grain, or tedded grass, or kine, or dairy, each rural sight, each rural sound; if chance, with nymph-like step, fair virgin pass, what pleasing seemed, for her now pleases more; she most, and in her look sums all delight: such pleasure took the serpent to behold this flowery plat, the sweet recess of eve thus early, thus alone: her heavenly form angelick, but more soft, and feminine, her graceful innocence, her every air of gesture, or least action, overawed his malice, and with rapine sweet bereaved his fierceness of the fierce intent it brought: that space the evil-one abstracted stood from his own evil, and for the time remained stupidly good; of enmity disarmed, of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge: but the hot hell that always in him burns, though in mid heaven, soon ended his delight, and tortures him now more, the more he sees of pleasure, not for him ordained: then soon fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts of mischief, gratulating, thus excites. thoughts, whither have ye led me! with what sweet compulsion thus transported, to forget what hither brought us! hate, not love; nor hope of paradise for hell, hope here to taste of pleasure; but all pleasure to destroy, save what is in destroying; other joy to me is lost. then, let me not let pass occasion which now smiles; behold alone the woman, opportune to all attempts, her husband, for i view far round, not nigh, whose higher intellectual more i shun, and strength, of courage haughty, and of limb heroick built, though of terrestrial mould; foe not informidable! exempt from wound, i not; so much hath hell debased, and pain enfeebled me, to what i was in heaven. she fair, divinely fair, fit love for gods! not terrible, though terrour be in love and beauty, not approached by stronger hate, hate stronger, under show of love well feigned; the way which to her ruin now i tend. so spake the enemy of mankind, enclosed in serpent, inmate bad! and toward eve addressed his way: not with indented wave, prone on the ground, as since; but on his rear, circular base of rising folds, that towered fold above fold, a surging maze! his head crested aloft, and carbuncle his eyes; with burnished neck of verdant gold, erect amidst his circling spires, that on the grass floated redundant: pleasing was his shape and lovely; never since of serpent-kind lovelier, not those that in illyria changed, hermione and cadmus, or the god in epidaurus; nor to which transformed ammonian jove, or capitoline, was seen; he with olympias; this with her who bore scipio, the highth of rome. with tract oblique at first, as one who sought access, but feared to interrupt, side-long he works his way. as when a ship, by skilful steersmen wrought nigh river's mouth or foreland, where the wind veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her sail: so varied he, and of his tortuous train curled many a wanton wreath in sight of eve, to lure her eye; she, busied, heard the sound of rusling leaves, but minded not, as used to such disport before her through the field, from every beast; more duteous at her call, than at circean call the herd disguised. he, bolder now, uncalled before her stood, but as in gaze admiring: oft he bowed his turret crest, and sleek enamelled neck, fawning; and licked the ground whereon she trod. his gentle dumb expression turned at length the eye of eve to mark his play; he, glad of her attention gained, with serpent-tongue organick, or impulse of vocal air, his fraudulent temptation thus began. wonder not, sovran mistress, if perhaps thou canst, who art sole wonder! much less arm thy looks, the heaven of mildness, with disdain, displeased that i approach thee thus, and gaze insatiate; i thus single; nor have feared thy awful brow, more awful thus retired. fairest resemblance of thy maker fair, thee all things living gaze on, all things thine by gift, and thy celestial beauty adore with ravishment beheld! there best beheld, where universally admired; but here in this enclosure wild, these beasts among, beholders rude, and shallow to discern half what in thee is fair, one man except, who sees thee? and what is one? who should be seen a goddess among gods, adored and served by angels numberless, thy daily train. so glozed the tempter, and his proem tuned: into the heart of eve his words made way, though at the voice much marvelling; at length, not unamazed, she thus in answer spake. what may this mean? language of man pronounced by tongue of brute, and human sense expressed? the first, at least, of these i thought denied to beasts; whom god, on their creation-day, created mute to all articulate sound: the latter i demur; for in their looks much reason, and in their actions, oft appears. thee, serpent, subtlest beast of all the field i knew, but not with human voice endued; redouble then this miracle, and say, how camest thou speakable of mute, and how to me so friendly grown above the rest of brutal kind, that daily are in sight? say, for such wonder claims attention due. to whom the guileful tempter thus replied. empress of this fair world, resplendent eve! easy to me it is to tell thee all what thou commandest; and right thou shouldst be obeyed: i was at first as other beasts that graze the trodden herb, of abject thoughts and low, as was my food; nor aught but food discerned or sex, and apprehended nothing high: till, on a day roving the field, i chanced a goodly tree far distant to behold loaden with fruit of fairest colours mixed, ruddy and gold: i nearer drew to gaze; when from the boughs a savoury odour blown, grateful to appetite, more pleased my sense than smell of sweetest fennel, or the teats of ewe or goat dropping with milk at even, unsucked of lamb or kid, that tend their play. to satisfy the sharp desire i had of tasting those fair apples, i resolved not to defer; hunger and thirst at once, powerful persuaders, quickened at the scent of that alluring fruit, urged me so keen. about the mossy trunk i wound me soon; for, high from ground, the branches would require thy utmost reach or adam's: round the tree all other beasts that saw, with like desire longing and envying stood, but could not reach. amid the tree now got, where plenty hung tempting so nigh, to pluck and eat my fill i spared not; for, such pleasure till that hour, at feed or fountain, never had i found. sated at length, ere long i might perceive strange alteration in me, to degree of reason in my inward powers; and speech wanted not long; though to this shape retained. thenceforth to speculations high or deep i turned my thoughts, and with capacious mind considered all things visible in heaven, or earth, or middle; all things fair and good: but all that fair and good in thy divine semblance, and in thy beauty's heavenly ray, united i beheld; no fair to thine equivalent or second! which compelled me thus, though importune perhaps, to come and gaze, and worship thee of right declared sovran of creatures, universal dame! so talked the spirited sly snake; and eve, yet more amazed, unwary thus replied. serpent, thy overpraising leaves in doubt the virtue of that fruit, in thee first proved: but say, where grows the tree? from hence how far? for many are the trees of god that grow in paradise, and various, yet unknown to us; in such abundance lies our choice, as leaves a greater store of fruit untouched, still hanging incorruptible, till men grow up to their provision, and more hands help to disburden nature of her birth. to whom the wily adder, blithe and glad. empress, the way is ready, and not long; beyond a row of myrtles, on a flat, fast by a fountain, one small thicket past of blowing myrrh and balm: if thou accept my conduct, i can bring thee thither soon lead then, said eve. he, leading, swiftly rolled in tangles, and made intricate seem straight, to mischief swift. hope elevates, and joy brightens his crest; as when a wandering fire, compact of unctuous vapour, which the night condenses, and the cold environs round, kindled through agitation to a flame, which oft, they say, some evil spirit attends, hovering and blazing with delusive light, misleads the amazed night-wanderer from his way to bogs and mires, and oft through pond or pool; there swallowed up and lost, from succour far. so glistered the dire snake, and into fraud led eve, our credulous mother, to the tree of prohibition, root of all our woe; which when she saw, thus to her guide she spake. serpent, we might have spared our coming hither, fruitless to me, though fruit be here to excess, the credit of whose virtue rest with thee; wonderous indeed, if cause of such effects. but of this tree we may not taste nor touch; god so commanded, and left that command sole daughter of his voice; the rest, we live law to ourselves; our reason is our law. to whom the tempter guilefully replied. indeed! hath god then said that of the fruit of all these garden-trees ye shall not eat, yet lords declared of all in earth or air? to whom thus eve, yet sinless. of the fruit of each tree in the garden we may eat; but of the fruit of this fair tree amidst the garden, god hath said, ye shall not eat thereof, nor shall ye touch it, lest ye die. she scarce had said, though brief, when now more bold the tempter, but with show of zeal and love to man, and indignation at his wrong, new part puts on; and, as to passion moved, fluctuates disturbed, yet comely and in act raised, as of some great matter to begin. as when of old some orator renowned, in athens or free rome, where eloquence flourished, since mute! to some great cause addressed, stood in himself collected; while each part, motion, each act, won audience ere the tongue; sometimes in highth began, as no delay of preface brooking, through his zeal of right: so standing, moving, or to highth up grown, the tempter, all impassioned, thus began. o sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving plant, mother of science! now i feel thy power within me clear; not only to discern things in their causes, but to trace the ways of highest agents, deemed however wise. queen of this universe! do not believe those rigid threats of death: ye shall not die: how should you? by the fruit? it gives you life to knowledge; by the threatener? look on me, me, who have touched and tasted; yet both live, and life more perfect have attained than fate meant me, by venturing higher than my lot. shall that be shut to man, which to the beast is open? or will god incense his ire for such a petty trespass? and not praise rather your dauntless virtue, whom the pain of death denounced, whatever thing death be, deterred not from achieving what might lead to happier life, knowledge of good and evil; of good, how just? of evil, if what is evil be real, why not known, since easier shunned? god therefore cannot hurt ye, and be just; not just, not god; not feared then, nor obeyed: your fear itself of death removes the fear. why then was this forbid? why, but to awe; why, but to keep ye low and ignorant, his worshippers? he knows that in the day ye eat thereof, your eyes that seem so clear, yet are but dim, shall perfectly be then opened and cleared, and ye shall be as gods, knowing both good and evil, as they know. that ye shall be as gods, since i as man, internal man, is but proportion meet; i, of brute, human; ye, of human, gods. so ye shall die perhaps, by putting off human, to put on gods; death to be wished, though threatened, which no worse than this can bring. and what are gods, that man may not become as they, participating god-like food? the gods are first, and that advantage use on our belief, that all from them proceeds: i question it; for this fair earth i see, warmed by the sun, producing every kind; them, nothing: if they all things, who enclosed knowledge of good and evil in this tree, that whoso eats thereof, forthwith attains wisdom without their leave? and wherein lies the offence, that man should thus attain to know? what can your knowledge hurt him, or this tree impart against his will, if all be his? or is it envy? and can envy dwell in heavenly breasts? these, these, and many more causes import your need of this fair fruit. goddess humane, reach then, and freely taste! he ended; and his words, replete with guile, into her heart too easy entrance won: fixed on the fruit she gazed, which to behold might tempt alone; and in her ears the sound yet rung of his persuasive words, impregned with reason, to her seeming, and with truth: mean while the hour of noon drew on, and waked an eager appetite, raised by the smell so savoury of that fruit, which with desire, inclinable now grown to touch or taste, solicited her longing eye; yet first pausing a while, thus to herself she mused. great are thy virtues, doubtless, best of fruits, though kept from man, and worthy to be admired; whose taste, too long forborn, at first assay gave elocution to the mute, and taught the tongue not made for speech to speak thy praise: thy praise he also, who forbids thy use, conceals not from us, naming thee the tree of knowledge, knowledge both of good and evil; forbids us then to taste! but his forbidding commends thee more, while it infers the good by thee communicated, and our want: for good unknown sure is not had; or, had and yet unknown, is as not had at all. in plain then, what forbids he but to know, forbids us good, forbids us to be wise? such prohibitions bind not. but, if death bind us with after-bands, what profits then our inward freedom? in the day we eat of this fair fruit, our doom is, we shall die! how dies the serpent? he hath eaten and lives, and knows, and speaks, and reasons, and discerns, irrational till then. for us alone was death invented? or to us denied this intellectual food, for beasts reserved? for beasts it seems: yet that one beast which first hath tasted envies not, but brings with joy the good befallen him, author unsuspect, friendly to man, far from deceit or guile. what fear i then? rather, what know to fear under this ignorance of good and evil, of god or death, of law or penalty? here grows the cure of all, this fruit divine, fair to the eye, inviting to the taste, of virtue to make wise: what hinders then to reach, and feed at once both body and mind? so saying, her rash hand in evil hour forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she eat! earth felt the wound; and nature from her seat, sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe, that all was lost. back to the thicket slunk the guilty serpent; and well might; for eve, intent now wholly on her taste, nought else regarded; such delight till then, as seemed, in fruit she never tasted, whether true or fancied so, through expectation high of knowledge; not was godhead from her thought. greedily she ingorged without restraint, and knew not eating death: satiate at length, and hightened as with wine, jocund and boon, thus to herself she pleasingly began. o sovran, virtuous, precious of all trees in paradise! of operation blest to sapience, hitherto obscured, infamed. and thy fair fruit let hang, as to no end created; but henceforth my early care, not without song, each morning, and due praise, shall tend thee, and the fertile burden ease of thy full branches offered free to all; till, dieted by thee, i grow mature in knowledge, as the gods, who all things know; though others envy what they cannot give: for, had the gift been theirs, it had not here thus grown. experience, next, to thee i owe, best guide; not following thee, i had remained in ignorance; thou openest wisdom's way, and givest access, though secret she retire. and i perhaps am secret: heaven is high, high, and remote to see from thence distinct each thing on earth; and other care perhaps may have diverted from continual watch our great forbidder, safe with all his spies about him. but to adam in what sort shall i appear? shall i to him make known as yet my change, and give him to partake full happiness with me, or rather not, but keeps the odds of knowledge in my power without copartner? so to add what wants in female sex, the more to draw his love, and render me more equal; and perhaps, a thing not undesirable, sometime superiour; for, inferiour, who is free this may be well: but what if god have seen, and death ensue? then i shall be no more! and adam, wedded to another eve, shall live with her enjoying, i extinct; a death to think! confirmed then i resolve, adam shall share with me in bliss or woe: so dear i love him, that with him all deaths i could endure, without him live no life. so saying, from the tree her step she turned; but first low reverence done, as to the power that dwelt within, whose presence had infused into the plant sciential sap, derived from nectar, drink of gods. adam the while, waiting desirous her return, had wove of choicest flowers a garland, to adorn her tresses, and her rural labours crown; as reapers oft are wont their harvest-queen. great joy he promised to his thoughts, and new solace in her return, so long delayed: yet oft his heart, divine of something ill, misgave him; he the faltering measure felt; and forth to meet her went, the way she took that morn when first they parted: by the tree of knowledge he must pass; there he her met, scarce from the tree returning; in her hand a bough of fairest fruit, that downy smiled, new gathered, and ambrosial smell diffused. to him she hasted; in her face excuse came prologue, and apology too prompt; which, with bland words at will, she thus addressed. hast thou not wondered, adam, at my stay? thee i have missed, and thought it long, deprived thy presence; agony of love till now not felt, nor shall be twice; for never more mean i to try, what rash untried i sought, the pain of absence from thy sight. but strange hath been the cause, and wonderful to hear: this tree is not, as we are told, a tree of danger tasted, nor to evil unknown opening the way, but of divine effect to open eyes, and make them gods who taste; and hath been tasted such: the serpent wise, or not restrained as we, or not obeying, hath eaten of the fruit; and is become, not dead, as we are threatened, but thenceforth endued with human voice and human sense, reasoning to admiration; and with me persuasively hath so prevailed, that i have also tasted, and have also found the effects to correspond; opener mine eyes, dim erst, dilated spirits, ampler heart, and growing up to godhead; which for thee chiefly i sought, without thee can despise. for bliss, as thou hast part, to me is bliss; tedious, unshared with thee, and odious soon. thou therefore also taste, that equal lot may join us, equal joy, as equal love; lest, thou not tasting, different degree disjoin us, and i then too late renounce deity for thee, when fate will not permit. thus eve with countenance blithe her story told; but in her cheek distemper flushing glowed. on the other side adam, soon as he heard the fatal trespass done by eve, amazed, astonied stood and blank, while horrour chill ran through his veins, and all his joints relaxed; from his slack hand the garland wreathed for eve down dropt, and all the faded roses shed: speechless he stood and pale, till thus at length first to himself he inward silence broke. o fairest of creation, last and best of all god's works, creature in whom excelled whatever can to sight or thought be formed, holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet! how art thou lost! how on a sudden lost, defaced, deflowered, and now to death devote! rather, how hast thou yielded to transgress the strict forbiddance, how to violate the sacred fruit forbidden! some cursed fraud of enemy hath beguiled thee, yet unknown, and me with thee hath ruined; for with thee certain my resolution is to die: how can i live without thee! how forego thy sweet converse, and love so dearly joined, to live again in these wild woods forlorn! should god create another eve, and i another rib afford, yet loss of thee would never from my heart: no, no! i feel the link of nature draw me: flesh of flesh, bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe. so having said, as one from sad dismay recomforted, and after thoughts disturbed submitting to what seemed remediless, thus in calm mood his words to eve he turned. bold deed thou hast presumed, adventurous eve, and peril great provoked, who thus hast dared, had it been only coveting to eye that sacred fruit, sacred to abstinence, much more to taste it under ban to touch. but past who can recall, or done undo? not god omnipotent, nor fate; yet so perhaps thou shalt not die, perhaps the fact is not so heinous now, foretasted fruit, profaned first by the serpent, by him first made common, and unhallowed, ere our taste; nor yet on him found deadly; yet he lives; lives, as thou saidst, and gains to live, as man, higher degree of life; inducement strong to us, as likely tasting to attain proportional ascent; which cannot be but to be gods, or angels, demi-gods. nor can i think that god, creator wise, though threatening, will in earnest so destroy us his prime creatures, dignified so high, set over all his works; which in our fall, for us created, needs with us must fail, dependant made; so god shall uncreate, be frustrate, do, undo, and labour lose; not well conceived of god, who, though his power creation could repeat, yet would be loth us to abolish, lest the adversary triumph, and say; "fickle their state whom god most favours; who can please him long? me first he ruined, now mankind; whom will he next?" matter of scorn, not to be given the foe. however i with thee have fixed my lot, certain to undergo like doom: if death consort with thee, death is to me as life; so forcible within my heart i feel the bond of nature draw me to my own; my own in thee, for what thou art is mine; our state cannot be severed; we are one, one flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself. so adam; and thus eve to him replied. o glorious trial of exceeding love, illustrious evidence, example high! engaging me to emulate; but, short of thy perfection, how shall i attain, adam, from whose dear side i boast me sprung, and gladly of our union hear thee speak, one heart, one soul in both; whereof good proof this day affords, declaring thee resolved, rather than death, or aught than death more dread, shall separate us, linked in love so dear, to undergo with me one guilt, one crime, if any be, of tasting this fair fruit; whose virtue for of good still good proceeds, direct, or by occasion, hath presented this happy trial of thy love, which else so eminently never had been known? were it i thought death menaced would ensue this my attempt, i would sustain alone the worst, and not persuade thee, rather die deserted, than oblige thee with a fact pernicious to thy peace; chiefly assured remarkably so late of thy so true, so faithful, love unequalled: but i feel far otherwise the event; not death, but life augmented, opened eyes, new hopes, new joys, taste so divine, that what of sweet before hath touched my sense, flat seems to this, and harsh. on my experience, adam, freely taste, and fear of death deliver to the winds. so saying, she embraced him, and for joy tenderly wept; much won, that he his love had so ennobled, as of choice to incur divine displeasure for her sake, or death. in recompence (for such compliance bad such recompence best merits) from the bough she gave him of that fair enticing fruit with liberal hand: he scrupled not to eat, against his better knowledge; not deceived, but fondly overcome with female charm. earth trembled from her entrails, as again in pangs; and nature gave a second groan; sky loured; and, muttering thunder, some sad drops wept at completing of the mortal sin original: while adam took no thought, eating his fill; nor eve to iterate her former trespass feared, the more to sooth him with her loved society; that now, as with new wine intoxicated both, they swim in mirth, and fancy that they feel divinity within them breeding wings, wherewith to scorn the earth: but that false fruit far other operation first displayed, carnal desire inflaming; he on eve began to cast lascivious eyes; she him as wantonly repaid; in lust they burn: till adam thus 'gan eve to dalliance move. eve, now i see thou art exact of taste, and elegant, of sapience no small part; since to each meaning savour we apply, and palate call judicious; i the praise yield thee, so well this day thou hast purveyed. much pleasure we have lost, while we abstained from this delightful fruit, nor known till now true relish, tasting; if such pleasure be in things to us forbidden, it might be wished, for this one tree had been forbidden ten. but come, so well refreshed, now let us play, as meet is, after such delicious fare; for never did thy beauty, since the day i saw thee first and wedded thee, adorned with all perfections, so inflame my sense with ardour to enjoy thee, fairer now than ever; bounty of this virtuous tree! so said he, and forbore not glance or toy of amorous intent; well understood of eve, whose eye darted contagious fire. her hand he seised; and to a shady bank, thick over-head with verdant roof imbowered, he led her nothing loth; flowers were the couch, pansies, and violets, and asphodel, and hyacinth; earth's freshest softest lap. there they their fill of love and love's disport took largely, of their mutual guilt the seal, the solace of their sin; till dewy sleep oppressed them, wearied with their amorous play, soon as the force of that fallacious fruit, that with exhilarating vapour bland about their spirits had played, and inmost powers made err, was now exhaled; and grosser sleep, bred of unkindly fumes, with conscious dreams incumbered, now had left them; up they rose as from unrest; and, each the other viewing, soon found their eyes how opened, and their minds how darkened; innocence, that as a veil had shadowed them from knowing ill, was gone; just confidence, and native righteousness, and honour, from about them, naked left to guilty shame; he covered, but his robe uncovered more. so rose the danite strong, herculean samson, from the harlot-lap of philistean dalilah, and waked shorn of his strength. they destitute and bare of all their virtue: silent, and in face confounded, long they sat, as strucken mute: till adam, though not less than eve abashed, at length gave utterance to these words constrained. o eve, in evil hour thou didst give ear to that false worm, of whomsoever taught to counterfeit man's voice; true in our fall, false in our promised rising; since our eyes opened we find indeed, and find we know both good and evil; good lost, and evil got; bad fruit of knowledge, if this be to know; which leaves us naked thus, of honour void, of innocence, of faith, of purity, our wonted ornaments now soiled and stained, and in our faces evident the signs of foul concupiscence; whence evil store; even shame, the last of evils; of the first be sure then.--how shall i behold the face henceforth of god or angel, erst with joy and rapture so oft beheld? those heavenly shapes will dazzle now this earthly with their blaze insufferably bright. o! might i here in solitude live savage; in some glade obscured, where highest woods, impenetrable to star or sun-light, spread their umbrage broad and brown as evening: cover me, ye pines! ye cedars, with innumerable boughs hide me, where i may never see them more!-but let us now, as in bad plight, devise what best may for the present serve to hide the parts of each from other, that seem most to shame obnoxious, and unseemliest seen; some tree, whose broad smooth leaves together sewed, and girded on our loins, may cover round those middle parts; that this new comer, shame, there sit not, and reproach us as unclean. so counselled he, and both together went into the thickest wood; there soon they chose the fig-tree; not that kind for fruit renowned, but such as at this day, to indians known, in malabar or decan spreads her arms branching so broad and long, that in the ground the bended twigs take root, and daughters grow about the mother tree, a pillared shade high over-arched, and echoing walks between: there oft the indian herdsman, shunning heat, shelters in cool, and tends his pasturing herds at loop-holes cut through thickest shade: those leaves they gathered, broad as amazonian targe; and, with what skill they had, together sewed, to gird their waist; vain covering, if to hide their guilt and dreaded shame! o, how unlike to that first naked glory! such of late columbus found the american, so girt with feathered cincture; naked else, and wild among the trees on isles and woody shores. thus fenced, and, as they thought, their shame in part covered, but not at rest or ease of mind, they sat them down to weep; nor only tears rained at their eyes, but high winds worse within began to rise, high passions, anger, hate, mistrust, suspicion, discord; and shook sore their inward state of mind, calm region once and full of peace, now tost and turbulent: for understanding ruled not, and the will heard not her lore; both in subjection now to sensual appetite, who from beneath usurping over sovran reason claimed superiour sway: from thus distempered breast, adam, estranged in look and altered style, speech intermitted thus to eve renewed. would thou hadst hearkened to my words, and staid with me, as i besought thee, when that strange desire of wandering, this unhappy morn, i know not whence possessed thee; we had then remained still happy; not, as now, despoiled of all our good; shamed, naked, miserable! let none henceforth seek needless cause to approve the faith they owe; when earnestly they seek such proof, conclude, they then begin to fail. to whom, soon moved with touch of blame, thus eve. what words have passed thy lips, adam severe! imputest thou that to my default, or will of wandering, as thou callest it, which who knows but might as ill have happened thou being by, or to thyself perhaps? hadst thou been there, or here the attempt, thou couldst not have discerned fraud in the serpent, speaking as he spake; no ground of enmity between us known, why he should mean me ill, or seek to harm. was i to have never parted from thy side? as good have grown there still a lifeless rib. being as i am, why didst not thou, the head, command me absolutely not to go, going into such danger, as thou saidst? too facile then, thou didst not much gainsay; nay, didst permit, approve, and fair dismiss. hadst thou been firm and fixed in thy dissent, neither had i transgressed, nor thou with me. to whom, then first incensed, adam replied. is this the love, is this the recompence of mine to thee, ingrateful eve! expressed immutable, when thou wert lost, not i; who might have lived, and joyed immortal bliss, yet willingly chose rather death with thee? and am i now upbraided as the cause of thy transgressing? not enough severe, it seems, in thy restraint: what could i more i warned thee, i admonished thee, foretold the danger, and the lurking enemy that lay in wait; beyond this, had been force; and force upon free will hath here no place. but confidence then bore thee on; secure either to meet no danger, or to find matter of glorious trial; and perhaps i also erred, in overmuch admiring what seemed in thee so perfect, that i thought no evil durst attempt thee; but i rue the errour now, which is become my crime, and thou the accuser. thus it shall befall him, who, to worth in women overtrusting, lets her will rule: restraint she will not brook; and, left to herself, if evil thence ensue, she first his weak indulgence will accuse. thus they in mutual accusation spent the fruitless hours, but neither self-condemning; and of their vain contest appeared no end. book x mean while the heinous and despiteful act of satan, done in paradise; and how he, in the serpent, had perverted eve, her husband she, to taste the fatal fruit, was known in heaven; for what can 'scape the eye of god all-seeing, or deceive his heart omniscient? who, in all things wise and just, hindered not satan to attempt the mind of man, with strength entire and free will armed, complete to have discovered and repulsed whatever wiles of foe or seeming friend. for still they knew, and ought to have still remembered, the high injunction, not to taste that fruit, whoever tempted; which they not obeying, (incurred what could they less?) the penalty; and, manifold in sin, deserved to fall. up into heaven from paradise in haste the angelick guards ascended, mute, and sad, for man; for of his state by this they knew, much wondering how the subtle fiend had stolen entrance unseen. soon as the unwelcome news from earth arrived at heaven-gate, displeased all were who heard; dim sadness did not spare that time celestial visages, yet, mixed with pity, violated not their bliss. about the new-arrived, in multitudes the ethereal people ran, to hear and know how all befel: they towards the throne supreme, accountable, made haste, to make appear, with righteous plea, their utmost vigilance and easily approved; when the most high eternal father, from his secret cloud, amidst in thunder uttered thus his voice. assembled angels, and ye powers returned from unsuccessful charge; be not dismayed, nor troubled at these tidings from the earth, which your sincerest care could not prevent; foretold so lately what would come to pass, when first this tempter crossed the gulf from hell. i told ye then he should prevail, and speed on his bad errand; man should be seduced, and flattered out of all, believing lies against his maker; no decree of mine concurring to necessitate his fall, or touch with lightest moment of impulse his free will, to her own inclining left in even scale. but fallen he is; and now what rests, but that the mortal sentence pass on his transgression,--death denounced that day? which he presumes already vain and void, because not yet inflicted, as he feared, by some immediate stroke; but soon shall find forbearance no acquittance, ere day end. justice shall not return as bounty scorned. but whom send i to judge them? whom but thee, vicegerent son? to thee i have transferred all judgement, whether in heaven, or earth, or hell. easy it may be seen that i intend mercy colleague with justice, sending thee man's friend, his mediator, his designed both ransom and redeemer voluntary, and destined man himself to judge man fallen. so spake the father; and, unfolding bright toward the right hand his glory, on the son blazed forth unclouded deity: he full resplendent all his father manifest expressed, and thus divinely answered mild. father eternal, thine is to decree; mine, both in heaven and earth, to do thy will supreme; that thou in me, thy son beloved, mayest ever rest well pleased. i go to judge on earth these thy transgressours; but thou knowest, whoever judged, the worst on me must light, when time shall be; for so i undertook before thee; and, not repenting, this obtain of right, that i may mitigate their doom on me derived; yet i shall temper so justice with mercy, as may illustrate most them fully satisfied, and thee appease. attendance none shall need, nor train, where none are to behold the judgement, but the judged, those two; the third best absent is condemned, convict by flight, and rebel to all law: conviction to the serpent none belongs. thus saying, from his radiant seat he rose of high collateral glory: him thrones, and powers, princedoms, and dominations ministrant, accompanied to heaven-gate; from whence eden, and all the coast, in prospect lay. down he descended straight; the speed of gods time counts not, though with swiftest minutes winged. now was the sun in western cadence low from noon, and gentle airs, due at their hour, to fan the earth now waked, and usher in the evening cool; when he, from wrath more cool, came the mild judge, and intercessour both, to sentence man: the voice of god they heard now walking in the garden, by soft winds brought to their ears, while day declined; they heard, and from his presence hid themselves among the thickest trees, both man and wife; till god, approaching, thus to adam called aloud. where art thou, adam, wont with joy to meet my coming seen far off? i miss thee here, not pleased, thus entertained with solitude, where obvious duty ere while appeared unsought: or come i less conspicuous, or what change absents thee, or what chance detains?--come forth! he came; and with him eve, more loth, though first to offend; discountenanced both, and discomposed; love was not in their looks, either to god, or to each other; but apparent guilt, and shame, and perturbation, and despair, anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guile. whence adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. i heard thee in the garden, and of thy voice afraid, being naked, hid myself. to whom the gracious judge without revile replied. my voice thou oft hast heard, and hast not feared, but still rejoiced; how is it now become so dreadful to thee? that thou art naked, who hath told thee? hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof i gave thee charge thou shouldst not eat? to whom thus adam sore beset replied. o heaven! in evil strait this day i stand before my judge; either to undergo myself the total crime, or to accuse my other self, the partner of my life; whose failing, while her faith to me remains, i should conceal, and not expose to blame by my complaint: but strict necessity subdues me, and calamitous constraint; lest on my head both sin and punishment, however insupportable, be all devolved; though should i hold my peace, yet thou wouldst easily detect what i conceal.-this woman, whom thou madest to be my help, and gavest me as thy perfect gift, so good, so fit, so acceptable, so divine, that from her hand i could suspect no ill, and what she did, whatever in itself, her doing seemed to justify the deed; she gave me of the tree, and i did eat. to whom the sovran presence thus replied. was she thy god, that her thou didst obey before his voice? or was she made thy guide, superiour, or but equal, that to her thou didst resign thy manhood, and the place wherein god set thee above her made of thee, and for thee, whose perfection far excelled hers in all real dignity? adorned she was indeed, and lovely, to attract thy love, not thy subjection; and her gifts were such, as under government well seemed; unseemly to bear rule; which was thy part and person, hadst thou known thyself aright. so having said, he thus to eve in few. say, woman, what is this which thou hast done? to whom sad eve, with shame nigh overwhelmed, confessing soon, yet not before her judge bold or loquacious, thus abashed replied. the serpent me beguiled, and i did eat. which when the lord god heard, without delay to judgement he proceeded on the accused serpent, though brute; unable to transfer the guilt on him, who made him instrument of mischief, and polluted from the end of his creation; justly then accursed, as vitiated in nature: more to know concerned not man, (since he no further knew) nor altered his offence; yet god at last to satan first in sin his doom applied, though in mysterious terms, judged as then best: and on the serpent thus his curse let fall. because thou hast done this, thou art accursed above all cattle, each beast of the field; upon thy belly groveling thou shalt go, and dust shalt eat all the days of thy life. between thee and the woman i will put enmity, and between thine and her seed; her seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel. so spake this oracle, then verified when jesus, son of mary, second eve, saw satan fall, like lightning, down from heaven, prince of the air; then, rising from his grave spoiled principalities and powers, triumphed in open show; and, with ascension bright, captivity led captive through the air, the realm itself of satan, long usurped; whom he shall tread at last under our feet; even he, who now foretold his fatal bruise; and to the woman thus his sentence turned. thy sorrow i will greatly multiply by thy conception; children thou shalt bring in sorrow forth; and to thy husband's will thine shall submit; he over thee shall rule. on adam last thus judgement he pronounced. because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and eaten of the tree, concerning which i charged thee, saying, thou shalt not eat thereof: cursed is the ground for thy sake; thou in sorrow shalt eat thereof, all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles it shall bring thee forth unbid; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for thou out of the ground wast taken, know thy birth, for dust thou art, and shalt to dust return. so judged he man, both judge and saviour sent; and the instant stroke of death, denounced that day, removed far off; then, pitying how they stood before him naked to the air, that now must suffer change, disdained not to begin thenceforth the form of servant to assume; as when he washed his servants feet; so now, as father of his family, he clad their nakedness with skins of beasts, or slain, or as the snake with youthful coat repaid; and thought not much to clothe his enemies; nor he their outward only with the skins of beasts, but inward nakedness, much more. opprobrious, with his robe of righteousness, arraying, covered from his father's sight. to him with swift ascent he up returned, into his blissful bosom reassumed in glory, as of old; to him appeased all, though all-knowing, what had passed with man recounted, mixing intercession sweet. mean while, ere thus was sinned and judged on earth, within the gates of hell sat sin and death, in counterview within the gates, that now stood open wide, belching outrageous flame far into chaos, since the fiend passed through, sin opening; who thus now to death began. o son, why sit we here each other viewing idly, while satan, our great author, thrives in other worlds, and happier seat provides for us, his offspring dear? it cannot be but that success attends him; if mishap, ere this he had returned, with fury driven by his avengers; since no place like this can fit his punishment, or their revenge. methinks i feel new strength within me rise, wings growing, and dominion given me large beyond this deep; whatever draws me on, or sympathy, or some connatural force, powerful at greatest distance to unite, with secret amity, things of like kind, by secretest conveyance. thou, my shade inseparable, must with me along; for death from sin no power can separate. but, lest the difficulty of passing back stay his return perhaps over this gulf impassable, impervious; let us try adventurous work, yet to thy power and mine not unagreeable, to found a path over this main from hell to that new world, where satan now prevails; a monument of merit high to all the infernal host, easing their passage hence, for intercourse, or transmigration, as their lot shall lead. nor can i miss the way, so strongly drawn by this new-felt attraction and instinct. whom thus the meager shadow answered soon. go, whither fate, and inclination strong, leads thee; i shall not lag behind, nor err the way, thou leading; such a scent i draw of carnage, prey innumerable, and taste the savour of death from all things there that live: nor shall i to the work thou enterprisest be wanting, but afford thee equal aid. so saying, with delight he snuffed the smell of mortal change on earth. as when a flock of ravenous fowl, though many a league remote, against the day of battle, to a field, where armies lie encamped, come flying, lured with scent of living carcasses designed for death, the following day, in bloody fight: so scented the grim feature, and upturned his nostril wide into the murky air; sagacious of his quarry from so far. then both from out hell-gates, into the waste wide anarchy of chaos, damp and dark, flew diverse; and with power (their power was great) hovering upon the waters, what they met solid or slimy, as in raging sea tost up and down, together crouded drove, from each side shoaling towards the mouth of hell; as when two polar winds, blowing adverse upon the cronian sea, together drive mountains of ice, that stop the imagined way beyond petsora eastward, to the rich cathaian coast. the aggregated soil death with his mace petrifick, cold and dry, as with a trident, smote; and fixed as firm as delos, floating once; the rest his look bound with gorgonian rigour not to move; and with asphaltick slime, broad as the gate, deep to the roots of hell the gathered beach they fastened, and the mole immense wrought on over the foaming deep high-arched, a bridge of length prodigious, joining to the wall immoveable of this now fenceless world, forfeit to death; from hence a passage broad, smooth, easy, inoffensive, down to hell. so, if great things to small may be compared, xerxes, the liberty of greece to yoke, from susa, his memnonian palace high, came to the sea: and, over hellespont bridging his way, europe with asia joined, and scourged with many a stroke the indignant waves. now had they brought the work by wonderous art pontifical, a ridge of pendant rock, over the vexed abyss, following the track of satan to the self-same place where he first lighted from his wing, and landed safe from out of chaos, to the outside bare of this round world: with pins of adamant and chains they made all fast, too fast they made and durable! and now in little space the confines met of empyrean heaven, and of this world; and, on the left hand, hell with long reach interposed; three several ways in sight, to each of these three places led. and now their way to earth they had descried, to paradise first tending; when, behold! satan, in likeness of an angel bright, betwixt the centaur and the scorpion steering his zenith, while the sun in aries rose: disguised he came; but those his children dear their parent soon discerned, though in disguise. he, after eve seduced, unminded slunk into the wood fast by; and, changing shape, to observe the sequel, saw his guileful act by eve, though all unweeting, seconded upon her husband; saw their shame that sought vain covertures; but when he saw descend the son of god to judge them, terrified he fled; not hoping to escape, but shun the present; fearing, guilty, what his wrath might suddenly inflict; that past, returned by night, and listening where the hapless pair sat in their sad discourse, and various plaint, thence gathered his own doom; which understood not instant, but of future time, with joy and tidings fraught, to hell he now returned; and at the brink of chaos, near the foot of this new wonderous pontifice, unhoped met, who to meet him came, his offspring dear. great joy was at their meeting, and at sight of that stupendous bridge his joy encreased. long he admiring stood, till sin, his fair enchanting daughter, thus the silence broke. o parent, these are thy magnifick deeds, thy trophies! which thou viewest as not thine own; thou art their author, and prime architect: for i no sooner in my heart divined, my heart, which by a secret harmony still moves with thine, joined in connexion sweet, that thou on earth hadst prospered, which thy looks now also evidence, but straight i felt, though distant from thee worlds between, yet felt, that i must after thee, with this thy son; such fatal consequence unites us three! hell could no longer hold us in our bounds, nor this unvoyageable gulf obscure detain from following thy illustrious track. thou hast achieved our liberty, confined within hell-gates till now; thou us impowered to fortify thus far, and overlay, with this portentous bridge, the dark abyss. thine now is all this world; thy virtue hath won what thy hands builded not; thy wisdom gained with odds what war hath lost, and fully avenged our foil in heaven; here thou shalt monarch reign, there didst not; there let him still victor sway, as battle hath adjudged; from this new world retiring, by his own doom alienated; and henceforth monarchy with thee divide of all things, parted by the empyreal bounds, his quadrature, from thy orbicular world; or try thee now more dangerous to his throne. whom thus the prince of darkness answered glad. fair daughter, and thou son and grandchild both; high proof ye now have given to be the race of satan (for i glory in the name, antagonist of heaven's almighty king,) amply have merited of me, of all the infernal empire, that so near heaven's door triumphal with triumphal act have met, mine, with this glorious work; and made one realm, hell and this world, one realm, one continent of easy thorough-fare. therefore, while i descend through darkness, on your road with ease, to my associate powers, them to acquaint with these successes, and with them rejoice; you two this way, among these numerous orbs, all yours, right down to paradise descend; there dwell, and reign in bliss; thence on the earth dominion exercise and in the air, chiefly on man, sole lord of all declared; him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill. my substitutes i send ye, and create plenipotent on earth, of matchless might issuing from me: on your joint vigour now my hold of this new kingdom all depends, through sin to death exposed by my exploit. if your joint power prevail, the affairs of hell no detriment need fear; go, and be strong! so saying he dismissed them; they with speed their course through thickest constellations held, spreading their bane; the blasted stars looked wan, and planets, planet-struck, real eclipse then suffered. the other way satan went down the causey to hell-gate: on either side disparted chaos overbuilt exclaimed, and with rebounding surge the bars assailed, that scorned his indignation: through the gate, wide open and unguarded, satan passed, and all about found desolate; for those, appointed to sit there, had left their charge, flown to the upper world; the rest were all far to the inland retired, about the walls of pandemonium; city and proud seat of lucifer, so by allusion called of that bright star to satan paragoned; there kept their watch the legions, while the grand in council sat, solicitous what chance might intercept their emperour sent; so he departing gave command, and they observed. as when the tartar from his russian foe, by astracan, over the snowy plains, retires; or bactrin sophi, from the horns of turkish crescent, leaves all waste beyond the realm of aladule, in his retreat to tauris or casbeen: so these, the late heaven-banished host, left desart utmost hell many a dark league, reduced in careful watch round their metropolis; and now expecting each hour their great adventurer, from the search of foreign worlds: he through the midst unmarked, in show plebeian angel militant of lowest order, passed; and from the door of that plutonian hall, invisible ascended his high throne; which, under state of richest texture spread, at the upper end was placed in regal lustre. down a while he sat, and round about him saw unseen: at last, as from a cloud, his fulgent head and shape star-bright appeared, or brighter; clad with what permissive glory since his fall was left him, or false glitter: all amazed at that so sudden blaze the stygian throng bent their aspect, and whom they wished beheld, their mighty chief returned: loud was the acclaim: forth rushed in haste the great consulting peers, raised from their dark divan, and with like joy congratulant approached him; who with hand silence, and with these words attention, won. thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers; for in possession such, not only of right, i call ye, and declare ye now; returned successful beyond hope, to lead ye forth triumphant out of this infernal pit abominable, accursed, the house of woe, and dungeon of our tyrant: now possess, as lords, a spacious world, to our native heaven little inferiour, by my adventure hard with peril great achieved. long were to tell what i have done; what suffered; with what pain voyaged th' unreal, vast, unbounded deep of horrible confusion; over which by sin and death a broad way now is paved, to expedite your glorious march; but i toiled out my uncouth passage, forced to ride the untractable abyss, plunged in the womb of unoriginal night and chaos wild; that, jealous of their secrets, fiercely opposed my journey strange, with clamorous uproar protesting fate supreme; thence how i found the new created world, which fame in heaven long had foretold, a fabrick wonderful of absolute perfection! therein man placed in a paradise, by our exile made happy: him by fraud i have seduced from his creator; and, the more to encrease your wonder, with an apple; he, thereat offended, worth your laughter! hath given up both his beloved man, and all his world, to sin and death a prey, and so to us, without our hazard, labour, or alarm; to range in, and to dwell, and over man to rule, as over all he should have ruled. true is, me also he hath judged, or rather me not, but the brute serpent in whose shape man i deceived: that which to me belongs, is enmity which he will put between me and mankind; i am to bruise his heel; his seed, when is not set, shall bruise my head: a world who would not purchase with a bruise, or much more grievous pain?--ye have the account of my performance: what remains, ye gods, but up, and enter now into full bliss? so having said, a while he stood, expecting their universal shout, and high applause, to fill his ear; when, contrary, he hears on all sides, from innumerable tongues, a dismal universal hiss, the sound of publick scorn; he wondered, but not long had leisure, wondering at himself now more, his visage drawn he felt to sharp and spare; his arms clung to his ribs; his legs entwining each other, till supplanted down he fell a monstrous serpent on his belly prone, reluctant, but in vain; a greater power now ruled him, punished in the shape he sinned, according to his doom: he would have spoke, but hiss for hiss returned with forked tongue to forked tongue; for now were all transformed alike, to serpents all, as accessories to his bold riot: dreadful was the din of hissing through the hall, thick swarming now with complicated monsters head and tail, scorpion, and asp, and amphisbaena dire, cerastes horned, hydrus, and elops drear, and dipsas; (not so thick swarmed once the soil bedropt with blood of gorgon, or the isle ophiusa,) but still greatest he the midst, now dragon grown, larger than whom the sun ingendered in the pythian vale or slime, huge python, and his power no less he seemed above the rest still to retain; they all him followed, issuing forth to the open field, where all yet left of that revolted rout, heaven-fallen, in station stood or just array; sublime with expectation when to see in triumph issuing forth their glorious chief; they saw, but other sight instead! a croud of ugly serpents; horrour on them fell, and horrid sympathy; for, what they saw, they felt themselves, now changing; down their arms, down fell both spear and shield; down they as fast; and the dire hiss renewed, and the dire form catched, by contagion; like in punishment, as in their crime. thus was the applause they meant, turned to exploding hiss, triumph to shame cast on themselves from their own mouths. there stood a grove hard by, sprung up with this their change, his will who reigns above, to aggravate their penance, laden with fair fruit, like that which grew in paradise, the bait of eve used by the tempter: on that prospect strange their earnest eyes they fixed, imagining for one forbidden tree a multitude now risen, to work them further woe or shame; yet, parched with scalding thirst and hunger fierce, though to delude them sent, could not abstain; but on they rolled in heaps, and, up the trees climbing, sat thicker than the snaky locks that curled megaera: greedily they plucked the fruitage fair to sight, like that which grew near that bituminous lake where sodom flamed; this more delusive, not the touch, but taste deceived; they, fondly thinking to allay their appetite with gust, instead of fruit chewed bitter ashes, which the offended taste with spattering noise rejected: oft they assayed, hunger and thirst constraining; drugged as oft, with hatefullest disrelish writhed their jaws, with soot and cinders filled; so oft they fell into the same illusion, not as man whom they triumphed once lapsed. thus were they plagued and worn with famine, long and ceaseless hiss, till their lost shape, permitted, they resumed; yearly enjoined, some say, to undergo, this annual humbling certain numbered days, to dash their pride, and joy, for man seduced. however, some tradition they dispersed among the heathen, of their purchase got, and fabled how the serpent, whom they called ophion, with eurynome, the wide-encroaching eve perhaps, had first the rule of high olympus; thence by saturn driven and ops, ere yet dictaean jove was born. mean while in paradise the hellish pair too soon arrived; sin, there in power before, once actual; now in body, and to dwell habitual habitant; behind her death, close following pace for pace, not mounted yet on his pale horse: to whom sin thus began. second of satan sprung, all-conquering death! what thinkest thou of our empire now, though earned with travel difficult, not better far than still at hell's dark threshold to have sat watch, unnamed, undreaded, and thyself half starved? whom thus the sin-born monster answered soon. to me, who with eternal famine pine, alike is hell, or paradise, or heaven; there best, where most with ravine i may meet; which here, though plenteous, all too little seems to stuff this maw, this vast unhide-bound corps. to whom the incestuous mother thus replied. thou therefore on these herbs, and fruits, and flowers, feed first; on each beast next, and fish, and fowl; no homely morsels! and, whatever thing the sithe of time mows down, devour unspared; till i, in man residing, through the race, his thoughts, his looks, words, actions, all infect; and season him thy last and sweetest prey. this said, they both betook them several ways, both to destroy, or unimmortal make all kinds, and for destruction to mature sooner or later; which the almighty seeing, from his transcendent seat the saints among, to those bright orders uttered thus his voice. see, with what heat these dogs of hell advance to waste and havock yonder world, which i so fair and good created; and had still kept in that state, had not the folly of man let in these wasteful furies, who impute folly to me; so doth the prince of hell and his adherents, that with so much ease i suffer them to enter and possess a place so heavenly; and, conniving, seem to gratify my scornful enemies, that laugh, as if, transported with some fit of passion, i to them had quitted all, at random yielded up to their misrule; and know not that i called, and drew them thither, my hell-hounds, to lick up the draff and filth which man's polluting sin with taint hath shed on what was pure; til, crammed and gorged, nigh burst with sucked and glutted offal, at one sling of thy victorious arm, well-pleasing son, both sin, and death, and yawning grave, at last, through chaos hurled, obstruct the mouth of hell for ever, and seal up his ravenous jaws. then heaven and earth renewed shall be made pure to sanctity, that shall receive no stain: till then, the curse pronounced on both precedes. he ended, and the heavenly audience loud sung halleluiah, as the sound of seas, through multitude that sung: just are thy ways, righteous are thy decrees on all thy works; who can extenuate thee? next, to the son, destined restorer of mankind, by whom new heaven and earth shall to the ages rise, or down from heaven descend.--such was their song; while the creator, calling forth by name his mighty angels, gave them several charge, as sorted best with present things. the sun had first his precept so to move, so shine, as might affect the earth with cold and heat scarce tolerable; and from the north to call decrepit winter; from the south to bring solstitial summer's heat. to the blanc moon her office they prescribed; to the other five their planetary motions, and aspects, in sextile, square, and trine, and opposite, of noxious efficacy, and when to join in synod unbenign; and taught the fixed their influence malignant when to shower, which of them rising with the sun, or falling, should prove tempestuous: to the winds they set their corners, when with bluster to confound sea, air, and shore; the thunder when to roll with terrour through the dark aereal hall. some say, he bid his angels turn ascanse the poles of earth, twice ten degrees and more, from the sun's axle; they with labour pushed oblique the centrick globe: some say, the sun was bid turn reins from the equinoctial road like distant breadth to taurus with the seven atlantick sisters, and the spartan twins, up to the tropick crab: thence down amain by leo, and the virgin, and the scales, as deep as capricorn; to bring in change of seasons to each clime; else had the spring perpetual smiled on earth with vernant flowers, equal in days and nights, except to those beyond the polar circles; to them day had unbenighted shone, while the low sun, to recompense his distance, in their sight had rounded still the horizon, and not known or east or west; which had forbid the snow from cold estotiland, and south as far beneath magellan. at that tasted fruit the sun, as from thyestean banquet, turned his course intended; else, how had the world inhabited, though sinless, more than now, avoided pinching cold and scorching heat? these changes in the heavens, though slow, produced like change on sea and land; sideral blast, vapour, and mist, and exhalation hot, corrupt and pestilent: now from the north of norumbega, and the samoed shore, bursting their brazen dungeon, armed with ice, and snow, and hail, and stormy gust and flaw, boreas, and caecias, and argestes loud, and thrascias, rend the woods, and seas upturn; with adverse blast upturns them from the south notus, and afer black with thunderous clouds from serraliona; thwart of these, as fierce, forth rush the levant and the ponent winds, eurus and zephyr, with their lateral noise, sirocco and libecchio. thus began outrage from lifeless things; but discord first, daughter of sin, among the irrational death introduced, through fierce antipathy: beast now with beast 'gan war, and fowl with fowl, and fish with fish; to graze the herb all leaving, devoured each other; nor stood much in awe of man, but fled him; or, with countenance grim, glared on him passing. these were from without the growing miseries, which adam saw already in part, though hid in gloomiest shade, to sorrow abandoned, but worse felt within; and, in a troubled sea of passion tost, thus to disburden sought with sad complaint. o miserable of happy! is this the end of this new glorious world, and me so late the glory of that glory, who now become accursed, of blessed? hide me from the face of god, whom to behold was then my highth of happiness!--yet well, if here would end the misery; i deserved it, and would bear my own deservings; but this will not serve: all that i eat or drink, or shall beget, is propagated curse. o voice, once heard delightfully, encrease and multiply; now death to hear! for what can i encrease, or multiply, but curses on my head? who of all ages to succeed, but, feeling the evil on him brought by me, will curse my head? ill fare our ancestor impure, for this we may thank adam! but his thanks shall be the execration: so, besides mine own that bide upon me, all from me shall with a fierce reflux on me rebound; on me, as on their natural center, light heavy, though in their place. o fleeting joys of paradise, dear bought with lasting woes! did i request thee, maker, from my clay to mould me man? did i solicit thee from darkness to promote me, or here place in this delicious garden? as my will concurred not to my being, it were but right and equal to reduce me to my dust; desirous to resign and render back all i received; unable to perform thy terms too hard, by which i was to hold the good i sought not. to the loss of that, sufficient penalty, why hast thou added the sense of endless woes? inexplicable thy justice seems; yet to say truth, too late i thus contest; then should have been refused those terms whatever, when they were proposed: thou didst accept them; wilt thou enjoy the good, then cavil the conditions? and, though god made thee without thy leave, what if thy son prove disobedient, and reproved, retort, "wherefore didst thou beget me? i sought it not!" wouldst thou admit for his contempt of thee that proud excuse? yet him not thy election, but natural necessity begot. god made thee of choice his own, and of his own to serve him; thy reward was of his grace; thy punishment then, justly is at his will. be it so, for i submit; his doom is fair, that dust i am, and shall to dust return. o welcome hour whenever! why delays his hand to execute what his decree fixed on this day? why do i overlive, why am i mocked with death, and lengthened out to deathless pain? how gladly would i meet mortality my sentence, and be earth insensible! how glad would lay me down as in my mother's lap! there i should rest, and sleep secure; his dreadful voice no more would thunder in my ears; no fear of worse to me, and to my offspring, would torment me with cruel expectation. yet one doubt pursues me still, lest all i cannot die; lest that pure breath of life, the spirit of man which god inspired, cannot together perish with this corporeal clod; then, in the grave, or in some other dismal place, who knows but i shall die a living death? o thought horrid, if true! yet why? it was but breath of life that sinned; what dies but what had life and sin? the body properly had neither, all of me then shall die: let this appease the doubt, since human reach no further knows. for though the lord of all be infinite, is his wrath also? be it, man is not so, but mortal doomed. how can he exercise wrath without end on man, whom death must end? can he make deathless death? that were to make strange contradiction, which to god himself impossible is held; as argument of weakness, not of power. will he draw out, for anger's sake, finite to infinite, in punished man, to satisfy his rigour, satisfied never? that were to extend his sentence beyond dust and nature's law; by which all causes else, according still to the reception of their matter, act; not to the extent of their own sphere. but say that death be not one stroke, as i supposed, bereaving sense, but endless misery from this day onward; which i feel begun both in me, and without me; and so last to perpetuity;--ay me! that fear comes thundering back with dreadful revolution on my defenceless head; both death and i am found eternal, and incorporate both; nor i on my part single; in me all posterity stands cursed: fair patrimony that i must leave ye, sons! o, were i able to waste it all myself, and leave ye none! so disinherited, how would you bless me, now your curse! ah, why should all mankind, for one man's fault, thus guiltless be condemned, it guiltless? but from me what can proceed, but all corrupt; both mind and will depraved not to do only, but to will the same with me? how can they then acquitted stand in sight of god? him, after all disputes, forced i absolve: all my evasions vain, and reasonings, though through mazes, lead me still but to my own conviction: first and last on me, me only, as the source and spring of all corruption, all the blame lights due; so might the wrath! fond wish! couldst thou support that burden, heavier than the earth to bear; than all the world much heavier, though divided with that bad woman? thus, what thou desirest, and what thou fearest, alike destroys all hope of refuge, and concludes thee miserable beyond all past example and future; to satan only like both crime and doom. o conscience! into what abyss of fears and horrours hast thou driven me; out of which i find no way, from deep to deeper plunged! thus adam to himself lamented loud, through the still night; not now, as ere man fell, wholesome, and cool, and mild, but with black air accompanied; with damps, and dreadful gloom; which to his evil conscience represented all things with double terrour: on the ground outstretched he lay, on the cold ground; and oft cursed his creation; death as oft accused of tardy execution, since denounced the day of his offence. why comes not death, said he, with one thrice-acceptable stroke to end me? shall truth fail to keep her word, justice divine not hasten to be just? but death comes not at call; justice divine mends not her slowest pace for prayers or cries, o woods, o fountains, hillocks, dales, and bowers! with other echo late i taught your shades to answer, and resound far other song.-whom thus afflicted when sad eve beheld, desolate where she sat, approaching nigh, soft words to his fierce passion she assayed: but her with stern regard he thus repelled. out of my sight, thou serpent! that name best befits thee with him leagued, thyself as false and hateful; nothing wants, but that thy shape, like his, and colour serpentine, may show thy inward fraud; to warn all creatures from thee henceforth; lest that too heavenly form, pretended to hellish falshood, snare them! but for thee i had persisted happy; had not thy pride and wandering vanity, when least was safe, rejected my forewarning, and disdained not to be trusted; longing to be seen, though by the devil himself; him overweening to over-reach; but, with the serpent meeting, fooled and beguiled; by him thou, i by thee to trust thee from my side; imagined wise, constant, mature, proof against all assaults; and understood not all was but a show, rather than solid virtue; all but a rib crooked by nature, bent, as now appears, more to the part sinister, from me drawn; well if thrown out, as supernumerary to my just number found. o! why did god, creator wise, that peopled highest heaven with spirits masculine, create at last this novelty on earth, this fair defect of nature, and not fill the world at once with men, as angels, without feminine; or find some other way to generate mankind? this mischief had not been befallen, and more that shall befall; innumerable disturbances on earth through female snares, and strait conjunction with this sex: for either he never shall find out fit mate, but such as some misfortune brings him, or mistake; or whom he wishes most shall seldom gain through her perverseness, but shall see her gained by a far worse; or, if she love, withheld by parents; or his happiest choice too late shall meet, already linked and wedlock-bound to a fell adversary, his hate or shame: which infinite calamity shall cause to human life, and houshold peace confound. he added not, and from her turned; but eve, not so repulsed, with tears that ceased not flowing and tresses all disordered, at his feet fell humble; and, embracing them, besought his peace, and thus proceeded in her plaint. forsake me not thus, adam! witness heaven what love sincere, and reverence in my heart i bear thee, and unweeting have offended, unhappily deceived! thy suppliant i beg, and clasp thy knees; bereave me not, whereon i live, thy gentle looks, thy aid, thy counsel, in this uttermost distress, my only strength and stay: forlorn of thee, whither shall i betake me, where subsist? while yet we live, scarce one short hour perhaps, between us two let there be peace; both joining, as joined in injuries, one enmity against a foe by doom express assigned us, that cruel serpent: on me exercise not thy hatred for this misery befallen; on me already lost, me than thyself more miserable! both have sinned; but thou against god only; i against god and thee; and to the place of judgement will return, there with my cries importune heaven; that all the sentence, from thy head removed, may light on me, sole cause to thee of all this woe; me, me only, just object of his ire! she ended weeping; and her lowly plight, immoveable, till peace obtained from fault acknowledged and deplored, in adam wrought commiseration: soon his heart relented towards her, his life so late, and sole delight, now at his feet submissive in distress; creature so fair his reconcilement seeking, his counsel, whom she had displeased, his aid: as one disarmed, his anger all he lost, and thus with peaceful words upraised her soon. unwary, and too desirous, as before, so now of what thou knowest not, who desirest the punishment all on thyself; alas! bear thine own first, ill able to sustain his full wrath, whose thou feelest as yet least part, and my displeasure bearest so ill. if prayers could alter high decrees, i to that place would speed before thee, and be louder heard, that on my head all might be visited; thy frailty and infirmer sex forgiven, to me committed, and by me exposed. but rise;--let us no more contend, nor blame each other, blamed enough elsewhere; but strive in offices of love, how we may lighten each other's burden, in our share of woe; since this day's death denounced, if aught i see, will prove no sudden, but a slow-paced evil; a long day's dying, to augment our pain; and to our seed (o hapless seed!) derived. to whom thus eve, recovering heart, replied. adam, by sad experiment i know how little weight my words with thee can find, found so erroneous; thence by just event found so unfortunate: nevertheless, restored by thee, vile as i am, to place of new acceptance, hopeful to regain thy love, the sole contentment of my heart living or dying, from thee i will not hide what thoughts in my unquiet breast are risen, tending to some relief of our extremes, or end; though sharp and sad, yet tolerable, as in our evils, and of easier choice. if care of our descent perplex us most, which must be born to certain woe, devoured by death at last; and miserable it is to be to others cause of misery, our own begotten, and of our loins to bring into this cursed world a woeful race, that after wretched life must be at last food for so foul a monster; in thy power it lies, yet ere conception to prevent the race unblest, to being yet unbegot. childless thou art, childless remain: so death shall be deceived his glut, and with us two be forced to satisfy his ravenous maw. but if thou judge it hard and difficult, conversing, looking, loving, to abstain from love's due rights, nuptial embraces sweet; and with desire to languish without hope, before the present object languishing with like desire; which would be misery and torment less than none of what we dread; then, both ourselves and seed at once to free from what we fear for both, let us make short,-let us seek death;--or, he not found, supply with our own hands his office on ourselves: why stand we longer shivering under fears, that show no end but death, and have the power, of many ways to die the shortest choosing, destruction with destruction to destroy?-she ended here, or vehement despair broke off the rest: so much of death her thoughts had entertained, as dyed her cheeks with pale. but adam, with such counsel nothing swayed, to better hopes his more attentive mind labouring had raised; and thus to eve replied. eve, thy contempt of life and pleasure seems to argue in thee something more sublime and excellent, than what thy mind contemns; but self-destruction therefore sought, refutes that excellence thought in thee; and implies, not thy contempt, but anguish and regret for loss of life and pleasure overloved. or if thou covet death, as utmost end of misery, so thinking to evade the penalty pronounced; doubt not but god hath wiselier armed his vengeful ire, than so to be forestalled; much more i fear lest death, so snatched, will not exempt us from the pain we are by doom to pay; rather, such acts of contumacy will provoke the highest to make death in us live: then let us seek some safer resolution, which methinks i have in view, calling to mind with heed part of our sentence, that thy seed shall bruise the serpent's head; piteous amends! unless be meant, whom i conjecture, our grand foe, satan; who, in the serpent, hath contrived against us this deceit: to crush his head would be revenge indeed! which will be lost by death brought on ourselves, or childless days resolved, as thou proposest; so our foe shal 'scape his punishment ordained, and we instead shall double ours upon our heads. no more be mentioned then of violence against ourselves; and wilful barrenness, that cuts us off from hope; and savours only rancour and pride, impatience and despite, reluctance against god and his just yoke laid on our necks. remember with what mild and gracious temper he both heard, and judged, without wrath or reviling; we expected immediate dissolution, which we thought was meant by death that day; when lo! to thee pains only in child-bearing were foretold, and bringing forth; soon recompensed with joy, fruit of thy womb: on me the curse aslope glanced on the ground; with labour i must earn my bread; what harm? idleness had been worse; my labour will sustain me; and, lest cold or heat should injure us, his timely care hath, unbesought, provided; and his hands clothed us unworthy, pitying while he judged; how much more, if we pray him, will his ear be open, and his heart to pity incline, and teach us further by what means to shun the inclement seasons, rain, ice, hail, and snow! which now the sky, with various face, begins to show us in this mountain; while the winds blow moist and keen, shattering the graceful locks of these fair spreading trees; which bids us seek some better shroud, some better warmth to cherish our limbs benummed, ere this diurnal star leave cold the night, how we his gathered beams reflected may with matter sere foment; or, by collision of two bodies, grind the air attrite to fire; as late the clouds justling, or pushed with winds, rude in their shock, tine the slant lightning; whose thwart flame, driven down kindles the gummy bark of fir or pine; and sends a comfortable heat from far, which might supply the sun: such fire to use, and what may else be remedy or cure to evils which our own misdeeds have wrought, he will instruct us praying, and of grace beseeching him; so as we need not fear to pass commodiously this life, sustained by him with many comforts, till we end in dust, our final rest and native home. what better can we do, than, to the place repairing where he judged us, prostrate fall before him reverent; and there confess humbly our faults, and pardon beg; with tears watering the ground, and with our sighs the air frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign of sorrow unfeigned, and humiliation meek. undoubtedly he will relent, and turn from his displeasure; in whose look serene, when angry most he seemed and most severe, what else but favour, grace, and mercy, shone? so spake our father penitent; nor eve felt less remorse: they, forthwith to the place repairing where he judged them, prostrate fell before him reverent; and both confessed humbly their faults, and pardon begged; with tears watering the ground, and with their sighs the air frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign of sorrow unfeigned, and humiliation meek. book xi thus they, in lowliest plight, repentant stood praying; for from the mercy-seat above prevenient grace descending had removed the stony from their hearts, and made new flesh regenerate grow instead; that sighs now breathed unutterable; which the spirit of prayer inspired, and winged for heaven with speedier flight than loudest oratory: yet their port not of mean suitors; nor important less seemed their petition, than when the ancient pair in fables old, less ancient yet than these, deucalion and chaste pyrrha, to restore the race of mankind drowned, before the shrine of themis stood devout. to heaven their prayers flew up, nor missed the way, by envious winds blown vagabond or frustrate: in they passed dimensionless through heavenly doors; then clad with incense, where the golden altar fumed, by their great intercessour, came in sight before the father's throne: them the glad son presenting, thus to intercede began. see father, what first-fruits on earth are sprung from thy implanted grace in man; these sighs and prayers, which in this golden censer mixed with incense, i thy priest before thee bring; fruits of more pleasing savour, from thy seed sown with contrition in his heart, than those which, his own hand manuring, all the trees of paradise could have produced, ere fallen from innocence. now therefore, bend thine ear to supplication; hear his sighs, though mute; unskilful with what words to pray, let me interpret for him; me, his advocate and propitiation; all his works on me, good, or not good, ingraft; my merit those shall perfect, and for these my death shall pay. accept me; and, in me, from these receive the smell of peace toward mankind: let him live before thee reconciled, at least his days numbered, though sad; till death, his doom, (which i to mitigate thus plead, not to reverse,) to better life shall yield him: where with me all my redeemed may dwell in joy and bliss; made one with me, as i with thee am one. to whom the father, without cloud, serene. all thy request for man, accepted son, obtain; all thy request was my decree: but, longer in that paradise to dwell, the law i gave to nature him forbids: those pure immortal elements, that know, no gross, no unharmonious mixture foul, eject him, tainted now; and purge him off, as a distemper, gross, to air as gross, and mortal food; as may dispose him best for dissolution wrought by sin, that first distempered all things, and of incorrupt corrupted. i, at first, with two fair gifts created him endowed; with happiness, and immortality: that fondly lost, this other served but to eternize woe; till i provided death: so death becomes his final remedy; and, after life, tried in sharp tribulation, and refined by faith and faithful works, to second life, waked in the renovation of the just, resigns him up with heaven and earth renewed. but let us call to synod all the blest, through heaven's wide bounds: from them i will not hide my judgements; how with mankind i proceed, as how with peccant angels late they saw, and in their state, though firm, stood more confirmed. he ended, and the son gave signal high to the bright minister that watched; he blew his trumpet, heard in oreb since perhaps when god descended, and perhaps once more to sound at general doom. the angelick blast filled all the regions: from their blisful bowers of amarantine shade, fountain or spring, by the waters of life, where'er they sat in fellowships of joy, the sons of light hasted, resorting to the summons high; and took their seats; till from his throne supreme the almighty thus pronounced his sovran will. o sons, like one of us man is become to know both good and evil, since his taste of that defended fruit; but let him boast his knowledge of good lost, and evil got; happier! had it sufficed him to have known good by itself, and evil not at all. he sorrows now, repents, and prays contrite, my motions in him; longer than they move, his heart i know, how variable and vain, self-left. lest therefore his now bolder hand reach also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever, dream at least to live for ever, to remove him i decree, and send him from the garden forth to till the ground whence he was taken, fitter soil. michael, this my behest have thou in charge; take to thee from among the cherubim thy choice of flaming warriours, lest the fiend, or in behalf of man, or to invade vacant possession, some new trouble raise: haste thee, and from the paradise of god without remorse drive out the sinful pair; from hallowed ground the unholy; and denounce to them, and to their progeny, from thence perpetual banishment. yet, lest they faint at the sad sentence rigorously urged, (for i behold them softened, and with tears bewailing their excess,) all terrour hide. if patiently thy bidding they obey, dismiss them not disconsolate; reveal to adam what shall come in future days, as i shall thee enlighten; intermix my covenant in the woman's seed renewed; so send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in peace: and on the east side of the garden place, where entrance up from eden easiest climbs, cherubick watch; and of a sword the flame wide-waving; all approach far off to fright, and guard all passage to the tree of life: lest paradise a receptacle prove to spirits foul, and all my trees their prey; with whose stolen fruit man once more to delude. he ceased; and the arch-angelick power prepared for swift descent; with him the cohort bright of watchful cherubim: four faces each had, like a double janus; all their shape spangled with eyes more numerous than those of argus, and more wakeful than to drouse, charmed with arcadian pipe, the pastoral reed of hermes, or his opiate rod. mean while, to re-salute the world with sacred light, leucothea waked; and with fresh dews imbalmed the earth; when adam and first matron eve had ended now their orisons, and found strength added from above; new hope to spring out of despair; joy, but with fear yet linked; which thus to eve his welcome words renewed. eve, easily my faith admit, that all the good which we enjoy from heaven descends; but, that from us aught should ascend to heaven so prevalent as to concern the mind of god high-blest, or to incline his will, hard to belief may seem; yet this will prayer or one short sigh of human breath, upborne even to the seat of god. for since i sought by prayer the offended deity to appease; kneeled, and before him humbled all my heart; methought i saw him placable and mild, bending his ear; persuasion in me grew that i was heard with favour; peace returned home to my breast, and to my memory his promise, that thy seed shall bruise our foe; which, then not minded in dismay, yet now assures me that the bitterness of death is past, and we shall live. whence hail to thee, eve rightly called, mother of all mankind, mother of all things living, since by thee man is to live; and all things live for man. to whom thus eve with sad demeanour meek. ill-worthy i such title should belong to me transgressour; who, for thee ordained a help, became thy snare; to me reproach rather belongs, distrust, and all dispraise: but infinite in pardon was my judge, that i, who first brought death on all, am graced the source of life; next favourable thou, who highly thus to entitle me vouchsaf'st, far other name deserving. but the field to labour calls us, now with sweat imposed, though after sleepless night; for see! the morn, all unconcerned with our unrest, begins her rosy progress smiling: let us forth; i never from thy side henceforth to stray, where'er our day's work lies, though now enjoined laborious, till day droop; while here we dwell, what can be toilsome in these pleasant walks? here let us live, though in fallen state, content. so spake, so wished much humbled eve; but fate subscribed not: nature first gave signs, impressed on bird, beast, air; air suddenly eclipsed, after short blush of morn; nigh in her sight the bird of jove, stooped from his aery tour, two birds of gayest plume before him drove; down from a hill the beast that reigns in woods, first hunter then, pursued a gentle brace, goodliest of all the forest, hart and hind; direct to the eastern gate was bent their flight. adam observed, and with his eye the chase pursuing, not unmoved, to eve thus spake. o eve, some further change awaits us nigh, which heaven, by these mute signs in nature, shows forerunners of his purpose; or to warn us, haply too secure, of our discharge from penalty, because from death released some days: how long, and what till then our life, who knows? or more than this, that we are dust, and thither must return, and be no more? why else this double object in our sight of flight pursued in the air, and o'er the ground, one way the self-same hour? why in the east darkness ere day's mid-course, and morning-light more orient in yon western cloud, that draws o'er the blue firmament a radiant white, and slow descends with something heavenly fraught? he erred not; for by this the heavenly bands down from a sky of jasper lighted now in paradise, and on a hill made halt; a glorious apparition, had not doubt and carnal fear that day dimmed adam's eye. not that more glorious, when the angels met jacob in mahanaim, where he saw the field pavilioned with his guardians bright; nor that, which on the flaming mount appeared in dothan, covered with a camp of fire, against the syrian king, who to surprise one man, assassin-like, had levied war, war unproclaimed. the princely hierarch in their bright stand there left his powers, to seise possession of the garden; he alone, to find where adam sheltered, took his way, not unperceived of adam; who to eve, while the great visitant approached, thus spake. eve, now expect great tidings, which perhaps of us will soon determine, or impose new laws to be observed; for i descry, from yonder blazing cloud that veils the hill, one of the heavenly host; and, by his gait, none of the meanest; some great potentate or of the thrones above; such majesty invests him coming! yet not terrible, that i should fear; nor sociably mild, as raphael, that i should much confide; but solemn and sublime; whom not to offend, with reverence i must meet, and thou retire. he ended: and the arch-angel soon drew nigh, not in his shape celestial, but as man clad to meet man; over his lucid arms a military vest of purple flowed, livelier than meliboean, or the grain of sarra, worn by kings and heroes old in time of truce; iris had dipt the woof; his starry helm unbuckled showed him prime in manhood where youth ended; by his side, as in a glistering zodiack, hung the sword, satan's dire dread; and in his hand the spear. adam bowed low; he, kingly, from his state inclined not, but his coming thus declared. adam, heaven's high behest no preface needs: sufficient that thy prayers are heard; and death, then due by sentence when thou didst transgress, defeated of his seisure many days given thee of grace; wherein thou mayest repent, and one bad act with many deeds well done mayest cover: well may then thy lord, appeased, redeem thee quite from death's rapacious claim; but longer in this paradise to dwell permits not: to remove thee i am come, and send thee from the garden forth to till the ground whence thou wast taken, fitter soil. he added not; for adam at the news heart-struck with chilling gripe of sorrow stood, that all his senses bound; eve, who unseen yet all had heard, with audible lament discovered soon the place of her retire. o unexpected stroke, worse than of death! must i thus leave thee paradise? thus leave thee, native soil! these happy walks and shades, fit haunt of gods? where i had hope to spend, quiet though sad, the respite of that day that must be mortal to us both. o flowers, that never will in other climate grow, my early visitation, and my last at even, which i bred up with tender hand from the first opening bud, and gave ye names, who now shall rear ye to the sun, or rank your tribes, and water from the ambrosial fount? thee lastly, nuptial bower! by me adorned with what to sight or smell was sweet! from thee how shall i part, and whither wander down into a lower world; to this obscure and wild, how shall we breathe in other air less pure, accustomed to immortal fruits? whom thus the angel interrupted mild. lament not, eve, but patiently resign what justly thou hast lost, nor set thy heart, thus over-fond, on that which is not thine: thy going is not lonely; with thee goes thy husband; whom to follow thou art bound; where he abides, think there thy native soil. adam, by this from the cold sudden damp recovering, and his scattered spirits returned, to michael thus his humble words addressed. celestial, whether among the thrones, or named of them the highest; for such of shape may seem prince above princes! gently hast thou told thy message, which might else in telling wound, and in performing end us; what besides of sorrow, and dejection, and despair, our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring, departure from this happy place, our sweet recess, and only consolation left familiar to our eyes! all places else inhospitable appear, and desolate; nor knowing us, nor known: and, if by prayer incessant i could hope to change the will of him who all things can, i would not cease to weary him with my assiduous cries: but prayer against his absolute decree no more avails than breath against the wind, blown stifling back on him that breathes it forth: therefore to his great bidding i submit. this most afflicts me, that, departing hence, as from his face i shall be hid, deprived his blessed countenance: here i could frequent with worship place by place where he vouchsafed presence divine; and to my sons relate, on this mount he appeared; under this tree stood visible; among these pines his voice i heard; here with him at this fountain talked: so many grateful altars i would rear of grassy turf, and pile up every stone of lustre from the brook, in memory, or monument to ages; and theron offer sweet-smelling gums, and fruits, and flowers: in yonder nether world where shall i seek his bright appearances, or foot-step trace? for though i fled him angry, yet recalled to life prolonged and promised race, i now gladly behold though but his utmost skirts of glory; and far off his steps adore. to whom thus michael with regard benign. adam, thou knowest heaven his, and all the earth; not this rock only; his omnipresence fills land, sea, and air, and every kind that lives, fomented by his virtual power and warmed: all the earth he gave thee to possess and rule, no despicable gift; surmise not then his presence to these narrow bounds confined of paradise, or eden: this had been perhaps thy capital seat, from whence had spread all generations; and had hither come from all the ends of the earth, to celebrate and reverence thee, their great progenitor. but this pre-eminence thou hast lost, brought down to dwell on even ground now with thy sons: yet doubt not but in valley, and in plain, god is, as here; and will be found alike present; and of his presence many a sign still following thee, still compassing thee round with goodness and paternal love, his face express, and of his steps the track divine. which that thou mayest believe, and be confirmed ere thou from hence depart; know, i am sent to show thee what shall come in future days to thee, and to thy offspring: good with bad expect to hear; supernal grace contending with sinfulness of men; thereby to learn true patience, and to temper joy with fear and pious sorrow; equally inured by moderation either state to bear, prosperous or adverse: so shalt thou lead safest thy life, and best prepared endure thy mortal passage when it comes.--ascend this hill; let eve (for i have drenched her eyes) here sleep below; while thou to foresight wakest; as once thou sleptst, while she to life was formed. to whom thus adam gratefully replied. ascend, i follow thee, safe guide, the path thou leadest me; and to the hand of heaven submit, however chastening; to the evil turn my obvious breast; arming to overcome by suffering, and earn rest from labour won, if so i may attain.--so both ascend in the visions of god. it was a hill, of paradise the highest; from whose top the hemisphere of earth, in clearest ken, stretched out to the amplest reach of prospect lay. not higher that hill, nor wider looking round, whereon, for different cause, the tempter set our second adam, in the wilderness; to show him all earth's kingdoms, and their glory. his eye might there command wherever stood city of old or modern fame, the seat of mightiest empire, from the destined walls of cambalu, seat of cathaian can, and samarchand by oxus, temir's throne, to paquin of sinaean kings; and thence to agra and lahor of great mogul, down to the golden chersonese; or where the persian in ecbatan sat, or since in hispahan; or where the russian ksar in mosco; or the sultan in bizance, turchestan-born; nor could his eye not ken the empire of negus to his utmost port ercoco, and the less maritim kings mombaza, and quiloa, and melind, and sofala, thought ophir, to the realm of congo, and angola farthest south; or thence from niger flood to atlas mount the kingdoms of almansor, fez and sus, morocco, and algiers, and tremisen; on europe thence, and where rome was to sway the world: in spirit perhaps he also saw rich mexico, the seat of montezume, and cusco in peru, the richer seat of atabalipa; and yet unspoiled guiana, whose great city geryon's sons call el dorado. but to nobler sights michael from adam's eyes the film removed, which that false fruit that promised clearer sight had bred; then purged with euphrasy and rue the visual nerve, for he had much to see; and from the well of life three drops instilled. so deep the power of these ingredients pierced, even to the inmost seat of mental sight, that adam, now enforced to close his eyes, sunk down, and all his spirits became entranced; but him the gentle angel by the hand soon raised, and his attention thus recalled. adam, now ope thine eyes; and first behold the effects, which thy original crime hath wrought in some to spring from thee; who never touched the excepted tree; nor with the snake conspired; nor sinned thy sin; yet from that sin derive corruption, to bring forth more violent deeds. his eyes he opened, and beheld a field, part arable and tilth, whereon were sheaves new reaped; the other part sheep-walks and folds; i' the midst an altar as the land-mark stood, rustick, of grassy sord; thither anon a sweaty reaper from his tillage brought first fruits, the green ear, and the yellow sheaf, unculled, as came to hand; a shepherd next, more meek, came with the firstlings of his flock, choicest and best; then, sacrificing, laid the inwards and their fat, with incense strowed, on the cleft wood, and all due rights performed: his offering soon propitious fire from heaven consumed with nimble glance, and grateful steam; the other's not, for his was not sincere; whereat he inly raged, and, as they talked, smote him into the midriff with a stone that beat out life; he fell; and, deadly pale, groaned out his soul with gushing blood effused. much at that sight was adam in his heart dismayed, and thus in haste to the angel cried. o teacher, some great mischief hath befallen to that meek man, who well had sacrificed; is piety thus and pure devotion paid? to whom michael thus, he also moved, replied. these two are brethren, adam, and to come out of thy loins; the unjust the just hath slain, for envy that his brother's offering found from heaven acceptance; but the bloody fact will be avenged; and the other's faith, approved, lose no reward; though here thou see him die, rolling in dust and gore. to which our sire. alas! both for the deed, and for the cause! but have i now seen death? is this the way i must return to native dust? o sight of terrour, foul and ugly to behold, horrid to think, how horrible to feel! to whom thus michael. death thou hast seen in his first shape on man; but many shapes of death, and many are the ways that lead to his grim cave, all dismal; yet to sense more terrible at the entrance, than within. some, as thou sawest, by violent stroke shall die; by fire, flood, famine, by intemperance more in meats and drinks, which on the earth shall bring diseases dire, of which a monstrous crew before thee shall appear; that thou mayest know what misery the inabstinence of eve shall bring on men. immediately a place before his eyes appeared, sad, noisome, dark; a lazar-house it seemed; wherein were laid numbers of all diseased; all maladies of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualms of heart-sick agony, all feverous kinds, convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs, intestine stone and ulcer, colick-pangs, demoniack phrenzy, moaping melancholy, and moon-struck madness, pining atrophy, marasmus, and wide-wasting pestilence, dropsies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums. dire was the tossing, deep the groans; despair tended the sick busiest from couch to couch; and over them triumphant death his dart shook, but delayed to strike, though oft invoked with vows, as their chief good, and final hope. sight so deform what heart of rock could long dry-eyed behold? adam could not, but wept, though not of woman born; compassion quelled his best of man, and gave him up to tears a space, till firmer thoughts restrained excess; and, scarce recovering words, his plaint renewed. o miserable mankind, to what fall degraded, to what wretched state reserved! better end here unborn. why is life given to be thus wrested from us? rather, why obtruded on us thus? who, if we knew what we receive, would either no accept life offered, or soon beg to lay it down; glad to be so dismissed in peace. can thus the image of god in man, created once so goodly and erect, though faulty since, to such unsightly sufferings be debased under inhuman pains? why should not man, retaining still divine similitude in part, from such deformities be free, and, for his maker's image sake, exempt? their maker's image, answered michael, then forsook them, when themselves they vilified to serve ungoverned appetite; and took his image whom they served, a brutish vice, inductive mainly to the sin of eve. therefore so abject is their punishment, disfiguring not god's likeness, but their own; or if his likeness, by themselves defaced; while they pervert pure nature's healthful rules to loathsome sickness; worthily, since they god's image did not reverence in themselves. i yield it just, said adam, and submit. but is there yet no other way, besides these painful passages, how we may come to death, and mix with our connatural dust? there is, said michael, if thou well observe the rule of not too much; by temperance taught, in what thou eatest and drinkest; seeking from thence due nourishment, not gluttonous delight, till many years over thy head return: so mayest thou live; till, like ripe fruit, thou drop into thy mother's lap; or be with ease gathered, nor harshly plucked; for death mature: this is old age; but then, thou must outlive thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty; which will change to withered, weak, and gray; thy senses then, obtuse, all taste of pleasure must forego, to what thou hast; and, for the air of youth, hopeful and cheerful, in thy blood will reign a melancholy damp of cold and dry to weigh thy spirits down, and last consume the balm of life. to whom our ancestor. henceforth i fly not death, nor would prolong life much; bent rather, how i may be quit, fairest and easiest, of this cumbrous charge; which i must keep till my appointed day of rendering up, and patiently attend my dissolution. michael replied. nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou livest live well; how long, or short, permit to heaven: and now prepare thee for another sight. he looked, and saw a spacious plain, whereon were tents of various hue; by some, were herds of cattle grazing; others, whence the sound of instruments, that made melodious chime, was heard, of harp and organ; and, who moved their stops and chords, was seen; his volant touch, instinct through all proportions, low and high, fled and pursued transverse the resonant fugue. in other part stood one who, at the forge labouring, two massy clods of iron and brass had melted, (whether found where casual fire had wasted woods on mountain or in vale, down to the veins of earth; thence gliding hot to some cave's mouth; or whether washed by stream from underground;) the liquid ore he drained into fit moulds prepared; from which he formed first his own tools; then, what might else be wrought fusil or graven in metal. after these, but on the hither side, a different sort from the high neighbouring hills, which was their seat, down to the plain descended; by their guise just men they seemed, and all their study bent to worship god aright, and know his works not hid; nor those things last, which might preserve freedom and peace to men; they on the plain long had not walked, when from the tents, behold! a bevy of fair women, richly gay in gems and wanton dress; to the harp they sung soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on: the men, though grave, eyed them; and let their eyes rove without rein; till, in the amorous net fast caught, they liked; and each his liking chose; and now of love they treat, till the evening-star, love's harbinger, appeared; then, all in heat they light the nuptial torch, and bid invoke hymen, then first to marriage rites invoked: with feast and musick all the tents resound. such happy interview, and fair event of love and youth not lost, songs, garlands, flowers, and charming symphonies, attached the heart of adam, soon inclined to admit delight, the bent of nature; which he thus expressed. true opener of mine eyes, prime angel blest; much better seems this vision, and more hope of peaceful days portends, than those two past; those were of hate and death, or pain much worse; here nature seems fulfilled in all her ends. to whom thus michael. judge not what is best by pleasure, though to nature seeming meet; created, as thou art, to nobler end holy and pure, conformity divine. those tents thou sawest so pleasant, were the tents of wickedness, wherein shall dwell his race who slew his brother; studious they appear of arts that polish life, inventers rare; unmindful of their maker, though his spirit taught them; but they his gifts acknowledged none. yet they a beauteous offspring shall beget; for that fair female troop thou sawest, that seemed of goddesses, so blithe, so smooth, so gay, yet empty of all good wherein consists woman's domestick honour and chief praise; bred only and completed to the taste of lustful appetence, to sing, to dance, to dress, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye: to these that sober race of men, whose lives religious titled them the sons of god, shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame ignobly, to the trains and to the smiles of these fair atheists; and now swim in joy, erelong to swim at large; and laugh, for which the world erelong a world of tears must weep. to whom thus adam, of short joy bereft. o pity and shame, that they, who to live well entered so fair, should turn aside to tread paths indirect, or in the mid way faint! but still i see the tenour of man's woe holds on the same, from woman to begin. from man's effeminate slackness it begins, said the angel, who should better hold his place by wisdom, and superiour gifts received. but now prepare thee for another scene. he looked, and saw wide territory spread before him, towns, and rural works between; cities of men with lofty gates and towers, concourse in arms, fierce faces threatening war, giants of mighty bone and bold emprise; part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed, single or in array of battle ranged both horse and foot, nor idly mustering stood; one way a band select from forage drives a herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine, from a fat meadow ground; or fleecy flock, ewes and their bleating lambs over the plain, their booty; scarce with life the shepherds fly, but call in aid, which makes a bloody fray; with cruel tournament the squadrons join; where cattle pastured late, now scattered lies with carcasses and arms the ensanguined field, deserted: others to a city strong lay siege, encamped; by battery, scale, and mine, assaulting; others from the wall defend with dart and javelin, stones, and sulphurous fire; on each hand slaughter, and gigantick deeds. in other part the sceptered heralds call to council, in the city-gates; anon gray-headed men and grave, with warriours mixed, assemble, and harangues are heard; but soon, in factious opposition; till at last, of middle age one rising, eminent in wise deport, spake much of right and wrong, of justice, or religion, truth, and peace, and judgement from above: him old and young exploded, and had seized with violent hands, had not a cloud descending snatched him thence unseen amid the throng: so violence proceeded, and oppression, and sword-law, through all the plain, and refuge none was found. adam was all in tears, and to his guide lamenting turned full sad; o! what are these, death's ministers, not men? who thus deal death inhumanly to men, and multiply ten thousandfold the sin of him who slew his brother: for of whom such massacre make they, but of their brethren; men of men but who was that just man, whom had not heaven rescued, had in his righteousness been lost? to whom thus michael. these are the product of those ill-mated marriages thou sawest; where good with bad were matched, who of themselves abhor to join; and, by imprudence mixed, produce prodigious births of body or mind. such were these giants, men of high renown; for in those days might only shall be admired, and valour and heroick virtue called; to overcome in battle, and subdue nations, and bring home spoils with infinite man-slaughter, shall be held the highest pitch of human glory; and for glory done of triumph, to be styled great conquerours patrons of mankind, gods, and sons of gods; destroyers rightlier called, and plagues of men. thus fame shall be achieved, renown on earth; and what most merits fame, in silence hid. but he, the seventh from thee, whom thou beheldst the only righteous in a world preverse, and therefore hated, therefore so beset with foes, for daring single to be just, and utter odious truth, that god would come to judge them with his saints; him the most high rapt in a balmy cloud with winged steeds did, as thou sawest, receive, to walk with god high in salvation and the climes of bliss, exempt from death; to show thee what reward awaits the good; the rest what punishment; which now direct thine eyes and soon behold. he looked, and saw the face of things quite changed; the brazen throat of war had ceased to roar; all now was turned to jollity and game, to luxury and riot, feast and dance; marrying or prostituting, as befel, rape or adultery, where passing fair allured them; thence from cups to civil broils. at length a reverend sire among them came, and of their doings great dislike declared, and testified against their ways; he oft frequented their assemblies, whereso met, triumphs or festivals; and to them preached conversion and repentance, as to souls in prison, under judgements imminent: but all in vain: which when he saw, he ceased contending, and removed his tents far off; then, from the mountain hewing timber tall, began to build a vessel of huge bulk; measured by cubit, length, and breadth, and highth; smeared round with pitch; and in the side a door contrived; and of provisions laid in large, for man and beast: when lo, a wonder strange! of every beast, and bird, and insect small, came sevens, and pairs; and entered in as taught their order: last the sire and his three sons, with their four wives; and god made fast the door. mean while the south-wind rose, and, with black wings wide-hovering, all the clouds together drove from under heaven; the hills to their supply vapour, and exhalation dusk and moist, sent up amain; and now the thickened sky like a dark ceiling stood; down rushed the rain impetuous; and continued, till the earth no more was seen: the floating vessel swum uplifted, and secure with beaked prow rode tilting o'er the waves; all dwellings else flood overwhelmed, and them with all their pomp deep under water rolled; sea covered sea, sea without shore; and in their palaces, where luxury late reigned, sea-monsters whelped and stabled; of mankind, so numerous late, all left, in one small bottom swum imbarked. how didst thou grieve then, adam, to behold the end of all thy offspring, end so sad, depopulation! thee another flood, of tears and sorrow a flood, thee also drowned, and sunk thee as thy sons; till, gently reared by the angel, on thy feet thou stoodest at last, though comfortless; as when a father mourns his children, all in view destroyed at once; and scarce to the angel utter'dst thus thy plaint. o visions ill foreseen! better had i lived ignorant of future! so had borne my part of evil only, each day's lot enough to bear; those now, that were dispensed the burden of many ages, on me light at once, by my foreknowledge gaining birth abortive, to torment me ere their being, with thought that they must be. let no man seek henceforth to be foretold, what shall befall him or his children; evil he may be sure, which neither his foreknowing can prevent; and he the future evil shall no less in apprehension than in substance feel, grievous to bear: but that care now is past, man is not whom to warn: those few escaped famine and anguish will at last consume, wandering that watery desart: i had hope, when violence was ceased, and war on earth, all would have then gone well; peace would have crowned with length of happy days the race of man; but i was far deceived; for now i see peace to corrupt no less than war to waste. how comes it thus? unfold, celestial guide, and whether here the race of man will end. to whom thus michael. those, whom last thou sawest in triumph and luxurious wealth, are they first seen in acts of prowess eminent and great exploits, but of true virtue void; who, having spilt much blood, and done much wast subduing nations, and achieved thereby fame in the world, high titles, and rich prey; shall change their course to pleasure, ease, and sloth, surfeit, and lust; till wantonness and pride raise out of friendship hostile deeds in peace. the conquered also, and enslaved by war, shall, with their freedom lost, all virtue lose and fear of god; from whom their piety feigned in sharp contest of battle found no aid against invaders; therefore, cooled in zeal, thenceforth shall practice how to live secure, worldly or dissolute, on what their lords shall leave them to enjoy; for the earth shall bear more than enough, that temperance may be tried: so all shall turn degenerate, all depraved; justice and temperance, truth and faith, forgot; one man except, the only son of light in a dark age, against example good, against allurement, custom, and a world offended: fearless of reproach and scorn, or violence, he of their wicked ways shall them admonish; and before them set the paths of righteousness, how much more safe and full of peace; denouncing wrath to come on their impenitence; and shall return of them derided, but of god observed the one just man alive; by his command shall build a wonderous ark, as thou beheldst, to save himself, and houshold, from amidst a world devote to universal wrack. no sooner he, with them of man and beast select for life, shall in the ark be lodged, and sheltered round; but all the cataracts of heaven set open on the earth shall pour rain, day and night; all fountains of the deep, broke up, shall heave the ocean to usurp beyond all bounds; till inundation rise above the highest hills: then shall this mount of paradise by might of waves be moved out of his place, pushed by the horned flood, with all his verdure spoiled, and trees adrift, down the great river to the opening gulf, and there take root an island salt and bare, the haunt of seals, and orcs, and sea-mews' clang: to teach thee that god attributes to place no sanctity, if none be thither brought by men who there frequent, or therein dwell. and now, what further shall ensue, behold. he looked, and saw the ark hull on the flood, which now abated; for the clouds were fled, driven by a keen north-wind, that, blowing dry, wrinkled the face of deluge, as decayed; and the clear sun on his wide watery glass gazed hot, and of the fresh wave largely drew, as after thirst; which made their flowing shrink from standing lake to tripping ebb, that stole with soft foot towards the deep; who now had stopt his sluces, as the heaven his windows shut. the ark no more now floats, but seems on ground, fast on the top of some high mountain fixed. and now the tops of hills, as rocks, appear; with clamour thence the rapid currents drive, towards the retreating sea, their furious tide. forthwith from out the ark a raven flies, and after him, the surer messenger, a dove sent forth once and again to spy green tree or ground, whereon his foot may light: the second time returning, in his bill an olive-leaf he brings, pacifick sign: anon dry ground appears, and from his ark the ancient sire descends, with all his train; then with uplifted hands, and eyes devout, grateful to heaven, over his head beholds a dewy cloud, and in the cloud a bow conspicuous with three lifted colours gay, betokening peace from god, and covenant new. whereat the heart of adam, erst so sad, greatly rejoiced; and thus his joy broke forth. o thou, who future things canst represent as present, heavenly instructer! i revive at this last sight; assured that man shall live, with all the creatures, and their seed preserve. far less i now lament for one whole world of wicked sons destroyed, than i rejoice for one man found so perfect, and so just, that god vouchsafes to raise another world from him, and all his anger to forget. but say, what mean those coloured streaks in heaven distended, as the brow of god appeased? or serve they, as a flowery verge, to bind the fluid skirts of that same watery cloud, lest it again dissolve, and shower the earth? to whom the arch-angel. dextrously thou aimest; so willingly doth god remit his ire, though late repenting him of man depraved; grieved at his heart, when looking down he saw the whole earth filled with violence, and all flesh corrupting each their way; yet, those removed, such grace shall one just man find in his sight, that he relents, not to blot out mankind; and makes a covenant never to destroy the earth again by flood; nor let the sea surpass his bounds; nor rain to drown the world, with man therein or beast; but, when he brings over the earth a cloud, will therein set his triple-coloured bow, whereon to look, and call to mind his covenant: day and night, seed-time and harvest, heat and hoary frost, shall hold their course; till fire purge all things new, both heaven and earth, wherein the just shall dwell. book xii as one who in his journey bates at noon, though bent on speed; so here the arch-angel paused betwixt the world destroyed and world restored, if adam aught perhaps might interpose; then, with transition sweet, new speech resumes. thus thou hast seen one world begin, and end; and man, as from a second stock, proceed. much thou hast yet to see; but i perceive thy mortal sight to fail; objects divine must needs impair and weary human sense: henceforth what is to come i will relate; thou therefore give due audience, and attend. this second source of men, while yet but few, and while the dread of judgement past remains fresh in their minds, fearing the deity, with some regard to what is just and right shall lead their lives, and multiply apace; labouring the soil, and reaping plenteous crop, corn, wine, and oil; and, from the herd or flock, oft sacrificing bullock, lamb, or kid, with large wine-offerings poured, and sacred feast, shall spend their days in joy unblamed; and dwell long time in peace, by families and tribes, under paternal rule: till one shall rise of proud ambitious heart; who, not content with fair equality, fraternal state, will arrogate dominion undeserved over his brethren, and quite dispossess concord and law of nature from the earth; hunting (and men not beasts shall be his game) with war, and hostile snare, such as refuse subjection to his empire tyrannous: a mighty hunter thence he shall be styled before the lord; as in despite of heaven, or from heaven, claiming second sovranty; and from rebellion shall derive his name, though of rebellion others he accuse. he with a crew, whom like ambition joins with him or under him to tyrannize, marching from eden towards the west, shall find the plain, wherein a black bituminous gurge boils out from under ground, the mouth of hell: of brick, and of that stuff, they cast to build a city and tower, whose top may reach to heaven; and get themselves a name; lest, far dispersed in foreign lands, their memory be lost; regardless whether good or evil fame. but god, who oft descends to visit men unseen, and through their habitations walks to mark their doings, them beholding soon, comes down to see their city, ere the tower obstruct heaven-towers, and in derision sets upon their tongues a various spirit, to rase quite out their native language; and, instead, to sow a jangling noise of words unknown: forthwith a hideous gabble rises loud, among the builders; each to other calls not understood; till hoarse, and all in rage, as mocked they storm: great laughter was in heaven, and looking down, to see the hubbub strange, and hear the din: thus was the building left ridiculous, and the work confusion named. whereto thus adam, fatherly displeased. o execrable son! so to aspire above his brethren; to himself assuming authority usurped, from god not given: he gave us only over beast, fish, fowl, dominion absolute; that right we hold by his donation; but man over men he made not lord; such title to himself reserving, human left from human free. but this usurper his encroachment proud stays not on man; to god his tower intends siege and defiance: wretched man! what food will he convey up thither, to sustain himself and his rash army; where thin air above the clouds will pine his entrails gross, and famish him of breath, if not of bread? to whom thus michael. justly thou abhorrest that son, who on the quiet state of men such trouble brought, affecting to subdue rational liberty; yet know withal, since thy original lapse, true liberty is lost, which always with right reason dwells twinned, and from her hath no dividual being: reason in man obscured, or not obeyed, immediately inordinate desires, and upstart passions, catch the government from reason; and to servitude reduce man, till then free. therefore, since he permits within himself unworthy powers to reign over free reason, god, in judgement just, subjects him from without to violent lords; who oft as undeservedly enthrall his outward freedom: tyranny must be; though to the tyrant thereby no excuse. yet sometimes nations will decline so low from virtue, which is reason, that no wrong, but justice, and some fatal curse annexed, deprives them of their outward liberty; their inward lost: witness the irreverent son of him who built the ark; who, for the shame done to his father, heard this heavy curse, servant of servants, on his vicious race. thus will this latter, as the former world, still tend from bad to worse; till god at last, wearied with their iniquities, withdraw his presence from among them, and avert his holy eyes; resolving from thenceforth to leave them to their own polluted ways; and one peculiar nation to select from all the rest, of whom to be invoked, a nation from one faithful man to spring: him on this side euphrates yet residing, bred up in idol-worship: o, that men (canst thou believe?) should be so stupid grown, while yet the patriarch lived, who 'scaped the flood, as to forsake the living god, and fall to worship their own work in wood and stone for gods! yet him god the most high vouchsafes to call by vision, from his father's house, his kindred, and false gods, into a land which he will show him; and from him will raise a mighty nation; and upon him shower his benediction so, that in his seed all nations shall be blest: he straight obeys; not knowing to what land, yet firm believes: i see him, but thou canst not, with what faith he leaves his gods, his friends, and native soil, ur of chaldaea, passing now the ford to haran; after him a cumbrous train of herds and flocks, and numerous servitude; not wandering poor, but trusting all his wealth with god, who called him, in a land unknown. canaan he now attains; i see his tents pitched about sechem, and the neighbouring plain of moreh; there by promise he receives gift to his progeny of all that land, from hameth northward to the desart south; (things by their names i call, though yet unnamed;) from hermon east to the great western sea; mount hermon, yonder sea; each place behold in prospect, as i point them; on the shore mount carmel; here, the double-founted stream, jordan, true limit eastward; but his sons shall dwell to senir, that long ridge of hills. this ponder, that all nations of the earth shall in his seed be blessed: by that seed is meant thy great deliverer, who shall bruise the serpent's head; whereof to thee anon plainlier shall be revealed. this patriarch blest, whom faithful abraham due time shall call, a son, and of his son a grand-child, leaves; like him in faith, in wisdom, and renown: the grandchild, with twelve sons increased, departs from canaan to a land hereafter called egypt, divided by the river nile see where it flows, disgorging at seven mouths into the sea. to sojourn in that land he comes, invited by a younger son in time of dearth, a son whose worthy deeds raise him to be the second in that realm of pharaoh. there he dies, and leaves his race growing into a nation, and now grown suspected to a sequent king, who seeks to stop their overgrowth, as inmate guests too numerous; whence of guests he makes them slaves inhospitably, and kills their infant males: till by two brethren (these two brethren call moses and aaron) sent from god to claim his people from enthralment, they return, with glory and spoil, back to their promised land. but first, the lawless tyrant, who denies to know their god, or message to regard, must be compelled by signs and judgements dire; to blood unshed the rivers must be turned; frogs, lice, and flies, must all his palace fill with loathed intrusion, and fill all the land; his cattle must of rot and murren die; botches and blains must all his flesh emboss, and all his people; thunder mixed with hail, hail mixed with fire, must rend the egyptians sky, and wheel on the earth, devouring where it rolls; what it devours not, herb, or fruit, or grain, a darksome cloud of locusts swarming down must eat, and on the ground leave nothing green; darkness must overshadow all his bounds, palpable darkness, and blot out three days; last, with one midnight stroke, all the first-born of egypt must lie dead. thus with ten wounds the river-dragon tamed at length submits to let his sojourners depart, and oft humbles his stubborn heart; but still, as ice more hardened after thaw; till, in his rage pursuing whom he late dismissed, the sea swallows him with his host; but them lets pass, as on dry land, between two crystal walls; awed by the rod of moses so to stand divided, till his rescued gain their shore: such wondrous power god to his saint will lend, though present in his angel; who shall go before them in a cloud, and pillar of fire; by day a cloud, by night a pillar of fire; to guide them in their journey, and remove behind them, while the obdurate king pursues: all night he will pursue; but his approach darkness defends between till morning watch; then through the fiery pillar, and the cloud, god looking forth will trouble all his host, and craze their chariot-wheels: when by command moses once more his potent rod extends over the sea; the sea his rod obeys; on their embattled ranks the waves return, and overwhelm their war: the race elect safe toward canaan from the shore advance through the wild desart, not the readiest way; lest, entering on the canaanite alarmed, war terrify them inexpert, and fear return them back to egypt, choosing rather inglorious life with servitude; for life to noble and ignoble is more sweet untrained in arms, where rashness leads not on. this also shall they gain by their delay in the wide wilderness; there they shall found their government, and their great senate choose through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws ordained: god from the mount of sinai, whose gray top shall tremble, he descending, will himself in thunder, lightning, and loud trumpets' sound, ordain them laws; part, such as appertain to civil justice; part, religious rites of sacrifice; informing them, by types and shadows, of that destined seed to bruise the serpent, by what means he shall achieve mankind's deliverance. but the voice of god to mortal ear is dreadful: they beseech that moses might report to them his will, and terrour cease; he grants what they besought, instructed that to god is no access without mediator, whose high office now moses in figure bears; to introduce one greater, of whose day he shall foretel, and all the prophets in their age the times of great messiah shall sing. thus, laws and rites established, such delight hath god in men obedient to his will, that he vouchsafes among them to set up his tabernacle; the holy one with mortal men to dwell: by his prescript a sanctuary is framed of cedar, overlaid with gold; therein an ark, and in the ark his testimony, the records of his covenant; over these a mercy-seat of gold, between the wings of two bright cherubim; before him burn seven lamps as in a zodiack representing the heavenly fires; over the tent a cloud shall rest by day, a fiery gleam by night; save when they journey, and at length they come, conducted by his angel, to the land promised to abraham and his seed:--the rest were long to tell; how many battles fought how many kings destroyed; and kingdoms won; or how the sun shall in mid heaven stand still a day entire, and night's due course adjourn, man's voice commanding, "sun, in gibeon stand, and thou moon in the vale of aialon, till israel overcome!" so call the third from abraham, son of isaac; and from him his whole descent, who thus shall canaan win. here adam interposed. o sent from heaven, enlightener of my darkness, gracious things thou hast revealed; those chiefly, which concern just abraham and his seed: now first i find mine eyes true-opening, and my heart much eased; erewhile perplexed with thoughts, what would become of me and all mankind: but now i see his day, in whom all nations shall be blest; favour unmerited by me, who sought forbidden knowledge by forbidden means. this yet i apprehend not, why to those among whom god will deign to dwell on earth so many and so various laws are given; so many laws argue so many sins among them; how can god with such reside? to whom thus michael. doubt not but that sin will reign among them, as of thee begot; and therefore was law given them, to evince their natural pravity, by stirring up sin against law to fight: that when they see law can discover sin, but not remove, save by those shadowy expiations weak, the blood of bulls and goats, they may conclude some blood more precious must be paid for man; just for unjust; that, in such righteousness to them by faith imputed, they may find justification towards god, and peace of conscience; which the law by ceremonies cannot appease; nor man the mortal part perform; and, not performing, cannot live. so law appears imperfect; and but given with purpose to resign them, in full time, up to a better covenant; disciplined from shadowy types to truth; from flesh to spirit; from imposition of strict laws to free acceptance of large grace; from servile fear to filial; works of law to works of faith. and therefore shall not moses, though of god highly beloved, being but the minister of law, his people into canaan lead; but joshua, whom the gentiles jesus call, his name and office bearing, who shall quell the adversary-serpent, and bring back through the world's wilderness long-wandered man safe to eternal paradise of rest. mean while they, in their earthly canaan placed, long time shall dwell and prosper, but when sins national interrupt their publick peace, provoking god to raise them enemies; from whom as oft he saves them penitent by judges first, then under kings; of whom the second, both for piety renowned and puissant deeds, a promise shall receive irrevocable, that his regal throne for ever shall endure; the like shall sing all prophecy, that of the royal stock of david (so i name this king) shall rise a son, the woman's seed to thee foretold, foretold to abraham, as in whom shall trust all nations; and to kings foretold, of kings the last; for of his reign shall be no end. but first, a long succession must ensue; and his next son, for wealth and wisdom famed, the clouded ark of god, till then in tents wandering, shall in a glorious temple enshrine. such follow him, as shall be registered part good, part bad; of bad the longer scroll; whose foul idolatries, and other faults heaped to the popular sum, will so incense god, as to leave them, and expose their land, their city, his temple, and his holy ark, with all his sacred things, a scorn and prey to that proud city, whose high walls thou sawest left in confusion; babylon thence called. there in captivity he lets them dwell the space of seventy years; then brings them back, remembering mercy, and his covenant sworn to david, stablished as the days of heaven. returned from babylon by leave of kings their lords, whom god disposed, the house of god they first re-edify; and for a while in mean estate live moderate; till, grown in wealth and multitude, factious they grow; but first among the priests dissention springs, men who attend the altar, and should most endeavour peace: their strife pollution brings upon the temple itself: at last they seise the scepter, and regard not david's sons; then lose it to a stranger, that the true anointed king messiah might be born barred of his right; yet at his birth a star, unseen before in heaven, proclaims him come; and guides the eastern sages, who inquire his place, to offer incense, myrrh, and gold: his place of birth a solemn angel tells to simple shepherds, keeping watch by night; they gladly thither haste, and by a quire of squadroned angels hear his carol sung. a virgin is his mother, but his sire the power of the most high: he shall ascend the throne hereditary, and bound his reign with earth's wide bounds, his glory with the heavens. he ceased, discerning adam with such joy surcharged, as had like grief been dewed in tears, without the vent of words; which these he breathed. o prophet of glad tidings, finisher of utmost hope! now clear i understand what oft my steadiest thoughts have searched in vain; why our great expectation should be called the seed of woman: virgin mother, hail, high in the love of heaven; yet from my loins thou shalt proceed, and from thy womb the son of god most high: so god with man unites! needs must the serpent now his capital bruise expect with mortal pain: say where and when their fight, what stroke shall bruise the victor's heel. to whom thus michael. dream not of their fight, as of a duel, or the local wounds of head or heel: not therefore joins the son manhood to godhead, with more strength to foil thy enemy; nor so is overcome satan, whose fall from heaven, a deadlier bruise, disabled, not to give thee thy death's wound: which he, who comes thy saviour, shall recure, not by destroying satan, but his works in thee, and in thy seed: nor can this be, but by fulfilling that which thou didst want, obedience to the law of god, imposed on penalty of death, and suffering death; the penalty to thy transgression due, and due to theirs which out of thine will grow: so only can high justice rest appaid. the law of god exact he shall fulfil both by obedience and by love, though love alone fulfil the law; thy punishment he shall endure, by coming in the flesh to a reproachful life, and cursed death; proclaiming life to all who shall believe in his redemption; and that his obedience, imputed, becomes theirs by faith; his merits to save them, not their own, though legal, works. for this he shall live hated, be blasphemed, seised on by force, judged, and to death condemned a shameful and accursed, nailed to the cross by his own nation; slain for bringing life: but to the cross he nails thy enemies, the law that is against thee, and the sins of all mankind, with him there crucified, never to hurt them more who rightly trust in this his satisfaction; so he dies, but soon revives; death over him no power shall long usurp; ere the third dawning light return, the stars of morn shall see him rise out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light, thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems, his death for man, as many as offered life neglect not, and the benefit embrace by faith not void of works: this god-like act annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldest have died, in sin for ever lost from life; this act shall bruise the head of satan, crush his strength, defeating sin and death, his two main arms; and fix far deeper in his head their stings than temporal death shall bruise the victor's heel, or theirs whom he redeems; a death, like sleep, a gentle wafting to immortal life. nor after resurrection shall he stay longer on earth, than certain times to appear to his disciples, men who in his life still followed him; to them shall leave in charge to teach all nations what of him they learned and his salvation; them who shall believe baptizing in the profluent stream, the sign of washing them from guilt of sin to life pure, and in mind prepared, if so befall, for death, like that which the redeemer died. all nations they shall teach; for, from that day, not only to the sons of abraham's loins salvation shall be preached, but to the sons of abraham's faith wherever through the world; so in his seed all nations shall be blest. then to the heaven of heavens he shall ascend with victory, triumphing through the air over his foes and thine; there shall surprise the serpent, prince of air, and drag in chains through all his realm, and there confounded leave; then enter into glory, and resume his seat at god's right hand, exalted high above all names in heaven; and thence shall come, when this world's dissolution shall be ripe, with glory and power to judge both quick and dead; to judge the unfaithful dead, but to reward his faithful, and receive them into bliss, whether in heaven or earth; for then the earth shall all be paradise, far happier place than this of eden, and far happier days. so spake the arch-angel michael; then paused, as at the world's great period; and our sire, replete with joy and wonder, thus replied. o goodness infinite, goodness immense! that all this good of evil shall produce, and evil turn to good; more wonderful than that which by creation first brought forth light out of darkness! full of doubt i stand, whether i should repent me now of sin by me done, and occasioned; or rejoice much more, that much more good thereof shall spring; to god more glory, more good-will to men from god, and over wrath grace shall abound. but say, if our deliverer up to heaven must re-ascend, what will betide the few his faithful, left among the unfaithful herd, the enemies of truth? who then shall guide his people, who defend? will they not deal worse with his followers than with him they dealt? be sure they will, said the angel; but from heaven he to his own a comforter will send, the promise of the father, who shall dwell his spirit within them; and the law of faith, working through love, upon their hearts shall write, to guide them in all truth; and also arm with spiritual armour, able to resist satan's assaults, and quench his fiery darts; what man can do against them, not afraid, though to the death; against such cruelties with inward consolations recompensed, and oft supported so as shall amaze their proudest persecutors: for the spirit, poured first on his apostles, whom he sends to evangelize the nations, then on all baptized, shall them with wonderous gifts endue to speak all tongues, and do all miracles, as did their lord before them. thus they win great numbers of each nation to receive with joy the tidings brought from heaven: at length their ministry performed, and race well run, their doctrine and their story written left, they die; but in their room, as they forewarn, wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous wolves, who all the sacred mysteries of heaven to their own vile advantages shall turn of lucre and ambition; and the truth with superstitions and traditions taint, left only in those written records pure, though not but by the spirit understood. then shall they seek to avail themselves of names, places, and titles, and with these to join secular power; though feigning still to act by spiritual, to themselves appropriating the spirit of god, promised alike and given to all believers; and, from that pretence, spiritual laws by carnal power shall force on every conscience; laws which none shall find left them inrolled, or what the spirit within shall on the heart engrave. what will they then but force the spirit of grace itself, and bind his consort liberty? what, but unbuild his living temples, built by faith to stand, their own faith, not another's? for, on earth, who against faith and conscience can be heard infallible? yet many will presume: whence heavy persecution shall arise on all, who in the worship persevere of spirit and truth; the rest, far greater part, will deem in outward rites and specious forms religion satisfied; truth shall retire bestuck with slanderous darts, and works of faith rarely be found: so shall the world go on, to good malignant, to bad men benign; under her own weight groaning; till the day appear of respiration to the just, and vengeance to the wicked, at return of him so lately promised to thy aid, the woman's seed; obscurely then foretold, now ampler known thy saviour and thy lord; last, in the clouds, from heaven to be revealed in glory of the father, to dissolve satan with his perverted world; then raise from the conflagrant mass, purged and refined, new heavens, new earth, ages of endless date, founded in righteousness, and peace, and love; to bring forth fruits, joy and eternal bliss. he ended; and thus adam last replied. how soon hath thy prediction, seer blest, measured this transient world, the race of time, till time stand fixed! beyond is all abyss, eternity, whose end no eye can reach. greatly-instructed i shall hence depart; greatly in peace of thought; and have my fill of knowledge, what this vessel can contain; beyond which was my folly to aspire. henceforth i learn, that to obey is best, and love with fear the only god; to walk as in his presence; ever to observe his providence; and on him sole depend, merciful over all his works, with good still overcoming evil, and by small accomplishing great things, by things deemed weak subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise by simply meek: that suffering for truth's sake is fortitude to highest victory, and, to the faithful, death the gate of life; taught this by his example, whom i now acknowledge my redeemer ever blest. to whom thus also the angel last replied. this having learned, thou hast attained the sum of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars thou knewest by name, and all the ethereal powers, all secrets of the deep, all nature's works, or works of god in heaven, air, earth, or sea, and all the riches of this world enjoyedst, and all the rule, one empire; only add deeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith, add virtue, patience, temperance; add love, by name to come called charity, the soul of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loth to leave this paradise, but shalt possess a paradise within thee, happier far.-let us descend now therefore from this top of speculation; for the hour precise exacts our parting hence; and see the guards, by me encamped on yonder hill, expect their motion; at whose front a flaming sword, in signal of remove, waves fiercely round: we may no longer stay: go, waken eve; her also i with gentle dreams have calmed portending good, and all her spirits composed to meek submission: thou, at season fit, let her with thee partake what thou hast heard; chiefly what may concern her faith to know, the great deliverance by her seed to come (for by the woman's seed) on all mankind: that ye may live, which will be many days, both in one faith unanimous, though sad, with cause, for evils past; yet much more cheered with meditation on the happy end. he ended, and they both descend the hill; descended, adam to the bower, where eve lay sleeping, ran before; but found her waked; and thus with words not sad she him received. whence thou returnest, and whither wentest, i know; for god is also in sleep; and dreams advise, which he hath sent propitious, some great good presaging, since with sorrow and heart's distress wearied i fell asleep: but now lead on; in me is no delay; with thee to go, is to stay here; without thee here to stay, is to go hence unwilling; thou to me art all things under heaven, all places thou, who for my wilful crime art banished hence. this further consolation yet secure i carry hence; though all by me is lost, such favour i unworthy am vouchsafed, by me the promised seed shall all restore. so spake our mother eve; and adam heard well pleased, but answered not: for now, too nigh the arch-angel stood; and, from the other hill to their fixed station, all in bright array the cherubim descended; on the ground gliding meteorous, as evening-mist risen from a river o'er the marish glides, and gathers ground fast at the labourer's heel homeward returning. high in front advanced, the brandished sword of god before them blazed, fierce as a comet; which with torrid heat, and vapour as the libyan air adust, began to parch that temperate clime; whereat in either hand the hastening angel caught our lingering parents, and to the eastern gate led them direct, and down the cliff as fast to the subjected plain; then disappeared. they, looking back, all the eastern side beheld of paradise, so late their happy seat, waved over by that flaming brand; the gate with dreadful faces thronged, and fiery arms: some natural tears they dropt, but wiped them soon; the world was all before them, where to choose their place of rest, and providence their guide: they, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, through eden took their solitary way. notes on the book of genesis. "things new and old." first american edition. philadelphia: henry longstreth, 1336 chestnut street. 1863. contents. page chapter i. 13 chapter ii. 29 chapter iii. 42 chapter iv., v. 64 chapter vi.-ix. 90 chapter x. 115 chapter xi. 118 chapter xii. 123 chapter xiii. 140 chapter xiv. 151 chapter xv. 158 chapter xvi. 171 chapter xvii. 181 chapter xviii. 189 chapter xix. 197 chapter xx. 205 chapter xxi. 210 chapter xxii. 217 chapter xxiii. 230 chapter xxiv. 235 chapter xxv. 248 chapter xxvi. 251 chapter xxvii.-xxxv. 256 chapter xxxvi. 300 chapter xxxvii.-l. 300 chapter xxxviii. 305 chapter xxxix.-xlv. 306 preface. to all who love and relish the simple gospel of the grace of god, i would earnestly recommend the following "notes on the book of genesis." they are characterized by a deep-toned evangelical spirit. having had the privilege of reading them in ms., i can speak as one who has found profit therefrom. man's complete ruin in sin, and god's perfect remedy in christ, are fully, clearly, and often strikingly, presented, especially in the earlier chapters. to christ's servants in the gospel sound, forcible statements as to what _sin_ is and what _grace_ is, are deeply valuable in the present time, when so much that is merely superficial is abroad. the gospel of christ, as perfectly meeting man's nature, condition, and character, is comparatively little known, and less proclaimed. hence, the numerous doubts, fears, and unsettled questions which fill the hearts and perplex the consciences of many of god's dear children. until the soul is led to see that the entire question of sin and the claims of divine holiness were _all and forever settled_ on the cross, sweet, quiet rest of conscience will be but little known. nothing can meet the urgent cry of a troubled conscience but the one perfect sacrifice of christ; offered _to_ god _for us_, on the cross. "for even christ _our_ passover is sacrificed _for us_." there, and there alone it will find a _perfect answer_ to its every claim; because there it will find, through believing, all ground of doubt and fear removed, the whole question of sin eternally settled, every divine requirement fully met, and a solid foundation laid for present, settled peace, in the presence of divine holiness: christ "delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification," settles every thing. the moment we believe the gospel, we are saved, and ought to be divinely happy. "he that believeth on the son _hath_ everlasting life." (rom. iv. v.; john iii.) we see the greatness of god's love to the sinner in his judgment of sin in the person of his own dear son on the cross. there god, in perfect grace to us, dealt with sin according to his infinite holiness and justice. he went down to the depths of our ruin and all our sin, measured it, judged it, and put it forever away, _root_ and _branch_, by shedding the precious blood of the spotless victim. "he condemned sin in the flesh;" that is, he there condemned the evil root of sin which is in our flesh,--our carnal nature. but he also "made an end of sins,"--of the actual sins of every believer. thus, between god and christ alone the entire question of sin was gone into, and finally settled on the cross. "simon peter said unto him, lord whither goest thou? jesus answered him, whither i go _thou canst not follow me now_." just as abraham and isaac were alone on the top of the mountain in the land of moriah, so were god and christ alone, amidst the solemnities and solitudes of calvary. the only part we had in the cross was, that our _sins_ were there. jesus _alone_ bore the full weight of their judgment. (comp. dan. ix. 24; rom. viii. 3; 2 cor. v. 21; heb. ix. 26, 28.) whenever this blessed truth is learnt from god's own word, and maintained in the soul by faith, through the power of the holy ghost, all is peace, joy, and victory. it takes the believer completely away from himself, from his doubts, fears, and questions. and his eye now gazes on one who, by his finished work, has laid the foundation of divine and everlasting righteousness, and who is now at the right hand of the majesty in the highest, as the perfect definition of every true believer. with him, with him alone, the believer's heart is now to be occupied. faith is fully assured that when _god_ puts away sin, it must be put away entirely; that, when jesus exclaimed, "it is finished," the work was done,--god was glorified, the sinner saved, the whole power of satan completely destroyed, and peace established on the most solid basis. hence, we find, "the god of _peace_ brought again from the dead our lord jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." he was the god of _judgment_ at the cross. he is the god of _peace_ at the opening grave. every enemy has been vanquished, and eternal peace proclaimed, through the blood of his cross. "he was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father." he rose "in the power of an endless life," and associates every believer with himself, in the power of that life in resurrection. having been cleansed by his blood, they are accepted in his person. (see eph. i. 6; col. ii. 10; 1 john v. 20.) jesus, having thus fully accomplished the work that was given him to do, and gone up on high, the holy ghost came down as a witness to us that redemption was finished, the believer "perfected forever" and christ glorified in heaven. the apostles then began to publish the glad tidings of salvation to the chief of sinners. the subject of their preaching was, "_jesus and the resurrection_." and all who believed on him as risen and glorified were immediately and eternally saved. "and this is the record that god hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his son: he that hath the son hath life, and he that hath not the son of god hath not life." (1 john v. 11, 12.) there is no blessing outside of, or apart from, the person of christ--the heavenly man; "for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily." ever since that time, god has been placing before the sinner, in connection with _his_ gospel, a risen living christ, as the alone object of faith, and "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (rom. x.) when the eye is kept on this heavenly christ, all is light, joy, and peace; but if it be turned in on self, and occupied with what it _finds_ there, and what it _feels_, or with any thing whatever that may come between the heart and christ, all will be darkness, uncertainty, and unhappiness in the soul. oh, how blessedly simple is the gospel of the grace of god! the burden of its message to the _lost sinner_ is, "come, for all things are now ready;" the question of sin is not raised,--"_grace reigns_ through righteousness unto eternal life by jesus christ our lord." christ, having perfectly satisfied god about sin, the only question now between god and your heart is this: _are you perfectly satisfied with his christ as the alone portion of your soul?_ this is the one grand question of the gospel. christ has settled every other to the glory of god; and now the father is going to "make a marriage for his son,"--to honor, exalt, and glorify him. is your heart in full harmony with god's on this point? work is not required at your hands; strength is not needed; fruit is not demanded. god has provided every thing, and prepared every thing. it is all grace,--the pure grace of god. "only believe;" "come, for all things are now ready." the marriage-supper; the wedding-garment, royal honors, the father's presence, fulness of joy, and pleasures for evermore--all are ready,--ready now--"ready to be revealed." dear reader, are you ready? oh, solemn question! are you ready? have you believed the message? have you embraced the son? are you ready to "crown him lord of all?" the table is spread, the house is filling fast: "yet there is room." already you have heard the midnight cry, "behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him," "and they that were ready went in _with him_ to the marriage, and the door was shut." "be ye therefore ready also: for the son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." (matt. xxii., xxv.; luke xii., xiv.) * * * * * but i must now refer my reader to the "notes" themselves, where he will find this most blessed subject fully, frequently, and pointedly stated, and many other subjects of deep practical importance; such as the distinctive position and perfect unity of the church of god; real saintship; practical discipleship; sonship; &c., &c. with the exception of the four gospels, i suppose there is no book in the bible more deeply interesting than the book of genesis. it comes to us with all the freshness of god's first book to his people. the contents are varied, highly instructive, and most precious to the student of god's entire book. these "notes" are again laid at the master's feet in earnest prayer that he would take them up and send them forth under the stamp of his own divine approval. amen. a.m. _london._ prefatory note to the fourth edition. i cannot suffer this fourth edition to go forth without an expression of heartfelt thankfulness to the lord for his goodness in making use of such a feeble instrumentality for the profit of souls and the spread of his own simple truth. it is an unspeakable privilege to be permitted in any small degree to minister to the souls of those who are so precious to christ. "lovest thou me?... feed my sheep." such were the touching words of the departing shepherd; and, assuredly, when they fall powerfully upon the heart, they must rouse all the energies of one's moral being to carry out, in every possible way, the gracious desire breathed therein. to gather and to feed the lambs and sheep of the flock of christ are the most exalted services in which any one can be engaged. not a single honest effort put forth for the achievement of such noble ends will be forgotten in that day "when the chief shepherd shall appear." may god the holy ghost fill the heart, anoint the lips, and consecrate the pen of every servant of christ, so that streams of pure and living truth may flow in every direction for the refreshment of all those who are on their way to glory. c.h.m. _dublin, may, 1861._ notes on the book of genesis. chapter i. there is something peculiarly striking in the manner in which the holy ghost opens this sublime book. he introduces us, at once, to god, in the essential fulness of his being, and the solitariness of his acting. all prefatory matter is omitted. it is to god we are brought. we hear him, as it were, breaking earth's silence, and shining in upon earth's darkness, for the purpose of developing a sphere in which he might display his eternal power and godhead. there is nothing here on which idle curiosity may feed,--nothing on which the poor human mind may speculate. there is the sublimity and reality of divine truth, in its moral power to act on the heart, and on the understanding. it could never come within the range of the spirit of god to gratify idle curiosity by the presentation of curious theories. geologists may explore the bowels of the earth, and draw forth from thence materials from which to add to, and, in some instances, to contradict, the divine record. they may speculate upon fossil remains; but the disciple hangs, with sacred delight, over the page of inspiration. he reads, believes, and worships. in this spirit may we pursue our study of the profound book which now lies open before us. may we know what it is to "inquire in the temple." may our investigations of the precious contents of holy scripture be ever prosecuted in the true spirit of worship. "in the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth." the first sentence in the divine canon sets us in the presence of him who is the infinite source of all true blessedness. there is no elaborate argument in proof of the existence of god. the holy ghost could not enter upon any thing of the kind. god reveals himself. he makes himself known by his works. "the heavens declare the glory of god; and the firmament showeth his handy-work." "all thy works shall praise thee, o lord." "great and marvellous are thy works, lord god almighty." none but an infidel or an atheist would seek an argument in proof of the being of one who, by the word of his mouth, called worlds into existence, and declared himself the all-wise, the almighty, and the everlasting god. who but "god" could "create" any thing. "lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath _created_ these things, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth." (is. xl. 26.) "the gods of the heathen are idols, but the lord made the heavens." in the book of job (chap. xxxviii.-xli.) we have an appeal of the very grandest description, on the part of jehovah himself, to the work of creation, as an unanswerable argument in proof of his infinite superiority; and this appeal, while it sets before the understanding the most vivid and convincing demonstration of god's omnipotence, touches the heart, also, by its amazing condescension. the majesty and the love, the power and the tenderness, are all divine. "and the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." here was, in good truth, a scene in which god alone could act. man, in the pride of his heart, has since proved himself but too ready to interfere with god in other and far higher spheres of action; but, in the scene before us, man had no place until, indeed, he became, like all the rest, the subject of creative power. god was alone in creation. he looked forth from his eternal dwelling-place of light upon the wild waste, and there beheld the sphere in which his wondrous plans and counsels were yet to be unfolded and brought out--where the second person of the eternal trinity was yet to live, and labor, and testify, and bleed, and die, in order to display, in the view of wondering worlds, the glorious perfections of the godhead. all was darkness and chaos; but god is the god of light and order. "god is light, and in him is no darkness at all." darkness and confusion cannot live in his presence, whether we look at it in a physical, moral, intellectual, or spiritual point of view. "the spirit of god moved upon the face of the waters." he sat brooding over the scene of his future operations. a dark scene, truly; and one in which there was ample room for the god of light and life to act. he alone could enlighten the darkness, cause life to spring up, substitute order for chaos, open an expanse between the waters, where life might display itself without fear of death. these were operations worthy of god. "god said, let there be light: and there was light." how simple! and yet how godlike! "he spake, and it was done. he commanded, and it stood fast." infidelity may ask, "how? where? when?" the answer is, "by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of god, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (heb. xi. 3.) this satisfies the teachable spirit. philosophy may smile contemptuously at this, and pronounce it rude ignorance, or blind credulity, suitable enough for an age of semi-barbarism, but quite unworthy of men living in an enlightened age of the world's history, when the museum and the telescope have put us in possession of facts of which the inspired penman knew nothing. what wisdom! what learning! yea, rather, what folly! what nonsense! what total inability to grasp the scope and design of sacred scripture! it, assuredly, is not god's object to make us astronomers or geologists; or to occupy us with details which the microscope or the telescope lays before every school-boy. his object is to lead us into his presence, as worshippers, with hearts and understandings taught and duly governed by his holy word. but this would never do for the so-called philosopher, who, despising what he terms the vulgar and narrow-minded prejudices of the devout disciple of the word, boldly seizes his telescope, and therewith scans the distant heavens, or travels into the deep recesses of earth in search of strata, formations and fossils,--all of which, according to his account, greatly improve, if they do not flatly contradict, the inspired narrative. with such "oppositions of science falsely so called," we have nothing to do. we believe that all true discoveries, whether "in the heavens above, in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth," will harmonize with that which is written in the word of god; and if they do not thus harmonize, they are perfectly contemptible in the judgment of every true lover of scripture. this gives great rest to the heart in a day like the present, so productive of learned speculations and high-sounding theories, which, alas! in too many instances, savor of rationalism and positive infidelity. it is most needful to have the heart thoroughly established as to the fulness, the authority, the completeness, the majesty, the plenary inspiration of the sacred volume. this will be found to be the only effectual safeguard against the rationalism of germany and the superstition of rome. accurate acquaintance with, and profound subjection to, the word, are the great _desiderata_ of the present moment. may the lord, in his great grace, abundantly increase in our midst both the one and the other. "and god saw the light, that it was good: and god divided the light from the darkness. and god called the light day, and the darkness he called night." here we have the two great symbols so largely employed throughout the word. the presence of light makes the day; the absence thereof makes the night. thus it is in the history of souls. there are "the sons of light" and "the sons of darkness." this is a most marked and solemn distinction. all upon whom the light of life has shone,--all who have been effectually visited by the day-spring from on high,--all who have received the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ,--all such, whoever and wherever they may be, belong to the first class, are "the sons of light, and the sons of the day." on the other hand, all who are still in nature's darkness, nature's blindness, nature's unbelief,--all who have not yet received into their hearts, by faith, the cheering beams of the sun of righteousness, all such are still wrapped in the shades of spiritual night, are "the sons of darkness," "the sons of the night." reader, pause and ask yourself, in the presence of the searcher of hearts, to which of these two classes do you, at this moment, belong. that you belong to either the one or the other is beyond all question. you may be poor, despised, unlettered; but if, through grace, there is a link connecting you with the son of god, "the light of the world," then you are, in very deed, a son of the day, and destined, ere long, to shine in that celestial sphere, that region of glory, of which "the slain lamb" will be the central sun, forever. this is not your own doing. it is the result of the counsel and operation of god himself, who has given you light and life, joy and peace, in jesus, and his accomplished sacrifice. but if you are a total stranger to the hallowed action and influence of divine light, if your eyes have not been opened to behold any beauty in the son of god, then, though you had all the learning of a newton, though you were enriched with all the treasures of human philosophy, though you had drunk in with avidity all the streams of human science, though your name were adorned with all the learned titles which the schools and universities of this world could bestow, yet are you "a son of the night," "a son of darkness;" and, if you die in your present condition you will be involved in the blackness and horror of an eternal night. do not, therefore, my friend, read another page, until you have fully satisfied yourself as to whether you belong to the "day" or the "night." the next point on which i would dwell is the creation of lights. "and god said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years. and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth: and it was so. and god made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also." the sun is the great centre of light, and the centre of our system. round him the lesser orbs revolve. from him, too, they derive their light. hence, he may, very legitimately, be viewed as an apt symbol of him, who is soon to arise with healing in his wings, to gladden the hearts of those that fear the lord. the aptness and beauty of the symbol would fully appear to one who, having spent the night in watching, beholds the rising sun gilding, with his bright beams, the eastern sky. the mists and shades of night are all dispersed, and the whole creation seems to hail the returning orb of light. thus will it be, by and by, when the sun of righteousness arises. the shadows of night shall flee away, and the whole creation shall be gladdened by the dawning of "a morning without clouds,"--the opening of a bright and never-ending day of glory. the moon, being in herself opaque, derives all her light from the sun. she always reflects the sun's light, save when earth and its influences intervene.[1] no sooner has the sun sunk beneath our horizon than the moon presents herself to receive his beams and reflect them back upon a dark world; or should she be visible during the day, she always exhibits a pale light, the necessary result of appearing in the presence of superior brightness. true it is, as has been remarked, the world sometimes intervenes; dark clouds, thick mists, and chilling vapors, too, arise from earth's surface, and hide from our view her silvery light. now, as the sun is a beautiful and an appropriate symbol of christ, so the moon strikingly reminds us of the church. the fountain of her light is hidden from view. the world seeth him not, but she sees him; and she is responsible to reflect his beams upon a benighted world. the world has no other way in which to learn any thing of christ but by the church. "ye," says the inspired apostle, "are our epistle, ... known and read of all men." and again, "forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of christ." (2 cor. iii. 2, 3.) what a responsible place! how earnestly should she watch against every thing that would hinder the reflection of the heavenly light of christ, in all her ways! but how is she to reflect this light? by allowing it to shine upon her, in its undimmed brightness. if the church only walked in the light of christ, she would, assuredly, reflect his light; and this would ever keep her in her proper position. the light of the moon is not her own. so it is with the church. she is not called to set herself before the world. she is a simple debtor to reflect the light which she herself receives. she is bound to study, with holy diligence, the path which he trod, while down here; and by the energy of the holy ghost, who dwells in her, to follow in that path. but, alas! earth with its mists, its clouds, and its vapors, intervenes, and hides the light and blots the epistle. the world can see but little of the traits of christ's character in those who call themselves by his name; yea, in many instances they exhibit an humbling contrast, rather than a resemblance. may we study christ more prayerfully, that so we may copy him more faithfully. the stars are distant lights. they shine in other spheres, and have little connection with this system, save that their twinkling can be seen. "one star differeth from another star in glory." thus will it be in the coming kingdom of the son. he will shine forth in living and everlasting lustre. his body, the church, will faithfully reflect his beams on all around; while the saints individually shall shine in those spheres which a righteous judge shall allot to them, as a reward of faithful service during the dark night of his absence. this thought should animate us to a more ardent and vigorous pursuit after conformity to our absent lord. (see luke xix. 12-19.) the lower orders of creation are next introduced. the sea and the earth are made to teem with life. some may feel warranted in regarding the operations of each successive day, as foreshadowing the various dispensations, and their great characteristic principles of action. i would only remark, as to this, that there is great need, when handling the word in this way, to watch, with holy jealousy, the working of imagination; and also to pay strict attention to the general analogy of scripture, else we may make sad mistakes. i do not feel at liberty to enter upon such a line of interpretation; i shall therefore confine myself to what i believe to be the plain sense of the sacred text. we shall now consider man's place, as set over the works of god's hands. all having been set in order, one was needed to take the headship. "and god said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let _them_ have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. so god created man in his own image, in the image of god created he _him_: male and female created he _them_. and god blessed them, and god said unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and 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." my reader will observe the change from "him" to "them." we are not presented with the actual fact of the formation of the woman, until the next chapter; though here we find god blessing "them," and giving "them" jointly the place of universal government. all the inferior orders of creation were set under their joint dominion. eve received all her blessings in adam. in him, too, she got her dignity. though not yet called into actual existence, she was, in the purpose of god, looked at as part of the man. "in thy book were all my members written, which, in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." thus it is with the church,--the bride of the second man. she was viewed from all eternity in christ, her head and lord; as we read in the first chapter of ephesians, "according as he hath chosen us in him, _before the foundation of the world_, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." before a single member of the church had yet breathed the breath of life, all were, in god's eternal mind, predestinated to be conformed to the "image of his son." the counsels of god render the church necessary to complete the mystic man. hence the church is called "the fulness ([greek: plãªrã´ma]) of him that filleth all in all." this is an amazing title, and it develops much of the dignity, importance, and glory of the church. it is too common to view redemption as bearing merely upon the blessedness and security of individual souls. this is entirely too low a view to take of the matter. that all which pertains, in any way, to the individual is, in the fullest manner, secured, is, blessed be god, most true. this is the least part of redemption. but that christ's glory is involved in, and connected with, the church's existence, is a truth of far more dignity, depth, and power. if i am entitled, on the authority of holy scripture, to regard myself as a constituent part of that which is actually needful to christ, i can no longer entertain a doubt as to whether there is the fullest provision for all my personal necessities. and is not the church thus needful to christ? yes, truly. "it is not good that _the_ man should be alone; i will make him an help meet for him." and, again, "for the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man; neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.... nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the lord. for as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of god." (1 cor. xi. 8-12.) hence, it is no longer the mere question whether god can save a poor, helpless sinner,--whether he can blot out his sins, and receive him in the power of divine righteousness. god has said, "it is not good that the man should be alone." he left not "the first man" without "an help meet;" neither would he leave the "second." as, in the case of the former, there would have been a blank in the creation without eve, so--stupendous thought!--in the case of the latter, there would be a blank in the new creation without the bride, the church. let us, now, look at the manner in which eve was brought into being, though, in so doing, we shall have to anticipate part of the contents of the next chapter. throughout all the orders of creation there was not found an help meet for adam. "a deep sleep" must fall on him, and a partner be formed, out of himself, to share his dominion and his blessedness. "and the lord god caused a deep sleep to fall upon adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof." and the rib, which the lord god had taken from man, builded[2] he a woman, and brought her unto the man. and adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. (chap. ii. 21-23.) looking at adam and eve as a type of christ and the church, as scripture fully warrants us to do, we see how that the death of christ needed to be an accomplished fact, ere the church could be set up; though, in the purpose of god, she was looked at, and chosen in christ, before the foundation of the world. there is, however, a vast difference between the secret purpose of god and the revelation and accomplishment thereof. before the divine purpose could be actualized in reference to the constituent parts of the church, it was necessary that the son should be rejected and crucified,--that he should take his seat on high,--that he should send down the holy ghost to baptize believers into one body. it is not that souls were not quickened and saved, previous to the death of christ. they assuredly were. adam was saved, and thousands of others, from age to age, in virtue of the sacrifice of christ, though that sacrifice was not yet accomplished. but the salvation of individual souls is one thing; and the formation of the church, as a distinctive thing, by the holy ghost, is quite another. this distinction is not sufficiently attended to; and even where it is in theory maintained, it is accompanied with but little of those practical results which might naturally be expected to flow from a truth so stupendous. the church's unique place,--her special relationship to "the second man, the lord from heaven,"--her distinctive privileges and dignities,--all these things would, if entered into by the power of the holy ghost, produce the richest, the rarest, and the most fragrant fruits. (see eph. v. 23-32.) when we look at the type before us, we may form some idea of the results which ought to follow from the understanding of the church's position and relationship. what affection did not eve owe to adam! what nearness she enjoyed! what intimacy of communion! what full participation in all his thoughts! in all his dignity, and in all his glory, she was entirely one. he did not rule _over_, but _with_ her. he was lord of the whole creation, and she was one with him. yea, as has already been remarked, she was looked at, and blessed _in_ him. "the man" was the object; and as to "the woman," she was needful to him, and therefore she was brought into being. nothing can be more profoundly interesting as a type. man first set up, and the woman viewed in, and then formed out of him,--all this forms a type of the most striking and instructive character. not that a doctrine can ever be founded upon a type; but when we find the doctrine fully and clearly laid down in other parts of the word, we are then prepared to understand, appreciate, and admire the type. the 8th psalm furnishes a fine view of man set over the work of god's hands: "when i consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained: what is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him? for thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea." here man is looked at, without any distinctive mention of the woman; and this is quite in character, for the woman is looked at _in_ the man. there is no direct revelation of the mystery of the church, in any part of the old testament. the apostle expressly says, "in other ages it was not made known to the sons of men as it is _now_ revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets (of the new testament) by the spirit." (eph. iii. 1-11.) hence, in the psalm just quoted, we have only "the man" presented to us; but we know that the man and the woman are looked at under one head. all this will find its full antitype in the ages to come. then shall the true man, the lord from heaven, take his seat on the throne, and, in companionship with his bride, the church, rule over a restored creation. this church is quickened out of the grave of christ, is part "of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." he the head and she the body, making one man, as we read in the fourth chapter of ephesians, "till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of god, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ." the church, being thus part of christ, will occupy a place, in the glory, quite unique. there was no other creature so near to adam as eve, because no other creature was part of himself. so, in reference to the church, she will hold the very nearest place to christ, in his coming glory. nor is it merely what the church _will be_ that commands our admiration; but what the church _is_. she is now the body of which christ is the head; she is now the temple of which god is the inhabitant. oh, what manner of people ought we to be! if such is the present, such the future dignity of that of which we, through god's grace, form a part, surely a holy, a devoted, a separated, an elevated walk is what becomes us. may the holy ghost unfold these things, more fully and powerfully, to our hearts, that so we may have a deeper sense of the conduct and character which are worthy of the high vocation wherewith we are called. "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (eph. i. 18-23.) footnotes: [1] it is an interesting fact that the moon, as viewed through a powerful telescope, presents the appearance of one vast ruin of nature. [2] the hebrew word which is rendered "builded" in the margin, is [hebrew: vayyven] which the lxx. render by [greek: ã´kodomesen]. a reference to the original of eph. ii. 20, 22 will show the reader that the words rendered "built" and "builded together" are inflections of the same verb. chapter ii. this chapter introduces to our notice two prominent subjects, namely, "the seventh day" and "the river." the first of these demands special attention. there are few subjects on which so much misunderstanding and contradiction prevails as the doctrine of "the sabbath." not that there is the slightest foundation for either the one or the other; for the whole subject is laid down in the word, in the simplest possible manner. the distinct _commandment_, to "keep holy the sabbath-day," will come before us, the lord permitting, in our meditations on the book of exodus. in the chapter now before us, there is no command given to man whatever; but simply the record that, "god rested on the seventh day." "thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 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. 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." there is no commandment given to man, here. we are simply told that god enjoyed his rest, because all was done, so far as the mere creation was concerned. there was nothing more to be done, and, therefore, the one who had, during six days, been working, ceased to work, and enjoyed his rest. all was complete; all was very good; all was just as he himself had made it; and he rested in it. "the morning stars sang together; and all the sons of god shouted for joy." the work of creation was ended, and god was celebrating a sabbath. and be it observed, that this is the true character of a sabbath. this is the only sabbath which god ever celebrated, so far as the inspired record instructs us. after this, we read of god's commanding man to keep the sabbath, and man utterly failing so to do; but we never read again the words, "god rested:" on the contrary, the word is, "my father worketh hitherto, and i work." (john v. 17.) the sabbath, in the strict and proper sense of the term, could only be celebrated when there really was nothing to be done. it could only be celebrated amid an undefiled creation,--a creation on which no spot of sin could be discerned. god can have no rest where there is sin; and one has only to look around him in order to learn the total impossibility of god's enjoying a rest in creation _now_. the thorn and the thistle, together with the ten thousand other melancholy and humiliating fruits of a groaning creation, rise before us, and declare that god must be at _work_ and not at _rest_. could god rest in the midst of thorns and briers? could he rest amid the sighs and tears, the groans and sorrows, the sickness and death, the degradation and guilt of a ruined world? could god sit down, as it were, and celebrate a sabbath in the midst of such circumstances? whatever answer may be given to these questions, the word of god teaches us that god has had no sabbath, as yet, save the one which the 2d of genesis records. "the seventh day," and none other, was the sabbath. it showed forth the completeness of creation-work; but creation-work is marred, and the seventh-day rest interrupted; and thus, from the fall to the incarnation, god was working; from the incarnation to the cross, god the son was working; and from pentecost until now, god the holy ghost has been working. assuredly, christ had no sabbath when he was upon this earth. true, he finished his work,--blessedly, gloriously finished it,--but where did he spend the sabbath-day? _in the tomb!_ yes, my reader, the lord christ, god manifest in the flesh, the lord of the sabbath, the maker and sustainer of heaven and earth, spent the seventh day in the dark and silent tomb. has this no voice for us? does it convey no teaching? could the son of god lie in the grave on the seventh day, if that day were to be spent in rest and peace; and in the full sense that nothing remained to be done? impossible! we want no further proof of the impossibility of celebrating a sabbath than that which is afforded at the grave of jesus. we may stand beside that grave amazed to find it occupied by such an one on the seventh day; but, oh! the reason is obvious. man is a fallen, ruined, guilty creature. his long career of guilt has ended in crucifying the lord of glory; and not only crucifying him, but placing a great stone at the mouth of the tomb, to prevent, if possible, his leaving it. and what was man doing while the son of god was in the grave? he was observing the sabbath-day! what a thought! christ in his grave to repair a broken sabbath, and yet man attempting to keep the sabbath as though it were not broken at all! it was _man's_ sabbath, and not god's. it was a sabbath without christ,--an empty, powerless, worthless, because christless and godless, form. but some will say, "the day has been changed, while all the principles belonging to it remain the same." i do not believe that scripture furnishes any foundation for such an idea. where is the divine warrant for such a statement? surely if there is scripture authority, nothing can be easier than to produce it. but the fact is, there is none; on the contrary, the distinction is most fully maintained in the new testament. take one remarkable passage, in proof: "in the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week." (matt. xxviii. 1.) there is, evidently, no mention here of the seventh day being changed to the first day; nor yet of any transfer of the sabbath from the one to the other. the first day of the week is not the sabbath changed, but altogether a new day. it is the first day of a new period, and not the last day of an old. the seventh day stands connected with earth and earthly rest: the first day of the week, on the contrary, introduces us to heaven and heavenly rest. this makes a vast difference in the principle; and when we look at the matter in a practical point of view, the difference is most material. if i celebrate the seventh day, it marks me as an earthly man, inasmuch as that day is, clearly, the rest of earth--creation-rest; but if i am taught by the word and spirit of god to understand the meaning of the first day of the week, i shall at once apprehend its immediate connection with that new and heavenly order of things, of which the death and resurrection of christ form the everlasting foundation. the seventh day appertained to israel and to earth. the first day of the week appertains to the church and to heaven. further, israel was _commanded_ to observe the sabbath day; the church is _privileged_ to enjoy the first day of the week. the former was the _test_ of israel's moral condition; the latter is the significant _proof_ of the church's eternal acceptance. that made manifest what israel _could do_ for god; this perfectly declares what god _has done_ for us. it is quite impossible to over-estimate the value and importance of the lord's day, ([greek: h㪠kyriak㪠hãªmera,]) as the first day of the week is termed, in the first chapter of the apocalypse. being the day on which christ rose from the dead, it sets forth not the completion of creation, but the full and glorious triumph of redemption. nor should we regard the celebration of the first day of the week as a matter of bondage, or as a yoke put on the neck of a christian. it is his delight to celebrate that happy day. hence we find that the first day of the week was pre-eminently the day on which the early christians came together to break bread; and at that period of the church's history, the distinction between the sabbath and the first day of the week was fully maintained. the jews celebrated the former, by assembling in their synagogues to read "the law and the prophets;" the christians celebrated the latter, by assembling to break bread. there is not so much as a single passage of scripture in which the first day of the week is called the sabbath day; whereas there is the most abundant proof of their entire distinctness. why, therefore, contend for that which has no foundation in the word? love, honor, and celebrate the lord's day as much as possible; seek, like the apostle, to be "in the spirit" thereon; let your retirement from secular matters be as profound as ever you can make it; but while you do all this, call it by its proper name; give it its proper place; understand its proper principles; attach to it its proper characteristics; and, above all, do not bind down the christian, as with an iron rule, to observe the seventh day, when it is his high and holy privilege to observe the first. do not bring him down from heaven, where he can rest, to a cursed and bloodstained earth, where he cannot. do not ask him to keep a day which his master spent in the tomb, instead of that blessed day on which he left it. (see, carefully, matt. xxviii. 1-6; mark xvi. 1-2; luke xxiv. 1; john xx. 1, 19, 26; acts xx. 7; 1 cor. xvi. 2; rev. i. 10; acts xiii. 14; xvii. 2; col. ii. 16.) but let it not be supposed that we lose sight of the important fact that the sabbath will again be celebrated, in the land of israel, and over the whole creation. it assuredly will. "there remaineth a rest ([greek: sabbatismos]) for the people of god." (heb. iv. 9.) when the son of abraham, son of david, and son of man, shall assume his position of government over the whole earth, there will be a glorious sabbath,--a rest which sin shall never interrupt. but now, he is rejected, and all who know and love him are called to take their place with him in his rejection; they are called to "go forth to him without the camp bearing his reproach." (heb. xiii. 13.) if earth could keep a sabbath, there would be no reproach; but the very fact of the professing church's seeking to make the first day of the week the sabbath, reveals a deep principle. it is but the effort to get back to an earthly standing, and to an earthly code of morals. many may not see this. many true christians may, most conscientiously, observe the sabbath day, as such; and we are bound to honor their consciences, though we are perfectly warranted in asking them to furnish a scriptural basis for their conscientious convictions. we would not stumble or wound their conscience, but we would seek to instruct it. however, we are not now occupied with conscience or its convictions, but only with the principle which lies at the root of what may be termed the sabbath question; and i would only put the question to the christian reader, which is more consonant with the entire scope and spirit of the new testament, the celebration of the seventh day or sabbath, or the celebration of the first day of the week or the lord's day?[3] we shall now consider the connection between the sabbath, and the river flowing out of eden. there is much interest in this. it is the first notice we get of "the river of god," which is, here, introduced in connection with god's rest. when god was resting in his works, the whole world felt the blessing and refreshment thereof. it was impossible for god to keep a sabbath, and earth not to feel its sacred influence. but, alas! the streams which flowed forth from eden--the scene of earthly rest--were speedily interrupted, because the rest of creation was marred by sin. yet, blessed be god, sin did not put a stop to his activities, but only gave them a new sphere; and wherever he is seen acting, the river is seen flowing. thus, when we find him, with a strong hand, and an outstretched arm, conducting his ransomed hosts across the sterile sand of the desert, there we see the stream flowing forth, not from eden, but from the smitten rock,--apt and beautiful expression of the ground on which sovereign grace ministers to the need of sinners! this was redemption, and not merely creation. "that rock was christ," christ smitten to meet his people's need. the smitten rock was connected with jehovah's place in the tabernacle; and truly there was moral beauty in the connection. god dwelling in curtains, and israel drinking from a smitten rock, had a voice for every opened ear, and a deep lesson for every circumcised heart. (exod. xvii. 6.) passing onward, in the history of god's ways, we find the river flowing in another channel. "in the last day, that great day of the feast, jesus stood, and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. he that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (john vii. 37, 38.) here, then, we find the river emanating from another source, and flowing through another channel; though, in one sense, the source of the river was ever the same, being god himself; but, then, it was god, known in a new relationship and upon a new principle. thus in the passage just quoted, the lord jesus was taking his place, in spirit, outside of the whole existing order of things, and presenting himself as the source of the river of living water, of which river the person of the believer was to be the channel. eden, of old, was constituted a debtor to the whole earth, to send forth the fertilizing streams. and in the desert, the rock, when smitten, became a debtor to israel's thirsty hosts. just so, now, every one who believes in jesus, is a debtor to the scene around him, to allow the streams of refreshment to flow forth from him. the christian should regard himself as the channel through which the manifold grace of christ may flow out to a needy world; and the more freely he communicates, the more freely will he receive, "for there is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty." this places the believer in a place of sweetest privileges, and, at the same time, of the most solemn responsibility. he is called to be the constant witness and exhibiter of the grace of him on whom he believes. now, the more he enters into the privilege, the more will he answer the responsibility. if he is habitually feeding upon christ, he cannot avoid exhibiting him. the more the holy spirit keeps the christian's eye fixed on jesus, the more will his heart be occupied with his adorable person, and his life and character bear unequivocal testimony to his grace. faith is, at once, the power of ministry, the power of testimony, and the power of worship. if we are not living "by the faith of the son of god, who loved us, and gave himself for us," we shall neither be effectual servants, faithful witnesses, nor true worshippers. we may be doing a great deal; but it will not be service to christ. we may be saying a great deal, but it will not be testimony for christ. we may exhibit a great deal of piety and devotion; but it will not be spiritual and true worship. finally, we have the river of god, presented to us in the last chapter of the apocalypse.[4] "and he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of god and of the lamb." "there is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of god, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high." this is the last place in which we find the river. its source can never again be touched,--its channel never again interrupted. "the throne of god" is expressive of eternal stability; and the presence of the lamb marks it as based upon the immediate ground of accomplished redemption. it is not god's throne in creation; nor in providence: but in redemption. when i see _the lamb_, i know its connection with me as _a sinner_. "the throne of god," as such, would but deter me; but when god reveals himself in the person of the lamb, the heart is attracted, and the conscience tranquillized. the blood of the lamb cleanses the conscience from every speck and stain of sin, and sets it, in perfect freedom, in the presence of a holiness which cannot tolerate sin. in the cross, all the claims of divine holiness were perfectly answered; so that the more i understand the latter, the more i appreciate the former. the higher our estimate of holiness, the higher will be our estimate of the work of the cross. "grace reigns, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by jesus christ our lord." hence the psalmist calls on the saints to give thanks at the remembrance of god's holiness. this is a precious fruit of a perfect redemption. before ever a sinner can give thanks at the remembrance of god's holiness, he must look at it by faith, from the resurrection side of the cross. having thus traced the river, from genesis to revelation, we shall briefly look at adam's position in eden. we have seen him as a type of christ; but he is not merely to be viewed typically, but personally; not merely as absolutely shadowing forth "the second man, the lord from heaven," but also as standing in the place of personal responsibility. in the midst of the fair scene of creation, the lord god set up a testimony, and this testimony was also a test for the creature. it spoke of _death_ in the midst of _life_. "in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." strange, solemn sound! yet, it was a needed sound. adam's life was suspended upon his strict obedience. the link which connected him with the lord god[5] was obedience, based on implicit confidence in the one who had set him in his position of dignity--confidence in his truth--confidence in his love. he could obey only while he confided. we shall see the truth and force of this more fully when we come to examine the next chapter. i would here suggest to my reader the remarkable contrast between the testimony set up in eden, and that which is set up now. then, when all around was _life_, god spoke of _death_; now, on the contrary, when all around is death, god speaks of life: then the word was, "in the day thou eatest thou shalt _die_;" now the word is, "believe and _live_." and, as in eden, the enemy sought to make void god's testimony, as to the result of eating the fruit, so now, he seeks to make void god's testimony as to the result of believing the gospel. god had said, "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely _die_." but the serpent said, "ye shall not surely _die_." and now, when god's word plainly declares that "he that believeth on the son _hath_ everlasting _life_," (john iii. 36,) the same serpent seeks to persuade people that they have _not_ everlasting _life_, nor should they presume to think of such a thing, until they have, first, _done_, _felt_, and _experienced_ all manner of things. my beloved reader, if you have not yet heartily believed the divine record, let me beseech you to allow "the voice of the lord" to prevail above the hiss of the serpent. "he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (john v. 24.) footnotes: [3] this subject will, if the lord permit, come before us again in the twentieth chapter of exodus; but i would, here, observe, that very much of the offence and misunderstanding connected with the important subject of the sabbath, may be justly traced to the inconsiderate and injudicious conduct of some who, in their zeal for what they termed christian liberty, in reference to the sabbath, rather lose sight of the claims of honest consciences; and also of the place which the lord's day occupies in the new testament. some have been known to enter on their weekly avocations, simply to show their liberty, and thus they caused much needless offence. such acting could never have been suggested by the spirit of christ. if i am ever so clear and free in my own mind, i should respect the consciences of my brethren; and, moreover, i do not believe that those who so carry themselves, really understand the true and precious privileges connected with the lord's day. we should only be too thankful to be rid of all secular occupation and distraction, to think of having recourse to them for the purpose of showing our liberty. the good providence of our god has so arranged for his people throughout the british empire that they can, without pecuniary loss, enjoy the rest of the lord's day, inasmuch as all are obliged to abstain from business. this must be regarded by every well-regulated mind as a mercy; for, if it were not thus ordered, we know how man's covetous heart would, if possible, rob the christian of the sweet privilege of attending the assembly on the lord's day. and who can tell what would be the deadening effect of uninterrupted engagement with this world's traffic? those christians who, from monday morning to saturday night, breathe the dense atmosphere of the mart, the market, and the manufactory, can form some idea of it. it cannot be regarded as a good sign to find men introducing measures for the public profanation of the lord's day. it assuredly marks the progress of infidelity and french influence. but there are some who teach that the expression [greek: h㪠kyriak㪠hãªmera], which is rightly enough translated, "the lord's day," refers to "the day of the lord," and that the exiled apostle found himself carried forward, as it were, into the spirit of the day of the lord. i do not believe the original would bear such an interpretation; and, besides, we have in 1 thess. v. 2, and 2 peter iii. 10, the exact words, "the day of the lord," the original of which is quite different from the expression above referred to, being not [greek: h㪠kyriak㪠hãªmera], but [greek: h㪠hãªmera kyriou]. this entirely settles the matter, so far as the mere criticism is concerned; and as to interpretation, it is plain that by far the greater portion of the apocalypse is occupied, not with "the day of the lord," but with events prior thereto. [4] compare, also, ezekiel xlvii. 1-12; and zech. xiv. 8. [5] my reader will observe the change in the second chapter from the expression "god" to "lord god." there is much importance in the distinction. when god is seen acting in relation with man, he takes the title "lord god,"--(jehovah elohim;) but until man appears on the scene, the word "lord" is not used. i shall just point out three out of many passages in which the distinction is very strikingly presented. "and they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as _god_ (elohim) had commanded him; and the _lord_ (jehovah) shut him in." (gen. vii. 16.) elohim was going to destroy the world which he had made; but jehovah took care of the man with whom he stood in relation. again, "that all the earth may know that there is a god (elohim) in israel. and all this assembly shall know that the lord (jehovah) saveth," &c. (1 sam. xvii. 46, 47.) all the earth was to recognise the presence of elohim; but israel was called to recognise the actings of jehovah, with whom they stood in relation. lastly, "jehoshaphat cried out, and _the lord_ (jehovah) helped him; and _god_ (elohim) moved _them_ to depart from him." (2 chron. xviii. 31.) jehovah took care of his poor erring servant; but elohim, though unknown, acted upon the hearts of the uncircumcised syrians. chapter iii. this section of our book sets before us the breaking up of the whole scene on which we have been dwelling. it abounds in very weighty principles; and has, very justly, been, in all ages, resorted to as a most fruitful theme for those who desired to set forth the truth as to man's ruin and god's remedy. the serpent enters, with a bold question as to divine revelation,--terrible model and forerunner of all infidel questions since raised by those who have, alas! too faithfully served the serpent's cause in the world,--questions which are only to be met by the supreme authority and divine majesty of holy scripture. "yea, hath god said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" this was satan's crafty inquiry; and had the word of god been dwelling richly in eve's heart, her answer might have been direct, simple, and conclusive. the true way in which to meet satan's questions and suggestions, is to treat them as his, and repel them by the word. to let them near the heart, for a moment, is to lose the only power by which to answer them. the devil did not openly present himself and say, "i am the devil, the enemy of god, and i am come to traduce him, and ruin you." this would not be serpent-like; and, yet, he really did all this, _by raising questions_ in the mind of the creature. to admit the question, "hath god said?" when i know that god has spoken, is positive infidelity; and the very fact of my admitting it, proves my total incapacity to meet it. hence, in eve's case, the form of her reply evidenced the fact that she had admitted to her heart the serpent's crafty inquiry. instead of adhering strictly to the exact words of god, she, in her reply, actually adds thereto. now, either to add to, or take from, god's word, proves, very clearly, that his word is not dwelling in my heart, or governing my conscience. if a man is finding his enjoyment in obedience, if it is his meat and his drink, if he is living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of jehovah, he will, assuredly, be acquainted with, and fully alive to, his word. he could not be indifferent to it. the lord jesus, in his conflict with satan, accurately applied the word, because he lived upon it, and esteemed it more than his necessary food. he could not misquote or misapply the word, neither could he be indifferent about it. not so eve. she added to what god had said. his command was simple enough, "thou shalt not eat of it." to this eve adds her own words, "neither shall ye touch it." these were eve's words and not god's. he had said nothing about touching; so that whether her misquotation proceeded from ignorance, or indifference, or a desire to represent god in an arbitrary light, or from all three together, it is plain that she was entirely off the true ground of simple confidence in, and subjection to, god's holy word. "by the words of thy mouth, i have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." nothing can possess more commanding interest than the way in which the word is everywhere put forward throughout the sacred canon, together with the immense importance of strict obedience thereto. obedience is due from us to god's word, simply because it is his word. to raise a question when he has spoken, is blasphemy. we are in the place of the creature. he is the creator; he may, therefore, justly claim obedience from us. the infidel may call this "blind obedience;" but the christian calls it intelligent obedience, inasmuch as it is based upon the knowledge that it is god's word to which he is obedient. if a man had not god's word, he might well be said to be in blindness and darkness, for there is not so much as a single ray of divine light, within or around us, but what emanates from god's pure and eternal word. all that we want to know is that god has spoken, and then obedience becomes the very highest order of intelligent acting. when the soul gets up to god, it has reached the very highest source of authority. no man, nor body of men, can claim obedience to their word, because it is theirs; and hence the claims of the church of rome are arrogant and impious. in her claiming obedience, she usurps the prerogative of god; and all who yield it, rob god of his right. she presumes to place herself between god and the conscience; and who can do this with impunity? when god speaks, man is bound to obey. happy is he if he does so. woe be to him if he does not. infidelity may question if god has spoken; superstition may place human authority between my conscience and what god has spoken; by both alike i am effectually robbed of the word, and, as a consequence, of the deep blessedness of obedience. there is a blessing in every act of obedience; but the moment the soul hesitates, the enemy has the advantage; and he will assuredly use it to thrust the soul farther and farther from god. thus, in the chapter before us, the question, "hath god said?" was followed by, "ye shall not surely die." that is to say, there was first the question raised, as to whether god had spoken, and then followed the open contradiction of what god had said. this solemn fact is abundantly sufficient to show how dangerous it is to admit near the heart a question as to divine revelation, in its fulness and integrity. a refined rationalism is very near akin to bold infidelity; and the infidelity that dares to judge god's word is not far from the atheism that denies his existence. eve would never have stood by to hear god contradicted, if she had not previously fallen into looseness and indifference as to his word. she, too, had her "phases of faith," or, to speak more correctly, her phases of infidelity; she suffered god to be contradicted by a creature, simply because his word had lost its proper authority over her heart, her conscience, and her understanding. this furnishes a most solemn warning to all who are in danger of being ensnared by an unhallowed rationalism. there is no true security, save in a profound faith in the plenary inspiration and supreme authority of "all scripture." the soul that is endowed with this has a triumphant answer to every objector, whether he issue from rome or germany. "there is nothing new under the sun." the self-same evil which is now corrupting the very springs of religious thought and feeling, throughout the fairest portion of the continent of europe, was that which laid eve's heart in ruins, in the garden of eden. the first step in her downward course was her hearkening to the question, "hath god said?" and then, onward she went, from stage to stage, until, at length, she bowed before the serpent, and owned him as her god, and the fountain of truth. yes, my reader, the serpent displaced god, and the serpent's lie god's truth. thus it was with fallen man; and thus it is with fallen man's posterity. god's word has no place in the heart of the unregenerated man; but the lie of the serpent has. let the formation of man's heart be examined, and it will be found that there is a place therein for satan's lie, but none whatever for the truth of god. hence the force of the word to nicodemus, "ye must be born again." but, it is important to observe the mode in which the serpent sought to shake eve's confidence in god's truth, and thus bring her under the power of infidel "_reason_." it was by shaking her confidence in god's love. he sought to shake her confidence in what god had said by showing that the testimony was not founded in love. "for," said he, "god doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil." (ver. 5.) in other words, "there is positive advantage connected with the eating of that fruit of which god is seeking to deprive you; why, therefore, should you believe god's testimony? you cannot place confidence in one who, manifestly, does not love you; for, if he loved you, why should he prohibit your enjoying a positive privilege?" eve's security against the influence of all this reasoning, would have been simple repose in the infinite goodness of god. she should have said to the serpent, "i have the fullest confidence in god's goodness, and, therefore, i deem it impossible that he could withhold any real good from me. if that fruit were good for me, i should surely have it; but the fact of its being forbidden by god proves that i would be no better, but much worse off by the eating of it. i am convinced of god's _love_, and i am convinced of god's _truth_, and i believe, too, that you are an evil one come to draw my heart away from the fountain of goodness and truth. get thee behind me, satan." this would have been a noble reply. but it was not given. her confidence in truth and love gave way, and all was lost; and so we find that there is just as little place in the heart of fallen man for god's love, as there is for god's truth. the heart of man is a stranger to both the one and the other, until renewed by the power of the holy ghost. now, it is deeply interesting to turn from satan's lie in reference to the truth and love of god, to the mission of the lord jesus christ, who came from the bosom of the father in order to reveal what he really is. "grace and truth,"--the very things which man lost, in his fall,--"came by jesus christ." (john i. 17.) he was "the faithful witness" of what god was. (rev. i. 5.) truth reveals god as he is; but this truth is connected with the revelation of perfect grace; and thus the sinner finds, to his unspeakable joy, that the revelation of what god is, instead of being his destruction, becomes the basis of his eternal salvation. "this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true god, and jesus christ whom thou hast sent." (john xvii. 3.) i cannot know god and not have life. the loss of the knowledge of god was death; but the knowledge of god is life. this, necessarily, makes life a thing entirely outside of ourselves, and dependent upon what god is. let me arrive at what amount of self-knowledge i may, it is not said that "this is life eternal, to know themselves;" though, no doubt, the knowledge of god and the knowledge of self will go very much together; still, "eternal life" is connected with the former, and not with the latter. to know god as he is, is life; and "all who know not god" shall be "punished with everlasting destruction from his presence." it is of the utmost importance to see that what really stamps man's character and condition is his ignorance or knowledge of god. this it is that marks his character here, and fixes his destiny hereafter. is he evil in his thoughts, evil in his words, evil in his actions? it is all the result of his being ignorant of god. on the other hand, is he pure in thought, holy in conversation, gracious in action? it is but the practical result of his knowledge of god. so also as to the future. to know god is the solid ground of endless bliss,--everlasting glory. to know him not is "everlasting destruction." thus the knowledge of god is every thing. it quickens the soul, purifies the heart, tranquillizes the conscience, elevates the affections, sanctifies the entire character and conduct. need we wonder, therefore, that satan's grand design was to rob the creature of the true knowledge of the only true god? he misrepresented the blessed god: he said he was not kind. this was the secret spring of all the mischief. it matters not what shape sin has since taken,--it matters not through what channel it has flowed, under what head it has ranged itself, or in what garb it has clothed itself,--it is all to be traced to this one thing, namely, ignorance of god. the most refined and cultivated moralist, the most devout religionist, the most benevolent philanthropist, if ignorant of god, is as far from life and true holiness, as the publican and the harlot. the prodigal was just as much a sinner, and as positively away from the father, when he had crossed the threshold, as when he was feeding swine in the far country. (luke xv. 13-15.) so in eve's case. the moment she took herself out of the hands of god,--out of the position of absolute dependence upon, and subjection to, his word,--she abandoned herself to the government of sense, as used of satan for her entire overthrow. the sixth verse presents three things, namely: "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life;" which three, as the apostle states, comprehend "all that is in the world." these things necessarily took the lead, when god was shut out. if i do not abide in the happy assurance of god's love and truth, his grace and faithfulness, i shall surrender myself to the government of some one, or it may be all, of the above principles; and this is only another name for the government of satan. there is, strictly speaking, no such thing as man's free-will. if man be self-governed, he is really governed by satan; and if not, he is governed by god. now, the three great agencies by which satan works are "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life." those were the things presented by satan to the lord jesus, in the temptation. he began by tempting the second man to take himself out of the position of absolute dependence upon god. "command these stones that they be made bread." he asked him to do this, not, as in the case of the first man, to make himself what he was not, but to prove what he was. then followed the offer of the kingdoms of the world, with all their glory. and, finally, conducting him to a pinnacle of the temple, he tempted him to give himself, suddenly and miraculously, to the admiration of the assembled people below. (comp. matt. iv. 1-11 with luke iv. 1-13.) the plain design of each temptation was to induce the blessed one to step from the position of entire dependence upon god, and perfect subjection to his will. but all in vain. "_it is written_," was the unvarying reply of the only dependent, self-emptied, perfect man. others might undertake to manage for themselves: none but god should manage for him. what an example for the faithful, under all their circumstances! jesus kept close to scripture, and thus conquered: without any other weapon, save the sword of the spirit, he stood in the conflict, and gained a glorious triumph. what a contrast with the first adam! the one had every thing to plead for god: the other had every thing to plead against him. the garden, with all its delights, in the one case; the wilderness, with all its privations, in the other: confidence in satan, in the one case; confidence in god in the other: complete defeat in the one case; complete victory in the other. blessed forever be the god of all grace, who has laid our help on one so mighty to conquer, mighty to save! let us now inquire how far adam and eve realized the serpent's promised advantage. this inquiry will lead us to a deeply-important point in connection with the fall of man. the lord god had so ordered it, that in and by the fall, man should get what previously he had not, and that was _a conscience_,--a knowledge of both good and evil. this, man evidently could not have had before. he could not have known aught about evil, inasmuch as evil was not there to be known. he was in a state of innocence, which is a state of ignorance of evil. man got a conscience in and by the fall; and we find that the very first effect of conscience was to make him a coward. satan had utterly deceived the woman. he had said, "your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." but he had left out a material part of the truth, namely, that they should know good, without the power to do it; and that they should know evil, without the power to avoid it. their very attempt to elevate themselves in the scale of moral existence involved the loss of true elevation. they became degraded, powerless, satan-enslaved, conscience-smitten, terrified creatures. "the eyes of them both were opened," no doubt; but alas! to what a sight! it was only to discover their own nakedness. they opened their eyes upon their own condition, which was "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." "they knew that they were naked,"--sad fruit of the tree of knowledge! it was not any fresh knowledge of divine excellency they had attained,--no fresh beam of divine light from the pure and eternal fountain thereof,--alas! no: the very earliest result of their disobedient effort after knowledge was the discovery that they were naked. now, it is well to understand this; well, too, to know how conscience works,--to see that it can only make cowards of us, as being the consciousness of what we are. many are astray as to this: they think that conscience will bring us to god. did it operate thus, in the case of adam and eve? assuredly not. nor will it, in the case of any sinner. how could it? how could the sense of what _i am_ ever bring me to god, if not accompanied by the faith of what _god is_? impossible: it will produce shame, self-reproach, remorse, anguish. it may, also, give birth to certain efforts, on my part, to remedy the condition which it discloses; but these very efforts, so far from drawing us to god, rather act as a blind to hide him from our view. thus, in the case of adam and eve, the discovery of their nakedness was followed by an effort of their own to cover it. "they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons." this is the first record we have of man's attempt to remedy, by his own device, his condition; and the attentive consideration thereof will afford us not a little instruction as to the real character of human religiousness in all ages. in the first place we see, not only in adam's case, but in every case, that man's effort to remedy his condition is based upon the sense of his nakedness. he is, confessedly, naked, and all his works are the result of his being so. this can never avail. i must know that i am clothed, before i can do any thing acceptable in the sight of god. and this, be it observed, is the difference between true christianity and human religiousness. the former is founded upon the fact of a man's being clothed: the latter, upon the fact of his being naked. the former has for its starting-post what the latter has for its goal. all that a true christian does, is because he is clothed,--perfectly clothed; all that a mere religionist does, is in order that he may be clothed. this makes a vast difference. the more we examine the genius of man's religion, in all its phases, the more we shall see its thorough insufficiency to remedy his state, or even to meet his own sense thereof. it may do very well for a time. it may avail so long as death, judgment, and the wrath of god are looked at from a distance, if looked at at all; but when a man comes to look these terrible realities straight in the face, he will find, in good truth, that his religion is a bed too short for him to stretch himself upon, and a covering too narrow for him to wrap himself in. the moment adam heard the voice of the lord god, in eden, "_he was afraid_," because, as he himself confessed, "i was naked." yes, naked, although he had his apron on him. but it is plain that that covering did not even satisfy his own conscience. had his conscience been divinely satisfied, he would not have been afraid. "if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward god." (1 john iii. 20, 21.) but if even the human conscience cannot find repose in man's religious efforts, how much less can the holiness of god. adam's apron could not screen him from the eye of god; and he could not stand in his presence naked: therefore he fled to hide himself. this is what conscience will do at all times. it will cause man to hide himself from god; and, moreover, all that his own religiousness offers him is a hiding-place from god. this is a miserable provision, inasmuch as he must meet god, some time or other; and if he has naught save the sad conscience of what he is, he must be afraid,--yea, he must be wretched. indeed, nothing is needed, save hell itself, to complete the misery of one who feels he has to meet god, and knows only his own unfitness to meet him. had adam known god's perfect love, he would not have been afraid. "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. he that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 john iv. 17, 18.) but adam knew not this, because he had believed the serpent's lie. he thought that god was any thing but love; and, therefore, the very last thought of his heart would have been to venture into his presence. he could not do it. sin was there, and god and sin can never meet; so long as there is sin on the conscience, there must be the sense of distance from god. "he is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity." (hab. i. 13.) holiness and sin cannot dwell together. sin, wherever it is found, can only be met by the wrath of god. but, blessed be god, there is something beside the _conscience of what i am_. there is _the revelation of what he is_; and this latter the fall of man really brought out. god had not revealed himself, fully, in creation: he had shown "his eternal power and godhead,"[6] ([greek: theiotãªs]) but he had not told out all the deep secrets of his nature and character. wherefore satan made a grand mistake in coming to meddle with god's creation. he only proved to be the instrument of his own eternal defeat and confusion, and "his violent dealing" shall forever "come down upon his own pate." his _lie_ only gave occasion for the display of the full _truth_ in reference to god. creation never could have brought out what god was. there was infinitely more in him than power and wisdom. there was love, mercy, holiness, righteousness, goodness, tenderness, long-suffering. where could all these be displayed, but in a world of sinners? god, at the first, came down to _create_; and, then, when the serpent presumed to meddle with creation, god came down to _save_. this is brought out in the first words uttered by the lord god, after man's fall. "and the lord god called unto adam, and said unto him, where art thou?" this question proved two things. it proved that man was lost, and that god had come to seek. it proved man's sin, and god's grace. "where art thou?" amazing faithfulness! amazing grace! faithfulness, to disclose, in the very question itself, the truth as to man's condition: grace, to bring out, in the very fact of god's asking such a question, the truth as to his character and attitude, in reference to fallen man. man was lost; but god had come down to look for him--to bring him out of his hiding-place, behind the trees of the garden, in order that, in the happy confidence of faith, he might find a hiding-place in himself. this was grace. to create man out of the dust of the ground was _power_; but to seek man in his lost estate was _grace_. but who can utter all that is wrapped up in the idea of god's being a _seeker_? god seeking a sinner? what could the blessed one have seen in man, to lead him to seek for him? just what the shepherd saw in the lost sheep; or what the woman saw in the lost piece of silver; or what the father saw in the lost son. the sinner is valuable to god; but why he should be so eternity alone will unfold. how, then, did the sinner reply to the faithful and gracious inquiry of the blessed god? alas! the reply only reveals the awful depth of evil into which he had fallen. "and he said, i heard thy voice in the garden, and i was afraid, because i was naked; and i hid myself. and he said, who told thee that thou wast naked? hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof i commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? and the man said, the woman whom _thou gavest_ to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and i did eat." here, we find him actually laying the blame of his shameful fall on the circumstances in which god had placed him, and thus, indirectly, upon god himself. this has ever been the way with fallen man. every one and every thing is blamed but _self_. in the case of true conviction, the very reverse is exhibited. "is it not _i_ that have sinned?" is the inquiry of a truly humbled soul. had adam known himself, how different would have been his style! but he neither knew himself nor god, and, therefore, instead of throwing the blame entirely upon himself, he threw it upon god. here, then, was man's terrible position. he had lost all. his dominion--his dignity--his happiness--his innocence--his purity--his peace--all was gone from him; and, what was still worse, he accused god of being the cause of it.[7] there he stood, a lost, ruined, guilty, and yet, _self-vindicating_, and, therefore, _god-accusing_ sinner. now, it is perfectly true, that no man can believe the gospel, except by the power of the holy ghost; and it is also true, that all who so believe the gospel are the happy subjects of god's eternal counsels. but does all this set aside man's responsibility to believe a plain testimony set before him in god's word? it most certainly does no such thing. but it does reveal the sad evil of man's heart, which leads him to reject _god's testimony_ which is plainly revealed, and to give as a reason for so doing _god's decree_, which is a profound secret, known only to himself. however, it will not avail, for we read in 1 thess. i. 8, 9, that those "who obey not the gospel of our lord jesus christ, shall be punished with everlasting destruction." men are responsible to believe the gospel, and they will be punished for not believing it. they are not responsible to know any thing about god's counsels, inasmuch as they are not revealed, and, therefore, there can be no guilt attached to ignorance concerning them. the apostle could say to the thessalonians, "knowing, brethren beloved, your election of god." how did he know it? was it by having access to the page of god's secret and eternal decrees? by no means. how then? "because ([greek: hoti]) our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power." (1 thess. i. 4, 5.) this is the way to know the election of any. when the gospel comes in power, it is a plain proof of god's election. but, i doubt not, the people who draw a plea from the divine counsels for rejecting the divine testimony, only want some flimsy excuse to continue in sin. they really do not want god; and it would be far more honest in them to say so, plainly, than to put forward a plea which is not merely flimsy, but positively blasphemous. such a plea will not avail them much amid the terrors of the day of judgment, now fast approaching. but, just at this point, god began to reveal himself, and his purposes of redeeming love; and herein lay the true basis of man's peace and blessedness. when man has come to the end of himself, god can show what he is; but not until then. the scene must be entirely cleared of man, and all his vain pretensions, empty boastings, and blasphemous reasonings, ere god can or will reveal himself. thus it was when man was hidden behind the trees of the garden, that god unfolded his wondrous plan of redemption through the instrumentality of the bruised seed of the woman. here we are taught a valuable principle of truth as to what it is which alone will bring a man, peacefully and confidingly, into the presence of god. it has been already remarked that conscience will never effect this. conscience drove adam behind the trees of the garden; revelation brought him forth into the presence of god. the consciousness of what he was terrified him; the revelation of what god was tranquillized him. this is truly consolatory for a poor sin-burdened heart. the reality of what i am is met by the reality of what god is; and this is salvation. there is a point where god and man must meet, whether in grace or judgment, and that point is where both are revealed _as they are_. happy are they who reach that point in grace! woe be to them who will have to reach it in judgment! it is with what we are that god deals; and it is as he is that he deals with us. in the cross, i see god descending in grace to the lowest depths, not merely of my negative, but my positive condition, as a sinner. this gives perfect peace. if god has met me, in my actual condition, and himself provided an adequate remedy, all is eternally settled. but all who do not thus, by faith, see god, in the cross, will have to meet him, by and by, in judgment, when he will have to deal, according to what he is, with what they are. the moment a man is brought to know his real state, he can find no rest until he has found god, in the cross, and then he rests in god himself. he, blessed be his name, is the rest and hiding-place of the believing soul. this, at once, puts human works and human righteousness in their proper place. we can say, with truth, that those who rest in such things cannot possibly have arrived at the true knowledge of themselves. it is quite impossible that a divinely quickened conscience can rest in aught save the perfect sacrifice of the son of god. all effort to establish one's own righteousness must proceed from ignorance of the righteousness of god. adam might learn, in the light of the divine testimony about "the seed of the woman," the worthlessness of his fig-leaf apron. the magnitude of that which had to be done, proved the sinner's total inability to do it. sin had to be put away. could man do that? nay, it was by him it had come in. the serpent's head had to be bruised. could man do that? nay, he had become the serpent's slave. god's claims had to be met. could man do that? nay, he had already trampled them under foot. death had to be abolished. could man do that? nay, he had, by sin, introduced it, and imparted to it its terrible sting. thus, in whatever way we view the matter, we see the sinner's complete impotency, and, as a consequence, the presumptuous folly of all who attempt to assist god in the stupendous work of redemption, as all assuredly do who think to be saved in any other way but "by grace, through faith." however, though adam might, and, through grace, did, see and feel that he could never accomplish all that had to be done, yet god revealed himself as about to achieve every jot and tittle thereof, by the seed of the woman. in short, we see that he graciously took the entire matter into his own hands. he made it, altogether, a question between himself and the serpent; for although the man and the woman were called upon, individually, to reap, in various ways, the bitter fruits of their sin, yet it was to the serpent that the lord god said, "because thou hast done this." the serpent was the source of the ruin; and the seed of the woman was to be the source of the redemption. adam heard all this, and believed it; and, in the power of that belief, "he called his wife's name the mother of _all living_." this was a precious fruit of faith in god's revelation. looking at the matter from nature's point of view, eve might be called, "the mother of all _dying_." but, in the judgment of faith, she was the mother of all _living_. "his mother called him ben-oni; (the son of my sorrow;) but his father called him benjamin (the son of my right hand)." it was through the sustaining energy of faith that adam was enabled to endure the terrible results of what he had done. it was god's wondrous mercy to allow him to hear what he said to the serpent, before he was called to listen to what he had to say to himself. had it not been so, he must have been plunged in despair. it is despair to be called upon to look at myself, without being able to look at god, as revealed in the cross, for my salvation. there is no child of fallen adam who could bear to have his eyes opened to the reality of what he is, and what he has done, without being plunged in despair, unless he could take refuge in the cross. hence, in that place to which all who reject christ must finally be consigned, hope cannot come. there, men's eyes will be opened to the reality of what they are, and what they have done; but they will not be able to find relief and refuge in god. what god is, will, _then_, involve hopeless perdition; as truly as what god is, doth, _now_, involve eternal salvation. the holiness of god will, then, be eternally against them; as it is now that in which all who believe are called to rejoice. the more i realize the holiness of god, now, the more i know my security; but, in the case of the lost, that very holiness will be but the ratification of their eternal doom. solemn--unspeakably solemn--reflection! we shall, now, briefly glance at the truth presented to us in god's providing coats for adam and eve. "unto adam, also, and to his wife, did the lord god make coats of skins, and clothed them." we have here, in figure, the great doctrine of divine righteousness set forth. the robe which god provided was an effectual covering, because he provided it; just as the apron was an ineffectual covering because man had provided it. moreover, god's coat was founded upon blood-shedding. adam's apron was not. so also, now, god's righteousness is set forth in the cross; man's righteousness is set forth in the works, the sin-stained works, of his own hands. when adam stood clothed in the coat of skin he could not say, "i was naked," nor had he any occasion to hide himself. the sinner may feel perfectly at rest, when, by faith, he knows that god has clothed him: but to feel at rest till then, can only be the result of presumption or ignorance. to know that the dress i wear, and in which i appear before god, is of his own providing, must set my heart at perfect rest. there can be no true, permanent rest in aught else. the closing verses of this chapter are full of instruction. fallen man, in his fallen state, must not be allowed to eat of the fruit of the tree of life, for that would entail upon him endless wretchedness in this world. to take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever, in our present condition, would be unmingled misery. the tree of life can only be tasted in resurrection. to live forever, in a frail tabernacle, in a body of sin and death, would be intolerable. wherefore, the lord god "drove out the man." he drove him out into a world which, everywhere, exhibited the lamentable results of his fall. the cherubim and the flaming sword, too, forbid fallen man to pluck the fruit of the tree of life; while god's revelation pointed him to the death and resurrection of the seed of the woman, as that wherein life was to be found beyond the power of death. thus adam was a happier, and a safer man, outside the bounds of paradise, than he had been within, for this reason--that, within, his life depended upon himself; whereas, outside, it depended upon another, even a promised christ. and as he looked up, and beheld "the cherubim and the flaming sword," he could bless the hand that had set them there, "to keep the way of the tree of life," inasmuch as the same hand had opened a better, a safer, and a happier way to that tree. if the cherubim and flaming sword stopped up the way to paradise, the lord jesus christ has opened "a new and living way" into the holiest of all. "i am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the father, but by me." (compare john xiv. 6; heb. x. 20.) in the knowledge of this, the believer now moves onward through a world which is under the curse,--where the traces of sin are visible on all hands. he has found his way, by faith, to the bosom of the father; and while he can secretly repose there, he is cheered by the blessed assurance that the one who has conducted him thither, is gone to prepare a place in the many mansions of the father's house, and that he will soon come again and receive him unto himself, amid the glory of the father's kingdom. thus, in the bosom, the house, and the kingdom of the father, the believer finds his present portion, his future home and reward. footnotes: [6] there is a profoundly interesting thought suggested by comparing the word [greek: theiotãªs] (rom. i. 20) with the word [greek: theotãªs] (col. ii. 9.) they are both rendered "godhead;" but they present a very different thought. the heathen might have seen that there was something superhuman, something divine, in creation; but pure, essential, incomprehensible deity dwelt in the adorable person of the son. [7] man not only accuses god of being the author of his fall, but also blames him for his non-recovery. how often do we hear persons say that they cannot believe unless god give them the power to believe; and, further, that unless they are the subjects of god's eternal decree, they cannot be saved. chapters iv., v. as each section of the book of genesis opens before us, we are furnished with fresh evidence of the fact that we are travelling over, what a recent writer has well termed, "the seed-plot of the whole bible;" and not only so, but the seed-plot of man's entire history. thus, in the fourth chapter, we have, in the persons of cain and abel, the first examples of a religious man of the world, and of a genuine man of faith. born, as they were, outside of eden, and being the sons of fallen adam, they could have nothing, natural, to distinguish them, one from the other. they were both sinners. both had a fallen nature. neither was innocent. it is well to be clear in reference to this, in order that the reality of divine grace, and the integrity of faith, may be fully and distinctly seen. if the distinction between cain and abel were founded in nature, then it follows, as an inevitable conclusion, that they were not the partakers of the fallen nature of their father, nor the participators in the circumstances of his fall; and, hence, there could be no room for the display of grace, and the exercise of faith. some would teach us that every man is born with qualities and capacities which, if rightly used, will enable him to work his way back to god. this is a plain denial of the fact so clearly set forth in the history now before us. cain and abel were born, not inside, but outside of paradise. they were the sons, not of innocent, but of fallen adam. they came into the world as the partakers of the nature of their father; and it mattered not in what phase that nature might display itself, it was nature still,--fallen, ruined, irremediable nature. "that which is born of the flesh is (not merely fleshly, but) flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is, (not merely spiritual, but) spirit." (john iii.) if ever there was a fair opportunity for the distinctive qualities, capacities, resources, and tendencies of nature to manifest themselves, the lifetime of cain and abel furnished it. if there were aught in nature, whereby it could recover its lost innocence, and establish itself again within the bounds of eden, this was the moment for its display. but there was nothing of the kind. they were both _lost_. they were "flesh." they were not innocent. adam lost his innocence and never regained it. he can only be looked at as the fallen head of a fallen race, who, by his "disobedience," were made "sinners." (rom. v. 19.) he became, so far as he was personally concerned, the corrupt source, from whence have emanated the corrupt streams of ruined and guilty humanity,--the dead trunk from which have shot forth the branches of a dead humanity, morally and spiritually dead. true, as we have already remarked, he himself was made a subject of grace, and the possessor and exhibitor of a lively faith in a promised savior; but this was not any thing natural, but something entirely divine. and, inasmuch as it was not natural, neither was it within the range of nature's capacity to communicate it. it was not, by any means, hereditary. adam could not bequeath nor impart his faith to cain or abel. his possession thereof was simply the fruit of love divine. it was implanted in his soul by divine power; and he had not divine power to communicate it to another. whatever was natural, adam could, in the way of nature, communicate; but nothing more. and seeing that he, as a father, was in a condition of ruin, his son could only be in the same. as is the begetter, so are they also that are begotten of him. they must, of necessity, partake of the nature of him from whom they have sprung. "as is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy." (1 cor. xv. 48.) nothing can be more important, in its way, than a correct understanding of the doctrine of federal headship. if my reader will turn, for a moment, to rom. v. 12-21, he will find that the inspired apostle looks at the whole human race as comprehended under two heads. i do not attempt to dwell on the passage; but merely refer to it, in connection with the subject in hand. the fifteenth chapter of first corinthians will also furnish instruction of a similar character. in the first man, we have sin, disobedience, and death. in the second man, we have righteousness, obedience, and life. as we derive a nature from the former, so do we also from the latter. no doubt, each nature will display, in each specific case, its own peculiar energies; it will manifest, in each individual possessor thereof, its own peculiar powers. still, there is the absolute possession of a real, abstract, positive nature. now, as the mode in which we derive a nature from the first man is by birth, so the mode in which we derive a nature from the second man is by _new_ birth. being born, we partake of the nature of the former; being "born _again_," we partake of the nature of the latter. a newly-born infant, though entirely incapable of performing the act which reduced adam to the condition of a fallen being, is, nevertheless, a partaker of his nature; and so, also, a newly-born child of god,--a newly-regenerated soul, though having nothing whatever to do with the working-out of the perfect obedience of "the man christ jesus," is, nevertheless, a partaker of his nature. true it is that, attached to the former nature, there is sin; and attached to the latter, there is righteousness,--man's sin, in the former case; god's righteousness in the latter: yet, all the while, there is the actual, _bonã¡ fide_ participation of a real nature, let the adjuncts be what they may. the child of adam partakes of the human nature and its adjuncts; the child of god partakes of the divine nature and its adjuncts. the former nature is according to "the will of man," (john i.,) the latter is according to "the will of god;" as st. james, by the holy ghost, teaches us, "of his own will begat he us by the word of truth." (james i. 18.) from all that has been said, it follows, that abel was not distinguished from his brother cain by any thing natural. the distinction between them was not grounded upon aught in their nature or circumstances, for, as to these, "there was no difference." what, therefore, made the vast difference? the answer is as simple as the gospel of the grace of god can make it. the difference was not in themselves, in their nature, or their circumstances; it lay, _entirely_, in their _sacrifices_. this makes the matter most simple, for any truly convicted sinner,--for any one who truly feels that he not only partakes of a fallen nature, but is himself, also, a sinner. the history of abel opens, to such an one, the only true ground of his approach to, his standing before, and his relationship with, god. it teaches him, distinctly, that he cannot come to god on the ground of any thing in, of, or pertaining to, nature; and he must seek, _outside himself_, and in the person and work of another, the true and everlasting basis of his connection with the holy, the just, and only true god. the eleventh chapter of hebrews sets the whole subject before us, in the most distinct and comprehensive way. "by faith abel offered unto god a more excellent sacrifice ([greek: pleiona thysian]) than cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, god bearing witness ([greek: martyrountos]) to his gifts; and by it he being dead yet speaketh." here we are taught that it was, in nowise, a question as to the men, but only as to their "sacrifice,"--it was not a question as to the offerer, but as to his offering. here lay the grand distinction between cain and abel. my reader cannot be too simple in his apprehension of this point, for therein lies involved the truth as to any sinner's standing before god. and, now, let us inquire what the offerings were. "and in process of time it came to pass, that cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto jehovah. and abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. and the lord had respect unto abel, and to his offering; but unto cain and to his offering, he had not respect." (gen. iv. 3-5.) this passage sets the difference clearly before us: cain offered to jehovah the fruit of a cursed earth, and that, moreover, without any blood to remove the curse. he presented "an unbloody sacrifice," simply because he had no faith. had he possessed that divine principle, it would have taught him, even at this early moment, that "without shedding of blood there is no remission." (heb. ix.) this is a great cardinal truth. the penalty of sin is death. cain was a sinner, and, as such, death stood between him and jehovah. but, in his offering, there was no recognition whatever of this fact. there was no presentation of a sacrificed life, to meet the claims of divine holiness, or to answer to his own true condition as a sinner. he treated jehovah as though he were, altogether, such an one as himself, who could accept the sin-stained fruit of a cursed earth. all this, and much more, lay involved in cain's "unbloody sacrifice." he displayed entire ignorance in reference to divine requirements, in reference to his own character and condition as a lost and guilty sinner, and in reference to the true state of that ground, the fruit of which he presumed to offer. no doubt, reason might say, "what more acceptable offering could a man present, than that which he had produced by the labor of his hands, and the sweat of his brow?" reason, and even man's religious mind, may think thus; but god thinks quite differently; and faith is always sure to agree with god's thoughts. god teaches, and faith believes, that there must be a sacrificed life, else there can be no approach to god. thus, when we look at the ministry of the lord jesus, we see, at once, that, had he not died upon the cross, all his services would have proved utterly unavailing as regards the establishment of our relationship with god. true, "he went about doing good" all his life; but it was his death that rent the veil. (matt. xxvii. 51.) naught but his death could have done so. had he continued, to the present moment, "going about doing good," the veil would have remained entire, to bar the worshipper's approach into "the holiest of all." hence we can see the false ground on which cain stood as an offerer and a worshipper. an unpardoned sinner coming into the presence of jehovah, to present "an unbloody sacrifice," could only be regarded as guilty of the highest degree of presumption. true, he had toiled to produce this offering; but what of that? could a sinner's toil remove the curse and stain of sin? could it satisfy the claims of an infinitely holy god? could it furnish a proper ground of acceptance for a sinner? could it set aside the penalty which was due to sin? could it rob death of its sting, or the grave of its victory? could it do any or all of these things? impossible. "without shedding of blood is no remission." cain's "unbloody sacrifice," like every other unbloody sacrifice, was not only worthless, but actually abominable, in the divine estimation. it not only demonstrated his entire ignorance of his own condition, but also of the divine character. "god is not worshipped with men's hands as though he needed any thing." and yet cain thought he could be thus approached. and every mere religionist thinks the same. cain has had many millions of followers, from age to age. cain-worship has abounded all over the world. it is the worship of every unconverted soul, and is maintained by every false system of religion under the sun. man would fain make god a receiver instead of a giver; but this cannot be; for, "it is more blessed to give than to receive;" and, assuredly, god must have the more blessed place. "without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better." "who hath _first_ given to him?" god can accept the smallest gift from a heart which has learnt the deep truth contained in those words, "of thine own have we given thee;" but, the moment a man presumes to take the place of the "first" giver, god's reply is, "if i were hungry, i would not tell thee;" for "he is not worshipped with men's hands, as though he _needed any thing_, seeing he _giveth_ to _all_ life and breath and _all_ things." the great giver of "all things" cannot possibly "need any thing." praise is all that we can offer to god; but this can only be offered in the full and clear intelligence that our sins are all put away; and this again can only be known by faith in the virtue of an accomplished atonement. my readers may pause, here, and read prayerfully the following scriptures, namely, psalm i.; isaiah i. 11-18; and acts xvii. 22-34, in all of which he will find distinctly laid down the truth as to man's true position before god, as also the proper ground of worship. let us now consider abel's sacrifice. "and abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof." in other words, he entered, by faith, into the glorious truth, that god could be approached by sacrifice; that there was such a thing as a sinner's placing the death of another between himself and the consequence of his sin, that the claims of god's nature and the attributes of his character could be met by the blood of a spotless victim,--a victim offered to meet god's demands, and the sinner's deep necessities. this is, in short, the doctrine of the cross, in which alone the conscience of a sinner can find repose, because, therein, god is fully glorified. every divinely-convicted sinner must feel that death and judgment are before him, as "the due reward of his deeds;" nor can he, by aught that he can accomplish, alter that destiny. he may toil and labor; he may, by the sweat of his brow, produce an offering; he may make vows and resolutions; he may alter his way of life; he may reform his outward character; he may be temperate, moral, upright, and, in the human acceptation of the word, religious; he may, though entirely destitute of faith, read, pray, and hear sermons. in short, he may do any thing, or every thing which lies within the range of human competency; but, notwithstanding all, "death and judgment" are before him. he has not been able to disperse those two heavy clouds which have gathered upon the horizon. there they stand; and, so far from being able to remove them, by all his doings, he can only live in the gloomy anticipation of the moment when they shall burst upon his guilty head. it is impossible for a sinner, by his own works, to place himself in life and triumph, at the other side of "death and judgment,"--yea, his very works are only performed for the purpose of preparing him, if possible, for those dreaded realities. here, however, is exactly where the cross comes in. in that cross, the convicted sinner can behold a divine provision for all his guilt and all his need. there, too, he can see death and judgment entirely removed from the scene, and life and glory set in their stead. christ has cleared the prospect of death and judgment, so far as the true believer is concerned, and filled it with life, righteousness, and glory. "he hath abolished death, and brought life and incorruptibility to light, through the gospel." (2 tim. i. 10.) he has glorified god in the putting away of that which would have separated us, forever, from his holy and blissful presence. "he has put away sin," and hence it is gone. (heb. ix. 26.) all this is, in type, set forth in abel's "more excellent sacrifice." there was no attempt, on abel's part, to set aside the truth as to his own condition, and proper place as a guilty sinner,--no attempt to turn aside the edge of the flaming sword, and force his way back to the tree of life,--no presumptuous offering of an "unbloody sacrifice,"--no presentation of the fruit of a cursed earth to jehovah,--he took the real ground of a sinner, and, as such, set the death of a victim between him and his sins, and between his sins and the holiness of a sin-hating god. this was most simple. abel deserved death and judgment, but he found a substitute. thus is it with every poor, helpless, self-condemned, conscience-smitten sinner. christ is his substitute, his ransom, his most excellent sacrifice, his all. such an one will feel, like abel, that the fruit of the ground could never avail for him; that were he to present to god the fairest fruits of earth, he would still have a sin-stained conscience, inasmuch as "without shedding of blood is no remission." the richest fruits, and the most fragrant flowers, in the greatest profusion, could not remove a single stain from the conscience. nothing but the perfect sacrifice of the son of god can give ease to the heart and conscience. all who by faith lay hold of that divine reality, will enjoy a peace which the world can neither give nor take away. it is faith which puts the soul in present possession of this peace. "being justified by faith, we have peace with god, through our lord jesus christ." (rom. v. 1.) "by faith abel offered unto god a more excellent sacrifice than cain." it is not a question of feeling, as so many would make it. it is entirely a question of faith in an accomplished fact,--faith wrought in the soul of a sinner, by the power of the holy ghost. this faith is something quite different from a mere feeling of the heart, or an assent of the intellect. feeling is not faith. intellectual assent is not faith. some would make faith to be the mere assent of the intellect to a certain proposition. this is fearfully false. it makes the question of faith human, whereas it is really divine. it reduces it to the level of man, whereas it really comes from god. faith is not a thing of to-day or to-morrow. it is an imperishable principle, emanating from an eternal source, even god himself: it lays hold of god's truth, and sets the soul in god's presence. mere feeling and sentimentality can never rise above the source from whence they emanate; and that source is self; but faith has to do with god and his eternal word, and is a living link, connecting the heart that possesses it with god who gives it. human feelings, however intense,--human sentiments, however refined,--could not connect the soul with god. they are neither divine nor eternal, but are human and evanescent. they are like jonah's gourd, which sprang up in a night, and perished in a night. not so faith. that precious principle partakes of all the value, all the power, and all the reality of the source from whence it emanates, and the object with which it has to do. it justifies the soul; (rom. v. 1;) it purifies the heart; (acts xv. 9;) it works by love; (gal. v. 6;) it overcomes the world. (1 john v. 4.) feeling and sentiment never could accomplish such results: they belong to nature and to earth,--faith belongs to god and to heaven; they are occupied with self,--faith is occupied with christ; they look inward and downward,--faith looks outward and upward; they leave the soul in darkness and doubt,--faith leads it into light and peace; they have to do with one's own fluctuating condition,--faith has to do with god's immutable truth, and christ's eternally-enduring sacrifice. no doubt, faith will produce feelings and sentiments,--spiritual feelings and truthful sentiments,--but the fruits of faith must never be confounded with faith itself. i am not justified by feelings, nor yet by faith _and_ feelings, but simply by faith. and why? because faith believes god when he speaks; it takes him at his word; it apprehends him as he has revealed himself in the person and work of the lord jesus christ. this is life, righteousness, and peace. to apprehend god as he is, is the sum of all present and eternal blessedness. when the soul finds out god, it has found out all it can possibly need, here or hereafter; but he can only be known by his own revelation, and by the faith which he himself imparts, and which, moreover, always seeks divine revelation as its proper object. thus, then, we can in some measure enter into the meaning and power of the statement, "by faith abel offered unto god a more excellent sacrifice than cain." cain had no faith, and therefore he offered an unbloody sacrifice. abel had faith, and therefore he offered both "blood and fat," which, in type, set forth the presentation of the life, and also the inherent excellency of the person of christ. "the blood" set forth the former; "the fat" shadowed forth the latter. both blood and fat were forbidden to be eaten under the mosaic economy. the blood is the life; and man, under law, had no title to life. but, in the sixth of john we are taught that unless we eat blood we have no life in us. christ is _the_ life. there is not a spark of life outside of him. all out of christ is death. "in him was life," and in none else. now, he gave up his life on the cross; and, to that life, sin was by imputation attached, when the blessed one was nailed to the cursed tree. hence, in giving up his life, he gave up also the sin attached thereto, so that it is effectually put away, having been left in his grave from which he rose triumphant, in the power of a new life, to which righteousness as distinctly attaches itself as did sin to that life which he gave up on the cross. this will help us to an understanding of an expression used by our blessed lord after his resurrection, "a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." he did not say, "flesh and blood;" because, in resurrection, he had not assumed into his sacred person the blood which he had shed out upon the cross as an atonement for sin. "the life of the flesh is in the blood, and i have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood which maketh an atonement for the soul." (lev. xvii. 11.) close attention to this point will have the effect of deepening in our souls the sense of the completeness of the putting away of sin by the death of christ; and we know that whatever tends to deepen our sense of that glorious reality, must necessarily tend to the fuller establishment of our peace, and to the more effectual promotion of the glory of christ as connected with our testimony and service. we have already referred to a point of much interest and value in the history of cain and abel, and that is, the entire identification of each with the offering which he presented. my reader cannot possibly bestow too much attention upon this. the question, in each case, was not as to the person of the offerer; but entirely as to the character of his offering. hence, of abel we read that "god testified of his _gifts_." he did not bear witness to abel, but to abel's sacrifice; and this fixes distinctly the proper ground of a believer's peace and acceptance before god. there is a constant tendency in the heart to ground our peace and acceptance upon something in or about ourselves, even though we admit that that something is wrought by the holy ghost. hence arises the constant looking _in_, when the holy ghost would ever have us looking _out_. the question for every believer is not, "what am i?" but, "what is christ?" having come to god "in the name of jesus," he is wholly identified with him, and accepted in his name, and, moreover, can no more be rejected than the one in whose name he has come. before ever a question can be raised as to the feeblest believer, it must be raised as to christ himself. but this latter is clearly impossible, and thus the security of the believer is established upon a foundation which nothing can possibly move. being in himself a poor worthless sinner, he has come in the name of christ, he is identified with christ, accepted in and as christ, bound up in the same bundle of life with christ. god testifies, not of him, but of his gift, and his gift is christ. all this is most tranquillizing and consolatory. it is our happy privilege to be able, in the confidence of faith, to refer every objection and every objector to christ and his finished atonement. all our springs are in him. in him we boast all the day long. our confidence is not in ourselves, but in him who hath wrought every thing for us. we hang on his name, trust in his work, gaze on his person, and wait for his coming. but the carnal mind at once displays its enmity against all this truth which so gladdens and satisfies the heart of a believer. thus it was with cain. "he was very wroth, and his countenance fell." that which filled abel with peace, filled cain with wrath. cain, in unbelief, despised the only way in which a sinner could come to god. he refused to offer blood, without which there can be no remission; and then, because _he_ was not received, _in his sins_, and because abel was accepted, _in his gift_, "he was wroth, and his countenance fell." and yet, how else could it be? he should either be received with his sins, or without them; but god could not receive him with them, and he would not bring the blood which alone maketh atonement; and, therefore, he was rejected, and, being rejected, he manifests in his ways the fruits of corrupt religion. he persecutes and murders the true witness,--the accepted, justified man,--the man of faith; and, in so doing, he stands as the model and forerunner of all false religionists in every age. at all times, and in all places, men have shown themselves more ready to persecute on religious grounds than on any other. this is cain-like. justification--full, perfect, unqualified justification, by faith only, makes god every thing, and man nothing: and man does not like this; it causes his countenance to fall, and draws out his anger. not that he can give any reason for his anger; for it is not, as we have seen, a question of man at all, but only of the ground on which he appears before god. had abel been accepted on the ground of aught in himself, then, indeed, cain's wrath and his fallen countenance would have had some just foundation; but, inasmuch as he was accepted, exclusively on the ground of his offering; and, inasmuch as it was not to him, but to his gift, that jehovah bore testimony, his wrath was entirely without any proper basis. this is brought out in jehovah's word to cain: "if thou doest well, (or, as the lxx. reads it, if thou offer correctly, [greek: orthã´s prosenenkãªs],) shalt thou not be accepted?" the well-doing had reference to the offering. abel did well by hiding himself behind an acceptable sacrifice. cain did badly by bringing an offering without blood; and all his after-conduct was but the legitimate result of his false worship. "and cain talked with abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that cain rose up against abel his brother, and slew him." thus has it ever been; the cains have persecuted and murdered the abels. at all times, man and his religion are the same; faith and its religion are the same: and wherever they have met, there has been conflict. however, it is well to see that cain's act of murder was the true consequence--the proper fruit--of his false worship. his foundation was bad, and the superstructure erected thereon was also bad. nor did he stop at the act of murder; but having heard the judgment of god thereon, despairing of forgiveness through ignorance of god, he went forth from his blessed presence, and built a city, and had in his family the cultivators of the useful and ornamental sciences,--agriculturists, musicians, and workers in metals. through ignorance of the divine character, he pronounced his sin too great to be pardoned.[8] it was not that he really knew his sin, but that he knew not god. he fully exhibited the terrible fruit of the fall in the very thought of god to which he gave utterance. he did not want pardon, because he did not want god. he had no true sense of his own condition; no aspirations after god; no intelligence as to the ground of a sinner's approach to god. he was radically corrupt,--fundamentally wrong; and all he wanted was to get out of the presence of god, and lose himself in the world and its pursuits. he thought he could live very well without god, and he therefore set about decorating the world as well as he could, for the purpose of making it a respectable place, and himself a respectable man therein, though in god's view it was under the curse, and he was a fugitive and a vagabond. such was "_the way of cain_," in which way millions are at this moment rushing on. such persons are not by any means divested of the religious element in their character. they would like to offer something to god; to do something for him. they deem it right to present to him the results of their own toil. they are ignorant of themselves, ignorant of god; but with all this there is the diligent effort to improve the world; to make life agreeable in various ways; to deck the scene with the fairest colors. god's remedy to _cleanse_ is rejected, and man's effort to _improve_ is put in its place. this is "the way of cain." (jude 11.) and, my reader, you have only to look around you to see how this "way" prevails at the present moment. though the world is stained with the blood of "a greater than" abel, even with the blood of christ; yet see what an agreeable place man seeks to make of it! as in cain's day, the grateful sounds of "the harp and organ," no doubt, completely drowned, to man's ear, the cry of abel's blood; so now, man's ear is filled with other sounds than those which issue from calvary, and his eye filled with other objects than a crucified christ. the resources of his genius, too, are put forth to render this world a hot-house, in which are produced, in their rarest form, all the fruits for which nature so eagerly longs. and not merely are the real wants of man, as a creature, supplied, but the inventive genius of the human mind has been set to work for the purpose of devising things, which, the moment the eye sees, the heart desires, and not only desires, but imagines that life would be intolerable without them. thus, for instance, some years ago, people were content to devote three or four days to the accomplishing of a journey of one hundred miles; but now they can accomplish it in three or four hours; and not only so, but they will complain sadly if they happen to be five or ten minutes late. in fact, man must be saved the trouble of living. he must travel without fatigue, and he must hear news without having to exercise patience for it. he will lay iron rails across the earth, and electric wires beneath the sea, as if to anticipate, in his own way, that bright and blissful age when "there shall be no more sea."[9] in addition to all this, there is abundance of religion, so called; but, alas! charity itself is compelled to harbor the apprehension, that very much of what passes for religion is but a screw in the vast machine, which has been constructed for man's convenience, and man's exaltation. man would not be without religion. it would not be respectable; and, therefore, he is content to devote one-seventh of his time to religion; or, as he thinks and professes, to his eternal interests; and then he has six-sevenths to devote to his temporal interests; but whether he works for time or eternity, it is for _himself_, in reality. such is "the way of cain." let my reader ponder it well. let him see where this way begins, whither it tends, and where it terminates. how different the way of the man of faith! abel felt and owned the curse; he saw the stain of sin, and, in the holy energy of faith, offered that which met it, and met it thoroughly,--met it divinely. he sought and found a refuge in god himself; and instead of building a city on the earth, he found but a grave in its bosom. the earth, which on its surface displayed the genius and energy of cain and his family, was stained underneath with the blood of a righteous man. let the man of the world remember this; let the man of god remember it; let the worldly-minded christian remember it. the earth which we tread upon is stained by the blood of the son of god. the very blood which justifies the church condemns the world. the dark shadow of the cross of jesus may be seen by the eye of faith, looming over all the glitter and glare of this evanescent world. "the fashion of this world passeth away." it will soon all be over, so far as the present scene is concerned. "the way of cain" will be followed by "the error of balaam," in its consummated form; and then will come "the gainsaying of core;" and what then? "the pit" will open its mouth to receive the wicked, and close it again, to shut them up in "blackness of darkness forever." (jude 13.) in full confirmation of the foregoing lines, we may run the eye over the contents of chapter v. and find therein the humiliating record of man's weakness, and subjection to the rule of death. he might live for hundreds of years, and "beget sons and daughters;" but, at last, it must be recorded that "_he died_." "death reigned from adam to moses." and, again, "it is appointed unto men once to die." man cannot get over this. he cannot, by steam, or electricity, or any thing else within the range of his genius, disarm death of its terrible sting. he cannot, by his energy, set aside the sentence of _death_, although he may produce the comforts and luxuries of _life_. but whence came this strange and dreaded thing, death? st. paul gives us the answer: "by one man sin entered into the world, and _death by sin_." (rom. v. 12.) here we have the origin of death. it came by sin. sin snapped asunder the link which bound the creature to the living god; and, that being done, he was handed over to the dominion of death, which dominion he had no power whatever to shake off. and this, be it observed, is one of the many proofs of the fact of man's total inability to meet god. there can be no fellowship between god and man, save in the power of life; but man is under the power of death; hence, on natural grounds, there can be no fellowship. life can have no fellowship with death, no more than light with darkness, or holiness with sin. man must meet god on an entirely new ground, and on a new principle, even faith; and this faith enables him to recognize his own position, as "sold under sin," and, therefore, subject to death; while, at the same time, it enables him to apprehend god's character, as the dispenser of a new life,--life beyond the power of death,--a life which can never be touched by the enemy, nor forfeited by us. this it is which marks the security of the believer's life. christ is his life,--a risen, glorified christ,--a christ victorious over every thing that could be against us. adam's life was founded upon his own obedience; and, therefore, when he disobeyed, life was forfeited. but christ, having life in himself, came down into this world, and fully met all the circumstances of man's sin, in every possible form; and, by submitting to death, destroyed him who had the power thereof, and, in resurrection, becomes the life and righteousness of all who believe in his most excellent name. now, it is impossible that satan can touch this life, either in its source, its channel, its power, its sphere, or its duration. god is its source; a risen christ, its channel; the holy ghost, its power; heaven, its sphere; and eternity, its duration. hence, therefore, as might be expected, to one possessing this wondrous life, the whole scene is changed; and while, in one sense, it must be said, "in the midst of life we are in death," yet, in another sense, it can be said, "in the midst of death we are in life." there is no death in the sphere into which a risen christ introduces his people. how could there be? has not he abolished it? it cannot be an abolished and an existing thing at the same time and to the same people; but god's word tells us it is abolished. christ emptied the scene of death, and filled it with life; and, therefore, it is not death, but glory that lies before the believer. death is behind him, and behind him forever. as to the future, it is all glory,--cloudless glory. true, it may be his lot to "fall asleep,"--to "sleep in jesus,"--but that is not death, but "life in earnest." the mere matter of departing to be with christ cannot alter the specific hope of the believer, which is to meet christ in the air, to be with him, and like him, forever. of this we have a very beautiful exemplification in enoch, who forms the only exception to the rule of chap. v. the rule is, "he died;" the exception is, "he should not see death." "by faith enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because god had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased god." (heb. xi. 5.) enoch was "the seventh from adam;" and it is deeply interesting to find, that death was not suffered to triumph over "the seventh;" but that, in his case, god interfered, and made him a trophy of his own glorious victory over all the power of death. the heart rejoices, after reading, six times, the sad record, "he died," to find, that the seventh did not die; and when we ask, how was this? the answer is, "by faith." enoch lived in the faith of his translation, and walked with god three hundred years. this separated him, practically, from all around. to walk with god must, necessarily, put one outside the sphere of this world's thoughts. enoch realized this; for, in his day, the spirit of the world was manifested; and then, too, as now, it was opposed to all that was of god. the man of faith felt he had naught to do with the world, save to be a patient witness therein of the grace of god and of coming judgment. the sons of cain might spend their energies in the vain attempt to improve a cursed world, but enoch found a better world, and lived in the power of it.[10] his faith was not given him to improve the world, but to walk with god. and oh, how much is involved in these three words, "walked with god!" what separation and self-denial! what holiness and moral purity! what grace and gentleness! what humility and tenderness! and yet, what zeal and energy! what patience and long-suffering! and yet what faithfulness and uncompromising decision! to walk with god comprehends every thing within the range of the divine life, whether active or passive. it involves the knowledge of god's character as he has revealed it. it involves, too, the intelligence of the relationship in which we stand to him. it is not a mere living by rules and regulations; nor laying down plans of action; nor in resolutions to go hither and thither, to do this or that. to walk with god is far more than any or all of these things. moreover, it will sometimes carry us right athwart the thoughts of men, and even of our brethren, if they are not themselves walking with god. it may, sometimes, bring against us the charge of doing too much: at other times, of doing too little; but the faith that enables one to "walk with god," enables him also to attach the proper value to the thoughts of man. thus we have, in abel and enoch, most valuable instruction as to the sacrifice on which faith rests; and, as to the prospect which hope now anticipates; while, at the same time, "the walk with god" takes in all the details of actual life which lie between those two points. "the lord will give grace and glory;" and between the grace that has been, and the glory that is to be, revealed, there is the happy assurance, that "no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." (psalm lxxxiv. 11.) it has been remarked, that "the cross and the coming of the lord form the termini of the church's existence," and these termini are prefigured in the sacrifice of abel, and the translation of enoch. the church knows her entire justification through the death and resurrection of christ, and she waits for the day when he shall come and receive her to himself. she, "through the spirit, waits for the hope of righteousness by faith." (gal. v. 5.) she does not wait for righteousness, inasmuch as she, by grace, has that already; but she waits for the hope which properly belongs to the condition into which she has been introduced. my reader should seek to be clear as to this. some expositors of prophetic truth, from not seeing the church's specific place, portion, and hope, have made sad mistakes. they have, in effect, cast so many dark clouds and thick mists around "the bright and morning star," which is the proper hope of the church, that many saints, at the present moment, seem unable to rise above the hope of the god-fearing remnant of israel, which is to see "the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." (mal. iv.) nor is this all. very many have been deprived of the moral power of the hope of christ's appearing, by being taught to look for various events and circumstances previous to the moment of his manifestation to the church. the restoration of the jews, the development of nebuchadnezzar's image, the revelation of the man of sin,--all these things, it is maintained, must take place ere christ comes. that this is not true, might be proved from numerous passages of new-testament scripture, were this the fitting place to adduce them. the church, like enoch, will be taken away from the evil around, and the evil to come. enoch was not left to see the world's evil rise to a head, and the judgment of god poured forth upon it. he saw not "the fountains of the great deep broken up," nor "the windows of heaven opened." he was taken away before any of these things occurred; and he stands before the eye of faith as a beautiful figure of those, "who shall not all sleep, but shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." (1 cor. xv. 51, 52.) translation, not death, was the hope of enoch; and, as to the church's hope, it is thus briefly expressed by the apostle, "to wait for the son from heaven." (1 thess. i. 10.) this, the simplest and most unlettered christian can understand and enjoy. its power, too, he can, in some measure, experience and manifest. he may not be able to study prophecy very deeply, but he can, blessed be god, taste the blessedness, the reality, the comfort, the power, the elevating and separating virtue of that celestial hope which properly belongs to him as a member of that heavenly body, the church; which hope is not merely to see "the sun of righteousness," how blessed soever that may be in its place, but to see "the bright and morning star." (rev. ii. 28.) and as, in the natural world, the morning star is seen, by those who watch for it, before the sun rises, so christ, as the morning star, will be seen by the church, before the remnant of israel can behold the beams of the sun. footnotes: [8] the word used by cain is [hebrew: minneso'] which occurs in psalm xxxii. 1, "whose transgression is _forgiven_." the lxx. renders it by [greek: aphethãªnai], "to be remitted." [9] true, the lord is using all those things for the furtherance of his own gracious ends; and the lord's servant can freely use them also; but this does not hinder our seeing the spirit which originates and characterizes them. [10] it is very evident that enoch knew nothing whatever about the mode of "making the best of both worlds." to him there was but one world. thus it should be with us. chapters vi.-ix. we have now arrived at a deeply-important and strongly-marked division of our book. enoch has passed off the scene. his walk, as a stranger on earth, has terminated in his translation to heaven. he was taken away before human evil had risen to a head, and, therefore, before the divine judgment had been poured out. how little influence his course and translation had upon the world is manifest from the first two verses of chapter vi. "and it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose." the mingling of that which is of god with that which is of man is a special form of evil, and a very effectual engine, in satan's hand, for marring the testimony of christ on the earth. this mingling may frequently wear the appearance of something very desirable; it may often look like a wider promulgation of that which is of god,--a fuller and a more vigorous outgoing of a divine influence,--a something to be rejoiced in rather than to be deplored: but our judgment as to this will depend entirely upon the point of view from which we contemplate it. if we look at it in the light of god's presence, we cannot possibly imagine that an advantage is gained when the people of god mingle themselves with the children of this world; or when the truth of god is corrupted by human admixture. such is not the divine method of promulgating truth, or of advancing the interests of those, who ought to occupy the place of witnesses for him on the earth. separation from all evil is god's principle; and this principle can never be infringed without serious damage to the truth. in the narrative now before us, we see that the union of the sons of god with the daughters of men led to the most disastrous consequences. true, the fruit of that union seemed exceedingly fair, in man's judgment, as we read, "the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown;" yet, god's judgment was quite different. he seeth not as man seeth. his thoughts are not as ours. "god saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." such was man's condition before god,--"evil _only_"--"evil continually." so much for the mingling of the holy with the profane. thus it must ever be. if the holy seed will not maintain its purity, all must be forfeited, as regards testimony on the earth. satan's first effort was to frustrate god's purpose, by putting the holy seed to death; and when that failed, he sought to gain his end by corrupting it. now, it is of the deepest moment that my reader should clearly understand the aim, the character, and the result of this union between "the sons of god" and "the daughters of men." there is great danger, at the present day, of compromising truth for the sake of union. this should be carefully guarded against. there can be no true union attained at the expense of truth. the true christian's motto should ever be--"maintain truth at all cost; if union can be promoted in this way, so much the better; but maintain the truth." the principle of expediency, on the contrary, may be thus enunciated:--"promote union at all cost; if truth can be maintained as well, so much the better; but promote union." this latter principle can only be carried out at the expense of all that is divine in the way of testimony.[11] there can, evidently, be no true testimony where truth is forfeited; and hence, in the case of the antediluvian world, we see that the unhallowed union between the holy and the profane--between that which was divine and that which was human--only had the effect of bringing the evil to a head, and then god's judgment was poured out. "the lord said, i will destroy man." nothing less would do. there must be the entire destruction of that which had corrupted god's way on the earth. "the mighty men, and men of renown," must all be swept away, without distinction. "all flesh" must be set aside, as utterly unfit for god. "the end of _all_ flesh is come before me." it was not merely the end of _some_ flesh; no, it was all corrupt, in the sight of jehovah,--all irrecoverably bad. it had been tried, and found wanting; and the lord announces his remedy to noah in these words, "make thee an ark of gopher wood." thus was noah put in possession of god's thoughts about the scene around him. the effect of the word of god was to lay bare the roots of all that which man's eye might rest upon with complacency and pride. the human heart might swell with pride, and the bosom heave with emotion, as the eye ran down along the brilliant ranks of men of art, men of skill, "men of might," and "men of renown." the sound of the harp and the organ might send a thrill through the whole soul, while, at the same time, the ground was cultivated, and man's necessities were provided for in such a way as to contradict every thought in reference to approaching judgment. but, oh! those solemn words, "_i will destroy!_" what a heavy gloom they would necessarily cast over the glittering scene! could not man's genius invent some way of escape? could not "the mighty man deliver himself by his much strength?" alas, no: there was one way of escape, but it was revealed to faith, not to sight,--not to reason,--not to imagination. "by faith noah, being _warned of god_, of things _not seen_ as yet, moved with fear ([greek: eulabãªtheis]), prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (heb. xi. 7.) the word of god brings his light to shine upon all that by which man's heart is deceived. it removes, completely, the gilding with which the serpent covers a vain, deceitful, passing world, over which hangs the sword of divine judgment. but it is only "faith" that will be "warned of god," when the things of which he speaks are "not seen as yet." nature is governed by what it sees,--it is governed by its senses. faith is governed by the pure word of god; (inestimable treasure in this dark world!) this gives stability, let outward appearances be what they may. when god spoke to noah of judgment impending, there was no sign of it. it was "not seen as yet;" but the word of god made it a present reality to the heart that was enabled to mix that word with faith. faith does not wait to _see_ a thing, ere it believes, for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of god." all that the man of faith needs, is to know that god has spoken; this imparts perfect certainty to his soul. "thus saith the lord," settles every thing. a single line of sacred scripture is an abundant answer to all the reasonings and all the imaginations of the human mind; and when one has the word of god as the basis of his convictions, he may calmly stand against the full tide of human opinion and prejudice. it was the word of god which sustained the heart of noah during his long course of service; and the same word has sustained the millions of god's saints from that day to this, in the face of the world's contradiction. hence, we cannot set too high a value upon the word of god. without it, all is dark and uncertainty; with it, all is light and peace. where it shines, it marks out for the man of god a sure and blessed path; where it shines not, one is left to wander amid the bewildering mazes of human tradition. how could noah have "preached righteousness" for 120 years if he had not had the word of god as the ground of his preaching? how could he have withstood the scoffs and sneers of an infidel world? how could he have persevered in testifying of "judgment to come," when not a cloud appeared on the world's horizon? impossible. the word of god was the ground on which he stood, and "the spirit of christ" enabled him to occupy, with holy decision, that elevated and immovable ground. and now, my beloved christian reader, what else have we wherewith to stand, in service for christ, in an evil day, like the present? surely, nothing; nor do we want aught else. the word of god, and the holy ghost, by whom _alone_ that word can be understood, applied, or used, are all we want to equip us perfectly--to furnish us thoroughly--"to all good works," under whatever head those works may range themselves. (2 tim. iii. 16, 17.) what rest for the heart! what relief from all satan's imagery, and man's imaginations! god's pure, incorruptible, eternal word! may our hearts adore him for the inestimable treasure! "every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually;" but god's word was the simple resting-place of noah's heart. "god said unto noah, the end of all flesh is come before me.... make thee an ark of gopher wood." here was man's ruin, and god's remedy. man had been allowed to pursue his career to the utmost limit, to bring his principles and ways to maturity. the leaven had worked and filled the mass. the evil had reached its climax. "all flesh" had become so bad that it could not be worse; wherefore nothing remained but for god to destroy _it_ totally; and, at the same time, to save all those who should be found, according to his eternal counsels, linked with "the eighth person,"--the only righteous man then existing. this brings out the doctrine of the cross in a very vivid manner. there we find at once god's judgment of nature with all its evil; and, at the same time, the revelation of his saving grace, in all its fulness, and in all its perfect adaptation to those who have really reached the lowest point of their moral condition, as judged by himself. "the day-spring from on high hath visited us." (luke i. 78.) where? just _where we are_, as sinners. god has come down to the very deepest depths of our ruin. there is not a point in all the sinner's state to which the light of that blessed day-spring has not penetrated; but, if it has thus penetrated, it must, by virtue of what it is, reveal our true character. the light must judge every thing contrary to itself; but, while it does so, it also "gives the knowledge of salvation through the remission of sins." the cross, while it reveals god's judgment upon "all flesh," reveals his salvation for the lost and guilty sinner. sin is perfectly judged,--the sinner perfectly saved,--god perfectly revealed, and perfectly glorified, in the cross. if my reader will turn for a moment to the first epistle of peter, he will find much light thrown upon this entire subject. at the third chapter, verse 18, we read, "for christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to god, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit: by which (spirit) he went and preached (through noah) to the spirits (now) in prison; which once were disobedient, when the long-suffering of god waited in the days of noah, while the ark was being prepared, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water ([greek: di' hydatos]); to which the antitype ([greek: antitypon]) baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, (as by water,)[12] but the answer of a good conscience towards god, by the resurrection of jesus christ, who, having gone into heaven, is at the right hand of god, angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject to him." this is a most important passage. it sets the doctrine of the ark and its connection with the death of christ very distinctly before us. as in the deluge, so in the death of christ, all the billows and waves of divine judgment passed over that which, in itself, was without sin. the creation was buried beneath the flood of jehovah's righteous wrath; and the spirit of christ exclaims, "all thy billows and thy waves have gone over me." (ps. xlii. 7.) here is a profound truth for the heart and conscience of a believer. "_all_ god's billows and waves" passed over the spotless person of the lord jesus, when he hung upon the cross; and, as a most blessed consequence, not one of them remains to pass over the person of the believer. at calvary we see, in good truth, "the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven opened." "deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts." christ drank the cup, and endured the wrath perfectly. he put himself, judicially, under the full weight of all his people's liabilities, and gloriously discharged them. the belief of this gives settled peace to the soul. if the lord jesus has met all that could be against us, if he has removed out of the way every hindrance, if he has put away sin, if he has exhausted the cup of wrath and judgment on our behalf, if he has cleared the prospect of every cloud, should we not enjoy settled peace? unquestionably. peace is our unalienable portion. to us belong the deep and untold blessedness and holy security which redeeming love can bestow on the righteous ground of christ's absolutely accomplished work. had noah any anxiety about the billows of divine judgment? none whatever. how could he? he knew that "_all_" had been poured forth, while he himself was raised by those very outpoured billows into a region of cloudless peace. he floated in peace on that very water by which "all flesh" was judged. he was put beyond the reach of judgment; and put there, too, by god himself. he might have said, in the triumphant language of romans viii., "if god be for us, who can be against us?" he had been invited in by jehovah himself, as we read in chapter vii. 1, "come thou and all thy house into the ark;" and when he had taken his place there, we read, "_the lord shut him in_." here, assuredly, was full and perfect security for all within. jehovah kept the door, and no one could go in or out without him. there was both a window and a door to the ark. the lord secured, with his own omnipotent hand, the door, and left noah the window, from which he might look upward to the place from whence all the judgment had emanated, and see that no judgment remained for him. the saved family could only look _upward_, because the window was "above." (chap. vi. 16.) they could not see the waters of judgment, nor the death and desolation which those waters had caused. god's salvation--the "gopher wood," stood between them and all these things. they had only to gaze upward into a cloudless heaven,--the eternal dwelling-place of the one who had condemned the world, and saved them. nothing can more fully express the believer's perfect security in christ than those words, "the lord shut him in." who could open what god had shut? none. the family of noah were as safe as god could make them. there was no power, angelic, human or diabolical, which could possibly burst open the door of the ark, and let the waters in. that door was shut by the self-same hand that had opened the windows of heaven, and broken up the fountains of the great deep. thus christ is spoken of as the one "that hath the key of david, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth." (rev. iii. 7.) he also holds in his hand "the keys of hell and of death." (rev. i. 18.) none can enter the portals of the grave, nor go forth therefrom without him. he has "all power in heaven and on earth." he is "head over all things to the church," and in him the believer is perfectly secure. (matt. xxviii. 18; eph. i. 22.) who could touch noah? what wave could penetrate that ark which was "pitched within and without with pitch?" just so now, who can touch those who have, by faith, retreated into the shadow of the cross? every enemy has been met and silenced,--yes, silenced for ever. the death of christ has triumphantly answered every demur; while, at the same time, his resurrection is the satisfactory declaration of god's infinite complacency in that work which is, at once, the basis of his righteousness in receiving us, and of our confidence in drawing nigh unto him. hence, therefore, the door of our ark being secured, by the hand of god himself, nothing remains for us but to enjoy the window; or, in other words, to walk in happy and holy communion with him who has saved us from coming wrath, and made us heirs and expectants of coming glory. peter speaks of those, who "are blind, and cannot see afar off, and have forgotten that they were purged from their old sins." (2 peter i. 9.) this is a lamentable condition for any one to be in, and it is the sure result of not cultivating diligent, prayerful communion with him who has eternally shut us in in christ. let us, now, ere we proceed further with noah's history, glance for a little at the condition of those to whom he had so long preached righteousness. we have been looking at the _saved_,--let us now look at the _lost_: we have been thinking of those _within_ the ark,--let us now think of those _without_. no doubt, many an anxious look would be cast after the vessel of mercy, as it rose with the water; but, alas! "the door was shut," the day of grace was over, the time of testimony closed, and that forever, so far as they were concerned. the same hand which had shut noah _in_, had shut them _out_; and it was as impossible for those without to get in as it was for those within to get out. the former were irrecoverably lost; the latter, effectually saved. the long-suffering of god, and the testimony of his servant, had both been slighted. present things had engrossed them. "they did eat, they drank, they married wives, and were given in marriage, _until_ the day that noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." (luke xvii. 26, 27.) there was nothing wrong in any of these things, abstractedly looked at. the wrong was not in the things done, but in the doers of them. every one of them might be done in the fear of the lord, and to the glory of his holy name, were they only done in faith. but, alas! they were not so done. the word of god was rejected. he told of judgment; but they did not believe. he spoke of sin and ruin; but they were not convinced. he spoke of a remedy; but they would not give heed. they went on with their own plans and speculations, and had no room for god. they acted as if the earth belonged to them, by a lease, forever. they forgot that there was a clause of surrender. they thought not of that solemn "_until_." god was shut out. "every imagination of the thoughts of their heart was only evil continually;" and hence, they could do nothing right. they thought, spake, and acted for themselves. they did their own pleasure, and forgot god. and, my reader, remember the words of the lord jesus christ, how he said, "_as it was_ in the days of noah, _so shall it be_ in the days of the son of man." some would have us to believe that ere the son of man appears in the clouds of heaven, this earth shall be covered, from pole to pole, with a fair mantle of righteousness. they would teach us to look for a reign of righteousness and peace, as the result of agencies now in operation; but the brief passage just quoted cuts up by the roots, in a moment, all such vain and delusive expectations. how was it in the days of noah? did righteousness cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea? was god's truth dominant? was the earth filled with the knowledge of the lord? scripture replies, "the earth was filled with violence." "all flesh had corrupted his way on the earth." "the earth also was corrupt before god." well, then, "_so_ shall it be in the days of the son of man." this is plain enough. "righteousness" and "violence" are not very like each other. neither is there any similarity between universal wickedness and universal peace. it only needs a heart subject to the word, and freed from the influence of preconceived opinions, in order to understand the true character of the days immediately preceding "the coming of the son of man." let not my reader be led astray. let him reverently bow to scripture. let him look at the condition of the world, "in the days before the flood;" and let him bear in mind, that "_as_" it was then, "_so_" shall it be at the close of this present period. this is most simple,--most conclusive. there was nothing like a state of universal righteousness and peace then, neither shall there be any thing like it by-and-by. no doubt, man displayed abundant energy in making the world a comfortable and an agreeable place for himself; but that was a very different thing from making it a suitable place for god. so also at this present time; man is as busy as he can be, in clearing the stones off the pathway of human life, and making it as smooth as possible; but this is not "making straight in the desert a highway for our god;" nor is it making "the rough places smooth," that all flesh may see the salvation of jehovah. civilization prevails; but civilization is not righteousness. the sweeping and garnishing are going forward; but it is not in order to fit the house for christ, but for antichrist. the wisdom of man is put forth in order to cover, with the folds of his own drapery, the blots and blemishes of humanity; but, though covered, they are not removed! they are underneath, and will, ere long, break out in more hideous deformity than ever. the painting of vermilion will soon be obliterated, and the carved cedar wood destroyed. the dams by which man sedulously seeks to stem the torrent of human wretchedness, must soon give way before the overwhelming force thereof. all the efforts to confine the physical, the mental, and the moral degradation of adam's posterity within those enclosures, which human benevolence, if you please, has devised, must, in the sequel, prove abortive. the testimony has gone forth. "the end of _all_ flesh has come before me." it has not come before man; but it has come before god: and, albeit, the voice of the scoffers may be heard, saying, "where is the promise of his coming? for, since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation;" yet the moment is rapidly hastening on when those scoffers will get their answer. "the day of the lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up." (2 peter iii. 4-10.) this, my reader, is the answer to the intellectual scoffs of the children of this world, but not to the spiritual affections and expectations of the children of god. these latter, thank god, have a totally different prospect, even to meet the bridegroom in the air, before evil shall have reached its culminating point, and, therefore, before the divine judgment shall be poured forth thereon. the church of god looks not for the burning up of the world, but for the arising of "the bright and morning star." now, in whatever way we look at the future, from whatever point of view we contemplate it, whether the object, which presents itself to the soul's vision be the church in glory, or the world in flames, the coming of the bridegroom, or the breaking in of the thief, the morning star, or the scorching sun, the translation, or the deluge, we must feel the unspeakable importance of attending to god's present testimony in grace, to lost sinners. "_now_ is the accepted time; behold, _now_ is the day of salvation." (2 cor. vi. 2.) "god was in christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." (2 cor. v. 19.) he is reconciling now, he will be judging by-and-by; it is all grace now; it will be all wrath then; he is pardoning sin now, through the cross; he will punish it then, in hell, and that forever. he is sending out a message of purest, richest, freest grace. he is telling sinners of an accomplished redemption through the precious sacrifice of christ. he is declaring that all is done. he is waiting to be gracious. "the long-suffering of our lord is salvation." "the lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 peter iii.) all this makes the present moment one of peculiar solemnity. unmingled grace declared!--unmingled wrath impending! how solemn! how deeply solemn! and, then, with what profound interest should we mark the unfolding of the divine purposes! scripture sheds its light upon these things; and such a light, too, that we need not, as another has said, "vacantly stare on passing events, as those who know not where they are, and whither they are going." we should accurately know our bearings. we should fully understand the direct tendency of all the principles now at work. we should be well aware of the vortex, toward which all the tributary streams are rapidly flowing on. men dream of a golden age; they promise themselves a millennium of the arts and sciences; they feed upon the thought, that "to-morrow shall be as this day, and more abundant." but, oh! how utterly vain are all those thoughts, dreams, and promises. faith can see the clouds gathering thickly around the world's horizon. judgment is coming. the day of wrath is at hand. the door will soon be shut. the "strong delusion" will soon set in with terrible intensity. how needful, then, it is to raise a warning voice,--to seek, by faithful testimony, to counteract man's pitiable self-complacency. true, in so doing, we shall be exposed to the charge which ahab brought against micaiah, of always prophesying evil: but no matter for that. let us prophesy what the word of god prophesies, and let us do this simply for the purpose of "persuading men." the word of god only removes from beneath our feet a hollow foundation, for the purpose of placing instead thereof a foundation which never can be moved. it only takes away from us a delusive hope, to give us, instead, "a hope which maketh not ashamed." it takes away "a broken reed," to give us the "rock of ages." it sets aside "a broken cistern, which can hold no water," to set in its place "the fountain of living waters." this is true love. it is god's love. he will not cry "peace, peace," when there is no peace; nor "daub with untempered mortar." he would have the sinner's heart resting sweetly in his own eternal ark of safety, enjoying present communion with himself, and fondly cherishing the hope, that, when all the ruin, the desolation, and the judgment have passed away, it shall rest with him in a restored creation. we shall now return to noah, and contemplate him in a new position. we have seen him building the ark, we have seen him in the ark, and we shall now view him going forth of the ark, and taking his place in the new world.[13] "and god remembered noah." the strange work of judgment being over, the saved family, and all in association with them, come into remembrance. "god made a wind to pass over the earth; and the waters assuaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained." the beams of the sun now begin to act upon a world that had been baptized with a baptism of judgment. judgment is god's "strange work." he delights not in, though he is glorified by, it. blessed be his name, he is ever ready to leave the place of judgment, and enter that of mercy, because he delights in mercy. "and it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: and he sent forth a raven, which went forth, to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth." the unclean bird made its escape, and found, no doubt, a resting-place upon some floating carcase. it sought not the ark again. not so the dove. "she found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark ... and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark: and the dove came in to him, in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive-leaf, pluckt off." sweet emblem of the renewed mind, which, amid the surrounding desolation, seeks and finds its rest and portion in christ; and not only so, but also lays hold of the earnest of the inheritance, and furnishes the blessed proof, that judgment has passed away, and that a renewed earth is coming fully into view. the carnal mind, on the contrary, can rest in any thing and every thing but christ. it can feed upon all uncleanness. "the olive-leaf" has no attraction for it. it can find all it needs in a scene of death, and hence is not occupied with the thought of a new world and its glories; but the heart that is taught and exercised by the spirit of god, can only rest and rejoice in that in which he rests and rejoices. it rests in the ark of his salvation "until the times of the restitution of all things." may it be thus with you and me, beloved reader! may jesus be the abiding rest and portion of our hearts, that so we may not seek them in a world which is under the judgment of god! the dove went back to noah, and waited for his time of rest; and we should ever find our place with christ, until the time of his exaltation, and glory, in the ages to come. "he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry." all we want, as to this, is a little patience. may god direct our hearts into his love, and into "the patience of christ!" "and god spake unto noah, saying, go forth of the ark." the same god that had said, "make thee an ark" and "come thou into the ark," now says, "go forth of the ark." "and noah went forth ... and builded an altar unto the lord." all is simple obedience. there is the obedience of faith and the worship of faith: both go together. the altar is erected, where, just before; all had been a scene of death and judgment. the ark had borne noah and his family safely over the waters of judgment. it had carried him from the old into the new world, where he now takes his place as a worshipper.[14] and, be it observed, it was "unto the lord" he erected his altar. superstition would have worshipped _the ark_, as being the means of salvation. it is ever the tendency of the heart to displace god by his ordinances. now, the ark was a very marked and manifest ordinance; but noah's faith passed beyond the ark to the god of the ark; and hence, when he stepped out of it, instead of casting back a lingering look at it, or regarding it as an object of worship or veneration, he built an altar unto the lord, and worshipped him: and the ark is never heard of again. this teaches us a very simple, but, at the same time, a very seasonable lesson. the moment the heart lets slip the reality of god himself, there is no placing a limit to its declension; it is on the highway to the grossest forms of idolatry. in the judgment of faith, an ordinance is only valuable as it conveys god, in living power, to the soul; that is to say, so long as faith can enjoy christ therein, according to his own appointment. beyond this, it is worth just nothing; and if it in the smallest degree comes between the heart and his precious work and his glorious person, it ceases to be an ordinance of god, and becomes an instrument of the devil. in the judgment of superstition, the ordinance is every thing, and god is shut out; and the name of god is only made use of to exalt the ordinance, and give it a deep hold of the human heart, and a mighty influence over the human mind. thus it was that the children of israel worshipped the brazen serpent. that, which had once been a channel of blessing to them, because used of god, became, when their hearts had departed from the lord, an object of superstitious veneration; and hezekiah had to break it in pieces, and call it "a piece of brass." in itself it was only a "nehushtan," but, when used of god, it was a means of rich blessing. now, faith owned it to be what divine revelation said it was; but superstition, throwing, as it ever does, divine revelation overboard, lost the real purpose of god in the thing, and actually made a god of the thing itself. (see 2 kings xviii. 4.) and, my reader, is there not a deep lesson in all this for the present age? i am convinced there is. we live in an age of ordinances. the atmosphere which enwraps the professing church, is impregnated with the elements of a traditionary religion, which robs the soul of christ, and his divinely full salvation. it is not that human traditions boldly deny that there is such a person as christ, or such a thing as the cross of christ: were they to do so, the eyes of many might be opened. however, it is not thus. the evil is of a far more insidious and dangerous character. ordinances are added to christ, and the work of christ. the sinner is not saved by christ alone, but by christ and ordinances. thus he is robbed of christ altogether; for it will, assuredly, be found that _christ and ordinances_ will prove, in the sequel, to be _ordinances, and not christ_. this is a solemn consideration for all who stand up for a religion of ordinances. "if ye be circumcised christ shall profit you nothing." it must be christ wholly, or not at all. the devil persuades men, that they are honoring christ when they make much of his ordinances; whereas, all the while he knows full well that they are, in reality, setting christ entirely aside, and deifying the ordinance. i would only repeat here a remark which i have made elsewhere, namely, that superstition makes _every thing_ of the ordinance; infidelity, profanity, and mysticism, make _nothing_ of it; faith uses it according to divine appointment. but i have already extended this section far beyond the limit which i had prescribed for it. i shall, therefore, close it with a hasty glance at the contents of chapter ix. in it we have the new covenant, under which creation was set, after the deluge, together with the token of that covenant. "and god blessed noah and his sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." observe, god's command to man, on his entrance into the restored earth, was to refill that earth; not parts of the earth, but the earth. he desired to have men dispersed abroad, over the face of the world, and not relying upon their own concentrated energies. we shall see, in chap. xi., how man neglected all this. the fear of man is now lodged in the heart of every other creature. henceforth the service, rendered by the inferior orders of creation to man, must be the constrained result of "fear and dread." in life, and in death, the lower animals were to be at the service of man. all creation is delivered, by god's everlasting covenant, from the fear of a second deluge. judgment is never again to take that shape. "the world that then was, being overflowed with _water_, perished; but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto _fire_ against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." the earth was once purged with water; and it will be again purged by fire; and in this second purgation none will escape, save those, who have fled for refuge to him who has passed through the deep waters of death, and met the fire of divine judgment. "and god said, this is the token of the covenant ... i do set my bow in the cloud ... and i will remember my covenant." the whole creation rests, as to its exemption from a second deluge, on the eternal stability of god's covenant, of which the bow is the token; and it is happy to bear in mind, that when the bow appears, the eye of god rests upon it; and man is cast, not upon his own imperfect and most uncertain memory, but upon god's. "i," says god, "will remember." how sweet to think of what god will, and what he will not, remember! he will remember his own covenant, but he will not remember his people's sins. the cross, which ratifies the former, puts away the latter. the belief of this gives peace to the troubled heart and uneasy conscience. "and it shall come to pass, when i bring a cloud over the earth, that _the bow shall be seen in the cloud_." beautiful and most expressive emblem! the beams of the sun, reflected from that which threatens judgment, tranquillize the heart, as telling of god's covenant, god's salvation, and god's remembrance. precious, most precious sunbeams, deriving additional beauty from the very cloud which reflects them! how forcibly does this bow in the cloud remind us of calvary. there we see a cloud indeed,--a dark, thick, heavy cloud of judgment, discharging itself upon the sacred head of the lamb of god,--a cloud so dark, that even at mid-day "there was darkness over all the earth." but, blessed be god, faith discerns, in that heaviest cloud that ever gathered, the most brilliant and beauteous bow that ever appeared; for it sees the bright beams of god's eternal love darting through the awful gloom, and reflected in the cloud. it hears, too, the words, "it is finished," issuing from amid the darkness, and in those words it recognizes the perfect ratification of god's everlasting covenant, not only with creation, but with the tribes of israel and the church of god. the last paragraph of this chapter presents a humiliating spectacle. the lord of creation fails to govern himself: "and noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent." what a condition for noah, the only righteous man, the preacher of righteousness, to be found in! alas! what is man? look at him where you will, and you see only failure. in eden, he fails; in the restored earth, he fails; in canaan, he fails; in the church, he fails; in the presence of millennial bliss and glory, he fails. he fails everywhere, and in all things: there is no good thing in him. let his advantages be ever so great, his privileges ever so vast, his position ever so desirable, he can only exhibit failure and sin. we must, however, look at noah in two ways, namely, as _a type_, and as _a man_; and while the type is full of beauty and meaning, the man is full of sin and folly; yet the holy ghost has written these words, "noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation; and noah walked with god." divine grace had covered all his sins, and clothed his person with a spotless robe of righteousness. though noah exposed his nakedness, god did not see it, for he looked not at him in the weakness of his own condition, but in the full power of divine and everlasting righteousness. hence we may see how entirely astray--how totally alienated from god and his thoughts--ham was in the course he adopted; he evidently knew nothing of the blessedness of the man whose iniquity is forgiven and his sin covered. on the contrary, shem and japheth exhibit in their conduct a fine specimen of the divine method of dealing with human nakedness; wherefore they inherit a blessing, whereas ham inherits a curse. footnotes: [11] we should ever bear in mind, that "the wisdom which is from above is _first pure_, then peaceable." (james iii. 17.) the wisdom which is from beneath would put "peaceable" first, and, therefore, it can never be pure. [12] it is impossible to over-estimate the wisdom of the holy ghost, as seen in the way in which he treats the ordinance of baptism, in the above remarkable passage. we know the evil use which has been made of baptism; we know the false place it has gotten in the thoughts of many; we know how that the efficacy, which belongs only to the blood of christ, has been attributed to the water of baptism; we know how the regenerating grace of the holy ghost has been transferred to water baptism; and, with the knowledge of all this, we cannot but be struck with the way in which the spirit of god guards the subject, by stating, that it is not the mere washing away of the filth of the flesh, as by water, "but the answer of a good conscience toward god," which "answer" we get, not by baptism, how important soever it may be, as an ordinance of the kingdom, but "by the resurrection of jesus christ," "who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification." baptism, i need hardly say, as an ordinance of divine institution, and in its divinely-appointed place, is most important and deeply significant; but when we find men, in one way or another, putting the figure in place of the substance, we are bound to expose the work of satan by the light of the word of god. [13] i would here mention, for my reader's prayerful consideration, a thought very familiar to the minds of those who have specially given themselves to the study of what is called "dispensational truth." it has reference to enoch and noah. the former was taken away, as we have seen, before the judgment came; whereas the latter was carried through the judgment. now, it is thought that enoch is a figure of the church, who shall be taken away before human evil reaches its climax, and before the divine judgment falls thereon. noah, on the other hand, is a figure of the remnant of israel, who shall be brought through the deep waters of affliction, and through the fire of judgment, and led into the full enjoyment of millennial bliss, in virtue of god's everlasting covenant. i may add, that i quite receive this thought in reference to those two old-testament fathers. i consider that it has the full support of the general scope and analogy of holy scripture. [14] it is interesting to look at this entire subject of the ark and deluge, in connection with that most important and deeply significant ordinance of baptism. a truly baptized person, that is, one who, as the apostle says, "obeys from the heart that type of doctrine to which he is delivered," is one, who has passed from the old world into the new, in spirit and principle, and by faith. the water rolls over his person, signifying that his old man is buried, that his place in nature is ignored, that his old nature is entirely set aside; in short, that he is a dead man. when he is plunged beneath the water, expression is given to the fact that his name, place, and existence, in nature, are put out of sight; that the flesh, with all that pertained thereto, its sins, its iniquities, its liabilities, is buried in the grave of christ, and never can come into god's sight again. again, when he rises up out of the water, expression is given to the truth, that he only comes up as the possessor of a new life, even the resurrection life of christ. if christ had not been raised from the dead, the believer could not come up out of the water, but should remain buried beneath its surface, as the simple expression of the place which righteously belongs to nature. but, inasmuch as christ rose from the dead, in the power of a new life, having entirely put away our sins, we also come up out of the water; and, in so doing, set forth the fact, that we are put, by the grace of god, and through the death of christ, in full possession of a new life, to which divine righteousness inseparably attaches. "we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (see rom. vi. and col. ii. _passim_. comp. also 1 peter iii. 18-22.) all this makes the institution of baptism one of immense importance, and pregnant with meaning. chapter x. this section of our book records the generations of noah's three sons, noticing, especially, nimrod, the founder of the kingdom of babel, or babylon, a name which occupies a very prominent place on the page of inspiration. babylon is a well-known name,--a well-known influence. from the tenth chapter of genesis, down to the eighteenth chapter of revelation, babylon, again and again, appears before us, and always as something decidedly hostile to those who occupy, for the time being, the position of public testimony for god. not that we are to look upon the babylon of old testament scripture as identical with the babylon of the apocalypse. by no means. i believe the former is a city; the latter, a system; but both the city and the system exert a powerful influence against god's people. hardly had israel entered upon the wars of canaan, when "a babylonish garment" brought defilement and sorrow, defeat and confusion, into the host. this is the earliest record of babylon's pernicious influence upon the people of god; but every student of scripture is aware of the place which babylon gets throughout the entire history of israel. this would not be the place to notice in detail the various passages in which this city is introduced. i would only remark here, that whenever god has a corporate witness on the earth, satan has a babylon to mar and corrupt that witness. when god connects his name with a city on the earth, then babylon takes the form of a city; and when god connects his name with the church, then babylon takes the form of a corrupt religious system, called "the great whore," "the mother of abominations," &c. in a word, satan's babylon is always seen as the instrument moulded and fashioned by his hand, for the purpose of counteracting the divine operations, whether in israel of old, or the church now. throughout the old testament israel and babylon are seen, as it were, in opposite scales; when israel is up, babylon is down; and when babylon is up, israel is down. thus, when israel had utterly failed, as jehovah's witness, "the king of babylon broke his bones," and swallowed him up. the vessels of the house of god, which ought to have remained in the _city_ of jerusalem, were carried away to the _city_ of babylon. but isaiah, in his sublime prophecy, leads us onward to the opposite of all this. he presents, in most magnificent strains, a picture, in which israel's star is in the ascendant, and babylon entirely sunk. "and it shall come to pass in the day that the lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of babylon, and say, how hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!... since _thou_ art laid down, no feller is come up against _us_." (isa. xiv. 3-8.) thus much as to the babylon of the old testament. then, as to the babylon of revelation, my reader has only to turn to the 17th and 18th chapters of that book to see her character and end. she is presented in marked contrast with the bride, the lamb's wife; and as to her end, she is cast as a great millstone into the sea; after which we have the marriage of the lamb, with all its accompanying bliss and glory. however, i could not attempt to pursue this most interesting subject here: i have merely glanced at it in connection with the name of nimrod. i feel assured that my reader will find himself amply repaid for any trouble he may take in the close examination of all those scriptures in which the name of babylon is introduced. we shall now return to our chapter. "and cush begat nimrod: he began to be a _mighty one in the earth_. he was a mighty hunter before the lord: wherefore it is said, even as nimrod the mighty hunter before the lord. and the beginning of his kingdom was babel, and erech, and accad, and calneh, _in the land of shinar_." here, then, we have the character of the founder of babylon. he was "a mighty one _in the earth_"--"a mighty hunter before the lord." such was the origin of babylon; and its character, throughout the entire book of god, remarkably corresponds therewith. it is always seen as a mighty influence in the earth, acting in positive antagonism to every thing which owes its origin to heaven; and it is not until this babylon has been totally abolished, that the cry is heard, amid the hosts above, "alleluia; for the lord god omnipotent reigneth." then all babylon's mighty hunting will be over forever, whether it be its hunting of wild beasts, to subdue them; or its hunting of souls, to destroy them. all its might, and all its glory, all its pomp and pride, its wealth and luxury, its light and joy, its glitter and glare, its powerful attractions and wide-spread influence, shall have passed away forever. she shall be swept with the besom of destruction, and plunged in the darkness, the horror and desolation, of an everlasting night. "how long, o lord?" chapter xi. this is a chapter of very deep interest to the spiritual mind. it records two great facts, namely, the building of babel, and the call of abraham; or, in other words, man's effort to provide for himself, and god's provision made known to faith; man's attempt to establish himself _in the earth_, and god's calling a man _out of_ it, to find his portion and his home _in heaven_. "and the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. and it came to pass as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of shinar; and they dwelt there.... and they said, go to, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." the human heart ever seeks a name, a portion, and a centre in the earth. it knows nothing of aspirations after heaven, heaven's god, or heaven's glory. left to itself, it will ever find its objects in this lower world; it will ever "build beneath the skies." it needs god's call, god's revelation, and god's power, to lift the heart of man above this present world, for man is a grovelling creature,--alienated from heaven, and allied to earth. in the scene now before us, there is no acknowledgment of god, no looking up to, or waiting on, him; nor was it the thought of the human heart to set up a place in which god might dwell,--to gather materials for the purpose of building a habitation for him,--alas! no; his name is never once mentioned. to make a name for himself was man's object on the plain of shinar; and such has been his object ever since. whether we contemplate man on the plain of shinar, or on the banks of the tiber, we find him to be the same self-seeking, self-exalting, god-excluding creature, throughout. there is a melancholy consistency in all his purposes, his principles, and his ways; he ever seeks to shut out god and exalt himself. now, in what light soever we view this babel confederacy, it is most instructive to see in it the early display of man's genius and energies, regardless of god. in looking down along the stream of human history, we may easily perceive a marked tendency to confederacy, or association. man seeks, for the most part, to compass his great ends in this way. whether it be in the way of philanthropy, religion, or politics, nothing can be done without an association of men regularly organized. it is well to see this principle,--well to mark its incipient working,--to see the earliest model which the page of inspiration affords of a human association, as exhibited on the plain of shinar, in its design, its object, its attempt, its overthrow. if we look around us at the present moment we see the whole scene filled with associations. to name them were useless, for they are as numerous as are the purposes of the human heart. but it is important to mark that the first of all these was the shinar association, for the establishment of the human interests, and the exaltation of the human name,--objects which may well be set in competition with any that engage the attention of this enlightened and civilized age. but, in the judgment of faith, there is one grand defect, namely, god is shut out; and to attempt to exalt man, without god, is to exalt him to a dizzy height only that he may be dashed down into hopeless confusion and irretrievable ruin. the christian should only know _one_ association, and that is, the church of the living god, incorporated by the holy ghost, who came down from heaven as the witness of christ's glorification, to baptize believers into one body, and constitute them god's dwelling-place. babylon is the very opposite of this, in every particular; and she becomes at the close, as we know, "the habitation of devils." (see rev. xviii.) "and the lord said, behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do. go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. so the lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city." such was the end of man's first association. thus it will be to the end. "associate yourselves, o ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces ... gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces." (isa. viii. 9.) how different it is when god associates men! in the second chapter of acts, we see the blessed one coming down in infinite grace to meet man in the very circumstances in which his sin had set him. the holy ghost enabled the messengers of grace to deliver their message in the very tongue wherein each was born. precious proof this, that god desired to reach man's heart with the sweet story of grace! the law from the fiery mount was not thus promulgated. when god was telling what man ought to be, he spoke in one tongue; but when he was telling what he himself was, he spoke in many. grace broke through the barrier which man's pride and folly had caused to be erected, in order that every man might hear and understand the glad tidings of salvation,--"the wonderful works of god." and to what end was this? just to associate men on god's ground, round god's centre, and on god's principles. it was to give them, in reality, one language, one centre, one object, one hope, one life. it was to gather them in such a way as that they never should be scattered or confounded again; to give them a name and a place which should endure forever; to build for them a tower and a city which should not only have their top reaching to heaven, but their imperishable foundation laid _in_ heaven, by the omnipotent hand of god himself. it was to gather them around the glorious person of a risen and highly exalted christ, and unite them all in one grand design of magnifying and adoring him. if my reader will turn to the seventh chapter of revelation, he will find at the close thereof, "all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues," standing round the lamb; and, with one voice, ascribing all praise to him. thus the three scriptures may be read in most interesting and profitable connection. in gen. xi. god gives various tongues as an expression of his _judgment_; in acts ii. he gives various tongues as an expression of _grace_; and in rev. vii. we see all those tongues gathered round the lamb, in _glory_. how much better it is, therefore, to find our place in god's association than in man's! the former ends in glory, the latter in confusion; the former is carried forward by the energy of the holy ghost, the latter by the unhallowed energy of fallen man; the former has for its object the exaltation of christ, the latter has for its object the exaltation of man, in some way or other. finally, i would say, that all who sincerely desire to know the true character, object, and issue of human associations, should read the opening verses of genesis xi.; and, on the other hand, all who desire to know the excellency, the beauty, the power, the enduring character of divine association, should look at that holy, living, heavenly corporation, which is called, in the new testament, the church of the living god, the body of christ, the bride of the lamb. may the lord enable us to look at and apprehend all these things, in the power of faith; for only in this way can they profit our souls. points of truth, however interesting; scriptural knowledge, however profound and extensive; biblical criticism, however accurate and valuable, may all leave the heart barren, and the affections cold. we want to find christ in the word; and, having found him, to feed on him by faith. this would impart freshness, unction, power, vitality, energy, and intensity, all of which we deeply stand in need of, in this day of freezing formalism. what is the value of a chilling orthodoxy without a living christ, known in all his powerful, personal attractions? no doubt, sound doctrine is immensely important. every faithful servant of christ will feel himself imperatively called upon to "hold fast the form of sound words." but, after all, a living christ is the very soul and life, the joints and marrow, the sinews and arteries, the essence and substance of sound doctrine. may we, by the power of the holy ghost, see more beauty and preciousness in christ, and thus be weaned from the spirit and principles of babylon. we shall, god willing, consider the remainder of chapter xi. in the next section. chapter xii. the book of genesis is, for the most part, taken up with the history of seven men, namely, abel, enoch, noah, abraham, isaac, jacob, and joseph. there is, i doubt not, a specific line of truth brought out in connection with each of those men. thus, for example, in abel we have the great foundation truth of man's coming to god, in the way of atonement,--atonement apprehended by faith. in enoch, we have the proper portion and hope of the heavenly family; while noah presents to us the destiny of the earthly family. enoch was taken to heaven before the judgment came; noah was carried through the judgment into a restored earth. thus, in each, we have a distinct character of truth, and, as a consequence, a distinct phase of faith. my reader can pursue the subject fully, in connection with the eleventh of hebrews; and i feel assured he will find much interest and profit, in so doing. we shall now proceed with our immediate theme, namely, the call of abraham. by comparing chapter xii. 1, chapter xi. 31, with acts vii. 2-4, we learn a truth of immense practical value to the soul. "the lord _had_ said unto abram, get thee out of thy country, and _from thy kindred_, and from thy father's house, unto a land that i will show thee." (chap. xii. 1.) such was the communication made to abraham,--a communication of the most definite character, designed of god to act upon abraham's heart and conscience. "the god of glory appeared unto our father abraham, when he was in mesopotamia, before he dwelt in charran, and said unto him, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into a land that i will show thee. then went he forth out of the land of the chaldeans, and dwelt in charran, (or haran;) and from thence, _when his father was dead_, he removed him into this land wherein ye now dwell." (acts vii. 2-4.) the result of this communication is given in chapter xi. 31: "and terah took abram his son, and lot the son of haran, his son's son, and sarai his daughter-in-law, his son abram's wife; and they went forth with them from ur of the chaldees, _to go into the land of canaan_: and they came _unto haran, and dwelt there_ ... and terah died in haran." from all these passages taken together, we learn that the ties of nature hindered the full response of abraham's soul to the call of god. though called to canaan, he, nevertheless, tarried at haran, till nature's tie was snapped by death, and then, with unimpeded step, he made his way to the place to which "the god of glory" had called him. this is full of meaning. the influences of nature are ever hostile to the full realization and practical power of "the calling of god." we are sadly prone to take lower ground than that which the divine call would set before us. it needs great simplicity and integrity of faith to enable the soul to rise to the height of god's thoughts, and to make our own of that which he reveals. the apostle's prayer (eph. i. 15-22) demonstrates how fully he, by the holy ghost, entered into the difficulty with which the church would ever have to contend, in seeking to apprehend "the hope of _god's calling_, and the riches of the glory of _his_ inheritance in the saints;" because, evidently, if we fail to apprehend the calling, we cannot "walk worthy" thereof. i must know where i am called to go, before i can go thither. had abraham's soul been fully under the power of the truth that "god's calling" was to canaan, and that there, too, lay "his inheritance," he could not have remained in charran. and so with us. if we are led by the holy ghost into the understanding of the truth, that we are called with a heavenly calling; that our home, our portion, our hope, our inheritance, are all above, "where christ sitteth at god's right hand," we could never be satisfied to maintain a standing, seek a name, or lay up an inheritance, on the earth. the two things are incompatible: this is the true way to look at the matter. the heavenly calling is not an empty dogma, a powerless theory, nor a crude speculation. it is either a divine reality, or it is absolutely nothing. was abraham's call to canaan a speculation? was it a mere theory about which he might talk or argue, while, at the same time, he continued in charran? assuredly not. it was a truth, a divine truth, a powerfully practical truth. he was called to canaan, and god could not possibly sanction his stopping short thereof. thus it was with abraham, and thus it is with us. if we would enjoy the divine sanction and the divine presence, we must be seeking by faith to act upon the divine call. that is to say, we must seek to reach, in experience, in practice, and moral character, the point to which god has called us, and that point is full fellowship with his own son,--fellowship with him in his rejection below, fellowship with him in his acceptance above. but, as in abraham's case, it was death that broke the link by which nature bound him to charran; so, in our case, it is death which breaks the link by which nature ties us down to this present world. we must realize the truth that we have died in christ, our head and representative,--that our place in nature and in the world is amongst the things that were,--that the cross of christ is to us what the red sea was to israel, namely, that which separates us forever from the land of death and judgment. thus only shall we be able to walk, in any measure, "worthy of the calling wherewith we are called,"--our high, our holy, our heavenly calling,--our "calling of god in christ jesus." and here i would dwell for a little on the cross of christ in its two grand, fundamental phases, or in other words, the cross as the basis of our worship and our discipleship, our peace and our testimony, our relation with god, and our relation with the world. if as a convicted sinner i look at the cross of the lord jesus christ, i behold in it the everlasting foundation of my peace. i see my "sin" put away, as to the root or principle thereof, and i see my "sins" borne. i see god to be, in very deed, "for me," and that, moreover, in the very condition in which my convicted conscience tells me i am. the cross unfolds god as the _sinner's_ friend. it reveals him in that most wondrous character as the righteous justifier of the most ungodly sinner. creation never could do this. providence never could do this. therein i may see god's power, his majesty, and his wisdom: but what if all these things should be ranged against me? looked at in themselves abstractedly, they would be so, for i am a sinner; and power, majesty, and wisdom, could not put away my sin, nor justify god in receiving me. the introduction of the cross, however, changes the aspect of things entirely. there i find god dealing with sin in such a manner as to glorify himself infinitely. there i see the magnificent display and perfect harmony of all the divine attributes. i see love, and such love as captivates and assures my heart, and weans it, in proportion as i realize it, from every other object. i see wisdom, and such wisdom as baffles devils and astonishes angels. i see power, and such power as bears down all opposition. i see holiness, and such holiness as repulses sin to the very farthest point of the moral universe, and gives the most intense expression of god's abhorrence thereof, that could possibly be given. i see grace, and such grace as sets the sinner in the very presence of god,--yea, puts him into his bosom. where could i see all these things but in the cross? nowhere else. look where you please, and you cannot find aught that so blessedly combines those two great points, namely, "glory to god in the highest," and "on earth peace." how precious, therefore, is the cross, in this its first phase, as the basis of the sinner's peace, the basis of his worship, and the basis of his eternal relationship with the god who is there so blessedly and so gloriously revealed! how precious to god, as furnishing him with a righteous ground on which to go in the full display of all his matchless perfections, and in his most gracious dealings with the sinner! so precious is it to god that, as a recent writer has well remarked, "all that he has said,--all that he has done, from the very beginning, indicates that it was ever uppermost in his heart. and no wonder! his dear and well-beloved son was to hang there, between heaven and earth, the object of all the shame and suffering that men and devils could heap upon him, because he loved to do his father's will, and redeem the children of his grace. it will be the grand centre of attraction, as the fullest expression of his love, throughout eternity." then, as the basis of our practical discipleship and testimony, the cross demands our most profound consideration. in this aspect of it, i need hardly say, it is as perfect as in the former. the same cross which connects me with god has separated me from the world. a dead man is evidently done with the world; and hence the believer, having died in christ, is done with the world; and, having risen with christ, is connected with god, in the power of a new life, a new nature. being thus inseparably linked with christ, he of necessity participates in his acceptance with god, and in his rejection by the world. the two things go together. the former makes him a worshipper and a citizen in heaven, the latter makes him a witness and a stranger on earth. that brings him inside the veil; this puts him outside the camp. the one is as perfect as the other. if the cross has come between me and my sins, it has just as really come between me and the world. in the former case, it puts me into the place of peace with god; in the latter, it puts me into the place of hostility with the world, that is, in a moral point of view; though in another sense it makes me the patient, humble witness of that precious, unfathomable, eternal grace which is set forth in the cross. now, the believer should clearly understand, and rightly distinguish between, both the above phases of the cross of christ. he should not profess to enjoy the one, while he refuses to enter into the other. if his ear is open to hear christ's voice within the veil, it should be open also to hear his voice outside the camp. if he enters into the atonement which the cross has accomplished, he should also realize the rejection which it necessarily involves. the former flows out of the part which god had in the cross; the latter out of the part which man had therein. it is our happy privilege, not only to be done with our sins, but to be done with the world also. all this is involved in the doctrine of the cross. well, therefore, might the apostle say, "god forbid that i should glory save in the cross of our lord jesus christ, by which the world is crucified unto me, and i unto the world." paul looked upon the world as a thing which ought to be nailed to the cross; and the world, in having crucified christ, had crucified all who belonged to him. hence there is a double crucifixion, as regards the believer and the world; and were this fully entered into, it would prove the utter impossibility of ever amalgamating the two. beloved reader, let us deeply, honestly, and prayerfully ponder these things; and may the holy ghost give us the ability to enter into the full practical power of both the phases of the cross of christ. we shall now return to our theme. we are not told how long abraham tarried at haran; yet god graciously waited on his servant until, freed from nature's clog, he could fully obey his command. there was, however, no accommodation of that command to the circumstances of nature. this would never do. god loves his servants too well to deprive them of the full blessedness of entire obedience. there was no fresh revelation to abraham's soul during the time of his sojourn in haran. it is well to see this. we must act up to the light already communicated, and then god will give us more. "to him that hath shall more be given." this is god's principle. still we must remember that god will never _drag_ us along the path of true-hearted discipleship. this would greatly lack the moral excellency which characterizes all the ways of god. he does not _drag_ but _draw_ us along the path which leads to ineffable blessedness in himself; and if we do not see that it is for our real advantage to break through all the barriers of nature, in order to respond to god's call, we forsake our own mercies. but alas! our hearts little enter into this. we begin to calculate about the sacrifices, the hindrances, and the difficulties, instead of bounding along the path, in eagerness of soul, as knowing and loving the one whose call has sounded in our ears. there is much true blessing to the soul in every step of obedience, for obedience is the fruit of faith; and faith puts us into living association and communion with god himself. looking at obedience in this light, we can easily see how distinctly it is marked off, in every feature of it from legality. this latter sets a man with the entire burden of his sins on him to serve god by keeping the law; hence the soul is kept in constant torture, and so far from running in the path of obedience, it has not even taken the very first step. true obedience, on the contrary, is simply the manifestation or outflow of a new nature communicated in grace. to this new nature god graciously imparts precepts for its guidance; and it is perfectly certain that the divine nature guided by the divine precepts can never by any possibility resolve itself into legality. what constitutes legality is the old nature taking up god's precepts and essaying to carry them out. to attempt to regulate man's fallen nature by god's pure and holy law, is as useless and absurd as any thing can be. how could fallen nature breathe an atmosphere so pure? impossible. both the atmosphere and the nature must be divine. but not only does the blessed god impart a divine nature to the believer, and guide that nature by his heavenly precepts, he also sets before it suited hopes and expectations. thus, in abraham's case, "_the god of glory_ appeared unto him." and for what purpose? to set before his soul's vision an attractive object,--"a land that _i_ will show thee." this was not compulsion but attraction. god's land was in the judgment of the new nature,--the judgment of faith, far better than ur or charran: and albeit he had not seen the land, yet, inasmuch as it was god's land, faith judged it to be worth having, and not only worth having, but also fully worth the surrender of present things. hence we read, "by faith abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive as an inheritance obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went." that is to say, "he walked by faith, not by sight." though he had not seen with his eyes, he believed with his heart, and faith became the great moving spring in his soul. faith rests on a far more solid ground than the evidence of our senses, and that is the word of god. our senses may deceive us, but god's word never can. now, the entire truth of the divine nature, together with the precepts which guide and the hopes which animate it, the whole of the divine doctrine respecting these things is completely thrown overboard by the system of legalism. the legalist teaches that we must surrender earth in order to get heaven. but how can fallen nature surrender that to which it is allied? how can it be attracted by that in which it sees no charms? heaven has no charms for nature; yea, it is the very last place it would like to be found in. nature has no taste for heaven, its occupations, or its occupants. were it possible for nature to find itself there, it would be miserable. thus, then, nature has no ability to surrender earth, and no desire to get heaven. true, it would be glad to escape hell and its ineffable torment, gloom, and misery. but the desire to escape hell, and the desire to get heaven, spring from two very different sources. the former may exist in the old nature; the latter can only be found in the new. were there no "lake of fire," and no "worm" in hell, nature would not so shrink from it. the same principle holds good in reference to all of nature's pursuits and desires. the legalist teaches that we must give up sin before we can get righteousness. but nature cannot give up sin; and as to righteousness, it absolutely hates it. true, it would like a certain amount of religion; but it is only with the idea that religion will preserve it from hell fire. it does not love religion because of its introducing the soul to the present enjoyment of god and his ways. how different from all this miserable system of legalism, in every phase thereof, is "the gospel of the glory of the blessed god!" this gospel reveals god himself coming down in perfect grace, and putting away sin by the sacrifice of the cross; putting it away, in the most absolute manner, on the ground of eternal righteousness, inasmuch as christ suffered for it, having been made sin for us. and not only is god seen putting away sin, but also imparting a new life, even the risen life of his own risen, exalted, and glorified son, which life every true believer possesses, in virtue of being linked, in god's eternal counsels, with him who was nailed to the cross, but is now on the throne of the majesty in the heavens. this nature, as we have remarked, he graciously guides by the precepts of his holy word, applied in power by the holy ghost. he also animates it by the presentation of indestructible hopes. he reveals, in the distance, "the hope of glory"--"a city which hath foundations"--"a better country, that is an heavenly"--the "many mansions" of the father's house, on high--"golden harps"--"green palms," and "white robes"--"a kingdom which cannot be moved"--everlasting association with himself, in those regions of bliss and light, where sorrow and darkness can never enter--the unspeakable privilege of being led, throughout the countless ages of eternity, "beside the still waters, and through the green pastures" of redeeming love. how different is all this from the legalist's notion! instead of calling upon me to educate and manage, by the dogmas of systematic religion, an irremediably corrupt nature, in order that thereby i may surrender an earth that i love, and attain to a heaven which i hate, he, in infinite grace, and on the ground of christ's accomplished sacrifice, bestows upon me a nature which can enjoy heaven, and a heaven for that nature to enjoy; and, not only a heaven, but himself the unfailing spring of all heaven's joy. such is god's most excellent way. thus he dealt with abraham. thus he dealt with saul of tarsus. thus he deals with us. the god of glory showed abraham a better country than ur or charran. he showed saul of tarsus a glory so bright, that it closed his eyes to all earth's brightest glories, and caused him to count them all "but dung," that he might win that blessed one who had appeared to him, and whose voice had spoken to his inmost soul. he saw a heavenly christ in glory; and, throughout the remainder of his course, notwithstanding the weakness of the earthen vessel, that heavenly christ and that heavenly glory engrossed his whole soul. "and abram passed through the land unto the place of sichem, unto the plain of moreh. and the canaanite was then in the land." the presence of the canaanite in god's land would, necessarily, prove a trial to abraham. it would be a demand upon his faith and hope, an exercise of heart, a trial of patience. he had left ur and charran behind, and come into the country of which "the god of glory" had spoken to him, and there he finds "the canaanite." but there, too, he finds the lord. "and the lord appeared unto abram, and said, unto thy seed will i give this land." the connection between the two statements is beautiful and touching. "the canaanite was then in the land," and lest abraham's eye should rest upon the canaanite, the present possessor of the land, jehovah appears to him as the one who was going to give the land to him and to his seed forever. thus abraham was taken up with the lord, and not with the canaanite. this is full of instruction for us. the canaanite in the land is the expression of the power of satan; but, instead of being occupied with satan's power to keep us out of the inheritance, we are called to apprehend christ's power to bring us in. "we wrestle, not with flesh and blood, ... but with spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies." the very sphere into which we are called is the sphere of our conflict. should this terrify us? by no means. we have christ there,--a victorious christ, in whom we are "more than conquerors." hence, instead of indulging "a spirit of fear," we cultivate a spirit of worship. "and there builded he an _altar_ unto the lord, who appeared unto him." "and he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of bethel, and pitched his _tent_." the altar and the tent give us the two great features of abraham's character. a worshipper of god, a stranger in the world,--most blessed characteristics! having nothing on earth,--having our all in god. abraham had "not so much as to set his foot upon;" but he had god to enjoy, and that was enough. however, faith has its trials, as well as its answers. it is not to be imagined that the man of faith, having pushed out from the shore of circumstances, finds it all smooth and easy sailing. by no means. again and again he is called to encounter rough seas and stormy skies; but it is all graciously designed to lead him into deeper and more matured experience of what god is to the heart that confides in him. were the sky always without a cloud and the ocean without a ripple, the believer would not know so well the god with whom he has to do; for, alas! we know how prone the heart is to mistake the peace of circumstances for the peace of god. when every thing is going on smoothly and pleasantly, our property safe, our business prosperous, our children and servants carrying themselves agreeably, our residence comfortable, our health excellent, every thing, in short, just to our mind, how apt we are to mistake the peace which reposes upon such circumstances for that peace which flows from the realized presence of christ. the lord knows this; and, therefore, he comes in, in one way or another, and stirs up the nest, that is, if we are found nestling in circumstances, instead of in himself. but, again, we are frequently led to judge of the rightness of a path by its exemption from trial, and _vice versa_. this is a great mistake. the path of obedience may often be found most trying to flesh and blood. thus, in abraham's case, he was not only called to encounter the canaanite, in the place to which god had called him, but there was also "a famine in the land." should he, therefore, have concluded that he was not in his right place? assuredly not. that would have been to judge according to the sight of his eyes, the very thing which faith never does. no doubt it was a deep trial to the heart, an inexplicable puzzle to nature; but to faith it was all plain and easy. when paul was called into macedonia, almost the first thing he had to encounter was the prison at philippi. this, to a heart out of communion, would have seemed a death-blow to the entire mission. but paul never questioned the rightness of his position. he was enabled to "sing praises" in the midst of it all, assured that every thing was just as it should be: and so it was; for in the prison of philippi was one of god's vessels of mercy, who could not, humanly speaking, have heard the gospel, had not the preachers of it been thrust into the very place where he was. the devil was made, in spite of himself, the instrument of sending the gospel to the ears of one of god's elect. now, abraham should have reasoned in the same way, in reference to the famine. he was in the very place in which god had set him; and, evidently, he received no direction to leave it. true, the famine was there; and, moreover, egypt was at hand, offering deliverance from pressure; still the path of god's servant was plain. _it is better to starve in canaan, if it should be so, than live in luxury in egypt._ it is better far to suffer in god's path, than be at ease in satan's. it is better to be poor with christ, than rich without him. "abraham had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and men servants, and maid servants, and she asses, and camels." substantial proofs, the natural heart would, doubtless, say, of the rightness of his step, in going down to egypt. but, ah! he had no altar,--no communion. egypt was not the place of god's presence. he lost more than he gained by going thither. this is ever the case. nothing can ever make up for the loss of our communion with god. exemption from temporary pressure, and the accession of the greatest wealth are but poor equivalents for what one loses by diverging a hair's breadth from the straight path of obedience. how many of us can add our amen to this! how many, in order to avoid the trial and exercise connected with god's path, have slipped aside into the current of this present evil world, and thereby brought leanness and barrenness, heaviness and gloom, into their souls! it may be they have, to use the common phrase, "made money," increased their store, obtained the world's favor, been "entreated well" by its pharaohs, gotten a name and a position amongst men; but are these a proper equivalent for joy in god, communion, liberty of heart, a pure, uncondemning conscience, a thankful, worshipping spirit, vigorous testimony, and effectual service? alas, for the man that can think so! and yet all the above incomparable blessings have been often sold for a little ease, a little influence, a little money. christian reader, let us watch against the tendency to slip aside from the narrow, yet safe, the _sometimes_ rough, yet _always_ pleasant, path of simple, wholehearted obedience. let us keep guard--jealous, careful guard--over "faith and a pure conscience," for which nothing can compensate. should trial come, let us, instead of turning aside into egypt, wait on god; and thus the trial, instead of proving an occasion of stumbling, will prove an opportunity for obedience. let us, when tempted to slip into the course of the world, remember him "who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of god, and our father." (gal. i. 4.) if such was his love for us, and such his sense of the true character of this present world, that he gave himself, in order to deliver us from it, shall we deny him by plunging again into that from which his cross has forever delivered us? may god almighty forbid! may he keep us in the hollow of his hand, and under the shadow of his wings, until we see jesus as he is, and be like him, and with him forever. chapter xiii. the opening of this chapter presents to us a subject of immense interest to the heart,--namely, the true character of divine restoration. when the child of god has, in any way, declined in his spiritual condition, and lost his communion, he is in great danger, when conscience begins to work, of failing in the apprehension of divine grace, and of stopping short of the proper mark of divine restoration. now, we know that god does every thing in a way entirely worthy of himself. whether he creates, redeems, converts, restores, or provides, he can only act like himself. what is worthy of himself is, ever and only, his standard of action. this is unspeakably happy for us, inasmuch as we would ever seek to "limit the holy one of israel;" and in nothing are we so prone to limit him as in his restoring grace. in the case now before us, we see that abraham was not only delivered out of egypt, but brought back "unto the place where his tent had been _at the beginning_, ... unto the place of the altar which he had made there _at the first_: and there abraham called on the name of the lord." nothing can satisfy god, in reference to a wanderer or backslider, but his being entirely restored. we, in the self-righteousness of our hearts, might imagine that such an one should take a lower place than that which he had formerly occupied; and so he should, were it a question of his merit or his character; but, inasmuch as it is, altogether, a question of grace, it is god's prerogative to fix the standard of restoration; and his standard is set forth in the following passage: "if thou wilt return, o israel, return _to me_." it is thus that god restores, and it would be unworthy of himself to do any thing else. he will either not restore at all, or else restore in such a way as to magnify and glorify the riches of his grace. thus, when the leper was brought back, he was actually conducted "to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." when the prodigal returned, he was set down at the table with the father. when peter was restored, he was able to stand before the men of israel and say, "ye denied the holy one, and the just,"--the very thing which he had done himself, under the most aggravated circumstances. in all these cases, and many more which might be adduced, we see the perfectness of god's restoration. he always brings the soul back to himself, in the full power of grace and the full confidence of faith. "if thou wilt return, return _to me_." "abraham came unto the place where his tent had been at _the beginning_." then, as to the moral effect of divine restoration, it is most deeply practical. if legalism gets its answer in the _character_ of the restoration, antinomianism gets its answer in the _effect_ thereof. the restored soul will have a very deep and keen sense of the evil from which it has been delivered, and this will be evidenced by a jealous, prayerful, holy, and circumspect spirit. we are not restored in order that we may, the more lightly, go and sin again, but rather that we may "go and sin no more." the deeper my sense of the _grace_ of divine restoration, the deeper will be my sense of the _holiness_ of it also. this principle is taught and established throughout all scripture; but especially in two well-known passages, namely, psalms xxiii. 3, and 1 john i. 9: "he restoreth my soul: _he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness_ for his name's sake." and again: "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to _cleanse us from all unrighteousness_." the proper path for a divinely-restored soul is "the path of righteousness." in other words, having tasted divine grace we walk in righteousness. to talk of grace, while walking in unrighteousness, is, as the apostle says, to turn "the grace of our god into lasciviousness." if "grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life," it also manifests itself in righteousness, in the outflow of that life. the grace that forgives us our sins, cleanses us from all unrighteousness. those things must never be separated. when taken together, they furnish a triumphant answer to the legalism and antinomianism of the human heart. but there was a deeper trial for abraham's heart than even the famine, namely, that arising from the company of one who evidently was not walking in the energy of personal faith, nor in the realization of personal responsibility. it seems plain that lot was, from the very beginning, borne onward rather by abraham's influence and example, than by his own faith in god. this is a very common case. if we look down along the history of the people of god, we can easily see how that, in every great movement produced by the spirit of god, certain individuals have attached themselves thereto who were not personally participators of the power which had produced the movement. such persons go on for a time, either as a dead weight upon the testimony, or an active hindrance to it. thus, in abraham's case, the lord called him to leave his kindred; but he brought his kindred with him. terah retarded him in his movement, until death took him out of the way. lot followed him somewhat farther, until "the lusts of other things" overpowered him, and he entirely broke down. the same thing is observable in the great movement of israel out of egypt. "a mixed multitude" followed them, and caused much defilement, weakness, and sorrow; for we read, in numbers xi., "the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of israel _also_ wept again, and said, who shall give us flesh to eat." so also, in the early days of the church; and not only so, but in every revival which has taken place therein, down to the present day, many have been acted upon by various influences, which, not being divine, proved evanescent; and the persons so acted upon sooner or later gave way, and found their proper level. nothing will endure but that which is of god. i must realize the link between me and the living god. i must know myself as one called of him into the position which i occupy, else i shall have no stability, and exhibit no consistency therein. it will not do for us to follow in the track of other people, merely because it is their track. god will graciously give each a path to walk in, a sphere to move in, and a responsibility to fulfil; and we are bound to know our calling and the functions thereof, that, by his grace ministered to our souls daily, we may work therein effectually to his glory. it matters not what our measure may be, provided it be what god hath dealt to us. we may have "five talents," or we may have but "one:" still, if we use the "one," with our eye fixed on the master, we shall be just as sure to hear from his gracious lips the words, "well done," as if we had used the "five." this is encouraging. paul, peter, james, and john, had each his peculiar measure, his specific ministry; and so with all: none needs to interfere with another. a carpenter has a saw and a plane, a hammer and a chisel; and he uses each as he needs it. nothing can be more worthless than imitation. if, in the natural world, we look at the various orders of creation, we see no imitation. all have their proper sphere, their proper functions. and if it be thus in the natural world, how much more in the spiritual. the field is wide enough for all. in every house there are vessels of various sizes and various shapes. the master wants them all. let us, therefore, my beloved reader, search and see whether we are walking under a divine or a human influence; whether our faith stands in the wisdom of man, or in the power of god; whether we are doing things because others have done them, or because the lord has called us to do them; whether we are merely propped up by the example and influence of our fellow, or sustained by personal faith in god. these are serious inquiries. it is, no doubt, a happy privilege to enjoy the fellowship of our brethren; but if we are propped up by them, we shall soon make shipwreck. so, also, if we go beyond our measure, our action will be strained and unsightly, uneasy and unnatural. it is very easy to see when a man is working in his place, and according to his measure. all affectation, assumption, and imitation, is contemptible in the extreme. hence, though we cannot be great, let us be honest; and though we cannot be brilliant, let us be genuine. if a person goes beyond his depth, without knowing how to swim, he will surely flounder. if a vessel put out to sea, without being sea-worthy and in trim, it will surely be beaten back into harbor, or lost. lot left "ur of the chaldees," but he fell in the plains of sodom. the call of god had not reached his heart, nor the inheritance of god filled his vision. solemn thought! may we ponder it deeply! blessed be god, there is a path for each of his servants, along which shines the light of his approving countenance, and to walk therein should be our chief joy. his approval is enough for the heart that knows him. true, we may not always be able to command the approval and concurrence of our brethren; we may frequently be misunderstood; but we cannot help these things. "the day" will set all this to rights, and the loyal heart can contentedly wait for that day, knowing that then "every man shall have praise of god." but it may be well to examine, more particularly, what it was that caused lot to turn aside off the path of public testimony. there is a crisis in every man's history at which it will assuredly be made manifest on what ground he is resting, by what motives he is actuated, and by what objects he is animated. thus it was with lot. he did not die at charran; but he fell at sodom. the _ostensible_ cause of his fall was the strife between his herdmen and those of abraham; but the fact is, when one is not really walking with a single eye and purified affections, he will easily find a stone to stumble over. if he does not find it at one time, he will at another. if he does not find it here, he will find it there. in one sense, it makes little matter as to what may be the apparent cause of turning aside; the _real_ cause lies underneath, far away, it may be, from common observation, in the hidden chambers of the heart's affections and desires, where _the world_, in some shape or form, has been sought after. the strife between the herdmen might have been easily settled without spiritual damage to either abraham or lot. to the former, indeed, it only afforded an occasion for exhibiting the beautiful power of faith, and the moral elevation, the heavenly vantage-ground, on which faith ever sets the possessor thereof. but to the latter it was an occasion for exhibiting the thorough worldliness of his heart. the strife no more produced the worldliness in lot than it produced the faith in abraham; it only manifested, in the case of each, what was really there. thus it is always: controversies and divisions arise in the church of god, and many are stumbled thereby, and driven back into the world, in one way or another. they then lay the blame on the controversy and division, whereas the truth is, that these things were only the means of developing the real condition of the soul, and the bent of the heart. the world was in the heart, and _would be_ reached by some _route_ or another; nor is there much of moral excellency exhibited in blaming men and things, when the root of the matter lies within. it is not that controversy and division are not to be deeply deplored: assuredly they are. to see brethren contending in the very presence of "the canaanite and the perizzite," is truly lamentable and humiliating. our language should ever be, "let there be no strife, i pray thee, between me and thee ... for we are brethren." still, why did not abraham make choice of sodom? why did not the strife drive him into the world? why was it not an occasion of stumbling to him? because he looked at it from god's point of view. no doubt, he had a heart that could be attracted by "well-watered plains," just as powerfully as lot's heart; but then he did not allow his own heart to choose. he first let lot take his choice, and then left god to choose for him. this was heavenly wisdom. this is what faith ever does: it allows god to fix its inheritance, as it also allows him to make it good. it is always satisfied with the portion which god gives. it can say, "the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places; yea, i have a goodly heritage." it matters not where "the lines" fall; for, in the judgment of faith, they always "fall in pleasant places," just because god casts them there. the man of faith can easily afford to allow the man of sight to take his choice. he can say, "if thou wilt take the left hand, then i will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then i will go to the left." what beautiful disinterestedness and moral elevation we have here! and yet what security! it is certain that, let nature range where it will, let it take its most comprehensive grasp, its boldest and highest flight, there is never the slightest danger of its laying its hand upon faith's treasure. it will seek its portion in quite an opposite direction. faith lays up its treasure in a place which nature would never dream of examining and, as to its approaching thereto, it could not if it would; and it would not if it could. hence, therefore, faith is perfectly safe, as well as beautifully disinterested, in allowing nature to take its choice. what, then, did lot choose when he got his choice. he chose sodom. the very place that was about to be judged. but how was this? why select such a spot? because he looked at the outward appearance, and not at the intrinsic character and future destiny. the intrinsic character was "_wicked_." its future destiny was "_judgment_,"--to be destroyed by "fire and brimstone out of heaven." but, it may be said, "lot knew nothing of all this." perhaps not, nor abraham either; but god did; and had lot allowed god to "choose his inheritance for him," he certainly would not have chosen a spot that he himself was about to destroy. he did not, however. he judged for himself. sodom suited him, though it did not suit god. his eye rested on the "well-watered plains," and his heart was attracted by them. "he pitched his tent _toward_ sodom." such is nature's choice! "demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world." lot forsook abraham for the same reason. he left the place of testimony, and got into the place of judgment. "and the lord said unto abram, after that lot was separated from him, lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will i give it, and to thy seed forever." the "strife" and "separation," so far from damaging abraham's spiritual condition, rather brought out, in full relief, his heavenly principles, and strengthened in his soul the life of faith. moreover, it cleared the prospect for him, and delivered him from the company of one who could only prove a dead weight. thus it worked for good, and yielded a harvest of blessing. it is at once most solemn, and yet most encouraging, to bear in mind that, in the long run, men find their proper level. men who run unsent, break down, in one way or another, and find their way back to that which they profess to have left. on the other hand, those who are called of god, and lean on him, are, by his grace, sustained. "their path is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day." the thought of this should keep us humble, watchful, and prayerful. "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall," for truly, "there are first that shall be last, and there are last that shall be first." "he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved," is a principle which, whatever be its specific application, has a wide moral bearing. many a vessel has sailed out of harbor in gallant style, with all its canvas spread, amid cheering and shouting, and with many fair promises of a first-rate passage; but, alas! storms, waves, shoals, rocks, and quicksands, have changed the aspect of things; and the voyage that commenced with hope has ended in disaster. i am here only referring to the path of service and testimony, and by no means to the question of a man's eternal acceptance in christ. this latter, blessed be god, does not in any wise rest with ourselves, but with him who has said, "i give unto my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." but do we not know that many christians set out on some special course of service or testimony, under the impression that they are called of god thereto, and after a time they break down? unquestionably. and, further, very many set out in the profession of some special principle of action, respecting which they have not been divinely taught, or the consequences of which they have not maturely considered in the presence of god, and, as a necessary result, they themselves have been found after a time in the open violation of those very principles. all this is deplorable, and should be carefully avoided. it tends to weaken the faith of god's elect, and causes the enemies of the truth to speak reproachfully. each one should receive his call and his commission directly from the master himself. all whom christ calls into any special service, he will, infallibly, maintain therein, for he never sent any one a warfare at his own charges. but if we run unsent, we shall not only be left to _learn_ our folly, but to _exhibit_ it. yet it is not that any one should set himself up as the impersonation of any principle, or as an example of any special character of service or testimony. god forbid. this would be the most egregious folly and empty conceit. it is a teacher's business to set forth god's word; and it is a servant's business to set forth the master's will; but while all this is fully understood and admitted, we must ever remember the deep need there is of counting the cost, ere we undertake to build a tower or go forth to war. were this more seriously attended to, there would be far less confusion and failure in our midst. abraham was called of god from ur to canaan, and hence, god led him forth on the way. when abraham tarried at charran, god waited for him; when he went down into egypt, he restored him; when he needed guidance, he guided him; when there was a strife and a separation, he took care of him; so that abraham had only to say, "oh, how great is thy goodness which _thou hast laid up_ for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee, before the sons of men." he lost nothing by the strife. he had his tent and his altar before; and he had his tent and his altar afterwards. "then abram removed _his tent_ and came and dwelt in the plain of mamre, which is in hebron, and built there _an altar_ unto the lord." lot might choose sodom; but as for abraham, he sought and found his all in god. there was no altar in sodom. alas! all who travel in that direction are in quest of something quite different from that. it is never the worship of god, but the love of the world that leads them thither. and even though they should attain their object, what is it? how does it end? just thus: "he gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls." chapter xiv. we are here presented with an historic record of the revolt of five kings from under the hand of chedorlaomer, and a battle consequent thereon. the spirit of god can occupy himself with the movements of "kings and their armies," when such movements are in anywise connected with the people of god. in the present case, abraham personally had nothing whatever to do with the revolt or its consequences. his "tent and altar" were not likely to furnish an occasion for the declaration of war, nor yet to be much affected by the outbreak or issue thereof. the proper portion of a heavenly man could never, by any possibility, tempt the cupidity nor excite the ambition of the kings and conquerors of this world. however, although abraham was not affected by the battle of "four kings with five," yet lot was. his position was such as to involve him in the whole affair. so long as we are enabled, through grace, to pursue the path of simple faith, we shall be thrown completely outside the range of this world's circumstances; but if we abandon our high and holy position as those whose "citizenship is in heaven," and seek a name, a place, and a portion in the earth, we must expect to participate in earth's convulsions and vicissitudes. lot had taken up his abode in the plains of sodom, and was, therefore, deeply and sensibly affected by the wars of sodom. it must ever be thus. it is a bitter and a painful thing for the child of god to mingle himself with the children of this world. he can never do so without serious damage to his own soul, as well as to the testimony with which he is entrusted. what testimony was lot in sodom? a very feeble one, indeed, if one at all. the very fact of his settling himself there was the death-blow to his testimony. to have spoken a word against sodom and its ways would have been to condemn himself,--for why was he there? but in truth, it does not by any means appear that to testify for god formed any part of his object in "pitching his tent toward sodom." personal and family interests seem to have been the leading springs of action in his heart; and though, as peter tells us, "his righteous soul was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked, from day to day," yet had he but little power to act against it, even if inclined so to do. it is important, in a practical point of view, to see that we cannot be governed by two objects at the same time. for example, i cannot have before my mind as objects my worldly interests and the interests of the gospel of christ. if i go to a town for the purpose of setting-up in business, then, clearly, business is my object, and not the gospel. i may, no doubt, propose to myself both to attend to business and to preach the gospel as well; but, all the while, either one or the other must be my object. it is not that a servant of christ may not most blessedly and effectually preach the gospel and attend to business also: he assuredly may; but, in such a case, the gospel will be his object, and not business. paul preached the gospel and made tents; but the gospel was his object, and not tent-making. if i make business my object, the gospel preaching will speedily prove to be formal and unprofitable work; yea, it will be well if it be not made use of to sanctify my covetousness. the heart is very treacherous; and it is often truly astonishing to see how it deceives us when we desire to gain some special point. it will furnish, in abundance, the most plausible reasons; while the eyes of our understanding are so blinded by self-interest or unjudged wilfulness, as to be incapable of detecting their plausibility. how frequently do we hear persons defending a continuance in a position which they admit to be wrong, on the plea that they thereby enjoy a wider sphere of usefulness. to all such reasoning, samuel furnishes a pointed and powerful reply: "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." which was--abraham or lot--able to do the more good? does not the history of those two men prove beyond a question that the most effectual way to serve the world is to be faithful to it, by separating from and testifying against it? but be it remembered that genuine separation from the world can only be the result of communion with god. i may seclude myself from the world, and constitute myself the centre of my being, like a monk or a cynic; but separation to god is a totally different thing. the one chills and contracts, the other warms and expands. that drives us in upon ourselves; this draws us out in love and interest for others. that makes self and its interests our centre; this makes god and his glory our centre. thus, in abraham's case, we see that the very fact of his separation enabled him to render effectual service to one who had involved himself in trouble by his worldly ways. "when abraham heard that _his brother_ was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto dan ... and he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people." lot was abraham's brother, after all; and brotherly love must act. "a brother is born for adversity;" and it often happens that a season of adversity softens the heart, and renders it susceptible of kindness, even from one with whom we have had to part company; and it is remarkable that, while in verse 12 we read, "they took lot, _abraham's brother's son_," yet in verse 14 we read, "when abram heard that _his brother_ was taken captive." the claims of a brother's trouble are answered by the affections of a brother's heart. this is divine. genuine faith, while it always renders us independent, never renders us indifferent. it will never wrap itself up in its fleece while a brother shivers in the cold. there are three things which faith does: it "purifies the heart;" it "works by love;" and it "overcomes the world;" and all these results of faith are beautifully exhibited in abraham on this occasion. his heart was purified from sodom's pollutions; he manifested genuine love to lot, his brother; and, finally, he was completely victorious over the kings. such are the precious fruits of faith,--that heavenly, christ-honoring principle. however, the man of faith is not exempt from the assaults of the enemy; and it frequently happens that immediately after a victory one has to encounter a fresh temptation. thus it was with abraham. "the king of sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him." there was, evidently, a very deep and insidious design of the enemy in this movement. "the king of sodom" presents a very different thought, and exhibits a very different phase of the enemy's power, from what we have in "chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him." in the former, we have rather the hiss of the serpent; in the latter, the roar of the lion; but whether it were the serpent or the lion, the lord's grace was amply sufficient; and most seasonably was this grace ministered to the lord's servant at the exact moment of need. "and melchizedek, king of salem, brought forth bread and wine, and he was the priest of the most high god. and he blessed him, and said, blessed be abram of the most high god, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be the most high god, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." we have here to remark, first, the peculiar point at which melchizedek enters the scene; and, secondly, the double effect of his ministry. he did not come forth when abraham was in pursuit of chedorlaomer, but when the king of sodom was in pursuit of abraham. this makes a great moral difference. a deeper character of communion was needed to meet the deeper character of conflict. and then as to the ministry,--the "bread and wine" refreshed abraham's spirit, after his conflict with chedorlaomer; while the benediction prepared his heart for his conflict with the king of sodom. abraham was a conqueror, and yet he was about to be a combatant, and the royal priest refreshed the conqueror's spirit, and fortified the combatant's heart. it is peculiarly sweet to observe the manner in which melchizedek introduces god to the thoughts of abraham. he calls him "the most high god, possessor of heaven and earth;" and not only so, but pronounces abraham "blessed" of that same god. this was effectually preparing him for the king of sodom. a man who was "blessed" of god did not need to take aught from the enemy; and if "the possessor of heaven and earth" filled his vision, "the goods" of sodom could have but little attraction. hence, as might be expected, when the king of sodom made his proposal, "give me the persons and take the goods to thyself," abraham replies, "i have lift up my hand unto the lord, the most high god, the possessor of heaven and earth, that i will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that i will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, i have made abram rich." abraham refuses to be enriched by the king of sodom. how could he think of delivering lot from the power of the world, if he himself were governed thereby? the only true way in which to deliver another is to be thoroughly delivered myself. so long as i am in the fire, it is quite impossible i can pluck another out of it. the path of separation is the path of power, as it is also the path of peace and blessedness. the world in all its various forms is the great instrument of which satan makes use, in order to weaken the hands and alienate the affections of the servants of christ. but, blessed be god, when the heart is true to him, he always comes in to cheer, to strengthen, and to fortify, at the right time. "the eyes of the lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (2 chron. xvi. 9.) this is an encouraging truth for our poor, timid, doubting, faltering hearts. christ will be our strength and shield. he will "cover our heads in the day of battle;" he will "teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight;" and finally "he will bruise satan under our feet shortly." all this is unspeakably comforting to a heart sincerely desirous of making way against "the world, the flesh, and the devil." may the lord keep our hearts true to himself in the midst of the ensnaring scene around us. chapter xv. "after these things, the word of the lord came unto abram in a vision, saying, fear not, abram. i am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." the lord would not suffer his servant to be a loser, by rejecting the offers of this world. it was infinitely better for abraham to find himself hidden behind jehovah's shield, than to take refuge beneath the patronage of the king of sodom; and to be anticipating his "exceeding great reward," than to accept "the goods" of sodom. the position into which abraham is put in the opening verse of our chapter, is beautifully expressive of the position into which every soul is introduced by the faith of christ. jehovah was his "shield," that he might rest in him; jehovah was his "reward," that he might wait for him. so with the believer now: he finds his present rest, his present peace, his present security, all in christ. no dart of the enemy can possibly penetrate the shield which covers the weakest believer in jesus. and then as to the future, christ fills it. precious portion! precious hope! a portion which can never be exhausted: a hope which will never make ashamed. both are infallibly secured by the counsels of god, and the accomplished atonement of christ. the present enjoyment thereof is by the ministry of the holy ghost who dwells in us. this being the case, it is manifest that if the believer is pursuing a worldly career, or indulging in worldly or carnal desires, he cannot be enjoying either the "shield" or the "reward." if the holy ghost is grieved, he will not minister the enjoyment of that which is our proper portion, our proper hope. hence in the section of abraham's history now before us, we see that when he had returned from the slaughter of the kings and rejected the offer of the king of sodom, jehovah rose before his soul in the double character, as his "shield and his exceeding great reward." let the heart ponder this, for it contains a volume of deeply practical truth. we shall now examine the remainder of the chapter. in it we have unfolded to us the two great principles of sonship and heirship. "and abram said, lord god, what wilt thou give me, seeing i go _childless_, and the steward of my house is this eliezer of damascus? and abram said, behold, thou hast given to me no _seed_: and lo, one born in my house is mine _heir_." abraham desired a son, for he knew upon divine authority that his "seed" should inherit the land. (chap. xiii. 15.) sonship and heirship are inseparably connected in the thoughts of god. "he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir." sonship is the proper basis of every thing; and moreover it is the result of god's sovereign counsel and operation, as we read in james, "of his own will begat he us." finally, it is founded upon god's eternal principle of resurrection. how else could it be? abraham's body was "dead;" wherefore, in his case, as in every other, sonship must be in the power of resurrection. nature is dead, and can neither beget nor conceive aught for god. there lay the inheritance stretching out before the patriarch's eye, in all its magnificent dimensions; but where was the heir? abraham's body and sarah's womb alike answered "_death_." but jehovah is the god of resurrection, and, therefore, a "dead body" was the very thing for him to act upon. had nature not been dead, god should have put it to death ere he could fully show himself. the most suitable theatre for the living god is that from which nature, with all its boasted powers and empty pretensions, has been totally expelled by the sentence of death. wherefore, god's word to abraham was, "look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them; and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be." when the god of resurrection fills the vision there is no limit to the soul's blessing, for he who can quicken the dead, can do any thing. "and he believed in the lord, and he counted it unto him for righteousness." the imputation of righteousness to abraham is here founded upon his believing in the lord as the quickener of the dead. it is in this character that he reveals himself in a world where death reigns; and when a soul believes in him, as such, it is counted righteous in his sight. this necessarily shuts man out, as regards his co-operation, for what can he do in the midst of a scene of death? can he raise the dead? can he open the gates of the grave? can he deliver himself from the power of death, and walk forth, in life and liberty, beyond the limits of its dreary domain? assuredly not. well, then, if he cannot do so, he cannot work out righteousness, nor establish himself in the relation of sonship. "god is not the god of the dead, but of the living," and, therefore, so long as a man is under the power of death, and under the dominion of sin, he can neither know the position of a son, nor the condition of righteousness. thus, god alone can bestow the adoption of sons, and he alone can impute righteousness, and both are connected with faith in him as the one who raised up christ from the dead. it is in this way that the apostle handles the question of abraham's faith, in romans iv., where he says, "it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed unto him; but for us also to whom it shall be imputed, _if we believe on him that raised up jesus our lord from the dead_." here the god of resurrection is presented "to us also," as the object of faith, and our faith in him as the alone ground of our righteousness. if abraham had looked up into heaven's vault, spangled with innumerable stars, and then looked at "his own body now dead," how could he ever grasp the idea of a seed as numerous as those stars? impossible. but he did not look at his own body, but at the resurrection power of god; and, inasmuch as that was the power which was to produce the seed, we can easily see that the stars of heaven and the sand on the sea-shore are but feeble figures indeed; for what natural object could possibly illustrate the effect of that power which can raise the dead? so also, when a sinner hearkens to the glad tidings of the gospel, were he to look up to the unsullied light of the divine presence, and then look down into the unexplored depths of his own evil nature, he might well exclaim, how can i ever get thither? how can i ever be fit to dwell in that light? where is the answer? in himself? nay, blessed be god, but in that blessed one who travelled from the bosom to the cross and the grave, and from thence to the throne, thus filling up in his person and work all the space between those extreme points. there can be nothing higher than the bosom of god,--the eternal dwelling-place of the son; and there can be nothing lower than the cross and the grave; but, amazing truth! i find christ in both. i find him in the bosom, and i find him in the grave. he went down into death in order that he might leave behind him in the dust thereof the full weight of his people's sins and iniquities. christ in the grave exhibits the end of every thing human,--the end of sin,--the full limit of satan's power. the grave of jesus forms the grand terminus of all. but resurrection takes us beyond this terminus and constitutes the imperishable basis on which god's glory and man's blessing repose forever. the moment the eye of faith rests on a risen christ, there is a triumphant answer to every question as to sin, judgment, death, and the grave. the one who divinely met all these is alive from the dead, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens; and, not only so, but the spirit of that risen and glorified one, in the believer, constitutes him a son. he is quickened out of the grave of christ; as we read, "and you, being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses." (col. ii. 13.) hence, therefore, sonship, being founded on resurrection, stands connected with perfect justification,--perfect righteousness,--perfect freedom from every thing which could, in any wise, be against us. god could not have us in his presence with sin upon us. he could not suffer a single speck or stain of sin upon his sons and daughters. the father could not have the prodigal at _his_ table with the rags of the far country upon him. he could go forth to meet him in those rags. he could fall upon his neck and kiss him, in those rags. it was worthy, and beautifully characteristic of his grace so to do; but then to seat him at his table in the rags would never do. the grace that brought the father out to the prodigal, reigns through the righteousness which brought the prodigal in to the father. it would not have been grace had the father waited for the son to deck himself in robes of his own providing; and it would not have been righteous to bring him in in his rags; but both grace and righteousness shone forth in all their respective brightness and beauty when the father went out and fell on the prodigal's neck; but yet did not give him a seat at the table until he was clad and decked in a manner suited to that elevated and happy position. god, in christ, has stooped to the very lowest point of man's moral condition, that, by stooping he might raise man to the very highest point of blessedness, in fellowship with himself. from all this, it follows, that our sonship, with all its consequent dignities and privileges, is entirely independent of us. we have just as little to do with it as abraham's dead body and sarah's dead womb had to do with a seed as numerous as the stars which garnish the heavens, or as the sand on the sea-shore. it is all of god. god the father drew the plan, god the son laid the foundation, and god the holy ghost raises the superstructure; and on this superstructure appears the inscription, "through grace, by faith, without works of law." but, then, our chapter opens another most important subject to our view, namely, _heirship_. the question of sonship and righteousness being fully settled,--divinely and unconditionally settled,--the lord said unto abraham, "i am the lord that brought thee out of ur of the chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it." here comes out the great question of heirship, and the peculiar path along which the chosen heirs are to travel ere they reach the promised inheritance. "if children, then heirs, heirs of god, and joint-heirs with christ; if so be that we _suffer_ with him, that we may be also glorified together." our way to the kingdom lies through suffering, affliction, and tribulation; but, thank god, we can, by faith, say, "the _sufferings_ of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." and further, we know that "our _light affliction_, which is but for a moment, worketh out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." finally, "we glory in _tribulation_, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope." it is a high honor and a real privilege to be allowed to drink of our blessed master's cup, and be baptized with his baptism; to travel in blest companionship with him along the road which leads directly to the glorious inheritance. the heir and the joint-heirs reach that inheritance by the pathway of suffering. but let it be remembered that the suffering of which the joint-heirs participate has no penal element in it. it is not suffering from the hand of infinite justice, because of sin; all that was fully met on the cross, when the divine victim bowed his sacred head beneath the stroke. "christ also hath _once_ suffered for sins," and that "once," was on the tree and _nowhere else_. he never suffered for sins before, and he never can suffer for sins again. "_once_, in the end of the world, (the end of all flesh,) hath he appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself." "christ was _once_ offered." there are two ways in which to view a suffering christ: first, as bruised of jehovah; secondly, as rejected of men. in the former, he stood alone; in the latter, we have the honor of being associated with him. in the former, i say, he stood alone, for who could have stood with him? he bore the wrath of god alone; he travelled in solitude down into "the rough valley that had neither been eared nor sown," and there he settled forever the question of our sins. _with_ this we had nothing to do, though _to_ this we are eternally indebted for every thing. he fought the fight and gained the victory, alone; but he divides the spoils with us. he was in solitude "in the horrible pit and miry clay;" but directly he planted his foot on the everlasting "rock" of resurrection, he associates us with him. he uttered the _cry_ alone; he sings the "_new song_" in company. (ps. xl. 2, 3.) now, the question is, shall we refuse to suffer from the hand of man _with him_ who suffered from the hand of god _for us_? that it is, in a certain sense, a question is evident from the spirit's constant use of the word "if," in connection with it. "if so be we suffer with him." "if we suffer, we shall reign." there is no such question as to sonship. we do not reach the high dignity of sons through suffering, but through the quickening power of the holy ghost, founded on the accomplished work of christ, according to god's eternal counsel. this can never be touched. we do not reach the _family_ through suffering. the apostle does not say, "that ye may be counted worthy of the _family_ of god for which ye also suffer." they were in the family already; but they were bound for the kingdom; and their road to that kingdom lay through suffering; and not only so, but the measure of suffering for the kingdom would be according to their devotedness and conformity to the king. the more like we are _to_ him, the more we shall suffer _with_ him; and the deeper our fellowship with him in the suffering, the deeper will be our fellowship in the glory. there is a difference between the _house_ of the father and the kingdom of the son: in the former, it will be a question of capacity; in the latter, a question of assigned position. all my children may be round my table, but their enjoyment of my company and conversation will entirely depend on their capacity. one may be seated on my knee, in the full enjoyment of his relationship as a child, yet perfectly unable to comprehend a word i say; another may exhibit uncommon intelligence in conversation, yet not be a whit happier in his relationship than the infant on my knee. but when it becomes a question of service for me, or public identification with me, it is evidently quite another thing. this is but a feeble illustration of the idea of capacity in the father's house, and assigned position in the kingdom of the son. but let it be remembered that our suffering with christ is not a yoke of bondage, but a matter of privilege; not an iron rule, but a gracious gift; not constrained servitude, but voluntary devotedness. "unto you _it is given_, in the behalf of christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." (phil. i. 29.) moreover, there can be little doubt but that the real secret of suffering for christ is to have the heart's affections centred in him. the more i love jesus, the closer i shall walk with him, and the closer i walk with him, the more faithfully i shall imitate him, and the more faithfully i imitate him, the more i shall suffer with him. thus it all flows from love to christ; and then it is a fundamental truth that "we love him because he first loved us." in this, as in every thing else, let us beware of a legal spirit; for it must not be imagined that a man, with the yoke of legality round his neck, is suffering for christ; alas! it is much to be feared that such an one does not know christ; does not know the blessedness of sonship; has not yet been established in grace; is rather seeking to reach the family by works of law, than to reach the kingdom by the path of suffering. on the other hand, let us see that we are not shrinking from our master's cup and baptism. let us not profess to enjoy the benefits which his cross secures, while we refuse the rejection which that cross involves. we may rest assured that the road to the kingdom is not enlightened by the sunshine of this world's favor, nor strewed with the roses of its prosperity. if a christian is advancing in the world, he has much reason to apprehend that he is not walking in company with christ. "if any man serve me, let him follow me; and where i am, there shall also my servant be." what was the goal of christ's earthly career? was it an elevated, influential position in this world? by no means. what then? he found his place on the cross, between two condemned malefactors. "but," it will be said, "god was in this." true; yet man was in it likewise; and this latter truth is what must inevitably secure our rejection by the world, if only we keep in company with christ. the companionship of christ, which lets me into heaven, casts me out of earth; and to talk of the former, while i am ignorant of the latter, proves there is something wrong. if christ were on earth, now, what would his path be? whither would it tend? where would it terminate? would we like to walk with him? let us answer these inquiries under the edge of the word, and under the eye of the almighty; and may the holy ghost make us faithful to an absent, a rejected, a crucified master. the man who walks in the spirit will be filled with christ; and, being filled with him, he will not be occupied with suffering, but with him for whom he suffers. if the eye is fixed on christ, the suffering will be as nothing in comparison with the present joy and future glory. the subject of heirship has led me much further than i intended; but i do not regret it, as it is of considerable importance. let us now briefly glance at the deeply significant vision of abraham as set forth in the closing verses of our chapter. "and _when the sun was going down_, a deep sleep fell upon abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. and he said unto abram, know of a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years: and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will i judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.... and it came to pass, that _when the sun went down_, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces." the entire of israel's history is summed up in those two figures, the "furnace" and the "lamp." the former presents to us those periods of their history in which they were brought into suffering and trial; such, for example, as the long period of egyptian bondage, their subjection to the kings of canaan, the babylonish captivity, their present dispersed and degraded condition. during all these periods they may be considered as passing through the smoking furnace. (see deut. iv. 20; 1 kings viii. 51; isaiah xlviii. 10.) then, in the burning lamp, we have those points in israel's eventful history at which jehovah graciously appeared for their relief, such as their deliverance from egypt, by the hand of moses; their deliverance from under the power of the kings of canaan, by the ministry of the various judges; their return from babylon, by the decree of cyrus; and their final deliverance, when christ shall appear in his glory. the inheritance must be reached through the furnace; and the darker the smoke of the furnace, the brighter and more cheering will be the lamp of god's salvation. nor is this principle confined merely to the people of god as a whole; it applies just as fully to individuals. all who have ever reached a position of eminence as _servants_, have endured the furnace before they enjoyed the lamp. "an horror of great darkness" passed across the spirit of abraham. jacob had to endure twenty-one years of sore hardship, in the house of laban. joseph found his furnace of affliction in the dungeons of egypt. moses spent forty years in the desert. thus it must be with all god's _servants_. they must be "tried" first, that, being found "faithful," they may be "put into the ministry." god's principle, in reference to those who serve him, is expressed in those words of st. paul, "not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil." (1 tim. iii. 6.) it is one thing to be _a child of god_; it is quite another to be _a servant of christ_. i may love my child very much, yet, if i set him to work in my garden, he may do more harm than good. why? is it because he is not a dear child? no; but because he is not a practised servant. this makes all the difference. relationship and office are distinct things. not one of the queen's children is at present capable of being her prime minister. it is not that all god's children have not something to do, something to suffer, something to learn. undoubtedly they have; yet it ever holds good that _public service_ and _private discipline_ are intimately connected in the ways of god. one who comes forward much in public will need that chastened spirit, that matured judgment, that subdued and mortified mind, that broken will, that mellow tone, which are the sure and beautiful result of god's secret discipline; and it will generally be found that those who take a prominent place without more or less of the above moral qualifications, will sooner or later break down. lord jesus, keep thy feeble servants very near unto thine own most blessed person, and in the hollow of thine hand! chapter xvi. here we find unbelief casting its dark shadow across the spirit of abraham, and again turning him aside for a season from the path of simple, happy confidence in god. "and sarai said unto abram, behold the lord hath restrained me from bearing." these words bespeak the usual impatience of unbelief; and abram should have treated them accordingly, and waited patiently on the lord for the accomplishment of his gracious promise. the poor heart naturally prefers any thing to the attitude of _waiting_. it will turn to any expedient, any scheme, any resource, rather than be kept in that posture. it is one thing to believe a promise at the first, and quite another thing to wait quietly for the accomplishment thereof. we can see this distinction constantly exemplified in a child. if i promise my child any thing, he has no idea of doubting my word; but yet, i can detect the greatest possible restlessness and impatience in reference to the time and manner of accomplishment. and cannot the wisest sage find a true mirror in which to see himself reflected in the conduct of a child? truly so. abraham exhibits faith, in chapter xv. and yet he fails in patience in chapter xvi. hence the force and beauty of the apostle's word, in hebrews vi. "followers of them who through _faith and patience_ inherit the promises." god makes a promise: faith believes it; hope anticipates it; patience _waits_ quietly for it. there is such a thing in the commercial world as "the present worth" of a bill or promissory note; for if men are called upon to wait for their money, they must be paid for waiting. now, in faith's world, there is such a thing as the _present_ worth of god's promise; and the scale by which that worth is regulated is the heart's experimental knowledge of god; for according to my estimate of god, will be my estimate of his promise; and moreover, the subdued and patient spirit finds its rich and full reward in waiting upon him for the accomplishment of all that he has promised. however, as to sarah, the real amount of her word to abraham is this, "the lord has failed me; it may be, my egyptian maid will prove a resource for me." any thing but god for a heart under the influence of unbelief. it is often truly marvellous to observe the trifles to which we will betake ourselves when once we have lost the sense of god's nearness, his infallible faithfulness, and unfailing sufficiency. we lose that calm and well-balanced condition of soul so essential to the proper testimony of the man of faith; and, just like other people, betake ourselves to any or every expedient, in order to reach the wished-for end, and call that "a laudable use of means." but it is a bitter thing to take ourselves out of the place of absolute dependence upon god. the consequences must be disastrous. had sarah said, "nature has failed me, but god is my resource," how different it would have been! this would have been her proper ground; for nature really had failed her. but then it was nature in one shape, and therefore she wished to try nature in another. she had not learnt to look away from nature in every shape. in the judgment of god and of faith, nature in hagar was no better than nature in sarah. nature, whether young or old, is alike to god; and, therefore, alike to faith; but, ah! we are only in the power of this truth when we are experimentally finding our living centre in god himself. when the eye is taken off that glorious being, we are ready for the meanest device of unbelief. it is only when we are consciously leaning on the only true, the only wise, the living god, that we are enabled to look away from every creature stream. it is not that we shall despise god's instrumentality. by no means. to do so would be recklessness and not faith. faith values the instrument, not because of itself, but because of him who uses it. unbelief looks only at the instrument, and judges of the success of a matter by the apparent efficiency thereof, instead of by the sufficiency of him who, in grace, uses it. like saul, who, when he looked at david, and then looked at the philistine, said, "thou art not able to go against this philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth." yet the question in david's heart was, not as to whether he was able, but whether jehovah was able. the path of faith is a very simple and a very narrow one. it neither deifies the means on the one hand, nor despises it on the other. it simply values it, so far as it is evidently god's means, and no further. there is a vast difference between god's using the creature to minister to me, and my using it to shut him out. this difference is not sufficiently attended to. god used the ravens to minister to elijah, but elijah did not use them to exclude god. if the heart be really trusting in god, it will not trouble itself about his means. it waits on him, in the sweet assurance that by what means soever he pleases, he will bless, he will minister, he will provide. now, in the case before us, in this chapter, it is evident that hagar was not god's instrument for the accomplishment of his promise to abraham. he had promised a son, no doubt, but he had not said that this son should be hagar's; and, in point of fact, we find from the narrative, that both abraham and sarah "multiplied their sorrow," by having recourse to hagar; for "when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes." this was but the beginning of those multiplied sorrows which flowed from hastening after nature's resources. sarah's dignity was trampled down by an egyptian bond-woman, and she found herself in the place of weakness and contempt. the only true place of dignity and power is the place of felt weakness and dependence. there is no one so entirely independent of all around as the man who is really walking by faith, and waiting only upon god; but the moment a child of god makes himself a debtor to nature or the world, he loses his dignity, and will speedily be made to feel his loss. it is no easy task to estimate the loss sustained by diverging, in the smallest measure, from the path of faith. no doubt, all those who walk in that path will find trial and exercise; but one thing is certain, that the blessings and joys which peculiarly belong to them are infinitely more than a counterpoise; whereas, when they turn aside, they have to encounter far deeper trial, and naught but that. "and sarai said, my wrong be _upon thee_." when we act wrong, we are ofttimes prone to lay the blame on some one else. sarah was only reaping the fruit of her own proposal, and yet she says to abraham, "my wrong be upon thee;" and then, with abraham's permission, she seeks to get rid of the trial which her own impatience had brought upon her. "but abram said unto sarai, behold thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. and when sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face." this will not do. "the bond-woman" cannot be got rid of by hard treatment. when we make mistakes, and find ourselves called upon to encounter the results thereof, we cannot counteract those results by carrying ourselves with a high hand. we frequently try this method, but we are sure to make matters worse thereby. if we have done wrong, we should humble ourselves and confess the wrong, and wait on god for deliverance. but there was nothing like this manifested in sarah's case. quite the reverse. there is no sense of having done wrong; and, so far from waiting on god for deliverance, she seeks to deliver herself in her own way. however, it will always be found that every effort which we make to rectify our errors, previous to the full confession thereof, only tends to render our path more difficult. thus hagar had to return, and give birth to her son, which son proved to be not the child of promise at all, but a very great trial to abraham and his house, as we shall see in the sequel. now, we should view all this in a double aspect; first, as teaching us a direct practical principle of much value; and secondly, in a doctrinal point of view. and, first, as to the direct, practical teaching, we may learn that when, through the unbelief of our hearts, we make mistakes, it is not all in a moment, nor yet by our own devices, we can remedy them. things must take their course. "whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting." this is an unalterable principle, meeting us again and again on the page of inspiration, and also on the page of our personal history. grace forgives the sin and restores the soul, but that which is sown must be reaped. abraham and sarah had to endure the presence of the bond-woman and her son for a number of years, and then get rid of them in god's way. there is peculiar blessedness in leaving ourselves in god's hands. had abraham and sarah done so on the present occasion, they would never have been troubled with the presence of the bond-woman and her son; but, having made themselves debtors to nature, they had to endure the consequences. but, alas! we are often "like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke," when it would be our exceeding comfort to "behave and quiet ourselves as a child that is weaned of his mother." no two figures can be more opposite than a stubborn bullock and a weaned child. the former represents a person senselessly struggling under the yoke of circumstances, and rendering his yoke all the more galling by his efforts to get rid of it; the latter represents one meekly bowing his head to every thing, and rendering his portion all the sweeter by entire subjection of spirit. and now, as to the doctrinal view of this chapter. we are authorized to look at hagar and her son, as figures of the covenant of works, and all who are thereby brought into bondage. (see gal. iv. 22-25.) "the flesh" is, in this important passage, contrasted with "promise;" and thus we not only get the divine idea as to what the term "flesh" implies, but also as to abraham's effort to obtain the seed by means of hagar, instead of resting in god's "promise." the two covenants are allegorized by hagar and sarah, and are diametrically opposite the one to the other. the one gendering to bondage, inasmuch as it raised the question as to man's competency "to do" and "not to do," and made life entirely dependent upon that competency. "the man that doeth these things shall live in them." this was the hagar-covenant. but the sarah-covenant reveals god as the god of promise, which promise is entirely independent of man, and founded upon god's willingness and ability to fulfil it. when god makes a promise there is no "if" attached thereto. he makes it unconditionally, and is resolved to fulfil it; and faith rests in him in perfect liberty of heart. it needs no effort of nature to reach the accomplishment of a divine promise. here was, precisely, where abraham and sarah failed. they made an effort of nature to reach a certain end, which end was absolutely secured by a promise of god. this is the grand mistake of unbelief. by its restless activity, it raises a hazy mist around the soul, which hinders the beams of the divine glory from reaching it. "he could there do no mighty works, because of their unbelief." one great characteristic virtue of faith is, that it ever leaves the platform clear for god to show himself; and truly, when he shows himself, man must take the place of a happy worshipper. the error into which the galatians allowed themselves to be drawn, was the addition of something of nature to what christ had already accomplished for them by the cross. the gospel which had been preached to them and which they had received, was the simple presentation of god's absolute, unqualified, and unconditional, grace. "jesus christ had been evidently set forth crucified among them." this was not merely promise divinely made, but promise divinely and most gloriously accomplished. a crucified christ settled every thing in reference both to god's claims and man's necessities. but the false teachers upset all this, or sought to upset it, by saying, "except ye be circumcised after the manner of moses, ye cannot be saved." this, as the apostle teaches them, was in reality "making christ of none effect." christ must either be a _whole_ saviour, or _no_ saviour at all. the moment a man says, "except _ye_ be this or that, ye cannot be saved," he totally subverts christianity; for in christianity i find god coming down to me _just as i am_, a lost, guilty, self-destroyed sinner; and coming moreover with a full remission of _all_ my sins, and a full salvation from my lost estate, all perfectly wrought by himself on the cross. hence, therefore, a man who tells me, "you must be so and so, in order to be saved," robs the cross of all its glory, and robs me of all my peace. if salvation depends upon our being or doing aught, we shall inevitably be lost. thank god it does not; for the great fundamental principle of the gospel is, that god is all,--man is nothing. it is not a mixture of god and man. it is all of god. the peace of the gospel does not repose in part on christ's work, and in part on man's work; it reposes _wholly_ on christ's work, because that work is perfect,--perfect forever; and it renders all who put their trust in it as perfect as itself. under the law, god as it were stood still to see what man could do; but in the gospel god is seen acting, and as for man, he has but to "stand still and see the salvation of god." this being so, the inspired apostle hesitates not to say to the galatians, "christ is become of no effect unto you; whosoever of you are justified by law ([greek: en nomã´]), ye are fallen from grace." if man has any thing to do in the matter, god is shut out; and if god is shut out, there can be no salvation, for it is impossible that man can work out a salvation by that which proves him a lost creature; and then if it be a question of _grace_, it must be all grace. it cannot be half grace, half law. the two covenants are perfectly distinct. it cannot be half sarah and half hagar. it must be either the one or the other. if it be hagar, god has nothing to do with it; and if it be sarah, man has nothing to do with it. thus it stands throughout. the law addresses man, tests him, sees what he is really worth, proves him a ruin, and puts him under the curse; and not only puts him under it, but keeps him there so long as he is occupied with it,--so long as he is alive. "the law hath dominion over a man so long as he liveth;" but when he is dead, its dominion necessarily ceases so far as he is concerned, though it still remains in full force to curse every _living_ man. the gospel, on the contrary, assuming man to be lost, ruined, dead, reveals god as he is,--the saviour of the lost,--the pardoner of the guilty,--the quickener of the dead. it reveals him, not as exacting aught from man, (for what could be expected from one who has died a bankrupt?) but as exhibiting his own independent grace in redemption. this makes a material difference and will account for the extraordinary strength of the language employed in the epistle to the galatians: "i marvel"--"who hath bewitched you?"--"i am afraid of you"--"i stand in doubt of you"--"i would they were even cut off that trouble you." this is the language of the holy ghost, who knows the value of a full christ and a full salvation; and who also knows how essential the knowledge of both is to a lost sinner. we have no such language as this in any other epistle; not even in that to the corinthians, although there were some of the grossest disorders to be corrected amongst them. all human failure and error can be corrected by bringing in god's grace; but the galatians, like abraham in this chapter, were going away from god, and returning to the flesh. what remedy could be devised for this? how can you correct an error which consists in departing from that which alone can correct any thing? to fall from grace, is to get back under the law, from which nothing can ever be reaped but "the curse." may the lord establish our hearts in his own most excellent grace! chapter xvii. here we have god's remedy for abraham's failure set before us. "and when abram was ninety years old and nine, the lord appeared unto abram, and said unto him, _i am the almighty god_: walk before _me_, and be thou _perfect_."[15] this is a most comprehensive verse. it is very evident that abraham had not been walking before the almighty god when he adopted sarah's expedient in reference to hagar. it is faith alone that can enable a man to walk up and down before an almighty one. unbelief will ever be thrusting in something of self, something of circumstances, second causes, and the like, and thus the soul is robbed of the joy and peace, the calm elevation, and holy independence, which flow from leaning upon the arm of one who can do every thing. i believe we deeply need to ponder this. god is not such an abiding reality to our souls as he ought to be, or as he would be, were we walking in more simple faith and dependence. "walk before _me_." this is true power. to walk thus, implies our having nothing whatever before our hearts save god himself. if i am founding my expectation upon men and things, i am not walking before god, but before men and things. it is of the utmost importance to ascertain who or what i have before me as an object. to what am i looking? on whom or what am i leaning, at this moment? does god _entirely_ fill my future? have men or circumstances aught to do therein? is there any space allotted to the creature? the only way in which to get above the world is to walk by faith, because faith so completely fills the scene with god, that there is no room for the creature,--no room for the world. if god fills up my entire range of vision, i can see nothing else; and then i am able to say with the psalmist, "my soul, wait thou _only_ upon god; for my expectation is from him. he _only_ is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence, i shall not be moved." (ps. lxii. 5, 6.) this word "only" is deeply searching. nature cannot say this. not that it will, save when under the direct influence of a daring and blasphemous skepticism, formally shut out god altogether; but it, assuredly, cannot say, "_he only_." now, it is well to see that, as in the matter of salvation, so in all the details of actual life, from day to day, god will not share his glory with the creature. from first to last, it must be "he only;" and this, too, in reality. it will not do to have the language of dependence upon god on our lips, while our hearts are really leaning on some creature resource. god will make all this fully manifest; he will test the heart; he will put faith into the furnace. "walk before me, and be thou perfect." thus it is we reach the proper point. when the soul is enabled, by grace, to get rid of all its fondly-cherished creature expectations, then, and only then, it is prepared to let god act; and when he acts all must be well. he will not leave any thing undone. he will perfectly settle every thing on behalf of those who simply put their trust in him. when unerring wisdom, omnipotent power, and infinite love combine, the confiding heart may enjoy unruffled repose. unless we can find some circumstance too big or too little for "the almighty god," we have no proper base on which to found a single anxious thought. this is an amazing truth, and one eminently calculated to put all who believe it into the blessed position in which we find abraham in this chapter. when god had, in effect, said to him, "leave _all_ to me and i will settle it for you, beyond your utmost desires and expectations; the seed and the inheritance, and every thing pertaining thereto, will be fully and everlastingly settled, according to the covenant of the almighty god,"--then "_abram fell on his face_." truly blessed attitude! the only proper one for a thoroughly empty, feeble, and unprofitable sinner to occupy in the presence of the living god, the creator of heaven and earth, the possessor of all things, "the almighty god." "and god talked with him." it is when man is in the dust that god can talk to him in grace. abraham's posture here is the beautiful expression of entire prostration, in the presence of god, in the sense of utter weakness and nothingness. and this, be it observed, is the sure precursor of god's revelation of himself. it is when the creature is laid low that god can show himself in the unclouded effulgence of what he is. he will not give his glory to another. he can reveal himself, and allow man to worship in view of that revelation; but until the sinner takes his proper place, there can be no unfolding of the divine character. how different is abraham's attitude in this and the preceding chapter! there, he had nature before him; here, he has the almighty god. there, he was an actor; here, he is a worshipper. there, he was betaking himself to his own and sarah's contrivance; here, he leaves himself and his circumstances, his present and his future, in god's hands, and allows him to act in him, for him, and through him. hence, god can say, "i will make"--"i will establish"--"i will give"--"i will bless." in a word, it is all god and his actings; and this is real rest for the poor heart that has learnt any thing of itself. the covenant of circumcision is now introduced. every member of the household of faith must bear in his body the seal of that covenant. there must be no exception. "he that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant. and the uncircumcised man-child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people: he hath broken my covenant." we are taught in romans iv., that circumcision was "a seal of the righteousness of faith." "abraham believed god, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." being thus counted righteous, god set his "seal" upon him. the seal with which the believer is now sealed is not a mark in the flesh, but "that holy spirit of promise, whereby he is sealed unto the day of redemption." this is founded upon his everlasting connection with christ, and his perfect identification with him, in death and resurrection; as we read, in colossians, "and ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. in whom also ye are _circumcised_ with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of christ; buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of god who hath raised him from the dead. and you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses." this is a most glorious passage, unfolding to us the true idea of what circumcision was meant to typify. every believer belongs to "the circumcision" in virtue of his living association with him who, by his cross, has forever abolished every thing that stood in the way of his church's perfect justification. there was not a speck of sin on the conscience, nor a principle of sin in the nature of his people, for which christ was not judged on the cross; and they are now looked upon as having died with christ, lain in the grave with christ, been raised with christ, perfectly accepted in him,--their sins, their iniquities, their transgressions, their enmity, their uncircumcision, having been entirely put away by the cross. the sentence of death has been written on the flesh; but the believer is in possession of a new life, in union with his risen head in glory. the apostle in the above passage teaches that the church was quickened out of the grave of christ; and moreover, that the forgiveness of all her trespasses is as complete, and as entirely the work of god, as was the raising of christ from the dead; and this latter, we know, was the result of "god's mighty power," or, as it may be rendered, "according to the energy of the might of his power" (eph. i. 19),--a truly wonderful expression, calculated to set forth the magnitude and glory of redemption, as well as the solid basis on which it rests. what rest--perfect rest--for the heart and conscience is here! what full relief for the burdened spirit! _all_ our sins buried in the grave of christ,--not one--even the smallest--left out! god did this for us! all that his searching eye could detect in us, he laid on the head of christ when he hung upon the cross! he judged him there and then, instead of judging us, in hell forever! precious fruit, this, of the admirable, the profound, the eternal counsels of redeeming love! and we are "sealed," not with a certain mark cut in our flesh, but with the holy ghost. the entire household of faith is sealed thus. such is the dignity, the value, the changeless efficacy of the blood of christ, that the holy ghost--the third person of the eternal trinity--can take up his abode in all those who have put their trust therein. and now, what remains for those who know these things, save to "be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the lord." thus may it be, o lord, through the grace of thy holy spirit! footnotes: [15] i would here offer a remark as to the word "perfect." when abraham was called upon to be "perfect," it did not mean perfect to himself; for this he never was, and never could be. it simply meant that he should be perfect as regards the object before his heart,--that his hopes and expectations were to be perfectly and undividedly centred in the "almighty god." in looking through the new testament, we find the word "perfect" used in at least four distinct senses. in matt. v. 48, we read, "be ye therefore _perfect_, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect." here we learn from the context that the word "perfect" refers to the principle of our walk. at verse 44, we read, "love your enemies, ... that ye may be the sons of your father which is in heaven; for he maketh the sun to rise upon the evil and the good, and sendeth rain upon the just and the unjust." hence to be "perfect" in the sense of matt. v. 48 is to act on a principle of grace toward all, even toward those who are injurious and hostile. a christian going to law, and asserting or contending for his rights, is not "perfect as his father;" for his father is dealing in _grace_, whereas he is dealing in _righteousness_. the question here is not as to the right or wrong of going to law with worldly people (as to brethren, 1 cor. vi. is conclusive). all i contend for is, that a christian so doing is acting in a character the direct opposite to that of his father; for assuredly he is not going to law with the world. he is not now on a judgment-seat, but on a mercy-seat--a throne of grace. he showers his blessings upon those who, were he to go to law with them, should be in hell. wherefore it is plain that a christian, when he brings a man before the judgment-seat, is not "perfect as his father which is in heaven is perfect." at the close of matt. xviii. we have a parable which teaches us that a man who asserts his rights is ignorant of the true character and proper effect of grace. the servant was not _unrighteous_ in demanding what was due to him; but he was _ungracious_. he was totally unlike his master. he had been forgiven ten thousand talents, and yet he could seize his fellow by the throat for a paltry hundred pence. what was the consequence? he was delivered to the tormentors. he lost the happy sense of _grace_, and was left to reap the bitter fruits of having asserted his _rights_, while being himself a subject of _grace_. and, observe further, he was called "a _wicked_ servant," not because of having owed "ten thousand talents," but because of not having forgiven the "hundred pence." _the master_ had ample grace to settle the former, but _he_ had not grace to settle the latter. this parable has a solemn voice for all christians going to law; for although in the application of it, it is said, "so shall my heavenly father do to you, if you from your heart, forgive not every one _his brother_ their trespasses," yet is the principle of general application, that a man acting in righteousness will lose _the sense_ of grace. in hebrews ix. we have another sense of the term "perfect." here, too, the context settles the import of the word. it is "perfect, as pertaining to the conscience." this is a deeply important use of the term. the worshipper under the law never could have a perfect conscience, for the simplest reason possible, because he never had a perfect sacrifice. the blood of a bullock and a goat did well enough _for a time_, but it could not do _forever_, and therefore could not give a perfect conscience. now, however, the weakest believer in jesus is privileged to have a perfect conscience. why? is it because he is a _better man_ than the worshipper under the law? nay; but because he has gotten a _better sacrifice_. if christ's sacrifice is perfect forever, the believer's conscience is perfect forever. the two things necessarily go together. for the christian not to have a perfect conscience is a dishonor to the sacrifice of christ. it is tantamount to saying that his sacrifice is only temporary, and not eternal in its effect; and what is this but to bring it down to the level of the sacrifices under the mosaic economy. it is very needful to distinguish between perfection in the flesh and perfection as to conscience. to pretend to the former, is to exalt _self_; to refuse the latter, is to dishonor christ. the babe in christ should have a perfect conscience; whereas st. paul had not, nor could have, perfect flesh. the flesh is not presented in the word as a thing which is to be perfected, but as a thing which has been crucified. this makes a wide difference. the christian has sin in him, but not _on_ him. why? because christ who had no sin _in_ him, ever, had sin on him when he was nailed to the cross. finally, in phil. iii. we have two other senses of the word "perfect." the apostle says, "not as though i had already attained, either were already _perfect_;" and yet a little farther on he says, "let as many as be _perfect_ be thus minded." the former refers to the apostle's full and everlasting conformity to christ in glory. the latter refers to our having christ as the all-engrossing object before the heart's affections. chapter xviii. this chapter affords a beautiful exemplification of the results of an obedient, separated walk. "behold, i stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, i will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me." (rev. iii. 20.) again, we read, "jesus answered, and said unto him, if a man love me he will keep my words, and my father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (john xiv. 23.) from these passages, taken in connection with our chapter, we learn that an obedient soul enjoys a character of communion entirely unknown to one who moves in a worldly atmosphere. this does not touch, in the most remote manner, the question of forgiveness or justification. all believers are clothed in the same spotless robe of righteousness,--all stand in one common justification, under the eye of god. the one life flows down from the head in heaven through all the members on earth. this is plain. the doctrine, in reference to the above important points, is fully established in the word; and has been, again and again, unfolded through the foregoing pages of this volume. but we should remember that justification is one thing, and the fruit thereof quite another. to be a child is one thing, to be an obedient child is quite another. now, a father loves an obedient child, and will make such a child more the depositary of his thoughts and plans. and is this not true, in reference to our heavenly father? unquestionably. john xiv. 23, puts this quite beyond dispute; and, moreover, it proves that for one to speak of loving christ and not to "keep his words," is hypocrisy. "if a man love me, he will keep my words." hence, if we are not keeping christ's words, it is a sure proof we are not walking in the love of his name. love to christ is proved by doing the things which he commands, and not by merely saying, "lord, lord." it is of very little avail to say, "i go, sir," while the heart has no idea of going. however, in abraham we see one who, however he may have failed in detail, was nevertheless characterized in the main by a close, simple, and elevated walk with god; and in the interesting section of his history now before us, we find him in the enjoyment of three special privileges, namely, providing refreshment _for_ the lord, enjoying full communion _with_ the lord, and interceding for others _before_ the lord. these are high distinctions; and yet are they only such as ever result from an obedient, separated, holy walk. obedience refreshes the lord, as being the fruit of his own grace in our hearts. we see in the only perfect man that ever lived how he constantly refreshed and delighted the father. again and again god bore testimony to him from heaven, as his "beloved son, in whom he was well pleased." the path of christ furnished a continual feast to heaven. his ways were ever sending up a fragrant incense to the throne of god. from the manger to the cross, he did always the things which pleased his father. there was no interruption, no variation, no salient point. he was the only perfect one. "there only can the spirit trace a perfect life below." here and there, as we look along the current of inspiration, we find one and another who occasionally refreshed the mind of heaven. thus, in the chapter before us, we find the tent of the stranger at mamre affording refreshment to the lord himself,--refreshment lovingly offered and willingly accepted. (ver. 1-8.) then we find abraham enjoying high communion _with_ the lord, first in reference to his own personal interests, (ver. 9-15,) and secondly in reference to the destinies of sodom. (ver. 16, 21.) what confirmation to abraham's heart in the absolute promise "_sarah_ shall have a son!" yet this promise only elicited a laugh from sarah, as it had elicited one from abraham in the preceding chapter. there are two kinds of laughter spoken of in scripture. there is first the laughter with which the lord fills our mouth, when, at some trying crisis, he appears in a signal manner for our relief. "when the lord turned again the captivity of zion, we were like them that dream. then was our mouth filled with _laughter_, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, the lord hath done great things for them; the lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." (ps. cxxvi. 1, 2.) again, there is the laughter with which unbelief fills our mouths, when god's promises are too magnificent for our narrow hearts to take in, or the visible agency too small in our judgment for the accomplishment of his grand designs. the first of these we are never ashamed or afraid to avow. zion's sons are not ashamed to say, "then was our mouth filled with laughter." (ps. cxxvi. 2.) when jehovah makes us to laugh, we may laugh heartily. "but sarah denied, saying, i laughed not; for she was afraid." unbelief makes us cowards and liars; faith makes us bold and truthful. it enables us to "come boldly," and to "draw near with true hearts." but, further, abraham is made the depositary of god's thoughts and counsels about sodom. though having nothing to do with it personally, yet he was so near the lord that he was let into his mind in reference to it. the way to know the divine purposes about this present evil world, is not to be mixed up with it in its schemes and speculations, but to be entirely separated from it. the more closely we walk with god, and the more subject we are to his word, the more we shall know of his mind about every thing. i do not need to study the newspaper in order to know what is going to happen in the world. god's word reveals all i want to know. in its pure and sanctifying pages i learn all about the character, the course, and the destiny of the world; whereas, if i go to the men of the world for news, i may expect that the devil will use them to cast dust in my eyes. had abraham visited sodom in order to obtain information about its facts, had he applied to some of its leading intelligent men, to know what they thought of sodom's present condition and future prospects, how would he have been answered? doubtless they would have called his attention to their agricultural and architectural schemes, the vast resources of the country; they would have placed before his eyes one vast, mingled scene of buying and selling, building and planting, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. doubtless, too, they would never dream of judgment, and if any one had made mention thereof, their mouths would have been filled with infidel laughter. hence, then, it is plain, that sodom was not the place in which to learn about sodom's end. no; "the place, where abraham stood before the lord," afforded the only proper point from whence to take in the whole prospect. there he could stand entirely above the fogs and mists which had gathered upon sodom's horizon. there, in the clearness and calmness of the divine presence, he could understand it all. and what use did he make of his knowledge and his elevated position? how was he occupied in the lord's presence? the answer to these inquiries leads us to the third special privilege enjoyed by our patriarch in this chapter, namely,-intercession for others _before_ the lord. he was enabled to plead for those who were mixed up in sodom's defilement, and in danger of being involved in sodom's judgment. this was a happy and a holy use to make of his place of nearness to god. thus it is ever. the soul that can "draw near to god," in the assurance of faith, having the heart and conscience perfectly at rest, being able to repose in god as to the past, the present, and the future,--that soul will be able and willing to intercede for others. the man who has on "the whole armor of god," will be able to pray for all "saints." and, oh! what a view this gives us of the intercession of our great high-priest, who has passed into the heavens! "what infinite repose he enjoys in all the divine counsels!" with what conscious acceptance he sits enthroned amid the brightness of the majesty in the heavens! and with what efficacy he pleads before that majesty for those who are toiling along amid the defilement of this present scene! happy, ineffably happy, they who are the subjects of such all-prevailing intercession! at once happy and secure. would that we had hearts to enter into all this,--hearts enlarged by personal communion with god, to take in more of the infinite fulness of his grace, and the suitability of his provision, for all our need. we see in this scripture that how blessed soever abraham's intercession might be, yet it was limited, because the intercessor was _but a man_. it did not reach the need. he said, "i will speak _yet but this once_," and there he stopped short, as if afraid of having presented too large a draft at the treasury of infinite grace, or forgetting that faith's check was never yet dishonored at god's bank. it was not that he was straitened in god. by no means. there was abundance of grace and patience in him to have hearkened to his dear servant, had he proceeded even to three or one. but the servant was limited. he was afraid of overdrawing his account. he ceased to ask, and god ceased to give. not so our blessed intercessor. of him it can be said, "he is able to save _to the uttermost_, ... seeing he _ever_ liveth to make intercession." may our hearts cling to him in all our need, our weakness, and our conflict. before closing this section, i would offer a remark, which, whether it may be regarded as properly flowing out of the truth contained therein, or not, is nevertheless worthy of consideration. it is of the utmost importance in the study of scripture to distinguish between god's moral government of the world, and the specific hope of the church. the entire body of old testament prophecy, and much of the new, treats of the former, and, in so doing, presents, i need hardly say, a subject of commanding interest to every christian. it is interesting to know what god is doing, and will do, with all the nations of the earth,--interesting to read god's thoughts about tyre, babylon, nineveh, and jerusalem,--about egypt, assyria, and the land of israel. in short, the entire range of old testament prophecy demands the prayerful attention of every true believer. but let it be remembered, we do not find therein contained the proper hope of the church. how could we? if we have not therein the church's existence directly revealed, how could we have the church's hope? impossible. it is not that the church cannot find there a rich harvest of divine moral principles, which she may most happily and profitably use. she undoubtedly can; but this is quite another thing from finding there her proper existence and specific hope. and yet, a large portion of the old-testament prophecies has been applied to the church; and this application has involved the whole subject in such mist and confusion that simple minds are scared away from the study; and, in neglecting the study of prophecy, they have also neglected that which is quite distinct from prophecy, properly so called, even the hope of the church; which hope, be it well remembered, is not any thing which god is going to do with the nations of the earth, but to meet the lord jesus in the clouds of heaven, to be forever with him, and forever like him. many may say, i have no _head_ for prophecy. perhaps not, but you have a _heart_ for christ? surely if you love christ, you will love his appearing, though you may have no capacity for prophetic investigation. an affectionate wife may not have a head to enter into her husband's affairs; but she has a heart for her husband's return. she might not be able to understand his ledger and day-book; but she knows his footstep and recognizes his voice. the most unlettered saint, if only he has affection for the person of the lord jesus, can entertain the most intense desire to see him; and this is the church's hope. the apostle could say to the thessalonians, "ye turned to god from idols, to serve the living and true god, and to _wait for his son from heaven_." (1 thess. i. 9, 10.) now, evidently, those thessalonian saints could, at the moment of their conversion, have known little, if any thing, of prophecy, or the special subject thereof; and yet they were, at that very moment, put into the full possession and power of the specific hope of the church,--even the coming of the son. thus is it throughout the entire new testament. there, no doubt, we have prophecy,--there, too, we have god's moral government; but, at the same time, numberless passages might be adduced in proof of the fact that the common hope of christians in apostolic times--the simple, unimpeded, and unencumbered hope--was, the return of the bridegroom. may the holy ghost revive "that blessed hope" in the church,--may he gather in the number of the elect, and "make ready a people prepared for the lord!" chapter xix. there are two methods which the lord graciously adopts, in order to draw the heart away from this present world. the first is, by setting before it the attractiveness and stability of "things above." the second is, by faithfully declaring the evanescent and shakeable nature of "things on the earth." the close of hebrews xii. furnishes a beautiful example of each of these methods. after stating the truth, that we are come unto mount zion, with all its attendant joys and privileges, the apostle goes on to say, "see that ye refuse not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven; whose voice then shook the earth, but now he hath promised, saying, yet once i shake, not only the earth, but also heaven. now this word once signifieth the removal of the shakeable things, as of things that are made, that the unshakeable things may remain." now it is much better to be _drawn_ by the joys of heaven, than _driven_ by the sorrows of earth. the believer should not wait to be shaken out of present things. he should not wait for the world to give him up before he gives up the world. he should give it up in the power of communion with heavenly things. there is no difficulty in giving up the world when we have, by faith, laid hold of christ: the difficulty would then be to hold it. if a scavenger were left an estate of ten thousand a year, he would not long continue to sweep the streets. thus, if we are realizing our portion amid the unshakeable realities of heaven, we shall find little difficulty in resigning the delusive joys of earth. let us now look at the solemn section of inspired history here set before us. in it we find lot "sitting in the gate of sodom," the place of authority. he has evidently made progress. he has "got on in the world." looked at from a worldly point of view, his course has been a successful one. he at first "pitched his tent _toward_ sodom." then, no doubt, he found his way into it; and now we find him sitting in the gate,--a prominent, influential post. how different is all this from the scene with which the preceding chapter opens! but, ah! my reader, the reason is obvious. "_by faith_ abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a _strange country_, dwelling in tabernacles." we have no such statement in reference to lot.[16] it could not be said, "by faith lot sat in the gate of sodom." alas! no: he gets no place among the noble army of confessors,--the great cloud of witnesses to the power of faith. the world was his snare, present things his bane. he did not "endure as seeing him who is invisible." he looked at "the things which are seen, and temporal:" whereas abraham looked at "the things which are unseen and eternal." there was a most material difference between those two men, who, though they started together on their course, reached a very different goal, so far as their public testimony was concerned. no doubt lot was saved, yet it was "so as by fire," for, truly, "his work was burned up." on the other hand, abraham had "an abundant entrance ministered unto him into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and saviour jesus christ." further, we do not find that lot is permitted to enjoy any of the high distinctions and privileges with which abraham was favored. instead of refreshing the lord, lot gets his righteous soul vexed; instead of enjoying communion _with_ the lord, he is at a lamentable distance _from_ the lord; and lastly, instead of interceding for others, he finds enough to do to intercede for himself. the lord remained to commune with abraham, and merely sent his angels to sodom; and these angels could, with difficulty be induced to enter into lot's house, or partake of his hospitality: "they said, nay, but _we will abide in the street all night_." what a rebuke! how different from the willing acceptance of abraham's invitation, as expressed in the words, "so do as thou hast said." there is a great deal involved in the act of partaking of any one's hospitality. it expresses, when intelligently looked at, full fellowship with him. "i will come in unto him, and sup _with him_, and _he with me_." "if ye have judged me to be faithful to the lord, come into my house and abide." if they had not so judged her, they would not have accepted her invitation. hence, the angels' word to lot contains a most unqualified condemnation of his position in sodom. they would rather abide in the street all night, than enter under the roof of one in a wrong position. indeed, their only object in coming to sodom seems to have been to deliver lot, and that, too, because of abraham; as we read: "and it came to pass, when god destroyed the cities of the plain, that _god remembered abraham_, and sent lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which lot dwelt." this is strongly marked. it was simply for abraham's sake that lot was suffered to escape: the lord has no sympathy with a worldly mind; and such a mind it was that had led lot to settle down amid the defilement of that guilty city. faith never put him there; a spiritual mind never put him there; "his righteous soul" never put him there. it was simple love for this present evil world that led him first to "_choose_," then to "pitch his tent toward," and finally, to "sit in the gate of sodom." and, oh! what a portion he chose. truly it was a broken cistern which could hold no water,--a broken reed which pierced his hand. it is a bitter thing to seek, in any wise, to manage for ourselves; we are sure to make the most grievous mistakes. it is infinitely better to allow god to order all our ways for us, to commit them all, in the spirit of a little child, to him who is so willing and so able to manage for us,--to put the pen, as it were, into his blessed hand, and allow him to sketch out our entire course according to his own unerring wisdom and infinite love. no doubt lot thought he was doing well for himself and his family when he moved to sodom; but the sequel shows how entirely he erred; and it also sounds in our ears a voice of deepest solemnity,--a voice telling us to beware how we yield to the incipient workings of a worldly spirit. "be content with such things as ye have." why? is it because you are so well off in the world? because you have all that your poor rambling hearts would seek after? because there is not so much as a single chink in your circumstances, through which a vain desire might make its escape? is this to be the ground of our contentment? by no means. what then? "for he hath said, i will never leave thee nor forsake thee." blessed portion! had lot been content therewith, he never would have sought the well-watered plains of sodom. and then, if we need any further ground of inducement to the exercise of a contented spirit, truly we have it in this chapter. what did lot gain in the way of happiness and contentment? little indeed. the people of sodom surround his house, and threaten to break into it; he seeks to appease them by a most humiliating proposition, but all in vain. if a man will mingle with the world for the purpose of self-aggrandizement, he must make up his mind to endure the sad consequences. we cannot profit by the world, and at the same time bear effectual testimony against its wickedness. "this one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge." this will never do. the true way to judge is to stand apart, in the moral power of grace, not in the supercilious spirit of pharisaism. to attempt to reprove the world's ways while we profit by association with it, is vanity; the world will attach very little weight to such reproof and such testimony. thus it was, too, with lot's testimony to his sons-in-law; "he seemed as one that mocked." it is vain to speak of approaching judgment, while finding our place, our portion, and our enjoyment, in the very scene which is to be judged. abraham was in a far better position to speak of judgment, inasmuch as he was entirely outside of the sphere thereof. the tent of the stranger at mamre was in no danger, though sodom were in flames. oh, that our hearts longed more after the precious fruits of a realized strangership, so that instead of having, like poor lot, to be dragged by main force out of the world, and casting a lingering look behind, we might, with holy alacrity bound forward like a racer towards the goal! lot evidently longed after the scene which he was forced by angelic power to abandon; for not only had the angels to lay hold of him and hasten him away from the impending judgment, but even when exhorted to escape for _his life_ (which was all he could save from the wreck) and flee to the mountain, he replies, "oh! not so, my lord: behold, now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast showed unto me in saving _my life_; and i cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me and i die: behold, now, _this city_ is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live." what a picture! he seems like a drowning man, ready to catch even at a floating feather. though commanded by the angel to flee to the mountain, he refuses, and still fondly clings to the idea of "a little city,"--some little shred of the world. he feared death in the place to which god was mercifully directing him,--yea, he feared all manner of evil, and could only hope for safety in some little city, some spot of his own devising. "oh, let me escape _thither, and my soul shall live_." how sad! there is no casting himself wholly upon god. alas! he had too long walked at a distance from him; too long breathed the dense atmosphere of a "city," to be able to appreciate the pure air of the divine presence, or lean on the arm of the almighty. his soul seemed completely unhinged; his worldly nest had been abruptly broken up, and he was not quite able to nestle himself, by faith, in the bosom of god. he had not been cultivating communion with the invisible world; and, now, the visible was passing away from beneath his feet with tremendous rapidity. the "fire and brimstone from heaven" were about to fall upon that in which all his hopes and all his affections were centred. the thief had broken in upon him, and he seems entirely divested of spiritual nerve and self-possession. he is at his wits' end; but the worldly element, being strong in his heart, prevails, and he seeks his only refuge in "a little city." yet he is not at ease even there, for he leaves it and gets up to the mountain. he does through fear what he would not do at the command of god's messenger. and then, see his end! his own children make him drunk, and in his drunkenness he becomes the instrument of bringing into existence the ammonites and the moabites,--the determined enemies of the people of god. what a volume of solemn instruction is here! oh, my reader, see here what the world is! see what a fatal thing it is to allow the heart to go out after it! what a commentary is lot's history upon that brief but comprehensive admonition, "love not the world!" this world's sodoms and its zoars are all alike. there is no security, no peace, no rest, no solid satisfaction for the heart therein. the judgment of god hangs over the whole scene; and he only holds back the sword, in long-suffering mercy, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. let us, then, seek to pursue a path of holy separation from the world. let us, while standing outside its entire range, be found cherishing the hope of the master's return. may its well-watered plains have no charms for our hearts. may its honors, its distinctions, and its riches, be all surveyed by us in the light of the coming glory of christ. may we be enabled, like the holy patriarch abraham, to get up into the presence of the lord, and, from that elevated ground, look forth upon the scene of wide-spread ruin and desolation,--to see it all, by faith's anticipative glance, a smoking ruin. _such it will be._ "the earth also, and the things that are therein, shall be burned up." all that about which the children of this world are so intensely anxious--after which they are so eagerly grasping--for which they are so fiercely contending--all--all will be burned up. and who can tell how soon? "where is sodom? where is gomorrah? where are the cities of the plain,--those cities which were once all life, and stir, and bustle? where are they now? all gone! swept away by the judgment of god! consumed by his fire and brimstone!" well, his judgments now hang over this guilty world. the day is at hand; and, while judgments impend, the sweet story of grace is being told out to many an ear. happy they who hear and believe that story! happy they who flee to the strong mountain of god's salvation! who take refuge behind the cross of the son of god, and therein find pardon and peace! god grant that the reader of these lines may know what it is, with a conscience purged from sin, and his heart's affections purged from the defiling influence of the world, to wait for the son from heaven. footnotes: [16] it would furnish a very searching question for the heart, in reference to every undertaking, were we to ask, "am i doing this by faith?" "whatever is not of faith is sin;" and, "without faith it is impossible to please god." chapter xx. we have two distinct points in this chapter: first, the moral degradation to which the child of god sometimes subjects himself in the view of the world; and, secondly, the moral dignity which always belongs to him in the view of god. abraham again exhibits the dread of circumstances which the heart can so easily understand. he sojourns in gerar, and fears the men of that place. judging that god was not there, he forgets that he is always with him. he seems to be more occupied with the men of gerar than with the one who was stronger than they. forgetting god's ability to protect his wife, he has recourse to the same stratagem which, years before, he had adopted in egypt. this is very admonitory. the father of the faithful was carried away, by taking his eye off god. he lost for a little his centre in god, and, therefore, gave way. how true it is that we are only strong as we cling to god in the sense of our perfect weakness. so long as we are in the path of his appointment, nothing can harm us. had abraham simply leaned on god, the men of gerar would not have meddled with him; and it was his privilege to have vindicated god's faithfulness in the midst of the most appalling difficulties. thus, too, he would have maintained his own dignity as a man of faith. it is often a source of sorrow to the heart to mark how the children of god dishonor him, and, as a consequence, lower themselves before the world by losing the sense of his sufficiency for every emergency. so long as we live in the realization of the truth that _all_ our springs are in god, so long shall we be above the world, in every shape and form. there is nothing so elevating to the whole moral being as faith: it carries one entirely beyond the reach of this world's thoughts; for how can the men of the world, or even worldly-minded christians, understand the life of faith? impossible: the springs on which it draws lie far away beyond their comprehension. they live on the surface of present things. so long as they can _see_ what they deem a proper foundation for hope and confidence, so long they are hopeful and confident; but the idea of resting solely on the promise of an unseen god, they understand not. but the man of faith is calm in the midst of scenes in which nature can _see_ nothing. hence it is that faith ever seems, in the judgment of nature, such a reckless, improvident, visionary thing. none but those who know god, can ever approve the actings of faith, for none but they really understand the solid and truly reasonable ground of such actings. in this chapter we find the man of god actually exposing himself to the rebuke and reproach of the men of the world, by reason of his actings when under the power of unbelief. thus it must ever be. nothing but faith can impart true elevation to a man's course and character. we may, it is true, see some who are naturally upright and honorable in their ways, yet nature's uprightness and honor cannot be trusted: they rest on a bad foundation, and are liable to give way at any moment. it is only faith which can impart a truly elevated moral tone, because it connects the soul in living power with god, the only source of true morality. and it is a remarkable fact that, in the case of all those whom god has graciously taken up, we see that, when off the path of faith, they sank even lower than other men. this will account for abraham's conduct in this part of his history. but there is another point of much interest and value brought out here. we find that abraham had harbored an evil thing for a number of years: he had, it seems, started upon his course with a certain reserve in his soul, which reserve was the result of his want of full, unqualified confidence in god. had he been able fully to trust god in reference to sarah, there would have been no need of any reserve or subterfuge whatever. god would have fenced her round about from every ill; and who can harm those who are the happy subjects of his unslumbering guardianship? however, through mercy, abraham is enabled to bring out the root of the whole matter,--to confess and judge it thoroughly, and get rid of it. this is the true way to act. there can be no real blessing and power till every particle of leaven is brought forth into the light and there trampled under foot. god's patience is exhaustless. he can wait. he can bear with us; but he never will conduct a soul to the culminating point of blessing and power while leaven remains known and unjudged. thus much as to abimelech and abraham. let us now look at the moral dignity of the latter, in the view of god. in the history of god's people, whether we look at them as a whole, or as individuals, we are often struck with the amazing difference between what they are in god's view, and what they are in the view of the world. god sees his people in christ. he looks at them through christ; and hence he sees them "without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." they are as christ is before god. they are perfected forever, as to their standing in christ. "they are not in the flesh but in the spirit." but, in themselves, they are poor, feeble, imperfect, stumbling, inconsistent creatures; and, inasmuch as it is what they are in themselves, and that alone, that the world takes knowledge of, therefore it is that the difference seems so great between the divine and the human estimate. yet it is god's prerogative to set forth the beauty, the dignity, and the perfection of his people. it is his exclusive prerogative, inasmuch as it is he himself who has bestowed those things. they are only comely through the comeliness which he has put upon them; and it is therefore due to him to declare what that comeliness is; and truly he does it in a manner worthy of himself, and never more blessedly than when the enemy comes forth to injure, to curse, or accuse. thus, when balak seeks to curse the seed of abraham, jehovah's word is: "i have not beheld iniquity in jacob, neither have i seen perverseness in israel." "how goodly are thy tents, o jacob, and thy tabernacles, o israel." again, when satan stands forth to resist joshua, the word is, "the lord rebuke thee, o satan, ... is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" thus he ever puts himself between his people and every tongue that would accuse them. he does not answer the accusation by a reference to what his people are in themselves, or to what they are in the view of the men of this world, but to what he himself has made them, and where he set them. thus, in abraham's case, he might lower himself in the view of abimelech, king of gerar; and abimelech might have to rebuke him, yet, when god comes to deal with the case, he says to abimelech, "behold, thou art but a dead man;" and of abraham he says, "he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee." yes, with all "the integrity of his heart, and the innocency of his hands," the king of gerar was "but a dead man;" and, moreover, he must be a debtor to the prayers of the erring and inconsistent stranger for the restoration of the health of his household. such is the manner of god: he may have many a secret controversy with his child on the ground of his practical ways; but directly the enemy enters a suit against him, jehovah ever pleads his servant's cause. "touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." "he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye." "it is god that justifieth, who is he that condemneth?" no dart of the enemy can penetrate the shield, behind which the lord has hidden the very feeblest lamb of his blood-bought flock. he hides his people in his pavilion, sets their feet upon the rock of ages, lifts their head above their enemies round about, and fills their hearts with the everlasting joy of his salvation. his name be praised for evermore! chapter xxi. "and the lord visited sarah, as he had said, and the lord did unto sarah as he had spoken." here we have accomplished promise,--the blessed fruit of patient waiting upon god. none ever waited in vain. the soul that takes hold of god's promise by faith has gotten a stable reality which will never fail him. thus was it with abraham; thus was it with all the faithful from age to age; and thus will it be with all those who are enabled, in any measure, to trust in the living god. oh, it is a wonderful blessing to have god himself as our portion and resting-place, amid the unsatisfying shadows of this scene through which we are passing; to have our anchor cast within the veil; to have the word and oath of god, the two immutable things, to lean upon, for the comfort and tranquillity of our souls. when god's promise stood before the soul of abraham, as an accomplished fact, he might well have learnt the futility of his own effort to reach that accomplishment. ishmael was of no use whatever, so far as god's promise was concerned. he might, and did, afford something for nature's affections to entwine themselves around, thus furnishing a more difficult task for abraham to perform afterwards; but he was in no wise conducive to the development of the purpose of god, or to the establishment of abraham's faith,--quite the reverse. nature can never do aught for god. the lord must "visit," and the lord must "do," and faith must wait, and nature must be still; yea, must be entirely set aside as a dead, worthless thing, and then the divine glory can shine out, and faith find in that outshining all its rich and sweet reward. "sarah conceived and bare abraham a son in his old age, _at the set time_ of which god had spoken to him." there is such a thing as god's "set time," his "due season," and for this the faithful must be content to wait. the time may seem long, and hope deferred may make the heart sick; but the spiritual mind will ever find its relief in the assurance that all is for the ultimate display of god's glory. "for the vision is for an appointed time, but _at the end_ it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry ... but the just shall live by his faith." (hab. ii. 3, 4.) this wondrous faith! it brings into our present all the power of god's future, and feeds upon god's promise as a present reality. by its power the soul is kept hanging upon god, when every outward thing seems to be against it; and, "at the set time," the mouth is filled with laughter. "abraham was an hundred years old when his son isaac was born unto him." thus nature had nothing to glory in. "man's extremity was god's opportunity;" and sarah said, "_god_ hath made me to laugh." all is triumph when god is allowed to show himself. now, while the birth of isaac filled sarah's mouth with laughter, it introduced an entirely new element into abraham's house. the son of the free-woman very speedily developed the true character of the son of the bond-woman. indeed, isaac proved in principle to be to the household of abraham what the implantation of the new nature is in the soul of a sinner. it was not _ishmael changed_, but it was _isaac born_. the son of the bond-woman could never be any thing else but that. he might become a great nation; he might dwell in the wilderness and become an archer; he might become the father of twelve princes;--but he was the son of the bond-woman all the while. on the contrary, no matter how weak and despised isaac might be, he was the son of the free-woman. his position and character, his standing and prospects, were all from the lord. "that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." regeneration is not a change of the old nature, but the introduction of a new: it is the implantation of the nature or life of the second adam, by the operation of the holy ghost, founded upon the accomplished redemption of christ, and in full keeping with the sovereign will or counsel of god. the moment a sinner believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth the lord jesus, he becomes the possessor of a new life, and that life is christ. he is born of god, is a child of god, is a son of the free-woman. (see rom. x. 9; col. iii. 4; 1 john iii. 1, 2; gal. iii. 26; iv. 31.) nor does the introduction of this new nature alter, in the slightest degree, the true, essential character of the old. this latter continues what it was, and is made in no respect better; yea, rather, there is the full display of its evil character in opposition to the new element. "the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other." there they are in all their distinctness, and the one is only thrown into relief by the other. i believe this doctrine of the two natures in the believer is not generally understood; and yet, so long as there is ignorance of it, the mind must be utterly at sea, in reference to the true standing and privileges of the child of god. some there are, who think that regeneration is a certain change which the old nature undergoes; and, moreover, that this change is gradual in its operation, until at length the whole man becomes transformed. that this idea is unsound can be proved by various quotations from the new testament. for example, "the carnal mind is enmity against god." how can that which is thus spoken of ever undergo any improvement? the apostle goes on to say, "it is not subject to the law of god, _neither indeed can be_." if it _cannot be_ subject to the law of god, how can it be improved? how can it undergo any change? again, "that which is born of the flesh is flesh." do what you will with flesh, and it is flesh all the while. as solomon says, "though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar, among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him." (prov. xxvii. 22.) there is no use in seeking to make foolishness wise: you must introduce heavenly wisdom into the heart that has been heretofore only governed by folly. again, "ye have put off the old man." (col. iii. 9.) he does not say, ye have improved or are seeking to improve "the old man;" but, ye have put it off. this gives us a totally different idea. there is a very great difference between seeking to mend an old garment, and casting it aside altogether, and putting on a new one. this is the idea of the last-quoted passage. it is a putting off the old and a putting on of the new. nothing can be more distinct or simple. passages might easily be multiplied to prove the unsoundness of the theory, with respect to the gradual improvement of the old nature,--to prove that the old nature is dead in sins, and utterly unrenewable and unimproveable; and, moreover, that the only thing we can do with it is, to keep it under our feet in the power of that new life which we have in union with our risen head in the heavens. the birth of isaac did not improve ishmael, but only brought out his real opposition to the child of promise. he might have gone on very quietly and orderly till isaac made his appearance; but then he showed what he was by persecuting and mocking at the child of resurrection. what, then, was the remedy? to make ishmael better? by no means; but, "cast out this bond-woman and her son; for the son of this bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, even with isaac." (8-10.) here was the only remedy. "that which is crooked cannot be made straight;" therefore you have only to get rid of the crooked thing altogether, and occupy yourself with that which is divinely straight. it is labor lost to seek to make a crooked thing straight. hence all efforts after the improvement of nature are utterly futile, so far as god is concerned. it may be all very well for men to cultivate and improve that which is of use to themselves; but god has given his children something infinitely better to do, even to cultivate that which is his own creation, the fruits of which, while they in no wise serve to exalt nature, are entirely to his praise and glory. now, the error into which the galatian churches fell, was the introduction of that which addressed itself to nature. "except ye be circumcised after the manner of moses, ye cannot be saved." here salvation was made to depend upon something that man could be, or man could do, or man could keep. this was upsetting the whole glorious fabric of redemption, which, as the believer knows, rests exclusively upon what christ is, and what he has done. to make salvation dependent in the most remote manner upon any thing in, or done by, man, is to set it entirely aside. in other words, ishmael must be entirely cast out, and all abraham's hopes be made to depend upon what god had done and given in the person of isaac. this, it is needless to say, leaves man nothing to glory in. if present or future blessedness were made to depend upon even a divine change wrought in nature, flesh might glory. though my nature were improved, it would be something of _me_, and thus god would not have _all_ the glory. but when i am introduced into a new creation, i find it is all of god, designed, matured, developed by himself alone. god is the actor, and i am a worshipper; he is the blesser, and i am the blessed; he is "the better," and i am "the less;" (heb. vii. 7;) he is the giver, and i am the receiver. this is what makes christianity what it is; and, moreover, distinguishes it from every system of human religion under the sun, whether it be romanism, puseyism, or any other _ism_ whatsoever. human religion gives the creature a place more or less; it keeps the bond-woman and her son in the house; it gives man something to glory in. on the contrary, christianity excludes the creature from all interference in the work of salvation; casts out the bond-woman and her son, and gives _all_ the glory to him to whom alone it is due. but let us inquire who this bond-woman and her son really are, and what they shadow forth. galatians iv. furnishes ample teaching as to these two points. in a word then the bond-woman represents the covenant of the law; and her son represents all who are "of works of law," or on that principle ([greek: ex ergã´n nomou]). this is very plain. the bond-woman only genders to bondage, and can never bring forth a free man. how can she? the law never could give liberty, for so long as a man was alive it ruled him. (rom. vii. 1.) i can never be free so long as i am under the dominion of any one. but while i live, the law rules me; and nothing but death can give me deliverance from its dominion. this is the blessed doctrine of romans vii. "wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him that is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto god." this is freedom; for, "if the son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (john viii. 36.) "so, then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free." (gal. iv. 31.) now, it is in the power of this freedom that we are enabled to obey the command, "cast out this bond-woman and her son." if i am not consciously free, i shall be seeking to attain liberty in the strangest way possible, even by keeping the bond-woman in the house; in other words, i shall be seeking to get life by keeping the law; i shall be establishing any own righteousness. no doubt, it will involve a struggle to cast out this element of bondage, for legalism is natural to our hearts. "the thing was very grievous in abraham's sight, because of his son." still, however grievous it may be, it is according to the divine mind that we should abidingly "stand fast in the liberty wherewith christ hath made us free, and not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (gal. v. 1.) may we, beloved reader, so fully and experimentally enter into the blessedness of god's provision for us in christ that we may be done with all thoughts about the flesh, and all that it can be, do, or produce. there is a fulness in christ which renders all appeal to nature utterly superfluous and vain. chapter xxii. abraham is now in a fit moral position to have his heart put to a most severe test. the long-cherished reserve being put forth from his heart, in chap. xx.--the bond-woman and her son being put forth from his house, as in chap. xxi., he now stands forth in the most honored position in which any soul can be placed, and that is a position of trial from the hand of god himself. there are various kinds of trial: trial from the hand of satan; trial from surrounding circumstances; but the highest character of trial is that which comes directly from the hand of god, when he puts his dear child into the furnace for the purpose of testing the reality of his faith. god will do this: he must have reality. it will not do to say, "lord, lord," or, "i go, sir." the heart must be probed to the very bottom, in order that no element of hypocrisy or false profession may be allowed to lodge there. "my son, give me _thine heart_." he does not say, "give me thine head, or thine intellect, or thy talents, or thy tongue, or thy money;" but "give me thine heart:" and in order to prove the sincerity of our response to this gracious command, he will lay his hand upon something very near our hearts. thus he says to abraham, "take now thy son, thine only son isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of moriah, and offer him there for a burnt-offering, upon one of the mountains which i will tell thee of." this was coming very close to abraham's heart. it was passing him through a searching crucible indeed. god "requires truth in the inward parts." there may be much truth on the lips, and much in the intellect, but god looks for it in the heart. it is no ordinary proof that will satisfy god, as to the love of our hearts. he himself did not rest satisfied with giving an ordinary proof. he gave his son, and we should aim at giving very striking proofs of our love to him who so loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins. however, it is well to see that god confers a signal honor upon us when he thus tests our hearts. we never read that "the lord did tempt lot." no; sodom tempted lot. he never reached a sufficiently high elevation to warrant his being tried by the hand of jehovah. it was too plainly manifest that there was plenty between his heart and the lord, and it did not, therefore, require the furnace to bring that out. sodom would have held out no temptation whatever to abraham. this was made manifest in his interview with sodom's king, in chapter xiv. god knew well that abraham loved him far better than sodom; but he would make it manifest that he loved him better than any one or any thing, by laying his hand upon the nearest and dearest object. "take now thy son, thine only son, isaac." yes, isaac, the child of promise; isaac, the object of long-deferred hope, the object of parental love, and the one in whom all the kindreds of the earth were to be blessed. this isaac must be offered as a burnt-offering. this, surely, was putting faith to the test, in order that, being more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, it might be found unto praise, and honor, and glory. had abraham's whole soul not been stayed simply on the lord, he never could have yielded unhesitating obedience to such a searching command. but god himself was the living and abiding support of his heart, and therefore he was prepared to give up all for him. the soul that has found _all_ its springs in god, can, without any demur, retire from _all_ creature streams. we can give up the creature, just in proportion as we have found out, or become experimentally acquainted with the creator, and no further. to attempt to give up the visible things in any other way, save in the energy of that faith which lays hold of the invisible, is the most fruitless labor possible. it cannot be done. i will hold fast my isaac until i have found my all in god. it is when we are enabled by faith, to say "god is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble," that we can also add, "therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." (ps. xlvi. 1, 2.) "and abraham rose up early in the morning." there is ready obedience. "i made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments." faith never stops to look at circumstances, or ponder results; it only looks at god; it expresses itself thus: "but when it pleased god, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his son in me, that i might preach him among the gentiles; immediately i conferred not with flesh and blood." (gal. i. 15, 16.) the moment we confer with flesh and blood, our testimony and service are marred, for flesh and blood can never obey. we must rise early, and carry out, through grace, the divine command. thus we are blessed, and god is glorified. having god's own word as the basis of our acting will ever impart strength and stability to our acting. if we merely act from impulse, when the impulse subsides, the acting will subside also. there are two things needful to a course of steady and consistent action, viz., the holy ghost, as the power of action, and the word to give proper direction. to use a familiar illustration: on a railway, we should find steam of little use without the iron rails firmly laid down; the former is the power by which we move; and the latter, the direction. it is needless to add that the rails would be of little use without the steam. now, abraham was blessed with both. he had the power of action conferred by god; and the command to act given by god also. his devotedness was of a most definite character; and this is deeply important. we frequently find much that looks like devotedness, but which, in reality, is but the desultory activity of a will not brought under the powerful action of the word of god. all such apparent devotedness is worthless, and the spirit from which it proceeds will very speedily evaporate. we may lay down the following principle, viz., whenever devotedness passes beyond divinely appointed bounds it is suspicious. if it comes not up to these bounds it is defective; if it flows without them it is erratic. i quite admit that there are extraordinary operations and ways of the spirit of god, in which he asserts his own sovereignty, and rises above ordinary bounds; but, in such cases, the evidence of divine activity will be sufficiently strong to carry home conviction to every spiritual mind; nor will they, in the slightest degree, interfere with the truth of the principle that true devotedness will ever be founded upon and governed by divine principle. to sacrifice a son might seem to be an act of most extraordinary devotedness; but, be it remembered, that what gave that act all its value, in god's sight, was the simple fact of its being based upon god's command. then, we have another thing connected with true devotedness, and that is a spirit of worship. "i and the lad will go yonder and _worship_." the really devoted servant will keep his eye, not on his service, be it ever so great, but on the master, and this will produce a spirit of worship. if i love my master, according to the flesh, i shall not mind whether i am cleaning his shoes or driving his carriage; but if i am thinking more of myself than of him, i shall rather be a coachman than a shoeblack. so it is precisely in the service of the heavenly master: if i am thinking only of him, planting churches and making tents will be both alike to me. we may see the same thine in angelic ministry. it matters not to an angel whether he be sent to destroy an army, or to protect the person of some heir of salvation. it is the master who entirely fills his vision. as some one has remarked, "if two angels were sent from heaven, one to rule an empire, and the other to sweep the streets, they would not dispute about their respective work." this is most true, and so should it be with us. the servant should ever be combined with the worshipper, and the works of our hands perfumed with the ardent breathings of our spirits. in other words we should go forth to our work in the spirit of those memorable words, "i and the lad will go yonder and worship." this would effectually preserve us from that merely mechanical service into which we are so prone to drop,--doing things for doing's sake, and being more occupied with our work than with our master. all must flow from simple faith in god, and obedience to his word. "by faith abraham, when he was tried, offered up isaac; and he that had received the promises, offered up his only-begotten." (heb. xi. 17.) it is only as we are walking by faith that we can begin, continue, and end our works in god. abraham not merely set out to offer his son, but he went on, and reached the spot which god had appointed. "and abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife: and they went both of them together." and further on we read, "and abraham built an altar there; and laid the wood in order; and bound isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. and abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son." this was real work, "a work of faith and labor of love," in the highest sense. it was no mere mockery--no drawing near with the lips, while the heart was far off--no saying, "i go, sir, and went not." it was all deep reality, just such as faith ever delights to produce, and which god delights to accept. it is easy to make a show of devotedness when there is no demand for it. it is easy to say, "though all shall be offended because of thee, yet will i never be offended ... though i should die with thee, yet will i not deny thee;" but the point is to stand the trial. when peter was put to the test, he entirely broke down. faith never talks of what it will do, but does what it can in the strength of the lord. nothing can be more thoroughly worthless than a spirit of empty pretension. it is just as worthless as the basis on which it rests. but faith acts "when it is tried;" and till then it is content to be unseen and silent. now, it needs hardly to be remarked that god is glorified in those holy activities of faith. he is the immediate object of them, as he is the spring from whence they emanate. there was not a scene in abraham's entire history in which god was so much glorified as the scene on mount moriah. there it was that he was enabled to bear testimony to the fact that he had found all his fresh springs in god,--found them not merely previous to, but after, isaac's birth. this is a most touching point. it is one thing to rest in god's blessings, and another thing to rest in himself. it is one thing to trust god when i have before my eyes the channel through which the blessing is to flow; and quite another thing to trust him when that channel is entirely stopped up. this was what proved the excellency of abraham's faith. he showed that he could not merely trust god for an innumerable seed while isaac stood before him in health and vigor; but just as fully if he were a smoking victim on the altar. this was a high order of confidence in god; it was unalloyed confidence; it was not a confidence propped up in part by the creator and in part by the creature. no; it rested on one solid pedestal, viz., god himself. "he accounted that god was able." he never accounted that isaac was able. isaac without god was nothing; god without isaac was every thing. this is a principle of the very last importance, and one eminently calculated to test the heart most keenly. does it make any difference to me to see the apparent channel of all my blessings dried up? am i dwelling sufficiently near the fountain-head to be able, with a worshipping spirit, to behold all the creature streams dried up? this i do feel to be a searching question. have i such a simple view of god's sufficiency as to be able as it were to "stretch forth my hand and take the knife to slay my son." abraham was enabled to do this, because his eye rested on the god of resurrection. "he accounted that god was able to raise him up even from the dead." in a word, it was with god he had to do, and that was quite enough. he was not suffered to strike the blow. he had gone to the very utmost bounds; he had come up to the line beyond which god could not suffer him to go. the blessed one spared the father's heart the pang which he did not spare his own heart, even that of smiting his son. he, blessed be his name, passed beyond the utmost bounds, for "he spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all." "it pleased the lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief." there was no voice from heaven when, on calvary, the father offered up his only-begotten son. no, it was a perfectly accomplished sacrifice; and in its accomplishment our everlasting peace is sealed. however, abraham's devotedness was fully proved and fully accepted. "for now i know that thou fearest god, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me." mark, it is "_now_ i know." it had never been proved before. it was there, no doubt; and, if there, god knew it; but the valuable point here is, that god founds his knowledge of it upon the palpable evidence afforded at the altar upon mount moriah. faith is always proved by action, and the fear of god by the fruits which flow from it. "was not abraham our father justified by works when he had offered isaac his son on the altar?" (james ii. 21.) who could think of calling his faith in question? take away faith, and abraham appears on moriah as a murderer and a madman. take faith into account, and he appears as a devoted worshipper,--a god-fearing, justified man. but faith must be proved. "what doth it profit, my brethren, though a man _say_ he hath faith, and have not works?" (james ii. 14.) will either god or man be satisfied with a powerless and profitless profession? surely not. god looks for reality, and honors it where he sees it; and as for man, he can understand naught save the living and intelligible utterance of a faith that shows itself in acts. we are surrounded by the profession of religion; the phraseology of faith is on every lip; but faith itself is as rare a gem as ever,--that faith which will enable a man to push out from the shore of present circumstances, and meet the waves and the winds, and not only meet them, but endure them, even though the master should seem to be asleep on the pillow. and here i would remark the beautiful harmony between st. james and st. paul on the subject of justification. the intelligent and spiritual reader, who bows to the important truth of the plenary inspiration of holy scripture, knows full well that on this question it is not with paul or james we have to do, but with the holy ghost, who graciously used each of those honored men as the pen to write his thoughts, just as i might take up a quill-pen or a steel-pen to write my thoughts, in which case it would be quite preposterous to speak of a discrepancy between the two pens, inasmuch as the writer is one. hence it is just as impossible that two divinely-inspired penmen could clash, as that two heavenly bodies, while moving in their divinely-appointed orbits, could come into collision. but, in reality, as might be expected, there is the fullest and most perfect harmony between those two apostles; indeed, on the subject of justification, the one is the counterpart or exponent of the other. st paul gives us the inward principle, st. james the outward development of that principle; the former presents the hidden life, the latter the manifested life; the former looks at man in relation to god, the latter looks at him in his relation to man. now we want both: the inward would not do without the outward; and the outward would be valueless and powerless without the inward. "abraham was justified" when "he believed god;" and "abraham was justified" when "he offered isaac his son." in the former case we have his secret standing; in the latter, his public acknowledgment by heaven and earth. it is well to understand this distinction. there was no voice from heaven when "abraham believed god," though in god's view he was there, then, and thus "counted righteous;" but "when he had offered his son upon the altar," god could say, "now i know;" and all the world had a powerful and unanswerable proof of the fact that abraham was a justified man. thus will it ever be. where there is the inward principle, there will be the outward acting; but all the value of the latter springs from its connection with the former. disconnect, for one moment, abraham's acting, as set forth by st. james, from abraham's faith, as set forth by st. paul, and what justifying virtue did it possess? none whatever. all its value, all its efficacy, all its virtue, springs from the fact that it was the outward manifestation of that faith, by virtue of which he had been already counted righteous before god. thus much as to the admirable harmony between st. paul and st. james: or rather as to the unity of the voice of the holy ghost, whether that voice be uttered by st. paul or st. james. we now return to our chapter. it is deeply interesting to mark here how abraham's soul is led into a fresh discovery of god's character by the trial of his faith. when we are enabled to bear the testings of god's own hand, it is sure to lead us into some new experience with respect to his character, which makes us to know how valuable the testing is. if abraham had not stretched out his hand to slay his son, he never would have known the rich and exquisite depths of that title which he here bestows upon god, viz., "jehovah jireh." it is only when we are really put to the test that we discover what god is. without trial we can be but theorists, and god would not have us such: he would have us entering into the living depths that are in himself,--the divine realities of personal communion with him. with what different feelings and convictions must abraham have retraced his steps from moriah to beersheba! from the mount of the lord to the well of the oath! what very different thoughts of god! what different thoughts of isaac! what different thoughts of every thing! truly we may say, "happy is the man that endureth trial." it is an honor put upon one by the lord himself, and the deep blessedness of the experience to which it leads cannot easily be estimated. it is when men are brought, to use the language of the 107th psalm, "to their wits' end," that they discover what god is. oh, for grace to endure trial, that god's workmanship may appear, and his name be glorified in us! there is one point, which, before closing my remarks on this chapter, i shall notice, and that is, the gracious way in which god gives abraham credit for having done the act which he had showed himself so fully prepared to do. "by myself have i sworn, saith the lord; for because _thou hast done this thing_, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing i will bless thee, and in multiplying i will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of _his enemies_; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: because thou hast obeyed my voice." this beautifully corresponds with the spirit's notice of abraham's acting, as put before us in heb. xi. and also in james ii., in both of which scriptures he is looked upon as having offered isaac his son upon the altar. the grand principle conveyed in the whole matter is this: abraham proved that he was prepared to have the scene entirely cleared of _all_ but god; and, moreover, it was this same principle which both _constituted_ and _proved_ him a justified man. faith can do without every one and every thing but god. it has the full sense of his sufficiency, and can, therefore, let go all beside. hence abraham could rightly estimate the words, "_by myself_ have i sworn." yes, this wondrous word, "myself," was every thing to the man of faith. "for when god made promise to abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself.... for men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. wherein god, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath." the word and oath of the living god should put an end to all the strivings and workings of the human will, and form the immovable anchor of the soul amid all the tossing and tumult of this stormy world. now, we must condemn ourselves constantly, because of the little power which the promise of god has in our hearts. there it is, and we profess to believe it; but ah! it is not that deep, abiding, influential reality which it ought ever to be; we do not draw from it that "strong consolation" which it is calculated to afford. how little prepared are we, in the power of faith, in the promise of god, to slay our isaac! we need to cry to god that he would be graciously pleased to endow us with a deeper insight into the blessed reality of a life of faith in himself, that so we may understand better the import of that word of st. john: "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even your faith." we can only overcome the world by faith. unbelief puts us under the power of present things; in other words, it gives the world the victory over us. a soul that has entered by the teaching of the holy ghost into the sense of god's sufficiency, is entirely independent of things here. beloved reader, may we know this, for our peace and joy in god and his glory in us. chapter xxiii. this little section of inspiration furnishes much sweet and profitable instruction to the soul. in it the holy spirit sets before us a beautiful exhibition of the mode in which the man of faith should carry himself toward those that are without. while it is true, divinely true, that faith makes a man independent of the men of the world, it is no less true that faith will ever teach him to walk honestly toward them. we are told to "walk honestly toward them that are without;" (1 thess. iv. 12:) "to provide things honest in the sight of all;" (2 cor. viii. 21:) "to owe no man any thing;" (rom. xiii. 8.) these are weighty precepts,--precepts which, even before their distinct enunciation, were duly observed in all ages by the faithful servants of christ, but which in modern times alas! have not been sufficiently attended to. the 23d of genesis therefore is worthy of special notice. it opens with the death of sarah, and introduces abraham in a new character, viz., that of a mourner. "abraham came to mourn for sarah, and to weep for her." the child of god must meet such things; but he must not meet them as others. the great fact of resurrection comes in to his relief, and imparts a character to his sorrow quite peculiar. (1 thess. iv. 13, 14.) the man of faith can stand at the grave of a brother or sister, in the happy consciousness that it shall not long hold its captive, "for if we believe that jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in jesus will god bring with him." the redemption of the soul secures the redemption of the body; the former we have, the latter we wait for. (rom. viii. 23.) now, i believe that in purchasing machpelah for a burying-place, abraham gave expression to his faith in resurrection. "_he stood up from_ before his dead." faith cannot long keep death in view; it has a higher object, blessed be the "living god" who has given it. resurrection is that which ever fills the vision of faith; and, in the power thereof, it can rise up from before the dead. there is much conveyed in this action of abraham. we want to understand its meaning much more fully, because we are much too prone to be occupied with death and its consequences. death is the boundary of satan's power; but where satan ends, god begins. abraham understood this when he rose up and purchased the cave of machpelah as a sleeping-place for sarah. this was the expression of abraham's thought in reference to the future. he knew that in the ages to come, god's promise about the land of canaan would be fulfilled, and he was able to lay the body of sarah in the tomb, "in sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection." the sons of heth knew nothing about this. the thoughts which were filling the patriarch's soul were entirely foreign to the uncircumcised children of heth. to them it seemed a small matter where he buried his dead; but it was by no means a small matter to him. "i am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you that i may bury my dead out of my sight." it might, and manifestly did, appear strange to them to make so much ado about a grave; but, "beloved, the world knoweth us not, even as it knew him not." the finest traits and characteristics of faith are those which are most incomprehensible to the natural man. the canaanites had no idea of the expectations which were giving character to abraham's actings on this occasion. they had no idea that he was looking forward to the possession of the land, while he was merely looking for a spot in which, as a dead man, he might wait for god's time, and god's manner, viz., the morning of resurrection. he felt _he_ had no controversy with the children of heth, and hence he was quite prepared to lay his head in the grave, and allow god to act for him, and with him, and by him. "these all died in (or according to) faith, ([greek: kata pistin]) not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (heb. xi. 13.) this is a truly exquisite feature in the divine life. those "witnesses," of whom the apostle is speaking in heb. xi. not merely lived by faith, but even when they arrived at the close of their career, they proved that the promises of god were as real and satisfying to their souls as when they first started. now, i believe this purchase of a burying-place in the land was an exhibition of the power of faith, not only to live, but to die. why was abraham so particular about this purchase? why was he so anxious to make good his claim to the field and cave of ephron on righteous principles? why so determined to weigh out the full price "current with the merchant?" faith is the answer. he did it all by faith. he knew the land was his in prospect, and that in resurrection-glory his seed should yet possess it, and until then he would be no debtor to those who were yet to be dispossessed. thus we may view this beautiful chapter in a twofold light; first, as setting before us a plain, practical principle, as to our dealings with the men of this world; and secondly, as presenting the blessed hope which should ever animate the man of faith. putting both these points together, we have an example of what the child of god should ever be. the hope set before us in the gospel is a glorious immortality; and this, while it lifts the heart above every influence of nature and the world, furnishes a high and holy principle with which to govern all our intercourse with those who are without. "we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." this is our hope. what is the moral effect of this? "every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 john iii. 2, 3.) if i am to be like christ by-and-by, i shall seek to be as like him now as i can. hence, the christian should ever seek to walk in purity, integrity, and moral grace, in the view of all around. thus it was with abraham, in reference to the sons of heth. his whole deportment and conduct, as set forth in our chapter, would seem to have been marked with very pure elevation and disinterestedness. he was "a mighty prince among them," and they would fain have done him a favor; but abraham had learnt to take his favors only from the god of resurrection, and while he would pay _them_ for machpelah, he would look to _him_ for canaan. the sons of heth knew well the value of "current money with the merchant," and abraham knew the value of the cave of machpelah. it was worth much more to him than it was to them. "the land was worth" to them "four hundred shekels of silver," but to him it was priceless, as the earnest of an everlasting inheritance, which, because it was an everlasting inheritance, could only be possessed in the power of resurrection. faith conducts the soul onward into god's future; it looks at things as he looks at them, and estimates them according to the judgment of the sanctuary. therefore, in the intelligence of faith, abraham stood up from before his dead, and purchased a burying-place, which significantly set forth his hope of resurrection, and of an inheritance founded thereon. chapter xxiv. the connection of this chapter with the two which precede it is worthy of notice. in chapter xxii. the son is offered up; in chap. xxiii. sarah is laid aside; and in chapter xxiv. the servant is sent forth to procure a bride for him who had been, as it were, received from the dead in a figure. this connection, in a very striking manner, coincides with the order of events connected with the calling out of the church. whether this coincidence is to be regarded as of divine origin will, it may be, raise a question in the minds of some; but it must at least be regarded as not a little remarkable. when we turn to the new testament, the grand events which meet our view are, first, the rejection and death of christ; secondly, the setting aside of israel after the flesh; and, lastly, the calling out of the church to occupy the high position of the bride of the lamb. now all this exactly corresponds with the contents of this and the two preceding chapters. the death of christ needed to be an accomplished fact ere the church, properly so called, could be called out. "the middle wall of partition" needed to be broken down, ere the "_one new man_" could be developed. it is well to understand this in order that we may know the place which the church occupies in the ways of god. so long as the jewish economy subsisted there was the most strict separation maintained between jew and gentile, and hence the idea of both being united in one new man was far removed from the mind of a jew. he was led to view himself in a position of entire superiority to that of a gentile, and to view the latter as utterly unclean, to whom it was unlawful to come in. (acts x. 28.) if israel had walked with god according to the truth of the relationship into which he had graciously brought them, they would have continued in their peculiar place of separation and superiority; but this they did not do; and, therefore, when they had filled up the measure of their iniquity, by crucifying the lord of life and glory, and rejecting the testimony of the holy ghost, we find st. paul is raised up to be the minister of a new thing, which was held back in the counsels of god, while the testimony to israel was going on. "for this cause i, paul, the prisoner of jesus christ for you gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of god, which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery ... which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, _as it is now_ revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets (i. e., new-testament prophets, [greek: tois hagiois apostolois autou kai prophãªtais]) by the spirit; that the gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in christ by the gospel." (eph. iii. 1-6.) this is conclusive. the mystery of the church, composed of jew and gentile, baptized by one spirit into one body, united to the glorious head in the heavens, had never been revealed until paul's day. of this mystery the apostle goes on to say, "_i_ was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of god, given unto me, by the effectual working of his power." (ver. 7.) the apostles and prophets of the new testament formed, as it were, the first layer of this glorious building. (see eph. ii. 20.) this being so, it follows as a consequence that the building could not have been begun before. if the building had been going on from the days of abel downwards, the apostle would then have said, "the foundation of the old-testament saints." but he has not said so, and therefore we conclude that, whatever be the position assigned to the old-testament saints, they cannot possibly belong to a body which had no existence, save in the purpose of god, until the death and resurrection of christ, and the consequent descent of the holy ghost. saved they were, blessed be god: saved by the blood of christ, and destined to enjoy heavenly glory with the church; but they could not have formed a part of that which did not exist for hundreds of years after their time. it were easy to enter upon a more elaborate demonstration of this most important truth, were this the place for so doing; but i shall now go on with our chapter, having merely touched upon a question of commanding interest, because of its being suggested by the position of the 24th of genesis. there may be a question in some minds as to whether we are to view this deeply-interesting portion of scripture as _a type_ of the calling out of the church by the holy ghost. for myself, i feel happier in merely handling it as _an illustration_ of that glorious work. we cannot suppose that the spirit of god would occupy an unusually long chapter with the mere detail of a family compact, were that compact not typical or illustrative of some great truth. "whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning." this is emphatic. what, therefore, are we to learn from the chapter before us? i believe it furnishes us with a beautiful illustration or foreshadowing of the great mystery of the church. it is important to see that, while there is no direct revelation of this mystery in the old testament, there are, nevertheless, scenes and circumstances which, in a very remarkable manner, shadow it forth; as, for example, the chapter before us. as has been remarked, the son being, in a figure, offered up, and received again from the dead; the original parent stem, as it were, being laid aside, the messenger is sent forth by the father to procure a bride for the son. now, in order to the clear and full understanding of the contents of the entire chapter, we may consider the following points, viz., 1, _the oath_; 2, _the testimony_; 3, _the result_. it is beautiful to observe that the call and exaltation of rebekah were founded upon the oath between abraham and his servant. she knew nothing of this, though she was, in the purpose of god, so entirely the subject of it all. so it is exactly with the church of god as a whole and each constituent part. "in thy book were all my members written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there were none of them." (ps. cxxxix. 16.) "blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in christ; according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." (eph. i. 3, 4.) "for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." (rom. viii. 29, 30.) these scriptures are all in beautiful harmony with the point immediately before us. the call, the justification, and the glory of the church, are all founded on the eternal purpose of god,--his word and oath, ratified by the death, resurrection, and exaltation of the son. far back, beyond the bounds of time, in the deep recesses of god's eternal mind, lay this wondrous purpose respecting the church, which cannot, by any means, be separated from the divine thought respecting the glory of the son. the oath between abraham and the servant had for its object the provision of a partner for the son. it was the father's desire with respect to the son that all led to rebekah's after-dignity. it is happy to see this. happy to see how the church's security and blessing stand inseparably connected with christ and his glory. "for the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man." (1 cor. xi. 8, 9.) so it is in the beautiful parable of the marriage-supper; "the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son." (matt. xxii. 2.) the son is the grand object of all the thoughts and counsels of god: and if any are brought into blessing, or glory, or dignity, it can only be in connection with him. all title to these things, and even to life itself, was forfeited by sin; but christ met all the penalty due to sin; he made himself responsible for every thing on behalf of his body the church; he was nailed to the cross as her representative; he bore her sins in his own body on the tree, and went down into the grave under the full weight of them. hence, nothing can be more complete than the church's deliverance from all that was against her. she is quickened out of the grave of christ, where all her trespasses were laid. the life which she has is a life taken up at the other side of death, after every possible demand had been met. hence, this life is connected with, and founded upon, divine righteousness, inasmuch as christ's title to life is founded upon his having entirely exhausted the power of death; and he is the church's life. thus the church enjoys divine life; she stands in divine righteousness; and the hope that animates her is the hope of righteousness. (see, amongst many other scriptures, john iii. 16, 36; v. 39, 40; vi. 27, 40, 47, 68; xi. 25; xvii. 2; rom. v. 21; vi. 23; 1 tim. i. 16; 1 john ii. 25; v. 20; jude 21; eph. ii. 1-6, 14, 15; col. i. 12-22; ii. 10-15; rom. i. 17; iii. 21-26; iv. 5, 23-25; 2 cor. v. 21; gal. v. 5.) these scriptures most fully establish the three points, viz., the life, the righteousness, and the hope of the church, all of which flow from her being one with him who was raised from the dead. now, nothing can be so calculated to assure the heart as the conviction that the church's existence is essential to the glory of christ. "the woman is the glory of the man." (1 cor. xi. 7.) and again, the church is called "the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (eph. i. 23.) this last is a remarkable expression. the word translated "fulness" means the complement, that which, being added to something else, makes up a whole. thus it is that christ the head, and the church the body, make up the "one new man." (eph. ii. 15.) looking at the matter in this point of view, it is no marvel that the church should have been the object of god's eternal counsels. when we view her as the body, the bride, the companion, the counterpart, of his only-begotten son, we feel that there was, through grace, wondrous reason for her being so thought of before the foundation of the world. rebekah was necessary to isaac, and therefore she was the subject of secret counsel while yet in profound ignorance about her high destiny. all abraham's thought was about isaac. "i will make thee swear by the lord, the god of heaven, and the god of the earth, that thou shalt not take _a wife unto my son_ of the daughters of the canaanites, among whom i dwell." here we see that the all-important point was, "a wife unto my son." "it is not good that the man should be alone." this opens up a very deep and blessed view of the church. in the counsels of god she is necessary to christ; and in the accomplished work of christ, divine provision has been made for her being called into existence. while occupied with such a character of truth as this, it is no longer a question as to whether god can save poor sinners; he actually wants to "make a marriage for his son," and the church is the destined bride,--she is the object of the father's purpose, the object of the son's love, and of the testimony of the holy ghost. she is to be the sharer of all the son's dignity and glory, as she is the sharer of all that love of which he has been the everlasting object. hear his own words: "and the glory which thou gavest me, i have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: i in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me." (john xvii. 22, 23.) this settles the whole question. the words just quoted give us the thoughts of christ's heart in reference to the church. she is to be as he is, and not only so, but she is so even now, as st. john tells us, "herein is love perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, _so are we_ in this world." (1 john iv. 17.) this gives full confidence to the soul. "we are in him that, is true, in his son jesus christ. this is the true god and eternal life." (1 john v. 20.) there is here no ground for uncertainty. every thing is secured for the bride in the bridegroom. all that belonged to isaac became rebekah's because isaac was hers; and so all that belongs to christ is made available to the church. "all things are yours; whether paul, or apollos, or cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are christ's, and christ is god's." (1 cor. iii. 21-23.) christ is "head over all things to the church." (eph. i. 22.) it will be his joy throughout eternity to exhibit the church in all the glory and beauty with which he has endowed her, for her glory and beauty will be but the reflection of his. angels and principalities shall behold in the church the marvellous display of the wisdom, power, and grace of god in christ. but we shall now look at the second point for consideration, viz., _the testimony_. abraham's servant carried with him a very distinct testimony. "and he said, i am abraham's servant. and the lord hath blessed my master greatly, and he is become great; and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and men servants, and maid servants, and camels, and asses. and sarah, my master's wife, bare a son to my master when she was old; and unto him hath he given all that he hath." (ver. 34-36.) he reveals the father and the son. such was his testimony. he speaks of the vast resources of the father, and of the son's being endowed with all these in virtue of his being "the only-begotten," and the object of the father's love. with this testimony he seeks to obtain a bride for the son. all this, i need hardly remark, is strikingly illustrative of the testimony with which the holy ghost was sent from heaven upon the day of pentecost. "when the comforter is come, whom i will send unto you from the father, even the spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the father, he shall testify of me." (john xv. 26.) again, "howbeit when he the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come. he shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and show it unto you. _all things that the father hath are mine_: therefore said i, that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you." (john xvi. 13-15.) the coincidence of these words with the testimony of abraham's servant is instructive and interesting. it was by telling of isaac that he sought to attract the heart of rebekah; and it is, as we know, by telling of jesus, that the holy ghost seeks to draw poor sinners away from a world of sin and folly into the blessed and holy unity of the body of christ. "he shall take of mine and show it unto you." the spirit of god will never lead any one to look at himself or his work; but only and always at christ. hence, the more really spiritual any one is, the more entirely will he be occupied with christ. some there are who regard it as a great mark of spirituality to be ever looking in at their own hearts, and dwelling upon what they find there, even though that be the work of the spirit. this is a great mistake. so far from its being a proof of spirituality, it is a proof of the very reverse, for it is expressly declared of the holy ghost that "he shall not speak of himself;" but that, on the contrary, "he shall take of mine and show it unto you." therefore, whenever one is looking inward, and building on the evidences of the spirit's work there, he may be assured he is not led by the spirit of god in so doing. it is by holding up christ that the spirit draws souls to god. this is very important. the knowledge of christ is life eternal; and it is the father's revelation of christ by the holy ghost that constitutes the basis of the church. when peter confessed christ to be the son of the living god, christ's answer was, "blessed art thou, simon bar-jonah; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven. and i say unto thee, that thou art peter; and upon this rock _i will build_ my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (matt. xvi. 17, 18.) what rock? peter? god forbid. "this rock" [greek: taut㪠t㪠petra] simply means the father's revelation of christ as the son of the living god, which is the only means by which any one is introduced into the assembly of christ. now this opens to us very much the true character of the gospel. it is pre-eminently and emphatically a revelation,--a revelation not merely of a doctrine, but of a person,--the person of the son. this revelation being received by faith, draws the heart to christ, and becomes the spring of life and power,--the ground of membership,--the power of fellowship. "when it pleased god ... to _reveal his son_ in me," &c. here we have the true principle of "the rock," viz., god revealing his son. it is thus the superstructure is reared up; and on this solid foundation it reposes, according to god's eternal purpose. it is therefore peculiarly instructive to find in this 24th of genesis such a marked and beautiful illustration of the mission and special testimony of the holy ghost. abraham's servant, in seeking to procure a bride for isaac, sets forth all the dignity and wealth with which he had been endowed by the father; the love of which he was the object; and, in short, all that was calculated to affect the heart and draw it off from present things. he showed rebekah an object in the distance, and set before her the blessedness and reality of being made one with that beloved and highly-favored object. all that belonged to isaac would belong to rebekah too, when she became part of him. such was his testimony. such also is the testimony of the holy ghost he speaks of christ, the glory of christ, "the beauty of christ, the fulness of christ, the grace of christ, the unsearchable riches of christ," the dignity of his person and the perfectness of his work. moreover, he sets forth the amazing blessedness of being one with such a christ, "members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." such is the spirit's testimony always; and herein we have an excellent touchstone by which to try all sorts of teaching and preaching. the most spiritual teaching will ever be characterized by a full and constant presentation of christ. he will ever form the burden of such teaching. the spirit cannot dwell on aught but jesus. of him he delights to speak. he delights in setting forth his attractions and excellencies. hence, when a man is ministering by the power of the spirit of god, there will always be more of christ than any thing else in his ministry. there will be little room in such ministry for human logic and reasoning. such things may do very well where a man desires to set forth himself; but the spirit's sole object,--be it well remembered by all who minister,--will ever be to set forth christ. let us now look, in the last place, at _the result_ of all this. truth, and the practical application of truth, are two very different things. it is one thing to speak of the peculiar glories of the church, and quite another thing to be practically influenced by those glories. in rebekah's case, the effect was most marked and decisive. the testimony of abraham's servant sank down into her ears, and into her heart, and entirely detached her heart's affections from the scene of things around her. she was ready to leave all and follow after, in order that she might apprehend that for which she had been apprehended. it was morally impossible that she could believe herself to be the subject of such high destinies, and yet continue amid the circumstances of nature. if the report concerning the future were true, attachment to the present was the worst of folly. if the hope of being isaac's bride, joint-heir with him of all his dignity and glory,--if this were a reality, then to continue to tend laban's sheep would be practically to despise all that god had in grace set before her. but, no: the prospect was far too bright to be thus lightly given up. true, she had not yet seen isaac, nor yet the inheritance; but she had believed the report, the testimony of _him_, and had received, as it were, the earnest of _it_, and these were enough for her heart; and hence she unhesitatingly arises and expresses her readiness to depart in the memorable words, "_i will go_." she was fully prepared to enter upon an unknown path in companionship with one who had told her of an object far away, and of a glory connected with him, to which she was about to be raised. "i will go," said she, and "forgetting the things which were behind, and reaching forth toward the things which were before, she pressed toward the mark for the prize of her high calling." most touching and beautiful illustration this of the church, under the conduct of the holy ghost, going onward to meet her heavenly bridegroom. this is what the church should be; but, alas! there is sad failure here. there is little of that holy alacrity in laying aside every weight and every entanglement, in the power of communion with the holy guide and companion of our way, whose office and delight it is to take of the things of jesus, and show them unto us; just as abraham's servant took of the things of isaac, and showed them to rebekah; and no doubt, too, he found his joy in pouring fresh testimonies concerning the son into her ear, as they moved onward toward the consummation of all her joy and glory. thus it is, at least with our heavenly guide and companion. he delights to tell of jesus, "he shall take of mine and show it unto you;" and again, "he shall show you things to come." now, this is what we really want,--this ministry of the spirit of god, unfolding christ to our souls, producing earnest longing to see him as he is, and be made like him forever. naught but this will ever detach our hearts from earth and nature. what, save the hope of being associated with isaac, would ever have led rebekah to say, "i will go," when her "brother and her mother said, let the damsel abide with us a few days, at least ten." and so with us: nothing but the hope of seeing jesus as he is, and being like him, will ever enable or lead us to purify ourselves, even as he is pure. chapter xxv. in the opening of this chapter, abraham's second marriage is set before us,--an event not without its interest to the spiritual mind, when viewed in connection with what we have been considering in the preceding chapter. with the light furnished by the prophetic scriptures of the new testament, we understand that after the completion and taking-up of the elect bride of christ, the seed of abraham will again come into notice. thus, after the marriage of isaac, the holy ghost takes up the history of abraham's seed by a new marriage, together with other points in his history, and that of his seed according to the flesh. i do not press any special interpretation of all this: i merely say that it is not without its interest. we have already referred to the remark of some one on the book of genesis, namely, that it is "full of the seeds of things;" and as we pass along its comprehensive pages, we shall find them teeming with all the fundamental principles of truth, which are more elaborately wrought out in the new testament. true, in genesis these principles are set forth illustratively, and in the new testament didactically; still, the illustration is deeply interesting, and eminently calculated to bring home the truth with power to the soul. at the close of this chapter we are presented with some principles of a very solemn and practical nature. jacob's character and actings will hereafter, if the lord will, come more fully before us; but i would just notice, ere passing on, the conduct of esau in reference to the birthright, and all which it involved. the natural heart places no value on the things of god. to it god's promise is a vague, valueless, powerless thing, simply because god is not known. hence it is that present things carry such weight and influence in man's estimation. any thing that man can _see_ he values, because he is governed by sight, and not by faith. to him the present is every thing: the future is a mere uninfluential thing,--a matter of the merest uncertainty. thus it was with esau. hear his fallacious reasoning: "behold, i am at the point to die; and what profit shall this birthright do to me?" what strange reasoning! _the present_ is slipping from beneath my feet: i will therefore despise and entirely let go the _future_! time is fading from my view, i will therefore abandon all interest in eternity! "thus esau despised his birthright." thus israel despised the pleasant land; (ps. cvi. 24); thus they despised christ. (zech. xi. 13.) thus those who were bidden to the marriage despised the invitation. (matt. xxii. 5.) man has no heart for the things of god. the present is every thing to him. a mess of pottage is better than a title to canaan. hence, the very reason why esau made light of the birthright was the reason why he ought to have grasped it with the greater intensity. the more clearly i see the vanity of man's present, the more i shall cleave to god's future. thus it is in the judgment of faith. "seeing then that _all these things shall be dissolved_, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness; looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of god, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? nevertheless we, _according to his promise_, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 pet. iii. 11-13.) these are the thoughts of god, and therefore the thoughts of faith. the things that are seen shall be dissolved. what, then, are we to despise the unseen? by no means. the present is rapidly passing away. what is our resource? "looking for, and hasting unto, the coming of the day of god." this is the judgment of the renewed mind; and any other judgment is only that of "a profane person, as esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." (heb. xii. 16.) the lord keep us judging of things as he judges. this can only be done by faith. chapter xxvi. the opening verse of this chapter connects itself with chap. xii. "there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of abraham." the trials which meet god's people in their course are very much alike; and they ever tend to make manifest how far the heart has found its _all_ in god. it is a difficult matter--a rare attainment--so to walk in sweet communion with god as to be rendered thereby entirely independent of things and people here. the egypts and the gerars which lie on our right hand and on our left present great temptations, either to turn aside out of the right way, or to stop short of our true position as servants of the true and living god. "and isaac went unto abimelech, king of the philistines, unto gerar." there is a manifest difference between egypt and gerar. egypt is the expression of the world in its natural resources, and its independence of god. "my river is mine own," is the language of an egyptian who knew not jehovah, and thought not of looking to him for aught. egypt was, locally, farther removed from canaan than gerar; and, morally, it expresses a condition of soul farther from god. gerar is thus referred to in chap. x.: "and the border of the canaanites was from sidon, as thou comest to gerar, unto gaza: as thou goest unto sodom, and gomorrah, and admah, and zeboim, even unto lasha." (ver. 19.) we are informed that "from gerar to jerusalem was three days' journey." it was, therefore, as compared with egypt, an advanced position; but still it lay within the range of very dangerous influences. abraham got into trouble there, and so does isaac, in this chapter, and that, too, in the very same way. abraham denied his wife, and so does isaac. this is peculiarly solemn. to see both the father and the son fall into the same evil, in the same place, tells us plainly that the influence of that place was not good. had isaac not gone to abimelech, king of gerar, he would have no necessity for denying his wife; but the slightest divergence from the true line of conduct superinduces spiritual weakness. it was when peter stood and warmed himself at the high-priest's fire that he denied his master. now, it is manifest that isaac was not really happy in gerar. true, the lord says unto him, "sojourn in this land;" but how often does the lord give directions to his people morally suitable to the condition he knows them to be in, and calculated also to arouse them to a true sense of that condition? he directed moses, in num. xiii. to send men to search the land of canaan; but had they not been in a low moral condition such a step would not have been necessary. we know well that faith does not need "_to spy out_" when god's promise lies before us. again, he directed moses to choose out seventy elders to help him in the work; but had moses fully entered into the dignity and blessedness of his position, he would not have needed such a direction. so, in reference to the setting up of a king, in 1 sam. viii. they ought not to have needed a king. hence, we must always take into consideration the condition of an individual or a people to whom a direction is given before we can form any correct judgment as to the direction. but again it may be said, if isaac's position in gerar was wrong, how do we read, "then isaac sowed in that land, and received the same year an hundred-fold: and the lord blessed him." (ver. 12.) i reply, we can never judge that a person's condition is right because of prosperous circumstances. we have had already to remark that there is a great difference between the lord's presence and his blessing. many have the latter without the former; and, moreover, the heart is prone to mistake the one for the other,--prone to put the blessing for the presence; or at least to argue that the one must ever accompany the other. this is a great mistake. how many do we see surrounded by god's blessings, who neither have, nor wish for, god's presence? it is important to see this. a man may "wax great, and go forward, and grow until he becomes very great, and have possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants," and all the while not have the full, unhindered joy of the lord's presence with him. flocks and herds are not the lord. they are things on account of which the philistines might envy isaac, whereas they never would have envied him on account of the lord's presence. he might have been enjoying the sweetest and richest communion with god, and the philistines have thought nothing whatever about it, simply because they had no heart to understand or appreciate such a reality. flocks, herds, servants, and wells of water they could appreciate; but the divine presence they could not appreciate. however, isaac at length makes his way from amongst the philistines, and gets up to beersheba. "and _the lord appeared unto him_ the same night, and said, i am the god of abraham thy father; fear not, for _i am with thee_, and will bless thee" (ver. 24.) mark, it was not the lord's blessing merely, but the lord himself. and why? because isaac had left the philistines, with all their envy, and strife, and contention behind, and gone up to beersheba. here the lord could show himself to his servant. the blessings of his liberal hand might follow him during his sojourn in gerar; but his presence could not there be enjoyed. to enjoy god's presence we must be where he is, and he certainly is not to be found amid the strife and contention of an ungodly world; and hence, the sooner the child of god gets away from all such, the better. so isaac found it. he had no rest in his own spirit; and he assuredly did not in any wise serve the philistines by his sojourn amongst them. it is a very common error to imagine that we serve the men of this world by mixing ourselves up with them in their associations and ways. the true way to serve them is to stand apart from them in the power of communion with god, and thus show them the pattern of a more excellent way. mark the progress in isaac's soul, and the moral effect of his course. "he went up from thence," "the lord appeared unto him," "he builded an altar," "he called upon the name of the lord," "he pitched his tent," "his servants digged a well." here we have most blessed progress. the moment he took a step in the right direction, he went from strength to strength. he entered into the joy of god's presence,--tasted the sweets of true worship, and exhibited the character of a stranger and pilgrim, and found peaceful refreshment, an undisputed well, which the philistines could not stop because they were not there. these were blessed results in reference to isaac himself; and now observe the effect produced upon others. "then abimelech went to him from gerar, and ahuzzath, one of his friends, and phicol the chief captain of his army. and isaac said unto them, wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? and they said, we saw certainly that the lord was with thee: and we said, let there now be an oath betwixt us," &c. the true way to act on the hearts and consciences of the men of the world is to stand in decided separation from them, while dealing in perfect grace toward them. so long as isaac continued in gerar, there was nothing but strife and contention. he was reaping sorrow for himself, and producing no effect whatever upon those around him. on the contrary, the moment he went away from them, their hearts were touched, and they followed him, and desired a covenant. this is very instructive. the principle unfolded here may be seen constantly exemplified in the history of the children of god. the first point with the heart should ever be to see that in our position we are _right with god_, and not only right in position, but in the moral condition of the soul. when we are right with god, we may expect to act salutarily upon men. the moment isaac got up to beersheba, and took his place as a worshipper, his own soul was refreshed, and he was used of god to act upon others. so long as we continue in a low position, we are robbing ourselves of blessing, and failing totally in our testimony and service. nor should we, when in a wrong position, stop to inquire, as we so often do, "where can i find any thing better?" god's order is, "cease to do evil;" and when we have acted upon that holy precept, we are furnished with another, namely, "learn to do well." if we expect to "learn" how "to do well," before we "cease to do evil," we are entirely mistaken. "awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from among the dead." ([greek: ek tã´n nekrã´n].) and what then? "christ shall give thee light." (eph. v. 14.) my beloved reader, if you are doing what you know to be wrong, or if you are identified in any way with what you own to be contrary to scripture, hearken to the word of the lord, "cease to do evil." and be assured, when you have yielded obedience to this word, you will not long be left in ignorance as to your path. it is sheer unbelief that leads us to say, "i cannot cease to do evil until i find something better." the lord grant us a single eye and a docile spirit. chapters xxvii.-xxxv. these chapters present to us the history of jacob,--at least the principal scenes in that history. the spirit of god here sets before us the deepest instruction, first, as to god's purpose of infinite grace; and, secondly, as to the utter worthlessness and depravity of human nature. there is a passage in chap. xxv. which i purposely passed over, in order to take it up here, so that we might have the truth in reference to jacob fully before us. "and isaac entreated the lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the lord was entreated of him, and rebekah his wife conceived. and the children struggled together within her: and she said, if it be so, why am i thus? and she went to inquire of the lord. and the lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger." this is referred to in malachi, where we read, "i have loved you, saith the lord; yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us? was not esau jacob's brother? saith the lord: yet i have loved jacob and hated esau." this is again referred to in rom. ix.: "for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of god according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, jacob have i loved, but esau have i hated." thus we have very distinctly before us, god's eternal purpose according to _the election of grace_. there is much involved in this expression. it banishes all human pretension from the scene, and asserts god's right to act as he will. this is of the very last importance. the creature can enjoy no real blessedness until he is brought to bow his head to sovereign grace. it becomes him so to do, inasmuch as he is a sinner, and as such utterly without claim to act or dictate. the great value of finding oneself on this ground is, that it is then no longer a question of what we deserve to get, but simply of what god is pleased to give. the prodigal might talk of being a servant, but he really did not deserve the place of a servant, if it were to be made a question of desert; and therefore he had only to take what the father was pleased to give,--and that was the very highest place, even the place of fellowship with himself. thus it must ever be. "grace all the work shall crown through everlasting days." happy for us that it is so. as we go on, day by day, making fresh discoveries of ourselves, we need to have beneath our feet the solid foundation of god's grace: nothing else could possibly sustain us in our growing self-knowledge. the ruin is hopeless, and therefore the grace must be infinite: and infinite it is, having its source in god himself, its channel in christ, and the power of application and enjoyment in the holy ghost. the trinity is brought out in connection with the grace that saves a poor sinner. "grace reigns through righteousness, unto eternal life, by jesus christ our lord." it is only in redemption that this reign of grace could be seen. we may see in creation the reign of wisdom and power; we may see in providence the reign of goodness and long-suffering; but only in redemption do we see the reign of grace, and that, too, on the principle of righteousness. now, we have in the person of jacob a most striking exhibition of the power of divine grace; and for this reason, that we have in him a striking exhibition of the power of human nature. in him we see nature in all its obliquity, and therefore we see grace in all its moral beauty and power. from the facts of his remarkable history, it would seem that, before his birth, at his birth, and after his birth, the extraordinary energy of nature was seen. before his birth, we read, "the children struggled together within her." at his birth, we read, "his hand took hold on esau's heel." and, after his birth,--yea, to the turning-point of his history, in chap. xxxii., without any exception,--his course exhibits nothing but the most unamiable traits of nature; but all this only serves, like a dark back-ground, to throw into relief the grace of him who condescends to call himself by the peculiarly touching name, "the god of jacob,"--a name most sweetly expressive of free grace. let us now examine the chapters consecutively. chap. xxvii. exhibits a most humbling picture of sensuality, deceit, and cunning; and when one thinks of such things in connection with the people of god, it is sad and painful to the very last degree. yet how true and faithful is the holy ghost! he must tell all out. he cannot give us a partial picture. if he gives us a history of man, he must describe man as he is, and not as he is not. so, if he unfolds to us the character and ways of god, he gives us god as he is. and this, we need hardly remark, is exactly what we need. we need the revelation of one perfect in holiness, yet perfect in grace and mercy, who could come down into all the depth of man's need, his misery and his degradation, and deal with him there, and raise him up out of it into full, unhindered fellowship with himself in all the reality of what he is. this is what scripture gives us. god knew what we needed, and he has given it to us, blessed be his name! and be it remembered that in setting before us in faithful love all the traits of a man's character, it is simply with a view to magnify the riches of divine grace and to admonish our souls. it is not by any means in order to perpetuate the memory of sins forever blotted out from his sight. the blots, the failures, and the errors of abraham, isaac, and jacob, have been perfectly washed away, and they have taken their place amid "the spirits of just men made perfect;" but their history remains on the page of inspiration for the display of god's grace, and for the warning of god's people in all ages; and, moreover, that we may distinctly see that the blessed god has not been dealing with perfect men and women, but with those of "like passions as we are;" that he has been walking and bearing with the same failures, the same infirmities, the same errors, as those over which we mourn every day. this is peculiarly comforting to the heart; and it may well stand in striking contrast with the way in which the great majority of human biographies are written, in which, for the most part, we find not the history of men, but of beings devoid of error and infirmity. such histories have rather the effect of discouraging than of edifying those who read them. they are rather histories of what men ought to be, than of what they really are, and they are therefore useless to us,--yea, not only useless, but mischievous. nothing can edify save the presentation of god dealing with man as he really is; and this is what the word gives us. the chapter before us illustrates this very fully. here we find the aged patriarch isaac, standing as it were at the very portal of eternity, the earth and nature fast fading away from his view, yet occupied about "savory meat," and about to act in direct opposition to the divine counsel, by blessing the elder instead of the younger. truly this was nature, and nature with its "eyes dim." if esau had sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, isaac was about to give away the blessing for a mess of venison. how very humiliating! but god's purpose must stand, and he will do all his pleasure. faith knows this; and, in the power of that knowledge, can wait for god's time. this nature never can do, but must set about gaining its own ends by its own inventions. these are the two grand points brought out in jacob's history,--god's purpose of grace on the one hand; and, on the other, nature plotting and scheming to reach what that purpose would have infallibly brought about without any plot or scheme at all. this simplifies jacob's history amazingly, and not only simplifies it, but heightens the soul's interest in it also. there is nothing, perhaps, in which we are so lamentably deficient, as in the grace of patient, self-renouncing dependence upon god. nature will be working in some shape or form, and thus, so far as in it lies, hindering the outshining of divine grace and power. god did not need the aid of such elements as rebekah's cunning and jacob's gross deceit, in order to accomplish his purpose. he had said, "the elder shall serve the younger." this was enough,--enough for faith, but not enough for nature, which must ever adopt its own ways, and know nothing of what it is to wait on god. now, nothing can be more truly blessed than the position of hanging in child-like dependence upon god, and being entirely content to wait for his time. true it will involve trial; but the renewed mind learns some of its deepest lessons, and enjoys some of its sweetest experiences, while waiting on the lord; and the more pressing the temptation to take ourselves out of his hands, the richer will be the blessing of leaving ourselves there. it is so exceedingly sweet to find ourselves wholly dependent upon one who finds infinite joy in blessing us. it is only those who have tasted in any little measure the reality of this wondrous position that can at all appreciate it. the only one who ever occupied it perfectly and uninterruptedly was the lord jesus himself. he was over dependent upon god, and utterly rejected every proposal of the enemy to be any thing else. his language was, "in thee do i put my trust;" and again, "i was cast upon thee from the womb." hence, when tempted by the devil to make an effort to satisfy his hunger, his reply was, "it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god." when tempted to cast himself from the pinnacle of the temple, his reply was, "it is written again, thou shalt not tempt the lord thy god." when tempted to take the kingdoms of the world from the hand of another than god, and by doing homage to another than him, his reply was, "it is written, thou shalt worship the lord thy god, and him only shalt thou serve." in a word, nothing could allure the perfect man from the place of absolute dependence upon god. true, it was god's purpose to sustain his son; it was his purpose that he should suddenly come to his temple; it was his purpose to give him the kingdoms of this world; but this was the very reason why the lord jesus would simply and uninterruptedly wait on god for the accomplishment of his purpose, in his own time and in his own way. he did not set about accomplishing his own ends. he left himself thoroughly at god's disposal. he would only eat when god gave him bread; he would only enter the temple when sent of god; he will ascend the throne when god appoints the time. "sit thou at my right hand, _until i make_ thine enemies thy footstool." (ps. cx.) this profound subjection of the son to the father is admirable beyond expression. though entirely equal with god, he took, as man, the place of dependence, rejoicing always in the will of the father; giving thanks even when things seemed to be against him; doing always the things which pleased the father; making it his grand and unvarying object to glorify the father; and finally, when all was accomplished, when he had perfectly finished the work which the father had given, he breathed his spirit into the father's hand, and his flesh rested in hope of the promised glory and exaltation. well, therefore, may the inspired apostle say, "let this mind be in you, which was also in christ jesus; who, being in the form of god, thought it not robbery to be equal with god; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. wherefore god also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that jesus christ is lord, to the glory of god the father." (phil. ii. 5-11.) how little jacob knew, in the opening of his history, of this blessed mind! how little was he prepared to wait for god's time and god's way! he much preferred jacob's time and jacob's way. he thought it much better to arrive at the blessing and the inheritance by all sorts of cunning and deception, than by simple dependence upon and subjection to god, whose electing grace had promised, and whose almighty power and wisdom would assuredly accomplish all for him. but oh! how well one knows the opposition of the human heart to all this! any attitude for it save that of patient waiting upon god. it is almost enough to drive nature to distraction to find itself bereft of all resource but god. this tells us in language not to be misunderstood the true character of human nature. in order to know what nature is, i need not travel into those scenes of vice and crime which justly shock all refined moral sense. no: all that is needful is just to try it for a moment in the place of dependence, and see how it will carry itself there. it really knows nothing of god, and therefore cannot trust him; and herein lies the secret of all its misery and moral degradation. it is totally ignorant of the true god, and can therefore be naught else but a ruined and worthless thing. the knowledge of god is the source of life,--yea, is itself life; and until a man has life, what is he, or what can he be? now, in rebekah and jacob, we see nature taking advantage of nature in isaac and esau. it was really this. there was no waiting upon god whatever. isaac's eyes were dim: he could therefore be imposed upon, and they set about doing so, instead of looking to god, who would have entirely frustrated isaac's purpose to bless the one whom god would not bless,--a purpose founded in nature, and most unlovely nature, for "isaac loved esau," not because he was the first-born, but "because he did eat of his venison." how humiliating! but we are sure to bring unmixed sorrow upon ourselves when we take ourselves, our circumstances, or our destinies, out of the hands of god.[17] thus it was with jacob, as we shall see in the sequel. it has been observed by another, that "whoever observes jacob's life, after he had surreptitiously obtained his father's blessing, will perceive that he enjoyed very little worldly felicity. his brother purposed to murder him, to avoid which he was forced to flee from his father's house; his uncle laban deceived him, as he had deceived his father, and treated him with great rigor; after a servitude of twenty-one years, he was obliged to leave him in a clandestine manner, and not without danger of being brought back or murdered by his enraged brother; no sooner were these fears over, than he experienced the baseness of his son reuben, in defiling his bed; he had next to bewail the treachery and cruelty of simeon and levi towards the shechemites; then he had to feel the loss of his beloved wife; he was next imposed upon by his own sons, and had to lament the supposed untimely end of joseph; and, to complete all, lie was forced by famine to go into egypt, and there died in a strange land. so just, wonderful, and instructive are all the ways of providence." this is a true picture, so far as jacob was concerned; but it only gives us one side, and that the gloomy side. blessed be god, there is a bright side likewise; for god had to do with jacob; and in every scene of his life, when jacob was called to reap the fruits of his own plotting and crookedness, the god of jacob brought good out of evil, and caused his grace to abound over all the sin and folly of his poor servant. this we shall see as we proceed with his history. i shall just offer a remark here upon isaac, rebekah, and esau. it is very interesting to observe how, notwithstanding the exhibition of nature's excessive weakness, in the opening of this 27th chapter, isaac maintains by faith the dignity which god had conferred upon him. he blesses with all the consciousness of being endowed with power to bless. he says, "i have blessed him; yea, and he shall be blessed.... behold, i have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have i given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have i sustained him; and what shall i do now unto thee, my son?" he speaks as one who by faith, had at his disposal all the treasures of earth. there is no false humility, no taking a low ground by reason of the manifestation of nature. true, he was on the eve of making a grievous mistake,--even of moving right athwart the counsel of god; still he knew god, and took his place accordingly, dispensing blessings in all the dignity and power of faith. "i have blessed him; yea, and he shall be blessed." "with corn and wine have i sustained him." it is the proper province of faith to rise above all one's own failure, and the consequences thereof, into the place where god's grace has set us. as to rebekah, she was called to feel all the sad results of her cunning actings. she no doubt imagined she was managing matters most skilfully; but alas! she never saw jacob again: so much for management! how different would it have been had she left the matter entirely in the hands of god. this is the way in which faith manages, and it is ever a gainer. "which of you, by taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit?" we gain nothing by our anxiety and planning; we only shut out god, and that is no gain. it is a just judgment from the hand of god to be left to reap the fruits of our own devices; and i know of few things more sad than to see a child of god so entirely forgetting his proper place and privilege, as to take the management of his affairs into his own hands. the birds of the air and the lilies of the field may well be our teachers when we so far forget our position of unqualified dependence upon god. then, again, as to esau, the apostle calls him "a profane person, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright," and "afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of change of mind, though he sought it carefully with tears." thus we learn what a profane person is, viz. one who would like to hold both worlds; one who would like to enjoy the present, without forfeiting his title to the future. this is by no means an uncommon case. it expresses to us the mere worldly professor, whose conscience has never felt the action of divine truth, and whose heart has never felt the influence of divine grace. footnotes: [17] we should ever remember, in a place of trial, that what we want is not a change of circumstances, but victory over self. chapter xxviii. we are now called to trace jacob in his movement from under his father's roof, to view him as a homeless and lonely wanderer on the earth. it is here that god's special dealings with him commence. jacob now begins to realize, in some measure, the bitter fruit of his conduct, in reference to esau; while, at the same time, god is seen rising above all the weakness and folly of his servant, and displaying his own sovereign grace and profound wisdom in his dealings with him. god will accomplish his own purpose, no matter by what instrumentality; but if his child, in impatience of spirit, and unbelief of heart, will take himself out of his hands, he must expect much sorrowful exercise and painful discipline. thus it was with jacob: he might not have had to flee to haran, had he allowed god to act for him. god would, assuredly, have dealt with esau, and caused him to find his destined place and portion; and jacob might have enjoyed that sweet peace which nothing can yield save entire subjection in all things to the hand and counsel of god. but here is where the excessive feebleness of our hearts is constantly disclosed. we do not lie passive in god's hand; we will be acting; and, by our acting, we hinder the display of god's grace and power on our behalf. "_be still_ and know that i am god," is a precept which naught, save the power of divine grace, can enable one to obey. "let your moderation be known unto all men. the lord is at hand. ([greek: engys]) be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto god." what will be the result of thus acting? "the peace of god, which passeth all understanding, shall garrison ([greek: phrourãªsei]) your hearts and minds by christ jesus." (phil. iv. 5-7.) however, god graciously overrules our folly and weakness, and while we are called upon to reap the fruits of our unbelieving and impatient ways, he takes occasion from them to teach our hearts still deeper lessons of his own tender grace and perfect wisdom. this, while it, assuredly, affords no warrant whatever for unbelief and impatience, does most wonderfully exhibit the goodness of our god, and comfort the heart even while we may be passing through the painful circumstances consequent upon our failure. god is above all; and, moreover, it is his special prerogative to bring good out of evil; to make the eater yield meat, and the strong yield sweetness; and hence, while it is quite true that jacob was compelled to be an exile from his father's roof in consequence of his own restless and deceitful acting, it is equally true that he never could have learnt the meaning of "bethel" had he been quietly at home. thus the two sides of the picture are strongly marked in every scene of jacob's history. it was when he was driven, by his own folly, from isaac's house, that he was led to taste, in some measure, the blessedness and solemnity of "god's house." "and jacob went out from beersheba, and went toward haran. and he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep." here we find the homeless wanderer just in the very position in which god could meet him, and in which he could unfold his purposes of grace and glory. nothing could possibly be more expressive of helplessness and nothingness than jacob's condition as here set before us. beneath the open canopy of heaven, with a pillow of stone, in the helpless condition of sleep. thus it was that the god of bethel unfolded to jacob his purposes respecting him and his seed. "and he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of god ascending and descending on it. and behold the lord stood above it, and said, i am the lord god of abraham thy father, and the god of isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will i give it, and to thy seed. and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. and, behold, i am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for i will not leave thee, until i have done that which i have spoken to thee of." here we have, indeed, "grace and glory." the ladder "set _on the earth_" naturally leads the heart to meditate on the display of god's grace, in the person and work of his son. on the earth it was that the wondrous work was accomplished which forms the basis, the strong and everlasting basis, of all the divine counsels in reference to israel, the church, and the world at large. on the earth it was that jesus lived, labored, and died; that through his death he might remove out of the way every obstacle to the accomplishment of the divine purpose of blessing to man. but "the top of the ladder reached to heaven." it formed the medium of communication between heaven and earth; and "behold the angels of god ascending and descending upon it,"--striking and beautiful picture of him by whom god has come down into all the depth of man's need, and by whom also he has brought man up and set him in his own presence forever, in the power of divine righteousness! god has made provision for the accomplishment of all his plans, despite of man's folly and sin; and it is for the everlasting joy of any soul to find itself, by the teaching of the holy ghost, within the limits of god's gracious purpose. the prophet hosea leads us on to the time when that which was foreshadowed by jacob's ladder shall have its full accomplishment. "and in that day i will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and i will break the bow, and the sword, and the battle, out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. and i will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, i will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies; i will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness; and thou shalt know the lord. and it shall come to pass in that day, i will hear, saith the lord, i will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear jezreel. and i will sow her unto me in the earth; and i will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and i will say to them which were not my people, thou art my people; and they shall say, thou art my god." (hosea ii. 18-23.) there is also an expression in the first chapter of john, bearing upon jacob's remarkable vision; it is christ's word to nathanael, "verily, verily, i say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of god ascending and descending upon the son of man." (ver. 51.) now, this vision of jacob's is a very blessed disclosure of divine grace to israel. we have been led to see something of jacob's real character, something, too, of his real condition; both were evidently such as to show that it should either be divine grace for him, or nothing. by birth he had no claim; nor yet by character. esau might put forward some claim on both these grounds; i. e., provided god's prerogative were set aside; but jacob had no claim whatsoever; and hence, while esau could only stand upon the exclusion of god's prerogative, jacob could only stand upon the introduction and establishment thereof. jacob was such a sinner, and so utterly divested of all claim, both by birth and by practice, that he had nothing whatever to rest upon save god's purpose of pure, free, and sovereign grace. hence, in the revelation which the lord makes to his chosen servant, in the passage just quoted, it is a simple record or prediction of what he himself would yet do. "_i_ am.... _i_ will give.... _i_ will keep.... _i_ will bring.... _i_ will not leave thee until _i_ have done that which _i_ have spoken to thee of." it was all himself. there is no condition whatever. no _if_ or _but_; for when _grace_ acts there can be no such thing. where there is an _if_, it cannot possibly be grace. not that god cannot put man into a position of responsibility in which he must needs address him with an "if." we know he can; but jacob asleep on a pillow of stone was not in a position of responsibility, but of the deepest helplessness and need; and therefore he was in a position to receive a revelation of the fullest, richest, and most unconditional grace. now, we cannot but own the blessedness of being in such a condition that we have nothing to rest upon save god himself; and, moreover, that it is in the most perfect establishment of god's own character and prerogative that we obtain all our true joy and blessing. according to this principle, it would be an irreparable loss to us to have any ground of our own to stand upon, for in that case god should address us on the ground of responsibility, and failure would then be inevitable. jacob was so bad, that none but god himself could do for him. and, be it remarked, that it was his failure in the habitual recognition of this that led him into so much sorrow and pressure. god's revelation of himself is one thing, and our resting in that revelation is quite another. god shows himself to jacob, in infinite grace; but no sooner does jacob awake out of sleep, than we find him developing his true character, and proving how little he knew, practically, of the blessed one who had just been revealing himself so marvellously to him. "he was afraid, and said, how dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of god, and this is the gate of heaven." his heart was not at home in the presence of god; nor can any heart be so until it has been thoroughly emptied and broken. god is at home, blessed be his name, with a broken heart, and a broken heart at home with him. but jacob's heart was not yet in this condition; nor had he yet learnt to repose, like a little child, in the perfect love of one who could say, "jacob have i loved." "perfect love casteth out fear;" but where such love is not known and fully realized, there will always be a measure of uneasiness and perturbation. god's house and god's presence are not dreadful to a soul who knows the love of god as expressed in the perfect sacrifice of christ. such a soul is rather led to say, "lord, i have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth." (ps. xxvi. 8.) and again, "one thing have i desired of the lord, that will i seek after; that i may dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the lord, and to inquire in his temple." (ps. xxvii. 4.) and again, "how amiable are thy tabernacles, o lord of hosts! my soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the lord." (ps. lxxxiv.) when the heart is established in the knowledge of god, it will assuredly love his house, whatever the character of that house may be, whether it be bethel, or the temple at jerusalem, or the church now composed of all true believers, "builded together for an habitation of god through the spirit." however, jacob's knowledge, both of god and his house, was very shallow, at that point in his history on which we are now dwelling. we shall have occasion, again, to refer to some principles connected with bethel; and shall now close our meditations upon this chapter with a brief notice of jacob's bargain with god, so truly characteristic of him, and so demonstrative of the truth of the statement with respect to the shallowness of his knowledge of the divine character. "and jacob vowed a vow, saying, if god will be with me, and will keep me in this way that i go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that i come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the lord be my god; and this stone, which i have set for a pillar, shall be god's house: and of all that thou shalt give me, i will surely give the tenth unto thee." observe, "_if_ god will be with me." now, the lord had just said, emphatically, "i _am_ with thee, and _will keep thee in all places_ whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land," &c. and yet poor jacob's heart cannot get beyond an "_if_;" nor, in its thoughts of god's goodness, can it rise higher than "bread to eat, and raiment to put on." such were the thoughts of one who had just seen the magnificent vision of the ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with the lord standing above, and promising an innumerable seed and an everlasting possession. jacob was evidently unable to enter into the reality and fulness of god's thoughts. he measured god by himself, and thus utterly failed to apprehend him. in short, jacob had not yet really got to the end of himself; and hence he had not really begun with god. chapters xxix.-xxxi. "then jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east." as we have just seen, in chap. xxviii., jacob utterly fails in the apprehension of god's real character, and meets all the rich grace of bethel with an "if," and a miserable bargain about food and raiment. we now follow him into a scene of thorough bargain-making. "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." there is no possibility of escaping from this. jacob had not yet found his true level in the presence of god; and therefore god uses circumstances to chasten and break him down. this is the real secret of much, very much, of our sorrow and trial in the world. our hearts have never been really broken before the lord; we have never been self-judged and self-emptied; and hence, again and again, we, as it were, knock our heads against the wall. no one can really enjoy god until he has got to the bottom of self, and for this plain reason, that god has begun the display of himself at the very point at which the end of flesh is seen. if, therefore, i have not reached the end of my flesh, in the deep and positive experience of my soul, it is morally impossible that i can have any thing like a just apprehension of god's character. but i must, in some way or other, be conducted to the true measure of nature. to accomplish this end, the lord makes use of various agencies which, no matter what they are, are only effectual when used by him for the purpose of disclosing, in our view, the true character of all that is in our hearts. how often do we find, as in jacob's case, that even although the lord may come near to us and speak in our ears, yet we do not understand his voice or take our true place in his presence. "the lord is in this place, and i knew it not.... how dreadful is this place!" jacob learnt nothing by all this, and it therefore needed twenty years of terrible schooling, and that, too, in a school marvellously adapted to his flesh; and even that, as we shall see, was not sufficient to break him down. however, it is remarkable to see how he gets back into an atmosphere so entirely suited to his moral constitution. the bargain-making jacob meets with the bargain-making laban, and they are both seen as it were, straining every nerve to outwit each other. nor can we wonder at laban, for he had never been at bethel: he had seen no open heaven with a ladder reaching from thence to earth; he had heard no magnificent promises from the lips of jehovah, securing to him all the land of canaan, with a countless seed: no marvel, therefore, that he should exhibit a grasping, grovelling spirit; he had no other resource. it is useless to expect from worldly men aught but a worldly spirit and worldly principles and ways; they have gotten naught superior; and you cannot bring a clean thing out of an unclean. but to find jacob, after all he had seen and heard at bethel, struggling with a man of the world, and endeavoring by such means to accumulate property, is peculiarly humbling. and yet, alas! it is no uncommon thing to find the children of god thus forgetting their high destinies and heavenly inheritance, and descending into the arena with the children of this world, to struggle there for the riches and honors of a perishing, sin-stricken earth. indeed, to such an extent is this true, in many instances, that it is often hard to trace a single evidence of that principle which st. john tells us "overcometh the world." looking at jacob and laban, and judging of them upon natural principles, it would be hard to trace any difference. one should get behind the scenes, and enter into god's thoughts about both, in order to see how widely they differed. but it was god that had made them to differ, not jacob; and so it is now. difficult as it may be to trace any difference between the children of light and the children of darkness, there is nevertheless a very wide difference indeed,--a difference founded on the solemn fact that the former are "the vessels of mercy, which god has afore prepared unto glory," while the latter are "the vessels of wrath, fitted (not by god, but by sin) to destruction."[18] (rom. ix. 22, 23.) this makes a very serious difference. the jacobs and the labans differ materially, and have differed, and will differ forever, though the former may so sadly fail in the realization and practical exhibition of their true character and dignity. now, in jacob's case, as set forth in the three chapters now before us, all his toiling and working, like his wretched bargain before, is the result of his ignorance of god's grace, and his inability to put implicit confidence in god's promise. the man that could say, after a most unqualified promise from god to give him the whole land of canaan, "if god will give me food to eat and raiment to put on," could have had but a very faint apprehension of who god was, or what his promise was either; and because of this, we see him seeking to do the best he can for himself. this is always the way when grace is not understood: the principles of grace may be professed, but the real measure of our experience of the power of grace is quite another thing. one would have imagined that jacob's vision had told him a tale of grace; but god's revelation at bethel, and jacob's actings at haran, are two very different things; yet the latter tell out what was jacob's sense of the former. character and conduct prove the real measure of the soul's experience and conviction, whatever the profession may be. but jacob had never yet been brought to measure himself in god's presence, and therefore he was ignorant of grace, and he proved his ignorance by measuring himself with laban, and adopting his maxims and ways. one cannot help remarking the fact that inasmuch as jacob failed to learn and judge the inherent character of his flesh before god, therefore he was in the providence of god led into the very sphere in which that character was fully exhibited in its broadest lines. he was conducted to haran, the country of laban and rebekah, the very school from whence those principles, in which he was such a remarkable adept, had emanated, and where they were taught, exhibited, and maintained. if one wanted to learn what god was, he should go to bethel; if to learn what man was, he should go to haran. but jacob had failed to take in god's revelation of himself at bethel, and he therefore went to haran, and there showed what he was,--and oh, what scrambling and scraping! what shuffling and shifting! there is no holy and elevated confidence in god, no simply looking to and waiting on him. true, god was with jacob,--for nothing can hinder the outshinings of divine grace. moreover, jacob in a measure owns god's presence and faithfulness. still nothing can be done without a scheme and a plan. jacob cannot allow god to settle the question as to his wives and his wages, but seeks to settle all by his own cunning and management. in short, it is "the supplanter" throughout. let the reader turn, for example, to chap. xxx. 37-42, and say where he can find a more masterly piece of cunning. it is verily a perfect picture of jacob. in place of allowing god to multiply "the ringstraked, speckled, and spotted cattle," as he most assuredly would have done, had he been trusted, he sets about securing their multiplication by a piece of policy which could only have found its origin in the mind of a jacob. so in all his actings, during his twenty years' sojourn with laban; and finally, he most characteristically "steals away," thus maintaining in every thing his consistency with himself. now, it is in tracing out jacob's real character from stage to stage of his extraordinary history, that one gets a wondrous view of divine grace. none but god could have borne with such an one, as none but god would have taken such an one up. grace begins at the very lowest point. it takes up man as he is, and deals with him in the full intelligence of what he is. it is of the very last importance to understand this feature of grace at one's first starting; it enables us to bear with steadiness of heart the after discoveries of personal vileness which so frequently shake the confidence and disturb the peace of the children of god. many there are who at first fail in the full apprehension of the utter ruin of nature as looked at in god's presence, though their hearts have been attracted by the grace of god, and their consciences tranquillized in some degree by the application of the blood of christ. hence, as they get on in their course, they begin to make deeper discoveries of the evil within; and, being deficient in their apprehensions of god's grace and the extent and efficacy of the sacrifice of christ, they immediately raise a question as to their being children of god at all. thus they are taken off christ and thrown on themselves, and then they either betake themselves to ordinances in order to keep up their tone of devotion, or else fall back into thorough worldliness and carnality. these are disastrous consequences, and all the result of not having "the heart established in grace." it is this that renders the study of jacob's history so profoundly interesting and eminently useful. no one can read the three chapters now before us and not be struck at the amazing grace that could take up such an one as jacob; and not only take him up, but say, after the full discovery of all that was in him, "he hath not beheld iniquity in jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in israel." (numb. xxiii. 21.) he does not say that iniquity and perverseness were not in him. this would never give the heart confidence,--the very thing above all others which god desires to give. it could never assure a poor sinner's heart to be told that there was _no sin in_ him; for alas! he knows too well there is; but to be told there is no sin _on_ him, and that, moreover, in god's sight, on the simple ground of christ's perfect sacrifice, must infallibly set his heart and conscience at rest. had god taken up esau, we should not have had by any means such a blessed display of grace; for this reason, that he does not appear before us in the unamiable light in which we see jacob. the more man sinks, the more god's grace rises. as my debt rises in my estimation from the fifty pence up to the five hundred, so my sense of grace rises also, my experience of that love which, when we "had _nothing_ to pay," could "frankly forgive" us all. (luke vii. 42.) well might the apostle say, "it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace: not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein." (heb. xiii. 9.) footnotes: [18] it is deeply interesting to the spiritual mind to mark how sedulously the spirit of god, in rom. ix. and indeed throughout all scripture, guards against the horrid inference which the human mind draws from the doctrine of god's election. when he speaks of "vessels of wrath," he simply says, "fitted to destruction." he does not say that god "fitted" them. whereas, on the other hand, when he refers to "the vessels of mercy" he says, "whom _he_ had afore prepared unto glory." this is most marked. if my reader will turn for a moment to matt. xxv. 34-41, he will find another striking and beautiful instance of the same thing. when the king addresses those on his right hand, he says, "come, ye _blessed of my father_, inherit the kingdom _prepared for you_ from the foundation of the world." (verse 34.) but when he addresses those on his left, he says, "depart from me, ye cursed." he does not say, "cursed of my father." and, further, he says, "into everlasting fire, prepared," not for _you_, but "for the devil and his angels." (verse 41.) in a word, then, it is plain that god has "prepared" a kingdom of glory, and "vessels of mercy" to inherit that kingdom; but he has not prepared "everlasting fire" for men, but for the "devil and his angels;" nor has he fitted the "vessels of wrath," but they have fitted themselves. the word of god as clearly establishes "_election_" as it sedulously guards against "_reprobation_." every one who finds himself in heaven will have to thank god for it; and every one that finds himself in hell will have to thank himself. chapter xxxii. "and jacob went on his way, and the angels of god met him." still god's grace follows him, notwithstanding all. "nothing changeth god's affection." whom he loves, and how he loves, he loves to the end. his love is like himself, "the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." but how little effect "god's host" had upon jacob may be seen by his actings as here set before us. "and jacob sent messengers before him to esau his brother, unto the land of seir, the country of edom." he evidently feels uneasy in reference to esau, and not without reason. he had treated him badly, and his conscience was not at ease; but instead of casting himself unreservedly upon god, he betakes himself to his usual planning again, in order to avert esau's wrath. he tries to _manage_ esau, instead of leaning on god. "and he commanded them, saying, thus shall ye speak unto _my lord_ esau; _thy servant_ jacob saith thus, i have sojourned with laban, and stayed there until now." all this bespeaks a soul very much off its centre in god. "my lord," and "thy servant," is not like the language of a brother, or of one in the conscious dignity of the presence of god; but it was the language of jacob, and of jacob, too, with a bad conscience. "and the messengers returned to jacob, saying, we came to thy brother esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. then jacob was greatly afraid and distressed." but what does he first do? does he at once cast himself upon god? no; he begins to manage. "he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; and said, if esau come to the one company and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape." jacob's first thought was always _a plan_; and in this we have a true picture of the poor human heart. true, he turns to god after he makes his plan, and cries to him for deliverance; but no sooner does he cease praying than he resumes the planning. now, praying and planning will never do together. if i plan, i am leaning more or less on my plan; but when i pray, i should lean exclusively upon god. hence, the two things are perfectly incompatible; they virtually destroy each other. when my eye is filled with my own management of things, i am not prepared to see god acting for me; and in that case prayer is not the utterance of my need, but the mere superstitious performance of something which i think ought to be done, or it may be asking god to sanctify my plans. this will never do. it is not asking god to sanctify and bless my means, but it is asking him to do it all himself.[19] though jacob asked god to deliver him from his brother esau, he evidently was not satisfied with that, and therefore he tried to "appease him with a present." thus his confidence was in the "present," and not entirely in god. "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." it is often hard to detect what is the real ground of the heart's confidence. we imagine, or would fain persuade ourselves, that we are leaning upon god, when we are in reality leaning upon some scheme of our own devising. who, after hearkening to jacob's prayer, wherein he says, "deliver me, i pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of esau; for i fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children," could imagine him saying, "i will appease him with a present." had he forgotten his prayer? was he making a god of his present? did he place more confidence in a few cattle than in jehovah, to whom he had just been committing himself? these are questions which naturally arise out of jacob's actings in reference to esau, and we can readily answer them by looking into the glass of our own hearts. there we learn, as well as on the page of jacob's history, how much more apt we are to lean on our own management than on god; but it will not do; we must be brought to see the end of our management, that it is perfect folly, and that the true path of wisdom is to repose in full confidence upon god. nor will it do to make our prayers part of our management. we often feel very well satisfied with ourselves when we add prayer to our arrangement, or when we have used all lawful means and called upon god to bless them. when this is the case, our prayers are worth about as much as our plans, inasmuch as we are leaning upon them instead of upon god. we must be really brought to the end of every thing with which self has aught to do; for until then, god cannot show himself. but we can never get to the end of our plans until we have been brought to the end of ourselves. we must see that "all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field." (isa. xl. 6.) thus it is in this interesting chapter; when jacob had made all his prudent arrangements, we read, "and jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day." this is a turning-point in the history of this very remarkable man. to be left alone with god is the only true way of arriving at a just knowledge of ourselves and our ways. we can never get a true estimate of nature and all its actings, until we have weighed them in the balance of the sanctuary, and there we ascertain their real worth. no matter what we may think about ourselves, nor yet what man may think about us; the great question is, what does god think about us? and the answer to this question can only be heard when we are "left alone." away from the world; away from self; away from all the thoughts, reasonings, imaginations, and emotions of mere nature, and "alone" with god,--thus, and thus alone, can we get a correct judgment about ourselves. "jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him." mark, it was not jacob wrestling with a man; but a man wrestling with jacob; this scene is very commonly referred to as an instance of jacob's power in prayer. that it is not this is evident from the simple wording of the passage. my wrestling with a man, and a man wrestling with me, present two totally different ideas to the mind. in the former case i want to gain some object from him; in the latter, he wants to gain some object from me. now, in jacob's case, the divine object was to bring him to see what a poor, feeble, worthless creature he was, and when jacob so pertinaciously held out against the divine dealing with him, "he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him." the sentence of death must be written on the flesh,--the power of the cross must be entered into before we can steadily and happily walk with god. we have followed jacob so far, amid all the windings and workings of his extraordinary character,--we have seen him planning and managing during his twenty years' sojourn with laban; but not until he "was left alone," did he get a true idea of what a perfectly helpless thing he was in himself. then, the seat of his strength being touched, he learnt to say, "i will not let _thee_ go." "other refuge have i none: clings my helpless soul to thee." this was a new era in the history of the supplanting, planning jacob. up to this point he had held fast by his own ways and means; but now he is brought to say, "i will not let _thee_ go." now, let my reader remark, that jacob did not express himself thus until "the hollow of his thigh was touched." this simple fact is quite sufficient to settle the true interpretation of the whole scene. god was wrestling with jacob to bring him to this point. we have already seen that, as to jacob's power in prayer, he had no sooner uttered a few words to god than he let out the real secret of his soul's dependence, by saying, "i will appease him (esau) with a present." would he have said this if he had really entered into the meaning of prayer, or true dependence upon god? assuredly not. if he had been looking to god alone to appease esau, could he have said, "i will appease him by a present?" impossible: god and the creature must be kept distinct, and will be kept so in every soul that knows much of the sacred reality of a life of faith. but, alas! here is where we fail, if one may speak for another. under the plausible and apparently pious formula of using means, we really cloak the positive infidelity of our poor deceitful hearts; we think we are looking to god to bless our means, while, in reality, we are shutting him out by leaning on the means, instead of leaning on him. oh, may our hearts be taught the evil of thus acting. may we learn to cling more simply to god _alone_, that so our history may be more characterized by that holy elevation above the circumstances through which we are passing! it is not, by any means, an easy matter so to get to the end of the creature, in every shape and form, as to be able to say, "i will not let thee go except thou bless me." to say this from the heart, and to abide in the power of it, is the secret of all true strength. jacob said it when the hollow of his thigh was touched; but not till then. he struggled long ere he gave way, because his confidence in the flesh was strong. but god can bring down to the dust the stoutest character. he knows how to touch the spring of nature's strength, and write the sentence of death thoroughly upon it; and until this is done, there can be no real "power with god or man." we must be "weak" ere we can be "strong." "the power of christ" can only "rest on us" in connection with the knowledge of our infirmities. christ cannot put the seal of his approval upon nature's strength, its wisdom, or its glory: all these must sink that he may rise. nature can never form, in any one way, a pedestal on which to display the grace or power of christ; for if it could, then might flesh glory in his presence; but this, we know, can never be. and, inasmuch as the display of god's glory, and god's name or character, is connected with the entire setting aside of nature, so, until this latter is set aside, the soul can never enjoy the disclosure of the former. hence, though jacob is called to tell out his name, to own that his name is "jacob, or a supplanter," he yet receives no revelation of the name of him who had been wrestling with him, and bringing him down into the dust. he received for himself the name of "israel, or prince," which was a great step in advance; but when he says, "tell me, i pray thee, thy name;" he received the reply, "wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?" the lord refuses to tell his name, though he had elicited from jacob the truth as to himself, and he blesses him accordingly. how often is this the case in the annals of god's family! there is the disclosure of self in all its moral deformity; but we fail to get hold practically of what god is, though he has come so very close to us, and blessed us, too, in connection with the discovery of ourselves. jacob received the new name of israel when the hollow of his thigh had been touched. he became a mighty prince when he had been brought to know himself as a weak man; but still the lord had to say, "wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?" there is no disclosure of the name of him who, nevertheless, had brought out the real name and condition of jacob. from all this we learn that it is one thing to be blessed by the lord, and quite another thing to have the revelation of his character, by the spirit, to our hearts. "he blessed him there;" but he did not tell his name. there is blessing in being brought, in any measure, to know ourselves, for therein we are led into a path, in which we are able, more clearly, to discern what god is to us in detail. thus it was with jacob. when the hollow of his thigh was touched he found himself in a condition in which it was either god or nothing. a poor halting man could do little: it therefore behoved him to cling to one who was almighty. i would remark, ere leaving this chapter, that the book of job is, in a certain sense, a detailed commentary on this scene in jacob's history. throughout the first thirty-one chapters, job grapples with his friends, and maintains his point against all their arguments; but in chapter xxxii. god, by the instrumentality of elihu, begins to wrestle with him; and in chapter xxxviii. he comes down upon him directly with all the majesty of his power, overwhelms him by the display of his greatness and glory, and elicits from him the well-known words, "i have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. wherefore i abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (chap. xlii. 5, 6.) this was really touching the hollow of his thigh. and mark the expression, "mine eye seeth _thee_." he does not say, "i see myself" merely; no; but "thee." nothing but a view of what god is, can really lead to repentance and self-loathing. thus it will be with the people of israel, whose history is very analogous with that of job. when they shall look upon him whom they have pierced, they will mourn, and then there will be full restoration and blessing. their latter end, like job's will be better than their beginning. they will learn the full meaning of that word, "o israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help." (hosea xiii. 9.) footnotes: [19] no doubt, when faith allows god to act, he will use his own agency; but this is a totally different thing from his owning and blessing the plans and arrangements of unbelief and impatience. this distinction is not sufficiently understood. chapters xxxiii. xxxiv. we may here see how groundless were all jacob's fears, and how useless all his plans. notwithstanding the wrestling, the touching the hollow of the thigh, and the halting, we find jacob still planning. "and jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, esau came, and with him four hundred men. and he divided the children unto leah, and unto rachel, and unto the two handmaids. and he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and leah and her children after, and rachel and joseph hindermost." this arrangement proved the continuance of his fears. he still anticipated vengeance from the hand of esau, and he exposed those about whom he cared least to the first stroke of that vengeance. how wondrous are the depths of the human heart! how slow it is to trust god! had jacob been really leaning upon god, he never could have anticipated destruction for himself and his family; but alas! the heart knows something of the difficulty of simply reposing, in calm confidence, upon an ever-present, all-powerful, and infinitely gracious god. but mark now the thorough vanity of the heart's anxiety. "and esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him; and they wept." the present was quite unnecessary,--the plan useless. god "appeased" esau, as he had already appeased laban. thus it is he ever delights to rebuke our poor, coward, unbelieving hearts, and put to flight all our fears. instead of the dreaded sword of esau, jacob meets his embrace and kiss; instead of strife and conflict, they mingle their tears. such are god's ways. who would not trust him? who would not honor him with the heart's fullest confidence? why is it that, notwithstanding all the sweet evidence of his faithfulness to those who put their trust in him, we are so ready, on every fresh occasion, to doubt and hesitate? the answer is simple: we are not sufficiently acquainted with god. "acquaint now thyself with him and be at peace." (job xxii. 21.) this is true, whether in reference to the unconverted sinner, or to the child of god. the true knowledge of god, real acquaintance with him, is life and peace. "this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true god, and jesus christ whom thou hast sent." (john xvii. 3.) the more intimate our acquaintance with god, the more solid will be our peace, and the more will our souls be lifted above every creature dependence. "god is a rock," and we only need to lean our whole weight upon him to know how ready and how able he is to sustain us. after all this manifestation of god's goodness, we find jacob settling down in succoth, and, contrary to the spirit and principles of a pilgrim life, building a house as if it were his home. now, succoth was evidently not his divinely-appointed destination. the lord had not said to him, "i am the god of succoth;" no; but "i am the god of bethel." bethel, therefore, and not succoth, should have been jacob's grand object. but alas! the heart is always prone to rest satisfied with a position and portion short of what god would graciously assign. jacob then moves on to shechem, and purchases ground, still falling short of the divine mark, and the name by which he calls his altar is indicative of the moral condition of his soul. he calls it "el-elohe-israel," or "god, the god of israel." this was taking a very contracted view of god. true, it is our privilege to know god as our god; but it is a higher thing to know him as the god of his own house, and to view ourselves as part of that house. it is the believer's privilege to know christ as _his_ head; but it is a higher thing to know him as the head of his body the church, and to know ourselves as members of that body. we shall see, when we come to chap. xxxv. that jacob is led to take a higher and a wider view of god; but at shechem he was manifestly on low ground, and he was made to smart for it, as is always the case when we stop short of god's own ground. the two tribes and a half took up their position on this side of jordan, and they were the first to fall into the enemy's hand. so it was with jacob. we see, in chap. xxxiv., the bitter fruits of his sojourn at shechem. there is a blot cast upon his family, which simeon and levi attempt to wipe out, in the mere energy and violence of nature, which only led to still deeper sorrow; and that, too, which touched jacob still more keenly than the insult offered to his daughter: "and jacob said to simeon and levi, ye have troubled _me_, to make _me_ to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the canaanites and the perizzites: and _i_ being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against _me_, and slay _me_; and _i_ shall be destroyed, _i_ and my house." thus it was the consequences in reference to himself that affected jacob most. he seems to have walked in constant apprehension of danger to himself or his family, and in the manifestation of an anxious, a cautious, timid, calculating spirit, utterly incompatible with a life of genuine faith in god. it is not that jacob was not, in the main, a man of faith; he assuredly was, and as such gets a place amongst the "cloud of witnesses" in heb. xi. but then he exhibited sad failure from not walking in the habitual exercise of that divine principle. could faith have led him to say, "i shall be destroyed, i and my house?" surely not. god's promise in chapter xxviii. 14, 15, should have banished every fear from his poor timid spirit. "i will keep thee.... i will not leave thee." this should have tranquillized his heart. but the fact is, his mind was more occupied with his danger among the shechemites than with his security in the hand of god. he ought to have known that not a hair of his head could be touched, and therefore, instead of looking at simeon and levi, or the consequences of their rash acting, he should have judged himself for being in such a position at all. if he had not settled at shechem, dinah would not have been dishonored, and the violence of his sons would not have been exhibited. we constantly see christians getting into deep sorrow and trouble through their own unfaithfulness; and then, instead of judging themselves, they begin to look at circumstances, and to cast upon them the blame. how often do we see christian parents, for instance, in keen anguish of soul about the wildness, unsubduedness, and worldliness of their children; and, all the while, they have mainly to blame themselves for not walking faithfully before god in reference to their family. thus was it with jacob. he was on low moral ground at shechem; and, inasmuch as he lacked that refined sensibility which would have led him to detect the low ground, god, in very faithfulness, used his circumstances to chastise him. "god is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." this is a principle flowing out of god's moral government,--a principle, from the application of which none can possibly escape; and it is a positive mercy to the children of god that they are obliged to reap the fruits of their errors. it is a mercy to be taught, in any way, the bitterness of departing from, or stopping short of, the living god. we must learn that this is not our rest; for, blessed be god, he would not give us a polluted rest. he would ever have us resting _in_, and _with_ himself. such is his perfect grace; and when our hearts wander, or fall short, his word is, "if thou wilt return, return _unto me_." false humility, which is simply the fruit of unbelief, would lead the wanderer or backslider to take lower ground, not knowing the principle or measure of god's restoration. the prodigal would seek to be made a servant, not knowing that, so far as he was concerned, he had no more title to the place of a servant than to that of a son; and, moreover, that it would be utterly unworthy of the father's character to put him in such a position. we must come to god on a principle and in a manner worthy of himself, or not at all. chapter xxxv. "and god said unto jacob, arise, go up to bethel and dwell there." this confirms the principle on which we have been dwelling. when there is a failure or declension, the lord calls the soul back to himself. "remember therefore _from whence thou art fallen_; and repent and do _the first works_." (rev. ii. 5.) this is the divine principle of restoration. the soul must be recalled to the very highest point; it must be brought back to the divine standard. the lord does not say, "remember where you are;" no; but "remember the lofty position from whence you have fallen." thus only can one learn how far he has declined, and how he is to retrace his steps. now, it is when thus recalled to god's high and holy standard, that one is really led to see the sad evil of one's fallen condition. what a fearful amount of moral evil had gathered round jacob's family, unjudged by him, until his soul was roused by the call to "go up to bethel." shechem was not the place in which to detect all this evil. the atmosphere of that place was too much impregnated with impure elements to admit of the soul's discerning, with any degree of clearness and precision, the true character of evil. but the moment the call to bethel fell on jacob's ear, "then jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean and change your garments, and let us arise and go up to bethel; and i will make thee an altar unto god, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which i went." the very mention of "the house of god" struck a chord in the soul of the patriarch; it carried him, in the twinkling of an eye, over the history of twenty eventful years. it was at bethel he had learnt what god was, and not at shechem; hence he must get back to bethel again, and erect an altar upon a totally different base, and under a totally different name, from his altar at shechem. this latter was connected with a mass of uncleanness and idolatry. jacob could speak of "el-elohe-israel," while surrounded by a quantity of things utterly incompatible with the holiness of the house of god. it is important to be clear in reference to this point. nothing can keep the soul in a path of consistent, intelligent separation from evil save the sense of what "the house of god" is, and what becomes that house. if i merely look at god, in reference to myself, i shall not have a clear, full, divine sense of all that flows out of a due recognition of god's relation to his house. some there are who deem it a matter of no importance how they are mixed up with impure materials in the worship of god, provided they themselves are true and upright in heart. in other words, they think they can worship god at shechem; and that an altar named "el-elohe-israel" is just as elevated, just as much according to god, as an altar named "el bethel." this is evidently a mistake. the spiritually-minded reader will at once detect the vast moral difference between jacob's condition at shechem and his condition at bethel; and the same difference is observable between the two altars. our ideas in reference to the worship of god must, of necessity, be affected by our spiritual condition; and the worship which we present will be low and contracted, or elevated and comprehensive, just in proportion as we enter into the apprehension of his character and relationship. now, the name of our altar and the character of our worship express the same idea. el-bethel worship is higher than el-elohe-israel worship, for this simple reason, that it conveys a higher idea of god. it gives me a more elevated thought of god to speak of him as the god of his house than as the god of a solitary individual. true, there is beautiful grace expressed in the title, "god, the god of israel;" and the soul must ever feel happy in looking at the character of god, as graciously connecting himself with every separate stone of his house, and every separate member of the body. each stone in the building of god is a "lively stone," as connected with the "living stone," having communion with the "living god," by the power of "the spirit of life." but while all this is blessedly true, god is the god of his house; and when we are enabled, by an enlarged spiritual intelligence, to view him as such, we enjoy a higher character of worship than that which flows from merely apprehending what he is to ourselves individually. but there is another thing to be remarked in jacob's recall to bethel. he is told to make an altar "unto god, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of esau thy brother." he is thus reminded of "the day of his distress." it is often well to have our minds led in this way to the point in our history in which we found ourselves brought down to the lowest step of the ladder. thus saul is brought back to the time when he was "little in his own eyes." this is the true starting-point with all of us. "when thou wast little in thine own eyes," is a point of which we often need to be reminded. it is then that the heart really leans on god. afterwards we begin to fancy ourselves to be something, and the lord is obliged to teach us afresh our own nothingness. when first one enters upon a path of service or testimony, what a sense there is of personal weakness and incapacity! and, as a consequence, what leaning upon god! what earnest, fervent appeals to him for help and strength! afterwards we begin to think that, from being so long at the work, we can get on by ourselves,--at least there is not the same sense of weakness or the same simple dependence upon god; and then our ministry becomes a poor, meagre, flippant, wordy thing, without unction or power,--a thing flowing, not from the exhaustless tide of the spirit, but from our own wretched minds. from ver. 9-15, god renews his promise to jacob, and confirms the new name of "prince," instead of "supplanter;" and jacob again calls the name of the place "bethel." at verse 18 we have an interesting example of the difference between the judgment of faith and the judgment of nature. the latter looks at things through the hazy mist with which it is surrounded; the former looks at them in the light of the presence and counsels of god. "and it came to pass, as her soul was in departing (for she died), that she called his name ben-oni: but his father called him benjamin." nature called him "the son of my sorrow;" but faith called him "the son of the right hand." thus is it ever. the difference between the thoughts of nature and those of faith must ever be wide indeed; and we should earnestly desire that our souls should be governed only by the latter, and not by the former. chapter xxxvi. furnishes a catalogue of esau's sons, with their various titles and localities. we shall not dwell on this, but pass on to one of the most fruitful and interesting sections in the entire canon of inspiration, viz.:-chapters xxxvii-l, on which we shall dwell more particularly. there is not in scripture a more perfect and beautiful type of christ than joseph. whether we view christ as the object of the father's love,--the object of the envy of "his own",--in his humiliation, sufferings, death, exaltation, and glory,--in all, we have him strikingly typified by joseph. in chapter xxxvii. we have joseph's dreams,--the statement of which draws out the enmity of his brethren. he was the object of his father's love, and the subject of very high destinies; and, inasmuch as the hearts of his brethren were not in communion with these things, they hated him. they had no fellowship in the father's love, and they would not yield to the thought of joseph's exaltation. in all this they represent the jews in christ's day. "he came to his own, and his own received him not." he had "no form nor comeliness in their eyes." they would neither own him as the son of god, nor king of israel. their eyes were not open to behold "his glory,--the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth." they would not have him; yea, they hated him. now, in joseph's case, we see that he, in no wise, relaxed his testimony in consequence of his brethren's refusal of his first dream. "and joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren," and they hated him yet the more.... "and he dreamed yet another dream, and he told it to his brethren." this was simple testimony founded upon divine revelation; but it was testimony which brought joseph down to the pit. had he kept back his testimony, or taken off aught of its edge and power, he might have spared himself; but, no: he told them the truth, and therefore they hated him. thus was it with joseph's great antitype. he bore witness to the truth--he witnessed a good confession--he kept back nothing--he could only speak the truth because he was _the_ truth, and his testimony to the truth was answered, on man's part, by the cross, the vinegar, the soldier's spear. the testimony of christ, too, was connected with the deepest, fullest, richest grace. he not only came as "the truth," but also as the perfect expression of all the love of the father's heart; "grace and truth came by jesus christ." he was the full disclosure to man of what god was. hence man was left entirely without excuse. he came and showed god to man, and man hated god with a perfect hatred. the fullest exhibition of divine love was answered by the fullest exhibition of human hatred. this is seen in the cross,--and we have it touchingly foreshadowed at the pit into which joseph was cast by his brethren. "and when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. and they said one to another, behold, this dreamer cometh; come now, therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit; and we will say, some evil beast hath devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams." these words forcibly remind us of the parable in matthew xxii. "but, last of all, he sent unto them his son, saying, they will reverence my son. but when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, this is the heir, come let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. and they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him." god sent his son into the world with this thought, "they will reverence my son;" but alas! man's heart had no reverence for the "well-beloved" of the father. they cast him out. earth and heaven were at issue in reference to christ; and they are at issue still. _man_ crucified him; but _god_ raised him from the dead. man placed him on a cross between two thieves; god set him at his own right hand in the heavens. man gave him the very lowest place on earth; god gave him the very highest place in heaven, in brightest majesty. all this is shown out in joseph's history. "joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. the archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him; but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty god of jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of israel;) even by the god of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breast and of the womb; the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors, unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren." (gen. xlix. 22-26.) these verses beautifully exhibit to our view "the sufferings of christ and the glory that should follow." "the archers" have done their work; but god was stronger than they. the true joseph has been shot at and grievously wounded in the house of his friends; but "the arms of his hands have been made strong" in the power of resurrection, and faith now knows him as the basis of all god's purposes of blessing and glory in reference to the church, israel, and the whole creation. when we look at joseph in the pit and in the prison, and look at him afterwards as ruler over all the land of egypt, we see the difference between the thoughts of god and the thoughts of men; and so when we look at the cross, and at "the throne of the majesty in the heavens," we see the same thing. nothing ever brought out the real state of man's heart toward god but the coming of christ. "if i had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin." (john xv. 22.) it is not that they would not have been sinners. no: but "they had not had sin." so he says in another place, "if ye were blind, ye should have no sin." (john ix. 41.) god came near to man in the person of his son, and man was able to say, "this is the heir;" but yet he said, "come, let us kill him." hence "they have no cloak for their sin." those who say they see have no excuse. _confessed blindness_ is not at all the difficulty, but _professed sight_. this is a truly solemn principle for a professing age like the present. the permanence of sin is connected with the mere profession to see. a man who is blind and knows it, can have his eyes opened; but what can be done for one who thinks he sees, when he really does not? chapter xxxviii. presents one of those remarkable circumstances in which divine grace is seen gloriously triumphing over man's sin. "it is evident that our lord sprang out of juda." (heb. vii. 14.) but how? "judas begat phares and zara of _thamar_." (matt. i. 3.) this is peculiarly striking. god, in his great grace, rising above the sin and folly of man, in order to bring about his own purposes of love and mercy. thus, a little farther on, in matthew, we read, "david the king begat solomon, of her that had been the wife of urias." it is worthy of god thus to act. the spirit of god is conducting us along the line through which, according to the flesh, christ came; and in doing so he gives us as links in the genealogical chain, tamar and bathsheba! how evident it is that there is nothing of man in this! how plain it is that when we reach the close of the first chapter of matthew, it is "god manifest in the flesh" we find, and that, too, from the pen of the holy ghost! man could never have devised such a genealogy. it is entirely divine: and no spiritual person can read it without seeing in it a blessed exhibition of divine grace in the first place, and of the divine inspiration of matthew's gospel in the second place,--at least of his account of christ's genealogy according to the flesh. i believe a comparison of 2 sam. xi. and gen. xxxviii. with matt. i. will furnish the thoughtful christian with matter for a very sweet and edifying meditation. chapter xxxix.-xlv. in perusing these interesting sections of inspiration, we perceive a remarkable chain of providential actings, all tending to one grand point, namely, _the exaltation of the man who had been in the pit_; and at the same time bringing out by the way a number of subordinate objects. "the thoughts of many hearts" were to be "revealed;" but joseph was to be exalted. "he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. he sent a man before them, even joseph, who was sold for a servant; whose feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in iron; until the time that his word came; the word of the lord tried him. the king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. he made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance; to bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his senators wisdom." (psalm cv. 16-22.) it is well to see that the leading object was to exalt the one whom men had rejected; and then to produce in those same men a sense of their sin in rejecting. and how admirably all this is effected! the most trivial and the most important, the most likely and the most unlikely circumstances are made to minister to the development of god's purposes. in chapter xxxix. satan uses potiphar's wife, and in chap. xl. he uses pharaoh's chief butler. the former he used to put joseph into the dungeon; and the latter he used to keep him there, through his ungrateful negligence; but all in vain. god was behind the scenes. his finger was guiding all the springs of the vast machine of circumstances, and when the due time was come, he brought forth the man of his purpose, and set his feet in a large room. now, this is ever god's prerogative. he is above all, and can use all for the accomplishment of his grand and unsearchable designs. it is sweet to be able thus to trace our father's hand and counsel in every thing. sweet to know that all sorts of agents are at his sovereign disposal; angels, men, and devils--all are under his omnipotent hand, and all are made to carry out his purposes. in the scripture now before us, all this is seen in a most remarkable manner. god visits the domestic circle of a heathen captain, the household of a heathen king, yea, and his bed-side, and makes the very visions of his head upon his bed contribute to the development of his counsels. nor is it merely individuals and their circumstances that we see thus taken up and used for the furtherance of god's ends; but egypt and all the surrounding countries are brought into the scene; in short, the whole earth was prepared by the hand of god to be a theatre on which to display the glory and greatness of the one "who was separate from his brethren." such are god's ways; and it is one of the happiest and most elevating exercises for the soul of a saint to trace thus the admirable actings of his heavenly father. how forcibly is god's providence brought out in this profoundly interesting history of joseph! look, for a moment, into the dungeon of the captain of the guard. see there a man "laid in iron," charged with a most abominable crime--the outcast and offscouring of society; and yet see him, almost in a moment, raised to the very highest eminence, and who can deny that god is in it all? "and pharaoh said unto joseph, forasmuch as god hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will i be greater than thou. and pharaoh said unto joseph, see, i have set thee over all the land of egypt. and pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck. and he made him to ride in the second chariot that he had: and they cried before him, bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of egypt. and pharaoh said unto joseph, i am pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of egypt." (chap. xli. 39-44.) here, then, was exaltation of no ordinary kind. contrast this with the pit and the dungeon; and mark the chain of events by which it was all brought about, and you have, at once, a marked exhibition of the hand of god, and a striking type of the sufferings and glory of the lord jesus christ. joseph was taken from the pit and the dungeon, into which he had been brought by the envy of his brethren, and the false judgment of the gentile, to be ruler over the whole land of egypt; and not only so, but to be the channel of blessing, and the sustainer of life, to israel and the whole earth. this is all typical of christ; indeed, a type could hardly be more perfect. we see a man laid, to all intents and purposes, in the place of death, by the hand of man, and then raised up by the hand of god, and set in dignity and glory. "ye men of israel, hear these words: jesus of nazareth, a man approved of god among you by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which god did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know; him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of god, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom god hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." (acts. ii. 22-24.) but there are two points in joseph's history which, together with what has been noticed, render the type remarkably perfect; i allude to his marriage with a stranger in chapter xli, and his interview with his brethren in chapter xlv. the following is the order of events. joseph presents himself to his brethren as one sent by the father; they reject him, and, so far as lies in them, put him in the place of death; god takes him up from thence, and raises him to a position of highest dignity: thus exalted, he gets a bride; and when his brethren according to the flesh, are thoroughly broken and prostrate before him, he makes himself known to them, tranquillizes their hearts, and brings them into blessing; he then becomes the channel of blessing to them and to the whole world. i shall just make a few remarks on joseph's marriage and the restoration of his brethren. the strange wife shadows forth the church. christ presented himself to the jews, and being rejected, took his seat on high, and sent down the holy ghost to gather out an elect church, composed of jew and gentile, to be united with him in heavenly glory. the doctrine of the church has already been dwelt upon in our remarks on chapter xxiv., but one or two points remain to be noticed here. and first, we may observe that joseph's egyptian bride was intimately associated with him in his glory.[20] she, as being part of himself, shared in all that was his. moreover, she occupied a place of nearness and intimacy known only to herself. thus it is with the church, the bride of the lamb. she is gathered to christ to be the sharer, at once, of his rejection and his glory. it is christ's position which gives character to the position of the church, and her position should ever give character to her walk. if we are gathered to christ, it is as exalted in glory, and not as humbled down here. "henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more." (2 cor. v. 16.) the church's gathering-point is christ in glory. "i, if i be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (john xii. 32.) there is far more of practical value in the clear apprehension of this principle than might, at first sight, appear. it is ever the aim of satan, as it is the tendency of our hearts, to lead us to stop short of god's mark in every thing, and specially in the centre of our unity as christians. it is a popular sentiment, that "the blood of the lamb is the union of saints," i. e., it is the blood which forms their centre of unity. now, that it is the infinitely precious blood of christ which sets us individually as worshippers in the presence of god is blessedly true. the blood, therefore, forms the divine basis of our fellowship with god. but when we come to speak of the centre of our unity as a church, we must see that the holy ghost gathers us to the person of a risen and glorified christ; and this grand truth gives character--high and holy character--to our association as christians. if we take lower ground than this we must inevitably form a sect or an _ism_. if we gather round an ordinance, however important, or round a truth, however indisputable, we make something less than christ our centre. hence, it is more important to ponder the practical consequences which flow out of the truth of our being gathered to a risen and glorified head in the heavens. if christ were on earth, we should be gathered to him here; but, inasmuch as he is hidden in the heavens, the church takes her character from his position there. hence, christ could say, "they are not of the world, even as i am not of the world;" and again, "for their sakes i sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." (john xvii. 16, 19.) so, also, in 1 peter, we read, "to whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of god and precious; ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to god by jesus christ." (chap. ii. 4, 5.) if we are gathered to christ we must be gathered to him _as_ he is, and _where_ he is; and the more the spirit of god leads our souls into the understanding of this, the more clearly we shall see the character of walk that becomes us. joseph's bride was united to him, not in the pit or the dungeon, but in the dignity and glory of his position in egypt; and, in her case, we can have no difficulty in perceiving the vast difference between the two positions. but farther we read, "and unto joseph were born two sons, _before the years of famine came_." there was a time of trouble coming; but previous thereto the fruit of his union appeared. the children whom god had given him were called into existence previous to this time of trial. so will it be in reference to the church. all the members thereof will be called out, the whole body will be completed and gathered to the head in heaven, previous to "the great tribulation" which shall come upon all the earth. we shall now turn for a little to joseph's interview with his brethren, in which we shall find some points of resemblance to israel's history in the latter day. during the period that joseph was hidden from the view of his brethren, these latter were called to pass through deep and searching trial,--through intensely painful exercises of conscience. one of these exercises is poured out in the following words: "and they said one to another, _we are verily guilty_ concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and _we would not hear_; therefore _is this distress come upon us_. and reuben answered them, saying. spake i not unto you, saying, do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also, _his blood is required_." (chap. xlii. 21, 22.) again, in chap. xliv. we read, "and judah said, what shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? god hath found out the iniquity of thy servants." none can teach like god. he alone can produce in the conscience the true sense of sin, and bring the soul down into the profound depths of its own condition in his presence. this is all his own work. men run on in their career of guilt, heedless of every thing, until the arrow of the almighty pierces their conscience, and then they are led into those searchings of heart, and intense exercises of soul, which can only find relief in the rich resources of redeeming love. joseph's brethren had no conception of all that was to flow to them from their actings toward him. "they took him and cast him into a pit ... and they sat down to eat bread." "woe to them ... that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments; but they are not grieved for the affliction of joseph." (amos vi. 6.) however, god produced grief of heart, and exercises of conscience, and that in a most wonderful way. years rolled on, and these brethren might have vainly imagined that all was right; but, then, "seven years of plenty, and seven years of scarcity!" what did they mean? who sent them? and for what were they designed? admirable providence! unsearchable wisdom! the famine reaches to canaan, and the calls of hunger actually bring the guilty brethren to the feet of the injured joseph! how marked is the display of god's own hand in all this! there they stand, with the arrow of conviction thrust through and through their consciences, in the presence of the man whom they had, "with wicked hands," cast into the pit. surely their sin had found them out; but it was in the presence of joseph. blessed place! "then joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, cause every man to go out from me. and there stood no man with him, while joseph made himself known unto his brethren." (chap. xlv. 1.) no stranger was allowed to witness this sacred scene. what stranger could understand or appreciate it? we are here called to witness, as it were, divinely-wrought conviction in the presence of divine grace; and we may say, when these two come together there is an easy settlement of every question. "and joseph said unto his brethren, _come near to me_, i pray you. and they came near. and he said, i am joseph your brother, whom ye sold into egypt. now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me hither; for god did send me before you, to preserve life.... and god sent me before you, to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. so now it was not you sent me hither, but god." this is grace indeed, setting the convicted conscience perfectly at rest. the brethren had, already, most thoroughly condemned themselves, and hence joseph had only to pour in the blessed balm into their broken hearts. "this is all sweetly typical of god's dealings with israel, in the latter day, when they shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn." then they shall prove the reality of divine grace, and the cleansing efficacy of that "fountain which shall be opened to the house of david, and to the inhabitants of jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness." (zech. xiii. 1.) in the third chapter of acts, we find the spirit of god in peter seeking to produce this divine conviction in the consciences of the jews. "the god of abraham, and of isaac, and of jacob, the god of our fathers, hath glorified his son jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of pilate, when he was determined to let him go. but ye denied the holy one and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the prince of life, whom god hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses." these statements were designed to elicit from the hearts and lips of the hearers the confession made by joseph's brethren--"we are verily guilty." then follows the grace. "and now, brethren, i wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. but those things, which god before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the lord." we here see that, although the jews really carried out the enmity of their hearts in the death of christ, as did also joseph's brethren in their treatment of him, yet, the grace of god to each is seen in this, that all is shown to be decreed and foreshown of god for their blessing. this is perfect grace, surpassing all human thought; and all that is needed in order to the enjoyment thereof, is a conscience truly convicted by the truth of god. those who could say, "we are verily guilty," could rightly understand the words of precious grace, "it was not you, but god." thus it must ever be. the soul that has thoroughly pronounced its own condemnation, is prepared to understand and appreciate god's pardon. the remaining chapters of this book are taken up with the removal of jacob and his family into egypt, and their settlement there; joseph's actings during the remaining years of famine; jacob's blessing the twelve patriarchs; his death and burial. we shall not dwell in detail upon these things, though the spiritual mind may find much to feed upon therein.[21] jacob's groundless fears dissipated by the sight of his son alive, and exalted,--the peculiar grace of god seen in its overruling power, yet evidently mingled with judgment, inasmuch as jacob's sons have to go down into the very place whither they had sent their brother. again, joseph's remarkable grace throughout: though exalted by pharaoh, he hides himself, as it were, and binds the people in abiding obligation to the king. pharaoh says, "go to joseph," and joseph, in effect, says, "all you have and all you are belong to pharaoh." this is sweetly interesting, and leads the soul on to that glorious time when the son of man shall take the reins of government into his own hand, by divine appointment, and rule over the whole redeemed creation, his church--the bride of the lamb--occupying the nearest and most intimate place, according to the eternal counsels. the house of israel, fully restored, shall be nourished and sustained by his gracious hand; and all the earth shall know the deep blessedness of being under his sceptre. finally, having brought every thing into subjection, he shall hand back the reins of government into the hands of god, that "he may be all in all." from all this we may form some idea of the richness and copiousness of joseph's history. in short, it sets before us distinctly in type the mission of the son to the house of israel,--his humiliation and rejection,--the deep exercises and final repentance and restoration of israel,--the union of the church with christ,--his exaltation and universal government, and, finally, it points us forward to the time when "god shall be all in all." it is quite needless to remark, that all these things are largely taught and fully established throughout the entire canon of inspiration: we do not therefore build their truth upon joseph's history; still it is edifying to find such early foreshadowings of these precious truths: it proves to us the divine unity which pervades holy scripture. whether we turn to genesis or to ephesians,--to the prophets of the old or those of the new testament,--we learn the same truths. "all scripture is given by inspiration of god." footnotes: [20] joseph's wife sets forth the church as united to christ in his glory; moses' wife presents the church as united to christ in his rejection. [21] the close of jacob's career stands in most pleasing contrast with all the previous scenes of his eventful history. it reminds one of a serene evening, after a tempestuous day: the sun, which during the day had been hidden from view by clouds, mists, and fogs, sets in majesty and brightness, gilding with his beams the western sky, and holding out the cheering prospect of a bright to-morrow. thus is it with our aged patriarch. the supplanting, the bargain-making, the cunning, the management, the shifting, the shuffling, the unbelieving selfish fears,--all those dark clouds of nature and of earth seem to have passed away, and he comes forth in all the calm elevation of faith, to bestow blessings, and impart dignities, in that holy skilfulness, which communion with god can alone impart. though nature's eyes are dim, faith's vision is sharp. he is not to be deceived as to the relative positions assigned to ephraim and manasseh in the counsels of god. he has not, like his father isaac, in chapter xxvii., to "tremble very exceedingly," in view of an almost fatal mistake. quite the reverse. his intelligent reply to his less instructed son is, "i know it, my son, i know it." the power of sense has not, as in isaac's case, dimmed his spiritual vision. he has been taught in the school of experience the importance of keeping close to the divine purpose, and nature's influence cannot move him from thence. in chapter xlviii. 11, we have a very beautiful example of the mode in which our god ever rises above all our thoughts, and proves himself better than all our fears. "and israel said unto joseph, i had not thought to see thy face; and, lo, god hath showed me also thy seed." to nature's view, joseph was dead; whereas in god's view he was alive, and seated in the highest place of authority, next the throne. "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which god hath prepared for them that love him." (1 cor. ii. 9.) would that our souls could rise higher in their apprehension of god and his ways. it is interesting to notice the way in which the titles "jacob" and "israel" are introduced in the close of the book of genesis; as, for example, "one told _jacob_, and said, behold thy son joseph cometh unto thee: and _israel_ strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed." then, it is immediately added, "and _jacob_ said unto joseph, god almighty appeared unto me at luz." now, we know, there is nothing in scripture without its specific meaning, and hence this interchange of names contains some instruction. in general, it may be remarked, that "jacob" sets forth the depth to which god had descended; "israel," the height to which jacob was raised. * * * * * transcribers notes: maintained original spelling and punctuation. greek and hebrew transliteration is enclosed in brackets i.e.[greek:] luther on sin and the flood commentary on genesis by john nicholas lenker, d.d. translator of luther's works into english; author of "lutherans in all lands" vol. ii second thousand the luther press minneapolis, minn., u.s.a. 1910 _dedication_. to all interested in studying the christian missionary problems of "the last times" of the modern world, this volume is dedicated. copyright, 1910, by j. n. lenker. _foreword_. the first volumes of the "american luther" we selected for publication were his best commentaries, then eight volumes of his gospel and epistle sermons and one volume of his best catechetical writings. these rich evangelical works introduced us to the real luther, not the polemical, but the gospel luther. they contain the leaven of the faith, life and spirit of protestantism. we now return to his spiritual commentaries on the bible which are the foundation of all his writings. the more one reads luther the greater he becomes as a student of the one book. contents of this volume. this, the second volume of luther's great commentary on genesis, appears now in english for the first time. it covers chapters four to nine inclusive of genesis. the subjects discussed are: cain's murder, his punishment, cain's sons, seth and his sons, the wickedness of the old world, the ark, noah's obedience, the universal destruction, the salvation of noah's family, his sacrifice, his blessing, the rainbow covenant, noah's fall, ham cursed and shem and japheth blessed. these great themes are discussed by moses and luther. they have vital relations to problems pertaining to the end of the modern world. our hope and prayer are that god may use this volume to make the book of genesis and the whole old testament a greater spiritual blessing to the church and that it may serve the servants of god in these latter days in calling people to repentance, faith and prayer like noah and luther did. in his "dear genesis" luther proved that the free evangelical religion he taught was not new, but as old as the first book of the bible, and that it does not consist in outward forms, organizations and pomp, but in true faith in christ in our hearts and lives. genesis contains the only historic records accessible of the first 2364 years of the 4004 years before christ. it is worthy of study in our day as it was in the days of the reformation. acknowledgments. luther advised no one should translate alone and he practiced what he taught. we have followed his rule and example. pastor c. b. gohdes of baltimore translated chapter six and president schaller of milwaukee theological seminary, chapters five, seven, eight and nine. inaccuracies may be due to the revision and editing, and not to the translators, for every good translation must be fluent and idiomatic, to secure which is the most difficult task. pastor gohdes also rendered valuable help in the final revision of parts. the translation of the analyses is by the undersigned. the few last pages of the first edition of volume one we revised and reprint in this volume in order to make the pages of each volume of our edition to correspond with the german and latin volumes of the erlangen edition. the paragraphs are numbered and the analyses given according to the old walch edition. _luther and world-evangelization_. in translating luther into practical english in practical america, and in this age that is growing more and more practical, we need to be reminded that this work is for practical use and purposes. luther was radical along bible lines in applying the truth personally and to the world. it is a year since the last volume of the "american luther" appeared. the delay was caused by an effort to raise the work to a higher standard and by the publication of a book on "the true place of germans and scandinavians in the evangelization of the world", not a revision of, but a new companion volume to "lutherans in all lands" that appeared seventeen years ago. by comparing these two books one has the best evidence of the marvelous progress of god's kingdom in recent years, and the growing world-significance of luther's evangelistic writings. evangelization at home and abroad is the popular religious theme today in the german fatherland and in the whole protestant world. the word "world" is becoming so common its full meaning is not appreciated. when world-evangelization is discussed, it is too often from the standpoint of the nation discussing it. each nation is so active in its own work that it fails to appreciate what others are doing. for example how little the world missionary conferences in english lands have to say of the german and scandinavian missions and the reformed churches of the lutheran work. hence the fruits of luther's evangelical writings are underestimated by the english people. it is opportune to translate not only luther but also the best fruits of those writings in various languages during the past 400 years, especially since the memorable date of 1917 is soon to be celebrated by universal protestantism. luther in all languages and lutherans in all lands go together. we ought to consider most carefully the great reformer in his relation to the modern world and modern world-evangelization. the known world in his day was not so large. he had, however, a clear view of it all in his writings, which is due to his faithful study of the scriptures. the bible gave him a knowledge of the world, including all lands and all times. his commentary of eleven volumes on genesis illustrates this. the first volume on genesis treats of the first part of the ancient world; the second volume, the one before us, treats of the second part and end of the old world. this luther would have us apply to the last times of the modern world. luther educational and devotional. here, as everywhere in his catechisms, sermons and commentaries, luther is unique among religious authors in that he is both educational and devotional, appealing equally to head and heart. he is "religiously helpful and intellectually profitable," covering every phase of religious, moral and social conditions, and touching every interest of humanity. "his words went to the mark like bullets and left marks like bullets." being beyond criticism they have a unique place to fill in the literature and libraries of the world. although the cry, "read luther!" has been raised here in the new world the multitudes of the english people are not rushing for his writings, as the germans did when they first appeared in the old world, under conditions similar to what they are in america at present. if asked what made the german people what they are, the answer is, these writings, so universally circulated and read. if the anglo-saxons appreciated their educational and devotional value the 35,000 copies circulated the last seven years would easily, as a professor suggested, be increased to a hundred thousand copies. nations helping nations. the world-consciousness is growing, so is the national consciousness. both are characteristic of our times. perhaps never did the national spirit develop as in recent years. the great powers, instead of dividing china, witness the national spirit growing everywhere--in japan, china, india, africa, south america, norway, sweden, as well as in germany, england, russia and the united states. this is a good sign, for the world-family is composed of nations, and each nation has at least one talent not to be crushed, but with which to serve all the others. one serves the world when he serves his nation. luther's words, "i live for my countrymen", illustrates this. it is not the nations that have the largest armies and navies that are the greatest blessing to the world, but the nations that work out the best christian civilization for the world to imitate and send over the earth the best farmers to show other nations and tribes how to cultivate the earth, the best teachers, preachers and authors to train the people, the best medical skill to relieve human suffering, the best mechanics and servants, the greatest philanthropists, the best christians. in educational, industrial, medical and charitable mission work the nations dominated by luther's writings stand high. nations, like individuals, are the greatest which serve others best; not the nations which have the most territory, but nations which do the greatest service for the whole human family. the students missionary movement develops men, and the laymen's missionary movement raises money. both are needed, but men must be trained to do their work in the best way and the money be used to bring the best results. hence nations should help and study one another most carefully with this in view. luther and his writings in the evangelization of europe ought not to be overlooked in the evangelization of other continents. by helping abroad the home does not suffer. among american lutherans the norwegians prove this, for they have done the most for the heathen and have the best home mission work. transition and translation or transition and revolution. while we are translating luther for all anglo-saxons, we do not overlook the fact that luther's disciples, germans and scandinavians, are themselves being translated, or are in a state of transition. the translation of a people and of their literature or spirit clearly presents a double problem, both sides of which demand at once the most careful work. the translation of both the people and their literature should run parallel and in the same, and not in an opposite, direction. germans and scandinavians have always, and do still, make the fatal blunder of translating from english into their own languages, instead of from their languages into english. they thus cross one another's path never to meet again. their children and grandchildren, however, find it easier to translate into english, their mother tongue; but, alas, they have little interest in doing it. they make the mistake in thinking their old thoughts and classics are not needed in the new language. their motto seems to be, "new literature for the new language", when to the english public, if not to themselves, the old writings would be the newest. it is marvelous how wide-awake preachers are mislead. best literature is translations. people who are prejudiced against translations, forget that the bible and our best literature are translations of the classics of the world's leading languages. translations should be welcomed by a people who themselves are in a state of translation, especially if the translations are from their mother tongue into the language they are learning. what endless friction and confusion would be avoided, if people and their life and literature were translated at the same time. as we have said, a transition of a people without a translation of their literature is no transition, but a revolution. to this various church bodies witness. during the transition of language the best literature for the children to read is the translations of the classics of the language of the parents. there may be better literature, but not for these particular children, if the unity of the family life is to be perpetuated. hence it becomes a vital concern that both children and parents understand that the best literature for them is such translations. but where are the german or scandinavian teachers and preachers who are enthusing over putting this thought deep into the family life of their congregations. a lesson from luther and wesley in america. what unwisdom even to attempt to build up the lutheran christian life in free, aggressive protestant anglo-saxon civilization without luther's writings in good anglo-saxon! muhlenberg (b. 1711; d. 1787) and wesley (b. 1703; d. 1791) came to america about the same time. wesley returned home in 1738 after a stay of two years in the south. muhlenberg spent his ministerial life of 45 years (1742-1787) in america, in the keystone state, in and near philadelphia, the metropolis of the new world. when the two palatinate germans from limerick county, ireland, philip embury and barbara heck, a lay-preacher and a godly woman, held the first methodist service in america, in 1766, in new york city, the lutheran faith had been planted here by the dutch since 1657 in the same city, by the swedes on the delaware since 1639, (torkillus), by the germans since 1708 (kocherthal); muhlenberg had arrived in philadelphia in 1742, built churches the following year in philadelphia and "the trappe", and organized the synod of pennsylvania among its 60,000 lutherans in 1748. all these lutherans to some extent learned, preached and confirmed in english. muhlenberg was naturalized in 1754 as a subject of great britain. this and his stay in england gave an anglican turn to his german pietism. when we became a free people in 1776, the methodists had only 20 preachers and 3418 members in america and less than 76,000 followers in europe from which to receive immigrant members, while the lutherans were strong here and in europe. today american methodists report 60,737 churches, and the lutherans 13,533. why did wesley's followers become the dominating religious force in america? not because wesley and his writings were greater than luther and his writings. methodists did not bear wesley's name, but they did have his spirit and writings. even to the present day every methodist preacher must pass an examination in wesley's writings before ordination. where were luther's spirit and writings among his early american followers? language is no more a barrier to luther's spirit than to wesley's. methodism forged its way from english into german, norwegian, danish and swedish and among indians, mexicans and negros. people, regardless of language, color or condition, could not help but learn what real spiritual methodism is. it was preached and sung in such simple, plain anglo-saxon, and in good translations, that it could not be misunderstood nor misrepresented. wesley's simple evangelical message was abroad in the land in the hearts of the people. but the evangelical voice of luther, the prince of translators, was hardly heard and even today the english world has no clear popular view of what spiritual evangelical lutheranism is. often when they speak of it, they seem to think it is the opposite of what it is. germans, scandinavians and all know the spiritual side of methodism, but the english world does not know the spiritual side of lutheranism, and it never will until luther's spiritual writings are translated into readable english and circulated broadcast over the land, and the hearts of the people come into direct and close touch with the heart of the great reformer himself. the english world knows the statistics, the numerical strength of lutherans. that needs no apology. but what does need a defense among americans is the spirituality of the lutherans. that is developed by the translations into the plainest vernacular of god's word and luther's evangelical sermons and commentaries. these are the best literature for young germans and scandinavians. although translations, and not perfect, they are the best for them. the bible first; luther's spiritual writings second, not first nor third. have not lutherans in america been following the disciples of luther instead of luther; while methodists have followed wesley and not wesley's disciples. the dutch, swedish and german lutherans in the east, all learned english. we say it was a transition, but was it not a revolution? their history stands forth as beacon lights of warning to the polyglot lutherans migrating to the ends of earth and learning all languages. they will no more keep up their faith with one language than the english nation will keep up their trade by refusing to learn other languages. strange it is that nations can learn and use other languages in one line and not in another--the english in church work and not in trade; the germans in trade, but not in church work. it is said there are 30 million people in the united states with some german blood in their veins. two thirds of these, or 20 millions, may be said to have some lutheran mixture in their makeup, but only one and a half million of these 20 millions are communicant members of english and german lutheran churches. what people in america can show a worse religious record? yet the tenders of the sheep and lambs are afraid to feed them in the only way they can be fed. verily whatever you sow, that shall you also reap. lift up your eyes, behold the harvest! can you not discern the signs of the times? it is no wonder that the united states census of 1890, the latest reliable statistics on the subject, gave the number of lutheran communicants using only english in this english land at 198,907; general synod 143,764; united synod south 37,457; general council 14,297; ohio synod 287; missouri synod 1,192--after 150 years of work. our good german and scandinavian parents, in the light of these figures, need not fear losing many members to purely english churches. "reading luther" in german, swedish, norwegian and english will bring better results to old and young than if read only in one language. the church of the reformation is not one-tongued, but many-tongued. english luther in german and scandinavian churches. april 12th, 1910, became a memorable date in the north-west by the introduction of the scandinavian languages into all the high schools of minneapolis. german and scandinavian taxpayers are gradually becoming more interested in having their children learn the language of their mothers in the public schools. this will prove to be a great blessing to children and home, society and state. the church however will blunder, if she thinks there will now be no need of circulating english literature in german and scandinavian congregations. translating luther and teaching german and scandinavian are two ways of doing the same thing, for language is not an end, but a means to an end. many young people are being confirmed in english and they often attend services in foreign languages. many know more of the language than of the matter preached. when weak in the language they understand better what is preached if they are familiar with the thought. the reason many do not appreciate a sermon with the luther ring is because they are familiar with neither the language nor the thought. hence the need of our young people becoming familiar with luther's sermons and commentaries in english. one understands better in a strange language what he is familiar with. this familiar knowledge would help to bridge the chasm between lutheran parents and children. ask parents and they will tell about the "old luther readers," in their native land and tongue. all admit that if the young people are not interested to read luther in english, they will never read him. all who do will the better understand sermons in german and scandinavian. the universal reading of the english luther, on the part of the young people, will therefore help, and not harm, the german and scandinavian congregations. luther's teachings thoroughly understood in a living way will bind the young to their christian convictions, as much as the knowledge of a language binds them to that language. the passive interest therefore, on the part of german and scandinavian pastors and congregations in circulating the english luther, as far as their young people are concerned, should give way to active interest, for the sake of their own work in the future. it is important to learn your mother's language. you may do that and forget her faith--better retain the faith than the language. j. n. lenker. the fiftieth day (pentecost), 1910. minneapolis, minn. commentary on genesis. chapter iv. iv. cain murders his brother; called to account. a. how cain murdered his brother. 1. what moved cain to commit murder 107. 2. cain's hypocritical actions in concealing his anger that he might the more easily commit the murder 108-109. * cain the picture of all hypocrites 110-129. * the attitude of hypocrites to their neighbors. also, how we are to view the efforts of the pope and bishops in behalf of peace and unity 111-112. * against what people we should most guard 112. 3. how cain listened to no warning in his thoughts of murder 113. * complaint of the world's attitude to good admonition 114. * the ways of the hypocrite. also, why falsehood wears a friendly aspect 115. 4. whether cain's passion to murder abel was noticeable 115. 5. cain took no notice of abel's sighing and praying 116. * the origin of man's cruel and tyrannical nature 117. b. how cain was called to account, and his behavior. 1. who questioned cain, and his defiant actions 118. 2. cain accused himself most when he tried to clear himself 119. * liars speak against themselves, as is proved by examples 119-120. 3. cain's vindication more foolish than that of the first parents in paradise 121. * st. martin will absolve the devil if he repents 122. * whoever excuses his sin follows the example of satan and makes his case worse 123. 4. how cain heaps sin upon sin 124. 5. cain despairs and is in a worse state than our first parents after their fall 125. 6. how cain placed himself in a position where nothing could help him 126. 7. gently accused, and yet defiant 127. 8. cain has not the least reverence for god or his father 128. * this is a picture of all hypocrites 129. 9. how his defense ends 130. * how man ought to act when his conscience accuses him of sin 131. * the hypocrite's actions when his conscience is awakened, and what he is to do 132-133. 10. in cain's defense wickedness and folly are mingled 134. * how god reveals hypocrites 135. * moses says much in few words 136. * whether abel and our first parents anticipated cain's murder 137. * without a thought of what might restrain him, cain commits the deed 138. * the picture of the sacrifice of iphigenia applied to moses' description of cain's murder 139-140. * cain's is no ordinary murder, and how he differs from other murderers 141. * the hypocrite's hatred is different from other hatred, and is found among the jews and the papists 142-143. * cain the father of all murderers 144. * how the first parents felt over this whole affair 145. a. their grief was so great that they could not have endured without special divine comfort 146. b. their severe trial in view of the first sin 147. c. very likely because of this murder they refrained so long from bearing children 148. * whether the first parents had at the time more children than cain and abel 148. * why cain slew abel, and how he did it 149. 11. the time and occasion when cain was called to account 150. 12. adam with the authority of god calls cain to account 152. iv. how cain murdered his brother and was required to give an account, and how he conducted himself. a. how cain murdered his brother. v. 8a. _and cain told (talked with) abel his brother._ 107. our translation adds that cain said: "let us go out doors." but this is one of the comments of the rabbins, whose relative claim to credit i have fully shown on a previous occasion. lyra, following the invention of eben ezra, relates that cain told his brother how severely he had been rebuked of the lord. but who would believe statements for which there is no authority in the scriptures? we hold therefore to an explanation which has the warrant of the scriptures, namely that cain, finding himself rejected of god, indulged his anger, and added to his former sins contempt of his parents and of the word, thinking within himself: "the promised seed of the woman belongs to me as the first-born. but my brother, abel, that contemptible, good-for-nothing fellow, is evidently preferred to me by divine authority, manifest in the fire consuming his sacrifice. what shall i do, therefore? i will dissemble my wrath until an opportunity of taking vengeance shall occur." 108. therefore the words, "cain told abel his brother," i understand to mean that cain, dissembling his anger, conducted himself toward abel as a brother, and spoke to him and conversed with him, as if he bore with good nature the sentence pronounced upon him by god. in this manner also saul simulated an attitude of kindness toward david. "i know well," said saul, "that thou shalt surely be king," 1 sam 24, 20; and yet he was all the while planning to prevent this by killing david. just so cain now conversed with abel his brother, and said: i see that thou art chosen of the lord; i envy thee not this divine blessing, etc. this is just the manner of hypocrites. they pretend friendship until an opportunity of doing the harm they intend presents itself. 109. that such is the true sense of the passage, all the circumstances clearly show. for if adam and eve could have gathered the least suspicion of the intended murder, think you not that they would either have restrained cain or removed abel, and placed the latter out of danger? but as cain had altered his countenance and his deportment toward his brother, and had talked with him in a brotherly manner, they thought all was safe, and the son bowed to and acquiesced in the admonition of his father. the appearance deceived abel also, who, if he had feared anything like murder from his brother, would doubtless have fled from him, as jacob fled from esau when he feared his brother's wrath. what, therefore, could possibly have come into the mind of jerome when he believed the rabbins, who say cain was expostulating with his brother? 110. accordingly, cain is the image and picture of all hypocrites and murderers, who kill under the show of godliness. cain, possessed by satan, hides his wrath, waiting the opportunity to slay his brother abel; meanwhile he converses with him, as a brother beloved, that he might the sooner lay his hands upon him unawares. 111. this passage, therefore, is intended for our instruction in the ways of murderers and hypocrites. still cain talks in a brotherly manner with his brother, and, on the other hand, abel still trusts cain as a brother should trust a brother; and thus he is murdered, and the pious parents meanwhile are deceived. just so the pope and the bishops of our day talk and confer much concerning the peace and concord of the church. but he is most assuredly deceived who does not understand that the exact opposite is planned. for true is that word of the psalm, "the workers of iniquity speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts," ps 28, 3. for it is the nature of hypocrites that they are good in appearance, speak kindly to you, pretend to be humble, patient and charitable, give alms, etc.; and yet, all the while they plan slaughter in their hearts. 112. let us learn, then, to know a cain and especially to beware when he speaks kindly, and as brother to brother. for it is in this way that our adversaries, the bishops and the pope, talk with us in our day, while they pretend a desire for concord, and seek to bring about doctrinal harmony. in reality, if an opportunity of seizing us and executing their rage upon us should present itself, you would soon hear them speak in a very different tone. truly, "there is death in the pot," 2 kings 4, 40; and under the best and sweetest words there lies concealed a deadly poison. v. 8b. _and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that cain rose up against abel his brother, and slew him._ 113. here you see the deceptive character of those alluring words. cain had been admonished by his father with divine authority to guard against sin in the future, and to expect pardon for that of the past. but cain despises the twofold admonition, and indulges his sin, as all the wicked do. for true is the saying of solomon, "when the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, and with ignominy cometh reproach," prov 18, 3. 114. our ministry at the present day deserves no blame. we teach, we exhort, we entreat, we rebuke, we turn ourselves every way, that we may recall the multitude from security to the fear of god. but the world, like an untamed beast, still goes on and follows not the word, but its own lusts, which it tries to smooth over by a show of uprightness. the prophets and the apostles stand before us as examples, and our own experience is instructive, also. our adversaries, so often warned and convicted, know they are doing wrong, and yet they do not lay aside their murderous hate. 115. learn, then, what a hypocrite is; namely, one who lays claim to the worship of god and to charity, and yet, at the same time, destroys the worship of god and slaughters his brother. and all this semblance of good-will is only intended to bring about better opportunities of doing harm. for, if abel had foreseen the implacable wrath and the truly diabolical anger, he would have saved himself by flight. but as cain betrayed no such anger, uttered a friendly greeting and manifested his usual courtesy, abel perished before he felt any fear. 116. there is no doubt that abel, when he saw his brother rising up against him, entreated and implored him not to pollute himself with this awful sin. however, a mind beset by satan pays no regard to entreaties, nor heeds uplifted hands, but as a father's admonition had been disregarded, so now the brother is spurned as he pleads upon his knees. 117. light is cast here upon the bondage to satan by which our nature, entangled in sins, is oppressed. hence paul's expression, "children of wrath," eph 2, 3, and the declaration that such are taken captive by satan unto his will, 2 tim 2, 26. for when we are mere men; that is, when we apprehend not the blessed seed by faith, we are all like cain, and nothing is wanting but an opportunity. for nature, destitute of the holy spirit, is impelled by that same evil spirit which impelled wicked cain. if, however, there were in any one those ample powers, or that free will, by which a man might defend himself against the assaults of satan, these gifts would most assuredly have existed in cain, to whom belonged the birthright and the promise of the blessed seed. but in that very same condition are all men! unless nature be helped by the spirit of god, it cannot maintain itself. why, then, do we absurdly boast of free-will? now follows another remarkable passage. b. how cain had to give an account, and his conduct. v. 9. _and jehovah said unto cain, where is abel thy brother? and he said, i know not: am i my brother's keeper?_ 118. good god! into what depth of sin does our miserable nature fall when driven onward by the devil. murder had been committed on a brother, and perhaps murdered abel lay for days unburied. thereupon, as cain returned to his parents at the accustomed time, and abel returned not with him, the anxious parents asked him: cain, thou art here, but where is abel? thou hast returned home, but abel has not returned. the flock is without their shepherd. tell us therefore, where thy brother is. upon this, cain, becoming abusive, makes answer to his parents, by no means with due reverence, "i know not: am i my brother's keeper?" 119. but it happened to cain as to all the wicked, that by excusing himself he accused himself, according to the words of christ, "out of thine own mouth will i judge thee, thou wicked servant," luke 19, 22. also the heathen had a striking proverb among them, "a liar ought to have a good memory." such was the judgment of heathen men, though they knew nothing of the judgment of god and of conscience, and had nothing to guide their judgment but their experience in civil affairs. and true it is that liars run much risk of being discovered and unmasked. hence the germans have the proverb, "a lie is a very fruitful thing." for one lie begets seven other lies, which become necessary to uphold the first lie. and yet it is impossible, after all, to prevent conscience from arousing and betraying itself at times, if not in words, then in gestures. this is proved by numberless examples. i will cite only one example here: 120. in thuringia there is a small town in the district of orla, called neustadt. in this town a harlot had murdered her infant, to which she had secretly given birth, and had thrown it, after the murder, into a neighboring fishpond. accidentally the little piece of linen in which she had wrapped the infant, brought the horrid deed to light. the case was brought before the magistrate; and as the simple men of the place knew no better means of investigating the crime, they called all the young women of the town into the town hall and closely examined them, one by one. the face and the testimony of each one of these proclaimed her innocent. but when they came to her who was the real perpetrator of the deed, she did not wait for questions to be put to her, but immediately declared aloud that she was not the guilty person. the contrast she presented to the others in making such haste to defend herself, confirmed the suspicion of the magistrates. at once she was seized by the constables and put to death. indeed, instances are innumerable and of daily occurrence which show that people, in their eagerness to defend themselves, accuse themselves. sin may, indeed, lie asleep, but that word which we have just heard, is true. it lies at the door. 121. just so in the present case. cain thinks he has made an effectual excuse for himself by saying that he is not his brother's keeper. but does he not confess by the very word "brother" which he takes upon his lips that he ought to be his keeper? is not that equal to accusing himself, and will not the fact that abel is nowhere in evidence arouse the suspicion in the minds of his parents that he has been murdered? just so also adam excuses himself in paradise, and lays all the blame on eve. but this excuse of cain is far more stupid; for while he excuses his sin he doubles it, whereas the frank confession of sin finds mercy and appeases wrath. 122. it is recorded in the history of st. martin, that when he absolved certain notorious sinners, he was rebuked by satan for doing so. st. martin is said to have replied, "why, i would absolve even thee, if thou wouldst say from thy heart, i repent of having sinned against the son of god, and i pray for pardon." but the devil never does this. for he persists in committing sin and defending the same. 123. all liars and hypocrites imitate cain their father, by either denying their sin or excusing it. hence they cannot find pardon for their sins. and we see the same in domestic life. by the defense of wrong-doing, anger is increased. for whenever the wife, or the children, or the servants, have done wrong, and deny or excuse their wrong-doing, the father of the family is the more moved to wrath; whereas, on the other hand, confession secures pardon or a lighter punishment. but it is the nature of hypocrites to excuse and palliate their sin or to deny it altogether and under the show of religion, to slay the innocent. 124. but here let us survey the order in which sins follow each other and increase. first of all cain sins by presumption and unbelief when, priding himself on the privilege of his birthright, he takes it for granted that he shall be accepted of god on the ground of his own merit. upon this pride and self-glorification immediately follow envy and hatred of his brother, whom he sees preferred to himself by an unmistakable sign from heaven. upon this envy and hatred follow hypocrisy and lying. though he designs to murder his brother, he accosts him in a friendly manner and thereby throws him off his guard. hypocrisy is followed by murder. murder is followed by the excusing of his sin. and the last stage is despair, which is the fall from heaven to hell. 125. although adam and eve in paradise did not deny their sin, yet their confession was lukewarm, and the sin was shifted from the one to the other. adam laid it on eve, and eve on the serpent. but cain went even farther, for he not only did not confess the murder he had committed, but disclaimed responsibility for his brother. and did not this at once prove his mind to be hostile against his brother? therefore, though adam and eve made only a half-hearted confession, they had some claim to pardon, and in consequence were punished with less severity. but cain, because he resolutely denied his sin, was rejected, and fell into despair. and the same judgment awaits all the sons of cain, popes, cardinals, and bishops, who, although they plan murder against us day and night, say likewise, "i know not: am i my brother's keeper?" 126. there was a common proverb of old, "what is it to the romans that the greeks die?" so we think that our dangers and calamities only belong to ourselves. but how does this principle agree with the commandment of god? for his will is that we should all live together, and be to each other as brethren. cain, therefore, by this very saying of his, heavily accuses himself when he makes the excuse that the custody of his brother was no affair of his. whereas, if he had said to his father, "alas, i have slain abel, my brother. i repent of the deed i have done. return upon me what punishment thou wilt," there might have been room for a remedy; but as he denied his sin, and, contrary to the will of god, disclaimed responsibility for his brother altogether, there was no place left for mercy or favor. 127. moreover, moses took special pains in the preparation of this account, that it might serve as a witness against all hypocrites, and as a chronicle containing a graphic description of their character and of the ire to which they are aroused by satan against god, his word and his church. it was not enough for this murderer that he had killed his brother, contrary to the command of god, but he added the further sin that he became filled with indignation and rage when god inquired of him concerning his brother. i say, "when god inquired of him," because, although it was adam who spoke these words to his son cain, yet he spoke them by the authority of god and by the holy spirit. in view of so great a sin, was it not quite gentle to inquire, "where is abel thy brother?" and yet, to this word, which contained nothing severe, the hypocrite and murderer is ferocious and proud enough to reply, "i know not." and he is indignant that he should be called to an account concerning the matter at all. for the reply of cain is the language of one who resists and hates god. 128. but to this sin cain adds one still worse. justly under indictment for murder, he presently becomes the accuser of god, and expostulates with him: "am i my brother's keeper?" he prefaces his reply with no such expression of reverence or honor as is due both to god and to his father. he did not say, "lord, i know not." he did not say, "my father, didst thou make me the keeper of my brother?" such expressions as these would have indicated a feeling of reverence toward god or toward his parent. but he answers with pride as if he himself were the lord, and plainly manifests that he felt indignation at being called to account by him who had the perfect right to do so. 129. this is a true picture of all hypocrites. living in manifest sins, they grow insolent and proud, aiming all the while to appear righteous. they will not yield even to god himself and his word when upbraided by them. nay, they set themselves against god, contend with him, and excuse their sin. thus david says, that god is judged of men, but that at length he clears and justifies himself, and prevails, ps 51, 4. such is the insolence of the hypocrites moses has here endeavored to paint. 130. but what success has cain with his attempt? this, that his powerful effort to excuse himself becomes a forcible self-accusation. christ says, "out of thine own mouth will i judge thee, thou wicked servant," lk 19, 22. now, this servant wished to appear without guilt, saying: "i knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow; and i was afraid, and hid thy talent," mt 25, 24-25. could he have brought a stronger accusation against himself, in view of the fact that christ immediately turns his words against him? thereby christ evidences the wisdom of the holy spirit. 131. such illustrations help us to learn not to contend with god. on the contrary when you feel in your conscience that you are guilty, take heed with all your soul that you strive neither with god nor with men by defending or excusing your sin. rather do this: when you see god point his spear at you, flee not from him; but, on the contrary, flee to him with a humble confession of your sin, and with prayer for his pardon. then god will draw back his spear and spare you. but when, by the denial and excuse of your sin, you flee farther and farther from him, god will pursue you at close range with still greater determination, and bring you to bay. nothing, therefore, is better or safer than to come with the confession of guilt. thus it comes to pass that god's victory becomes our victory through him. 132. but cain and hypocrites in general do not this. god points his spear at them, but they never humble themselves before him nor pray to him for pardon. nay, they rather point their spear at god, just as cain did on this occasion. cain does not say, "lord, i confess i have killed my brother; forgive me." on the contrary, though being the accused, he himself accuses god by replying, "am i my brother's keeper?" and what did he effect with his pride? his reply was certainly equal to the confession that he cared naught for the divine law, which says, "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," lev 19, 18. and again, "do not unto another that which you would not have another do unto you," mt 7, 12. this law was not first written in the decalog; it was inscribed in the minds of all men. cain acts directly against this law, and shows that he not only cares nothing for it, but absolutely despises it. 133. in this manner, cain represents a man who is not merely wicked, but who occupies such a height of wickedness as to combine hypocrisy with bloodshed, and yet is so eager to maintain the appearance of sanctity that he rather accuses god than concedes the justice of the accusation against himself. and this is what all hypocrites do. they blaspheme god and crucify his son, and yet wish to appear righteous. for after their sins of murder, blasphemy and the like their whole aim is to seek means whereby to excuse and palliate the same. but the result always is that they betray themselves and are condemned out of their own mouths. 134. while cain makes an effort to clear himself, he exhibits the foulest stains. he thinks he made a most plausible excuse when he said, "am i my brother's keeper?" but this very excuse becomes his most shameful accusation. the maxim of hilary, that wickedness and stupidity always go hand in hand, finds unvarying application. if cain had been as wise as he was wicked, he would have excused himself in quite a different manner. now, under the operation of the divine rule that wickedness and stupidity are running mates, he becomes his own accuser. the same principle operates in favor of the truth, and makes her defense against all adversaries easy. just as cain betrayed by word and mien his indifference and hate toward his brother, so all adversaries of the truth betray their wickedness, the one in this way, the other in that. 135. facts of importance and apt for instruction are, therefore, here set before us. and their general import is that god does not permit hypocrites to remain hidden for any length of time, but compels them to betray themselves just when they make shrewd efforts to hide their hypocrisy and crime. 136. moses does not exhibit in his narrative the verbose diction characteristic of pagan literature, where we often find one and the same argument embellished and polished by a variety of colors. we find by experience that no human power of description can do justice to inward emotions. in consequence, verbosity, as a rule, comes short of expressing emotion. moses employs the opposite method, and clothes a great variety of arguments in scant phraseology. 137. above the historian used the expression, "when they were in the field." thereby moses indicates that the murderer cain had watched his opportunity to attack his brother when both were alone. all the circumstances plainly show that abel was not idle at the time; for he was in the field, where he had to do the things his father committed to him. from moses' statement we may infer that abel's parents felt absolutely no fear of danger. for, although at the outset they had feared that the wrath of cain would eventually break out into still greater sin, cain, by his gentleness and pretended affection, prevented all suspicion of evil on the part of his parents. for had there been the least trace of apprehension, they certainly would not have permitted abel to go from their presence alone. they would have sent his sisters with him as companions; for he no doubt had some. or his parents themselves would have prevented by their presence and authority the perpetration of so great a crime. as already stated, also the mind of abel was perfectly free from suspicion. for, had he suspected the least evil at the hand of his brother, he would doubtless have sought safety by flight. but after he had heard that cain bore the judgment of god with composure, and did not envy the brother his honor, he pursued his work in the field with a feeling of security. 138. what orator could do justice to the scene which moses depicts in one word: "cain rose up against his brother?" many descriptions of cruelty are to be found on every hand, but could any be painted as more atrocious and execrable than is the case here? "he rose up against his brother," moses writes. it is as if he had said, cain rose up against abel, the only brother he had, with whom he had been brought up and with whom he had lived to that day. but not only the relationship cain utterly forgot; he forgot their common parents also. the greatness of the grief he would cause his parents by such a grave crime, never entered his mind. he did not think that abel was a brother, from whom he had never received any offense whatever. for cain knew that the honor of having offered the more acceptable sacrifice, proceeded not from any desire or ambition in abel, but from god himself. nor did cain consider that he, who had hitherto stood in the highest favor with his parents, would lose that favor altogether and would fall under their deepest displeasure as a result of his crime. 139. it is recorded in history of an artist who painted the scene of iphigenia's sacrifice, that when he had given to the countenance of each of the spectators present its appropriate expression of grief and pain, he found himself unable to portray the vastness of the father's grief, who was present also, and hence painted his head draped. 140. such is the method, i think, moses employs in this passage, when he uses the verb _yakam_, "rose up against." what tragical pictures would the eloquence of a cicero or a livy have drawn in an attempt to portray, through the medium of their oratory, the wrath of the one brother, and the dread, the cries, the prayers, the tears, the uplifted hands, and all the horrors of the other! but not even in that way can justice be done to the subject. moses, therefore, pursues the right course, when he portrays, by a mere outline, things too great for utterance. such brevity tends to enlist the reader's undivided attention to a subject which the vain adornment of many words disfigures and mars, like paint applied to natural beauty. 141. this is true also of the additional statement, "he slew him." occasionally we see men start a quarrel and commit murder for a trivial cause, but no such ordinary murder is described here. murderers of this kind immediately afterward are filled with distress; they grieve for the deeds they have done and acknowledge them to be delusions of the devil by which he blinded their minds. cain felt no distress; he expressed no grief, but denied the deed he had done. 142. this satanic and insatiable hatred in hypocrites is described by christ in the words, "when they kill you, they will think that they do god service," jn 16, 2. so the priests and the kings filled jerusalem with the blood of the prophets and gloried in what they did as a great achievement; for they considered this as proof of their zeal for the law and the house of god. 143. and the fury of popes and bishops in our day is just the same. they are not satisfied with having excommunicated us again and again, and with having shed our blood, but they wish to blot out our memory from the land of the living, according to the description in the psalm, "rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof," ps 137, 7. such hatred is not human but satanic. for all human hatred becomes mellow in time; at all events, it will cease after it has avenged our injury and gratified its passion. but the hatred of these pharisees assumes constantly larger dimensions, especially since it is smoothed over by a show of piety. 144. cain, therefore, is the father of all those murderers who slaughter the saints, and whose wrath knows no end so long as there remains one of them, as is proved in the case of christ himself. as for cain, there is no doubt of his having hoped that by putting abel to death he should keep the honor of his birthright. thus, the ungodly always think that their cruelty will profit them in some way. but when they find that their hope is vain they fall into despair. 145. now, when the fact of this shameful murder was made known to the parents, what do we think must have been the sad scenes resulting? what lamentations? what sighs and groans? but i dwell not on these things; they are for the man with the gifts of eloquence and imagination to describe. it was certainly a marvel that both parents were not struck lifeless with grief. the calamity was rendered the greater by the fact that their first-born, who had aroused so large hopes concerning himself, was the perpetrator of this horrible murder. 146. if, therefore, adam and eve had not been helped from above, they could never have been equal to this disaster in their home; for there is nothing like it in all the world. adam and eve were without that consolation which we may have in sudden and unexpected calamities, namely, that like evils have befallen others and have not come upon us alone. our first parents had only two sons, though i believe that they had daughters also; and therefore they lacked such instances of grief in the human family as we have before our eyes. 147. who can doubt, moreover, that satan by this new species of temptation increased greatly the grief of our first parents? they no doubt thought, behold, this is all our sin. we, in paradise, wished to become like god; but by our sin we have become like the devil. this is the case also with our son. we loved only this son, and made everything of him! our other son, abel, was righteous before us, above this son; but of his righteousness we made nothing! this elder son we hoped would be he who should crush the serpent's head; but behold, he himself is crushed by the serpent! nay, he himself has become like the serpent, for he is now a murderer. and whence is this? is it not because he was born of us, and because we, through our sin, are what we are? therefore it is to our flesh; therefore it is to our sin, that this calamity must be traced. 148. it is very probable, accordingly, and the events of the series of years which followed strengthen this probability, that the sorrowing parents, shaken to the core by their calamity, abstained for a long time from connubial intercourse. for it appears that when cain committed this murder he was about thirty years of age. during this period some daughters were born unto adam. in view of the subsequent statements, verse 17, that "cain knew his wife," he no doubt married a sister. moreover, since cain himself says in verse 14, "it shall come to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me", and as it is further said in verse 15, "the lord set a mark upon cain, lest any finding him should kill him"--it appears most probable from all these circumstances that adam had many children besides cain and abel, but these two only are mentioned, on account of their important and memorable history, and because these two were their first and most remarkable children. it is my full belief that the marriage of our first parents was most fruitful during the first thirty years of their union. somewhere calmana and dibora are mentioned as daughters of adam, but i know not whether the authors are worthy of credence. inasmuch, therefore, as the birth of seth is recorded as having taken place a long time after this murder, it seems to me very probable that the parents, distressed beyond measure at this monstrous crime in the bosom of their family, refrained for a long time from procreation. while moses does not touch upon all these things, he intimates enough to arouse in the reader a desire to dwell upon the noteworthy events which the absence of detailed information permits us to survey only from a distance. 149. but i return to the text before us. cain is an evil and wicked man, and yet, in the eyes of his parents, he is a divine possession and gift. abel, on the contrary, is in the eyes of his parents nothing; but in the eyes of god he is truly a righteous man; an appellation with which also christ honors him when he calls him "righteous abel"! mt 23, 35. this divine judgment concerning abel, cain could not endure, and, therefore, he thought that by murder not only the hatred against his brother could be satisfied, but also his birthright be retained. but he was far from thinking that was sin; as the first-born he thought he had exercised his right. he killed abel, not with a sword, as i think, but with a club or a stone, for i hold that there were as yet no iron weapons. 150. after the murder, cain remained unconcerned, for he thought the deed could be concealed by hiding the body, which he buried, or perhaps cast into a river, thinking that thus it would surely remain undiscovered by his parents. when abel, however, had been from home a longer time than had been his habit, the holy spirit prompted adam to inquire of cain concerning abel, saying, "where is abel thy brother?" the above-mentioned utterance of adam, "if not, sin lieth at the door," was a prophecy which now began to come true. cain thought he had laid his sin to rest, and all would thus remain hidden. and true it was that his sin did lie at rest, but it lay at rest "at the door." and who opens the door? none other than the lord himself! he arouses the sleeping sin! he brings the hidden sin to light! 151. the same thing must come to pass with all sinners. for, unless by repentance you first come to god, and yourself confess your sin to god, god will surely come to you, to disclose your sin. for god cannot endure that any one should deny his sin. to this fact the psalmist testifies: "when i kept silence, my bones wasted away through my roaring all the day long. for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me; my moisture was changed as with the drouth of summer." ps 32, 3-4. for, although sin has its sleep and its security, yet that sleep is "at the door"; it cannot long last, and the sin cannot remain hidden. 152. when moses introduces jehovah as speaking, i understand him to mean, as above, that it was adam who spoke by the holy spirit in the place of god, whom he represented in his relation as father. the expression of the holy spirit, therefore, is intended to set forth the high authority of parents; when children dutifully hear and obey these, they hear and obey god. and i believe adam knew by the revelation of the holy spirit that abel had been slain by his brother; for his words intimate the commission of murder at a time when cain still dissembled as to what he had done. v. cain punished for his murder. a. cain's punishment in general. 1. by whom and how he is punished 153. 2. why he was not put to death 153. * the double grief of the first parents 154. * what was adam's church and altar 155. 3. how cain was excommunicated 156. * god's inquiry about abel's blood. a. how unbelievers refer to it 157. b. how a theologian should use it 158. c. it is a great and important matter 159. * how abel's death is to be viewed 159. d. why god does not inquire after the blood of beasts 160-161. e. whether this inquiry was from god direct or made through adam 162-163. f. how cain felt upon this inquiry 164. * the result of sin to murderers and other sinners 165-166. * an evil conscience the result of evil-doing 166. g. how to understand the statement that abel's blood crieth to heaven 167. * how god's children are to comfort themselves when the world oppresses them and seemingly god refuses to help 168-171. h. this inquiry is a sign of god's care for abel 169. * the blood of many evangelical martyrs cry to the papists 170. * how god opportunely judges the afflictions of believers 171. * why god's vengeance does not immediately follow 172. i. the time this inquiry occurred 173. * god indeed has regard for the sufferings and tears of his children 174. * how sinners can meet the judgments of god 174. 4. the miserable life cain must have led after his punishment 175. b. cain's punishment in detail. 1. the church suffered. a. how cain's punishment and curse differed from adam's 176-178. b. why cain's person was cursed 178-179. * the more cain desired honor, the less he received 180. * the beginning of both churches, the true and the false 181. * cain's whole posterity perished in sin 181. c. how his curse and punishment were lightened 182. * whether any of cain's posterity were saved, and holy 182. * the way the heathen had part in the promise 182-185. * the way cain withheld his children from the true church 185. 2. the home suffered. a. how this curse affected the earth 186-187. b. why adam used such severe words in this curse 186. c. how it caused the earth to be less fruitful 187. * the difference between "arez" and "adama" 188. 3. the state suffered. * what "no" and "nod" mean, and how they differ 189-190. * cain's sin punished in three ways and in each the sin was mitigated 191-193. * cain a fugitive and a wanderer. a. this refers chiefly to the true church, as is illustrated by many examples of the saints 194-195. b. it refers less to the false 194-195. c. many take offense at this 196. v. how cain was punished for his murder. a. cain's punishment in general. 153. if eve overheard these words, what think you must have been the state of her mind! her grief must have been beyond all description. but the calamity was brought home to adam with even greater force. as he was the father, it fell to him to rebuke his son and to excommunicate him for his sin. since, according to the ninth chapter, the law concerning the death-penalty for murderers was not promulgated until afterward when the patriarchs beheld murder becoming alarmingly frequent, adam did not put cain to death, but safeguarded his life in obedience to the prompting and direction of the holy spirit; still, it is a fact not to be gainsaid that the punishment ordained for him and all his posterity was anything but light. for in addition to that curse upon his body he suffered excommunication from his family, separation from the sight of his parents and from the society of his brothers and sisters, who remained with their parents, or in the fellowship of the church. 154. now, adam could not have done all this, nor could eve have heard it without indescribable anguish. for a father is a father, and a son is a son. gladly would adam have spared his son and retained him at home, as we now sometimes see murderers become reconciled to the brothers of their victims. but in this case no place was left for reconciliation. cain is bidden at once to be a fugitive upon the face of the earth. the pain of the parents was doubled in consequence. they see one of their sons slain, and the other excommunicated by the judgment of god and cut off forever from the fellowship of his brethren. 155. moreover, when we here speak of excommunication from the church, it stands to reason that not our houses of worship, built in magnificent style and ample proportions out of hewn stone, are meant. the sanctuary, or church, of adam was a certain tree, or a certain little hill under the open heaven, where they assembled to hear the word of god and to offer their sacrifices, for which purpose they had erected altars. and when they offered their sacrifices and heard the word, god was present, as we see from the experience of abel. also elsewhere in the sacred story, mention is made of such altars under the open heaven, and of sacrifices made upon them. and, if we should come together at this day under the open sky to bend our knees, to preach, to give thanks, and to bless each other, a custom would be inaugurated altogether beneficial. 156. it was from a temple of this kind and from such a church, not a conspicuous and magnificent church at a particular place, that cain was cast out. he was thus doubly punished; first, by a corporal penalty, because the earth was accursed to him, and secondly, by a spiritual penalty, because by excommunication, he was cast out from the temple and the church of god as from another paradise. 157. lawyers also have drawn upon this passage, and quite properly brought out the fact that jehovah first investigated the matter and then passed sentence. their application is, that no one should be pronounced guilty until his case has been tried; until he has been called to the bar, proved guilty and convicted. this, according to a previous statement, was also done with adam: "the lord god called unto adam, and said unto him. where art thou?" gen 3, 9. and further on: "i will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, i will know," gen 11, 5; 18, 21. 158. however, dismissing the matter in its bearings upon public life, let us view its more attractive theological features. the element of doctrine and of hope is found in the fact that jehovah inquires concerning the dead abel. clearly there is pointed out to us here the truth of the resurrection of the dead. god declared himself to be the god of abel, although now dead, and he inquired for the dead, for abel. upon this passage we may establish the incontrovertible principle that, if there were no one to care for us after this life, abel would not have been inquired for after he was slain. but god inquires after abel, even when he had been taken from this life; he has no desire to forget him; he retains the remembrance of him; he asks: "where is he?" god, therefore, we see, is the god of the dead. my meaning is that even the dead, as we here see, still live in the memory of god, and have a god who cares for them, and saves them in another life beyond and different from this corporal life in which saints suffer affliction. 159. this passage, therefore, is most worthy of our attention. we see that god cared for abel, even when dead; and that on account of the dead abel, he excommunicated cain, and visited him, the living, with destruction in spite of his being the first-born. a towering fact this, that abel, though dead, was living and canonized in another life more effectually and truly than those whom the pope ever canonized! the death of abel was indeed horrible; he did not suffer death without excruciating torment nor without many tears. yet it was a blessed death, for now he lives a more blessed life than he did before. this bodily life of ours is lived in sin, and is ever in danger of death. but that other life is eternal and perfectly free from trials and troubles, both of the body and of the soul. 160. no! god inquires not after the sheep and the oxen that are slain, but he does inquire after the men who are slain. accordingly men possess the hope of a resurrection. they have a god who brings them back from the death of the body unto eternal life, a god who inquires after their blood as a most precious thing. the psalmist says: "precious in the sight of jehovah is the death of his saints," ps 116, 15. 161. this is the glory of the human race, obtained for it by the seed of the woman which bruised the serpent's head. the case of abel is the first instance of such promise made to adam and eve, and god showed by the same that the serpent did not harm abel, although it caused his murder. this was indeed an instance of the serpent's "bruising the heel" of the woman's seed. but in the very attempt to bite, its own head was crushed. for god, in answer to abel's faith in the promised seed, required the blood of the dead, and proved himself thereby to be his god still. this is all proved by what follows. v. 10. _and he said, what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground._ 162. cain's sin hath hitherto lain at the door. and the preceding circumstances plainly show how hard he struggled to keep his sin asleep. for being interrogated by his father concerning his brother abel and his whereabouts, he disclaimed knowledge of the matter, thus adding to murder lying. this answer of cain is sufficient evidence that the above words were spoken by adam in his own person, and not by god in his divine majesty. for cain believed that the deed was hidden from his father, as he was a mere man, while he could not have thought this of the divine majesty. therefore, had god spoken to him in his own person, he would have returned a different answer. but, as he thought himself dealing with a human being only, cain denied his deed altogether, saying: "i know not. how numerous are the perils by which a man may perish. he may have been destroyed by wild beasts; he may have been drowned in some river; or he may have lost his life by some other death." 163. thus cain thought that his father would think of any other cause of death than the perpetration of murder. but cain could not deceive the holy spirit in adam. adam therefore, as god's representative, arraigns him with the words, "what hast thou done?" as if he had said "why dost thou persist in denying the deed; be assured thou canst not deceive god, who hath revealed to me all. thou thinkest the blood of thy brother is hidden by the earth. but it is not so absorbed and concealed thereby as to prevent the blood crying aloud unto god." that meant to awaken the sin lying at the door, and to drag it forth. 164. the text before us, then, provides much consolation against the enemies and murderers of the church; for it teaches us that our afflictions and sufferings and the shedding of our blood fill heaven and earth with their cries. i believe, therefore, that cain was so overwhelmed and confounded by these words of his father that, as if thunderstruck, he knew not what to say or what to do. no doubt his thoughts were, "if my father adam knows about the murder which i have committed, how can i any longer doubt that it is known unto god, unto the angels, and unto heaven and earth? whither can i flee? which way can i turn, wretched man that i am?" 165. such is the state of murderers to this day. they are so harassed with the stings of conscience, after the crime of murder has been committed, that they are always in a state of alarm. it seems to them that heaven and earth have put on a changed aspect toward them, and they know not whither to flee. a case in point is orestes pursued by the furies, as described by the poets. a horrible thing is the cry of spilled blood and an evil conscience. 166. the same is true of all other atrocious sins. those who commit them, experience the same distresses of mind when remorse lays hold of them. the whole creation seems changed toward them, and even when they speak to persons with whom they have been familiar, and when they hear the answers they make, the very sound of their voice appears to them altogether changed and their countenances seem to wear an altered aspect. whichever way they turn their eyes, all things are clothed, as it were, in gloom and horror. so grim and fierce a monster is a guilty conscience! and, unless such sinners are succored from above, they must put an end to their existence because of their anguish and intolerable pain. 167. again moses' customary conciseness is in evidence, which, however, is more effective than an excess of words. in the first place, he personifies a lifeless object when he attributes to blood a voice filling with its cries heaven and the earth. how can that voice be small or weak which, rising from earth, is heard by god in heaven? abel, therefore, who when alive was patient under injuries and gentle and placid of spirit, now, when dead and buried in the earth, can not brook the wrong inflicted. he who before dared not murmur against his brother, now fairly shrieks, and so completely enlists god in his cause that he descends from heaven, to charge the murderer with his crime. moses, accordingly, here uses the more pregnant term. he does not say, "the voice of thy brother's blood speaketh unto me from the ground," but, "the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me." it is a cry like the shout of heralds when they raise their voices to assemble men together. 168. these things are written, as i have observed, to convince us that our god is merciful, that he loves his saints, takes them into his special care, and demands an account for them; while, on the other hand, he is angry with the murderers of his saints, hates them and designs their punishment. of this consolation we stand in decided need. when oppressed by our enemies and murderers, we are apt to conclude that our god has forgotten and lost interest in us. we think that if god cared for us, he would not permit such things to come upon us. likewise, abel might have reasoned: god surely cares nothing for me; for if he did, he would not suffer me thus to be murdered by my brother. 169. but only look at what follows! does not god safeguard the interests of abel better than he could possibly have done himself? how could abel have inflicted on his brother such vengeance as god does, now that abel is dead? how could he, if alive, execute such judgment on his brother as god here executes? now the blood of abel cries aloud, who, while alive, was of a most retiring disposition. now abel accuses his brother before god of being a murderer; when alive he would bear all the injuries of his brother in silence. for who was it that disclosed the murder committed by cain? was it not, as the text here tells us, the blood of abel, fairly deafening with its constant cries the ears of god and men? 170. these things, i say, are all full of consolation; especially for us who now suffer persecution from the popes and wicked princes on account of our doctrine. they have practiced against us the utmost cruelty and have vented their rage against godly men, not in germany only, but also in other parts of europe. and all this sin is disregarded by the papacy, as if it were nothing but a joke. nay, the papists really consider it to be a service toward god, jn 16, 2. all this sin, therefore, as yet "lieth at the door." but it shall become manifest in due time. the blood of leonard kaiser, which was shed in bavaria, is not silent. nor is the blood of henry of zutphen, which was shed in dietmar; nor that of our brother anthony, of england, who was cruelly and without a hearing slain by his english countrymen. i could mention a thousand others who, although their names are not so prominent, were yet fellow-sufferers with confessors and martyrs. the blood of all these, i say, will not be silent; in due time it will cause god to descend from heaven and execute such judgment in the earth as the enemies of the gospel will not be able to bear. 171. let us not think, therefore, that god does not heed the shedding of our blood! let us not imagine for a moment that god does not regard our afflictions! no! he collects all our tears, and puts them into his bottle, ps 56, 8. the cry of the blood of all the godly penetrates the clouds and the heavens to the very throne of god, and entreats him to avenge the blood of the righteous, ps 79, 10. 172. as these things are written for our consolation, so are they written for the terror of our adversaries. for what think you can be more horrible for our tyrants to hear than that the blood of the slain continually cries aloud and accuses them before god? god is indeed long-suffering, especially now toward the end of the world; and therefore sin lies the longer "at the door," and vengeance does not immediately follow. but it is surely true that god is most grievously offended with all this sin, and that he will never suffer it to pass unpunished. 173. such judgment of god on cain, however, i do not believe to have been executed on the first day, but some time afterward. for it is god's nature to be long-suffering, inasmuch as he waits for the sinner to turn. but he does not, on that account, fail to punish him. for he is the righteous judge both of the living and of the dead, as we confess in our christian faith. such judgment god exercised in the very beginning of the world with reference to these two brothers. he judged and condemned the living murderer, and justified murdered abel. he excommunicated cain and drove him into such agonies of soul that the space of the whole creation seemed too narrow to contain him. from the moment cain saw that god would be the avenger of his brother's blood, he felt nowhere safe. to abel, on the other hand, god gave for enjoyment the full width of earth and heaven. 174. why, then, should we ever doubt that god ponders and numbers in his heart the afflictions of his people, and that he measures our tears and inscribes them on adamantine tablets? and this inscription the enemies of the church shall never be able to erase by any device whatever except by repentance. manasseh was a terrible tyrant and a most inhuman persecutor of the godly. and his banishment and captivity would never have sufficed to blot out these sins. but when he acknowledged his sin and repented in truth, then the lord showed him mercy. so paul had, and so the pope and the bishops have now, only one way left them: to acknowledge their sin and to supplicate the forgiveness of god. if they will not do this, god in his wrath will surely require at their hands the blood of the godly. let no one doubt this! 175. abel is dead, but cain is still alive. but, good god, what a wretched life is that which he lives! he might wish never to have been born, as he hears that he is excommunicated and must look for death and retribution at any moment. and in due time this will be the lot of our adversaries and of the oppressors of the church. b. cain's punishment in detail. v. 11. _and now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;_ 176. we have heard, so far, of the disclosure of cain's sin through the voice of abel's blood, of his conviction by adam his father, and of the decision rendered with reference to the two brothers, namely, that the one should be canonized, or declared a saint--the first fruits, as it were, of the blessed seed; but that the other, the first-born, should be condemned and excommunicated, as shall presently be shown. now moses mentions the penalties to be visited upon such fratricide. 177. first of all, we should mark as particularly worthy of note the discrimination exercised by the holy spirit. previously, when the penalty for his sin was inflicted upon adam, a curse was placed not upon the person of adam, but only upon the earth; and even this curse was not absolute but qualified. the expression is this: "cursed is the ground for thy sake"; and in the eighth chapter of the romans, verse twenty, we read: "the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly." the fact is, that the earth, inasmuch as it bore guilty man, became involved in the curse as his instrument, just as also the sword, gold, and other objects, are cursed for the reason that men make them the instruments of their sin. with fine reasoning the holy spirit discriminates between the earth and adam. he diverts the curse to the earth, but saves the person. 178. but in this instance the holy spirit speaks of cain. he curses the person of cain. and why is this? is it because the sin of cain, as a murderer, was greater than the sin of adam and eve? not so. but because adam was the root from whose flesh and loins christ, that blessed seed, should be born. it is this seed, therefore, that was spared. for the sake of this seed, the fruit of the loins of adam, the curse is transferred from the person of adam to the earth. thus, adam bears the curse of the earth, but his person is not cursed; from his posterity christ was to be born. 179. cain, however, since he fell by his sin, must suffer the curse being inflicted upon his person. he hears it said to him, "cursed art thou," that we might understand he was cut off from the glory of the promised seed, and condemned never to have in his posterity that seed through which the blessing should come. thus cain was cast out from the stupendous glory of the promised seed. abel was slain; therefore there could be no posterity from him. but adam was ordained to serve god by further procreation. in adam alone, therefore, after cain's rejection, the hope of the blessed seed rested until seth was born unto him. 180. the words spoken to cain, "cursed art thou," are few, but nevertheless entitled to a great deal of attention, in that they are equal to the declaration: thou art not the one from whom the blessed seed is hoped for. with this word cain stands cast out and cut off like a branch from the root, unable longer to hope for the distinction around which he had circled. it is a fact, that cain craved the distinction of passing on the blessing; but the more closely he encircled it the more elusive it became. such is the lot of all evildoers: their failure is commensurate with their efforts to succeed. 181. from this occurrence originate the two churches which are at war with each other: the one of adam and the righteous, which has the hope and promise of the blessed seed; the other of cain, which has forfeited this hope and promise through sin, without ever being able to regain it. for in the flood cain's whole posterity became extinct, so that there has been no prophet, no saint, no prince of the true church who could trace his lineage back to cain. all that was denied cain and withdrawn from him, when he was told: "cursed art thou." 182. we find added, however, the words, "from the ground." these words qualify the fearful wrath. for, if god had said, "from the heavens," he would have deprived his posterity forever of the hope of salvation. as it is, the words, "from the ground," convey, indeed, the menacing decision that the promise of the seed has been forfeited, but the possibility is left that descendants of cain as individuals, prompted by the holy spirit, may join themselves to adam and find salvation. this, in after ages, really came to pass. while it is true the promise of the blessed seed was a distinction confined to the jews, according to the statement in psalm 147, 20: "he hath not dealt so with any nation," the gentiles, nevertheless, retained the privilege of beggars, so to speak. it was in this manner that the gentiles, through divine mercy, obtained the same blessing the jews possessed on the ground of the divine faithfulness and promise. 183. in like manner, all rule in the church was absolutely denied also to the moabites and amorites; and yet many private individuals among them embraced the religion of the jews. thus, every right in the church was taken away from cain and his posterity absolutely, yet permission was left them to beg, as it were, for grace. that was not taken from them. cain, because of his sin, was cast out from the right of sitting at the family table of adam. but the right was left him to gather up, doglike, the crumbs that fell from his father's table, mt 15, 26-27. this is signified by the hebrew expression _min haadama_, "from the ground." 184. i make these observations because there is a great probability that many of the posterity of cain joined themselves to the holy patriarchs. but their privileges were not those of an obligatory service toward them on the part of the church, but mere toleration of them as individuals who had lost the promise that the blessed seed was to spring from their flesh and blood. to forfeit the promise was no trifle; still, even that curse was so mitigated as to secure for them the privilege of beggars, so that heaven was not absolutely denied them, provided they allied themselves with the true church. 185. but this is what cain, no doubt, strove to hinder in various ways. he set up new forms of worship and invented numerous ceremonies, that thereby he might also appear to be the church. those, however, who departed from him and joined the true church, were saved, although they were compelled to surrender the distinction that christ was to be born from their flesh and blood. but let us now return to the text. 186. moses here uses a very striking personification. he represents the earth as a dreaded beast when he speaks of her as having opened her mouth and swallowed the innocent blood of abel. but why does he treat the earth so ruthlessly since all this was done without her will? yes, being a creature of god which is good, did not all transpire in opposition to her will and in spite of her struggle against it, according to paul's teaching: "the earth was made subject to vanity, not willingly," rom 8, 20. my reply is: the object was to impress adam and all his posterity, so that they might live in the fear of god and beware of murder. the words of adam have this import "behold the earth hath opened her mouth and swallowed the blood of thy brother; but she ought to have swallowed thee, the murderer. the earth is indeed a good creature, and is good to the good and godly; but to the wicked she is full of pitfalls." it is for the purpose of inspiring murderers with fear and dread that these terrifying words were spoken. nor is there any doubt that cain, after hearing the words from an angry father, was overwhelmed with terror and confusion, not knowing whither to turn. the expression, "which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand," is, indeed, terrifying, but it portrays the turpitude of the fratricidal deed better than any picture. v. 12a. _when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength._ 187. the lord said above to adam, "thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee." but the words spoken to cain are different. as if he had said, "thou hast watered and fertilized the earth, not with healthful and quickening rain, but with thy brother's blood. therefore the earth shall be to thee less productive than to others. for the blood thou hast shed shall hinder the strength and the fruitfulness of the earth." this material curse is the second part of the punishment. the earth, although alike cultivated by adam and cain, should be more fruitful to adam than to cain and yield its return to the former for his labors. but to the labors of cain it should not yield such returns, though by nature desirous to give in proportion to its fruitfulness and strength, because it was hindered by the blood spilled by cain. 188. here we must offer a remark of a grammatical nature. in the present passage moses terms the earth _haadama_. in the passage following, "a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth" he uses the term _arez_. now _adama_ signifies, according to grammatical interpreters, that part of the earth which is cultivated, where trees grow and other fruits of the earth adapted for food. but _arez_ signifies the whole earth, whether cultivated or uncultivated. this curse, therefore, properly has reference to the part of the earth cultivated for food. and the curse implies that where one ear of wheat brings forth three hundred grains for adam, it should bring forth scarcely ten grains for cain the murderer; and this for the purpose that cain might behold on every side god's hatred and punishment of the shedding of blood. v. 12b. _a fugitive and a wanderer (vagabond) shalt thou be in the earth._ 189. this is a third punishment resting on murderers to our day. for, unless they find reconciliation, they have nowhere a fixed abode or a secure dwelling-place. we find here, in the original, two words, _no vanod_, signifying vagabond and fugitive. the distinction i make between them is, that _no_ designates the uncertainty of one's dwelling-place. an illustration is furnished by the jews, who have no established habitation, but fear every hour lest they be compelled to wander forth. _nod_, on the other hand, signifies the uncertainty of finding the dwelling-place sought; with the uncertainty of a present permanent dwelling-place there is linked the uncertainty of a goal to strive for when the present uncertain dwelling-place must be abandoned. thus, the punishment contains two features, the insecurity of the present dwelling-place and a lack of knowledge whither to turn when thrust forth from the insecure abode of the present. in this sense the term is used in psalm 109, 10: "let his children be continually _vagabonds_." that means, nowhere shall they find a certain abode; if they are in greece this year, they shall migrate to italy the next, and so from place to place. 190. just such is evidently the miserable state of the jews at the present day. they can fix their dwelling-place nowhere permanently. and to such evil god adds this other in the case of cain, that when he should be driven from one place of abode he should not know where to turn, and thus should live suspended, as it were, between heaven and earth, not knowing where to abide nor where to look for a permanent place of refuge. 191. in this manner the sin of cain was visited with a threefold punishment. in the first place he was deprived of all spiritual or churchly glory; for the promise that the blessed seed was to be born from his posterity, was taken from him. in the second place, the earth was cursed, which is a punishment affecting his home life. the third punishment affects his relations to the community, in that he must be a vagabond without a fixed abode anywhere. 192. notwithstanding, an open door of return into the church is left, but without a covenant. for, as has been explained, in the event that any one of cain's posterity should ally himself with the true church and the holy fathers, he was saved. thus the home is left, but without a blessing; and the state is left so that he may found a city and dwell there, but for how long, is uncertain. without exaggeration, therefore, he may be likened to a beggar in church, home and state. 193. this punishment is mitigated by the prohibition to slay him forthwith after the commission of the murderous deed, a law providing for the punishment of murderers which was reserved for a later day. cain was saved that he might be an example for others, to teach them to fear god and to beware of murder. so much about the sin, arraignment, and punishment of cain. 194. but there are some who reply that, the godly, likewise sometimes endure these same curses, while the wicked, on the contrary, are free from them. thus, paul says that he also "wandered about and had no certain dwelling-place," 1 cor 4, 11. such is even our condition to-day, who are teachers in the churches. we have no certain dwelling-place; either we are driven into banishment or we expect banishment any hour. such was the lot also of christ, the apostles, the prophets, and the patriarchs. 195. concerning jacob the scriptures say "the elder shall serve the younger," gen 25, 23. but does not jacob become a servant when we see him, from fear of his brother, haste away into exile? does he not, on his return home, supplicate his brother and fall on his knees before him? is not isaac also seen to be a most miserable beggar? gen 6, 1-35. abraham, his father, goes into exile among the gentiles and possesses not in all the world a place to set his foot, as stephen says, acts 7, 1-5. on the other hand, ishmael was a king, and had the princes of the land of midian as his offspring before israel entered into the land of promise, gen 25, 16. thus, as we shall see a little later, cain first built the city of enoch, and, furthermore, became the ancestor of shepherds, workers in metals, and musicians. all this appears to prove that it is a mistake to attribute to cain and his posterity a curse. the curse seems to rest with weight upon the true church, while the wicked appear to thrive and flourish. 196. these things are often a stumbling-block, not to the world only, but even to the saints, as the psalms in many places testify. and the prophets, also, are frequently found to grow indignant, as does jeremiah, when they see the wicked possess freedom as it were from the evils of life, while they are oppressed and afflicted in various ways. men may therefore inquire, where is the curse of the wicked? where is the blessing of the godly? is not the converse the truth? cain is a vagabond and settled nowhere; and yet cain is the first man that builds a city and has a certain place to dwell in. but we will answer this argument more fully hereafter. we will now proceed with the text of moses. vi. cain's conduct when punished. 1. how he despaired. "my punishment is greater" etc. a. these words have greatly perplexed interpreters 197. b. the way augustine explains them 197. c. the explanation of the rabbins 198. * how the rabbins pervert the scriptures and whence their false comments 198-199. d. why the rabbins' interpretation cannot be accepted 200. e. the true understanding of these words 201. * the punishment troubles cain more than his sin 201. f. what makes these words difficult 202. * the right understanding of the words "minso" and "avon" 202-203. * grammarians cannot get at the right meaning of the scriptures 204. * how we should proceed in interpreting scripture 204. 2. how cain viewed his political punishment 205. 3. how he viewed his ecclesiastical punishment 206. * why cain was excommunicated by adam 206-207. * in what sense cain was a fugitive and a wanderer 208-209. * adam received his punishment in a better way 210. * the meaning of being a fugitive and a wanderer. how the same is found among the papists 211-212. * the grace of god was guaranteed to seth and his posterity 212. * why no temptation can harm believers 212. 4. cain's fear that in turn he would be slain 213. * god shows cain a double favor in his punishment. why he does this 213. * whether any of cain's posterity, under the old testament, were saved 214-215. 5. whether cain prayed that he might die, as augustine, lyra and others relate 216-217. * the fables of the rabbins cause luther double work and why he occasionally cites them 218. * whether god changed his judgment upon cain 219. * why god still showed cain incidental grace 219. * the fables of the jews concerning cain's death and lamech's punishment 220-221. * it is foolish to dispute concerning the sevenfold vengeance to be visited upon the one who slew cain 222. * the divine promises. a. they are twofold, of the law and of grace 223. b. the promise adam received 224. c. whether god gave cain one of these promises 224-225. d. the kind of promises well organized police stations have 226. e. the promises the church has 227. f. cain's promise is temporal, incidental and incomplete 227. * was cain murdered 228. 6. how cain had cause to fear, even though there were no people on the earth except adam and eve and his sisters 229-230. * the sign that is put upon cain. a. can anything definite be said of it. what the fathers thought of it 231. b. why this sign was placed upon him 232. c. how he had to carry it his whole life 232. d. how the sign was a confirmation and a promise of the law 233. 7. of cain's departure, and his excommunication from the presence of jehovah. a. the first parents in obedience to god made cain an outcast 234-235. b. how the first parents overcame their parental affections in expelling cain 236. * what should urge men to flee from their false security 237. c. his expulsion must have pierced cain to the heart 238. * what is the presence of jehovah 238. d. how he went from the presence of jehovah, to be without that presence 239. e. it was a sad departure, both for cain and his parents 240. f. whither he resorted 241. * what meaning of "in the land of nod" 241. * of paradise. (1) the deluge very likely destroyed paradise 241. (2) where was paradise 242. * of the deluge. (1) the deluge destroyed paradise 243. * cain lived where babylon was built later 244. (2) the deluge gave the earth an entirely different form 244. vi. cain's conduct upon being punished. v. 13. _and cain said unto jehovah, my punishment (iniquity) is greater than i can bear (than can be remitted)._ 197. here moses seems to have fixed a cross for the grammarians and the rabbins; for they crucify this passage in various ways. lyra recites the opinions of some who see in this passage an affirmation, considering it to mean that in his despair cain claimed his sin to be greater than could be pardoned. this is our rendering. augustine likewise retained this view of the passage, for he says, "thou liest, cain; for the mercy of god is greater than the misery of all the sinners." 198. the rabbins, however, expound the passage as a denial in the form of a question, as if he had said, "is my iniquity greater than can be remitted?" but if this rendering be the true one, cain not only does not acknowledge his sin, but excuses it and, in addition, insults god for laying upon him a punishment greater than he deserves. in this way the rabbins almost everywhere corrupt the sense of the scriptures. consequently i begin to hate them, and i admonish all who read them, to do so with careful discrimination. although they did possess the knowledge of some things by tradition from the fathers, they corrupted them in various ways; and therefore they often deceived by those corruptions even jerome himself. nor did the poets of old so fill the world with their fables as the wicked jews did the scriptures with their absurd opinions. a great task, therefore, is incumbent upon us in endeavoring to keep the text free from their comments. 199. the occasion for all this error is the fact that some men are competent to deal only with grammatical questions, but not with the subject matter itself; that is, they are not theologians at the same time. the inevitable result is mistakes and the crucifixion of themselves as well as of the scriptures. for how can any one explain what he does not understand? now the subject matter in the present passage is that cain is accused in his own conscience. and no one, not only no wicked man, but not even the devil himself, can endure this judgment; as james witnesses, "the devils also believe and tremble before god," jas 2, 19. peter also says, "whereas angels which are greater in power and might cannot endure that judgment which the lord will exercise upon blasphemers," 2 pet 2, 11. so also manasseh in his prayer, verses 4 and 5, confesses that all men tremble before the face of the lord's anger. 200. all this is sufficient evidence that cain, when arraigned by god, did not have courage to withstand and to argue with him. for god is an almighty adversary; the first assault he makes is upon the heart itself when he takes the conscience into his grasp. of this the rabbins know nothing, nor can they understand it; in consequence they speak of this arraignment as if it took place before men, where the truth is either denied or facts are smoothed over. this is impossible when god arraigns men; as christ says in matthew 12, 37, "by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." 201. cain thus acknowledges his sin, although it is not so much the sin he grieves over as the penalty inflicted. the statement, then, is to be understood in the affirmative, and it reveals the horrors of despair. a further proof of cain's despair is, that he does not utter one word of reverence. he never mentions the name of god or of his father. his conscience is so confused and so overwhelmed with terror and despair that he is not able to think of any hope of pardon. the epistle to the hebrews gives the same description of esau when it states that he "for one mess of meat, sold his own birthright. for ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for change of mind, though he sought it diligently with tears," heb 12, 16-17. thus in the present instance, cain feels his punishment, but he grieves more for his punishment than for his sin. and all persons, when in despair, do the same. 202. the two original words of this passage, _minneso_ and _avon_, are a pair of crosses for grammarians. jerome translates this clause, "my iniquity is greater than can be pardoned." sanctes, the grammarian of pagnum, a man of no mean erudition and evidently a diligent scholar, renders the passage, "my punishment is greater than i can bear." but by such a rendering we shall make a martyr of cain and a sinner of abel. concerning the word _nasa_, i have before observed that when it is applied to sin it signifies, to lift sin up, or off, or on high; that is, to take it out of the way. similarly the figure has found currency among us: the remission of sins, or to remit sin. in the thirty-second psalm, verse one, we find the expression, _aschre nesu pascha_. this, literally translated, would make: being blessed through the removal of crime, or sin. we make it: blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, or taken away. the same is found in isaiah 33, 24, the people that dwell therein shall be _nesu avon_, that means, relieved from sin--shall be the people whose sin is forgiven. 203. the other original term, _avoni_, grammarians derive from the verb _anah_, which signifies "to be afflicted," as in zechariah 9, 9: "behold thy king cometh unto thee lowly (or afflicted)." our translation renders it "meek." likewise in psalms 132, 1: "jehovah, remember for david all his affliction." from the same root is derived the expression, "low estate," or "lowliness," used by the virgin mary in her song, lk 1, 48. this fact induces sanctes to render it "punishment." but here _avoni_ signifies "iniquity" or "sin," as it does also in many other passages of the holy scriptures, which appears more plainly from the verb "remit," which stands connected with it. 204. hence it is that grammarians, who are nothing but such and know nothing of the divine things, find their crosses in all such passages, and crucify, not only the scriptures, but themselves and their hearers as well. in the interpretation of the holy scriptures, the sense is first to be determined; and when that appears in all respects consistent with itself, then the grammatical features are to receive attention. the rabbins, however, take the opposite course, and hence it grieves me that divines and the holy fathers so frequently follow them. v. 14. _behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground; and from thy face shall i be hid; and i shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me._ 205. from these words it appears that the sentence on cain was pronounced through the mouth of adam. cain acknowledges that he is driven first from home and state, and then also from the church. of the difference between the words _adamah_ and _erez_ we spoke above. we showed that _erez_ signifies the earth generally, while the word _adamah_ means the cultivated part of the earth. the meaning therefore is: i am now compelled to flee from thy presence and from that part of the earth which i have cultivated. the whole world indeed lies before me, but i must be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth; that is, i shall have no certain dwelling place. in the same way fugitive murderers among us are punished with exile. these words, accordingly, cast additional light upon the utterance of adam, "cursed art thou from the ground." they refer to cain's banishment. this part of cain's punishment therefore is a civil punishment, and by it he is shut out from civic association. 206. but that which cain next adds, "from thy face shall i be hid," is an ecclesiastical punishment and true excommunication. for, as the priesthood and the kingdom rested with adam, and cain on account of his sin was excommunicated from adam, he was thereby also deprived of the glory both of priesthood and kingdom. but why adam adopted this punishment is explained by the words, "when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength;" as if he had said, thou art cursed and thy labors are cursed also. therefore if thou shalt remain with us upon earth it cannot be but that both thyself and we likewise must perish with hunger. for thou hast stained the earth with thy brother's blood, and wherever thou art, thou must bear about the blood of thy brother, and even the earth itself shall exact her penalties. 207. a similar sentence we find pronounced in 1 kings 2, 29-33, where solomon gives commandment to benaiah, son of jehoiada, saying, "fall upon joab, that thou mayest take away the blood, which joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house. and jehovah will return his blood upon his own head. but unto david, and unto his seed, and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever from jehovah." as much as to say, if joab suffer not this punishment of his unjust murder, the whole kingdom must suffer that punishment and be shaken by wars. the meaning of adam then, in this passage is, if thou shalt remain on the earth with us, god will bring punishment upon us for thy sake, in that the earth shall not yield us her fruit. 208. but now let us reply to the question raised above. it was said to cain, "a fugitive and wanderer shalt thou be in the earth." and yet, cain was the first man who builds a city, and his posterity so increased from that time that they debauched and oppressed the church of god, and so utterly overthrew it as not to leave more than eight persons of the posterity of seth. all of the remainder of mankind, which perished in the flood, had followed cain, as the text plainly declares when it affirms that the sons of god, when they came unto the daughters of men, begat giants and mighty men, which were of old, men of renown, gen 6, 4. therefore, since cain had so great a posterity, and he built the first city, how can it be true, men ask, that he was a fugitive and wanderer upon earth? 209. we will reply in accordance with what is written. the illustrations from the new testament above mentioned, paul, the apostles, christ, and the prophets, assuredly belong to quite a different category. when adam here says to cain, "a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth," he speaks these words to him to send him away, without further precept. he does not say to him, "go to the east;" he does not say, "go to the south;" he does not mention any place to which he should go. he gives him no command what to do; but simply casts him out. whither he goes and what he does, is no concern of his. he adds no promise of protection, he does not say: god shall take care of thee; god shall protect thee. on the contrary; as the whole sky is free to the bird, which is at liberty to fly whither it pleases, but is without a place where it may be secure from the attacks of other birds, so adam turns cain away. the latter feels this. hence his rejoinder: "it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me, shall slay me." 210. the condition of adam was different and better. adam had sinned, and by his sin he had sunk into death. but when he was driven out of paradise, god assigned him a particular task--that he should till the earth in a particular place. god also clothed him with a covering of skins. this, as we said, was a sign that god would take care of him and protect him. and, last but not least, a glorious promise was made to the woman concerning the seed which should bruise the serpent's head. nothing like this was left to cain. he was sent away absolutely without assignment of any particular place or task. no command was given him nor was any promise made him. he was like a bird aimlessly roving beneath the wide heavens. this is what it means to be a vagabond and wanderer. 211. unsettled and aimless, likewise, are all who lack god's word and command, wherein person and place receive adequate direction. such were we under the papacy. worship, works, exercises--all these were present; but all these existed and found acceptance without a divine command. a trying condition was that and cainlike--to be deprived of the word; not to know what to believe, what to hope, what to suffer, but to undertake and to perform everything at haphazard. what monk is there who could affirm that he did anything right? everything was man's tradition and man's teaching, without the word. amid these we wandered, being driven to and fro, and like cain, uncertain what verdict god would pass, whether we should merit love or hate. such was, in those days, our instruction. unsettled and aimless like this was cain's whole posterity. they had neither promise nor command from god, and lacked all definite guidance for life and for death. hence, if any of them came to the knowledge of christ, and allied themselves with the true church, it was not by reason of a promise but through sheer compassion. 212. seth, however, who was born subsequently, had, together with his posterity, a definite promise, a definite abode and a definite mode of worship; on the other hand, cain was aimless. he founded a city, it is true, but he did not know how long he should dwell in it, not having a divine promise. whatever we possess without a promise is of uncertain duration; at any amount satan may disturb it or take it. however, when we go into the fray equipped with god's command and promise, the devil fights in vain; god's command insures strength and safety. therefore, although cain was lord of the whole world and possessed all the treasures of the world, still, lacking the promise of god's help and the protection of his angels, and having nothing to lean upon but man's counsels, he was in every respect aimless and unsettled. this he himself admits when he further says: v. 14b. _and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me._ 213. this result was quite to be expected. having neither god nor his father to look to for succor, having forfeited his rights both as priest and as ruler, he saw the possibility before him that any one found him, might slay him, for he was outlawed, body and soul. notwithstanding, god conferred upon the nefarious murderer a twofold blessing. he had forfeited church and dominion, but life and progeny were left. god promised him to protect his existence, and also gave him a wife. two blessings these by no means to be despised; and when he heard the first part of his sentence pronounced by his father, they were more than he had a right even to hope for. they were valuable for the additional reason that opportunity and time for repentance were granted, though, in the absence of a clear promise, there was neither covenant nor commission. in the same manner, we found our way under the papacy to uncovenanted mercy (_fortuita gratia_), if i may use this expression, for no promise was previously given that the truth was to be revealed in our lifetime, and the antichrist to become manifest. the reason to which these blessings are attributable, is consideration for the elect. it is quite credible that many of cain's offspring were saved, namely, those who joined the true church. likewise, at a later day, provision was made among the jews for proselytes and gentiles. 214. while a stern law existed according to which the moabites and ammonites were not admitted to the religious services, ammonites and moabites were saved, such as came to the kings of judah to serve under them. also ruth, the mother and ancestress of our saviour, was a moabite. this is what i call uncovenanted mercy, no previous promise having rendered it certain. 215. also naaman, and the king of nineveh, and nebuchadnezzar, and evilmerodach, and others from among the gentiles, were saved by such uncovenanted mercy; for, unlike the jews, they had no promise of christ. in the same way, bodily safety is vouchsafed to cain, and a wife with offspring, for the sake of the elect to be saved by uncovenanted mercy. for, although what we said of the moabites is true of all his posterity, that it was to live under a curse, it is true, notwithstanding, that some of the patriarchs took their wives from the same. v. 15a. _and jehovah said unto him, therefore whosoever slayeth cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold._ 216. jerome, in his epistle to damascus, contends that cain had begged of the lord that he might be slain, an opinion into which he rushes full sail, as it were, entertaining no doubt whatever concerning its truth. lyra follows jerome, and resolutely affirms that the context requires this interpretation. but this error of theirs should be laid at the door of the rabbins from whom they received it. the true sense of the passage is rather that everyone was prohibited from killing cain. judgment is pronounced here by god, and when he spares cain's life and in addition permits him afterward to marry, it is done to stay its execution. 217. moreover, how is it likely that an ungodly person asks death at the very time when god exercises judgment? death is the very punishment of sin; therefore he flees and dreads death as the greatest part of his penalty. away, therefore, with such vagaries of the rabbins! with these also lyra's suggestion may safely be classed that the text ought to be divided and made to mean, whoever shall kill cain, shall surely meet with severe punishment. and when it is further stated, he shall be punished sevenfold, they would explain it as meaning that in the seventh degree--in the seventh generation--the punishment is to be inflicted. 218. such vagaries are worthy of the rabbins after having cast away the light of the new testament. however, they impose a double labor upon us, inasmuch as we are compelled to defend the text and to clear it of such corruptions, and to correct their absurd comments. if i quote them occasionally, it is to avoid the suspicion of proudly despising them, or of failing to read, and to give sufficient consideration to, their writings. while we read them intelligently, we do so with critical discrimination, and we do not permit them to obscure christ, and to corrupt the word of god. 219. the lord, accordingly, does not in this passage at all alter the sentence upon cain whereby he had been doomed to a curse on earth, but merely vouchsafes to him this uncovenanted mercy for the sake of the elect that are to be saved from that curse as from a mass of dregs. that is the reason he said cain should not be killed, as he feared. there is, then, no necessity for doing violence to this text as rabbi solomon does, who, after the words "whosoever slayeth cain," puts a stop; making it to be a hiatus or (ellipsis), as we find in that noted line in virgil (aeneas, 135)- _quos ego--sed motos praestat componere fluctus._ whom i--but now, be calm, ye boist'rous waves. and then the expression, "shall be punished sevenfold," the rabbi refers to cain himself, who was punished in his seventh generation. for cain begat enoch, and enoch begat irad, and irad begat mehujael, and mehujael begat methusael, and methusael begat lamech. 220. and the jews' absurd comment upon that passage (verse 23, below), is that lamech, when he was old, and his eyes dim, was taken by his son tubal-cain into a wood to hunt wild beasts, and that, when there shooting at a wild beast, lamech accidently shot cain, who in his wanderings had concealed himself in the wood. such interpretations are only fables, unworthy a place or notice in our schools. moreover, they militate against the very truth of the text. for if cain was really designed of god to be killed in the seventh generation, and if that time was thus fixed for his death, he was not "a fugitive and a vagabond upon earth." 221. we condemn, therefore, this interpretation of rabbi solomon, on the ground of critical discrimination, because it militates directly against that sentence which god had before pronounced; and god is not man, that he should change his mind, 1 kings 15, 29-30. this rule should be strictly observed in all interpretation of the holy scripture, that the rendering of one passage must not subsequently conflict with that of another. and when the rabbins, moreover, say that the deluge was the particular punishment of lamech's sin in thus killing cain, lyra refutes them. he very truly affirms that the deluge was the common punishment of the whole world of wicked men. we leave, therefore, all these jewish absurdities and hold fast the true meaning of the text before us, that, when cain feared lest he should be slain by any one who should find him, the lord prevented him from being thus slain, and denounced on such murderer a punishment sevenfold greater than that of cain. 222. and, though lyra argues and inquires how it could be that he who should slay cain could deserve a sevenfold greater vengeance than cain deserved, who slew his own brother, of what profit is it to us to inquire into the counsel of god in such matters as these, especially when it is certain that god permitted his mercy to stray to cain in the form of promises and blessings under the law, if i may so express myself, thus securing his safety. 223. there are two kinds of promises, or a twofold promise, as we have often explained. there are the legal promises, if i may so call them, which depend, as it were, upon our own works, such as the following: "if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land," is 1, 19. again, i am god, showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments, ex 20, 6. and also above, in this case of cain, "if thou doest well, shall not thy countenance be lifted up?" gen 4, 7. and these legal promises have for the most part their corresponding threats attached to them. but the other kind of promises are promises of grace, and with them no threats are joined. such are the following: "jehovah thy god will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken," deut 18, 15. again, "i will put my law in their inward parts, in their heart will i write it; and i will be their god, and they shall be my people," jer 31, 33. and again, "i will put enmity between thee and the woman," gen 3, 15. now, these promises depend not in any way upon our works, but absolutely and only upon the goodness and grace of god, because he was pleased to make those promises and to do what he thus promised. just in the same way we have the promise of baptism, of the lord's supper, and of the keys, etc., in which god sets before us his good will and his mercy and his works. 224. now, god gave no promise of the latter kind to cain. he only said to him, whosoever shall slay thee shall be punished sevenfold. but adam had such a promise of grace made to him. and cain, because he was the first-born, ought to have received that promise as an inheritance from his parents. that promise was the large and blessed promise of eternal glory, because by it the seed was promised which should bruise the serpent's head, and this without any work or merit of man. for that promise had no condition attached to it, such as, if thou shalt offer thy sacrifices, if thou shalt do good, etc. 225. if, therefore, you compare this promise of grace with the words god spake to cain, the latter are as a mere crust held out to a beggar. for even cain's life is not promised him absolutely. nothing more is said than a threat pronounced against those who should slay him. god does not say positively, no man shall slay thee. he does not say, i will so overrule all others that no one shall slay thee. had the words been thus spoken, cain might have returned into the presence of god and of his parents. but a command only is given to men that they slay not cain. if, therefore, the words spoken to cain be at all considered as a promise, it is that kind of promise which, as we have before said, depends on the works and will of man. and yet, even such promise is by no means to be despised, for these legal promises often embrace most important things. 226. thus, augustine observes that god gave to the romans their empire on account of their noble virtues. and in the same manner we find, even to this day, that the blessings of those nations which keep from murder, adultery, theft, etc., are greater than those of other nations in which these evils prevail. and yet, even governments which, as far as mere reason can succeed, are especially well established, possess nothing beyond these temporal promises. 227. the church, however, possesses the promises of grace, even the eternal promises. and although cain was left utterly destitute of these promises, yet it was a great favor that the temporal mercies were left him: that he was not immediately killed, that a wife was given him, that children were born unto him, that he built a city, that he cultivated the earth, that he fed his cattle and had possessions, and that he was not utterly ejected from the society and fellowship of men. for god could not only have deprived cain of all these blessings, but he could have added pestilence, epilepsy, apoplexy, the stone, the gout, and any other disease. and yet there are men disposed curiously to argue in what manner god could possibly have multiplied the curse of cain sevenfold on himself or on any other. as god above deprives cain of all the divine blessings, both spiritual--or those pertaining to the church--and civil, so here he mitigates that sentence by commanding that no one shall slay cain. but god does not promise at the same time that all men shall surely obey his command. therefore cain, even possessing this promise in reference to his body, is still a fugitive and a wanderer. and it might be that if he continued in his wickedness, he was liable to be slain at any moment; whereas, if he did well, he might live a long time. but nothing is promised him with certainty, for although these corporal or legal promises are great and important, yet they are positively uncertain and uncovenanted. 228. whether, therefore, cain was killed or not, i cannot with any certainty say, for the scriptures afford no plain information upon that point. this one thing, however, evidently can be proved from the present text, that cain had no certain promise of the preservation of his life; but god left him to a life of uncertainty, doubt and restless wandering, and did no more than protect the life of cain by a command and a threat which might restrain the wicked from killing him, on account of the certain awful punishment which would follow such destruction of the murderer. but a promise that he should not be murdered was withheld. we know, moreover, what is the nature of the law, or a legal command, and that there are always very few who obey it. therefore, although it is not recorded at what time, in what place, or by whom, cain was slain, yet it is most probable that he was killed. the scriptures however make no mention of it, even as they are quite silent also concerning the number of the years of cain, and say nothing about the day of his birth or the day of his death. he perished, together with his whole generation; to use a popular proverb, "without cross, candle, or god." a few only of his generation are excepted, who were saved by the uncovenanted mercy of god. 229. the question is here usually asked, to what persons could the words of cain possibly apply, when he says, "everyone that findeth me shall slay me," when it is evident that besides adam and eve and their few daughters, no human beings were in existence. i would at once reply that they bear witness to the fact that we see the wicked "flee when no man pursueth," as the scriptures say; for they imagine to themselves various perils where none really exist. just so we see it to be the case with murderers at the present day, who are filled with fears where all is safe, who can remain quiet nowhere, and who imagine death to be present everywhere. 230. however, when it follows in the command of god, "yea, verily, whosoever slayeth cain shall be punished sevenfold," these words cannot be referred exclusively to the fears of cain, for cain had sisters, and perhaps he greatly dreaded that sister whom he had married, lest she should take vengeance on him for the murder of her brother. moreover, cain had perhaps a vague apprehension of a long life, and he saw that many more sons might be born of adam. he feared, therefore, the whole posterity to adam. and it greatly increased these fears that god had left him nothing more than his stray mercy. i do not think that cain feared the beasts at all, or dreaded being slain by them; for what had the sevenfold vengeance threatened upon murderers to do with beasts? v. 15b. _and jehovah appointed a sign for (set a mark upon) cain, lest any finding him should smite him (slay him)._ 231. what this mark was is not to be found in the holy scriptures. therefore commentators have entertained various opinions. nearly all, however, have come to this one conclusion--they have inferred that there was apparent in cain a great tremor of his head and of all his limbs. they suppose that, as a physical cause of his trembling, god had changed, or disarranged, or mutilated some particular organ in his body, but left the body whole as it was first created, merely adding a visible outward mark, such as the trembling. this conjecture of the fathers contains much probability, but it cannot be proved by any testimony of the scriptures. the mark might have been of another kind. for instance, we observe in nearly all murderers an immediate change in the eyes. the eyes wear an appearance of sullen ferocity, and lose that softness and innocence peculiar to them by nature. 232. but whatever this mark was, it was certainly a most horrible punishment; for cain was compelled to bear it during his whole life as god's penalty for the awful murder which he had committed. rendered conspicuous by this degrading mark, hateful and abominable in the eyes of all, cain was sent away--banished from his home by his parents. and although the life he asked of god was granted him, yet it was a life of ignominy, branded with an infamous mark of homicide; not only that he himself might be perpetually reminded of the sin he had committed, to his own confusion, but also that others might be deterred from the crime of committing murder. nor could this mark be effaced by repentance. cain was compelled to bear about this sign of the wrath of god upon him as a punishment in addition to his banishment, the curse, and all the other penalties. 233. it is worthy of observation that the original verb used above is _harag_, which signifies "to kill." but the verb here found is _nakah_, which means "to strike." god, therefore, here gives to cain security, not only from death, but also from the danger of death. this security, however, as we have observed, is a legal security only; for it merely commands that no one shall slay cain, threatening a sevenfold punishment upon the person who should do so. but god does not promise that all men will obey his command. it was far better for cain, however, to have this legal promise made him, than to be without any promise at all. v. 16. _and cain went out from the presence of jehovah, and dwelt in the land of nod, on the east of eden._ 234. this also is a very remarkable text, and it is a wonder that the fancy of the rabbins did not run riot here as usual. moses leaves it to the thoughtful reader to reflect how miserable and how full of tears this departure of cain from his father's house must have been. his godly parents had already lost their son abel; and now, at the command of god, the other son departs from them into banishment, loaded with the divine curses, on account of his sin--the very son whom his parents had hoped to be the only heir of the promise, and whom they therefore had devotedly loved from his cradle. adam and eve, nevertheless, obey the command of god, and in conformity therewith they cast out their son. 235. accordingly, this passage rightly praises obedience to god, or the fear of god. adam and eve had, indeed, learned by their own experience in paradise that it was no light sin to depart from the command of god; therefore they thought: behold, our sin in paradise has been punished with death, and with an infinite number of other calamities into which we have been thrown since we were driven out of paradise. and now that our son has committed so atrocious a sin, it behooves us not to resist the will of god and his righteous judgment, however bitter we feel them to be. 236. the story of the woman of tekoah is well known, whom joab instructed to intercede for the banished absalom. she pleads as an argument before the king, that as she had lost one son, it would be wicked in the extreme to deprive her of the other also. also rebecca said to jacob, her younger son, after she had perceived the wrath of esau against his brother: "why should i be bereaved of you both in one day?" gen 27, 45. adam and eve overcame this same pain in their bosoms, and thus mortified their paternal and maternal affections. for not only did they feel it to be their duty to obey the will of god, but they had also learned wisdom from former obedience. they had been driven out of paradise for their sin of disobedience. they feared, therefore, that if they now retained their son with them, contrary to the will of god, they should be cast out of the earth altogether. 237. this part of the history of adam and eve, therefore, is a beautiful lesson in obedience to god, and a striking exhortation to fear god. this is also paul's principal object in his first epistle to the corinthians, nearly all of which is written against the self-confidence of the human heart. for, although god is merciful, yet men are not therefore to sin; he is merciful to those only who fear and obey him. 238. as it was bitter in the extreme for the parents to lose their son, this departure from his home was, i have no doubt, most bitter also to cain himself. for he was compelled to leave, not only the common home, his dear parents and their protection, but his hereditary right of primogeniture, the prerogative of the kingdom and of the priesthood, and the communion of the church. hence it is that we have the expression in the text, that cain "went out from the presence of jehovah." we have above shown what the scriptures term "the face of jehovah," namely, all those things and means by which jehovah makes himself known to us. thus the face of jehovah, under the old testament, was the pillar of fire, the cloud, the mercy-seat, etc. under the new testament, the face of jehovah is baptism, the lord's supper, the ministry of the word, etc. for by these things, as by visible signs, the lord makes himself known to us, and shows that he is with us, that he cares for us and favors us. 239. it was from this place, therefore, in which god declared that he was always present, and in which adam resided as high priest, and as lord of the earth, that cain "went out;" and he came into another place, where there was no "face of god," where there was no visible sign of his presence by which he could derive the consolation that god was present with his favor. he had no sign whatever, save those signs which are common to all creatures, even to the beasts, namely, the uses of sun and moon, of day and night, of water, air, etc. but these are not signs of that immutable grace of god contained in the promise of the blessed seed. they are only the signs of god's temporal blessings and of his good will to all his creatures. 240. miserable, therefore, was that going out of cain indeed. it was a departure full of tears. he was compelled to leave forever his home and his parents, who now gave to him, a solitary man and a "vagabond," their daughter as his wife, to live with him as his companion; but they knew not what would become either of their son or of their daughter. in consequence of losing three children at one time their grief is so much greater. no other explanation suggests itself for the subsequent statement "cain knew his wife." 241. where, then, did cain live with his wife? moses answers, "in the land of nod," a name derived from its vagabond and unsettled inhabitant. and where was this land situated? beyond paradise, toward the east, a place indeed most remarkable. cain came into a certain place toward the east, but when he came there, he was insecure and unprotected, for it was the land of nod, where he could not set foot with certainty, because "the face of god" was not there. for this "face" he had left with his parents, who lived where they had paradise on their side, or toward the west. when cain fled from his home he went toward the east. so the posterity of cain was separated from the posterity of adam, having paradise as a place of division between them. the passage, moreover, proves that paradise remained undestroyed after adam was driven out of it. in all probability it was finally destroyed by the deluge. 242. this text greatly favors the opinion of those who believe that adam was created in the region of damascus, and that, after he was driven out of paradise for his sin, he lived in palestine; and hence it was in the midst of the original paradise that jerusalem, bethlehem and jericho stood, in which places jesus christ and his servant john chiefly dwelt. although the present aspect of those places does not altogether bear out that conclusion, the devastations of the mighty deluge were such as to change fountains, rivers and mountains; and it is quite possible that on the site which was afterward calvary, the place of christ's sacrifice for the world's sin, there stood the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the same spot being marked by the death and ruin wrought by satan and by the life and salvation wrought by christ. 243. it is not without a particular purpose, therefore, that daniel uses the striking expression: "the end thereof (of the sanctuary, the sacrifice and the oblation) shall be with a flood," dan 9, 26. as if he had said, the first paradise was laid waste and utterly destroyed by the mighty deluge, and the other, future paradise, in which redemption is to be wrought, shall be destroyed by the romanists as by a flood. 244. we may carry the analogy further by stating that as babel was the cause of the destruction of the jewish people, so this disaster had its beginning with cain and his offspring, who settled in that part of the earth where, at a later day, babylon was founded. these are my thoughts and views, derived partly from the fathers. though they may not be true, they are yet probable, and have nothing ungodly in them. and there can be no doubt that noah, after the flood, saw the face of the whole earth altogether changed from what it was before that awful visitation of the wrath of god. mountains were torn asunder, fountains were made to break forth and the courses of the rivers themselves were wholly altered and diverted into other channels, by the mighty force of the overwhelming waters. vii. generations of cain and of the righteous. a. in general. 1. why cain's generations were described before those of the righteous 245. 2. how the holy spirit is interested more in the generations of the righteous than in those of cain 246-247. 3. why the holy spirit gives this description of both 248. 4. the relation of the two to each other 248. 5. how the generations of the righteous are attacked and conquered by those of the godless 249. * of cain's marriage. a. who was his wife, and the question of his being married before he committed the murder 250-251. * how to read the writings of the jews 251. b. the question of his being married after the murder 252-254. * that some of his posterity were saved 254. vii. the generations of cain and the generations of the godly. a. the posterity of cain in general. v. 17. _and cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, enoch._ 245. it is worthy of admiration that moses describes the generation of the sons of cain before the generation of the sons of god. but all this is done according to the fixed counsel of god. for the children of this world have in this life and in this their generation the advantage of the children of god (lk 16, 8) with reference to the first promise. the spiritual seed of the woman indeed possess the spiritual blessing, but the seed of the serpent arrogate to themselves the corporal, or temporal, blessing, and they bruise the heel of the blessed seed. in this respect the temporal has precedence over the spiritual. 246. but a great difference comes to the surface at a later day. although moses records the history of the posterity of cain before the posterity of the righteous, yet we afterwards see that the latter are more especially the care of the holy spirit. he does not confine himself to a bare registration of their names, but he carefully numbers their years, makes mention of their death, and not only chronicles their own doings, as he chronicles in this passage those of the sons of cain, but also the transactions and the conversations which jehovah had with them, the promises he made, the help rendered in danger, and the blessings vouchsafed. 247. none of these things are recorded of the wicked posterity of cain. when moses has said that cain begat a son named enoch, and that he built a city to which he gave the name of his son, calling it enoch, the sacred historian immediately cuts off the memory of cain altogether and, as it were, buries him forever with these few short words of record. he seems to entertain no further care or concern for either his life or his death. he merely records temporal blessings--that he begat a son and that he built a city. for as the gift of reproduction was not taken away from the murderer cain, neither was the gift of dominion taken from him. but he lost all the rich blessings of the earth because it had drunk the blood of his brother, as we have shown above. 248. the holy spirit records these things in order that we may see that there was, from the very beginning, two churches: one the church of the sons of satan and of the flesh, which often makes sudden and great increase; and the other the church of the sons of god, which is usually weak and makes slow progress. although the scriptures do not relate how these two churches lived together in the beginning, yet, as it was declared by god to satan, "i will put enmity between thy seed and her seed," it is certain that the church of cain was ever hostile to the church of adam. and the present text fully shows that the sons of men so increased and prevailed that they almost completely perverted and destroyed the church of the sons of god. for in the great flood, only eight souls of them were saved; all the rest of the human race perished in the waters on account of their sin. 249. and this is a calamity of the true church, common to all ages: as soon as she begins to increase, she is compelled to oppose with all her might satan and the ungodly. she is at length tired out by the wickedness of her enemy, and is then either obliged to yield to her enraged foe, overcome by the cross and its afflictions, or she sinks under the seductions of pleasures and riches. so it was with the posterity of adam. broken down, at length, under so long a war with the sons of men, they yielded, being reduced at last to eight souls only, who were saved. ungodliness having so far prevailed, and the godly losing ground, the lord at length interposes and saves the few righteous remaining; but all the rest, both the seduced and the seducers, he punishes, including them in the same judgment. and we hope and believe the lord will do the same in the judgment at the last day. 250. many questions arise here. some inquire respecting the circumstances connected with the wife of cain: at what time the murder was committed; whether cain murdered his brother before he was a husband, or after he was married. and the jews, moreover, say that eve brought forth twins at every birth, a male and a female; and they assert that cain married his sister calmana, and abel his sister debora. whether these things be true or not i cannot affirm. i know not. but they are not vital to the interests of the church, and there is nothing certain known concerning them. this one thing is certain, that cain had a sister for his wife. but whether or no he had her as his wife when he committed the murder, cannot with certainty be proven. however, the text before us greatly tends to the conclusion that cain was married when he committed the murder of his brother; for it intimates that the inheritance was divided between the two brothers when it affirms that the care of the cattle was committed by the father to abel and the tilling of the ground to cain. i, therefore, am inclined to believe that both of the brothers were married. 251. this conclusion is favored also by the statement made above, that cain and abel "in the process of time" brought their offerings. this has been explained in the following manner: at the end of the year, the two newly married husbands brought as offerings the new fruits which god had given them in this first year of their marriage; cain brought the first fruits of the earth, and abel the first fruits of his flock. and the time was probably the autumn of the year, the time when the fruits of the earth are gathered, the same season in which the jews afterwards held the feast of expiation. moses, in his levitical law, seems carefully to have noted and collected the ancestral patterns, and to have reduced them to a code. when, therefore, the new husbands came to render their thanks to god for his blessings and to offer their gifts, and abel's offering was accepted of god and not the offering of cain, cain's heart was immediately filled by satan with hatred of his brother; and upon this hatred afterwards followed the horrible murder. this is the opinion of the jews, which i thus relate because it does not appear to be at all far from the truth. but, as i have often said, the interpretations of the jews are to be read with critical discrimination, so that in their teachings, we may retain the things consistent with the truth, but condemn and refute all fictions of their own making. 252. if cain was not married when he slew his brother, it is still more wonderful that after such a wicked deed he obtained a wife at all; and certainly that damsel was worthy the highest praise who married such a man. for how could the maiden rejoice in a marriage with her brother who was a murderer, accursed and excommunicated? she, on her part, no doubt supplicated her father, and expostulated with him and asked how he could give her, an innocent one, in marriage to a man thus accursed, and force her into banishment with him. nay, the very example of her brother's murder must have naturally filled her with terror, lest the crime which her husband committed on his brother he might also dare to commit on her, his sister and his wife. 253. in bringing about this marriage, adam obviously had to exercise marvelous eloquence. it was for him to convince his daughter that the father's command was not to be disobeyed, and that while cain, curse-ridden, would have to bear the penalty of his sin, god would still preserve and bless her, the innocent one. nor do i entertain the least doubt that god conferred many personal blessings upon cain, down the whole line of his posterity, for the sake of his wife, who, from motives of faith toward god and of obedience toward her parents, had married her murderous brother. as christ was the minister of the circumcision for the truth of god, to establish the certainty of the promise made unto the jewish fathers; and as, in the absence of a promise, he was the minister of the gentiles, because of the mercy of god, (rom 15, 8-9), so the like uncovenanted mercy was shown also to the posterity of cain. these two opinions have been expressed concerning the marriage of cain, but which is the truth i know not. if cain was married after he committed the murder, his wife is most certainly worthy of all praise and of all fame, who could thus yield to the authority of her parents, and suffer herself to be joined in marriage with an accursed murderer. 254. to myself, the first opinion appears to be much nearer the truth, that he murdered his brother after his marriage with his sister; because we have so clear a testimony in the text concerning the division of the inheritance. and in that case, the necessity lay on the wife to follow her husband. as wife and husband are one body and one flesh, adam had no desire to separate them; moreover, the wife is bound to bear her part of the calamities of her husband. just in the same manner as the posterity of cain enjoyed a part of those blessings which were bestowed of god upon the innocent wife, pharaoh, king of egypt, was saved in the time of joseph, and the king of nineveh was saved in the time of his calamity, although neither of them belonged to the people of god. and so i also believe that some were saved out of the posterity of cain, although cain himself had utterly lost the promise concerning the blessed seed. b. the posterity of cain in detail; the generations of cain. * the names were given to the descendants of cain, not by accident, but by special thought and with a definite meaning 255. 1. of enoch. a. the meaning of his name 255-256. b. is the first in cain's posterity and the beginning of the temporal blessing 256. * why cain built a city 257-258. 2. irad and the meaning of his name. it was not given without a purpose 259. 3. mehujael and the meaning of his name 260. * the means the false church uses to suppress the true church 260. 4. methushael and the meaning of his name 261. 5. lamech. a. what his name signifies 262. * cain's descendants persecute the true church. yet some of cain's posterity were saved 263. b. the reason he took two wives 264. c. who were his wives 265. d. his sons, jabal, jubal, tubal-cain, and his daughter naamah 266-268. * why moses mentions the various arts of cain's descendants 269. * whether poverty drove cain's descendants to the arts 269-270. * as the false church was before the flood so is she still, and will remain so to the end of the world 271. * how the cainites increased and oppressed the true church 272. * why the scriptures do not mention that some of the cainites were saved 272. e. of his haughty speech, "i have slain a man etc." (1) this is difficult to understand, and has been poorly treated by interpreters 273. (2) the fable explanation of these words by the jews refuted 274-275. (3) how others explained them 275. (4) luther's understanding of them 276-277. f. whether lamech slew cain, and thereby made himself famous 278. g. how he attempted to be ruler upon adam's death 279. * how the church is oppressed from both sides 279. * why moses mentions the blood descendants of cain with such care 280. h. cain is not sorry for his deed, but even boasts of it 281. * the nature of the cain church 281. i. how he seeks to avoid being slain by others 282. * the pope has the conscience of cain and lamech 282. j. he is a type of all the children of this world 283. * how the devil drives the cainites to rage against the church under the guise of being holy 284. * the true church from the very beginning had to shed her blood 285. * the tyranny of popes julius ii and clement vii 285. * god at all times severely punished the persecutors of his church 286. k. how lamech still wished to defend his deed 287. l. he had no word of god, but was filled with pride 288. b. the posterity of cain in detail. 255. as regards the names of cain's offspring, i believe that, in common with those of the holy patriarchs, they indicate not an absence of purpose or a random selection, but a definite purpose and a prophecy. thus "adam" signifies a man of, or taken out of, the red earth. "eve" signifies the mother of life, or of the living. "cain" signifies possession. "abel" signifies vanity. and we find that also among the gentiles many names have such a significance; not seldom names are found which are truly prophetic. "enoch" is a prophetic name, expressive of hope in the future as a relief to cain's mind, or rather to his wife's, for it was the latter who called the son she bore enoch, from the hebrew _hanach_, which signifies, "she dedicated," or "she devoted." 256. this is a word frequently used by moses. as when he says, "what man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it," deut 20, 5. the verb in this passage, which signifies originally to dedicate, here signifies to possess, or to enjoy; and when this possession or enjoyment begins, it is attended with happy signs and auspicious invocations. so when the wife of cain brought forth her first son, she said to her husband, enoch; that is, "dedicate him, devote him:" for the verb is in the imperative mood. as if cain had said himself, may this our beginning be happy and prosperous. my father adam cursed me on account of my sin. i am cast out of his sight. i live alone in the world. the earth does not yield me her strength; she would be more fruitful to me, had i not thus sinned. and yet god now shows me uncovenanted mercy in giving me this son. it is a good and happy beginning. as in the generation of cain the corporal blessings begin with enoch, so it is another enoch in the generation of the righteous under whom religion and spiritual blessings begin to flourish. 257. that which is added by moses concerning the city cain thus built belongs to history. but i have before observed that cain, when separated from the true church and driven into banishment, hated the true church. when, therefore, cain thus first built a city, that very act tended to show that he not only disregarded and hated the true church, but wished also to oppose and oppress it. for he reflects thus: behold i am cast out by my father and i am cursed by him, but my marriage is not a barren one; therefore i have in this the hope of a great posterity. what, therefore, is it to me that i am driven by my father from beneath his roof? i will build a city, in which i will gather a church for myself. farewell, therefore, to my father and his church. i regard them not. 258. accordingly, it is not through fear, or for defense, that cain "built a city," but from the sure hope of prosperity and success, and from pride and the lust of dominion. for he had no need whatever to fear his father and mother, who at the divine command had thrust him out to go into some foreign land. nor had he any more ground of fear from their children than from themselves. but cain was inflated with pride through this uncovenanted mercy of god, as i have termed it; and, as the world ever does, he sought by means of his "city" an opportunity of emerging from his present state into future greatness. the sons of god, on the contrary, are only anxious about another city, "which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is god," as we have it described in the epistles to the hebrews 11, 10. v. 18a. _and unto enoch was born irad._ 259. what opinion to form concerning this name, i really know not, for its origin is very obscure; and yet i believe the name is not accidental but prophetic. in the book of joshua we have a city called ai; and this same term is used elsewhere as an appellative. now, the proper name ai signifies, "a heap," as a heap of fallen buildings. and if with this name you compound the verb _irad_, the word thus compounded will signify increase. although the posterity of cain, on account of their excommunication, were at that time like a great heap of ruins, it was his prayer that they might not altogether perish, but be preserved and greatly increased by means of this son irad. if anyone can offer a better interpretation, i will by no means despise it; for on obscure points like the present, conjecture is quite allowable. v. 18b. _and irad begat mehujael._ 260. this name is formed from the verb _mahah_, which signifies "to destroy," and from _jaal_, "he began," or "he attempted or dared." accordingly this name signifies that the posterity of cain should now enter upon so mighty an increase as to dare to set itself in array against the true church and to despise it and persecute it; so mightily should it prevail by its wealth, wisdom, glory and numbers. these, indeed, are for the most part the influences through which the true church is always overcome by the world and the false church. v. 18c. _and mehujael begat methushael._ 261. _meth_ signifies "death," and _schaal_ means "to ask," or "to demand." hence we have the name saul; that is, demanded. this name indicates a spirit haughtier than any of the others. i understand it to signify that methushael threatens that he will avenge his parents, who are dead, whom the other church--that is the true church--has punished with excommunication and exile. v. 18d. _and methushael begat lamech._ 262. hitherto the cainites seem to have insulted the true church with impunity and to have triumphed over them. but the name "lamech" signifies that god, at the time in which lamech was born, inflicted on the posterity of cain their due punishment. the name lamech is derived from the verb _makak_, which signifies to humble, to diminish, to suppress. or, it may be understood actively, to mean that in the time of lamech the posterity of cain so greatly increased that the true church was quite overwhelmed by them. 263. such was the posterity of cain; men, no doubt, renowned for their wisdom and greatness. and i also believe that some of them were saved by the uncovenanted mercy of god, as i have above explained. but far the greater part of them most bitterly hated and persecuted the true church. they could not brook inferiority to the sons of adam, the true church; therefore they set up their own forms of worship, and introduced many other new things for the sake of suppressing the church of adam. and because the false church was thus kept separate from the true church, i believe that cain married to each other his sons and daughters. accordingly, about the time of lamech, cain's posterity began to multiply exceedingly. and it is for this reason, i believe, that moses here terminates the list. v. 19. _and lamech took unto him two wives; the name of the one was adah, and the name of the other zillah._ 264. here again a twofold question arises. in the first place divines dispute whether lamech married these two wives on account of lustful passion or for some other cause. my belief is that polygamy was not entered into for the sake of lust, but with the object of increasing his family, and from the lust of dominion, and especially so if, as his name imports, the lord at that time had been punishing the cainites, or the posterity of cain, by pestilence, or by some other calamity. in this case, lamech probably thought by such expedient to retrieve his greatness. thus barbarous nations retain polygamy to strengthen and establish both home and state. 265. as regards the names of these two wives, the name of one is adah; that is, adorned, or, having chains on the neck. _adi_ signifies a neat, or elegant woman, and _adah_, the verb, signifies to adorn, or, to put on. and perhaps this name was given to her, not only because she was the mistress of the house, elegantly adorned or clothed, but because she was also beautiful. the name of the other wife, zillah, signifies, his shade. v. 20. _and adah bare jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle._ 266. the name jabal is derived from the verb _jabal_, which signifies to bring forward, or to produce. v. 21. _and his brother's name was jubal; he was the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe._ 267. and the name jubal has the same origin and signification; for it means produced, or introduced. both these names, therefore, contain a wish or prayer of lamech concerning the increase of his family. the posterity of cain always entertained the object and expectation of surpassing in numbers. and, no doubt, the cainites held up this temporal blessing in the face of the true church as an evident proof that they were not cast off by god, but were the very people of god. v. 22. _and zillah, she also bare tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of (an artificer in every workmanship of) brass and iron; and the sister of tubal-cain was naamah._ 268. tubal-cain signifies, produce property. so the romans gave such names as "valerius" (from valeo), and "augustus" (from augeo). and naamah received her name from her sweetness, or beauty. this posterity of cain increased infinitely; hence moses breaks off at this point. 269. now, when he not only chronicles names but makes mention also of the deeds and labors of each one, the jewish explanation is to be rejected that the offspring of cain was compelled to follow other occupations because the earth was cursed, and hence gained their livelihood, one as a shepherd, another as a worker in brass, and another as a musician, obtaining grain and the other fruits of the earth from the offspring of adam. but if the cainites had been so severely pressed by hunger, they would have forgotten the harp, organ and other instruments of music in their extremity; for the enjoyment of music is not characteristic of the hungry and thirsty. 270. their invention of music and their efforts in the discovery of other arts is proof that they had the necessaries of life in abundance. the reason, therefore, that the descendants of cain turned to these pursuits and were not contented with the simple food the earth produced, like the descendants of adam, was that they wished to rule, and aimed at the high praise and glory of being men of talent. i believe, however, that some of them passed over to the true church and followed the religion of adam. 271. and such as moses here describes the generation of the wicked, or the false church, to be, from the beginning down to the mighty flood of waters, so we find it ever, and such it will remain until the final flood of fire. "the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light," lk 16, 8. therefore it is that they ever advance and increase, and commend themselves and their own, and thus acquire riches, dignities and power; while the true church, on the other hand, always lies prostrate, despised, oppressed, excommunicated. vs. 23-24. _and lamech said unto his wives: adah and zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of lamech, hearken unto my speech: for i have slain a man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me. if cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly lamech seventy and sevenfold._ 272. thus far moses has given us a history of the generation of the children of this world, and having brought down the list to the time of lamech and his wives and children, he buries them, as it were, altogether in silence, leaving them without any promise, either of the life which is to come or of the life that now is. for except that uncovenanted blessing of offspring and of food, the cainites possessed nothing whatever. yet they so increased in power and in multitude that they filled the whole world, and at length overturned and ravaged to such an extent the righteous nation of the children of god which possessed the promise of the future and eternal life, and sunk them into so deep a hell of wickedness, that eight men only remained to be saved when the flood came upon the whole world of the ungodly. and though there is no doubt that some of the generation of cain were saved both before the flood and in the flood, yet the scriptures do not mention them, to the end that we might the more fear god and walk according to his word. but hard as the diamond are those human hearts which fail to be moved by such an example as the flood, than which nothing more dreadful is to be found in the whole chain of time. 273. moses, therefore, having buried in silence the entire generation of cain, records only one unimportant fact respecting lamech, but what the real import of that fact is, moses does not explain. i know not that any other passage in the holy scriptures has been so diversely interpreted, and so rent and wrested, as this text. for ignorance at least, if eloquence is not, is fruitful of surmises, errors and fables. i will mention some of the vulgar views upon the passage now before us. 274. the jews compose the fable that lamech, when he had grown old and was blind, was led by a youth into the woods to hunt wild beasts, not for the sake of their flesh but for their skins; circumstances which are altogether absurd, and at once prove the whole fable to be a lie. and they hold that cain was there, concealed among the bushes, and in that solitude he not only exercised repentance but sought security for his life. the young man who directed the spear for lamech, thinking he saw a wild beast in a certain thicket, told lamech to hurl his spear, and lamech hurled his spear and, contrary to all thought, pierced cain. and they add that after lamech had been made conscious of the murder he had committed, he immediately speared the youth himself, who also died under the wound he received. it was thus, say the jews, that the "man" and the "young man" were slain by lamech. but such absurdities as these are utterly unworthy of refutation. indeed, moses himself completely refutes them; he records the fact that cain, far from fleeing into solitude and concealment, "built a city," which implies that he governed a state and thereby established for himself a kind of kingdom. moreover, the ages of cain and lamech would not accord with this explanation, for it is not at all probable cain lived to the time lamech became old and blind. 275. there is still another jewish invention. after lamech had killed cain, his wives would no longer live with him, through fear of the punishment they foreboded would come upon him, and therefore lamech, to comfort himself and to induce his wives to live with him, prophesied that whosoever should kill him would assuredly be punished "seventy and sevenfold." the jews invent like absurdities also concerning the sons of lamech, whom they say he taught to fabricate arms for the destruction of men. other commentators, again, will have it that the sense of this text is to be taken negatively, thus: if i had killed a man, as cain killed his brother, i should have been worthy of your reprobation. 276. my interpretation, accordingly, is that the words, "if cain shall be avenged sevenfold," etc., are not to be taken for the word of god. for that generation did not have the word; how, then, could lamech be believed to have been a prophet? thus, even such a man as jerome produces the vagary that, inasmuch as, according to luke, seventy-seven generations can be counted between adam and christ, it was after this space of time that lamech's sin was taken away by christ. if such vaporings are legitimate, anything can be proved from the scriptures. jerome even forgets that lamech represented the seventh generation from adam! the word under consideration then, is not to be placed upon the same level with the former, spoken to cain; for that was the word of god. it is, on the contrary, the word of a wicked murderer; not true, but an audacious fiction, based upon that spoken by adam to cain. but why does he deliver his discourse not before his church but at home, and only before his wives? 277. it is probable that the good and pious women were greatly alarmed on account of the murder committed by their husband. the wicked murderer, therefore, to appear equally safe with cain, endeavored in this way to reassure his wives concerning his safety from death. this is what the wicked church is accustomed to do; it prophesies out of its own head. but all such prophecies are vain. this one thing, however, we can gather from the present text, that lamech did not utter the contents of his prophecy from the word of god, but out of his own brain. 278. in respect to cain, i do not think that he was killed by lamech, but that he died long before the time of lamech. and as there were continual animosities between the cainite church and the church of adam--for the cainites could not brook their being treated as outside of the true communion--my opinion is, that lamech killed some eminent man and some distinguished youth of the generation of the righteous, just as cain, his father, had killed abel. and i believe that, having committed such murders, he wished to protect himself from being killed by uttering the words of the text, after the manner of the protection vouchsafed by god to his father cain. for lamech was no doubt a man of very great abilities and the chief man in his day and state. he had also strengthened his cause by a novel venture, for he was the first man who married two wives. and he harassed the church of the godly in various ways, as men are wont to do who combine talent with malice. therefore he furnished his men with arms, riches, and pleasures, that he might overcome the true church on every side, which alone held the holy faith, the pure word, and the pure worship of god. to all else he paid little attention. 279. it is very probable that the patriarch adam died about this time, this being the first patriarchal death; and there is no doubt that lamech seized this opportunity of transferring the whole government of the world at that time to himself, that he might have all things under his own rule. this is the manner in which the world acts to this day. the church of god, therefore, placed as it were in the midst, is oppressed on either side; by tyrants and blood-thirsty men on the one hand, and by those who are devoted to the concerns and pleasures of this world on the other. as tyrants use violence and the sword to destroy the church, so the latter entice her by their allurements. 280. hence it is that moses makes a special point of recording that the blood-thirsty seed of the cainites gave themselves up to pleasures and to other worldly pursuits. and hence it is, also, that christ expressly shows that much blood was shed even before the flood, by testifying "that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of abel the righteous unto the blood of zachariah son of barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar," mt 23, 35. moses testifies subsequently (gen 6, 1-13), that the earth before the flood was filled with iniquities; and he is not speaking of the iniquities and violent deeds of thieves and adulterers, but describes particularly the tyranny of the cainite church, which pursued with all the violence of the sword the holy posterity of adam. and it is for this same reason that the sacred historian describes the descendants of cain by the name "giants." these are the reasons which lead me to conclude that lamech followed in the footsteps of his father cain and slew some distinguished man of the holy patriarchs and his son. 281. it was certainly an evidence of the greatest tyranny in lamech, that, when he had been discovered by his wives, he did not grieve for what he had done, but held in contempt the punishment which he had just cause to dread. as if he had said: i have killed a man 'tis true, but what is that to you? the wound of that belongs to me; i shall be wounded for it, not you. i have indeed killed a young man, but it is to my own hurt. i shall be punished for it, not you. what utterances could evince more contempt than these in the face of open sins? these are my thoughts on the passage now before us. the text shows that the cainites were tyrannical men, proud of their success, and given to pleasure; and the very words of lamech prove him to be a proud man, not grieving at all for the murder he had committed, but glorying in it as in a righteous cause. the cainite church always excuses that tyranny which it exercises over the godly, as christ says: "whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto god," jn 16, 2. this is expressed in the additional words of lamech: v. 24. _if cain shall he avenged sevenfold, truly lamech seventy and sevenfold._ 282. here lamech sets himself above his father cain, making it appear that he had a more righteous cause for the murder he had committed, and fortifying himself against those inclined to avenge the murders perpetrated by him. for the words of the text are not the words of the lord, as we have said, but the words of lamech himself. just so the pope fortifies himself by violence, tyranny, threats and anathemas, to make himself secure against avengers, for he has the conscience of a cain and a lamech. let him, says the pope, who shall do anything contrary to these my decrees know that he shall incur the indignation of st. peter and st. paul. 283. lamech, therefore, is an example of this world, and moses points to him to show what kind of a heart, will and wisdom the world has. just as if he had said in reference to lamech: such are the actions of the seed of the serpent and such are the children of this world. they gather riches, follow their pleasures, increase their power, and then abuse all these things by their tyranny, making use of them against the true church, the members of which they persecute and slay. and yet in the midst of all these mighty sins, they fear not, but are proud and secure, boasting and saying, "what can the righteous do?" (ps 11, 3): "our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" (ps 12, 4): "he (the wicked) saith in his heart: god hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never see it," (ps 10, 11): and other like sentiments. 284. that such is the meaning of the passage in question the facts recorded prove, though the words of the text do not so clearly express that meaning. the true church has ever satan as its great enemy, and he drives the cainites into fury, disguised as devotion, against their brethren, the abels; as christ also says, affirming that the devil was a murderer from the beginning, jn 8, 44. it is declared throughout the scriptures concerning the true church, that the wicked are ever shedding its blood. the various passages in the psalms speak the same things, "precious shall their blood be in his sight," ps 72, 14. again, "precious in the sight of jehovah is the death of his saints" ps 116, 15. and again, "for thy sake are we killed all the day long" ps 44, 22. 285. as, therefore, the church of god has at all times, and in all ages, given her blood to be shed by the wicked and by false brethren, so also, in that first age of the world she had to suffer from her enemies, whom the scriptures call "giants," and affirm that those "giants" filled the earth with "violence." among these giants was also this lamech now before us, who was one perhaps like pope julius ii or clement vii who although they exercised cruelty in the highest degree, yet wished to be called and appear as most holy saints. just so lamech here wishes to make it appear that he had a most righteous cause for the murder he had committed, and therefore he threatened greater vengeance on the man who should kill him than god himself had threatened on the person who should slay his father, the murderer cain. 286. in this manner, the church was vexed with the cross and with persecutions from the very beginning of the world until god, compelled by the wickedness of man, destroyed the whole world by the flood. just so, also, when the measure of pharaoh's malice was full he was drowned with all his host in the red sea. just so, again, when the measure of the malice of the gentile nations was full they were all uprooted and destroyed by moses and joshua. in the same manner afterwards when the jews raged against the gospel they were so utterly destroyed that not one stone was left upon another in jerusalem. other instances are the babylonians, the medes, the persians, the grecians, and the romans. 287. the scriptures therefore do not record whom lamech killed. they only record that two murders were committed by him, and that lamech, in his impenitence, wished to protect himself in the same manner as his father cain had been divinely protected, by issuing his proclamation, thereby making it appear that he had righteous cause for the murder he committed. and if this interpretation be not the true one, it is at least certain that the generation of the cainites was a blood-thirsty generation, and hated and persecuted the true church. 288. and it is, moreover, true that lamech had not the word, and that, accordingly, his utterance is not to be considered in the same light as that word which was spoken to his father cain; for the latter was the voice of truth, but the word of lamech was the voice of his own pride, expressive of the rule of satan and of a church of hypocrites, which sins securely and yet glories in its sins as if they were deeds of righteousness. c. the posterity of the righteous in detail; the generations of the righteous. 1. of seth. a. why seth is described in detail 289. b. why eve at seth's birth recalled cain's murder 290. * how and why the first parents after abel's death refrained from bearing children 291. c. seth's birth was announced before in a special way by god 291-292. * the uncovenanted grace of the cainites. also, why god did not mention that some of them would be saved 293. d. how eve manifested special faith and obedience in seth's birth 294-295. * why the romish church never canonized eve 296. * the idle fables of the jews about lamech and his wives, and about adam's abstinence and cain's increase, are to be rejected 297. e. a new generation springs from seth, in which the promise shall be fulfilled 298. 2. of enoch. a. what his name means, and why it was given to him 299. * the names of the holy patriarchs originated not by chance 299. b. how true worship began under enoch 300-302. * of true worship. (1) in what it consists 301. (2) why it was not in use before 302. * the meaning of "the name of jehovah" or the proclaiming of the name of jehovah 303. (3) the right course to take in the doctrine concerning divine worship 304. * god always ministered comfort to his church under the cross 305. (4) what is the true worship according to the first table of the law 306-307. (5) how true worship according to the second table follows from the first 308. (6) people are to be instructed first and chiefly in the worship of the first table 309. (7) whether visible signs were present in these days in their worship, and to what end they were necessary 310-311. (8) the worship of which moses speaks is to be understood not of the cainites but of seth's posterity 312. * a summary review of the contents of the fourth chapter of genesis 313. * why the fifth chapter was written 314. * why the jews cannot see the unity in the first five chapters of the bible 315. c. the posterity of the righteous in detail. v. 25. _and adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name seth: for, said she, god hath appointed me another seed instead of abel; for cain slew him._ 289. hitherto moses has spoken of the generation of the wicked only, the whole of which he buries as it were with the above brief catalog. the historian now turns to the description of the godly and of the true church. and first of all, we are to observe the manner of expression moses uses in reference to the name given by eve to her son: "and she called his name seth." moses does not speak thus concerning cain when he was born, nor concerning righteous abel, nor with reference to enoch, nor with reference to any of the others. by this particular expression regarding seth and his name moses would signify that this was the first son in whom flowed the stream of the promise which had been made to the parents in paradise. so eve is to be understood when she assigns the reason for giving her son this name. eve manifests her surpassing godliness and faith in giving her son such a name. 290. the fact that eve recalls the murder by wicked cain of his brother abel proves that there had existed a fierce enmity between these two churches, and that she had witnessed and suffered many evils and indignities from the cainites. because of this she now called to mind the awful murder which had been committed, whereby cain wished to destroy the righteous seed that he might reign alone. but thanks be to god, says she, who hath appointed me another seed instead of abel. 291. moses here, as is his usual manner, embraces in the fewest possible words the mightiest things, that he may incite the reader to the most diligent consideration of the works of god. of the pain and righteous grief of the parents at the murder of abel by his brother we have spoken before. i see no reason why we should not believe that after the perpetration of that horrible murder no son was born to adam until the birth of seth; for it is most probable that the awful peril of a recurrence of a calamity like that which they had just experienced, induced the godly parents to abstain from connubial intercourse. i believe, therefore, that by a particular promise made to them by an angel, their minds were again comforted and confirmed, and that they were influenced to believe that a son of the description of seth would now be born unto them, who should hold fast the promise; and that, although the generation of cain should utterly perish by their sin, the generation of him about to be born should be preserved until the promised blessed seed should come into the world. 292. it is a proof of some like particular promise having been revealed to the parents by an angel that eve adds to the name she gave to her son a kind of short sermon, and that moses when recording this circumstance makes use of an expression not otherwise adopted by him in connection with the names adam or eve gave to their children: "and she called his name seth." seth is derived from the hebrew verb _sath_, which signifies he placed, or he established, and was intended to show that this son would be, as it were, the foundation on which the promise concerning christ would rest, even though many other sons should be born unto the parents. eve does not give him an exalted name, such as "cain," yet she gives him a name signifying that the posterity of seth should never be suppressed or destroyed. 293. the cainites, cast out from the sight of their parents, are left under a curse, without any promise whatever, and have only so much mercy as they receive from the generation of the righteous as beggars, not as heirs. this is the mercy we above called uncovenanted mercy. but who, of the posterity of the cainites, obtained that mercy, moses does not mention, and his design in this omission is to keep separate the two churches: the one the church of the righteous, which had the promise of a life to come, but in this life was poor and afflicted; the other the church of the wicked, which in this life is rich and flourishing. 294. eve, the mother of us all, is highly to be praised, as a most holy woman, full of faith and charity, because in the person of her son seth she so nobly lauds the true church, paying no regard whatever to the generation of the cainites. for she does not say, i have gotten another son in the place of cain. she prefers the slain abel to cain, though cain was the first-born. herein praise is due, not only to her faith but to her eminent obedience; for she is not only not offended at the judgment of god concerning righteous abel, but she also changes her own judgment concerning god. when abel was born she despised him, and magnified cain as the first-born, and as the possessor, as she thought, of the promise. but now she acts in all things quite the contrary. as if she had said: after god's acceptance of him and of his offering, i had placed all my hopes on my son abel, because he was righteous; but his wicked brother slew him. but now god hath appointed me another seed instead of abel. 295. she does not indulge her maternal affection for cain. she does not excuse or lessen the sin of her son. but she herself excommunicates him, already excommunicated of god; and she banishes him, together with all his posterity, among the polluted mass of the gentiles who live without any sure mercy of god, laying hold only as they can of that uncovenanted mercy which, as we have said, they receive as beggars, not as heirs. 296. it is a great marvel, surely, that the church of the pope, having made up so great a list of saints, has not yet inserted in that catalog saint eve, a woman full of faith and love, and with an infinite number of crosses! but perhaps we are to gather from this omission that it would rather follow the church of the cainites than the holy church. 297. i am inclined to say nothing here about that absurd and idle fable of the jews, that lamech brought his disobedient wives to adam as judge, and that when adam commanded them to render to their husband due benevolence the wives in reply asked adam why he did not do the same to eve. these fablers say that adam, who had refrained from the bed of his wife from the murder of abel to that time, again lived with her as man and wife, in order that he might not by his example induce others to maintain perpetual continence, and thus prevent mankind from being multiplied. all these fables show how impure the thoughts of the jews were. of the same description is the like argument of these jews, who hold that when seth was born, which was within a hundred years after the death of abel, the children of cain had increased unto the seventh generation. such absurdities do wicked men invent to bring reproach upon the holy scriptures. and of precisely the same description is the opinion that cain was born in paradise, while, as yet, the original righteousness of his parents remained. what is the object of this lying invention but to cause us to do away with christ altogether? for take away original sin, and what need is there of christ at all? these things are indeed, as we have intimated, unworthy of being mentioned here. but they are worthy the enemies of christ and the enemies of grace. 298. in seth, therefore, we have a new generation, which arises from and comes to pass in accordance with the great original promise, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. appropriately the name seth is bestowed, so that eve may felicitate herself upon the fact that this seed is established, safe from overthrow. david uses the same verb: "if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" ps 11, 3. and the hebrew word forms a perfect rhyme with its german equivalent: "seth--steht." v. 26a. _and to seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name enosh._ 299. the verb _yikra_, he called, is in the masculine gender, by which you are to understand that it was the father who gave this name to his son. in the former case the verb was feminine, because eve gave to her son seth his name. the expression in each case is different, which difference of gender in a verb the latin language does not indicate. enosh signifies a man afflicted or full of calamity. "what is man that thou art mindful of him," ps 8, 4. seth, accordingly, intimates that at that time there was some persecution or affliction of the church. that "old serpent," who had cast man out of paradise and had killed abel, the man beloved of god, was neither asleep nor idle. therefore, upon the consolation enjoyed in the birth of seth there soon follows another trial or tribulation, which the godly parents adam and eve signalize by giving the name enosh to their son. the names thus given are by no means to be considered accidental. they were either prophetical or commemorative of some particular event. v. 26b. _then began men to call upon the name of jehovah._ 300. the rabbins understand this as having reference to idolatry. they think that about this time the name of jehovah began to be given to creatures: to the sun, the moon, etc. but moses is not here speaking of what the generation of cainites did, but what the godly generation of adam did. the sacred historian is testifying that after the birth of enosh there began the true worship of god, the calling upon the name of jehovah. 301. here moses most beautifully defines what it is to worship god, to call upon the name of jehovah; which is, as it were, the work of the first table and concerns the true worship of god. now, calling upon the name of jehovah embraces the preaching of the word, faith, or confidence in god, confession, etc. paul beautifully joins these things together in the fourteenth verse of the tenth chapter of his epistle to the romans. true, the works of the second table also belong to the worship of god, but these works do not refer directly and only to god as do the works of the first table. 302. after the confusion made in the house of adam by cain, the generation of the godly began to multiply by degrees and a little church was formed, in which adam as the high priest governed all things by the word and by sound doctrine. moses here affirms that this took place about the time of the birth of enosh. although this name implies that the church had been overwhelmed by some terrible disaster, yet god raised her up again by his grace and mercy, and added the great spiritual blessing of godly assemblage in a particular place, with preaching, prayer and the offering of sacrifices, blessings which had hitherto perhaps been either hindered or forbidden by the cainites. we have here, then, another evidence of the promised seed warring with the serpent and bruising its head. 303. furthermore, as moses does not say: jehovah began to be called upon, but the name of jehovah, the reference to christ recommends itself to our approval, since also in other passages the schem jehovah (the name of jehovah) is so to be understood. this expression, "then men began to call upon the name of jehovah," contains a meaning most important. it signifies that adam, seth, and enosh taught and exhorted their posterity to expect redemption and to believe the promise concerning the seed of the woman, and to overcome by that hope the snares, the crosses, the persecutions, the hatred and the violence of the cainites, and not to despair of salvation, but rather to give thanks unto god, assured that he would at some time deliver them by the seed of the woman. 304. what could adam and seth teach greater or better than that the great deliverer, christ, was promised to their posterity? and this is quite in keeping with the proper principle to be observed in religious instruction. the first care should ever be directed to the first table. when this table is well understood, the right understanding of the second table will soon follow; yea, it is then easy to fulfil the latter. for how is it possible that, where pure doctrine is taught, where men rightly believe, rightly call upon the name of jehovah, and rightly give thanks unto god, the second and inferior fruits can be wanting? 305. in this manner did it please god at that time to comfort the afflicted church of the godly and to prevent their despair concerning the future. we see throughout the pages of sacred history a perpetual succession and change of consolations and afflictions. joseph in egypt keeps alive his parents and his brethren when divinely visited by famine. after this, when these people were oppressed by wicked kings, they were again delivered from their cruel bondage. and cyrus delivers them when captives in babylon. when god permits his own people to be oppressed by the violence and guile of the devil and the world, he always lifts them up again and gives them prophets and godly teachers to restore his sinking church, and to break for a while the fury of satan. 306. furthermore, it is the intention to lay down a logical definition when it is claimed that the worship of god does not consist in ceremonies devised and transmitted by men, in the erection of statues, or the performance of other sport suggested by reason, but in calling upon the name of jehovah. worship in its truest meaning, well-pleasing to god, and subsequently made mandatory in the first commandment, embraces the fear of god, trust in god, confession, prayer and preaching. 307. the first commandment of the law demands faith, that we believe god is the only helper in time of need, ps 9, 9. the second commandment demands confession and prayer, that we call upon the name of jehovah in times of peril and give thanks unto god. the third commandment requires that we teach the truth, and that we guard and defend sound doctrine. these are the true and appropriate acts of the worship of god, and they are those which god requires. he requires not sacrifices nor money nor anything of the kind. as regards the first table, he requires that we hear, consider and teach the word; that we pray to god and fear him. 308. where these things exist, the observances and works required by the second table follow, as it were, of their own accord. it is impossible that he who does the works and performs the worship of the first table should not do and perform those of the second table also. david saith: "his delight is in the law of jehovah; and on his law doth he meditate day and night. and he shall be like a tree planted by the stream of water; that bringeth forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also doth not wither." ps 1, 2-3. these things are evident consequences of the right worship of god, according to the commandments of the first table. he who believes god, who fears god, who calls upon god in tribulation, who praises god and gives thanks unto him for his mercies, who gladly hears the word of god, who continually contemplates the works of god, and who teaches others to do the same things--do you think that such a one will harm his neighbor, or disobey his parents, or kill, or commit adultery? 309. the first table, therefore, is to be set forth first of all, and instruction as regards the true worship is to receive precedence to all else. this means, first to make the tree good on which good fruit is to grow. now, our adversaries take the diametrically opposite course; they want to have the good fruit before they have even the tree. 310. moreover, i believe that about this time there was added some visible ceremony of divine worship, for god is ever wont thus to do. he always joins with the word some visible sign. when abel and cain presented their offerings god showed by a visible sign from heaven that he had respect unto abel and his offering, but not unto cain and his offering. and so, in all probability, it was in this case and at this time. when the church began to flourish and the word of god was publicly taught with considerable success, god added also some visible sign, that the church might assuredly know that she pleased god. 311. but whatever that sign was, whether fire from heaven or something else, god withheld it until the third generation, that men might learn to be content with the word alone. afterwards, when men had comforted themselves by the word alone against the cainites, in all tribulations, god of his great mercy added to the word some visible sign. he established a place and appointed persons and ceremonies to which the church might gather for the exercise of faith, for preaching and prayer. by means of these things, the word or the first table and then a visible sign ordained of god, a church is constituted, in which men undergo discipline through teaching, hearing, and the partaking of the sacraments. then upon these things will assuredly follow the works of the second table, which are acceptable, and acts of worship, only on the part of those who possess and practice the first table. 312. this gift of god, moses sets forth in the few short words of the text before us, when he says, "then began men to call upon the name of jehovah." for this beginning to call upon the name of jehovah was not on the part of the cainites, as the jews explained the passage, but on the part of the godly posterity of adam, which alone was then the true church. if any of the posterity of cain were saved, it must of necessity have been by joining this church. 313. the sum of the first four chapters of genesis is that we are to believe in a resurrection of the dead after this life, and a life eternal through the seed of the woman. this is the blessed portion of the godly, of them that believe, who in this life are filled with afflictions and subject to injuries at the hands of all men. to the wicked, on the contrary, are given, as their portion, the riches and power of this world, which they use against the true church of god. in the first chapter it is shown that man was created unto immortality, because he was created "in the image of god." the teaching also of the second chapter sets forth the same thing, "in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." it follows that the first created man and woman could not have died if they had not eaten of that fruit. by their sin of eating they fell from immortality to mortality, and they begat an offspring like unto themselves. in the third chapter immortality is set forth anew, as restored by the promise of the seed of the woman. in the fourth chapter we have an especial example of immortality set before us in abel, who, after he had been slain by his brother, was received into the bosom of god, who testified that the voice of the blood of abel cried unto him from the ground. 314. and the fifth chapter, which now follows, is expressly written to set forth the immortality of enoch, who was taken up into heaven by the lord. although the following chapter is necessary as a chronicle of the number of the years of the generation of the righteous, yet its most remarkable feature is its record that enoch did not die like adam, nor was slain like abel, nor carried away, nor torn to pieces by lions and bears, but was taken up into heaven and translated into immortality by the lord himself; all which was written that we might believe in the seed of the woman, christ our redeemer and satan's conqueror, and that through him we also might expect a life immortal after this mortal and afflicted life. 315. this harmony of these five chapters the jews see not, for they are destitute of that sun which sheds light upon these things and makes them manifest; which sun is christ, by whom we have the remission of sins and life immortal. chapter v. i. the book of the first generations of man, and the glory of the cainites. a. the book of the first generations of man. 1. the reasons why moses records the generations of adam 1. 2. why he so particularly gives the years, and in the case of each patriarch adds "and he died" 1-2. 3. why enoch is placed in the records of the dead 3-4. * was enoch a sinner, and do sinners have hope of eternal life 4. * of death. a. how we are to comfort ourselves against death 5. b. how reason views death, and how the best heathen philosophers viewed it 6. c. the knowledge the scriptures give us of death 6. 4. how we may be greatly profited by the book of the generations of the ancient world 7. 5. why the book of the generations of cain is larger than that of seth's 7. * how terrible that both lines were totally destroyed, except eight persons 8. 6. the aim of moses in writing this book of the generations of adam 9. * the glory of the first world 10. a. what was this glory 9-10. b. why this glory was revealed 10. c. profitable and interesting to meditate upon it 11. d. the patriarchs of the first world the most holy of all martyrs 12. b. the glory of the cainites. 1. the cainites greatly tormented god's church, especially after adam's death 12. 2. to what end their hatred and persecution served the holy patriarchs 13. * why moses did not record the zeal of the holy fathers against the cainites 14. * why moses gives such a short description of the deluge 15. * the character of the first world 16. * luther's lamentation over the character of the last world; its approaching destruction, and an earnest prayer to god 16-18. i. the records of the generations of man and the glory of the cainites. a. the records of the generations of man. v. 1. _this is the book of the generations of adam._ 1. this chronicle has been arranged by moses for two reasons. first, on account of the promise of the seed made to adam; and second, on account of enoch. moses writes still another genealogy in the tenth chapter, after the flood, from a far different motive than the present. in the present chapter, he gives the number of the years of the righteous and adds with a special purpose in the case of each one, the words, "and he died." 2. this little phrase may at first thought appear superfluous. after the historian has said, "all the days that adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years," what seems to be the use of his adding the few words, "and he died"? the statement as to the number of his years connotes also the time of his death; for had he lived longer, the additional years would have been contained in the enumeration. moses, however, does this with the definite purpose of pointing out the unspeakable wrath of god against sin, and the inevitable punishment of it, inflicted by him on the whole human race, on the righteous as well as on the wicked. so does the apostle paul pursue his argument, drawn from this very portion of the holy scripture: "as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all sinned," rom 5, 12. this is a consequence perpetuated through all generations. adam died, therefore adam was a sinner. seth died, therefore seth was a sinner. infants die, therefore infants partake of sin and so are sinners. this is what moses intends to set forth when he says, concerning the whole line of patriarchs, that, though they were all sanctified and renewed by faith, yet, "they died!" 3. nevertheless, from this line of the dying there flames starlike a most lovely light of immortality when moses here records concerning enoch that "he was not;" that is, he no longer appeared among men, and yet he did not die but was taken up into heaven by the lord himself. by this glorious fact is signified that the human race is indeed condemned to death on account of sin, and yet the hope of life and immortality is left us, that we need not abide in death forever. 4. for this cause god thought it needful, not only that the promise of life should be given to the original world, but that immortality should be demonstrated by an object lesson. accordingly moses said of each patriarch that he fulfilled so many years of life and "died": that is, suffered the punishment of sin, or, was a sinner. but the divine historian does not use these expressions concerning enoch. not because that patriarch was not a sinner, but because, even unto such sinners as he, there was left a hope of eternal life through the blessed seed. therefore all the patriarchs, who died in the faith of this seed, held fast the hope of eternal life. enoch, therefore, is the second object lesson by which god makes it manifest that it is his will to give unto us life eternal after this life. the lord says that abel, who was killed by his brother, still lived, and that his voice cried from the ground. in the present instance, enoch is taken up by the lord himself into heaven. 5. we will not despair, therefore, though we see death, derived from adam, extend to every one of the whole human race. we must, indeed, suffer death because we are sinners. but we shall not abide in death. we rather have a hope in a divine purpose and providence whereby god designs our deliverance from death. this deliverance has begun with the promise of the blessed seed, and has been demonstrated by abel and enoch as object lessons. wherefore we possess the first fruits of immortality. the apostle paul says, "for in hope were we saved," rom 8, 24. hope saves us until the fullness of immortality shall be brought unto us at the last day, when we shall see and feel that eternal life which we possessed here in faith and hope. 6. now, the flesh does not understand this. the flesh judges that man dies like a beast. men, occupying the front rank of philosophers have felt accordingly that by death the soul is separated and delivered from the prison of the body, to mingle, free from all bodily infirmities, in the assembly of the gods. such was the immortality dreamed of by the philosophers, though steadfastness of grasp and of vision was out of the question. the holy scriptures, however, teach differently concerning the resurrection and eternal life; they place this hope so plainly before our eyes as to leave no room for doubt. 7. next in order, we find in this chapter a reflection of the condition of the primitive world. the ten antediluvian patriarchs belonging to the lineage of christ, with their descendants, are enumerated. nor is it a useless study to put these data before one's eyes on paper, according to the directions given by moses, to see who the patriarchs were, who were their contemporaries, and how old they became, as i have taken the time to do. cain also has his line, as moses has shown in the preceding chapter, and i have no doubt that the posterity of cain was far more numerous than that of righteous seth. 8. from these two families, as from roots, was the world peopled, down to the deluge, in which both branches, with their two classes of descendants (that is, the posterity of the wicked and that of the righteous) were rooted out of the earth, eight souls only being left, and even among them one was wicked. accordingly, as in this chapter a magnificent picture of the primeval world is presented to our view, so we behold also the incalculable wrath of god, and the horrible event of the reduction of the total offspring of these patriarchs to eight souls. 9. we will reserve this awful record for its proper time and place. let us now do that which moses does in the present chapter, who wants us to consider the exceeding splendor of this primeval age of the world. adam lived beyond the age of his grandson enoch, and died but a short time before noah was born. a hundred and twenty years only intervened between the death of adam and the birth of noah. seth died only fourteen years before noah's birth. enosh and the rest of the patriarchs, except enoch, lived at the same time with noah. thus by a comparison of the figures, we shall ascertain that quite a number of gray-headed patriarchs, of whom one lived seven hundred, and another nine hundred years, were contemporaries, and teaching and governing the church of the godly. 10. the exceeding glory of the primitive world consists in this, that it contained so many good and wise and holy men. we are by no means to think that all these are merely common names of plain and simple men. they were the greatest heroes and men of renown that the world ever witnessed, next to christ and john the baptist. in the last day we shall behold and admire the real majesty of all these worthies, and then we shall truly behold the mighty deeds which these mighty men wrought. yes, it will then be made manifest what adam did, what seth did, what methuselah did, and the others; what they suffered from the old serpent; how they comforted and fortified themselves, by their hope in the promised seed, against all the harm and violence of the world, that is, of the cainites; what craft they experienced; what injuries and hatred and contempt they bore for the glory of the blessed seed to be born from their lineage. we are assuredly not to imagine that these great and holy men lived without severe afflictions and innumerable crosses. all these things, i say, shall be revealed at the last day. 11. and it is an undertaking, as i said, full of profit and pleasure now to contemplate with our minds, as with open eyes, that happy age, in which so many patriarchs lived contemporaneously, nearly all of whom, except noah, had seen and known their first father, adam. b. the glory of the cainites. 12. also the cainites had their glory. among them were men most eminent in the liberal arts, and the most consummate hypocrites, who gave the true church a world of trouble, and harassed the holy patriarchs in every possible way. we may justly call all those who were thus oppressed by them most holy martyrs and confessors. the cainites, as moses before intimated, very soon surpassed the other descendants of adam in numbers and activity. although they were compelled to revere their father adam, yet they adopted all possible means of oppressing the church of the godly, and especially so after the death of the first patriarch, adam. by such wickedness, these cainites helped to bring on the flood as retribution. 13. this power and malice of the cainites caused the holy patriarchs to teach and instruct their church with increased zeal and industry. what numerous and powerful sermons may we suppose were preached by them in the course of these most eventful years! there is no doubt that both adam and eve testified of their original state of innocence, described the glory of paradise and warned their posterity to beware of the serpent, who, by tempting them to sin, had caused all these great evils. how constant may we suppose them to have been in explaining the promise of the blessed seed! how earnestly must they have exhorted the hearts of their followers to be moved neither by the splendor of the cainites nor by their own afflictions. 14. all these particulars moses omits to record, both because they could not be described on account of their infinite variety of detail and because the revelation of them is reserved for that great day of deliverance and glory! 15. likewise the flood, in spite of its horror, is described with the greatest brevity because he wished to leave such things to the meditation of men. 16. for the same reasons moses has purposely given us, in these first five chapters, as briefly as possible, a picture of the original and primeval world. it was an admirable condition of life, and yet that primeval age contained a multitude of the worst of men, in consequence not more than "eight souls" were saved from the destroying flood! what then, may we conclude, will be the state of things before the last day shall come, seeing that even now, under the revealed light of the gospel, there is found so great a host of despisers of it that there is cause to fear that they will fill the world ere long with errors and prevail to the extinction of the word altogether. 17. awful is the voice of christ when it utters the words, "nevertheless, when the son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" lk 18, 8. and in matthew 24, 37-38, our lord compares the last days with the days of noah. these utterances of our lord are indeed most awful. but the world, in its security and ingratitude, is a despiser of all the threats as well as all the promises of god. it abounds in iniquities of every kind and becomes daily more corrupt. from the time that the popes ceased to rule among us, who had ruled the whole world by means of the mere dread of their vengeance, sound doctrine has been despised, and men have degenerated into all but brutes and beasts. the number of holy and godly preachers of the word is becoming less and all men are indulging their desires. the last day, however, shall assuredly come upon the world as a thief, and will overtake these men in all their security, and in the indulgence of their ambition, tyranny, lust, avarice, and vices of every kind. 18. and let it be remembered that it is christ himself who has foretold these things, and we can not possibly imagine that he would lie. if the primitive world, which contained so mighty a multitude of the greatest patriarchs, was so wholly corrupted, what may we not have cause to dread in the weakness of our nature? may the lord our god grant that we may be gathered, as soon as possible, in the faith and confession of his son jesus christ, unto these our fathers; yea, if it please him, that we may die within the next twenty years, and not live to see the miseries and calamities, both temporal and spiritual, of the last time! amen! ii. adam and his son seth. 1. the name adam, and why given to the first man 19. 2. the jews' fables of adam's cohabitation with eve 20. * purity of doctrine cannot be expected from the jews 20. 3. why moses so carefully describes the times of adam 21. 4. why it is said of adam that he was created in the likeness of god 21-23. * the likeness of god. a. the difference between "zelem" and "demuth" 22-23. b. how the likeness of god was lost and how it is restored 24. c. whether it can be fully restored in this life 25. 5. the prating of the rabbins about the name adam 26. * why moses here mentions the blessing 27. * why he did not refer to the blessing in the descriptions of cain and abel 28. 6. how long it was before adam begat seth 29. * abel's age when murdered 29. 7. how and why adam mourned so long for his son abel, and therefore refrained from bearing children 29-30. 8. the jews' fable of adam's vow of chastity refuted 30. 9. how we are to understand that adam begat a son in his own likeness 31. 10. whether adam's son seth had god's likeness 31. 11. how adam acquired again the lost image 32. 12. how seth secured the likeness of god 32. 13. why adam gave his son the name seth; its meaning 33. * the long lives of the first men. a. longevity a part of the happy state of the first world 34. b. the causes of such long lives 34-35. * men's bodies were much stronger and healthier than ours 35. c. whether the climate, food and holy living contributed to this end 36-37. * the creatures given to man for food after the flood were inferior to those before, and they injured the body more than nourished it 37. d. luther's thoughts on this theme 38. 14. which is the first or chief branch born from adam and eve 39. 15. how long adam lived after seth's birth 39. * the glory of the first world 40. * the histories of the first world were most excellent, but they were destroyed in the flood 41. * eve's age and experiences 42. * the age of the first world is called the golden age 43. ii. adam and his son seth. v. 1a. _this is the book of the generations of adam._ 19. "adam," as will be stated further on, is the common name of the whole human race, but it is applied to the first man more expressly as an appellation of dignity, because he was the source, as it were, of the whole human family. the hebrew word _sepher_, "a book," is derived from _saphar_, which signifies "to narrate" or "to enumerate." wherefore this narration or enumeration of the posterity of adam is called "the book of the generations of adam." v. 1b. _in the day that god created man, in the likeness of god made he him._ 20. this clause of the sacred text has induced the blind jews to fable that adam slept with eve as his wife in paradise on the same day in which he was created, and that she conceived in that same day. fables of this kind are numerous among them, nor may anything sound or pure in the matter of scriptural interpretation be expected of them. 21. the intent of moses, in this clause, is to record the complete age of adam, and to number the days of his life from the day of his creation, and, at the same time, to show that before adam there was no generation. generation is to be clearly distinguished from creation. there was no generation before adam, but creation only. adam and eve were not born but created, and that directly by god himself. moses adds, "in the likeness of god made he him." we are to understand, then, that when he afterwards mentions that adam begat seth, he numbers his years from the very day of his creation. 22. in respect to adam's having been made in the likeness of god, we have shown above in its place what that "likeness" of god was. although almost all commentators understand the expressions, "the likeness of god," and "the image of god," to mean one and the same thing, yet so far as i have been able from careful investigation to reach a conclusion, there is a difference between the two terms. _zelem_ properly signifies "an image," or "figure," as when the scripture says, ye shall break down their images, ex. 23, 24, in which passage the original term signifies nothing more than the figures, or statues, or images erected by men. but _demuth_ signifies "a likeness," or "the perfectness of an image." for instance, when we speak of a lifeless image, such as that which is impressed on coins, we say, this is the image of brutus or of cã¦sar. that image, however, does not reproduce the likeness, nor exhibit every single feature. 23. accordingly, when moses says that man was created also in the likeness of god, he points out that man resembles god not only in the possession of reason, or of intellect and will, but that he has also the likeness of god, that is, a will and an intellect, with which he knows god and wills what he wills. 24. if man, having been created both "in the image" and "in the likeness" of god, had not fallen, he would have lived forever, full of joy and gladness, and would have possessed a will joyfully eager to obey the will of god. but by sin both this "likeness" and this "image" were lost. they are, however, in a measure, restored by faith, as we are told by the apostle, col 3, 10; eph 4, 24. for we begin to know god, and the spirit of christ helps us, so that we desire to obey the commandments of god. 25. of these blessed gifts we possess only the first-fruits. this new creation within us is only as yet begun; it is not perfected here in the flesh. the will is in some measure stirred to praise god, to give him thanks, to confess sin, and to exercise patience, but all this is only the first-fruits. the flesh, obeying the law of its nature, still follows the things of the flesh, while it opposes the things of god. the result is that the restoration of such gifts in us is only in the initial stage; but the full tithe of this likeness in all its perfection shall be rendered in the future life, when the sinful flesh shall have been destroyed by death. v. 2. _male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called their name adam, in the day when they were created._ 26. i have above observed that the general name "adam" was applied to adam alone, by reason of his superiority. i omit to mention those vagaries of the rabbins, who say that no man can be called "adam" unless he has a wife. likewise, no woman can be called "adam" unless married. the thought may have been drawn from the teachings of the fathers, but the jews have corrupted it by their foolish fancies and opinions. 27. moses aims to show this blessing was not taken from man because of his sin, since the blessing of bearing children and ruling them continued with cain though he had murdered his brother. 28. moses mentions not abel, for he had died without an heir and is presented to us as an example of the resurrection of the dead. neither is cain mentioned, who because of his sin was cut off from the true church. 29. scripture says nothing of what adam and eve did during the one hundred years. some of our writers add a hundred years longer adam should have lived with eve before cain slew his brother abel, which makes adam two hundred and thirty years of age when seth was born. it seems to me plausible that the godly parents passed one hundred years in sorrow and mourned the great dishonor that befell their family. after adam was expelled from paradise did he first beget children, sons and daughters, who were like him, and abel was perhaps thirty years of age when he was slain. it appears the children were not much younger than their parents, who were not born, but created. 30. i believe, accordingly, that the godly parents indulged their grief, and abstained from connubial intercourse. this abstinence, however, was not maintained with the intent which the jews fable, who absurdly affirm that adam vowed perpetual chastity, like our monks, and that he would still have kept his vow had he not been commanded by an angel from heaven to live together with his wife. such a story as this is only fit to be told to a roman pontiff of the age of forty, who alone is worthy of listening to such fables. no, adam was not so wicked as thus to refuse the gift and command of god! such abstinence would have been taking vengeance on himself for the grief he had endured, and it would have meant to reject the gift of that blessing which god had been pleased to leave to nature even in its fallen state. moreover, this was a matter not left in the power of adam. as moses has clearly shown, god had created him a male. he had, therefore, need of a female, or wife, because the instinct of procreation was implanted in his nature by god the creator, himself. if therefore adam abstained, he did so for a reason only, intending to return to his eve after giving vent to his grief for a time. 31. moses here expressly adds, concerning adam, that he "begat a son in his own likeness, after his image." theologians entertain various opinions as to the real meaning of those expressions. the simple meaning is, that adam was created "in the image" and "after the likeness" of god, or that he was the image of god, created, not begotten; for adam had no parents. but in this "image of god" adam continued not; he fell from it by sin. seth, therefore, who was afterwards born, was begotten, not after the image of god, but after the image of his father adam. that is, he was altogether like adam; he resembled his father adam, not only in his features, but he was like him in every way. he not only had fingers, nose, eyes, carriage, voice, and speech, like his father, but he was like him in everything else pertaining to body and soul, in manners, disposition, will and other points. in these respects seth did not bear the image of god which adam possessed originally, and which he lost; but he bore the likeness of adam, his father. but this likeness and image were not of god by creation, but of adam by generation. 32. now, this image included original sin, and the punishment of eternal death on account of sin, which god inflicted on adam. but as adam, by faith in the seed that was to come, recovered the image of god, which he had lost, so seth also recovered the same after he grew up to man's estate; for god impressed again his own "likeness" upon him through the word. paul refers to this when he says to the galatians, "my little children, of whom i am again in travail until christ be formed in you," gal 4, 19. 33. of the name seth i have spoken above. it denotes command, and voices the sentiments of one praying and prophesying good news, as if adam had said: "cain has not only himself fallen, but also caused his brother to fall. may god, therefore, grant that this my son seth shall stand as a firm foundation which satan shall not overthrow." such blessing or prayer is implied in the name. vs. 4-5. _and the days of adam after he begat seth were eight hundred years and he begat sons and daughters. and all the days that adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died._ 34. this is another part of the happiness of that age, that men attained to so long life. such longevity, when compared with the length of our lives, seems quite incredible. a question naturally arises as to the cause and theory of such old age. i am not at all displeased with the reasons assigned by some, that the constitutions of men were then far better than ours are now, and also that all things then used for food were more healthful than those now used. to these particulars we must add that important requisite for a long life, the greatest moderation in the use and enjoyment of food. to what extent the latter conduces to health, is needless to explain. 35. though the body was sounder than at present, yet the general vigor and strength of limb which men had in paradise before the advent of sin, had passed away. it is true, however, that their bodily well-being was enhanced when, after the fall, they were renewed and regenerated through faith in the promised seed. for the same reason, also, sin was weakened through faith in the seed. as for us, we have lost their strength and vigor just in proportion as we have departed from their righteousness. 36. with reference to food, who cannot easily believe that one apple, in that primeval age, was more excellent and afforded a greater degree of nourishment than a thousand in our time? the roots, also, on which they fed, contained infinitely more fragrance, virtue and savor, than they possess now. all these conditions, but notably holiness and righteousness, the exercise of moderation, then the excellence of the fruit and the salubrity of the atmosphere--all these tended to produce longevity till the time came for the establishment of a new order by god which resulted in a decided reduction of the length of man's life. 37. now, if we turn to consider thoughtfully our present mode of life, we find that we are much more corrupted than nourished by the meat and drink we consume. in addition to the immoderation characterizing our life, how much have the fruits themselves lost in excellence? our first parents lived moderately, and chose only those things for their meat and drink calculated to nourish and refresh their bodies. there can be no doubt that after the deluge all the fruits of the earth deteriorated greatly. even so, in our own age, we find all things deteriorate. the italian wines and fruits differ no more from our own at the present day than the fruits before the deluge differed from those produced amid that brackishness and foulness made by the sea. 38. these causes, with others which many assign for the great longevity of the primeval patriarchs, i by no means disapprove. but this one reason is quite sufficient, in my opinion, that it pleased god to give them such length of life in the best part of the world. yet we see, as peter strikingly says, that god willed not to spare the old world, no, not even the angels in heaven that sinned; so horrible a thing is sin. sodom and gomorrah were the choicest portion of the earth, and yet, on account of sin, they were utterly destroyed. in the same manner the holy scriptures everywhere set forth the greatness of sin, and exhort to the fear of god. 39. we have now the root, or rather the source, of the human race, namely adam and his eve. from these seth is born, the first branch of this tree. but as adam lived eight hundred years after the birth of seth, adam saw himself in possession of numerous progeny. this was the period of the restoration of righteousness through the promise of the seed to come. afterwards, however, when men increased, and the sons of god mingled with the daughters of men, the world gradually became corrupt, and the majesty of the holy patriarchs became an object of contempt. 40. it is an attractive sight, to view the number of gray-headed patriarchs living at the same time. only a little ciphering is required to do it. if you compute carefully the years of our first parent, adam, you will see that he lived over fifty years with lamech, noah's father. accordingly, adam saw all his descendants down to the ninth generation, having an almost infinite number of sons and daughters. these, however, moses does not enumerate, being satisfied to number the trunk and the immediate branches down to noah. 41. there were, without doubt, in this mighty multitude, many very distinguished saints, whose history, if we possessed it, would exceed in marvelousness all the histories of the world. compared with it, the exodus of the children of israel from egypt, their passage through the red sea and through jordan, their captivities and returns, would be as nothing. but as the primeval world itself perished, so did its history. in consequence, the first place in the annals of history belongs to the account of the flood, in comparison with which the others are only as sparks to the fire. of the former world we have nothing but names, but these are, so to speak, great histories in miniature. 42. it is probable that also eve lived to the age of 800 years and saw this great posterity. what must have been her concern, how great her labors, how devoted her toils, in visiting, in teaching, and in training her children and grandchildren. and what must have been her crosses and sighs, when the generation of the cainites opposed with so much determination the true church, although some of them were even converted by the uncovenanted mercy of god. 43. truly that primeval time was a "golden age," in comparison with which our present age is scarcely worthy of being called the age of mud. during those primeval centuries, there lived at the same time nine patriarchs, together with their posterities, and all of them in harmony concerning the faith in the blessed seed! all these glorious things moses just mentions, but does not explain; otherwise this would be the history of histories. iii. enoch. 1. why moses writes the history of enoch and not that of the other patriarchs before the flood 43-45. 2. how it is to be understood that enoch led a godly life and how the monks interpret this falsely 46. 3. enoch's prophecy cited by jude and where jude received it 47. 4. enoch's exceptional courage and how he opposed satan and the world 48. 5. the length of time he led a godly life; and moses justly praises him 49. 6. why enoch is so greatly praised 50. 7. the tenor of his preaching 51. 8. he by no means led the life of a monk 51. 9. how he was missed. "he was not" 52. * enoch's ascension a proof of the resurrection of the dead 52. 10. the effect of his ascension upon his father and grandfather 53-55. 11. whether the other patriarchs living then at once knew that he ascended; and how such news affected them 54-56. * the cross must always precede consolation 54. 12. why god took enoch 55. * the news of enoch's ascension must have quickened the holy patriarchs 56. 13. enoch's ascension a sign that a better life is offered to man 57. 14. how enoch walked and lived before god 58. 15. enoch a man as we are and yet god took him 58. * the great sorrow of the patriarchs at enoch's disappearance and their great joy over such an experience 59. * seth at the time was high priest, old and tired of life, and died soon after enoch was taken 60-63. * what luther would do if he knew in advance the day of his death 61. * this temporal life full of want and misery 62. * the results of seth's preaching after enoch's ascension 63. * the longing of the holy fathers for eternal life, and how it should serve us 64. * lamentation over the great corruption inherent in our flesh 65. 16. enoch's ascension was great comfort to the holy patriarchs in meeting death 66. * of death. a. it is not death to believers, but a sleep 66. b. in what way death is a punishment of sin, and how it is sweetened 67. * luther's thoughts of enoch's ascension 67. 17. enoch's ascension extraordinary, and well worthy of consideration by all 68. 18. the rabbins' foolish thoughts of enoch's ascension refuted 69. 19. enoch doubtless had many temptations 69. 20. enoch ascended even bodily, and not with that life which he now lives 70. * how and why god willed that the world should have in all times a sign of the resurrection, and hence in the first world enoch ascended, in the second elijah, and in the third christ 71. * lamentation over the unbelief of the world 72. * christ's ascension more significant than enoch's or elijah's 73. * the chief doctrine of the first five chapters of genesis 74. * how and why death and the resurrection of the dead are set forth 74. iii. enoch. 44. there is one history, however, that of enoch, the seventh from adam, which moses was not willing to pass over for the reason of its being extraordinarily remarkable. still, even in this case he is extremely brief. in the case of all the other patriarchs he mentions only the names and the number of their years. enoch, however, he delineates in such a manner that he seems, in comparison, to slight the other patriarchs and, as it were, to disparage them as if they were evil men, or at least slighted of god. did not adam also, and seth, and cainan, together with their descendants--did not all these, also, walk with god? why, then, does moses ascribe this great honor to enoch only? and is the fact that god took enoch to be understood as if the other patriarchs are neither with god nor living? yes, they all, like enoch, now live with god, and we shall behold them all, at the last day, shining equally with enoch, in the brightest glory! 45. why, then, does moses discriminate in favor of enoch? why does he not bestow the same praise upon the other patriarchs? although they died a natural death, and were not taken by god, yet, also they "walked with god." we have heard above concerning enosh that in his times, likewise, mighty things were done. it was in his days that "men began to call upon the name of jehovah," that is, that the word and worship of god began to flourish; and as a result holy men once more "walked with god." why is it then, we repeat, that moses does not laud enosh equally with enoch? why does he bestow such high praise on the latter only? for his words are these: vs. 21-24. _and enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat methuselah. and enoch walked with god after he begat methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. and all the days of enoch were three hundred sixty and five years. and enoch walked with god: and he was not; for god took him._ 46. when moses says that enoch "walked with god," we must beware of taking the monastic view in the premises, as if he had kept himself secluded in some private corner, and there lived a monastic life. no, so eminent a patriarch must be placed on a candlestick, or, as our saviour christ expresses it, set as a city on a hill, that he may shine forth in the public ministry. 47. it is as a bearer of such public office the apostle jude extols him in his epistle, when he says: "to these also enoch, the seventh from adam, prophesied, saying, behold, the lord came with ten thousands of holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness, which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him," jude vs. 14, 15. from what source jude obtained these facts i know not. probably they remained in the memory of man from the primitive age of the world; or it may be that holy men committed to writing many of the sacred words and works of the patriarchs as they were handed down from age to age by tradition. 48. it is this public ministry that moses lauds, exalting the pious enoch as a sun above all the other patriarchs and teachers of the primeval world. wherefore, we may gather from all these circumstances that enoch possessed a particular fullness of the holy spirit, and a preeminent greatness of mind, seeing that he opposed with a strength of faith excelling that of all the other patriarchs, satan and the church of the cainites. to walk with god, is not, as we have before observed, for a man to flee into a desert, or to conceal himself in some corner, but to go forth in his vocation, and to set himself against the iniquity and malice of satan and the world, and to confess the seed of the woman; to condemn the religion and the pursuits of the world, and to preach, through christ, another life after this. 49. this is the manner of life led for three hundred years by the greatest prophet and high priest of his generation, enoch, the man who had six patriarchs for his teachers. most deservedly, therefore, does moses extol him as a disciple of greatest eminence, taught and trained by many patriarchal masters, and those the greatest and most illustrious; and, moreover, so equipped with the holy spirit that he was the prophet of prophets and the saint of saints in that primeval world. the greatness of enoch, then, consisted in the first place in his office and ministry. 50. in the second place, he receives preeminent praise because it was the will of god that he should be an example to the whole world in verifying, and showing the comfort of, the faith in the future life. this text, therefore, is worthy of being written in letters of gold and of being deeply engraven in the inmost heart. 51. here we have another view of what it means to walk with god. it is to preach the life beyond this present life; to teach concerning the seed to come, concerning the serpent's head that is to be bruised and the kingdom of satan that is to be destroyed. such was the preaching of enoch, who nevertheless was a husband, and the father of a family; who had a wife and children, who governed his household, and procured his subsistence by the labor of his own hands. wherefore say or think no more about living in a monastery, which has merely the outward show of walking with god. when this godly man had lived, after the birth of methuselah, 300 years in the truest religion, in faith, in patience and in the midst of a thousand crosses, all of which he endured and overcame by faith in the blessed seed to come, he appeared no more. 52. mark how pregnant these words are with power! he does not say, as he expresses himself concerning the other patriarchs, "and he died," but "he was not," an expression that all scholars have come to regard as a pure proof of the resurrection of the dead. in the hebrew this meaning is most strikingly brought out. and enoch walked with god, and _veenenu_, "he was not." the original signifies that enoch was lost or disappeared, contrary to the thought or expectation of all the other patriarchs, and at once ceased to be among men. 53. without doubt, at the severe loss of so great a man, both his father and his grandfather were filled with grief and consternation; for they well knew with what devotion he had taught the true religion, and how many things he had suffered. when they had thus suddenly lost such a man as enoch, who had strong testimony of his godliness both from men and from god himself, what do you think must have been their feelings? 54. find me, if you can, a poet or a fluent orator to do justice to this text and to treat it with power! enosh, seth, and all the other patriarchs knew not by whom or whither enoch was taken away; they sought him, but found him not. his son methuselah sought him, and his other children and his grandchildren sought him, but they found him not. they suspected, no doubt, the malice of the cainites, and they probably thought that he was killed, as abel was, and secretly buried. at length, however, they learned, through a revelation made to them of god by an angel, that enoch was taken away by god himself, into paradise. this fact they probably did not know the first or the second day after the translation, and perhaps not till many months, or it may be many years, afterwards. in the meantime the holy men bewailed his wretched lot, as if he had been slain by the cainite hypocrites. it is always the divine rule that the cross and affliction should precede consolation. god never comforts any but the afflicted, just as he never quickens unto life any but the dead, nor ever justifies any but sinners! he always creates all things out of nothing. 55. it was a severe cross and affliction to the patriarchs when they saw taken away from them, to appear nowhere among them, him who had governed the whole world by his doctrine, and who had done so many illustrious deeds in the course of his life. while these patriarchs were mourning and bewailing the misfortune of the holy man, behold! consolation was at hand, and it was revealed to them that the lord had "translated" enoch! such an expression we have not concerning any other man than enoch, except elijah. god willed, therefore, to testify by an object lesson, that he has prepared for his saints another life after this life, in which they shall live forever with god. 56. the hebrew verb _lakak_ does not signify "translated" according to the impression conveyed by our use of the word, but "received to himself." these words are, accordingly, words of life, revealed by god through some angel to the patriarch enoch, and to the whole of that generation of saints, that they might have the consolation and promise of eternal life, not only through a word, but also through an act, as before in the case of abel. how delightful must have been to them this proclamation, when they heard that enoch was not dead, nor slain by wicked men, nor taken away from them by the fraud or snares of satan, but translated; that is, "received to himself" by the living and omnipotent god. 57. this is that bright gem which moses sought to display in the present chapter--that the omnipotent god did not take unto himself geese, or cows, or blocks of wood, or stones, but a man, even enoch, to teach there was reserved for men another and better life than this present one, so filled with evils and calamities of every kind. although enoch was a sinner, yet the manner of his departure from this life proved that god had prepared for him and brought him to another and eternal life; for he entered upon the life with god, and god took him to himself. 58. accordingly, enoch's walking with god signifies that he was in this life a faithful witness of eternal life to be gained after this life through the promised seed. this is what living with god means, not the mere animal life subject to corruption. inasmuch as enoch constantly preached this doctrine, god verified and fulfilled this preaching in the patriarch himself, that we might fully and surely believe it; in that enoch, a man like unto ourselves, born of flesh and blood, as we also are, of the seed of adam, was taken up into heaven by god, and now lives the life of god, that is, an eternal life. 59. before the generation of patriarchs knew the facts in the case, it was appalling to them to hear that so holy a man as enoch had disappeared so completely that his whereabouts or manner of death was beyond everybody's ken. great, therefore, was the grief of the pious parents and elders. but afterwards incredible joy and consolation were theirs when they heard that their son lived with god himself and had been translated by god to an angelic and eternal life. 60. this consolation god made known to seth, who was the greatest prophet and high priest after his father adam had fallen asleep in the faith of the blessed seed fifty-seven years before, seth having then arrived at about his eight hundred and sixtieth year. seth, being now an old man and full of days and without doubt fully confirmed in the faith of the blessed seed to come, and anxiously awaiting deliverance from the body and earnestly desiring to be gathered to his people, died with greater joy about fifty-two years afterward, because of the translation of his son enoch. fifty-two years were indeed but a short time for an old man wherein to make his will and visit all his grandchildren, and preach to them and exhort them to persevere in the faith of the promised seed and to hope in that eternal life unto which his son and their father enoch had been translated to live with god. in this manner, doubtless, the aged saint employed his time among his descendants, bidding farewell to and blessing each one. full of years and full of joy, he no doubt thus taught and comforted both himself and them. 61. if i knew that i were appointed to die in six months' time, i should scarcely find time enough wherein to make my will. i would remind men of what had been the testimony of my preaching, exhort and entreat them to continue and persevere therein, and warn and guard them as far as my powers of mind could do so, against the offense of false doctrine. all these things could not be done in one day, nor in one month. those fifty years during which seth lived after the translation of enoch, formed but a very short period for him (for spiritual men have an altogether different method of calculating time than the children of this world) in which to instruct all his family in the nature of this glorious consolation--that another and eternal life is to be hoped for after this life, a hope which god revealed to his saints by the marvelous fact of his having taken to himself enoch, who was of the same flesh and blood with ourselves. 62. "follow not," said he, "the evil inclinations of your nature, but despise this present life and look forward to a better. for what evil exists that is not found in this present life? to how many diseases, to what great dangers, to what dreadful calamities, is it not subject? to say nothing now of those evils which are the greatest of all afflictions, those spiritual distresses which burden with anguish the mind and conscience, such as the law, sin, and death itself. 63. "why is it then, that ye so anxiously expect such great consolations from this present life as to seem incapable of ever being completely satisfied? were it not for the fact that god wants us to live to proclaim him, to thank him, and to serve the brethren, life is such as to suggest its voluntary termination. this service, therefore, let us render unto god, with all diligence. let us look forward with continual sighs to that true life to which, my children, your brother enoch has been translated by the glorious god." these and like things the aged saint taught his people after his great consolation had been revealed. there is no doubt that after it was understood that enoch was translated alive into immortality, they longed for the time when they also might be delivered out of this afflicted life, in the same manner, or at least by death. 64. if, then, those godly patriarchs of old so anxiously looked forward to the eternal life and desired it to come, on account of abel and enoch, whom they knew to be living with god, how much greater ought to be our expectation and desire, who have christ for our leader unto eternal life, who is gone before, as peter says in acts 3, 20-26. they believed in him as one to come; we know that he has become manifest, and has gone to the father to prepare for us a home, and to sit at the right hand of the father to intercede for us. ought we not, therefore, to sigh for those future things, and to hate those of the present? it is not an enoch or an abel who sets before us, as those patriarchs did before their people, the hope of a better life to come; but christ, the leader and author of life himself. it becomes us, therefore, firmly to despise this life and world, and with swelling breast to pant after the coming glory of eternal life. 65. herein we feel how great is the infirmity of our flesh which lusts after these present things with eager desire but fails to rejoice in the certainties of the life to come. how is it possible that a fact should not be most certain which has for witnesses not only abel and enoch and elijah, but also christ himself, the head and the first fruits of those that rise? most worthy, therefore, the hatred of both god and men are the wicked epicureans; and most worthy our hatred also is our own flesh, when we wholly plunge into temporal cares and securely disregard the eternal blessings. 66. worthy of note and carefully to be remembered is the statement that enoch was taken up and received, not by some patriarch or angel, but by god himself. this was the very consolation which rendered the deaths of the patriarchs endurable; yea, which enabled them to depart from this life with joy. they saw that the seed which had been promised them warred, even before he was revealed, with satan, and bruised, through enoch, his head. such was the hope entertained by them concerning themselves and all their believing descendants, and, in perfect security, they despised death as having ceased to be death, as having become a sleep from which they were to awaken into life eternal. "to them that believe," death is not really death, but a sleep. when the terror, the power, and the sting of death are taken away, it can no longer be considered death. the greater the faith of the dying man, the weaker is death. on the other hand, the weaker the faith of the dying man, the more bitter is death. 67. in this text we are also reminded of the nature of sin. if adam had not sinned, we should not have been dying men, but, like enoch of old, we should have been translated, without fear or pain, from this animal life to that better and spiritual life. but although we have forfeited that life, the present history of the patriarch enoch assures us that the restitution of paradise and of eternal life is not to be despaired of. our flesh cannot be free from pain, but where conscience has obtained peace, death is no more than a swoon, by means of which we pass out of this life into eternal rest. had our nature remained innocent, it would not have known such pain of the flesh. we should have been taken up as if asleep, presently to awaken in heaven, and to lead the life of the angels. now, however, that the flesh is defiled by sin, it must first be destroyed by death. as to enoch, perhaps he lay down in some grassy spot and fell asleep praying; and sleeping he was taken up by god, without pain; without death. 68. let us give proper attention to this text to which moses attaches special importance as embodying an account of the most noteworthy event of the primitive world. what fact could possibly inspire more wonder and admiration than that a man, a corrupt sinner, born of flesh and blood, as we are, and defiled as we are by that sin and corruption, so obtained the victory over death as not to die at all! christ himself is man, and righteous, yet our sins caused him to suffer the bitterest of all deaths; but he is delivered on the third day, and lifts himself up unto life eternal. in enoch there was the singular fact that he died not at all, but was caught up, without death intervening, to the life spiritual and eternal. 69. emphatically deserving of aversion are the rabbins. the sublimest passages of the scriptures they shamefully corrupt. as a case in point, they prate concerning enoch that, while he was good and righteous, he very much inclined toward carnal desires. god, therefore, out of pity, prevented his sinning and perishing through death. is not this, i pray you, a shocking corruption of the text before us? why should they say concerning enoch in particular, that he was subject to the evil desires of the flesh? as if all the other patriarchs did not experience the same. why do they not notice the repeated testimony of moses, that enoch "walked with god"? that is certainly evidence that enoch did not indulge those evil inclinations of his flesh, but bravely overcame them by faith. the jews when speaking of the corrupt desires of the flesh have reference to lust, avarice, pride, and similar promptings. enoch, however, without doubt, lived amid mightier temptations than these; like paul, he felt that "thorn in the flesh"; day by day he wrestled with satan; and when, at length, he was completely bruised and worn out with every kind of temptation, god commanded him to depart from this life to the blessed life to come. 70. what that life is which enoch now lives, we who still continue to be flesh and blood cannot possibly know. it is enough for us to know that enoch was translated in his body. this the patriarchs must have clearly understood by revelation, and about to die, they needed this comfort. this much we know also. but what that holy patriarch is now doing, where he is, and how he lives, we know not. we know that he lives; and we also know that the life he lives is not like unto this animal life, but that he is with god. this the text before us distinctly declares. 71. this fact, then, makes the narrative under consideration so memorable that god intended to use it for the purpose of setting before the old, primeval world the hope of a better life. likewise, to the second world, which had the law, god gave the example of elijah, who also was taken up into heaven and translated by the lord before the very eyes of his own servant elisha. we are now in the new covenant, in a third world, as it were. we have christ himself, our great deliverer, as our glorious example, who ascended into the heavens, taking with him many of his saints. it was god's will to establish for every age a testimonial of the resurrection of the dead, that he might thereby allure our minds by all possible attractions from this corrupt and in many ways wretched life, in which, however, we will gladly serve god as long as it shall please him, by the faithful performance of all public and private duties, and especially by instructing others in holiness and in the knowledge of god. but, as the apostle says, we have here "no certain dwelling-place," 1 cor 4, 11. christ, our forerunner, is gone before us, that he might prepare for us, the eternal mansions, jn 14, 2-3. 72. just as we find many among us by whom such things are considered absurd, and not sufficiently worthy of faith, so there is no doubt that this account was deemed ridiculous by most people. the world is ever the same. for that reason these things have by divine authority been committed to writing and recorded for the saints and the faithful, that these might read, understand, believe and heed them. they present to our sight a manifest triumph over death and sin, and afford us a sure comfort in enoch's victory over the law, and the wrath and judgment of god. to the godly nothing can yield more grace and joy than these antediluvian records. 73. but the new testament truly overflows with the mercy of god. while we do not discard records like these, we have others far superior. we have the son of god himself ascending to the skies, and sitting at the right hand of god. in him we see the serpent's head completely bruised, and the life lost in paradise restored. this is more than the translation of enoch and of elijah; still, it was god's will in this manner to administer comfort to the original world and also to the succeeding one, which had the law. 74. the paramount doctrine contained in these five chapters is, accordingly, this: that men died and lived again. in adam all men died. but believers lived again through the promised seed, as the history of abel and enoch testifies. in adam, death was appointed for seth and all others; hence it is written of every one: "and he died." but abel and enoch illustrate the resurrection from the dead and the life immortal. the purpose intended is that we should not despair in death but entertain the unwavering assurance that the believers in the promised seed shall live, and be taken by god, whether from the water or the fire or the gibbet, or the tomb. we desire to live, and we shall live, namely the eternal life through the promised seed, which remains when this is past. iv. lamech and his son noah. a. lamech. 1. he lived at the time enoch was taken to heaven 75. * to what end enoch's ascension served the holy patriarchs 75. 2. why lamech called his son noah 76-77. * the erroneous comments of the rabbins taken by lyra without any good reason 78-79. 3. on what lamech's heart was centered at noah's birth 79-81. 4. how and why lamech erred in the case of his son as eve did at cain's birth 80. * the longing of the patriarchs for the messiah was of the holy spirit 81. * complaint of the world's ingratitude 82. * the patriarchs' greatest treasure and desire 82. * comparison of the three worlds 83-85. * why the present world so lightly esteems christ, whom the patriarchs so highly revered 84. * the first world was the best, the last the worst 85. iv. lamech and his son noah. a. lamech. vs. 28-29. _and lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: and he called his name noah, saying, this same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the ground which jehovah hath cursed._ 75. only incidentally moses adverts in this account to the name of noah, which certainly deserves a somewhat careful examination. lamech was living when enoch was taken away by god out of this life into the other immortal life. when the great glory of god had become manifest in the extraordinary miracle of the rapture from a lowly estate into life eternal of enoch who was a man like us, a husband, a man with family, having sons, daughters, household, fields and cattle, the holy fathers were filled and fired with such joy as to conclude that the glad day was near which should witness the fulfilment of the promise. that enoch was taken up living, to be with the lord, appeared as a salient display of divine mercy. 76. as adam and eve, after the reception of the promise, were so absorbed in their hope that, in their joy to see a man like themselves, they identified cain with the promised seed, so in my judgment lamech committed a similar pious error when he gave his son the name noah, and said: this same shall comfort us, and shall deliver us from the labors and sorrows of this life. original sin, and the punishment thereof, shall now cease. we shall now be restored to our former innocent state. the curse shall now cease which rests on the earth on account of the sin of adam; and all the other miseries inflicted on the human race on account of sin, shall also cease. 77. such considerations as these prompted lamech to base upon the fact of his grandfather's rapture into paradise unaccompanied by pain, sickness and death, the hope that presently the whole of paradise was to be ushered in. he concludes that noah was the promised seed by whom the earth was to be restored. this notion that the curse is about to be lifted is expressed in unmistakable terms. not so; neither the curse of sin nor its penalty can be removed unless original sin itself shall have been removed first. 78. the rabbins, those pestilent corrupters of the scriptures, surely deserve aversion. this is their interpretation of the passage in question: he shall bring us rest from the toil and labor of our hands by showing us an easier way of cultivating the earth. with a plowshare, by a yoke of oxen, the earth shall be broken up; the present mode of digging it with man's hand shall cease. i wonder that lyra is satisfied with this interpretation, and follows it. he ought to have been familiar with the unchanging practice of the jews to pervert scripture by substituting a material meaning for a spiritual one, in order to gain glory among men. could anything more derogatory to the holy patriarch be said than that he gave such expression to his joy over the birth of his son noah on account of an advantage pertaining to the belly? 79. no; it was a much greater concern than this which filled his mind with anxiety. it was the wrath of god, and death, with all the other calamities of this life. his hope was that noah, as the promised seed, would put an end to these evils. and therefore it was that he thus exulted with joy at the birth of this his son, predicted good things, and called upon others to join him in the same hope. his thoughts did not dwell upon the plow, nor upon oxen, nor upon other trivial things of the kind pertaining to this present life, as the blind jews rave. he was really filled with the hope that this his son noah was that seed to come which should restore the former blessed state of paradise, in which there was no curse. as if he had said: now we feel the curse in the very labors of our hands. we toil and sweat in cultivating the earth, yet it yields us in return nothing but briers and thorns. but there shall arise a new and happy age. the curse on the earth which was inflicted on account of sin shall cease, because sin shall cease. this is the true meaning of the text before us. 80. but the holy father was deceived. the glory of bringing about that renewal belonged, not to the son of a man but to the son of god. the rabbins are silly. although the earth is not dug by the hands of men, but by the use of oxen, yet the labor of man's hand has not ceased. enoch, by his translation, does not disclose the solace of bodily easement, agreeable to the belly, but deliverance from sin and death. lamech hoped, in addition, for the restoration of the former state. he believed to see the inauguration of this change in his grandfather enoch, and felt assured that the deliverance, or the renewal of all things, was close at hand. just so eve, as we have already observed, when she brought forth her first-born son cain, said, i have gotten a man with the help of jehovah, one who shall take away all these punishments inflicted on sin, and bring about our restoration. but, like eve, the good and holy lamech was deceived in his ardent longing for the restoration of the world. 81. all these anxieties plainly show how those holy patriarchs longed for, hoped for, and sighed for, that great "restitution of all things," acts 3, 21. although they herein erred, even as eve erred and was deceived with respect to cain, this desire for deliverance in itself, was of the holy spirit, and proved the truth and constancy of their faith in the promised seed. when eve named her son cain, and when lamech called his son noah, these names were but birth cries, as the apostle represents them, of the whole creation, groaning and travailing in pain together, and earnestly expecting the resurrection of the dead, deliverance from sin, the restoration of all things, and the manifestation of the sons of god, rom 8, 19-23. the simplest and true meaning, accordingly, is that lamech, after seeing the reality of the future life demonstrated by the translation of enoch from the afflictions and toils caused by sin, has a son born to him, whom he calls noah, which means rest, an expression of the hope that deliverance from the curse of sin and sin itself shall take place through him. this interpretation accords with the analogy of faith, and confirms the hope for a resurrection and a life eternal. 82. such longing for the future life on the part of the holy men whose shoes we are unworthy to clean, contrasts strangely with the horrible ingratitude of our time. how great the difference between having and wishing! those patriarchs were men of transcendent holiness, equipped with the highest endowments, the heroes of the world! in them we behold the strongest desire for the seed which is to come; that is their greatest treasure; they thirst, they hunger, they yearn, they pant for christ! and we, who have christ among us, who know him as one revealed, offered, glorified, sitting at the right hand of god and making intercession for us--we despise him and hold him in greater contempt than any other creature! o, the wretchedness of it! o, the sin of it! 83. note the difference between the several ages of the world! the primeval age was the most excellent and holy. it contained the noblest jewels of the whole human race. after the flood there still existed many great and eminent men--patriarchs, and kings, and prophets; and although they were not the equals of the patriarchs before the flood, yet in them also there appeared a bright longing for christ, as christ says: "for i say unto you, that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not," lk 10, 24. and then there is our own age, the age of the new testament; to this christ has been revealed. this age is, as it were, the waste and dregs of the whole world. it holds nothing in greater contempt than christ, than whom a previous age knew nothing more precious. 84. what is the cause of this grave state of affairs? to be sure, our flesh, the world, and the devil. we altogether loathe what we have, according to the proverb: _omne rarum carum; vilescit quotidianum._ "all that's rare, is dear; vile is what is here." and apt is the poetic truism: _minuit praesentia famam._ "sight levels what fancy has exalted." as far as the revelation is concerned, we are far richer than the patriarchs. but their devotion to a comparatively inferior revelation was greater; they were lovers of the bridegroom. we, on the other hand, are that fat, bloated, wanton servant, deut 32, 15; for we have the word and are overwhelmed by the abundance of it. 85. in the same degree as the first world was excellent and holy, the latter-day world is evil and wicked. in view of the fact, then, that god did not spare the first, primitive world, and destroyed the second world by overturning kingdom after kingdom, and government after government, what shall we expect to be the end of this latter-day world which in security despises the christ, the desire of nations, as he is called by haggai, in spite of the fact that he urges himself upon us to the point of weariness! b. noah. 1. remarkableness of the fact that noah refrained so long from wedlock 86. 2. he was fit to marry, but had reasons for abstaining 87. 3. what his reasons were 88. 4. his chastity is highly praised by moses in few words 89. 5. the jews' lies about the reasons for his chastity refuted 90-91. * the jews' lies as to why shem was called the first-born 91. * papists without reason take offense at moses relating so much about the birth of the children of the patriarchs 92-93. 6. noah shines like a bright star as an example of chastity among all the patriarchs 93. 7. noah remained single, not because he despised marriage; and why he finally married 94. 8. how his sons were born one after the other 95-97. * why shem was preferred to japheth 96. * how to meet the objections to the birth of noah's sons 97. 9. noah an excellent example of chastity 98. * the threefold world. a. the first world a truly golden age and the most holy. how and why it was punished by god 99-100. b. the second world is full of idolatry, and will be severely punished by god 100. c. the third world is the worst, and hence can expect the hardest punishment 101. d. the punishment of these three worlds portrayed in the colors of the rainbow 101. e. how believing hearts act upon considering sin and the world's punishment 102. b. noah. v. 32. _and noah was five hundred years old: and noah begat shem, ham, and japheth._ 86. here again we meet with surprising brevity. as is his custom, moses expresses in the fewest possible words the greatest and most important things, which the ignorant reader passes by unobserved. but you will say, perhaps, of what import is it that noah first begat sons when he was five hundred years old? why, if noah had no children all those 500 years, he either endured that length of time the severe trial of unfruitfulness or, as appears to me more likely, he abstained from marriage all those years, setting an example of most marvelous chastity. i do not speak here of the abominable chastity of the papists; nor of our own. look at the prophets and the apostles, and even at some of the other patriarchs, who doubtless were chaste and holy. but what are they in comparison with this man noah, who, possessed of masculine vigor, managed to live a chaste life without marriage for five hundred years? 87. now you will scarcely find one in a thousand among the men of our age who, at the age of thirty, has not known woman. moreover, noah, after he had lived a single life for so many centuries, at length took to himself a wife, and begat children; which latter fact carries its own proof that he was in a state appropriate for marriage prior to this, and had a definite reason for practicing continence. 88. in the first place, it is evident that such unequaled chastity must necessarily have been a peculiar gift of god. it evinced a nature almost angelic. it does not seem a thing possible in the nature of man to live 500 years without knowing a wife. in the next place these five centuries of chastity in noah manifest some signal displeasure with the world. for what other reason are we to conclude that he abstained from marriage than because he had seen the descendants of his uncle and aunt degenerate into giants and tyrants, filling the world with violence? he thought in consequence, that he would rather have no children at all than such as those. and my belief is that he would never have taken to himself a wife at all if he had not been admonished and commanded so to do either by the patriarchs or by some angel. he who had refrained from marriage for 500 years might have refrained during all the rest of his life. 89. in this manner moses explains in brief words exceedingly weighty facts, and, what the ignorant reader would never observe owing to the failure of chastity being mentioned in express words, he commends the chastity of noah above that of all the other inhabitants of the primeval world, setting him up as an example of all but angelic chastity. 90. the jews, according to their custom, play the fool, and fable that noah for centuries denied himself a wife because he knew that god would destroy the world by the flood. if, therefore, noah had married, like all the other patriarchs, in the earlier part of his life--that is, when he was about a hundred years old or less--he himself would have peopled the world in the space of 400 years; and then god would have been compelled to destroy both the father himself and the whole of his progeny. to this fable they add the other, that shem was called the first-born for the reason that he was the first to receive circumcision. 91. in a word, these jews corrupt everything and twist it to suit their own carnal bent and ambition. if noah abstained from marriage for the reason which they assign, why did not all the other patriarchs, for the same reason, abstain from marriage and fatherhood? these comments of the rabbins are accordingly frivolous and nonsensical. why do they not rather urge the real cause, that it was a special gift that noah, a vigorous man, abstained from marriage for five hundred years? throughout the course of time no instance of such continence is found. 92. the book of genesis highly offends the papists because it mentions so often that the fathers begat sons and daughters. they say of this book that it is a book in which little more is contained than the record that the patriarchs were men of extravagant love for their wives; and they consider it obscene that moses should make mention of such things with such attention to detail. but, in the impurity of their hearts, they can not refrain from befouling the most exalted chastity. 93. if you would really behold the brightest examples of chastity the whole world contains, read moses as he relates that the patriarchs did not marry until they were of advanced age. among them noah shines forth a star of first magnitude, inasmuch as he did not marry until he had reached the five hundredth year of his life. where will you find such eminent examples of chastity in the papacy? although there are some among the papists who do not actually sin with their bodies, yet how foul and filthy are their minds! and all this is judgment upon their contempt for marriage, which god himself has designed to be a remedy for the corruption of nature. 94. another reason why noah refrained from marriage has been mentioned. he did not condemn marriage, nor did he consider it to be a profane or impure manner of life; but he saw that the descendants of the elder patriarchs had degenerated to the level of the ungodly generation of the cainites. such children as these he felt he could not endure; he rather waited, in the fear of god, the end of the world. when afterwards he did enter into marriage, and begat children, he no doubt did it by reason of some particular admonition and command of god. 95. here a question naturally arises concerning the order in which noah's sons were born. it will be worth our while to inquire into this matter, so that our computation of the years of the world may have a reliable basis. the common opinion is that shem was the first-born of noah, because his name is mentioned first in order. the testimony of scripture, however, compels us to conclude that japheth was the first-born, shem the second, and ham the last. the truth of this is proved in the following manner: shem begat his son arpachshad two years after the flood, when he was 100 years old, gen 11, 10. hence shem was 98 years old when the flood came, and noah, when shem was born, was 498 years old. but japheth was evidently born before shem, for he was the elder brother, gen 10, 21. it plainly follows, therefore, that only ham, the youngest brother, was born when noah was 500 years old. 96. the reason why shem is mentioned before japheth is not because he was first circumcised, as the jews, who always are hunting carnal glory, falsely claim, but because it was through him that christ, the promised seed, was to come. for the same reason, abraham, the youngest, is given precedence to his brothers, haran and nahor. 97. but you will perhaps say, how does this agree with the text which positively says, "noah was five hundred years old; and noah begat shem, ham and japheth"? harmony is restored if you make out of the preterit a pluperfect, and read the passage thus:--when noah was five hundred years old he had begotten shem, ham, and japheth. moses does not record the particular year in which each son was born, but merely mentions the year in which the number of sons born to noah reached three. thus the biblical record is reduced to harmony. 98. as conclusion to the fifth chapter moses presents the finest and most noteworthy example of chastity. saintly and continent throughout his career, noah had just rounded out his fifth century when he began married life. thus far, he had renounced matrimony, repelled by the licentiousness of the young, who were drifting into the depravity of the cainites. notwithstanding, at the call of god, he obediently entered upon marriage, although it was quite possible for him to remain chaste, as a celibate. 99. such is the description given by moses of the first, the original world, in five brief chapters. but it is readily seen that in the beginning was the real golden age of which poets have made mention, their information being doubtless the traditions and the utterances of the fathers. 100. but as the sins of men increased, god spared not the old world, but destroyed it by a flood utterly, even as he did not spare it when under the dispensation of the law. because of its idolatry and the impiousness of its worship, he not only overturned one kingdom after another, but even his own people, the jews, having been severely punished at his hands by various afflictions and captivities, were at length utterly destroyed by the roman armies. 101. our age, which is the third age of the world, although it is the age of grace, is so filled with blasphemies and abominations that it is not possible either to express them in language or to form a mental image of them. this age therefore shall not be punished by temporal punishment, but by eternal death and eternal fire, or, if i may so express it, by a flood of fire. the very rainbow even, with its colors, contains a prophetic intimation of these things. the first color is sea-green, representing the destruction of the first world by the waters of the flood, because of violence and lust; the middle color of the bow is yellow, prefiguring the various calamities by which god avenged the idolatry and wickedness of the second age; the third and last color of the bow is fiery red, for fire shall at length consume the world, with all its iniquities and sins. 102. wherefore, let us constantly pray that god may so rule our hearts by his fear and may so fill us with confidence in his mercy, that we are able with joy to await our deliverance and the righteous punishment of this ungodly world. amen. amen. chapter vi. i. the sins of the first world, the cause of its destruction. * how this chapter and the preceding one are connected 1. * it is terrible that god destroyed by a flood the first world, which was the best 2. * of pride and the proud. 1. how god humbles what is high and grand in the eyes of the world and has the best gifts 3-4. * how man can meet the judgments of god 4. 2. the more gifts man has the greater his pride 5. 3. the most terrible examples of punishment god gives in the case of the proud and such examples should be diligently pondered 6-7. * the complaint that the world is hardened by reason of god's judgments 7-8. 4. how the ancient world was misled into pride through its gifts 9-10. 5. pride is the common weakness of human nature 11. 6. in what ways man is moved to pride 12-13. a. the chief sin of the old world 14-15. * pride is the spring of all vices 15. b. how the old world sinned against the first table of the law, and brought on the sins against the second table 16. c. how and why god punished the old world 17. * from the punishment of the first world we conclude that the last world will be also punished 18. d. whether the first world was wicked before noah's birth; on what occasion its wickedness increased 19. * noah the martyr of martyrs 20. * why lamech called his son noah 21. e. how sin greatly increased in the days of noah 22. * why noah remained unmarried so long, which was his greatest cross 23. f. when the wickedness of the old world began 24. * concerning unchastity. (1) it is the foundation of all want and misery 24. (2) it is the spring of many other sins 25. (3) how to remedy it 25. (4) whether bearing children is in itself to be reckoned as unchastity, and how far moses denounces it 26. (5) unchastity makes the bearing of children difficult 27. g. the reason the sons of god looked upon the daughters of men 28. h. why the sin of the first world was not so terrible as the sin of the second 29-30. i. how the first world changed through the marriages of adam and the other patriarchs 30-32. * the sons of god. (1) what is understood by them 32. (2) the rabbins' fables about the sons of god, how to refute them 33-34. * what is to be held concerning the "incubis" and "succubis" 34-35. (3) how the deluge came because of the sons of god 36. (4) to what end should the fall and punishment of the sons of god serve us 37-38. * should the romish church be called holy 37. * how the children of god became the children of the devil 38. * how noah had to spend his life among a host of villains 39. * the conduct of the world when god sends it righteous servants 40. i. the sins of the primeval world in general the cause of its destruction. 1. in the first five chapters moses describes the state of the human race in the primeval world and the wonderful glory of the holy patriarchs who governed it. in these five chapters the chronicles as in the first book, so to speak, the happiest period of the whole human race and of the world before the flood. now we shall begin what may be termed the second book of genesis, containing the history of the flood. it shows the destruction of all the offspring of cain and the eternal preservation of the generation of the righteous; for while everything perishes in the flood, the generation of the righteous is saved as an eternal world. 2. it is appalling that the whole human race except eight persons is destroyed, in view of the fact that this was truly the golden age; for succeeding ages do not equal the old world in glory, greatness and majesty. and if god visited with destruction his own perfect creation and the very glory of the human race, we have just cause for fear. 3. in inflicting this punishment, god followed his own peculiar way. whatever is most exalted he particularly overthrows and humiliates. peter says in 2 peter 2, 5: god "spared not the ancient world;" and he would imply that it was, in comparison with succeeding ages, a veritable paradise. neither did he spare the sublimest creatures--the angels--nor the kings ruling his people, nor the first-born of all times. but the more highly they were blessed with gifts, the more sternly he punished them when they began to misuse his gifts. 4. the holy spirit says in the ninth verse of the second psalm, concerning kings: "thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." but is it not the lord himself who has ordained kings and wills that all men should honor and obey them? here he condemns and spurns the wisdom of the prudent and the righteousness of the righteous. it is god's proper and incessant work to condemn what is most magnificent, to cast down the most exalted and to defeat the strongest, though they be his own creatures. he does this, however, that abundant evidence of his wrath may terrify the ungodly and may arouse us to despair of ourselves and to trust in his power alone. we must either live under the shadow of god's wing, in faith in his grace, or we must perish. 5. after the fall it came to pass that the more one was blessed with gifts, the greater was his pride. this was the sin of the angels who fell. this was the sin of the primitive world, in which the grandest people of the race lived; but because they prided themselves in their wisdom and other gifts, they perished. this was the sin of the greatest kings. this was the sin of nearly all the first-born. but what is the need of so many words? this is original sin--that we fail to recognize and rightly use the great and precious gifts of god. 6. that the greatest men must furnish the most abhorrent examples is not the fault of the gifts and blessings, but of those to whom they are intrusted. god is a dialectician and judges the person by the thing,[1] meting out destruction to the thing or gift as well as to its possessor. [footnote 1: _ut arguat a conjugatis._] 7. it is expedient to give heed to such examples. they are given that the proud may fear and be humbled, and that we may learn our utter dependence upon the guidance and will of god, who resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble. lacking the understanding and practice of these truths, man falls continually--kings, nobles, saints, one after the other, filling the world with examples of the wrath and judgment of god. the blessed virgin sings: "he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. he hath put down the princes from their thrones, and hath exalted them of low degree." lk 1, 51-53. 8. full of such examples are all ages, all princely courts, all lands. yet, by the grace of saint diabolus, the prince of this world, our hearts are so hard that we are not moved by all this to fear; rather to disdain, though we feel and see that we also shall incur destruction. blessed are they, therefore, who heed, and are moved by such examples of wrath to be humble and to live in the fear of god. 9. consider, then, the preeminence of the old world, that perished in the flood. it possessed apparently the best, holiest and noblest men, compared with whom we are as the dregs of the world. for the scriptures do not say that they were wicked and unjust among themselves, but toward god. "he saw," says moses, "that they were evil." the eyes of god perceive and judge quite differently from the eyes of men. he says in isaiah 55, 8-9: "neither are your ways my ways.... for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." 10. these tyrants and giants were esteemed and honored among themselves as the wisest and most just of men. so in our day kings and princes, popes and bishops, theologians, physicians, jurists and noblemen occupy exalted places and receive honor as the very gems and luminaries of the human race. more deservedly did the children of god in the old world receive such honor, because they excelled in power and possessed many gifts. nevertheless, falling into pride and contempt of god while enjoying his blessings, they were rejected by god and destroyed, together with their gifts, as if they had been the lowest and vilest of the human race. 11. and this is a common failing of our human nature. it necessarily puffs itself up and prides itself on its gifts unless restrained by the holy spirit. i have often said that a man has no more dangerous enemy than himself. it is my own experience that i have not without me so great cause for fear as within me; for it is our inner gifts that incite our nature to pride. 12. as god, who is by nature most kind, cannot refrain from gracing and showering us with various gifts: health, property, wisdom, skill, knowledge of scripture, etc., so we cannot refrain from priding ourselves upon these gifts and flaunting them. wretched is our life when we lack the gifts of god, but twice wretched is it when we have them; for they tend to make us doubly wicked. such is the corruption of original sin, though all but believers are either unaware of its existence or regard it a trivial thing. 13. such corruption is perceptible not only in ourselves but in others. how property inflates pride though it occupies relatively the lowest place among blessings! the rich, be they noblemen, city-dwellers or peasants, deem other people as flies. to even a greater extent are the higher gifts abused--wisdom and righteousness. possession of these gifts, then, makes inevitable this condition--god cannot suffer such pride and we cannot refrain from it. 14. this was the sin of that primeval world. among cain's descendants were good and wise men, who, nevertheless, before god were most wicked, for they prided themselves upon their gifts and despised god, the author. such offense the world does not perceive and condemn; god alone is its judge. 15. where these spiritual vices exist and flourish, the lapse into carnal ones is imminent. according to sirach 10, 14, sin begins with falling from god. the devil's first fall is from heaven into hell; that is, from the first table of the law into the second. when people begin to be godless--when they do not fear and trust god, but despise him, his word and his servants--the result is that from the true doctrine they pass into heretical delusions and teach, defend and cultivate them. these sins in the eyes of the world are accounted the greatest holiness, and their authors alone are reputed religious, god-fearing and just, and held to constitute the church, the family of god. people are unable to judge concerning the sins of the first table. those who despise god sooner or later fall into abominable adultery, theft, murder and other gross sins against the second table. 16. the purpose of my statements is to make plain that the old world was guilty, not only of sin against the second table, but most of all of sin against the first table by making a fine, but deceptive and false show of wisdom, godliness, devotion and religion. as a result of the ungodliness which flourished in opposition to the first table, there followed that moral corruption of which moses speaks in this chapter, that the people polluted themselves with all sorts of lust and afterward filled the world with oppression, bloodshed and wrong. 17. because the ungodly world had trampled both tables under foot, god came to judge it, who is a consuming fire and a jealous god. he so punishes ungodliness that he turns everything into sheer desolation, and neither government nor the governed remain. we may, therefore, infer that the world was the better the nearer it was to adam, but that it degenerated from day to day until our time, when the offscouring and lowest filth of humanity, as it were, are living. 18. now, if god did not spare a world endowed with so many and great gifts, what have we to hope for, who, offal that we are, are subject to far greater misfortune and wretchedness? but if it please god, spare the roman pontiff and his holy bishops, who do not believe such things! i now come to my text. vs. 1-2. _and it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose._ 19. this is a very brief but comprehensive account. the text must not be understood to mean that the world did not increase until the five hundredth year of noah. the more ancient patriarchs are embraced in this statement. this is demonstrated by the fact that noah had no daughters. the reference in the text to "daughters" certainly must be understood as referring to the by-gone age of lamech, methuselah, enoch and others. the world, accordingly, was corrupt and evil before noah was born, particularly when licentiousness began to prevail after the death of adam, whose authority, as the first father, they feared. 20. i have said that noah was a virgin above all others; i may add he was the greatest of all martyrs. our so-called martyrs, compared with him, have infinite advantage in strength received from the holy spirit, by which death is overcome and all trials and perils are escaped. noah lived among the unrighteous for six hundred years, and like lot at sodom, not without numerous and dire perils and trials. 21. this was, perhaps, one reason why father lamech gave his son the name noah at his birth. when the holy patriarch saw evil abounding in the world, he entertained the hope concerning his son that he should comfort the righteous by opposing sin and its author, satan, and restoring lost righteousness. 22. however, the wickedness that began then, not only failed to cease under noah, but rather grew greater. hence noah is the martyr of martyrs. for is it not much easier to be delivered from all danger and suffering in a single hour than to live for centuries amid colossal wickedness? 23. the opinion before expressed i maintain, that noah abstained from matrimony so long that he might not be compelled to witness and suffer in his own offspring what he saw in the descendants of the other saints. this sight of man's wickedness was his greatest cross, as peter says of lot in sodom (2 pet 2, 8): "that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds." 24. accordingly, the increase of humanity of which moses speaks has not reference alone to the time of noah, but also to the age of the other patriarchs. it was there that the violation of the first table commenced--in the contempt manifested for jehovah and his word. this was followed later by such gross offenses as oppression, tyranny and lewdness, which moses explicitly mentions and names first as the cause of evil. consult all history, study the greek tragedies and the affairs of barbarians and romans of all times, and you find lust the mother of every kind of trouble. it can not be otherwise. where god's word remains unknown or unheeded, men will plunge into lust. 25. lust draws in its train endless other evils, as pride, oppression, perjury and the like. these sins can be attacked only as men, through the first table, learn to fear and to trust in god. then it is that they follow the word as a lamp going before in the dark, and they will not indulge in such scandalous deeds, but will rather beware of them. with violation of the first table, however, the spread of passions and sins of every description is inevitable. 26. but it seems strange that moses should enumerate in the catalog of sins the begetting of daughters. he had found it commendable in the case of the patriarchs. it is even enjoyed by the ungodly as a blessing of god. why, therefore, does moses call it a sin? i reply, he does not condemn the fact of procreation as such, but the abuse of it, resulting from original sin. to be endowed with royal majesty, wisdom, wealth and bodily strength is a goodly blessing. it is god who bestows these gifts. but when men, in possession of these blessings, fail to reverence the first table, and by means of these very gifts do violence to it, such wickedness merits punishment. therein is the reason for moses' peculiar words: "the sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose," without consideration of god or of law, natural or statutory. 27. the first table having been despised, the second shares the same fate. desire occupies the principal place and in contempt for procreation it becomes purely bestial; whereas god has instituted matrimony as an aid to feeble nature and chiefly for the purpose of procreation. but when lust in this manner has gained the upper hand, all commandments, those that go before and that follow, are ruthlessly broken and dishonored. parental honor becomes insecure; men do not shrink from doing murder; from alienating property, speaking false testimony, etc. 28. the word _jiru_, "saw," does not merely signify "to view," but "to view with pleasure and enjoyment." this meaning often occurs in the psalms, for instance: "mine eye also hath seen my desire on mine enemies," ps 92, 11; that is, shall with pleasure see vengeance executed upon my enemies. the meaning here is that, after turning their eyes from god and his word, they turned them, filled with lust, upon the daughters of men. the sequence is unerring that, from the violation of the first table, men rush to the violation of the second. after despising god they despised also the laws of nature and, as they pleased, they married whom they chose. 29. these are rather harsh words, and yet it is my opinion that lust continued hitherto within certain limits, inasmuch as they neither committed incest with their mothers, as later the inhabitants of canaan, nor polluted themselves with the vice of the sodomites. moses confines his charge to their casting aside the legal trammels set by the patriarchs and recognizing in their matrimonial alliances no law but that of lust, selecting only as passion directed and against the will of the parents. 30. it seems the patriarchs had strictly forbidden to contract alliances with the offspring of cain, just as, later, the jews could not lawfully mingle with the canaanites. though there are not wanting those who write that incestuous marriages existed before the flood, blood-relationship being held to be no barrier, i yet infer from the fact that peter has extolled the old world, that such incestuous atrocities did not exist at that time, but that the sin of the ancient world consisted rather in men marrying whom they pleased, and as many wives from the cainites as they chose, ignoring parental authority and controlled alone by passion. it is, therefore, a harsh word--"all which they chose." 31. i have shown, on various occasions, that the two generations, or churches, of adam and cain were separate. for, as moses clearly states, adam expelled the murderer from his association. without doubt, therefore, adam also exhorted his offspring to avoid the church of the evil-doers and not to mingle with the accursed generation of cain. and for a while his counsel or command was obeyed. 32. but when adam died and the authority of the other patriarchs became an object of scorn, the sons of god who had the promise of the blessed seed and themselves belonged to the blessed seed, craved from the tribe of the ungodly, intercourse and espousal. he tersely calls the sons of the patriarchs the "sons of god," since to them was given the promise of the blessed seed and they constituted the true church. yielding to the corruptions of the cainite church they indulged the flesh themselves and took from the tribe of cain, as wives and mistresses, whom and as many as they chose. this lamech and noah saw with pain, and for that reason, perhaps, deferred entering upon marriage. 33. in reference to this point the jews fancy foolish things. they interpret the sons of god to signify demon-lechers by whom that impious generation was begotten, and that they were called the sons of god by reason of their spiritual nature. the more moderate ones, however, refute such folly and represent the sons of the mighty. this has been aptly disproved by lyra; for the punishment of the deluge befell, not alone the mighty, but all flesh, as shall the doom at the last day. 34. but as regards the demon-lechers and strumpets (incubi and succubi), i do not deny--nay, i believe--that a demon may be either a lecher or a strumpet, for i have heard men cite their own experience. augustine says that he heard this from trustworthy people whom he was constrained to believe. satan is pleased when he can deceive us in this manner, by assuming the form either of a young man or a young woman. but that anything may be begotten by a devil and a human being is simply false. we hear of monstrous births of demon-like features, and i have even seen some. i am of opinion, however, that they have been deformed by the devil, but not begotten: or that they are real devils with a human body either simulated or purloined. for if the devil, by divine permission, may take possession of the whole man and change his mind, is it strange that he may disfigure also his body, causing men to be born sightless or cripples? 35. hence, the devil may so deceive frivolous people and such as live without the fear of god that when the devil is in bed, a young man may think that he has a girl with him, and a girl that she has a youth with her; but that anything may be born from such concubinage i do not believe. many sorceresses have at one time or another been subjected to death at the stake on account of their intercourse with demons. if the devil can deceive eyes and ears so that they fancy they see and hear things which do not exist, how much easier is it for him to deceive the sense of touch, which is in this nature exceedingly gross! but enough! these explanations have no bearing upon the present text, and we have been led to them merely by jewish babbling. 36. the true meaning is that moses calls those men the sons of god, who had the promise of the blessed seed. this is a new testament phrase and signifies the believers who call god, father, and whom, god in turn, calls sons. the flood came not because the generation of cain was corrupt, but because the generation of the righteous who had believed god, had obeyed his word, and had possessed the true worship, now had lapsed into idolatry, disobedience to parents, sensuality, oppression. even so the last day shall be hastened, not by the profligacy of gentile, turk and jew, but by the filling of the church with errors through the pope and fanatical spirits, so that those very ones who occupy the highest place in the church exercise themselves in sensuality, lust and oppression. 37. it is a cause of fear for us all, that even those who were descended from the best patriarchs, began to grow haughty and depart from the word. they gloried in their wisdom and righteousness, as later the jews did in circumcision and father abraham. so did the popes glory in the title of the church only to replace gradually their spiritual glory by carnal indulgence after forfeiting the knowledge of god, his word and his worship. the roman church was truly holy and adorned by the grandest martyrs. we, at this day, however, are witnesses how she has fallen. 38. let no one, therefore, glory in his gifts, however splendid! the greatest gift is to be a member of the true church. but take care not to become proud on that account, for you may fall, just as lucifer fell from heaven and, as we are here informed, as the sons of god fell into carnal pleasures. they are, therefore, no longer sons of god, but sons of satan, having fallen alike from the first and the second table of the law. so in the past, popes and bishops have been good and holy, but today they are of all men the worst and, so to speak, the dregs of all classes. 39. among this rabble of decadent men who had departed from the piety and virtues of their ancestors, godly noah lived in the greatest contempt and hatred of everybody. how could he approve the corruption of such degenerate progeny? and they themselves were most impatient of reproof. while, therefore, his example shone and gleamed, and his holiness filled the whole earth, the world became worse from day to day, and the greater the sanctity and chastity of noah, the more the world reveled in lust. this is the beginning; it invariably introduces ruin. 40. when god arouses holy men, full of the holy spirit, to instruct and reprove the world, the world, impatient of sound doctrine, falls with much greater zeal into sin and plies it with much greater persistency. this was the situation at the beginning of the world, and now, at the end of the world, we realize it is still the case. ii. god's judgment and grief over the first world; noah and his preaching. a. god's judgment and lamentation over the old world. 1. the words of the lamentation. a. interpreters have shamefully perverted these words 41. b. the jewish interpretation, which jerome follows 42. c. the jews' interpretation refuted 42-43. d. the interpretation of rabbi solomon 44. e. the interpretation of others, especially of origen 45. * why augustine was especially pleased with the doctrine of the manicheans 45. f. rabbi david's explanation 46. * the false idea of the jews and some christian interpreters that the true sense of scripture is learned from grammar. (1) thus ideas most foreign to the sense of scripture are defended 46-47. (2) this method is false and led the jews into many fantasies 47. g. the source of rabbi david's awkward interpretation of these words 48. * why luther has so much to say about the false interpretation of scripture 49. * what is necessary to interpret scripture 50. h. the true sense of these words 51. * scripture definition of "to judge" 51. 2. the author of this judgment and lamentation 51-53. * man's conduct upon hearing god's word preached 54. 3. from what kind of a heart does such judgment and lamentation spring 55. * what kind of grief is the grief of the holy spirit 56. * god's severest punishment 57-59. * what follows when man does not possess god's word 57-58. * why the heathen are so carnal 58. 4. the nature of this judgment and lamentation 59. * the lamentation and judgment of luther over germany because it lightly esteemed god's word 60. * the spirit of grace and of prayer 61. * the office of the ministry. a. it requires two things 62. b. it is the greatest blessing of god 63. c. to despise it is a great sin, and what follows when it is taken from a people 63. d. a complaint of its neglect 64. e. this office is explained by the expression "to judge" 65. * every godly preacher is one who disputes and judges 65. * luther's grief because of the stubbornness of the world 66. * why ahab called elijah a troubler of israel 67. * why the world resents being reproved by sound doctrine. it is a good sign if a minister is reviled by the world 68. * the glory of people who boast of being the church. a. such glory avails nothing before god 68-70. b. papists wish by all means to have this glory 68-70. c. papists need this glory to suppress the protestants 71. d. christ will decide at the judgment day to whom this glory belongs 71. e. although the first world adorned itself with this glory, it did not save them 72. 5. how and why this judgment and complaint are ascribed to god 73-74. 6. how they were published to the world by the holy patriarchs 75. 7. why they were made 76. 8. in what way they have been published to the world 77. 9. how the world resented this judgment and complaint 78. * time given to the first world for repentance. a. we are not to understand the 120 years as the period of a man's life 79. b. the 120 years the time given these people in which to repent 80-81. 10. whether and to what end this time was necessary 82. 11. how the old world felt upon hearing this 83. * the complaint and judgment of the last world 84-86. * the nearer the world approaches its destruction the less it thinks of it 86. * how the time of the flood is to be compared with the time god gives man to repent 87. ii. the judgment and lamentation of god over the first world; noah and his preaching. a. god's judgment and lamentation over the old world. v. 3. _jehovah said, "my spirit shall not strive with man forever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years."_ 41. moses here begins by describing noah as the highest pontiff and priest, or, as peter calls him, a preacher of righteousness. this text has been mangled in various ways, for the natural man cannot understand spiritual things. when, therefore, the interpreters, with unwashed feet and hands, rushed into the holy scriptures, taking with them a human bias and method, as they themselves acknowledge, they could not but fall into diverse and erroneous views. it has almost come to pass, that the more sublime and spiritual the utterances of scripture, the more shamefully they have been distorted. this passage in particular they have managed so shamelessly that you would not know what to believe, if you followed the interpreters. 42. the jews are the first to crucify moses here, for this is their exposition: my spirit, that is my indignation and wrath, shall not always abide upon man. i will not be angry with men, but spare them, for they are flesh. that means, being spurred by sin, they incline to sin. this meaning jerome also adopts, who is of the opinion that here only the sin of lust is spoken of, to which we are all prone by nature. but his first error is that he interprets spirit as wrath. it is the holy spirit moses here speaks of, as the contrast shows. "for man," he says, "is flesh." the meaning is, therefore, that the flesh is not only prone to sin, but also hostile toward god. 43. then the matter itself serves as refutation, for could anything more absurd have been devised? they see with their eyes the wrath of god swallowing the whole human race through the flood, and yet they expound that god does not wish to be influenced toward the human race by anger but by mercy, and this after a hundred and twenty years, the very time of the flood. 44. rabbi solomon expounds it thus: the spirit which is in god shall no more strive and wrangle. as if god in his majesty would have disputed and wrangled about what should be done with man, whether to destroy or to spare him, finally, wearied by man's wickedness, determining upon his destruction, nevertheless. 45. others understand this of the created spirit: my spirit that i breathed upon the face of man, that is the spirit of man, shall no longer strive and contend with the flesh, which is in subjection to its lusts, for i shall take away this spirit and free it from the flesh, so that when the latter has become extinct, it may create no more difficulties for the spirit. this is the understanding of origen, and it does not differ much from the manichean error which attributes sin not to the whole man, but only to a part. and augustine says that this had pleased him most in the tenets of the manicheans, to hear that his depravity was not altogether his, but only of that part of the body which is evil from the beginning. the manicheans posited two principles, the good and the bad, just as certain philosophers have posited enmity and friendship. thus do men not only miss the mark, but they also fall into ungodly delusions. 46. rabbi david cites sanctes, and derives the word _jadon_ from _nadan_, which means sheath, or shell. but as the interpretation is very clumsy, so he clothes it also in a very clumsy word: my spirit shall not be inclosed in man as in a sheath. has anything more unnatural ever been heard? but the jews make a laughing-stock of modern hebraists when they convince them that the holy scriptures can not be understood except through grammatical rules and an exact science of vowel-points. no exposition is so absurd but that they defend and polish it with their stale grammatical rules. 47. but tell me, what language has there ever been that men easily have learned to speak from grammatical rules? is it not true that the very languages most thoroughly reduced to rules, like greek and latin, are learned rather by practice? what stupendous absurdity, therefore, it is to gather the sense of a sacred tongue, which is the repository of things theological and spiritual, from grammatical rules, and to pay no attention to the proper signification of things? and this is what the rabbis and their disciples do almost universally. many words and verbs may be declined for which no use is seen in the language. while they make such things paramount and everywhere chase anxiously after etymology, they fall into strange fancies. 48. so here. because the word in this passage can be derived from _nadan_, they construct from that a prodigious meaning. my spirit, they say, shall not be held back as in a sheath. they mean the spirit of man contained in the body as in a sheath. i shall not leave it in a sheath, they say, but i shall remove him and destroy the sheath. such absurdities originate in the stale grammatical rules, whereas usage rather should be considered; it is that which trains the grammarian. 49. but i recite all this at length, in order to admonish you, when you come upon such silly commentators, not to follow them and admire such singular wisdom. for great men even have found delight in the folly of the rabbis. they are not unlike the sacramentarians, who do not deny the words of christ, this is my body, this is my blood; but explain it thus: bread is bread, and yet the body of christ, namely, his creature; this is my blood, namely my wine. this passion of distorting texts no sane man tolerates in the exposition of the fables of terence, or of the eclogues of virgil, and, forsooth, we should tolerate it in the church! 50. we need the holy spirit to understand the holy scriptures. for we know that the same spirit shall exist to the end of the world who existed before all things. we glory in possessing this spirit through the grace of god, and, through him, we have faith, a moderate knowledge of scripture and an understanding of the other things necessary to godliness. hence we do not invent a new interpretation; we are guided not only by an analogy of holy scripture but also by faith. 51. through the holy scriptures in its entirety, the verb judge, _dun_, signifies almost invariably a public office in the church, or the office of the ministry, through which we are corrected, reproved, instructed and enabled to distinguish the evil from the good, etc. thus, psalm 110, 6: _jadin bagojim_, "he will judge among the nations;" which means: he will preach among the nations. the word found in this passage is evidently the same. and in the new testament this phrase, originally hebrew, is very much in vogue, especially in paul's writings, who uses the hebrew idiom more than the others. 52. i understand this passage therefore as words spoken by lamech or noah as a new message to the whole world. for it was a public message proclaimed at some public assembly. when methuselah, lamech and noah saw that the world was hastening straight to destruction by its sins, they resorted to this proclamation: my spirit shall no longer preach among men. that means: we teach in vain, we admonish in vain; the world has no desire to be better. 53. it is as if one in the present perverse times should say: we teach and make ample effort to summon the world back to sobriety and godliness, but we are derided, persecuted, killed, and all men, in the end, rush to destruction with blind eyes and deaf ears; therefore we are constrained to desist. these are the words of a soul planning appropriate action and full of anxiety, because it is clear that the human race, at the height of its peril, cannot be healed. 54. this exposition conforms to faith and holy scriptures. when the word is revealed from heaven, we see that some are converted, who are freed from damnation. the remaining multitude despises it and securely indulges in avarice, lust and other vices, as jeremiah says (ch 51, 9): "we should have healed babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go everyone into his own country." the more diligently moses and aaron importuned and instructed, the more obstinate pharaoh became. the jews were not made better by even the preaching of christ and the apostles. the same befalls us who teach in our day. what, in consequence, are we to do? deplore the blindness and obstinacy of men we may, correct it we cannot. who would rejoice in the eternal damnation of the popes and their followers? who would not prefer that they should embrace the word and recover their senses? 55. a similar exhibition of obstinacy methuselah, lamech and noah saw in their day. therefore there bursts from them this voice of despair: my spirit, namely the word of healing truth, shall no longer bear witness among men. for inasmuch as you refuse to embrace the word--will not yield to healing truth--you shall perish. these are the words of a heart filled with anxiety after the manner that the scriptures say god is anxious; that is, the hearts of noah, lamech, methuselah and other holy men who are filled with love toward all. beholding this wickedness of men, they are troubled and pained. 56. such grief is really the grief of the holy spirit, as paul says, "grieve not the holy spirit of god, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption," eph 4, 30. this means that the holy spirit is grieved when we miserable men are distracted and tormented by the wickedness of the world, that despises the word we preach by the holy spirit. thus lot was troubled in sodom, and the pious jews in babylon under the godless king belshazzar; also jeremiah, when he preached to the ungodly jews and exclaimed (jer 15, 10): "woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me." so in micah 7, 1: "woe is me! for i am as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat." 57. the wrath of god is most fearful as he recalls the word. what man would not prefer pestilence, famine, war--these being mere bodily calamities--to a famine of the word which is always joined to eternal damnation? an example of the horrible darkness into which satan can lead men when god is silent and does not speak, is furnished by the gentiles who have been bereft of the word. who is not horrified by the romans, men of exemplary wisdom and famous before other nations by reason of their dignified discipline, who observed the custom of letting the worthy matrons worship and crown priapus, the foul idol, and of leading bridal virgins before it? what is more ludicrous than that the egyptians adored the calf apis as the supreme godhead? 58. the tripartite history gives an account of constantine the great being the first to abolish in phoenicia and other places the shameless custom of using virgins, before their nuptials, for purposes of prostitution. such monstrous infamies were accounted religion and righteousness among the gentiles. there is nothing, in fact, so ridiculous, so stupid, so obscene, nothing so remote from all propriety, that it cannot be foisted as the very essence of religion upon men who have been forsaken by the word. 59. this is, therefore, the greatest penalty, that god, through the mouths of the holy patriarchs, threatens no longer to reprove men by his spirit; which means that henceforth he will not give his word to men, since all teaching is vain. 60. like punishment our times will bring also upon germany. for we see the haste, the unrest, of satan, and his efforts to defraud whom he may of the word. how many sects has he roused during our lifetime, and this while we bent all our energies toward the maintenance of pure doctrine! what is in store after our death? surely, he will lead forth whole swarms of sacramentarians, anabaptists, antinomians, servetians, campanistans and other heretics who at present, conquered by the pure word and the constancy of faithful teachers, keep out of sight, but are ready for every opportunity to establish their doctrines. 61. those, therefore, who have the word in its purity, should learn to embrace the same, to thank god for it and to call upon him while he may be found. for when the spirit of knowledge is taken away, the spirit of prayer is also gone. zechariah says (zech 12, 10): for the spirit of prayer is joined to the spirit of grace. it is the spirit of grace which reproves our sins and gives instruction concerning their remission, which condemns idolatry and instructs concerning the true worship of god, which condemns avarice, lust and oppression, and teaches chastity, patience and charity. this spirit, god here threatens, shall no longer continue his work of instruction, since men refuse to hear and are incorrigible. the spirit of grace having been taken away, the spirit of prayer has also been taken away. for it is impossible for him to pray who is without the word. 62. accordingly, the office of a priest is twofold; first, that he turns to god and prays for himself and for his people; second, that he turns from god to men through instruction and the word. says samuel: "far be it from me that i should sin against jehovah in ceasing to pray for you: but i will instruct you in the good and the right way," 1 sam 12, 23. he is aware that this is his proper office. 63. therefore, the ministry is rightly praised and esteemed as the highest favor. when this has been lost or has been vitiated, not only prayer becomes impossible, but men are simply in the power of the devil, and do nothing but grieve the holy spirit with all their deeds, and thus fall into mortal sin, for which it is not lawful to pray. such other lapses as occur among men are trivial, for return is open and the hope of pardon is left. but when the holy spirit is grieved and men refuse to receive the witness and reproof of the holy spirit, the disease is desperate and incurable. 64. but how common is this sin today among all classes! princes, noblemen, inhabitants of city and country, refuse to be reproved; they rather reprove and sit in judgment upon the holy spirit in his servants. they judge of the office of the ministry by the lowliness of the person. they reason thus: this minister is poor and despised; why then should he reprove me, a prince, a nobleman, a magistrate? rather than endure this, they trample under foot the ministers, together with their office and their message. should we not, then, fear the judgment of god, such as he here announces to the old world? 65. these, therefore, are the words of a father who disinherits his son, or of a severe schoolmaster in wrath ejecting a pupil, when god simply fixes a hundred and twenty years as the time in which opportunity is granted for repentance. he threatens, should it not be improved, his spirit shall no longer reprove and strive. this word pertains properly to the office of the ministry and, in a certain sense, describes it. for every preacher or servant of the word is a man of strife and judgment, and is constrained, by reason of his office, to chide whatever is vicious, without considering the person or office of his hearer. when jeremiah does this zealously, he incurs not only hate but also the gravest dangers. he is moved even to impatience, so that he wishes he had never been born, jer 20, 14. 66. and if i had not been particularly strengthened by god, i should have been wearied and broken down ere this by the contumacy of an impenitent world; for the ungodly so grieve the holy spirit in us, that, with jeremiah, we wish often we had never made a beginning of anything. hence i often pray to god to let the present generation die with us, because, after our death, the most perilous times are to come. 67. for this reason elijah is called by ahab the godless king of israel, the disturber of israel; because he openly reproved the idolatry, violence and passions of his day. likewise we today are deemed the disturbers of germany. 68. but it is a good sign when men condemn us and call us authors of strife, for the spirit of god strives with men, reproves and condemns them. but men are so that they wish to be taught only what gives them pleasure, as they frankly admit in micah 2, 6-7: "prophesy not to us; for confusion has not seized us, says the house of jacob." the latter they use as an argument; because they look upon themselves as the house of jacob and the people of god, they decline chastening, and will not take to themselves penalties and threats. so today the pope and his accomplices plume themselves solely upon being the church, and declare that the church is incapable of error. but notice this text and it will appear how frivolous such an argument is. 69. are not those whom god threatens to no longer judge by his spirit likewise the sons of god? what can be more splendid than this name? beyond doubt they gloried in this name and rebelled against the patriarchs when they opposed, or at least despised, their preaching. for it does not seem likely that god should be thrown into a rage against the whole human race on account of a few sins. but the magnificent name did not save them, nor did it avail that they were strong and great in number. six hundred thousand marched out of egypt, and two only entered the land of canaan; all the others were prevented by death on account of their sins. 70. evidently god will in no way inquire about the magnificent titles of the church, pope and bishop. other testimony will be needed when they desire to escape the wrath of god than to boast of being the church. for it is written (mt 7, 20): "by their fruits ye shall know them." and verse 21: "not every one that saith unto me, lord, lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." 71. if ever in the future a council shall be held--which i hardly believe--no one will be able to take from them the title of church, but propped up by this alone they will condemn and oppress us. different shall be the judgment, when the son of man shall come in his glory. then it shall appear that among the members of the holy church have been john huss and jerome of prague. the pope, however, and the cardinals, the bishops, doctors, monks and priestly mountebanks, shall appear as the church of evil-doers, enthroned in pestilence, and as veritable henchmen of satan, rendering aid to their father in his lying and murdering. 72. such judgment of god we see also here. he does not deny that the offspring of the saints are sons of god. this magnificent title in which they took pride and securely sinned, god leaves to them. and yet these very sons of god who took in marriage the daughters of men, he warns that he not only will take the word from their hearts and minds, but that he will take from their eyes and ears also the ministering spirit who preaches, prays, reproves, teaches and sighs in holy servants, and because they refuse to be chastened and reproved; knowing themselves to be the sons of god they despise the word and its teachers. but they do not escape punishment because of their name. the same shall likewise befall the papists and other enemies of the word. 73. in accordance with this i hold that the sentiments of pious men are here attributed to god himself, according to the usage of the holy scriptures; for instance in malachi 3, 8, where the lord says that he is pierced through, or, as the hebrew has it, that violence is done to him because the people were unfaithful in rendering to the priests the first-fruits and the tenth. 74. but why, you may say, should god need to complain thus? can he not when it pleases him suddenly destroy the whole world? he surely can, but does not do so gladly. he says: "i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live," ezk 33, 11. such a disposition proves that god is inclined to pardon, to endure and to remit the sins of men, if only they will come to their senses; but inasmuch as they continue in obduracy, and reject all help, he is, as it were, tormented by this wickedness of men. 75. the words "and jehovah said," i attribute to the holy fathers, who testified through a public decree that god should be compelled to exercise vengeance, for they taught by divine authority. when noah and his ancestors had preached nearly a thousand years, and yet the world continued to degenerate more and more, they announced god's decision to an ungrateful world and disclosed this as his thought: why should i preach forever and permit my heralds to cry in vain? the more messengers i send, the longer i defer my wrath,--the worse they become. it is therefore necessary for preaching to cease, and for retribution to begin. i shall not permit my spirit, that is my word, to sit in judgment and to bear witness forever, and to tolerate man's wickedness. i am constrained to punish their sins. because man is flesh, he is opposed to me. he is earthly, i am spirit. man continues in his carnal state, mocks at the word, persecutes and hates my spirit in the patriarchs, and the story is told to deaf ears. hence it is necessary that i should cease and permit man to go his own way. this contrast he desires to indicate when he says: "for he is flesh." 76. noah, lamech and methuselah were very holy men, full of the holy spirit. accordingly they performed their office by teaching, admonishing, urging and entreating, in season and out of season; as paul says, 2 tim 4, 2. but they reproved flesh and did unprofitable labor, for the flesh would not yield to sound teaching. should i, says he, endure forever such contempt for my word? 77. this proclamation, therefore, contains a public complaint, made by the holy spirit through the holy patriarchs, noah, lamech, methuselah and others, whom god took away before the flood that they might not be spectators of so widely diffused wrath. all these, with one voice and mouth, admonished the giants and tyrants to repent, and added the threat that god would not endure forever such contempt of his word. 78. but the flesh remained true to its nature; they despised faithful exhortations in their presumption and carnal security, and the holy patriarchs they treated as men in dotage and as simpletons because of their threat that god would move in wrath even upon his church, namely, the heirs of the promise of the coming seed. 79. the added clause, "yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years," jerome affirms must not be understood as referring to the years of human life, nor to the age of individual men; for it is certain that after the flood many exceeded the two hundredth year. if you refer it to the years allotted to individuals, the promise would be that individuals should complete so many years, which, however, is false. therefore he speaks of the time conceded to the world for repentance until the flood should arrive. 80. this interpretation agrees with what precedes. god shows that he is displeased with the perversity of men. he is full of solicitude and quite ready to forbear. against his will, so to speak, he permits the flood to rage. therefore, he decided upon a fixed and adequate time for them to come to their senses, and to escape punishment. all this time noah admonished men to repent, making it clear that god could not longer endure such wickedness, while he was yet so kind as to grant adequate time for repentance. 81. there is a beautiful cohesion between the words and their significance. a former proclamation threatens: i cannot endure longer contempt for my word; my preachers and priests attain nothing with their infinite labor except derision. nevertheless, as a father or good judge would gladly spare a son but is compelled by his wickedness to be severe, so, the lord says, i do not destroy gladly the human race. i shall grant them one hundred and twenty years in which they may come to themselves, and during which i shall exercise mercy. 82. horrible was the disaster, because neither the brothers nor the sisters of noah were saved. it was necessary that the most earnest warning should precede, that, perhaps, they might be called back to repentance. to the ninevites jonah announces destruction within forty days, and they repent and are saved. 83. it is clear, therefore, that the heedlessness of the old world was very great, inasmuch as in the one hundred and twenty years of grace it obstinately persisted in its lusts, even deriding its pontiff noah, the teacher of righteousness. 84. in our times, at the approach of the day of the lord, almost the same condition obtains; we exhort to penitence the papists and our noblemen; the inhabitants of city and country we admonish not to continue despising the word, since god will not leave this unavenged. but in vain we exert ourselves, as the scripture says. a few faithful folk are edified and these are, one by one, gathered away from the face of sin, and "no man layeth it to heart," as is spoken in isaiah 57, 1. but when god, in this way, has shaken out the wheat and gathered the grain in its place, what, think you, shall be the future of the chaff? nothing else but to be burned with inextinguishable fire, mt 13, 42. this shall be the lot of the world. 85. but the world does not understand how it can be that through the preaching of the gospel the wheat should be separated from the chaff, to be gathered into the barn, while the chaff, that is, the throng of unbelievers sunk in idolatry and darkness, shall be consigned to the fire. it is written: "in a day of salvation have i helped thee; and i will preserve thee," is 49, 8. those who will neglect this day of salvation, will find god as an avenger, for he will not do useless labor in threshing empty chaff. 86. but the world is flesh; it does not obey. yea, the nearer and more immediate the calamity, the more secure it is and the more readily it despises all faithful admonitions. though this offense provokes the righteous, we should, notwithstanding, conclude that god does not reprove in vain the world through his holy spirit, nor that the holy spirit in the righteous is grieved in vain. christ uses this as an example when he speaks of the wickedness and heedlessness of our age: "and as were the days of noah, so shall be the coming of the son of man," mt 24, 37. 87. it is to be observed here what has been an object of difficulty for jerome, that the flood came a hundred years after the birth of shem, ham and japheth, while here a hundred and twenty years are said to have been the time of the flood. b. noah and his preaching. 1. the time noah began to preach 87. 2. why the world took occasion to despise noah's preaching 88. * jerome's reckoning of the 120 years 89. 3. why noah married after living so long single, when the world was to be destroyed 90. 4. how and why noah was the prophet of prophets and his the greatest of prophecies 91. 5. his preaching disregarded not only by the cainites but by the sons of god 92. * to what end god's complaint of the first world should serve us 93. * when was the judgment of god announced 94. * the generation of the cainites. a. whether it still existed in the days of noah 95. b. why moses does not record the generations of the cainites and of their patriarchs 95. c. how the holy patriarchs warned their children against the cainites 96. d. how the cainites tormented the holy patriarchs 96. 6. why god raised up noah 97. 7. noah's faith exceptionally strong 97-98. 8. what impelled noah to continue his work, and not to turn to the world 99. 9. how noah's age was the wickedest and he had to oppose its wickedness all alone 100. * who of the patriarchs were still living in noah's time 100. 10. what trials noah had to experience 101. b. noah and his preaching. 87. but this passage shows that noah began preaching about the impending punishment of the deluge before his marriage, having hitherto led the life of a celibate. 88. consider, therefore, what pastime he offered to a wicked world in its fancied security. he predicts destruction to the whole world through the flood, nevertheless, he himself marries. why? was it not sufficient for him to perish alone, that he must join to himself a companion for the disaster? oh, foolish old man! surely if he believed the world was to perish by a deluge, he would rather perish alone than marry and take the trouble to beget children. but if he himself will be saved, why, so shall also we. in this manner they commenced to despise the preaching concerning the flood with the greater assurance because of the marriage of noah, ignorant of the counsel of god, who moves in a manner altogether unintelligible to the world. how absurd to promise abraham posterity through isaac, and yet to command isaac to be sacrificed! 89. the divine jerome argues against the view that god had fixed the time for the flood at a hundred and twenty years, but saw himself compelled, later, when wickedness had waxed strong, to shorten the time. 90. but we shall not make god a liar; we rather give it as our conviction that noah had hitherto preached, while in a state of celibacy, that the world was to be destroyed through the flood, and later, by a divine command, had taken a maid as a little branch, so to speak, from the race of women, and begotten three sons. below it is written that he had found grace with the lord; otherwise he who had refrained from marriage so long, might have continued to do so still longer. but god, in order to restrain his wrath, wants to leave a nursery for the human race; therefore, he commands marriage. this the wicked believe to be a sign that the world shall not perish; they live accordingly in security and despise the preacher, noah. but the counsel of god is different--to destroy the whole world and to leave through this righteous noah a nursery for the future world. 91. noah was, therefore, the greatest prophet; his equal the world has not had. first he teaches the longest time; then he gives instruction concerning a universal punishment coming upon the world, and even fixes the year of its advent. likewise christ prophesies concerning the last judgment, when all flesh shall perish. "but of that day," he says in mark 13, 32, "or that hour knoweth no one, ... but the father." jonah foretells punishment for the ninevites within forty days; jeremiah foretells seventy years of captivity; daniel, seventy weeks until the coming of christ. these are remarkable prophecies, in which time, place and person are accurately described. but this prophecy of noah surpasses all others, inasmuch as he foretells through the holy spirit that within a certain number of years the whole human race shall perish. he is worthy to be called the second adam and the head of the human race, through whose mouth god speaks and calls the whole world to repentance. 92. it is terrible, however, that his message was despised with such assurance that not only none of the cainites, but not even any one of adam's progeny underwent a change. therefore noah was compelled to witness the destruction of brothers, sisters, relatives and kindred without number, and all these made a mock of the pious old man and of his message as an old woman's tale. 93. this awful example is held up to us lest we persist in sin. for if god did not spare the primitive world, which was so magnificent--the very flower and youth of the world--and in which had lived so many pious men, but, as he says in psalm 81, 12, "gave them up unto their own hearts' lust," and cast them aside, as if they had no claim upon the promise made to the church--if he did this, how much less will he spare us who do not possess such prerogatives? 94. therefore, the decree cited in this passage that god would grant men a hundred and twenty years for repentance, was rendered and promulgated before noah had begotten children. 95. with reference to the generation of the cainites, no mention is made of their patriarchs at the time of the flood, nor does moses even deem them worthy of being named. previously he has brought down the generation of cain as far as lamech, but whether his sons or nephews lived at the time of noah is uncertain. this much is certain, that the offspring of cain existed to that time, and were so powerful as to mislead the very sons of god, since even the posterity of the holy patriarchs perished in the flood. 96. before this time the holy patriarchs--the rulers of the true church, as it were--admonished their families to beware of the accursed generation. but the cainites, incensed at being condemned, made the attempt to overturn the righteous with every kind of mischief; for the church of satan wars perpetually against the church of god. 97. therefore, as the righteous begin to waver and wickedness gains ground, god raises noah to exhort to repentance and to be for his descendants a perpetual example, whose faith and diligent, patient devotion to teaching, his offspring might admire and imitate. a great miracle is it and a case of illustrious faith, that noah, having heard through methuselah and lamech the decree that the world is to perish after a hundred and twenty years, through the flood, does not doubt its truth, and yet, when the hundred and twenty years have almost expired, marries and begets children. he might rather have thought: if the human race is to perish, why should i marry? why should i beget sons? if i have refrained these many years, i shall do so henceforth. but noah does not do this; rather, after making known god's purpose respecting the world's destruction, he obeys god, who calls him to matrimony, and believes god that, though the whole world may perish, yet he with his children shall be saved. an illustrious faith is this and worthy of our consideration. 98. there was in him first that general faith, in common with the patriarchs, concerning the seed which was to bruise the head of the serpent. he possessed also the singular virtue of holding fast to this faith in the midst of such a multitude of offenses, and not departing from jehovah. then, to this general faith he added the other, special faith, that he believed god as regards both the threatened destruction of the rest of the world and the salvation promised to noah himself and his sons. beyond a doubt, to this faith his grandfather methuselah and his father lamech earnestly incited him; for it was as difficult to so believe as it was for the virgin mary to believe that none but herself was to be the mother of the son of god. 99. this faith taught him to despise the presumption of the world which derided him as a man in his dotage. this faith prompted him diligently to continue the building of the ark, a work those giants probably ridiculed as extreme folly. this faith made noah strong to stand alone against the many evil examples of the world, and to despise most vehemently the united judgment of all others. 100. but almost unutterable and miraculous is this faith, burdened as it is with strange and most weighty obstacles, which the holy spirit shows in passing, without going into great detail, that we may be induced to meditate the more diligently upon its circumstances. consider first the great corruption of the age. while the church had before this time many and most holy patriarchs, it was now deprived of such rulers; adam, seth, enos, cainan, mahalalel, jared, enoch are all dead, and the number of patriarchs is reduced to three--methuselah, lamech and noah. these alone are left at the time the decree concerning the destruction of the world is published. these three are compelled to witness and suffer the incredible malice of men, their idolatry, blasphemy, violent acts, foul passions, until finally methuselah and lamech are also called out of this life. there noah was the only one to oppose the world rushing to destruction, and to make an effort to preserve righteousness and to repress unrighteousness. but far from meeting with success, he had to see even the sons of god lapse into wickedness. 101. this ruin and havoc of the church troubled the righteous man and all but broke his heart, as peter says of lot in sodom, 2 pet 2, 8. now, if lot was so distracted and vexed by the wickedness of one community, how must it have been with noah, against whom not only the generation of cain raged, but who was opposed also by the decadent generation of the patriarchs, and then even by his own father's house, his brothers, sisters, and the descendants of his uncles and aunts? for all these were corrupted and estranged from the faith by the daughters of men. as the text says, they "saw the daughters of men." iii. the sins of the ancient world in particular. a. the forbidden marriages entered into. 1. why this is said of the sons and not of the daughters of the holy patriarchs 102. 2. why were the holy fathers so emphatically forbidden to let their sons marry the ungodly 103-104. 3. how this was the beginning of all evils 105. * what evils have in all times come through woman 106. 4. the sins here sprang from despising the first table of the law 107-108. * the sins of the second table follow when the first table is not kept 108. 5. everything that is called sin is embraced in this sin 109-110. 6. how marriage with the children of the true church was despised 111. 7. their desire to marry thus resembled eve's desire to take the forbidden apple 112. 8. why the patriarchs' children took this step 113. 9. how these marriage alliances were formed 114-116. 10. berosus' testimony concerning these forbidden marriages 116. b. disorder in all branches of society 116-117. c. the tyranny exercised. 1. by the "giants" or tyrants. a. what is to be understood by tyrants 117. * the pope resembles the tyrants before the flood 118. b. the nature of these tyrants 119. c. why called nephilim 120-122. d. whether they received their name from their size or from their cruelty 123. * how the scriptures designate true rulers 123. e. these tyrants types of antichrist 123. f. they were raging, powerful and criminal characters 124. * of authorities. (1) how god wants us to honor the authorities though he terribly threatens them 125-126. (2) why god wants them to be honored, when he himself does not honor them 127. (3) godless rulers are god's swine and are rare birds in heaven 128. g. whether these tyrants were rulers and why god called them by such a shameful name 129. h. moses chose the word nephilim, which in his day designated a wicked people, to express the tyrants of the first world 130. 2. by "the mighty men." a. how jerome perverts this text 131. b. what is to be understood by "the mighty men that were of old" 131. * the meaning of "olam" 132. c. whence did they receive their power 133. d. why called "mighty men" 134. * the character of the true church 134. 3. by "the men of renown." a. why they were thus named 135. b. who they were 136. * they resembled the pope and bishops 136. c. lyra's false explanation of it refuted 137. * how antichrist is restrained from the world, and true doctrine maintained 137. d. the sin against the holy spirit 138. * that one sin follows another until man reaches the highest degree of sin 139. iii. the sins of the old world in particular. a. the forbidden marriages entered into. 102. but, i ask, why is not complaint made also of the men, or why are not the daughters of god included in this complaint? he says merely that they "saw the daughters of men." it was surely for this reason, that the holy generation of seth had received the peculiar injunction to beware of fellowship with the cainites, inasmuch as they had been excluded from the true church, and to mingle with them neither socially through marriage, nor ecclesiastically through worship, for the righteous should avoid every occasion of offense. 103. in prohibiting marriage with the cainites it was the chief purpose of the pious fathers to maintain their generation pure; for daughters bring into the houses of their husbands the views and manners of the fathers. thus, we read of solomon in the book of the kings that he was led astray through a woman who was a stranger; and thus jezebel introduced the wickedness of the syrians into the kingdom of israel. 104. the holy fathers saw the same would come to pass in their generation; therefore, after they were separated from the cainites through the divine command, they resolved that the sons of the holy generation should not marry the daughters of men. the daughters of the race of the righteous could more readily be restrained from marriage with the cainites, while the sons were independent and headstrong. 105. in this way moses wishes to show the trouble began from the time the sons of god joined themselves to the daughters of men, seeing that they were fair. the sons of men who were proud and strong and passionately given to pleasure, without doubt despised the plain maidens of the pious race who had been reared by the holy patriarchs not delicately, but simply and modestly, being arrayed in homely garb. there was hence no necessity of making a law also for the maidens, inasmuch as they were in any case neglected by the noble cainites. 106. if you study the history of nations you will find that women have been the occasion for the overthrow of the strongest kingdoms. well known is the disgrace of helen. the sacred writings demonstrate also that woman occasioned the fall of the whole human race. this, however, should be mentioned without reflection upon the sex, for we have a command, "honor thy father and thy mother," ex 20, 12. likewise, "husbands, love your wives," col 3, 19. it is true that eve was the first to pluck the apple; however, she first sinned by idolatry and fell from the faith, which faith, as long as it is in the heart, controls also the body; but when it has departed from the heart, the body serves sin. guilt is not peculiar to sex but to sin, which man has in common with woman. 107. thus moses gives an account of the prevailing unrighteousness and lust. but he gives the reader to understand that, before sin was committed against the second table of the law, the first had been violated, and the word of god treated with contempt. otherwise the sons of god would have obeyed the will of their pious parents forbidding marriage with those outside the church. 108. moses, therefore, concludes that, because the sons of god had forsaken the worship and word of god and departed from the precepts of their parents, thereupon to fall into sensuality and lust, and to take to wife whom they pleased, they also became violent and appropriated the goods of others. the world cannot do otherwise. when it has forsaken god, it worships the devil; when it has despised the word and fallen into idolatry, it rushes forth into all sins of passion, in which fierceness of anger and fierceness of desire by turns are aroused, and thus all the appetites are thrown into a state of the greatest disorder. when the righteous reprove this, the result is resentment and violence against them. 109. the sin of the flood, then, embraces everything that may be called sin, by the first as well as the second table. wicked men first depart from god through unbelief; then they disregard obedience to parents, and finally become murderers, adulterers, etc. 110. i mention this to the end that no one may believe that sex or the marriage estate in themselves are to blame. it is chiefly transgression of god's commandments and disobedience to parents which are condemned. owing to absence of fellowship between the cainites and the true church, pious parents desired also social separation from the cainites, for fear they might be perverted by the manners of ungodly wives. but god's command being neglected, and the authority of parents despised, the younger generation lapsed into the passions of concupiscence and vehemence. in this way the honor of sex and the dignity of matrimony are conserved: accusation is brought solely against the unrighteousness which first departs from god and then manifests itself in injuring the saints. 111. this is the teaching of the words: "the sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair." why did they not see the daughters of god and desire those in the church and possess the promise of the seed? are they not convicted of contempt for the sisters of their own generation, that is the true church, and of mingling with the carnal and impious generation of cain? they despise the simplicity and reserve of their sisters and prefer the smiles, the dress, the wiles of the daughters of cain; the latter they crave and cultivate, the former they treat either with neglect or dishonor. 112. with such eyes as eve viewed the apples when she fell into sin, the sons of god viewed the daughters of men. eve had seen the forbidden tree before that, but with eyes of faith looking back to god's commandment; for that reason she did not crave, but rather she fled from the same. when, however, the eyes of faith were dimmed and she beheld the tree solely with carnal eyes, she stretched out her hand with desire and invited also adam, her husband. 113. likewise the sons of the patriarchs had seen long before that the daughters of the cainites excelled in form, dress and elegance of manners. nevertheless, they did not mingle with them, for the eye of faith looked back to the commandment of god and to the promise of the seed to be born from the generation of the righteous. but the eyes of faith having been lost, they saw no longer either the command or the promise of god, but followed merely the desire of the flesh. the simple, good and virtuous girls of their own generation they despised; the cainites they married, seeing they were polished, charming and pleasant. 114. it is not a sin, therefore, that they marry, nor is the sex in itself condemned. condemnation lies in this, that with contempt of the divine commandment they marry unlawfully; that they permit themselves to be led astray by their wives from the true worship to the wicked worship of a false church; that, after the fashion of the cainites, they pay no heed to parental authority and become guilty of violence, oppression and other sins. moses clearly reveals their sin when he says: "they took them wives of all that they chose," as if he said: to marry a wife is not an evil but a blessing, if it be done lawfully. but they sinned in that they married without judgment, against the will and purpose of the parents, marrying whom and as many as they pleased, regardless of their own estate, whether married or single. 115. this is a stern word, by which moses characterizes it as a great sin that they arbitrarily married two wives or more, exchanged them, or snatched them from others, after the manner of herod, who possessed himself of his brother's wife. it is this unbridled reign of evil lust that moses discloses and condemns. 116. berosus writes that incestuous marriages also took place among them, so that they married even their mothers and sisters. but i doubt whether they were so wicked as that. it is a sin sufficiently grave that in marrying they dispensed with judgment, the authority of their parents and even with the word of god, following altogether the guidance of lust and desire. they took whom they pleased and whom they could, and by such license they brought chaos into domestic, public and churchly relations. b. disorder in all branches of society the sin of the primeval world was, therefore, an upheaval of all established order, inasmuch as the church was demoralized by idolatry and false modes of worship. this condition was aggravated by those oppressors who cruelly persecuted the righteous teachers and holy men. public discipline was destroyed by oppression and violent deeds, and domestic discipline by uncurbed lust. upon such overturning of piety and integrity followed universal depravity; men were not merely evil but plainly incorrigible. c. the tyranny exercised. v. 4a. _the nephilim_ (giants) _were in the earth in those days,_ 117. moses continues the description of the sin and offense which provoked the deluge. the first point was that the sons of god had fallen from the fear of god, and the word had become altogether carnal, perverting not only the church but also the state and home. now he adds that wickedness had grown to the extent of giants arising upon earth. he clearly states that there were born from the concubinage of the sons of god with the daughters of men, not sons of god, but giants; that is, bold men who arrogated to themselves at the same time both government and priesthood. 118. just so the pope arrogates to himself at the same time the spiritual and the temporal sword. this would not be the height of evil, if he would only make use of his power for the preservation of state and church; but the greatest sin is that he abuses his power for the establishment of idolatry, for a warfare against sound doctrine, and for purposes of oppression even in the state. when the papists are reproved with the word of god, they spurn such reproof, claiming that they are the church and incapable of error. this class of people moses calls "giants," men who arrogate to themselves power both political and ecclesiastical, and who sin most licentiously. 119. such men are described in the book of wisdom who say: "let unrighteousness be our law," 2, 11. also in psalms, 12, 4: "who have said, with our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" again in psalm 73. "they scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression: they speak loftily," etc. such were the giants who withstood the holy spirit to his face, who, through the mouth of lamech, noah and the sons of noah, exhorted, implored, taught and reproved. 120. there are those who dispute the meaning of the noun nephilim and derive it from _naphal_, which signifies "to fall." they commonly take it in a passive sense, meaning that other men, seeing the uncouth forms and extraordinary size, fell down from fear. let the rabbis vouch for the correctness of this; it is ridiculous to call them "_nephilim_" because others fell. some, however, suggest the etymology that they were thus called because they had fallen from the common stature of men, and allege as proof-passage numbers 13, 33, from which it appears that giants possessed huge bodies like the anakim and rephaim. which of these are right, i do not decide, especially since it is certain that a theory of all words can not be given, nor their origin demonstrated. 121. but here another question obtrudes itself: why should those born from the sons of god and the daughters of men alone have differed from the ordinary stature of man? i have no other answer than that the text says nothing of stature in this place. in numbers 13, 33 it is said: "there we saw the giants, the sons of anak, who come of the giants: and we were in our sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." there hugeness of body is shown, but not here; therefore they may be called giants for some other reason than massive stature. 122. to give my opinion of the word, i hold it is to be taken neither in the sense of the neuter nor of the passive, but of the active, inasmuch as the word "_naphal_" is often used in the sense of the active, though it does not belong to the third conjugation, in which almost all transitive verbs are found. thus in joshua 11, 7: "so joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of merom suddenly, and fell upon them." if the verb is construed as neuter, as if joshua and his men had fallen before the enemies, history will object; for the meaning is that they fell upon the enemies and suddenly overpowered them. 123. therefore, this passage and other, similar ones prompt me to understand "_nephilim_" to designate not bulk of body, but tyranny and oppression, inasmuch as they domineered by force, making no account of law and honor, but merely indulging their pleasure and desire. rightful rulers the scripture calls shepherds and princes, but those who rule by wrong and violence are rightly called "_nephilim_," because they fall and prey upon those beneath them. thus in psalm 10: "he croucheth and humbleth himself and _venaphal baa zumaf helkaim_ (falls with his strong ones upon the poor)". the holy spirit speaks there of the reign of the antichrist, whom he describes as raging so furiously as to crush what he can, and, at all events, to bend what he cannot crush, so that afterward he may suppress with all his strength what has been bent. for _baazuma_ can be indifferently rendered by "with his strength," or "with his strong ones." this power, he says, he uses only against those who are _hilkaim_, that is the poor, such as have previously been in some state of affliction. others who excel in power, he worships so as to draw them over to his side. 124. accordingly i interpret "giants" in this passage not as men of huge stature, as in numbers 13, 33, but as violent and oppressive; as the poets depict the cyclopeans, who fear neither god nor men, but follow only their desires, relying upon their strength and power. for the oppressors sit enthroned in majesty, sway empires and kingdoms, and arrogate to themselves even spiritual power, but use such power against the church and the word of god for the gratification of their lust. 125. observe here the strange counsel of god, commanding us to fear the authorities, to obey, serve and honor them, while at the same time the threats and dreadful reproofs which he administers are almost invariably directed against those in authority, against kings and princes, as if god proceeded against them with a peculiar hatred. scripture enjoins upon us to honor authority, but itself does not honor it; rather it destroys it with a threat of the gravest penalties. scripture enjoins us to fear authority, but itself appears to despise authorities, inasmuch as it does not commend but threatens. 126. does not mary earnestly declaim in her song against princes, luke 1, 51-53: "he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. he hath put down princes from their thrones, and hath exalted them of low degree. the hungry he hath filled with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away"? if we believe this to be true, who would wish to be found among authorities, for whom so certain perdition is prepared and imminent? who would not prefer to live on a lowly plane and suffer hunger? the second psalm accuses the authorities of the gravest crime when it says that they place themselves with united strength and efforts in opposition to god and his anointed and render violence to his kingdom. "thou hast made of a city a heap, of a fortified city a ruin," is 25, 2. the whole bible abounds with like sentiments. 127. thus, the bible does not honor the authorities, but threatens them with danger, and drags them into manifest contempt; and still with consummate care it commands us to reverence and fear them, and to render them all manner of service. why is this? surely because god himself desires to punish them, and has reserved vengeance for himself instead of surrendering it to their subjects. jeremiah argues in chapter 12, 1, concerning the prosperity of the way of the ungodly, and yet the lord is righteous. but he concludes: "thou, o lord, fattenest them and preparest them for the sacrifice." 128. so might it be said that the authorities are god's swine, as it were; he fattens them, gives them wealth, power, fame and the obedience of their subjects. they are not pursued, while they themselves pursue and oppress others; they suffer no injury, but they inflict it upon others; they do not give to others, but rob them until the hour comes when, like fattened swine, they are slaughtered. hence the german proverb: a prince is a rare bird in the kingdom of heaven or, princes are wild game in heaven. 129. accordingly, those whom moses calls here "_nephilim_," which is an odious and disgraceful name, were without doubt the lawful administrators of church and state. but because they did not use their office as they should, god marks and brands them with this opprobious name. as we, in this corrupt state of nature, are unable to use the least gift without pride, so god, most intolerant of pride, thrusts the mighty from their throne, and leaves the rich empty. 130. i accept, then, the word "_nephilim_" as having an active signification, being equivalent to tyrants, oppressors, revelers. i believe, furthermore, as has been the case with other languages also, that moses has transferred the usage of this word from his own times to those before the deluge, after changing somewhat its meaning, inasmuch as these degenerate descendants of the sons of god abused their power and position for the oppression of the good, just as those anakim were tyrants relying upon bodily strength, and so moses will presently show. v. 4b. _and also after that, when the sons of god came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them; the same were the men that were of old, the men of renown._ 131. jerome[1] renders: _isti sunt potentes a seculo_ (these are mighty men from the beginning). but the word _seculum_ (olam) does not here signify duration of time, nor does it predicate extent. these giants did not exist from the beginning, they were not born until the sons of god had degenerated. but _seculum_ (olam) connotes a second predicate, that of substance, so that moses explains the nature of the power in which they trusted to have been secular or worldly. they despised the ministry of the word as a vile office; therefore they seized upon another office, a secular one. the very same thing our papists have done. it has pleased them better to hold ample revenues and worldly kingdoms than to be hated of all men for the sake of the gospel. [footnote 1: so also the a. v. and the r. v., while luther has by no means the philological science against him. mundus, seculum, aion, and olam are used to express the same conception. translator.] 132. as far as moses is concerned, the noun _olam_ designates the world itself, and also age or time. hence it is to be carefully noted when _olam_ (_seculum_) signifies duration of time, and when it signifies "world" in the scriptures. here it signifies of necessity "world," for they did not exist from the beginning. 133. this clause, then, aptly describes the power they had received, not from the church, nor from the holy spirit, but from the devil and the world. it is, as it were, the counterpart of what christ says before pontius pilate, john 18, 36: "my kingdom is not of this world." the servants of the word struggle with hunger, and they labor under the hate of all classes. in consequence, they cannot exercise tyranny; but those who possess kingdoms, who govern states, who possess castles and domains, are equipped for exercising tyranny. 134. this clause contains also a suggestive reference to the small church with her few souls. these are cross-bearers without wealth; but they possess the word. their only wealth is what the world despises and persecutes. the nephilim, on the other hand, or giants, usurp as the descendants of the patriarchs the splendid name of the church, and possess also kingdoms. they exercise dominion, and pursue the miserable church in their power. in accordance therewith moses calls them mighty before, or in, the world; or worldlings and temporal potentates. 135. what jerome renders _viri famosi_ (famous men) is, in hebrew, "men of name," that is, renowned or famous in the world. moses touches here also upon the sin of the cyclopeans, who, possessing everything in the world, possessed also a famous name and were renowned throughout the world; while, on the contrary, the true sons of god, namely noah and his sons, were held in the greatest scorn and regarded as heretics, as sons of the devil, as a blot upon the grandeur of church and state. so is it now with us. christ testifies in matthew 24, 37, that the last times resemble the times of noah. 136. moses had before testified that the holy spirit would be taken from the wicked and they would be sent in the ways of their own desire. they were, accordingly, such rascals as the pope today with his cardinals and bishops, who are not only styled princes and possess kingdoms, but also take to themselves the name of church, so as to subject us as heretics to the ban, and securely to condemn us. they do not permit themselves to be called tyrants, nor wicked, nor temple-robbers. they wish to be styled most kind, holy and reverend gentlemen. 137. the meaning, therefore, is not that which lyra follows when he understands "famous" as "notorious." as the world does not call the pope antichrist, but ascribes to him the name of the greatest saint and admires him as if he and his carnal creatures were filled with the holy spirit and incapable of error, and therefore humbly worships whatever he commands or advises--exactly so those giants had a noble name and were held in admiration by the whole world. on the contrary, noah with his followers was condemned as a rebel, as a heretic, as a traducer of the dignity of state and church. so today do bishops regard us who profess the gospel. d. the sin against the holy spirit. 138. this passage furnishes a description of the sins with which that age was burdened: men were averse to the word; they were given over to their own lusts and reprobate minds; they sinned against the holy spirit by persistent impenitence, by defending their ungodly behavior and by warring upon the recognized truth. yet with all these blasphemies they retained the name and authority, not only of the state, but also of the church, as if god had exalted them to the place of the angels. when this was the state of things, and noah and lamech with their pious ancestor methuselah taught in vain, god turned them over to the desires of their hearts (ps 81, 12) and maintained silence until they should experience the flood, the prophecy of which they refused to believe. 139. this is falling away from god and church and entering upon illicit marriage. one sin, unless corrected at once, will lead to another, and so on indefinitely until the state is reached which solomon describes in proverbs 18, 3, "when the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, and with ignominy cometh reproach." they who thus sin, even if afterward rebuked, do not heed. they imagine they stand in need of no instructor, and think they represent a just cause. they do not believe in a life after this, or even hope for salvation, while living in open sin. notwithstanding, scorn and shame shall overwhelm them. it was this persistent impenitence and consummate contempt for the word that impelled god to visit all flesh with a universal flood. iv. god's repentance and grief that he made man. a. the repentance of god. 1. the words, "the wickedness of man was great." a. how luther used these words against the doctrine of free will; how the advocates of free will falsely interpreted them, and how they are refuted 140-141. * concerning free will. (1) augustine's doctrine of free will misinterpreted by the schools 140. (2) the schools unreasonably defend it 141. (3) man has no free will and without the grace of the holy spirit can do nothing 142-143. (4) the reproving office of the holy spirit makes it clear that man has no free will 144. (5) whether there is hope, if a council be held, that the papists will abandon their false doctrine of free will 145. (6) how the true doctrine of free will leads us to a knowledge of sin and what we are to hold in reference to it 146. (7) why we should guard against the false doctrine concerning free will 147. * the comfort for one who commits sins of infirmities 147. * all endeavors without the holy spirit are evil 148. (8) we are to distinguish in the doctrine of free will what is good politically from what is good theologically 149-150. b. these words are wrongly understood by the jews and sophists 151. * how we should view the discussions of philosophers in regard to god and divine things 152. c. these words should be understood as spoken not only of the people before the flood, but of all men 153. 2. the words, "it repented jehovah." a. how the repentance of god is to be reconciled with the wisdom and omniscience of god. (1) the way sophists answer this question 154. (2) luther's answer 155-157. * how man should treat questions which lead us into the throne of the divine majesty 158. * how the passages of scripture are to be understood which attribute to god the members of a human body 159. * whether the anthropomorphites were justly condemned 159. * why god is represented to us as if he sprang from the temporal and the visible 161-163. * we cannot explore god's nature 163. * in what pictures god reveals himself in the old testament, and in the new 164. * the will of god in signs and the will of god's good pleasure, "signs" and "beneplaciti." (a) how we can know god's will in signs 165-166. (b) why we cannot know the will of god's pleasure, nor fathom it 165-166. (c) what is really to be understood by the will in signs 167. b. the way the schools explain these words 168. c. how they are to be rightly understood 169. * disputing about god's majesty and omnipotence places man in a dangerous position 169-171. * how man should hold to the signs by which god revealed himself 171. * what the will of god's pleasure is, to what it serves and how it is revealed in christ 172-176. * the will of good pleasure of which the fathers speak cannot comfort the heart 175. * the only view of the godhead possible in this life 176. d. in what sense it can be said that "it repented jehovah that he had made man" 177. iv. the repentance and grief of god because he had made man. a. the repentance of god. vs. 5-6. _and jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. and it repented jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart._ 140. this is the passage which we have used against "free will," of which augustine writes that without the grace of the holy spirit it can do nothing but sin. the scholastics, however, the champions of free will, are not only hard beset by this clear passage, but also by the authority of augustine, and they sweat. of augustine they say that his language is hyperbolical, as basil writes of one who in refuting the other side had gone too far, that he did like the farmers; they when trying to straighten out crooked branches bend them a little too far on the other side; and so augustine, in beating back the pelagians, is asserted to have spoken more severely against free will in the defense of grace than the merits of the case warranted. 141. as far as this passage is concerned, it is slandered when it is held that it speaks only of the evil generation before the flood, and that now men are better, at least some who make good use of their freedom of will. such wretched interpreters do not see that the passage speaks of the human heart in general, and that a particle is plainly added, _rak_, which signifies "only." in the third place, they fail to see that after the flood the same declaration is repeated in the eighth chapter in almost precisely the same terms. for god says, "the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth," gen 8, 21. here evidently he does not speak only of the antediluvians. he rather speaks of those to whom he makes the promise that henceforth another general flood of water shall never come, that is, of all the offspring of noah. these are words of universal application: "the imagination of man's heart is evil." 142. we draw, therefore, the general conclusion that man without the holy spirit and without grace can do nothing but sin, and thus he unhaltingly goes forward from sin to sin. when in addition, he will not endure sound doctrine but rejects the word of salvation and resists the holy spirit, he becomes an enemy of god, blasphemes the holy spirit and simply follows the evil desires of his heart. witnesses of this are the examples of the prophets, christ and the apostles, the primeval world under noah as teacher, and also the example of our adversaries today, who cannot be convinced by anything that they are in error, that they sin, that their worship is ungodly. 143. other declarations of holy scripture prove the same thing. is not the statement of the fourteenth psalm, verse 3, sweeping enough when it says: "jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there was any that did understand, and did seek after god. they are all gone aside?" thus, ps 116, 11, "all men are liars;" and paul, "god hath shut up all unto disobedience," rom 11, 32. these passages are most sweeping, and emphatically force the conclusion that we all, without the holy spirit, whose dispenser is christ, can do nothing but err and sin. therefore, christ says in the gospel, "i am the vine, ye are the branches: ... apart from me ye can do nothing," jn 15, 5. without me you are a branch cut off, dry, dead and ready for the burning. 144. and the very reason the holy spirit performs the office of reproving the world is that he may call the world back to penitence and the recognition of its derangement. but the world remains consistent with itself; it hears not and believes it can please god with forms of worship of its own choosing and without the sanction of the divine word, and does not permit itself to be undeceived. 145. if ever a council should be held, the final declaration and conclusion with reference to this very point, the freedom of will, will be that we should abide by the decisions of the pope and the fathers. we may clamor until we are hoarse that man in himself without the holy spirit is evil, that everything he does without the holy spirit or without faith is condemned before god, that his heart is depraved and all his thought; we shall effect nothing. 146. therefore, the mind is to be grounded in this, and we are to hold fast the doctrine which lays before us our sin and condemnation. this knowledge of our sin is the beginning of salvation; we must absolutely despair of ourselves and give glory for righteousness to god alone. why does paul elsewhere complain, and in romans 7, 18 freely confess that there is nothing good in him? he says plainly, "in my flesh;" so that we understand that the holy spirit alone can heal our infirmity. when this has been fixed in our hearts, the foundation of our salvation is largely laid, inasmuch as subsequently clear testimonies are given that god will not cast away the sinner, that is, one who recognizes his sin and desires to come to his senses and thirsts after righteousness and the remission of sin through christ. 147. let us, therefore, take care not to be found among those cyclopeans who oppose the word of god and proclaim their freedom of will and their own powers. though we often err, though we fall and sin, still, upon yielding to reproof on the part of the holy spirit with an humble confession of our depravity, the holy spirit himself will be present, and not only not impute to us the sin we acknowledge, but the grace of christ shall cover it and he will shower upon us other gifts necessary to this life as well as the future one. 148. but the words of moses are to be more closely considered, for with a definite purpose he has used here a peculiar expression; he has not merely said, "the thoughts of man's heart are evil," but "the imagination of the thoughts of his heart." thus he expresses the highest that man can achieve with his thoughts or with his reason and free will. "imagination" he calls that which man with his strongest effort devises, selects, creates like a potter, and believes to be most beautiful. but such imagination is evil, he says, and that not once, but always. for our reason without the holy spirit is altogether without knowledge of god. now, to be without knowledge of god means to be entirely base, to dwell in darkness and to deem that very good which, in reality, is very bad. 149. but when i speak of good, i do so from the standpoint of theology, for we must distinguish between the theological and the civil standpoints. god approves also the rule of the ungodly; he honors and rewards virtue also among the ungodly: but only in regard to the things of this life and in things grasped by a reason which is upright from the civil standpoint; whereas the future life is not embraced in such reward. his approval is not with regard to the future life. 150. when we dispute about the freedom of the will, the question with us is what it may do from the theological standpoint, not in civil affairs and in those subjects to reason. we believe that man, without the holy spirit, is altogether corrupt before god, though he may stand adorned with all heathen virtues, inasmuch as there are certainly distinguished examples of moderation, of liberality, of love of country, parents and children, of courage and humanity, even in the history of the gentiles. we maintain that man's best thoughts concerning god, the worship of god, the will of god, are worse than cimmerian darkness; for the light of reason, which has been given to man alone, understands only bodily blessings. such is the wicked infatuation of our evil desires. 151. this declaration, therefore, should not be construed frivolously, as the jews and sophists do, who believe that the lower part of man only is here meant, which is bestial, and that the reason longs for better things. "the imagination of the thoughts" they apply accordingly to the second table, like the pharisee who condemns the publican and says that he is not like the other persons. the words the pharisee uses are very fine, for to give thanks to god for his gifts is not a sin; and yet we declare this same thing to be ungodly and wicked, because it proceeded from gross ignorance of god, and it is truly prayer turned into sin, tending neither to the glory of god nor to the welfare of men. 152. you may observe that philosophers have at various times quite cleverly discussed god and the providence with which he rules all things. to some, such words have seemed so pious that they almost have placed socrates, xenophon and plato in the same rank with the prophets; yet, because in these discussions the philosophers are ignorant of the fact that god has sent his only son into the world to save sinners, these beautiful utterances are, according to the declaration of this passage, consummate ignorance of god and mere blasphemies, for the passage states unequivocally that all imagination and effort of the human heart is only evil. 153. the text speaks, accordingly, not only of the sins before the flood, but it speaks of the whole nature of man, his heart, his reason and his intellect, even when man pretends to righteousness and desires to be very holy, as do today the anabaptists when they purpose in their heart so to excel as to fail in nothing, when for a show they attempt to attain the fairest virtues. the truth is that hearts without the holy spirit are not only ignorant of god, but naturally even hate him. how, then, can anything be aught but evil that proceeds from ignorance and hatred of god? 154. another question is here raised. moses speaks thus: "when jehovah saw that every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually, it repented him that he had made man on the earth." if god foresees everything, why does the text say that he now first sees? if god is wise, how can regret for having created anything befall him? why did he not see this sin or depraved nature of man from the beginning of the world? why does scripture thus attribute to god such things as a temporary will, vision and purpose? are not the purposes of god eternal and unalterable, incapable of being regretted? similar instances are found also in the prophets, where god threatens penalties, as for instance to the ninevites, and yet pardons the penitent. to this question the sophists have no other reply than this, that the scripture speaks after the manner of men, that such things are ascribed to god accordingly through the use of a figure of speech. hence they contend concerning a double will of god, the will expressed by signs (_voluntas signi_) and the will of his good pleasure (_voluntas beneplaciti_). the will of his good pleasure, they say, is constant and unchangeable, while the expressed will is subject to change. for the signs through which he expresses himself, he changes when he pleases. thus he has abolished circumcision and instituted baptism, whereas the will of his good pleasure, fixed from eternity, abides. 155. while i do not condemn this interpretation, a simpler meaning of the scripture seems to be that the holy scriptures express the thought of men in the ministry. for when moses says that god sees and regrets, this is really done in the hearts of those who have the ministry of the word. thus he said above: "my spirit shall not strive with man," but he does not say this simply of the holy spirit as existing in his own nature, or of the divine majesty, but of the holy spirit in the hearts of noah and methuselah, that is, the holy spirit as officiating and administering the word through the saints. 156. in this manner god saw the wickedness of man and repented; that is, noah, who had the holy spirit and was a minister of the word, saw the wickedness of men and, seeing such things, he was moved by the holy spirit to grief. so paul says in ephesians 4, 30, that the holy spirit in the righteous is grieved by the ungodliness and malice of the wicked. inasmuch as noah is a faithful minister of the word and an organ of the holy spirit, the holy spirit is said to grieve when noah grieves and wishes that man rather did not exist than to be thus iniquitous. 157. the meaning, therefore, is not that god did not see these things from eternity; he saw everything from eternity; but inasmuch as this wickedness now manifests itself in all its fierceness, god now first reveals the same in the hearts of his ministers and prophets. from eternity, therefore, god is firm and constant in his purpose. he sees and knows everything. but only in his own time does god reveal this to the righteous so that they, also, may see it. this seems to me the simplest meaning of this passage, nor does augustine differ from it much. 158. however, i constantly follow the rule to avoid, whenever possible, such questions as draw us before the throne of the highest majesty. it is better and safer to stand at the manger of christ, the man. to lose one's self in the labyrinths of divinity is fraught with greatest danger. 159. to this passage belong also other similar ones in which god is pictured as having eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands and feet, as isaiah, daniel and other prophets saw him in their visions. in such passages the bible speaks of god in the same manner as of a man. in consequence, the anthropomorphites stood condemned of heresy because they attributed to the divine essence a human form. 160. because the anthropomorphites fancied such gross things, they have rightly been condemned. their fancy is manifestly erroneous, for a spirit, as christ says (lk 24, 39), has not flesh and bone. i am rather of the opinion that the anthropomorphites intended to adapt the form of their doctrine to the plainest people. for in his substance, god is unknowable, indefinable, inexpressible, though we may tear ourselves to pieces in our efforts to discern or portray him. 161. hence, god himself condescends to the low plane of our understanding and presents himself to us with childlike simplicity in representations, as in a guise, so that he may be made known to us in some way. thus the holy spirit appeared in the form of a dove; not because he is a dove, but in this crude form he desired to be recognized, received and worshiped, for it was really the holy spirit. no one, to be sure, will say that the same passage defines god as a voice speaking from heaven, yet under this crude image, a human voice from heaven, he was received and worshiped. 162. when scripture thus ascribes to god human form, voice, actions and state of mind, it is intended as an aid only for the uncultivated and feeble; we who are great and learned and of discernment in reference to scripture, should likewise lay hold of these representations, because god has put them forth and revealed himself to us through them. the angels likewise, appear in human form, though it is certain that they are only spirits; spirits we cannot recognize when they present themselves as such, but likenesses we do recognize. 163. this is the simplest way of treating such passages, for the nature of god we cannot define; what he is not we can well define--he is not a voice, a dove, water, bread, wine. and yet in these visible forms he presents himself to us and deals with us. these forms he shows to us that we should not become wandering and unsettled spirits which dispute concerning god, but are completely ignorant concerning him, since in his unveiled majesty he can not be apprehended. he sees it to be impossible for us to know him in his own nature. for he lives, as the scripture says in 1 timothy 6, 16, in an inaccessible light, and what we can apprehend and understand he has declared. they who abide in these things will truly lay hold of him, while those who vaunt and follow visions, revelations and illuminations will either be overwhelmed by his majesty or remain in densest ignorance of god. 164. thus the jews also had their representations in which god manifested himself to them, as the mercy-seat, the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle, the pillars of smoke and fire. god says in exodus 33, 20, "man shall not see me and live," therefore he gives a representation of himself in which he so manifests himself to us that we may lay hold of him. in the new covenant we have baptism, the lord's supper, absolution and the ministry of the word. 165. these are what the scholastics call _voluntas signi_, the will expressed through signs, which we must view when we desire to know the will of god. another is the _voluntas beneplaciti_, the will of his good pleasure, the essential will of god, or his unveiled majesty, which is god himself. from this our eyes are to be turned away. it cannot be laid hold of; for in god is nothing but divinity, and the essence of god is his infinite wisdom and almighty power. these are absolutely inaccessible to reason: what he has willed according to the will of his good pleasure, that he has seen from eternity. 166. into this essential and divine will we should not pry, but should absolutely refrain from it as from the divine majesty, for it is inscrutable, and god has had no desire to declare it in this life. he desires to show it under certain tokens or coverings, as baptism, the word and the lord's supper. these are the images of the deity and are his will as expressed through signs, by which he deals with us on the plane of our intelligence. hence, we should look to these alone. the will of his good pleasure is to be left entirely out of contemplation, unless you happen to be moses, or david, or some similarly perfect man, although even they so looked to the will of the divine good pleasure as never to turn their eyes from the will expressed by signs. 167. this will of god is called his activity (_effectus dei_), wherein he comes out to us and deals with us garbed in the drapery of things extraneous to himself; these we can lay hold of--the word of god and the ceremonies instituted by himself. this will of god is not that of his omnipotence, for though god in the ten commandments enjoins what ought to be done it is yet not done. thus, christ has instituted the lord's supper to strengthen in us faith in his mercy, and yet many receive it to their condemnation, that is, without faith. 168. but i return to moses. he says that god sees man's wickedness and repents. the scholastics explain this: he sees and repents, namely, according to the expressed will, not that of his good pleasure, or the essential will. 169. we say that noah's heart is moved by the holy spirit to understand that god is wroth with man and desires his destruction. this interpretation commends itself to our intelligence and does not draw us into discussions concerning the absolute will or majesty of god, which are very dangerous, as i have seen in many. such spirits are first puffed up by the devil so that they believe themselves to be in possession of the holy spirit, neglect the word to the point of blaspheming it and vaunt nothing but the spirit and visions. 170. this is the first degree of error--that men, paying no heed to the deity as imaged and incarnate, seek after the unveiled god. afterward, when the hour of judgment comes, and they feel the wrath of god, god himself judging and searching their hearts, the devil ceases to puff them up and they despair and die. they go about in the untempered sunlight and forsake the shade that delivers from the heat, is 4, 6. 171. let no one therefore meditate upon divinity unveiled, but flee from such thoughts as from the infernal regions and the very temptations of satan. but let us take care to abide in these symbols through which god has revealed himself to us--the son, born of the virgin mary, lying among beasts in the manger, and the word, baptism, the lord's supper and absolution. in these images we see and find god in a way wherein we can endure him; he comforts us, lifts us up into hope and saves. other thoughts about the will of the good pleasure, or the essential and eternal will, kill and damn. 172. however, to name this the will of "good pleasure" is a misnomer. for that deserves to be called the will of good pleasure which the gospel discloses, concerning which paul says, "that ye may prove what is the good will of god," rom 12, 2. and christ says, "this is the will of my father, that every one that beholdeth the son should have eternal life," jn 6, 40. also, "whosoever shall do the will of my father who is in heaven, he is my brother," mt 12, 50. again, "this is my beloved son, in whom i am well pleased," mt 3, 17. this will of grace is correctly and properly called the will "of the divine good pleasure" and it is our only remedy and safeguard against that other will, be it called the "expressed will" or the "will of good pleasure," about the display of which at the flood and the destruction of sodom the scholastics dispute. 173. on both occasions a terrible wrath is in evidence, against which no soul could find protection, except in that gracious will, keeping in mind that the son of god was sent into the flesh to deliver us from sin, death and the power of the devil. 174. this will of the divine good pleasure has been determined from eternity, and revealed and published in christ. it is a quickening, gracious and lovable will, and consequently it alone merits to be called "the will of good pleasure." but the good fathers almost pass the promises by; they do not press them, though they could properly be called "the will of the good pleasure." 175. therefore, as they enjoin looking to the will expressed by signs, they do well, but this is in no wise sufficient; when we consider the ten commandments, are we not frightened by the sight of our sins? when those terrible examples of wrath are added which are also divine will as expressed by signs, it is impossible for the soul to be lifted up except by looking back to the will of the good pleasure, as we call it, that is, the son of god, who portrays for us the spirit and the will of his father, who does not hate sinners but desires to have compassion upon them through his son. christ says to philip, "he that hath seen me hath seen the father," jn 14, 9. 176. the son of god, therefore, who became incarnate, is that sign or veil of god in which the divine majesty with all its gifts so offers itself to us that no sinner is so wretched but he dare approach him in certain confidence of obtaining forgiveness. this is the only vision of deity which in this life is expedient and possible. however, those who have died in this faith shall on the last day be so illumined by power from on high as to behold the majesty itself. in the meantime, it behooves us to approach the father through the way, which is christ himself. he will lead us safely and we shall not be deceived. 177. the additional statement of the text, "it repented jehovah that he had made man on the earth," i believe to be meant to bring out the antithesis, that god has in mind not the earthly man, who is subject to sin and death, but the heavenly man, who is lord over them. he expresses his love for the latter, while he hates the former and plans his destruction. b. the grief of god. 1. this is not to be understood of the divine nature, but of the hearts of the patriarchs 178-179. 2. abraham, samuel and christ grieved in like manner 180. 3. by whom such grief is awakened in the heart 181. 4. the cause of this grief 182. * the character of the children of god and of the world in the face of the approaching calamity 183-184. * how the patriarchs and the church were walls of defense 185. 5. what made the grief of the holy patriarchs greater 185. 6. moses describes this grief very carefully 186. * how we see the grief of god in his saints 187. * how all is ruined on account of sin 187. * why noah did not dare to reveal the great wrath of god to the world 188. * what prevents the world from believing god's threatenings 188-189. * to whom god's promises do and do not apply 190. * why the old world did not believe the threat of the deluge 191. * the fate of true doctrine in our day is the same as it was in noah's 192. b. the grief of god. v. 6b. _and it grieved him at his heart._ 178. such was the regret of god that he was pained in his heart. the word here is _azab_, which was used before when he said (gen 3, 16), "in pain shalt thou bring forth children"; also in psalm 127, 2, "the bread of toil." this expression must be understood according to the usage of scripture. we must not think that god has a heart or that he can suffer pain, but when the spirit of noah, lamech or methuselah is grieved, god himself is said to be grieved. we may understand such grief not of his divine nature, but of his conduct. noah, with his father and grandfather, feels in his heart, through a revelation of the holy spirit, that god hates the world because of sin and desires its destruction; therefore they are grieved by this impenitence. 179. this is the simple and true meaning. if you refer these words to the will of the divine essence and hold that god has resolved this from eternity, a perilous argument is employed to which are equal only men who are spiritual and tested by trial, like paul, for instance, who has ventured to argue concerning predestination. let us take our stand on an humbler plane, one less open to danger, and hold that noah and the other fathers were most grievously pained when the spirit disclosed to them such wrath. these inexpressible groanings of the best of men are accordingly attributed to god himself, because they emanate from his spirit. 180. an example of such groanings we see later in the case of abraham, who interposed himself like a wall in behalf of the safety of the sodomites and did not abandon the cause until they came down to five righteous ones. without a doubt the holy spirit filled the breast of abraham with infinite and frequent groanings in his attempts to effect the salvation of the wretched. likewise samuel--what does he not do for saul? he cries and implores with such vehemence that god is compelled to restrain him: "how long wilt thou mourn for saul, seeing i have rejected him from being king over israel?" 1 sam 16, 1. so christ, foreseeing the destruction of jerusalem within a few years by reason of its sins, is most violently moved and pained in his soul. 181. such promptings the spirit of prayer arouses in pious souls. present everywhere, he is moved by the adversities of others, teaches, informs, spares no pains, prays, complains, groans. thus moses and paul are willing to be accursed for the sake of their people. 182. in this manner noah, the most holy man, and his father and grandfather are consumed with pain at the sight of such terrible wrath of god. he is not delighted at this overthrow of the whole human race, but is filled with anxiety and the most grievous pain, while at the same time the sons of men live in the greatest security, mocking, boasting and taunting. thus psalms 109, 4, "for my love they are my adversaries: but i give myself unto prayer." thus paul, "i tell you even weeping." phil 3, 18. and what else could holy men do but weep when the world would in no wise permit itself to be corrected? 183. it is always the appearance of the true church that she not only suffers, not only is humiliated and trampled under foot, but also prays for her tormentors, is seriously disturbed by their dangers; on the contrary, others play and frolic in proportion as they approach their doom. but when the hour of judgment comes, god in turn closes his ears so completely that he does not even hear his own beloved children as they pray and intercede for the wicked. so ezekiel laments that no one is found who will stand for israel as a protecting wall, saying that this is the office of the prophets, ezek 13, 5. 184. it is impossible for the ungodly to pray; let no one, therefore, entertain the hope concerning the papists, our adversaries, that they pray. we pray for them and plant ourselves like a wall against the wrath of god and, without doubt, it is by our tears and groanings that they are saved, if, perchance, they will repent. 185. it is a terrible example, that god has spared not the first world, for which noah, lamech and methuselah set themselves like a wall. what, then, shall we expect where such walls do not exist, where there is no church at all? the church is always a wall against the wrath of god. she feels pain, is tormented in her soul, prays, intercedes, instructs, teaches, exhorts, as long as the judgment hour is not here but coming. when she sees these ministrations to be unavailing, what else can she do but feel grievous pain at the destruction of the impenitent? the pain of the godly fathers was augmented by the sight of so many relatives and kindred at one time going to destruction. 186. this pain moses could not express in a better and more graphic description than to say that god repented of having made man. before, when he describes man's nature as having been formed in god's image, he says that god beheld all that he had made and it was very good. god, then, is delighted with his creatures and has joy in them. here he absolutely alters that statement by one altogether at variance with it--that god is grieved at heart and even repents of having created man. 187. it was noah and the other fathers who felt this through the revelation of the holy spirit; otherwise, they would have shared those thoughts of joy and would have judged according to the earlier prophecy that god had delight in all his works. never would they have thought that the wrath of god was such as to destroy not only the whole human race, but also all living flesh of sky and earth, which surely had not offended, yea, the very earth also; for the earth, because of man's sin, had not retained after the flood its pristine excellence. some have written, as lyra reminds us, that by the flood the surface of the earth was washed away three hands deep. certain it is that paradise has been utterly destroyed through the flood. therefore, we possess today an earth more deeply cursed than before the flood and after the fall of adam; though the state of the earth after the fall could not compare with the grandeur of its primeval state before sin. 188. these disasters, therefore, the holy fathers saw through the revelation of the holy spirit a hundred and twenty years before. but such was the wickedness of the world that it put the holy spirit to silence. noah could not venture to reveal such threats without risk of the gravest dangers. with his father and grandfather, with his children and wife, he would discuss this great wrath of god. the sons of men, however, had no more inclination to hear these things than the papists today have to hear themselves called the church of satan and not of christ. accordingly, they would vaunt their ancestors and over against noah's proclamations they would plead the promise of the seed, believing it to be impossible for god, in this manner, to destroy all mankind. 189. for the same reason, the jews did not believe the prophets nor even christ himself when called to repentance, but maintained that they were the people of god, inasmuch as they had the temple and worship. the turks today are inflated with victories which they believe to be the reward for their faith and religion because they believe in one god. we, however, are viewed as heathen and reputed to believe in three gods. god would not give us such victories and dominions, they say, if he did not favor us and approve our religion. this same reasoning blinds also the papist. occupying an exalted position, they maintain they are the church and hence they have no fear of divine punishment. devilish, therefore, is that argument whereby men take the name of god to palliate their sins. 190. but if god did not spare the first world, the generation of the holy patriarchs, which had the promise of the seed as its very own--if he saved only a very small remnant--the turks, jews and papists shall boast in vain of the name of god. according to micah 2, 7, the word of god promises blessings to those who walk in uprightness. but those who do not walk in uprightness are cursed. those he threatens, those he destroys. neither does he take account of the name "church", nor of their number, whereas he saves the remnant which walks in uprightness. but never will you convince the world of this. 191. in all probability the descendants of the patriarchs who perished in the flood abused quite shamefully the argument of the dignity of the church, and condemned noah for blasphemy and falsehood. to say, they argued, that god was about to destroy the whole world by a flood is equal to saying that god is not merciful, nor a father, but a cruel tyrant. you proclaim the wrath of god, o noah! then god is not such a being as to promise deliverance from sin and death through the seed of woman? the wrath of god, therefore, will not swallow the whole earth. we are the people of god. we have from god magnificent gifts; never would god have given these to us if he had resolved to act against us with such hostility. in this fashion the wicked are in the habit of applying to themselves the promises and trusting to the same. all warnings, however, they neglect and deride. 192. it is profitable to contemplate this diligently so that we may be safeguarded against such vicious heedlessness of the wicked. for what happened to moses, now happens also to us. our adversaries ascribe to themselves the name of god's people, true worship, grace and everything holy; to us, everything devilish. now, when we reprove them for blasphemy and say that they are the church of satan, they rage against us with every kind of cruelty. hence we mourn with noah, and commend the cause to god, as christ did on the cross--what else could we do?--and wait till god shall judge the earth and show that he loves the remnant of those that fear him and that he hates the multitude of impenitent sinners in spite of their boast of being the church, of having the promises, of having the worship of god. when god destroyed the whole original world, he manifested the promise of the seed to that wretched and tiny remnant, noah and his sons. v. noah alone was righteous; the world destroyed. a. noah alone was found righteous. 1. what comfort was offered noah by his righteousness in the midst of his suffering 193. * to find grace before god leads to faith and excludes works 194. 2. for what was righteous noah especially praised by god 195. * many great men lived in the days of noah 196. 3. how righteous noah had to contend against so much all alone 197. * by what means the papists contend against the evangelicals 198. 4. with what the world especially upbraided righteous noah 199. * people then were wiser and more ingenious than now 200. 5. noah may be called both just and pious 201. 6. righteous noah led a godly life, possessed great courage and was a marvelous character 202. 7. by his piety noah was a confessor of the truth 203-204. * it is very difficult for one man to withstand the united opposition of many 204. 8. being a preacher of righteousness noah was in greater danger 205. 9. noah an example of patience and of all virtues 206. 10. how he traveled and preached everywhere in the world, and preserved the human race temporally and spiritually 207-208. 11. the world takes offense at righteous noah's marrying, and adds sin to sin 209. 12. the order of the birth of noah's sons 210. b. the whole world destroyed. 1. whether, as lyra teaches, birds and animals were destroyed 211. * why the punishment of sin was visited also upon the animals 212-213. 2. the meaning of "the earth was corrupt before god" 214-216. * the sins against the first table of the law can easier be concealed than those against the second table 214. * where false doctrine is taught, godless living follows 215. 3. how the earth was corrupt in the light of the first table of the law 215-216. 4. how the earth was corrupt in the light of the second table 217-218. * the meaning of "violence" in scripture 218. * the greatest violence can obtain under the appearance of holiness, as among the papists and turks 219-221. * moses beautifully traces the course god takes in his judgments 222. * who can pass the right judgment upon the pope that he is antichrist 223. * how antichrist strengthens the courage of the godly, and whether they can check him 223. 5. noah laments this corruption 224. * godlessness cannot be remedied when it adorns itself with the appearance of holiness 225. 6. how god views this corruption 226. * luther laments the wickedness of the enemies of the gospel 227. * how we should view god's delay in punishing the wickedness of his enemies 228. * god's delay is very hard for believers 229. 7. the first world, although corrupt, was much better than the present world 230. v. how noah alone was found righteous, and how the whole world was destroyed. a. noah alone was found righteous. v. 8. _but noah found grace in the eyes of jehovah._ 193. these are the words through which noah was lifted up and quickened again. for such wrath of the divine majesty would have killed him, had not god added the promise of saving him. it is likely, however, that his faith had a struggle and was weak. we cannot imagine how such contemplation of god's wrath weakens courage. 194. this novel expression of the holy spirit the heavenly messenger gabriel also uses when speaking to the blessed virgin lk 1, 30, "thou hast found favor (grace) with god." the expression most palpably excludes merit and commends faith, through which alone we are justified before god, made acceptable and well pleasing in his sight. v. 9. _these are the generations of noah. noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations; noah walked with god._ 195. with this passage the jews commence not only a new chapter, but also a new lesson. this is a very brief history, but it greatly extols our patriarch noah; he alone remained just and upright while the other sons of god degenerated. 196. let us remember many most excellent men were among the sons of god, of whom some lived with noah well nigh five hundred years. man in that age before the flood was very long-lived; not only the sons of god, but also the sons of men. a very wide and rich experience had been gathered by these people during so many years. much they learned from their progenitors and much they saw and experienced. 197. amid the corruption of all these stands noah, a truly marvelous man. he swerves neither to the left nor to the right. he retains the true worship of god. he retains the pure doctrine, and lives in the fear of god. there is no doubt that a depraved generation hated him inordinately, tantalized him in various ways and thus insulted him: "art thou alone wise? dost thou alone please god? are the rest of us all in error? shall we all be damned? thou alone dost not err. thou alone shalt not be condemned." and thus the just and holy man must have concluded in his mind that all others were in error and about to be condemned, while he and his offspring alone were to be saved. although his conviction was right in the matter, his lot was a hard one. the holy man was in various ways troubled by such reflections. 198. the wretched papists press us today with this one argument: do you believe that all the fathers have been in error? it seems hard so to believe, especially of the worthier ones, such as augustine, ambrose, bernard and that whole throng of the best men who have governed churches with the word and have been adorned with the august name of the church. the labors of such we both laud and admire. 199. but surely no less a difficulty confronted noah himself, who alone is called just and upright, at a time when the very sons of men paraded the name of the church. when the sons of the fathers allied themselves with these they, forsooth, believed that noah with his people raved, because he followed another doctrine and another worship. 200. today our life is very brief, still to what lengths human nature will go is sufficiently in evidence. what may we imagine the condition to have been in such a long existence, in which the bitterness and vehemence of human nature were even stronger? today we are naturally much more dull and stupid, and yet men singularly gifted rush into wickedness. it is afterward said that all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth, only noah was just and upright. 201. from these two words we may gather the thought that noah is held to be "just" as he honored the first table and "upright" as he honored the second. "just" he is called, because of his faith in god, because he first believed the general promise with respect to the seed of woman and then also the particular one respecting the destruction of the world through the flood and the salvation of his own offspring. on the other hand he is called "upright" because he walked in the fear of god and conscientiously avoided murder and other sins with which the wicked polluted themselves in defiance of conscience. nor did he permit himself to be moved by the frequent offenses of men most illustrious, wise and apparently holy. 202. great was his courage. today it appears to us impossible that one man should oppose himself to all mankind, condemning them as evil, while they vaunt the church and god's word and worship, and to maintain that he alone is a son of god and acceptable before him. noah, accordingly, is a marvelous man, and moses commends this same greatness of mind when he plainly adds "in his generation," or "in his age," as if he desired to say that his age was indeed the most wicked and corrupt. 203. above, in the history of enoch, we explained what it means to walk with god, namely, to advocate the cause of god in public. to be just and upright bespeaks private virtue, but to walk with god is something public--to advocate the cause of god before the world, to wield his word, to teach his worship. noah was not simply just and holy for himself but he was also a confessor; he taught others the promises and threats of god, and performed and suffered all that behooves a public personage in an age so exceedingly wicked and corrupt. 204. if it were i who had seen that so great men in the generation of the ungodly were opposed to me, i surely in desperation should have cast aside my ministry. for one cannot conceive how difficult it is for one man to oppose himself alone to the unanimity of all churches; to impugn the judgment of the best and most amicable of men; to condemn them; to teach, to live, and to do everything, in opposition to them. this is what noah did. he was inspired with admirable constancy of purpose, inasmuch as he, innocent before men, not only regarded the cause of god, but most earnestly pressed it among the most nefarious men, until he was told: "my spirit shall not further strive with man." and the word "strive" finely portrays the spirit with which the ungodly heard noah instruct them. 205. peter also beautifully sets forth what it means to walk with god when he calls noah a preacher, not of the righteousness of man, but of god; that is, that of faith in the promised seed. but what reward noah received from the ungodly for his message moses does not indicate. the statement is sufficient, that he preached righteousness, that he taught the true worship of god while the whole earth opposed him. that means the best, most religious and wisest of men were against him. more than one miracle, in consequence, was necessary to prevent his being waylaid and killed by the ungodly. we see today how much wrath, hate, and envy one sermon to the people may create. what shall we believe noah may have suffered who taught not a hundred, not two hundred, but even more years, down to the last century, when god did not desire the wicked to receive instruction any longer lest they become still fiercer and more depraved. 206. therefore we may conjecture from the condition and nature of the world itself, and of the devil, from the experience of the apostles and the prophets, and likewise from our own, what a noble example of patience and other virtues noah has been, who was just and irreproachable in that ungodly generation and walked with god--that is, governed the churches with the word--and who, when the one hundred and twenty years were determined upon, after the lapse of which the world was to be destroyed by a flood, in face of such a terrible threat, entered into matrimony and begot children. 207. it is very probable that he traveled up and down the earth; that he taught everywhere; that everywhere he exhorted to worship god in truth; that he, hindered by many labors, refrained from matrimony on account of abundance of tribulations and in the expectation of the advent of a better and more religious age. but when he recognized this hope as unfounded and by a voice divine was warned that a time had been set for the world's destruction, then and not before, prompted by the spirit, did he make up his mind to marry, in order to transmit to the new age seed out of himself. and thus the holy man preserved the human race, not only spiritually, in the true word and worship, but also bodily, by begetting children. 208. as in paradise a new church had its beginning, before the flood, through adam and eve's faith in the promise, so also here a new world and a new church arise from the marriage of noah--a nursery of that world which shall endure to the end. 209. i stated above (â§88) that this marriage was an occasion of great offense to the ungodly and that they made the most extraordinary sport of it. how inconsistent that the world is to perish so soon, when noah, five hundred years old, becomes a father! they deemed his act the surest evidence that the world was not to perish by a flood. hence, they began to live even more licentiously, and in the greatest security to despise all threats. christ says in matthew 24, 38, that in the days of noah they ate, they drank, etc. the world does not understand the plans of god. 210. concerning the order of the sons of noah, i said above that japheth was first, that shem was born two years afterward when noah commenced to build the ark, and ham two years later. this has not been clearly explained by moses, but still it has been carefully noted. b. destruction of the whole world. v. 11. _and the earth was corrupt before god, and the earth was filled with violence._ 211. lyra, perhaps under the influence of rabbinic interpretation, contends here that even the birds and other animals forsook their nature and mixed with those of another species. but i do not believe it, for the creation or nature of animals remains as it was fashioned. they have not fallen through sin, like man, but are, on the contrary, fashioned for this bodily life alone. in consequence they neither hear the word, nor does the word concern them. they are absolutely without the law of the first and the second tables. accordingly, this passage refers only to man. 212. but that the beasts bore the penalty of sin and perished at the same time with man through the flood was the result of god's purpose to destroy man altogether; not alone in body and soul, but with the possessions and dominion which were his at creation. instances of similar retribution occur in the old testament. in the sixth chapter of daniel we see the enemies of daniel cast into the lions' den, together with their wives, children and whole families. in the sixteenth chapter of numbers a like incident is narrated in connection with the destruction of korah, dathan and abiram. similar is also an instance spoken of by christ when the king commands to sell the servant together with wife, children and all his substance. 213. in this manner, evidently, not only men but all their goods were destroyed, so that punishment might be full and complete. beasts, fields and the birds of heaven were created for man. they are man's property and chattels. therefore, the animals perished, not because they had sinned, but because god wanted man to perish amid all his earthly possessions. 214. in this passage moses' specific statement that "the earth was corrupt before god," is made to show that noah was treated and esteemed in the eyes of his age as a stupid and good for nothing character. the world, on the contrary, appeared in its own eyes perfectly holy and righteous, believing it had just cause for the persecution of noah, especially in regard to the first table of the law and the worship of god. the second table is not without its disguise of hypocrisy, but in this respect it bears no comparison to the former. the adulterer, the thief, the murderer can remain hidden for a while, though not forever. but the sins of the first table generally remain hidden under the cloak of sanctity until god brings them to light. godlessness never wishes to be godlessness, but chases after a reputation for piety and religion; and trims its cult so finely that in comparison with it the true cult and the true religion appear coarse. 215. the verb _shiheth_ is very frequent and conspicuous in holy scripture. moses uses it in the thirty-first chapter of deuteronomy, verse 29: "for i know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which i have commanded you." and david says, "they are all gone aside; they are together become filthy," ps 14, 3. both passages speak particularly of the sins against the first table; that is, they accuse the apparently devoutest saints of false worship and false doctrine, for it is impossible for a righteous life to follow teaching that is false. 216. when moses says the earth was corrupt before god, he clearly points out the contrast--the hypocrites and oppressors judged noah's teaching and practise as wholly wrong, and their own as altogether holy. the reverse, moses says, was true. mankind was assuredly corrupt measured by the first table. they lacked the true word and the true worship. this distinction between the first and the second tables commends itself strongly to my judgment and was doubtless suggested by the holy spirit. 217. the additional statement--"and the earth was filled with violence"--points to this unfailing sequence. with the word lost, with faith extinct, with traditions and will-worship--to use st. paul's phraseology (col 2, 8)--having replaced the true cult, there results violence and shameful living. 218. the correct significance of the word _hamas_ is violence force, wrong, with the suspension of all law and equity, a condition where pleasure is law and everything is done not by right, but by might. but if such was their life, you may say, how could they maintain the appearance and reputation of holiness and righteousness? as if we did not really have similar instances before our eyes today. has the world ever seen anything more cruel than the turks? and they adorn all their fierceness with the name of god and religion. 219. the popes have not only seized for themselves the riches of the earth, but have filled the church itself with stupendous errors and blasphemous doctrines. they live in shocking licentiousness. they alienate at pleasure the hearts of kings. much is done by them to bring on bloodshed and war. and yet, with all such blasphemies and outrages, they arrogate to themselves the name and title of the greatest saints and boast of being vicars of christ and successors of peter. 220. thus the greatest wrong is allied to the names of church and true religion. should any one offer objection, immediately is he put under the ban and condemned as a heretic and an enemy of god and man. barring the romans and their accomplices, there is no people which plumes itself more upon religion and righteousness than the turks. the christians they despise as idolaters; themselves they esteem as most holy and wise. notwithstanding, what is their life and religion but incessant murder, robbery, rapine and other horrible outrages? 221. the present times, therefore, illustrate how those two incompatible things may be found in union--the greatest religiousness with abominations, the greatest wrong with a show of right. and this is the very cause for men becoming hardened and secure without apprehending the punishment they merit by their sins. v. 12. _and god saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth._ 222. inasmuch as the wrath of god is appalling and destruction is imminent for all flesh except eight souls, moses is somewhat redundant in this passage, and uses repetitions, which are not superfluous but express an emphasis of their own. above he said the earth was corrupt; now he says that god, as if following the customary judicial method, saw this and meditated punishment. in this manner he pictures, as it were, the order in which god proceeds. 223. the judgment of spiritual people concerning the pope at the present day is that he is the antichrist, raging against the word and the kingdom of christ. but they who censure it are unable to correct this wickedness. wickedness is growing daily and contempt for godliness is becoming greater every day. now comes the thought: what is god doing? why does he not punish his enemy? does he sleep and care no longer for human affairs? the delay of judgment causes the righteous anguish. they themselves cannot come to the succor of a stricken religion and they see god who could help, connive at the fury of the popes, who securely sin against the first and the second tables of the law. 224. just so noah sees the earth filled with wrongs. therefore, he groans and sighs to heaven in order to arouse god from the highest heaven to judgment. such voices occur here and there in the psalms (10, 1): "why standest thou afar off?"; (13, 1): "how long, o jehovah?"; (9, 13): "have mercy upon me, o jehovah; consider my trouble"; (7, 6-9): "arise, judge my cause, etc." 225. what moses here describes comes at length to pass, that god also sees these things and hears the cry of the righteous who are able to judge the world; for they who are spiritual judge all things (1 cor 2, 15), though they cannot alter anything. wickedness is incorrigible when adorned with a show of piety, and so is oppression when it assumes the disguise of justice and foresight. it is nothing new that they who seize the wives, daughters, houses, lands and goods of others desire to be just and holy, as we showed above in respect of the papacy. 226. this is the second stage then: when the saints have seen and judged the wickedness of the world, god also sees it. he says of the sodomites: "the cry of them is waxed great before jehovah" (gen 19, 13); and above (ch 4, 10): "the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me." but always before the lord takes note, the sobs and groans of the righteous precede, arousing, as it were, the lord from slumber. what moses desires to show in this passage through the word, "saw" is that god finally perceived the afflictions and heard the cries of the righteous, filling at last all heaven. he who hitherto had winked at everything and seemed to favor the success of the wicked, was awakened as from slumber. the fact is he saw everything much sooner than noah; for he is the searcher of hearts and cannot be deceived by simulated piety as we can. but not until now, when he meditates punishment, does noah perceive that he sees. 227. thus we are afflicted today by extreme and unheard of wickedness, for our adversaries condemn from sheer caprice the truth they know and profess. they try to get at our throats and shed the blood of the righteous with a satanic fury. such blasphemous, sacrilegious and parricidal doings against the kingdom and name of god, manifest as such beyond possibility of denial, they defend as the acme of justice. while contending for the maintenance of their tyrannical position they go so far as to arrogate to themselves the name of the church. what else can we do here but cry to jehovah to make his name sacred and not to permit the overthrow of his kingdom nor resistance to his paternal will? 228. but so far the lord sleeps. he apparently does not observe such wickedness, because he gives no sign as yet of observing it. rather he permits us to be tormented by such woeful sights. we are, therefore, thus far in the first stage and this verse, stating that the whole earth is corrupt, applies to our age. but at the proper time the second stage will be reached, when we can declare in certainty of faith that not only we but god also sees and hates such wickedness. though god, in his long-suffering, has continued to wink at many things, he shall retain the name of one who in righteousness shall judge the earth. 229. how bitter and hard such delay is for the righteous, the lamentations of jeremiah in jeremiah 12, 1ff., and 20, 7ff, show. there the holy man almost verges on blasphemy until he is told that the babylonian king should come and inflict punishment upon the unbelieving scoffers. thereupon jeremiah recognizes that god looks down on the earth and is judge upon the earth. 230. the universal judgment which follows is terrible in the extreme, namely that all flesh upon the earth had corrupted its way and that god, when he had begun to examine the sons of men, did not, from the oldest to the youngest of the fathers, find any he could save from destruction. this strikes our ears as still more awful when we take into consideration the condition of the primitive world, not judging by the miserable fragments we have today. as the physical condition of the world at that time was infinitely ahead of this age, so we may conclude that the majesty and pomp of our rulers and the show of sanctity and wisdom on the part of the popes are not to be compared to the show of religion, righteousness and wisdom found among those renowned men of the primitive world. and yet the text says that all flesh had corrupted its way, save noah and his offspring. that means all men were wicked, lived in idolatry and false religion and hated the true worship of god. they despised the promise of the seed, and persecuted noah, who proclaimed forgiveness through the seed and threatened to those, who should fail to believe his forgiveness, eternal doom. vi. god decides to punish the first world; commands noah to build an ark; the covenant. a. how god decreed to punish the old world in his wrath. 1. how punishment finally comes when god has suffered sin long enough 231. * luther's hope that god's judgment may soon break upon the last world 231. 2. whether reason can grasp the wrath and punishment of god 232. 3. how god's promises stand in the midst of his wrath and punishment 232. 4. the first world thought itself secure against god's wrath 233. * the papal security and boldness against the evangelicals 234. 5. by what means god punished the first world 235. * the holy spirit must reveal that god's wrath and punishment do not violate his promises 236. 6. the causes of this wrath and punishment 237. * by what may it be known that god will visit germany with punishment 238. * god complains more of the violence shown to the neighbor than to himself 239. * the damages of the deluge 240. * the ground of the earth was in a better state before the flood than now 240. * the colors in the rainbow signs of the punishment of the first and the last world 241. vi. god decides to punish the first world; commands noah to build an ark; the covenant. a. god decides to punish the old world. v. 13. _and god said unto noah, the end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, i will destroy them with the earth._ 231. after noah and his people had for a long time raised their accusing cry against the depravity of the world, the lord gave evidence that he saw the depravity and intended to avenge it. this, the second stage, we also look for today, nor is there any doubt that men shall exist, to whom this coming destruction of the world is to be revealed, unless the destruction be the last day and the final judgment, which i truly wish. we have seen enough wickedness in these brief and evil days of ours. godless men, as in noah's time, adorn their vices with the name of holiness and righteousness. hence, no penitence or reformation is to be hoped for. this stage having been reached in the times of noah, sentence is finally passed, having been previously announced by the lord when he gave command that striving should cease and issued the declaration that he regretted having made man. 232. reason is incapable of believing and perfectly understanding such wrath. just consider how different this is from what had been. above we have read (ch 1, 31) that god saw everything he had made and behold, it was very good; that he gave man and beast the additional blessing of propagation; that he subjected to man's rule the earth and all the treasures of the earth; that as the highest blessing, he added the promise of the woman's seed and life eternal and instituted not only the home and the state, but also the church. how, then, is it that the first world, called into being in this way through the word, should, to use peter's expression, perish by water? 233. there is no doubt that the sons of the world threw all this up to noah as he preached the coming universal destruction, and publicly charged him with lying, on the ground that home, state and church had been instituted by god; that god surely would not overturn his own establishment by a final destruction; that man had been created for propagation and dominion upon the earth, not for the rule of water over him to his destruction. 234. just so the papists press us with the one argument that christ will be with the church to the end of the world (mt 28, 20); that the gates of hell will not prevail against it (mt 16, 18). this they vaunt in a loud-voiced manner, believing their destruction to be an impossibility. swept by the waves peter's ship may be, they say, but the waters cannot overwhelm it. 235. quite similar was the security and assurance before the flood; notwithstanding, we see that the whole earth perished. the scoffers boasted that god's regulations are perpetual, and that god had never completely abolished or altered his creation. but consider the outcome and you will see that they were wrong, while noah alone was right. 236. unless the additional light of the holy spirit is vouchsafed, man will surely be convinced by such argument; for is it not equivalent to making god inconstant and changeable, to maintain that he will completely destroy his creature? yet god gives noah the revelation that he will make an end of flesh and earth, not in part, but of all flesh and all the earth. would it not be awful enough to partition the earth into three parts and to threaten destruction to one? but to rage against the whole earth and against all mankind seems to be in conflict with god's government and the declaration that everything is very good. these things are too sublime to be understood or comprehended by human reason. 237. what is the cause of wrath so great? surely, the fact that the earth is filled with violence, as he here says. astonishing reason! he says nothing here concerning the first table; he mentions only the second. it is, as if he said: i shall say nothing of myself that they hate, blaspheme and persecute my word. among themselves how shamefully do they live! neither home nor state are properly administered; everything is conducted by force, nothing by reason and law. therefore, i shall destroy at the same time both mankind and the earth. 238. we see also in our age that god winks at the profanation of the mass, a horrible abomination that fills the whole earth, and at ungodly teachings and other offenses which have hitherto been in vogue in religion. but when men live so together that they disregard both state and home, when huge covetousness, graft of every description and manifold iniquity have waxed strong, does it not become clear to every man that god is compelled, as it were, to punish, yea to overturn germany? 239. it is the fullness of his mercy and love that prompts god rather to make complaint concerning the wrongs inflicted upon his members than those inflicted upon himself. we observe he maintains silence respecting the latter, while he threatens punishment, not to man alone, but even to the very earth itself. 240. a twofold effect is traceable to the flood; a weakening of man's powers and an impairment of his wealth and that of the earth. the latter-day fruit of trees is in nowise to be compared with that in the days before the flood. the antediluvian turnips were better than afterward the melons, oranges or pomegranates. the pear was finer than the spices of today. so it is likely that a man's finger possessed more strength than today his whole arm. likewise man's reason and understanding were far superior. but god, because of sin, has brought punishment to bear, not alone upon man, but also upon his property and domain, as witness to posterity also of his wrath. but how is the destruction to be effected? assuredly, by his seizing the watery element and blotting out everything. the force with which this element is wont to rage is common knowledge. though the atmosphere be pestilential, it does not always infect trees and roots. but water not only overturns everything, not only does it tear out trees and roots, but it also lifts the very surface of the earth. it alters the soil, so that the most fertile fields are marred by the overflow of salty earth and sand (ps 107, 34). this was therefore equal to the downfall of the primitive world. 241. the penalty of the present world, however, will be different, as the color of the rainbow shows. the lowest color the extent of which is well defined, is that of water. for the fury of the water in the deluge was so great that limits were set to its havoc, and the earth was restored to the remnant of the godly after the destruction of the evil-doers. but the other arch of the rainbow, the outer, which has no clearly defined bounds, is of the color of fire, the element which shall consume the whole world. this destruction shall be succeeded by a better world, which shall last forever and serve the righteous. this the lord seems to have written in the color of the rainbow. b. god commands noah to build an ark. * that noah had only three children is a sign of god's mercy 242. 1. the kind of wood used in building the ark 243. 2. its various rooms 244. 3. the pitch by which it was protected 245. 4. why god instructed noah so particularly how each part was to be constructed 246. 5. the form of the ark, and how teachers differ on this point 247. 6. the place noah occupied in the ark, and that of the animals 248. 7. whether the ark had the proportions of a human body 249. 8. how the ark was a type of the body of christ--of the church 250. 9. the windows of the ark: a. whether it had more than one window 251. * the latin version is not clear here 252. b. what kind of a window it was, and how it could stand the rain 253. c. luther's opinion of the jews' ideas about the window 253. 10. the door of the ark 254. 11. how to meet the various questions about the ark 255-256. * the deluge was a new method of punishment, hence the non incredible 257-258. * god was in earnest in the threatening of this flood 259. b. god commands noah to build an ark. v. 14. _make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch (bitumen)._ 242. god's first thought was to save a remnant through that tiny seed, the three sons of noah, for noah ceased henceforth to beget children. this strongly attests the mercy of god toward those who walk in his ways. 243. _gopher_ some make out to be pine, others hemlock, still others cedar; hence, a guess is rather difficult. the choice appears to have been made owing to its lightness or its resinous quality, so that it might float more easily upon the water and be impervious to it. 244. _kinnim_ signifies "nests" or "chambers"; that is separate spaces for the various animals. bears, sheep, deer and horses did not dwell in one and the same place, but the several species had their respective quarters. 245. but what is meant by _bitumen_, i do not know. with us vessels are made water tight with pitch and tow. pitch, it is true, withstands water, but it also invites the flame. there is no bitumen with us which resists water, hence we raise no objection to "bitumen" being rendered "pitch." 246. you may ask: why does god prescribe everything so accurately? the injunction to build the ark should have been sufficient. reason could determine for itself the rules concerning dimensions and mode of construction. why, then, does god give such careful instruction with reference to dimensions and materials? certainly that noah, after undertaking all things according to the lord's direction (as moses built the tabernacle according to the model received on the mount), should with the greater faith trust that he and his people were to be saved, nor entertain any doubt concerning a work ordered by the lord himself, even how it should be made. this is the reason the lord gives his directions with such attention to detail. v. 15. _and this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits._ 247. a nice geometrical and mathematical exercise concerning the form and dimensions of the ark is here presented. the views of writers vary. some claim it was four-cornered, others that it was gabled like nearly all our structures in europe. as for myself, i hold it was four-cornered. eastern people's were not acquainted with gabled buildings. theirs were evidently of four-cornered form, as the bible mentions people walking on roofs. similar was the shape of the temple. 248. there is a difference of opinion also concerning the arrangement of the animals in their quarters, which occupied the upper, which the central and which the lower places, this being the distinction warranted by the text. no certainty, however, can be arrived at. it is likely that noah himself and the birds occupied the upper part, the clean animals the central and the unclean animals the lower one. the rabbis assert the lower part served the purpose of storing dung. but i think the dung was thrown out of the window, for its removal was necessitated by such a multitude of beasts abiding in the ark for over a year. 249. augustine quotes philo against faustus in stating that on geometrical principles, the ark had the proportions of the human body, for when a man lies on the ground his body is ten times as long as it is high and six times as long as broad. so three hundred cubits are six times fifty and ten times thirty. 250. an application is made of this to the body of christ, the church, which has baptism as the door, through which clean and unclean enter without distinction. although the church is small, she rules the earth notwithstanding, and it is due to her that the world is preserved, just as the unclean animals were preserved in the ark. others stretch the application so far as to point to the wound in the side of jesus' body as prefigured by the windows in the ark. these are allegories which are not exactly profound, but still harmless because they harbor no error and serve a purpose other than that of wrangling, namely, that of rhetorical ornamentation. v. 16. _a light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it._ 251. behold, how diligent an architect god is! with what care he interests himself in all the parts of the structure and their arrangement. furthermore, the word _zohar_ does not properly signify window, but southern light. the question may be raised here whether the ark had only one window or several. for the hebrew language permits the use of the singular for the plural, or of the collective for the distributive term, as for instance: "i will destroy man from the face of the ground." here evidently not one man but many are spoken of. but to me it seems there was only one window that shed light upon man's domicile. 252. the latin interpreter is so strangely obscure as to fail to make himself understood. my unqualified opinion is that he was unable to divest himself of the image of a modern ship, in which men are commonly carried in the lower part. nor is it quite intelligible what he says about the door, inasmuch as it is certain that the ell-long window was in the upper part, and the door in the center of the side or in the navel of the ark. thus, also, eve was framed from the middle portion of man's body. the whole structure was divided into three partitions, a higher, a central and a lower one, and it was the upper one which, according to my view, was illuminated by the light of day through the window. 253. you may say, however: what kind of a window was it, or how could it exist in those frequent and violent rains? for rain did not fall then as it does ordinarily, since the water in forty days rose to such proportions as to submerge the highest mountains by fifteen arm-lengths. the jews claim that the window was closed by a crystal which transmitted the light. but too curious a research into these matters appears to me useless, since neither godliness nor christ's kingdom are put in jeopardy from the fact of our remaining in ignorance concerning some features of this structure of which god was the architect. it seems to me sufficiently satisfactory to assume that the window was on the side of the upper partition. 254. as to the door, it is certain that it was about thirteen or fourteen cubits from the earth. the ark, when it floated, sank about ten feet into the water with its great weight of animals of every kind and provender for more than a year. this may suffice as a crude conception of the ark; for, besides height and length, moses merely indicates that it had three partitions, a door and a window. 255. we will dismiss innumerable other questions such as: what kind of air was used in the ark? for such a stupendous mass of water, particularly falling water, must have produced a violent and pestilential stench; whence did they draw their drinking-water? for water cannot be preserved a whole year, hence mariners often call at ports in their vicinity for the purpose of drawing water; again, how could the bilge-water with its obnoxious odor be drawn up? 256. such questions and other subordinate points related to the experience of the mariner we may pass by. otherwise there will be no end of questions. we will be content with the simple supposition that the lower part probably served the purpose of securing the bears, lions, tigers and other savage animals; the middle part, that of housing the gentle and tractable animals, together with the provender, which cannot be kept in a place devoid of all air-currents; the upper that of accommodating human beings themselves, together with the domestic animals and the birds. this should be enough for us. v. 17. _and i, behold, i do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die._ 257. above god has threatened in general the human race with destruction. here he points out the method; namely, that he intends to destroy everything by a new disaster, a flood. such a punishment the world hitherto had not known. the customary punishments, as we see from the prophets, are pestilence, famine, the sword and fierce beasts. men and beasts perish of pestilence. the earth is laid waste by war, for it is deprived of those who till it. the sufferings of famine, though they seem to be less cruel, are by far the most terrible. with the fourth class of penalties, our regions have almost no experience at all. although these are severally sufficient for the chastisement of the human race, the lord desired to employ a novel kind of punishment against the primeval world, through which all flesh having the breath of life was to perish. 258. because this punishment was unheard of in former ages, the wicked were slower to believe it. they reasoned thus: if god is at all angry, can he not correct the disobedient by the sword, by pestilence? a flood would destroy also the other creatures which are without sin; surely god will not plan anything like this for the world. 259. but in order to remove such unbelief from the mind of noah and the righteous, he repeats with stress the pronoun, "and i, behold, i do bring." afterward he clearly adds that he will destroy all flesh that is under heaven and in the earth; for he excludes here the fishes whose realm is widened by the waters. this passage tends to show the magnitude of the wrath of god, through which men lose, not only body and life, but also universal dominion over the earth. c. god's covenant with noah. * the way god comforted noah in announcing the flood, and why such comfort was needed 260. 1. the nature of this covenant. a. the views of lyra, burgensis and others 261. b. luther's views 262-263. 2. whether the giants or tyrants were embraced in this covenant and how received by them 262-263. 3. why it was made only with noah 264. 4. how this covenant was made clearer from time to time, and why it was needed at this time 265. 5. how a special call was added to this covenant 266. * god's judgment upon the first world terrible 267. * why ham was taken into the ark, who was later rejected 267. * foreknowledge and election. a. why we should avoid thinking and disputing on this subject 268. b. to what end should the examples of scripture on this theme serve 269. c. how consideration of the same may help and harm us 270. c. god's covenant with noah. v. 18. _but i will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee._ 260. to this comfort moses before pointed when he declared that noah had found grace. noah stood in need of it, not only to escape despair amid such wrath, but also for the strengthening of his faith in view of the raging retribution. for it was no easy matter to believe the whole human race was to perish. the world consequently judged noah to be a dolt for believing such things, ridiculed him and, undoubtedly, made his ship an object of satire. in order to strengthen his mind amid such offenses, god speaks with him often, and now even reminds him of his covenant. 261. interpreters discuss the question, what that covenant was. lyra explains it as the promise to defend him against the evil men who had threatened to murder him. burgensis claims this covenant refers to the perils amid the waters, which were to be warded off. still others believe it was the covenant of the rainbow, which the lord afterward made with noah. 262. in my opinion, he speaks of a spiritual covenant, or of the promise of the seed, which was to bruise the serpent's head. the giants had this covenant, but when its abuse resulted in pride and wickedness, they fell from it. so it was afterward with the jews, whose carnal presumption in reference to god, the law, worship and temple led to their loss of these gifts and they perished. to noah, however, god confirms this covenant by certainly declaring that christ was to be born from his posterity and that god would leave, amid such great wrath, a nursery for the church. this covenant includes not only protection of noah's body, the view advocated by lyra and burgensis, but also eternal life. 263. the sentiment, therefore, of the promise is this: those insolent despisers of my promises and threats will compel me to punish them. i shall first withdraw from them the protection and assurance which are theirs by reason of their covenant with me, that they may perish without covenant and without mercy. but that covenant i shall transfer to you so that you shall be saved, not alone from such power of the waters, but also from eternal death and condemnation. 264. the plain statement is, "with thee." not the sons, not the wives, does he mention, whom he was also to save; but noah alone he mentions, from whom the promise was transmitted to his son shem. this is the second promise of christ, which is taken from all other descendants of adam and committed alone to noah. 265. afterward this promise is made clearer from time to time. it proceeded from the race to the family, and from the family to the individual. from the whole race of abraham it was carried forward to david alone; from david to nathan; from nathan down to one virgin, mary, who was the dead branch or root of jesse, and in whom this covenant finds its termination and fulfilment. the establishment of such a covenant was most necessary in view of the imminence of the incredible and incalculable wrath of god. 266. you will observe here, however, a special call when he says: "thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, etc." if noah had not received this special call, he would not have ventured to enter the ark. 267. how terrible is it that from the whole human race only eight persons should be selected for salvation and yet from among them, ham, the third son of noah, be rejected! by the mouth of god he is numbered here among the elect and saints. yea, with them he is protected and saved. nor is he distinguished from noah. if he had not believed and prayed for the same things, if he had not feared god, he would in nowise have been saved in the ark; and yet, afterward he is rejected! 268. the sophists wrangle here concerning an election that takes place according to the purpose of god. but often have i exhorted to beware of speculations about the unveiled majesty, for besides being anything but true, they are far from being profitable. let us rather think of god as he offers himself to us in his word and sacraments. let us not trace these instances back to a hidden election, in which god arranged everything with himself from eternity. such doctrine we cannot apprehend with our minds, and we see it conflicts with the revealed will of god. 269. what, then, you will ask, shall we declare with reference to these examples? nothing but that they are pointed out to inspire us with the fear of god, so that we believe it is possible to fall from grace after once receiving grace. paul warns, "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 cor 10, 12. we should heed such examples to teach us humility, that we may not exalt ourselves with our gifts nor become slothful in our use of blessings received, but may reach forth to the things which are before, as paul says in philippians 3, 13. they teach us not to believe that we have apprehended everything. 270. malignant and most bitter is our enemy, but we are feeble, bearing this great treasure in earthen vessels. 2 cor 4, 7. therefore, we must not glory as if we were secure, but seeing that men so holy fell from grace, which they had accepted and for a long time enjoyed, we should look anxiously to god as if in peril at this very moment. in this manner these examples are discussed to our profit; but those who give no attention to them and chase after complex high thoughts on an election according to the purpose of god, drive and thrust their souls into despair, to which they naturally incline. vii. animals and food in the ark; noah's obedience. a. the animals noah took into the ark. 1. the number and kinds of animals 271-272. 2. the differences in the animals 273. a. what is understood by the "behemoth" 274. b. by the "remes" 275. c. whether this difference is observed in all places 276. 3. whether wild and ferocious animals were in paradise, and if created from the beginning 276-277. 4. how noah could bring the animals, especially the wild ones, into the ark 278-279. * the animals at the time felt danger was near 278-279. 5. the animals came of themselves to noah in the ark 280. b. the food noah took into the ark. 1. why necessary to take with them food 281. * the kind of food man then had, and if he ate flesh 282. 2. god's foreknowledge shines forth here 283. 3. why god did not maintain man and the animals in the ark by a miracle 284. * the extraordinary ways and miracles of god. a. why man should not seek miracles, where ordinary ways and means are at hand 285. b. the monks seek extraordinary ways and thus tempt god 286. * whether we should use medicine, and if we should learn the arts and languages 286. c. why god did not save noah in the water without the ark, when he could have done so 287. d. when does god use extraordinary means with man 288. c. noah's obedience. 1. in what respect it was especially praised 289. * obedience to god. a. how one is to keep the golden mean, and not turn to the right or left 290. b. how man can by obedience or disobedience mark out his own course 290-291. c. why most people shun obedience 291. d. how we are here not to look to the thing commanded, but to the person commanding 292-296. e. how sadly they fail who look at the thing commanded 293. * how the papists neither understand nor keep god's commandments 294. * what we are to think of the holiness of the papists 295. f. all god commands is good, even if it seems different to reason 296. * how the papists do harm by the works of their wisdom, and only provoke god to anger, as king saul did 297. g. how in his obedience noah held simply to god's word and overcame all difficulties 298. vii. the animals and their food, and noah's obedience. a. the animals noah took into the ark. vs. 19-20. _and every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. of the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive._ 271. here again a dispute arises, as is the case when in historical narratives one proceeds to the application and incidental features. our text appears to vindicate the view that here two and two are spoken of; but in the beginning of the seventh chapter seven and seven. hence, lyra quarrels with one andrea, who believed fourteen specimens were included in the ark, because it is written: "of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven." but i approve lyra's interpretation, who says seven specimens of every class were inclosed in the ark, three male and three female, and the seventh also male, to be used by noah for purposes of sacrifice. 272. when moses says here that two and two of the several species were brought into the ark, we must necessarily understand the seventh chapter as speaking only of the unclean animals, for the number of clean animals was the greater. of the unclean seven of every species were inclosed in the ark. 273. it is also necessary that we here discuss the signification of terms as "all life," "beasts," "cattle." though these are often used without discrimination, still at various places the scripture employs them discriminatingly; for instance, when it says, "let the earth bring forth living creatures." gen 1, 24. "let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures." gen 1, 20. in those places the words of the genus stand for all living beings on the earth and in the waters. here the constituent species are named--_chayah_, _remes_, and _behemah_--though frequently used without discrimination. 274. the cattle he calls here _behemoth_, though in ezekiel, first chapter, those four animals are called by the common name, _hachayoth_, a word by which we commonly designate not so much animals as beasts, subsisting not on hay or anything else growing out of the earth, but flesh; as lion, bear, wolf and fox. _behemoth_ are cattle or brutes which live on hay and herbs growing from the earth; as sheep, cows, deer and roe. 275. _remes_ means reptile. the word is derived from _ramas_, which means to tread. when we compare ourselves with the birds, we are _remasian_, for we creep and tread upon the earth with our feet like the dogs and other beasts. but the proper meaning is, animals which do not walk with face erect. the animals which creep and which we term reptiles have a specific name, being called _sherazim_, as we see in leviticus from the word _sharaz_, which means to move, hereafter used in the seventh chapter. the word _oph_ is known, meaning bird. 276. such are the differences among these terms, although, as i said before, they are not observed in some places. the interpretation must be confined, however, to the time after the flood; otherwise the inference would be drawn that such savage beasts existed also in paradise. who will doubt that before sin, dominion having been given to man over all animals of earth, there was concord not only among men but also between animals and man? 277. though the first chapter clearly proves that these wild beasts were created with the others, on account of sin their nature was altered. those created gentle and harmless, after the fall became wild and harmful. this is my view, though since our loss of that state of innocent existence it is easier to venture a guess than to reach a definition of that life. 278. but, you ask, if because of sin the nature of animals became completely altered, how could noah control them, especially the savage and fierce ones? the lion surely could not be controlled, nor tigers, panthers and the like. the answer is: such wild animals went into the ark miraculously. to me this appears reasonable. if they had not been forced by a divine injunction to go into the ark, noah would not have had it within his power to control such fierce animals. undoubtedly he had to exercise his own human power, but this alone was insufficient. and the text implies both conditions, for at first it says: "thou shalt bring into the ark," and then adds: "two of every sort shall come unto thee." if they had not been miraculously guided, they would not have come by twos and sevens. 279. that two by two and seven by seven came of their own accord is a miracle and a sign that they had a premonition of the wrath of god and the coming terrible disaster. even brute natures have premonitions and forebodings of impending calamities, and often as if prompted by a certain sense of compassion, they will manifest distress for a man in evident peril. we see dogs and horses understand the perils of their masters and show themselves affected by such intelligence, the dogs by howling, the horses by trembling and the emission of copious sweat. as a matter of fact it is not rare that wild beasts in danger seek refuge with man. 280. when, therefore, there is elsewhere in brute natures such an intelligence, is it a wonder that, after having been divinely aroused to a sense of coming danger, they joined themselves voluntarily to noah? for the text shows they came voluntarily. in the same manner history bears witness, and our experience confirms it, that, when a terrible pestilence rages or a great slaughter is imminent, wolves, the most ferocious of animals, flee not only into villages, but, on occasion, even into cities, taking refuge among men and humbly asking, as it were, their help. b. the food noah took into the ark. v. 21. _and take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them._ 281. inasmuch as the flood was to last a whole year, it was necessary to remind noah of the food to be collected from the herbs and the fruits of trees in order to preserve the life of man and of animals. though the wrath of god was terrible, to the destruction of everything born on earth, the goodness of the lord shines forth, notwithstanding, in this an awful calamity. he looks to the preservation of man and the animals, and through their preservation to that of the species. the animals chosen for preservation in the ark were sound and of unblemished body, and through divine foresight, they received food suitable to their nature. 282. as for man, it is established that, as yet, he did not use flesh for food. he ate only of the vegetation of the earth, which was far more desirable before the flood than at present, after the remarkable corruption of the earth through the brackish waters. 283. we observe here the providence of god, by whose counsel the evil are punished and the good saved. by a miracle god preserves a portion of his creatures when he punishes the wicked and graciously makes provision for their posterity. 284. it would have been an easy matter for god to preserve noah and the animals for the space of a full year without food, as he preserved moses, elijah and christ, the latter for forty days, without food. he made everything out of nothing, which is even more marvelous. yet god, in his government of the things created, as augustine learnedly observes, allows them to perform their appropriate functions. in other words, to apply augustine's view to the matter in hand, god performs his miracles along the lines of natural law. 285. god also requires that we do not discard the provisions of nature, which would mean to tempt god; but that we use with thanksgiving the things god has prepared for us. a hungry man who looks for bread from heaven rather than tries to obtain it by human means, commits sin. christ gives the apostles command to eat what is set before them, lk 10, 7. so noah is here enjoined to employ the ordinary methods of gathering food. god did not command him to expect in the ark a miraculous supply of food from heaven. 286. the life of the monks is all a temptation of god. they cannot be continent and still they refrain from matrimony; likewise they abstain from certain meats, though god has created them to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe, and by those who know the truth, that every creature of god is good, and nothing to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving, 1 tim 4, 3-4. the use of medicine is legitimate; yea, it has been created as a necessary means to conserve health. the study of the arts and of language is to be cultivated and, as paul says, "every creature of god is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified through prayer." 1 tim 4, 4-5. 287. god was able to preserve noah in the midst of the waters. they fable of clement that he had a cell in the middle of the sea. yea, the people of israel were preserved in the midst of the red sea and jonah in the belly of the whale. but this was not god's desire. he rather willed that noah should use the aid of wood and trees, so that human skill might thereby have a sphere for its exercise. 288. when, however, human means fail, then it is for you either to suffer or to expect help from the lord. no human effort could support the jews when they stood by the sea and were surrounded in the rear by the enemy. hence, a miraculous deliverance was to be hoped for, or a sure death to be suffered. c. noah's obedience. v. 22. _thus did noah; according to all that god commanded him, so did he._ 289. this phrase is very frequent in scripture. this is the first passage in which praise for obedience to god is clothed in such a form of words. later we find it stated repeatedly that moses, the people, did according to all that god commanded them. but noah received commendation as an example for us. his was not a dead faith, which is no faith at all, but a living and active faith. he renders obedience to god's commands, and because he believes both god's promises and threats, he carefully carries out what god commanded with reference to the ark and the gathering of animals and food. this is unique praise for noah's faith, that he remains on the royal way--adds nothing, changes nothing and takes nothing from the divine command, but abides absolutely in the precept he has heard. 290. it is the most common and at the same time most noxious sin in the church, that people either altogether change god's commands or render something else paramount to them. there is only one royal road to which we must keep. they sin who swerve too much to the left by failing to perform the divine commands. those who swerve to the right and do more than god has commanded, like saul when he spared the amalekites, also sin even more grievously than those who turn to the left. they add a sham piety; for, while those who err on the left cannot excuse their error, these do not hesitate to ascribe to themselves remarkable merit. 291. and such error is exceedingly common. god is wont sometimes to command common, paltry, ridiculous and even offensive things, but reason takes delight in splendid things. from the common ones it either shrinks or undertakes them under protest. thus the monks shrank from home duties and chose for themselves others apparently of greater glamour. today the great throng, hearing that common tasks are preached in the gospel, despises the gospel as a vulgar teaching, lacking in elegance. what noteworthy thing is it to teach that servants should obey their master and children their parents? such a common and oft-taught doctrine the learned papists not only neglect but even ridicule. they desire rather something unique, something remarkable either for its reputed wisdom or for its apparent difficult character. such is the madness of man's wisdom. 292. in general it is wisdom to observe not so much the person that speaks as that which he says, because the teacher's faults are always in evidence. but when we consider precepts of god and true obedience, this axiom should be reversed. then we should observe not so much that which is said, but the person of him who speaks. in respect to divine precepts, if you observe that which is said and not him who speaks, you will easily stumble. this is illustrated by the example of eve, whose mind did not dwell upon the person who issued the command. she regarded only the command and concluded it to be a matter of small moment to taste the apple. but what injury was thereby wrought to the whole human race! 293. he who observes him that gives the command will conclude that what is very paltry in appearance is very great. the papists estimate it a slight thing to govern the state, to be a spouse, to train children. but experience teaches that these are very important matters, for which the wisdom of men is incompetent. we see that at times the most spiritual men have here shamefully fallen. when we, therefore, remember him who gives the command, that which is paltry and common becomes a responsibility too great to discharge without divine aid. 294. the papists, therefore, who look only at the outward mask, like the cow at the gate, can make light of duties toward home and state, and imagine they perform others of greater excellence. in the very fact that they are shameless adulterers, blasphemers of god, defilers of the sanctuary and brazen squanderers of the church's property, they powerfully testify against themselves that they can in no wise appreciate the paltry, common and vulgar domestic and public duties. 295. in what, therefore, consists the holiness they vaunt? forsooth, in that on certain days they abstain from meat, that they bind themselves to certain vows, that they have a liking for certain kinds of work. but, i ask you, who has given command to do those things? no one. that which god has enjoined or commanded, they do not respect. they render paramount something else concerning which god has given no command. 296. hence, the vital importance of this rule, that we observe not the contents of the command but its author. he who fails to do this will often be offended, as i said, by the insignificance or absurdity of a task. god should receive credit for wisdom and goodness. assuredly that which he himself enjoins is well and wisely enjoined, though human reason judge differently. 297. from the wisdom of god the papists detract when they consider divinely enjoined tasks as paltry and attempt to undertake something better or more difficult. god is not propitiated by such works, but rather provoked, as saul's example shows. as if god were stupid, dastardly, and cruel in that he commanded to destroy the amalekites and all their belongings, saul conceived a kinder plan and reserved the cattle for the purpose of sacrifice. what else was such action but to deem himself wise and god foolish. 298. hence moses rightly commends in this passage noah's obedience when he says that he did everything the lord had enjoined. that means to give god credit for wisdom and goodness. he did not discuss the task, as adam, eve and saul did to their great hurt. he kept his eye on the majesty of him who gave the command. that was enough for him, even though the command be absurd, impossible, inexpedient. all such objections he passes by with closed eyes, as it were, and takes his stand upon the one thing commanded by god. this text therefore is familiar as far as hearing it is concerned, but even as to the performance and practice of it, it is known to very few and is extremely difficult. chapter vii. i. noah obeys command to enter the ark. 1. noah saw god's favor in his command 1. * noah experienced severe temptations and needed comfort 1-2. 2. what god wished to teach noah by calling him to enter the ark 3. 3. whether god spoke this commandment directly to noah 4-5. * when god speaks to us through men it is to be viewed as god's word 4-5. * the thoughts of the jews on the seven days 6. * the office of the ministry. a. through it god deals with mankind 7. b. why we should not despise the office and expect revelations direct from god 8-9. * god speaks with man in various ways 9. * corruption and destruction of the first world. a. the ruin of the first compared with that of the last world 10-13. * the need of posterity to pray that they retain pure doctrine 12. b. why so few righteous persons were found in noah's day 12. * the efforts of the pope and bishops to crush the gospel 13. c. first world severely punished, neither old nor young were spared 14-15. d. punishment of first world greatly moved peter when he wrote about it 16-17. * peter's record of sermon christ delivered to the spirits of the first world in prison 16-17. a. who are to be understood here by the unbelieving world 18. b. peter here shows the wrath and long suffering of god 19. c. nature and manner of this sermon 20. * apostles had special revelations we cannot grasp 20-21. 4. how noah was righteous before god 22. 5. how the world laughed at him while executing god's command, god then comforted him 23-24. 6. greatness of noah's faith and steadfastness in executing this command 25-26. * luther's confession he would have been too weak for such a work 25-26. * the great firmness of john huss and jerome of prague 27. * we are to comfort ourselves when all the world forsakes and condemns us 28. 7. god commands noah to take the animals he names along into the ark 29. * why god so often repeats the same thing 29. a. what is to be understood by behemoth 30. b. how many of each kind entered the ark 31. * the rain at the flood was exceptional 32. * the flood is a token of god's righteousness and from it we conclude god will punish the sins of the last world 33. 8. by what may we learn noah's faith and obedience to god 34. * why god did not save noah in some other way 34. i. noah obeys command to enter the ark. v. 2a. _and jehovah said unto noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark._ 1. as soon as that extraordinary structure, the ark, was built, the lord commanded noah to enter it, because the time of the deluge, which the lord announced one hundred and twenty years before, was now at hand. all this convinced noah that god was taking care of him; and not only this, but also, as peter says (2 pet 1, 19), gave him an ample and abundant word to support and confirm his faith in such great straits. having foretold the deluge for more than a century, he doubtless was bitterly mocked by the world in many ways. 2. as i have said repeatedly, god's wrath was incredible. it could not be grasped by the human mind, in that original age of superior men, that god was about to destroy the whole human race, except eight souls. noah, being holy and just, a kindly and merciful man, often struggled with his own heart, hearing with the greatest agitation of mind the voice of the lord, threatening certain destruction to all flesh. it was needful, then, that repeated declaration should confirm his agitated faith, lest he might doubt. 3. god's command to enter the ark amounted to this: "doubt not, the time of punishment for the unbelieving world is close at hand. but tremble not, do not fear, for faith is at times very weak in the saints. i shall take care of you and your house." to us such promise would have been incredible, but we must admit that all things are possible with god. 4. notice moses' peculiar expression again: "jehovah said." it gives me particular pleasure that these words of god did not sound from heaven, but were spoken to noah through the ministry of man. although i would not deny that these revelations may have been made by an angel, or by the holy spirit himself, yet where it can plausibly be said that god spoke through men, there the ministry must be honored. we have shown above that many of god's words according to moses, were spoken through adam; for the word of god, even when spoken by man, is truly the word of god. 5. now, as methuselah, noah's grandfather, died in the very year of the deluge, it would not be inapt to infer that (since lamech, noah's father, had died five years before the flood,) this was, so to speak, methuselah's last word and testament to his grandson, a dying farewell. perhaps he added some remarks as these: my son, as thou hast obeyed the lord heretofore, and hast awaited this wrath in faith, and hast experienced god's faithful protection from the wicked, henceforth firmly believe that god will take care of thee. the end is now at hand, not mine alone, which is one of grace, but the end of all mankind, which is one of wrath. for after seven days the flood will begin, concerning which thou hast long and vainly warned the world. after this manner, i think, spoke methuselah, but the words are attributed to god, because the spirit of god spoke through the man. thus i like to interpret these instances to the honor of the ministry wherever, as in this case, it can appropriately be done. since it is certain that methuselah died in the very year of the flood, the supposition is harmless that these were his last words to noah, his grandson, who heard his words and accepted them as the word of god. 6. the jews' peculiar idea concerning these seven days is that they were added to the one hundred and twenty years in honor of methuselah, that therein his posterity might bewail his death. this is a harmless interpretation, for the patriarch's descendants did not fail to do their duty, particularly his pious children. 7. but the first view concerning the ministry of the word, is not only plausible, but also practical. god does not habitually speak miraculously and by revelation, particularly where, he has instituted the ministry for this very purpose of speaking to men, teaching, instructing, consoling and entreating them. 8. in the first place, god entrusts the word to parents. moses often says: "thou shalt tell it to thy children." then to the teachers of the church is it entrusted. abraham says (lk 16, 29): "they have moses and the prophets; let them hear them." we must expect no revelation, be it inward or outward, where the ministry is established; otherwise all ranks of human society would be disturbed. let the pastor preach in church; let the magistrate rule the state; let parents control the house or family. such are the ministries of men instituted by god. we should make use of them and not look for new revelations. 9. still i do not deny that noah heard god speak after methuselah's death. god speaks ordinarily through the public ministry--through parents and the teachers of the church--and in rare cases by inward revelation, through the holy spirit. it is well that we remember not to overlook the word in vain expectation of new revelations, as the fanatics do. such a course gives rise to spirits of error, a source of disturbance to the whole world, as the example of the anabaptists proves. v. 1b. _for thee have i seen righteous before me in this generation._ 10. this is truly a picture of the primitive, ancient world, as peter calls it. 2 pet 2, 5. his appellation carries the thought of a peculiarity of that particular age, which is foreign to the people of our own. could words be more appalling than these, that noah alone was righteous before the lord? the world is similarly pictured in ps 14, 2-3, where we read that the lord looked down from heaven to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek god. but he says: "they are all gone aside; they are together become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." 11. similar to this judgment upon the world was christ's declaration as to the last days. he says: "when the son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" lk 18, 8. it is a fearful thing to live in such an evil and godless world. by the goodness of god, since we have the light of his word, we are still in the golden age. the sacraments are rightfully administered in our churches, pious teachers proclaim the word purely, and, though magistrates be weak, wickedness is not desperately rampant. but christ's prophecy shows that there will be evil times when the lord's day approaches. wholesome teaching nowhere will be found, the church being dominated by the wicked, as today the plans of our adversaries are a menace. the pope and the wicked princes zealously strive totally to destroy the ministry of the word, oppressing or corrupting the true ministries, that everyone may believe whatever pleases him. 12. so much the more diligently should we pray for our posterity, and take earnest heed that a more wholesome doctrine be transmitted to them. if there had been more godly teachers in the days of noah, there might have been more righteous people. the fact that noah alone was proclaimed a righteous man makes it evident that the godly teachers had been either destroyed or corrupted, leaving noah the sole preacher of righteousness, as peter calls him, 2 pet 2, 5. since government had been turned into tyranny and the home vitiated by adultery and whoredom, how could punishment be delayed any longer? 13. such danger awaits us also if the last days are to be like the days of noah. truly, the popes and bishops strenuously endeavor to suppress the gospel and to ruin the churches which have been rightfully established. thus does the world assiduously press onward to a period similar to the age of noah, when, with the light of the word extinguished, all shall go astray in the darkness of wickedness. for without the preaching of the word, faith cannot endure nor prayer, nor the purity of the sacraments. 14. such, according to moses, was the condition of the ancient world in noah's day, when the world was young and at its best. the greatest geniuses flourished everywhere and people were well educated by experience because they lived so long. what will be our fate in the frenzy, so to speak, that shall befall the world in its dotage? we should remember to care for our posterity and continually pray for it. 15. as the first world was most corrupt, it was thus subject to terrible punishment. adults perished who provoked god to anger by their wicked deeds, also those of an innocent age, who had knowledge and were unable to distinguish between their right hand and their left. many, doubtless, were deceived by their own guilelessness; but god's wrath does not discriminate, it falls upon and destroys alike adults and infants, the crafty and the guileless. 16. this awful punishment appears to have moved even the apostle peter. like one besides himself, he uses words which we today are not able to understand. he says: christ, having been made alive in the spirit, also "went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were disobedient, when the long suffering of god waited in the days of noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water," etc. (1 pet 3, 19-20). 17. a strange declaration, and an almost fanatical saying, by which the apostle describes this event! by these words, peter assures us that there was a certain unbelieving world to whom the dead christ preached after their death. if this is true, who would doubt that christ took moses and the prophets with him to those who were fettered in prison, in order to change the unbelieving world into a new and believing one? this seems to be intimated by peter's words, though i should not like to make this assertion authoritatively. 18. but doubtless those whom he calls an unbelieving world were not the wicked despisers of his word nor the tyrants. if they were overwhelmed in their sins, these were certainly condemned. the unbelieving world of which he speaks seems rather to be the children and those whose lack of judgment precluded belief. these were at that time, seized and carried away headlong to their destruction, by the offenses of the world, as if in the power of a rapid stream, only eight souls being saved. 19. in this way does peter magnify the awful intensity of god's wrath. at the same time he praises his long-suffering in that he did not deprive those of the word of salvation who at the time did not or could not believe because they hoped in the patience of god and would not be convinced that he would visit such fearful and universal punishment upon the world. 20. how this came to pass is beyond our understanding. we know and believe that god is wonderful in all his works and has all power. therefore he who in life preached to the living, could also in death preach to the dead. all things hear, feel and touch him, though our human minds can not understand the process. nor is it to our discredit when we are ignorant of some of the mysteries of holy writ. the apostles had each his own revelation, and contention concerning them would be presumptuous and foolish. 21. such was the revelation of christ given to the spirits that evidently perished in the flood, and we may perhaps, not inappropriately connect it with that article of our creed which speaks of the descent of christ into hell. such was also paul's revelation concerning paradise, the third heaven (2 cor 12, 2-4), and certain other matters of which we may be ignorant without shame. it is false pride to profess to understand these things. st. augustine and other teachers give their fancy loose rein when they discuss these passages. may it not be that the apostles had revelations which st. augustine and others did not have? but let us return to moses. 22. a truly fearful description of the world is vouchsafed in this declaration of god that he saw noah alone to be righteous before him, in spite of the small children and those others who had innocently been misled. let us particularly note the term, "before me." it signifies that noah was blameless not only as regards the second table of the law, but also as regards the first. he believed in god, and hallowed, preached and called upon his name; he gave thanks to god; he condemned godless teachings. for, to be righteous before god means to believe god and to fear him, and not, as they taught in popedom, to read masses, to free souls from purgatory, to become a monk, and like things. 23. this term "before me" has reference also to the condemnation of the ancient world. having neglected the worship demanded by the first table, they criminally transgressed also the second. not only did they mock noah as a fool, but they went so far as to condemn his teaching as heresy. meanwhile they ate, drank, and celebrated festivals in security. before the world, accordingly, noah was not righteous; measured by her code he was a sinner. 24. hence god, or the grandfather, methuselah, consoles noah with the word of counsel to disregard the blind and wicked verdict of the world, neither to care for her views and utterances, but to close eyes and ears while heeding alone the word and verdict of god, believing himself to be righteous before god, or approved and acceptable to him. 25. and noah's faith was truly great; he could rely upon god's utterance. i, forsooth, should not have believed. i realize what weight the whole world's hostile and condemnatory judgment must carry. we are condemned in the judgment of the pope, the sacramentarians, and the anabaptists, but this is mere play and pleasure, compared to what the righteous noah had to bear, who found not a single person in the whole world to approve of his religion or life, except his own sons and his pious grandfather. we have, the endorsement of many churches, by god's grace, and our princes fear no danger in defense of their doctrine and religion. noah had no such protectors, and he saw his enemies living in peaceful leisure and enjoyment. if i had been he, i surely should have said: lord, if i am righteous, if i am well pleasing to thee and if those people are wicked and displeasing to thee, why, then, dost thou enrich them? why dost thou heap upon them all manner of favors, while i, with my family, am greatly harassed and almost without assistance? in short, i should have despaired in such great afflictions unless the lord had given me that spirit which noah had. 26. therefore, noah is a brilliant and admirable example of faith, who opposed the judgments of the world with an heroic steadfastness of mind in the assurance that he was righteous while all the rest of the world was wicked. 27. often when i think of those most holy men, john huss and jerome of prague, i view with astonishment the courage of their souls, as they, only two in number, set themselves against the judgment of the whole world, of pope, emperor, bishops, princes, universities and all the schools throughout the empire. 28. it is helpful often to reflect upon such examples. since the prince of the world battles against us, endeavoring to kindle despair in us with his fiery darts, it behooves us to be well armed, lest we succumb to the enemy. let us say with noah: i know that i am righteous before god, even though the whole world condemn me as heretical and wicked, yea, even desert me. thus did the apostles desert christ, leaving him alone; but he said (jn 16, 32): "i am not alone." thus did the false brethren desert paul. hence, this is no uncommon danger, and it is not for us to despair; but with courage to uphold the true doctrine, in spite of the world's condemnation and curse. vs. 2-3. _of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male and his female. of the birds also of the heavens, seven and seven, male and female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth._ 29. it is evident that god takes pleasure in speaking to noah. hence, he does not confine himself to a single command, but repeats the same things in the same words. to human reason such repetition appears to be absurd talkativeness, but to a soul struggling against despair the will of god cannot be repeated too often, nor can too exhaustive instruction be given relative to the will of god. god recognizes the state of a soul that is tempted, and hence makes the same statements again and again, so that noah may learn from frequent conversations and conferences that he is not only not forsaken though the whole world forsake him, but that he has a friend and protector in god who so loves him that he never seems to weary of conversing with him. this is the cause of the statements being repeated. however, as has been explained, god spoke with noah not from heaven but through men. 30. in respect to the language, this passage shows that _ha-behemah_ signifies not only cattle, the larger animals, but also the smaller ones which were commonly used for sacrifice, as sheep, goats and the like. the custom of offering sacrifices was not first instituted by moses, but was in the world from the beginning, being handed down, as it were, by the patriarchs to their posterity; as shown by the example of abel, who brought of his first fruits an offering to god. 31. as to the remainder of the passage, we explained at the end of the sixth chapter how to harmonize the discrepancies apparent in the fact that here seven beasts of each kind are ordered to be taken into the ark while only two of each kind are mentioned there. to repeat is not necessary. since noah was saved by a miracle, he thought that a seventh animal should be added to the three pairs of clean beasts as a thank-offering to god, after the flood, for his deliverance. v. 4. _for yet seven days, and i will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that i have made will i destroy from off the face of the ground._ 32. here you see god's care to give noah complete assurance. he sets a limit of seven days, after which will follow a rain of forty days and forty nights. god speaks with peculiar significance when he says that it shall rain. it was not a common rain, but fountains of the deep as well as the windows of heaven were opened; that is, not only did a great mass of rain fall from heaven, but also an immense amount of water streamed forth from the earth itself. and an immense amount of water was necessary to cover the highest mountain tops to a depth of fifteen cubits. it was no ordinary rain, but the rain of god's wrath, by which he set out to destroy all life upon the face of the earth. because the earth was depraved, god despoiled it, and because the godless people raged against the first and second tables of the commandments, therefore god also raged against them, using heaven and earth as his weapons. 33. this story is certain proof that god, though long-suffering and patient, will not allow the wicked to go unpunished. as peter says (2 pet 2, 5), if he "spared not the ancient world," how much less will he spare the popes or the emperors who rage against his word? how much less will he spare us who blaspheme his name when our life is unworthy of our calling and profession, when we freely and daily sin against our consciences? let us, then, learn to fear the lord, humbly to accept his word and obey it; otherwise punishment will overtake also us, as peter threatens. vs. 5-10. _and noah did according unto all that jehovah commanded him. and noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. and noah went in, and his sons and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creepeth upon the ground, there went in two and two unto noah into the ark, male and female, as god commanded noah. and it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth._ 34. this is clear from what precedes. noah's faith is praiseworthy in that he obeyed the lord's command and unwaveringly entered the ark with his sons and their wives. god truly could have saved him in innumerable other ways; he did not employ this seemingly absurd method because he knew no other. to him who kept jonah for three days in the midst of the sea and in the belly of the whale, what do you think is impossible? but noah's faith and obedience are to be commended because he took no offense at this plan of salvation divinely shown to him, but embraced it in simple faith. ii. complete destruction by flood. * why moses so often repeats and expresses in few words what other writers describe at length 35-39. * noah's grief because of the approaching calamity 38. * the way of coarse and satiated spirits 39. 1. when did the flood commence. a. some think it began in the spring 40. b. others think it began in the autumn 41. c. which is the more probable 42. * what to think of the jews reckoning the year has two beginnings 44. 2. how the flood continued. a. must distinguish the fountains of the earth, the windows of heaven and the rain 45. * of the earth and the water. (1) why the water does not overflow the earth since the earth floats in the water 46. (2) why the water above the earth does not fall and overflow the earth 47-48. (3) how the prophets wondered at this as a miracle, but we in our day give it little thought 49. b. how were the fountains broken up, how can such a work be ascribed to god 50-51. * overflowing of the german fountains at halle 51. c. how were the windows of heaven opened 52. (1) what is meant by the windows of heaven 53. (2) why such words used here 53. 3. flood covered and destroyed the whole earth 54. 4. why god sent the deluge 54. * why god so often repeats the same thing 55-60. * what is meant by zippor 55. * how god's wrath as seen in the deluge was very great 56-57. 5. the deluge was a terrible spectacle; noah and his sons took courage from it 58-60. * noah's glorious faith at the sight of the deluge 60. * noah's long ship voyage; how he was comforted 61. 6. how the world's destruction harmonizes with god's promises: how the promises to the church agree with his threatenings 62ff. * god's threatenings and man's unbelief. a. why the first world believed not the threatenings about the deluge 62ff. b. why the jews believe not the threatenings of the prophets 63. c. why the papists believed not the threats against them 64. * god's church and her maintenance. a. the world understands not how the church is maintained 66. b. what is the true form of the true church 66. c. god's promises not rescinded when rejected; who bear the name of the church 67-68. 7. whether god fully rescinded through the flood the rule over the earth he once gave man 69. * how god preserved his church through the deluge 69. 8. the deluge was apparently against god's promise 70. * god allows nothing to hinder the punishment of the impenitent 71-73. * by what means papists adorn themselves and how it is all in vain 72. * why we should not rely on present, temporal things, but upon god's word 73. * the marks of a true church. a. what they are not and what they are 74-76. b. papists have characteristics holy scriptures give as marks of antichrist 75. c. church born of god's word and is to be known by that word 76. d. rule to be observed in the marks of the true church 77. e. how far one may consider the papists the true church, and how far not 78-79. f. the true church is where the word is, although few belong to it and it has no temporal power 79. g. whether the evangelicals can justly be accused of falling from the old church 80. h. how and why the evangelical or gospel church is really the true church 81. * how noah retained all and remained lord of the world although the deluge destroyed everything 81. ii. complete destruction. vs. 11-12. _in the six hundredth year of noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights._ 35. we see that moses uses a great many words, which results in tiresome repetition. how often he mentions the animals! how often the entrance into the ark! how often the sons of noah who entered at the same time! the reason for this must be left to the spiritually minded; they alone know and see that the holy spirit does not repeat in vain. 36. others, however, who are more materially minded may think that moses, being moved, when he wrote the passage, by the greatness of god's wrath, desired to enforce its truths by repetition; for reiteration of statements is soothing to troubled minds. thus did david repeat his lament over his son absalom, 2 sam 18, 33. so viewed, this narrative shows depth of feeling and extreme agitation of mind. this example of wrath so impresses the narrator that for emphasis he mentions the same thing again and again, and in the same words. 37. this is not the custom of poets and historians. their emotions are factitious; they are diffuse in their descriptions; they pile up words for mere effect. moses husbands his words, but is emphatic by repetition that he may arouse the reader's attention to the importance of the message and compel him to feel his own emotions instead of reading those of another. 38. evidently moses did not only wish to convey by persistent repetition the extreme agitation of his own mind, but also of that of noah himself, who, being filled with the holy spirit, and burning with love, necessarily deplored the calamity when he saw that he could not avert it. he foresaw the doom of the wisest and most distinguished and eminent men. thus did david mourn when he could not call back absalom to life. so samuel mourned when he despaired of saving saul. 39. the text is not a mere tautology or repetition. the holy spirit does not idly repeat words, as those superficial minds believe, which, having read through the bible once, throw it aside as if they had gathered all its contents. yet these very repetitions of moses contain a statement more startling than any to be found in heathen records--that noah entered the ark in the six hundredth year, the second month and the second day of his life. 40. opinions differ as to the beginning of the year. one is, that the year begins at the conjunction of the sun and the moon which occurs nearest to the vernal equinox. thus this month is called the first by moses in exodus. if the flood set in on the seventeenth day of the second month, it must have continued almost to the end of april, the most beautiful season of the year, when the earth seemingly gathers new strength, when the birds sing and the beasts rejoice, when the world puts on a new face, as it were, after the dreary season of winter. death and destruction must have come with added terror at that season which was looked forward to as a harbinger of joy and the apparent beginning of a new life. this view is substantiated by the words of christ in matthew 24, 38, where he compares the last days of the world to the days of noah and speaks of feasting, marriage and other signs of gladness. 41. a second opinion makes the year begin with that new moon which is nearest to the autumnal equinox, when all the harvest has been gathered from the fields. its advocates declare this to be the beginning of the year, because moses calls that month in which such new moon occurs, the end of the year. they call this autumnal equinox the beginning of the civil year, and the vernal equinox the beginning of the holy year. the mosaic ceremonies and festivals extend from the latter season up to the autumnal equinox. 42. if moses in this passage is speaking of the civil year, then the flood occurred in september or october, an opinion i find lyra held. it is true that fall and winter are more liable to rains, the signs of the zodiac pointing to humidity. again, as moses writes further on, a dove was sent forth in the tenth month and brought back a green olive branch. this fact seems to harmonize with the view that the deluge began in october. 43. but i cannot endorse this argument of the jews, assuming two beginnings of the year. why not make four beginnings, since there are four distinct seasons according to the equinoxes and solstices? it is safer to follow the divine order, making april the first month, starting with the new moon which is nearest to vernal equinox. the jews betray their ignorance in speaking of an autumnal beginning of the year: the autumnal equinox is necessarily the end of the year. moses so calls it for the reason that all field labors had then ceased and all products had been gathered and brought home. 44. hence, it is my belief that the flood began in the spring, when all minds were filled with hope of the new year. such is the death of the wicked that when they shall say, "peace and safety," they perish. 1 thes 5, 3. nor is any inconsistence shown in the fact that the green olive branch is afterward mentioned, for certain trees are evergreen, as the boxwood, fir, pine, cedar, laurel, olive, palm and others. 45. but what does moses mean by saying that the fountains of the great deep burst, and that the windows of heaven were opened? no such record is found in all pagan literature, although the heathen searched with zeal the mysteries of nature. one discrimination should be made as regards the abysses of the earth, the floodgates or windows of heaven, and the rain. rain, as we know it, is a common phenomenon, while that of bursting floodgates and abysses is both unfamiliar and amazing. 46. almost all interpreters are silent on this point. we know from holy writ that god, by his word, established a dwelling-place for man and other living beings on dry land, above the water, contrary to nature; for it is opposed to natural law that the earth, being placed in water, should rise up out of it. if you cast a clod into the water, it sinks at once. but the dry land stands up out of the water by virtue of the word, which has set bounds for the sea, as solomon (prov 8, 27) and job (ch 38, 11) declare. unless the water were restrained by the power of the word, with a bound, as it were, they would overflow and lay waste everything. thus is our life guarded every single moment, and wonderfully preserved by the word. we have an illustration in partial deluges, when at times entire states or regions are flooded, proving that we should daily suffer such unpleasant things if god did not take care of us. 47. but just as there are waters below us, and beneath the earth, so, too, are there waters above us, and beyond the sky. if they should descend, obeying natural law, destruction would result. the clouds float as if suspended in space. when at times they descend, how great the terror they cause! but imagine the result of a universal collapse! how they would burst, in obedience to the law of their nature, did they not remain in place above us, suspended, as it were, by the word! 48. thus we are girt about on all sides by water, shielded only by a frail ceiling of unsubstantial material--the air that we breathe--which bears up the clouds and carries that weight of water, not in obedience to the laws of nature, but by the command of god, or by the power of the word. 49. when the prophets think of these things they are lost in admiration. it is contrary to nature that such a weight should remain in suspension above the earth. but we, blinded by daily witnessing of such wonders, neither observe nor admire them. that we are not at any moment overwhelmed by waters from above or from below, we owe to the divine majesty which orders all things and preserves all creatures so wonderfully, and he ought to be the object of our praise. 50. startling and significant are the words moses uses--the fountains of the great deep were broken up. the conception he would convey is that they had been closed by god's power and sealed, as it were, with god's seal, as today; and that god did not open them with a key, but rent them with violence, so that the ocean, in a sudden upheaval, covered everything with water. it is not to be supposed that god moved his hand, because the fountains of the deep are said to have been broken up. it is the custom of scripture to adapt itself to our understanding in the phraseology employed, and that under consideration here denotes that god gives leave to the waters in that he no longer restrains or coerces them but suffers them to rage and break forth unchecked according to their nature. that is the reason the ocean seemed to swell and boil. in the salt works in our neighborhood there is a spring named after the germans, which, if it is not pumped out at certain times, swells and overflows with terrific force. 51. they say that in olden times the town of halle was once destroyed by a violent overflow of a spring of the kind described. if a single spring could work such destruction what would be the result of the uncurbed power of ocean and seas? thus mankind was destroyed before they even knew their danger. whither should they flee when the waters poured in upon them with such force? 52. but this is not all: the windows of heaven also were opened. moses' word implies that to that time the windows were closed as they are closed today. indeed, the world thought such opening impossible; their sins, however, made it possible. 53. moses' use here of the word "windows" signifies the literal opening of heaven. with rain as we know it, the water appears to fall by drops from the pores of the rain-clouds, but at the time of the flood it came down with great force, not through pores, but through windows, like water poured from a vessel with one movement, or as when water-skins burst in the middle. moses uses this figure of speech for the sake of effect, so that those occurrences are brought to our vision. 54. a volume of water, therefore, swept over the earth, from the sky as well as from the innermost parts of the earth, until at last the whole earth was covered with water, and the fertile soil, or the entire face of the earth was destroyed by the briny flood. a like instance occurs nowhere in any book. the holy scriptures alone teach us that these things were visited upon the world sinning in imagined security, and that to this day the waters suspended in the clouds are restrained only by the kindness of god. otherwise they would descend in vast volume, as in the flood, according to the law of their nature. vs. 13-16. _in the selfsame day entered noah, and shem, and ham, and japheth, the sons of noah, and noah's wife, and three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; they, and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. and, they went in unto noah and the ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. and they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as god commanded him._ 55. here moses begins to be remarkably verbose. his wordiness hurts tender ears when he so often and apparently without any use repeats the same things. it is not sufficient to say "all birds," but he names three kinds of birds. of these, the term _zippor_ is usually said to mean "a sparrow," but this passage shows clearly that it is a generic term, doubtless so called from the sound, _zi, zi_. he also names three kinds of beasts. also, when speaking of the flood itself, he is very wordy, saying that the waters prevailed, that they increased, that they flooded and covered the face of the earth. finally, when he tells of the effect of this flood, he makes similar repetition: "all flesh expired, died, was destroyed," etc. 56. but i said above (â§37) that moses repeats these things contrary to his style, in order to force the reader to pause and more diligently learn and meditate upon this great event. we cannot fully comprehend the wrath which destroys, not man alone, but all his possessions. moses wishes to arouse hardened and heedless sinners by such a consideration of god's wrath. 57. hence, these words are not idle, as a shallow and unspiritual reader might judge. they rather challenge us to fear god, and call attention to the present so that, sobered by the thought of such wrath, we may make an earnest beginning in the fear of god, and cease from sin. for not without many tears does moses appear to have written this account! so utterly is he with eyes and mind absorbed in this horrible spectacle of wrath that he cannot but repeat the same statements again and again. doubtless he does this with the purpose to thrust such darts of divine fear, so to speak, into the souls of pious readers. 58. it may be well to transport ourselves in thought into the time of the event. what do you think would be our state of mind if we had been put into the ark, if we had seen the waters spreading everywhere with overwhelming force and the wretched human beings perishing without possibility of help? let us remember that noah and his sons were also flesh and blood; that is, they were men who, as that person in the comedy (terence, heaut. 1: 1, 25) says, thought nothing human was foreign to themselves. they were in the ark for forty days before it was lifted off the earth. in those days were destroyed all the human beings and animals living upon the earth. this calamity they saw with their own eyes; who would doubt that they were violently stirred by the sight? 59. furthermore, the ark floated upon the waters for one hundred and fifty days, buffeted on all sides by the waves and winds. there was no hope for any harbor, or for any meeting with men. as exiles, therefore, as vanished from the earth, as it were, they were driven here and there by currents and winds. is it not a miracle that those eight human beings did not die from grief and fear? truly, we are made of stone if we can read this story with dry eyes. 60. what outcry, sorrow and wailing if from the shore we see a small boat overturned, and human beings miserably perishing! here, however, not one boat-load, but the entire world of men perish in the waters; a world composed not only of grown persons, but also babes; not only of criminal and wicked ones, but also simple-hearted matrons and virgins. they all perished. let us believe that moses told the tale of this calamity with such redundancy of words in order that we might be impelled to give earnest attention to this important event. noah's faith was truly of a rare kind, since he consoled himself and his family with the hope of promised seed and dwelt more upon this promise than the destruction of all the rest of the world. vs. 16-24. _and jehovah shut him in. and the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. and the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. and the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. and all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: all, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died. and every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were destroyed from the earth: and noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark. and the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days._ 61. for forty days the ark stood in some plain. by that time the waters had risen to such an extent that they lifted the ark, which then floated for one hundred and fifty days. a long sea voyage indeed, and one of great mourning and tears. yet the occupants upheld themselves by faith, not doubting the kindness of god toward them. they had experienced his goodness when building the ark, when preparing the food, when getting ready other things needful for this occasion, and finally when the lord closed the ark after the flood came in its power. 62. the question arises, how can god be truthful here? he had set man as master over the earth to cultivate and rule it. god did not create the earth to lie waste, but to be inhabited and give its fruits to men. how can we reconcile such purpose of the creator with the fact that he destroyed all mankind except eight souls? i have no doubt that this argument influenced the descendants of cain as well as the wicked posterity of the righteous generation not to believe noah when he proclaimed the flood. how can we harmonize god's promise to adam and eve, "you shall rule the earth," and his words here to noah, "the water shall overpower all men, and destroy them all." so the unbelievers decided that noah's preaching was wicked and heretical. 63. in like manner the books of the prophets bear witness that the threats of the assyrian and babylonish captivity were not believed by the priests and kings, who knew this grand promise: "this is my resting-place forever: here will i dwell; for i have desired it," ps 132, 14; and that other, by isaiah: "here is my fire, and my hearth-stone," is 31, 9. to them it was incredible that either the state or the temple should be overthrown by the gentiles. and the jews, miserable outcast though they be, even to this day hold fast the promise that they are god's people and heirs of the promises given abraham and the fathers. 64. thus is the pope puffed up with the promises given to the church: "i am with you unto the end of the world," mt 28, 20; "i will not leave you desolate," jn 14, 18; "i made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not," lk 22, 32; and others. though he sees and feels the wrath of god, yet, caught in these promises, he dreams, and likewise his followers, that his throne and power are secure. hence the papists blatantly use the name of the church to overwhelm us, promising themselves the utmost success, as if they could force god to establish the church according to their dreams and desires. 65. fitly, then, do we here raise the question how the flood, by which all mankind perished, agrees with the will of god, who created human nature and gave it the promise and endowment of dominion. the answer to this question will likewise settle the one concerning the church. it is this: god remains truthful, preserving, ruling and governing his church though in a manner transcending the observation and understanding of the world. he permits the roman pontiff and his adherents to think that the pope is the church. he suffers him to feel secure and to enjoy his dignity and title. but in fact god has excommunicated the pontiff, because he rejects the word and establishes idolatrous worship. 66. on the other hand, god has chosen for himself another church, which embraces the word and flees idolatry, a church so oppressed and shamefully afflicted that it is not considered a church but a band of heretics and the devil's school. thus paul writes to the romans (ch 2, 17) that the jews do not fear god yet they glory in the law and in god, at the same time denying, blaspheming and offending god. and while the jews, who take pride in being god's people, are doing this, god prepares for himself a church from the gentiles, who truly glory in god and embrace his word. 67. but who should dare to accuse god of untruthfulness because he preserves the church in a manner unknown and undesired by man? of similar nature were the promises concerning the preservation of jerusalem and the temple. these promises were not violated when that city and temple were laid waste by the babylonians. for god established another jerusalem and another temple in the spirit and by the word; jeremiah promised (jer 29, 10-11) that the people should return after seventy years and that then both the temple and the nation should be re-established. 68. as regards the jews, these were destroyed at that time, but not as regards god who had promised in his word that they should be rebuilt. the jews argue correctly that god will not desert the nation and temple; but god keeps his promise in a way foreign to the thought of the jews, who believed that the nation would not be destroyed because the promise said: "this is my resting-place forever." god permitted destruction in order to punish the sins of his people, and yet he preserved and protected the church when the pious were brought back by cyrus and built the temple. 69. in like manner, dominion over the world was given to man in the beginning of creation. this is taken away in the flood, not forever, but for a time, and that not altogether. though the greater part of the world perishes, yet man retains his mastery; and this mastery is preserved to mankind, not as represented by a multitude, as the world desired and believed, but by a few persons--eight souls--a thing which seemed incredible to the world. 70. hence god did not lie; he kept his promise, but not as the world would have had it. he destroyed the sinners and saved the righteous few, which, like a seed, he thereafter multiplied in many ways. 71. the papists should keep before their eyes this judgment of god. it teaches that neither numbers nor power nor his own promise is allowed to prevent him from punishing the impenitent. otherwise he would have spared the first world and the offspring of the patriarchs to whom he had granted dominion over the earth. now he destroys all and saves only eight. 72. is it wonderful, then, that he deals with the papists in the same way? though they boast of rank, dignity, numbers, and power, yet, because they trample the word of god under foot and rage against it, god will cast them away, choosing for himself another church, which will humbly obey the word and accept with open arms the gifts of christ which the pope's church, trusting in its own merits, haughtily spurns. 73. therefore none should trust in the good things of present possession, though they be promised by the divine word. we must look to the word itself and trust in it alone. those who set the word aside and put their trust in present things, will not go unscathed in their fall from faith, however much they may boast of power and numbers. this truth is shown by the flood, by the captivity of the jews and their present misfortune, and by the seven thousand men in the kingdom of israel. 74. the proof is sufficiently strong, that great numbers do not make a church. nor must we trust in holiness of origin, in forefathers, or in the gifts of god which we enjoy. we must look to the word alone and judge thereby. those alone who truly embrace the word will be as immovable forever as mount zion. they may be few in number and thoroughly despised by the world, as were noah and his children. but god, through these few, preserved to man the truth of that promised mastery when he had not even room to set his foot upon the earth. 75. our enemies, setting aside the word, make much of number, outward appearance, and persons. but the apostles foretold that the antichrist will be a respecter of persons, that will rely upon numbers and ancient origin, that he will hate the word and corrupt god's promises and that he will kill those who cling to the word. shall we, then, consider such people to be the church? 76. the church is a daughter born from the word, not the mother of the word. therefore, whoever loses the word and looks to men instead, ceases to be the church and lapses into utter blindness; nor will either great numbers or power avail. they who keep the word, as did noah and his family, are the church, though they be few in number, even but eight souls. the papists at this time surpass us in numbers and rank; we not only are cursed, but suffer many things. but we must endure until the judgment, when god will reveal that we are his church, and the papists the church of satan. 77. so, then, we must observe that rule in 1 sam 16, 7, where the lord says to samuel: "look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because i have rejected him: for jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but jehovah looketh on the heart." 78. let us not, therefore, give heed to the greatness and might of the pope, who boasts that he is the church, proclaiming the apostolic succession and the majesty of his person. let us look to the word. if the pope embraces it, let us judge him to be the church; but if he does violence to it, let us judge him to be the slave of satan. 79. paul says (1 cor 2, 15) that the spiritual person judgeth all things. if i were the only one on the face of the earth to keep the word, i should be the church, and rightfully pass judgment upon all the rest of the world that they were not the church. our enemies have the office without the word, and really have nothing. we, on the other hand, have the word, though we have nothing; yet we have everything through the word. therefore, either let the pope, the cardinals and the bishops come over to our side, or let them cease to boast that they are the church, which they cannot be without the word, since it is begotten only by the word. 80. we bear a great load of hatred, being accused of having deserted the ancient church. the papists, on the other hand, boast that they have remained true to the church, and they want to leave everything to the judgment of the church. but we are accused falsely. to speak the truth, we must say that we departed from the word when we were still in their church and now we have returned to the word and have ceased to be apostates from the word. 81. therefore though in their judgment they rob us of the title of the church, still we retain the word, and through the word we have all ornaments of the true church. for whoever has the creator of all, must needs also possess the creatures themselves. in this sense noah remained master of the world, though the waters prevailed, and the earth perished. though he lost his property, yet, because he retained the word by which everything was created, it may truly be said he retained everything. chapter viii. i. noah's condition in the ark; the waters abate. a. noah's condition in the ark. 1. how noah and his family anxiously waited for god's promise, and lived in faith, which is a hard life 1-3. 2. he had a hard time in the ark. what sustained him 2-4. 3. how he suffered in two ways 5. * whether god can forget his saints 6. * severest temptations are when man thinks he is forsaken by god 7. 4. noah's condition became more miserable because of his family's distress 8-10. 5. noah and family with difficulty overcame their temptation 11. * christians need steadfastness 12. * why god for a time conceals himself from his faithful ones 13. * temptations severe when saints imagine god has forsaken them 14. b. the waters abate. 1. the time the waters abated 15. 2. how the wind blew upon the earth and dried it. 16-17. 3. the abating of the waters was a sign by which god comforted noah 18. * noah's ark. a. when it began to float, how long it floated and when it rested 19. b. on what mountain did it rest 20. c. what to think of josephus' testimony 21. 4. when the mountain tops first seen 22. 5. how noah learned the deluge had ceased. a. why noah sent forth the raven, and how the error arose the raven never returned 23-24. * the jews' unclean thoughts of the raven 24. b. noah sent forth a dove, and if at the same time with the raven 25. c. noah sent out a second dove, which assured him that the flood had ceased 26. (1) dove returned with an olive leaf 26. (2) whether it did this of its own impulse, and what god thereby wished to indicate 27-28. (3) the jews' ideas on where the dove got the olive leaf 27. (4) why an olive leaf 28. 6. how long noah and family were in the ark 29. i. noah in ark--flood abates. a. noah's condition in the ark. v. 1a. _and god remembered noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark._ 1. when that horrible wrath had exhausted itself, and all flesh with the earth had been destroyed, the promise made by god to noah and his sons, that they were to be the seed of the human race, began to be realized. no doubt this promise was to them an object of eager expectation. no life is so hedged about with difficulties as that of faith. this was the life lived by noah and his sons, whom we see absolutely depending upon the heavens for support. the earth was covered with water. bottom on which to stand there was none. it was the word of promise that upheld them, as they drifted in this welter of waters. 2. when the flesh is free from danger, it holds faith in contempt, as the claims of the papists show. it loves showy and toilsome tasks; in these it sweats. but behold noah, on all sides surrounded by waters, yet not overwhelmed! surely it is not works that sustain him but faith in god's mercy extended through the word of promise. 3. the difficulty besetting noah is hinted at in the words: "god remembered." moses thus intimates that noah had been tossed on the water so long that god seemed to have forgotten him altogether. they who pass through such a mental strain, when the rays of divine grace are gone and they sit in darkness or are forgotten by god, find by experience that it is far more difficult to live in the word or by faith alone than to be a hermit or a carthusian monk. 4. hence, it is not a meaningless expression when the holy spirit says that "god remembered noah." he means that from the day noah entered the ark, no word was spoken, nothing was revealed to him; that he saw no ray of divine grace shining, but merely clung to the promise which he had accepted, while in the meantime the waters and waves raged as if god had certainly forgotten. the same danger beset his children and also the cattle and all the other animals throughout the one hundred and fifty days they were in the ark. and though the holy seed by the aid of the conquering spirit overcame those difficulties, the victory was not won without vexation of the flesh, tears and stupendous fear, felt, in my opinion, even by the brutes. 5. thus a twofold danger beset them. the universal flood which swallowed up all mankind could not vanish without stupendous grief to the righteous, particularly as they saw themselves reduced to so small a number. further, it was a serious matter to be buffeted by the waters for almost half a year without any consolation from god. 6. the expression used by moses, "god remembered noah," must not be short of its meaning by calling it a rhetorical figure, signifying that god acted after the manner of one who had forgotten noah, whereas god cannot in truth forget his saints. a mere master of rhetoric, indeed, does not know what it means to live in such a state as to feel that god has forgotten him. only the most perfect saints understand that, and can in faith bear, so to speak, a god who forgets. therefore the psalms and all the scriptures are filled with complaints of this nature, in which god is called upon to arise, to open his eyes, to hear, to awaken. 7. monks possessed of a higher degree of experience, at times underwent this temptation and called it a suspension of grace. the latter may be experienced also in temptations of a slighter nature. the flame of lust found in young people is altogether unbearable unless it is held in check by the word of god and the holy spirit. similarly, at a more mature age, impatience and the desire for revenge can nowise be overcome unless god tears them from the soul. how much more liable is the soul to fall into the darkness of despair, or into ensnaring predestinarian tenets, when more severe temptations beset us and the suspension of grace is felt. 8. hence this expression is not to be passed by as a mere rhetorical ornament, according to the interpretation of the rabbis. it is intended rather to portray the state of soul which feels despair coming on amid unutterable groanings of heart, with just a spark of faith left to wrest victory from the flesh. in the same way that paul suffered from satan's messenger, we may believe that noah felt himself stabbed in the heart, and that he often argued thus within himself: dost thou believe that thou alone art so beloved of god? dost thou believe that thou will be kept safe to the end, when waters are boundless, and those immense clouds seem to be inexhaustible? 9. when, then, such broodings found their way also into the weak souls of the women, what cries, wails and tears may we surmise to have been the result? almost overcome by sadness and grief, he was forced to lift up and comfort those with the cheer his own heart did not feel. 10. it was, therefore, no jest or frolic for them to live so long locked up within the ark, to see the endless downpour of rain and to be carried to and fro floating upon the waves. this was the experience of having been forgotten by god which moses implies when he says that god at last remembered noah and his sons. 11. though the occupants of the ark overcame this feeling by faith, they did not do so without great vexation of the flesh; just as a young man who leads a chaste life overcomes lust, but surely not without the greatest vexation and trouble. in this instance, where the trial was greater, where all evidence was at variance with the fact that god was gracious and mindful of them, they indeed triumphed, but not without fearful tribulation. for the flesh, weak in itself, can bear nothing less patiently than the thought of a god who has forgotten. human nature is prone to be puffed up and haughty when god remembers it, when he vouchsafes success and favor. is it a wonder, then, that we become broken in spirit and desperate when god seems to have cast us away and everything goes against us? 12. let us remember that this story sets before us an example of faith, of endurance, and of patience, to the end that, having the divine promise, we should not only learn to believe it, but should also consider that we are in need of endurance. endurance is not maintained without a great struggle, and christ calls upon us, in the new testament, to acquire it when he says: "he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved," mt 24, 13. 13. this is the reason why god hides for a time, as it were, seeming to have forgotten us, suspending his grace, as they say in the schools. as in this temptation not only the spirit but also the flesh is afflicted, so afterward, when he again begins to remember us, the perception of grace which during the trial was evident only to the spirit and most faintly at that, is extended to the flesh also. 14. hence, the word "remembered" indicates that great sadness beset both man and beast during the entire time of the flood. it must have been by dint of great patience and extraordinary courage that noah and the others bore this lapse from god's memory, which is simply unbearable to the flesh without the spirit even in slight trials. true, god always remembers his own, even when he seems to have forsaken them; but moses indicates that he remembered his people here in a visible way, by a sign, and by openly fulfilling what he had previously promised through the word and the spirit. this is the most important passage in this chapter. b. waters abate. vs. 1b-3. _and god made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters returned from off the earth continually; and after the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters decreased._ 15. moses said above (ch 7, 11-12) that the deluge raged in three different ways; for not only were the fountains of the great deep broken up and the windows of heaven opened, but also the rain descended. when these forces ceased on the one hundred and fiftieth day, quiet was once more in evidence and the fact that god remembered, and noah with his sons and their wives, as also the animals, was refreshed after terror so great and continuous. if a storm of two days duration causes seafarers to despair, how much more distressing was that tossing about for half a year! 16. the question here arises, how the wind was made to pass over the earth, which as yet was entirely covered with water. it is nothing new that winds have the power to dry, especially those from the east, called by our countrymen "hohle winde," and by virgil "parching winds," from the drouth which they bring upon the earth. these are mentioned also by hosea 13, 15. the explanation, accordingly, is simple. moses says that the wind was made to pass over the earth, that is, over the surface of the waters, for such a length of time that at last, the waters being dried up, the earth again appeared. so, in exodus, a burning wind is said to have dried up the red sea. now, god might have accomplished this without any wind, yet he habitually employs a natural means to attain his purposes. 17. up to this time noah had lived in darkness, seeing nothing but the waters rolling and raging in a terrifying volume. now the delicious light of the sun bursts forth once more, and the winds cease to roar from all points of the compass. only the east wind, calculated to reduce the waters, is blowing, and gradually it takes away the stagnant flood. other means also are effective; the ocean no longer hurls its waves upon the land, but takes back the waters which it had spewed forth, and the floodgates of heaven are closed up. 18. these are outward and tangible signs by which god consoles noah, showing him that he had not forgotten, but remembered him. this is a practical and needed lesson also for us. when in the midst of dangers we may with certainty look for god's help, who does not desert us if we continue in faith, looking forward to the fulfilment of god's promises. v. 4. _and the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of ararat._ 19. the waters increased for forty days, until the ark was lifted from the earth. then for one hundred and fifty days it floated upon the waters, driven by the winds and the waves, without a sign of god's remembrance. at length the waters began to decrease, and the ark rested. 20. the point of dispute among the jews here is the number of months. but why waste any more time upon immaterial matters, particularly as we see that the suggestions of the rabbis are not at all wise? it is more to the purpose for us to inquire where the mountains of ararat are to be found. it is generally believed that they are mountains of armenia, close by the highest ranges of asia minor, the caucasus and the taurus. but it appears to me that more likely the highest of all mountains is meant, the imaus (himalaya), which divides india. compared to this range, other mountains are no more than warts. that the ark rested upon the highest mountain is substantiated by the fact that the waters continued to fall for three whole months before such smaller ranges as lebanon, taurus, and caucasus were uncovered, which are, as it were, the feet or roots of the himalaya, just as the mountains of greece may be called branches of the alps extending up to our hercinian forest (harz). to anyone who surveys them with care the mountains seem to be wonderfully related and united. 21. josephus has wonderful things to tell about the mountains of armenia, and he records that during his time remains of the ark were discovered there. but i suppose nobody will judge me to be a heretic if i occasionally doubt the reliability of his statements. v. 5. _and the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen._ 22. moses said before that by the seventh month the waters had fallen so far that the ark rested upon ararat. in the third month thereafter, the tops of the lower mountains began to appear, so that noah, looking down from the mountains of ararat as if from a watchtower, saw also the peaks of the other mountains, of the taurus in asia, the lebanon in syria, and the like. all these were signs of god's remembrance. vs. 6-7. _and it came to pass at the end of forty days, that noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth._ 23. so far the history; the allegorical significance we shall discuss at its proper place. the carelessness of a translator has caused a dispute upon this part of the story. the hebrew text does not say that the raven did not return, as jerome translated; hence there was no need to invent a reason why he did not return--because he found dead bodies lying about everywhere. they claim that abundance of food prevented him. 24. on the contrary, moses says that the raven which had been sent forth, returned; although he did not permit himself to be again imprisoned in the ark as the dove did. moses implies that noah sent forth the raven to find out whether animals could, by that time find dry land and food. the raven, however, did not faithfully carry out his mission, but rejoicing to be set free from his prison, he flew to and fro, and paying no attention to noah, he enjoyed the free sky. the swinish jews, however, show the impurity of their minds everywhere. for they suppose that the raven had fears concerning his mate, and that he even suspected noah concerning her. shame upon those impure minds! vs. 8-9. _and he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him to the ark; for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, and took her, and brought her unto him into the ark._ 25. when noah's hopes had been set at naught by the raven, which flew about wantonly but brought no tidings concerning the condition of the earth, he took a dove, thinking that she would more truly perform the mission. the text almost authorizes us to say that those two birds were sent forth at the same time, so that noah might have two witnesses from whom to gain desired knowledge. the raven enjoying the free sky, flew round about the ark, but did not want to return into it. the dove, however, fleeing from the corpses and corruption, comes back and permits itself to be caught. this story, as we shall hear, offers a fine allegory concerning the church. vs. 10-12. _and he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came in to him at eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. and he stayed yet other seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she returned not again unto him any more._ 26. the dove, being a faithful messenger, is sent forth once more. moses carefully describes how the waters decreased gradually, until at last the surface of the earth, together with the trees, was laid bare. we do not believe that the dove brought the olive leaf intentionally, but by the command of god, who wanted to show noah, little by little, that he had not altogether forgotten but remembered him. this olive leaf was an impressive sign to noah and his fellow-prisoners in the ark, bringing them courage and hope of impending liberation. 27. the jews dispute sharply in respect to this matter of where the dove found the olive leaf, and some, in order to secure special glory for their homeland, make the ludicrous assertion that she took it from the mount of olives in the land of israel, which god had spared from the flood that destroyed the remainder of the earth. but the saner jews rightly refute this nonsense by arguing that if this were true, the olive leaf could not have been a sign for noah that the waters had fallen. others have invented the fable that the dove was admitted to paradise and brought the leaf from there. 28. but i have (ch 2, â§39-42) set forth at length my views concerning paradise, and this nonsense is not worthy the effort of a refutation. it serves a better purpose to remind you that all these things happened miraculously and supernaturally. a dove is not so intelligent as to pluck a bough and bring it to the ark in order that noah might form a judgment with reference to the decrease of waters. god ordained these events. other trees had leaves at that time, particularly the taller ones which rose sooner from the waters. the olive tree is comparatively short, hence it was calculated to furnish information concerning the decrease of the waters and to serve as an object lesson of the cessation of the wrath of god and the return of the earth to its former state. of this he had more certain proof however, when the dove, having been sent out the third time, did not return: for not only did it find food on earth, but was able to build nests and to flit to and fro. vs. 13-14. _and it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dried. and in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry._ 29. here we see that noah was in the ark an entire year and ten days; for he entered the ark on the seventeenth day of the second month, and came out again, after a year had passed, in the same month, but on the twenty-seventh day. poor noah, with his sons and the women, lived in the ark more than half a year in sore grief, without a sign of being remembered by god. afterward god gave him gradual proof, through various signs, that he had not forgotten him, until at last, after the lapse of a year and ten days, he was again given dominion over the earth and sea. on this day of the second month, the flood had not only disappeared, but the earth was dry. this is the story of the flood and its abatement. after this fearful wrath, there ensues an immeasurable light of grace, as is shown in the following sermon addressed to noah by god himself. ii. noah commanded to leave the ark; his offering to god; god's resolve not to curse the earth again. a. noah commanded to leave the ark, and he obeyed 30-32. * man should do nothing but what god commands 30-32. * is it right to start a new worship without god's command to do so 33-34. * the examples of saints and special works. 1. should we imitate the works of the holy patriarchs 34-35. 2. the result among the jews of a reckless imitation of the saints 36. 3. should have regard here, not to works but to faith 37-38. ii. noah leaves ark, his sacrifice and god's promise. a. noah obeys command to leave the ark. vs. 15-17. _and god spake unto noah, saying, go forth from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both birds, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth._ 30. up to this point the narrative is only a record of facts, or the description of a divine work. though the works of god are not mute but eloquent witnesses, and present to our vision the will of god, a still greater comfort is vouchsafed when god links to the works the word, which is not manifest to the eye but perceptible to the ear and intelligible to the heart through the promptings of the holy spirit. so far god had given proof by his work that he was appeased, that the god of wrath had turned into a god of mercy, who turns back the waters and dries up the earth. such comfort he now amplifies by his word in that he lovingly accosts and enjoins him to leave the ark with the other creatures, both men and animals. 31. in the light of this passage the frequent and emphatic application of the principle is justified that we should neither design nor do anything, especially in respect to god's service and worship, without the initiative and command of the word. as above narrated, noah enters the ark upon god's command; and he leaves the ark upon god's command to leave it. he does not follow superstitious notions, as we see the jews do, who, when they establish anything temporary by command, endeavor to retain it forever, as if it were essential to salvation. 32. noah might have argued thus: behold, i built the ark by the command of god; i was saved in it while all other men perished: therefore i will remain in it, or keep it for a place of divine worship, since it has been sanctified by the word of god and the presence of the saints, the church. but the godly man did nothing of the kind. the word had commanded him to go forth, therefore he obeyed. the ark had done its service during the flood and he left it, assured that he and his children were to live on the earth. so must we undertake nothing without the word of god. in a holy calling, which has the word and command of god, let us walk! for whosoever attempts anything without the command of god, will labor in vain. 33. to deny this, some one might cite as example the act of noah, described below, when he built an altar without god's command, and offered a burnt-offering thereon to god from the clean animals. if this was permitted to noah, why should we not be permitted to choose certain forms of worship? and, in truth, the papacy has heaped up works and forms of worship in the church without measure, just as it pleased. but we must hold fast to the principle, which is a theorem of general application, that whatsoever is not of faith, is sin, (rom 14, 23). but faith cannot be separated from the word; hence, whatsoever is done without the word, is sin. 34. furthermore, it is plainly dangerous to take the acts of the fathers as models. as individuals differ, so also do their duties differ, and god requires diverse works according to the diversity of our calling. accordingly the epistle to the hebrews fitly refers the various acts of the fathers to the one faith, in order to show that each of us must imitate, in his calling, not the works, but the faith of the fathers. heb 11. 35. hence works peculiar to the holy fathers must by no means be considered as models for us each to imitate as the monks imitate the fasting of benedict, the gown of francis, the shoes of dominic and the like. men become apes who imitate without judgment. the monks try to ape the works, but know nothing of the faith of the fathers. 36. abraham was commanded to slay his son. afterward his descendants most wickedly believed they should follow his example, and they filled the earth with innocent blood. in a similar manner the people worshiped the brazen serpent and offered sacrifices before it. in both instances the people wanted to justify themselves by the example of their forefathers; but since they established these forms of worship without the word, they were righteously condemned. 37. let us, therefore, remember not to establish anything without the word of god. duties differ, and so must the works of individuals. how foolish it would be for me to proclaim that i must follow caesar's example, and that others must obey my laws! how wicked it would be for me to assert that i must follow the example of a judge, condemning some to the cross, others to the sword! then, we must look, not upon the works, but upon the faith of individuals; for the faith of all saints is one, though their works are most diverse. 38. think not that because noah built an altar, you may do likewise; but follow the faith of noah, who thought it right to show his merciful savior that he understood his beneficent gifts, and was grateful for them. follow abraham, not in slaying your son, but in believing the promises of god, and in obeying his commandments. the epistle to the hebrews fitly refers the deeds and acts of the fathers to their faith, setting forth that we should follow their faith. b. noah's sacrifice. 1. whether noah was commanded to offer a sacrifice and in what way sacrificing is justified 39-41. * have monks divine command to support their order 40. * shall we find fault with the works of saints, for which they apparently had no command 41. * how in all works we should have respect for god's command 42. * lyra's unfounded thoughts on the words, "be fruitful" etc. 43. * why moses said so much about their leaving the ark 44. 2. noah's sacrifice proves moses did not originate the idea of sacrifice 45-46. 3. why noah's sacrifice was pleasing to god 47-48. * the meaning of "sweet savor" 47-48. 4. how it can be said god "smelled the sweet savor", and why this form of speech used 49-50. b. noah's sacrifice. 39. the objection under consideration can be invalidated by the rejoinder that noah did have a command to erect an altar and offer sacrifices. god approved the rite of sacrifice by ordering that more of the clean animals--suitable for sacrifice--should be taken into the ark. nor was noah permitted to cast aside the office of the priesthood, which had been established by the word before the flood and had come down to him by the right of primogeniture. adam, seth, enoch and others had been priests. from them noah possessed the office of the priesthood as an inheritance. 40. therefore noah, as priest and prophet, was not only at liberty to offer sacrifice, but he was under obligation to do so by virtue of his calling. since his calling was founded on god's word, in harmony with that word and by god's command he built an altar and offered sacrifices. therefore let a monk prove it is his office and calling to wear a cowl, to worship the blessed virgin, to pray the rosary and do like things, and we will commend his life. but since the call is lacking, the word is not the authority and the office does not exist, the life and works of the monks in their entirety stand justly condemned. 41. finally, even if all other arguments should fail, this argument, according to which man judges the cause by the effect, remains; namely, that god expresses approval of noah's deed. although such reasoning from effect to cause may not be unassailable, it yet is not without value in respect to such heroic and uncommon men, who meet not with rejection but approval on the part of god, although they appear to do what they have not been expressly commanded. they possess the inward conviction that they are guilty of no transgression, though the disclosure of this fact is delayed until later god expresses his approval. such examples are numerous and it is noteworthy that god has expressed approval even of the acts of some heathen. 42. let this maxim, then, stand, that everything must be done by the command of god in order to obtain the assurance of conscience that we have acted in obedience to god. hence they who abide in their divinely assigned calling, will not run uncertainly nor will they beat the air as those who have no course in which they have been commanded to run, and in consequence may not look forward to a prize. 1 cor 9, 24. but i return to the text. noah, with his sons and the women, is commanded to leave the ark, and to lead forth upon the earth every species of animals, that all his works may be sanctified and found in keeping with the word. concerning the animals moses now expressly states: vs. 17-19. _be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. and noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatsoever moveth upon the earth, after their families, went forth out of the ark._ 43. the lord speaks of the propagation of noah and his sons in the ninth chapter and that, i believe, is the reason why he speaks here only of the propagation of the animals. from the expression here used, lyra foolishly concludes that cohabitation had been forbidden during the flood and was now again permitted after the departure from the ark, since god says, "go forth, ... thou and thy wife." such thoughts belong to monks not to god, who plans not sinful lust, but propagation; the latter is god's ordination, but lust is satan's poison infused into nature through sin. 44. moses here uses many words to illustrate the overflowing joy of the captives' souls, when they were commanded to leave their prison, the ark, and to return upon the earth now everywhere open before them. in recounting the kinds of animals, however, he arranges them in a different order, distinguishing them by families, as it were, to let us see that only propagation was god's aim. it must have been a glad sight when each one of the many beasts, after leaving the ark, found its own mate, and then sought its accustomed haunt: the wolves, the bears, the lions, returning to the woods and groves; the sheep, the goats, the swine, to the fields; the dogs, the chickens, the cats, to man. v. 20. _and noah builded an altar unto jehovah, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar._ 45. this text shows conclusively that moses was not the first person to introduce sacrifices but that, like a bard who gathers chants, he arranged and classified them as they had been in vogue among the fathers and transmitted from the one to the other. thus also the law of circumcision was not first written by moses but received from the fathers. 46. above (ch 4, 4-5), where moses mentioned the sacrifice of abel and cain, he called it _minchah_, an offering; here, however, we find the first record of a burnt-offering, one entirely consumed by fire. this, i say, is a clear proof that the law of sacrifices had been established before the time of moses. his work, then, consisted in arranging the rites of the forefathers in definite order. v. 21. _and jehovah smelled the sweet savor._ 47. it is set forth here that jehovah approved noah's sacrifice which he offered by virtue of his office as a priest, according to the example of the fathers. however, the differences of phraseology is to receive due attention. of the former sacrifice he said that jehovah "had respect" to it; here he says that "jehovah smelled the sweet savor." moses subsequently makes frequent use of this expression. the heathen also adopted it; lucian, for example, makes fun of jove who was conciliated by the odor of meats. 48. the word in the original, however, does not properly signify the "savor of sweetness," but "the savor of rest", for _nichoach_ meaning "rest", is derived from the verb _nuach_, which moses used before, when he said that the ark rested upon the mountains of ararat. therefore it is the "savor of rest," because god then rested from his wrath, dismissing his wrath, becoming appeased, and, as we commonly say, well content. 49. here the question might be raised why does he not say, jehovah had respect to noah and his burnt offering, rather than, jehovah smelled the savor of rest, which latter certainly sounds shocking, as though he were not commending the man for his faith, but merely for his work. this objection is usually answered by saying that the scriptures speak of god in human fashion. men are pleased by a sweet savor. but it seems to me there is still another reason for this expression, namely, that god was so close at hand that he noticed the savor; for moses desires to show that this holy rite was well-pleasing to god: solomon says (prov 27, 9) that perfume rejoiceth the heart. physicians sometimes restore consciousness by sweet odors. on the other hand, a violent stench is extremely offensive to our nature, and often overpowers it. 50. in this sense, one may say that god, having been annoyed by the stench of wickedness, was now refreshed, so to speak, when he saw this one priest girded himself to perform holy rites in order to give proof of his gratitude, and to manifest by some public act he did not belong to the ungodly, but that he had a god whom he feared. this is the real meaning of a sacrifice. as it had pleased god to destroy mankind, he is now delighted to increase it. moses uses this expression for our sake, that we, through the experience of god's grace, may learn that god delights to do us good. c. god's resolve not to curse the earth again. 1. god solemnly and earnestly means it 51. * how understood "it repented god that he had made man" 52-54. * experiences in spiritual temptations and how god helps us to bear them 54. 2. the meaning of "god will not again smite the earth" 55. c. god's resolve not to curse the earth again. v. 21b. _and jehovah said in his heart._ 51. moses points out that these words were not spoken by god without heart and feeling, but from his very vitals. this is the meaning of the hebrew text which has it that god spoke to his own heart. v. 21c. _i will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake._ 52. god speaks as if he were sorry for the punishment inflicted upon the earth on account of man, just as formerly he expressed regret for his creation, reproving himself, as it were, for his fury against man. this must not, of course, be understood as implying that god could possibly change his mind; it is written only for our consolation. he accuses and blames himself in order to rouse the little flock to the certain faith that god will be merciful hereafter. 53. and their souls stood in real need of such consolation. they had been terrified as they witnessed god's raging wrath, and their faith could not but be shaken. so now god is impelled to so order his acts and words that these people might expect only grace and mercy. accordingly he now speaks with them, is present at their sacrifice, shows that he is pleased with them, blames his own counsel, and promises that he will never do anything like it in the future. in brief, he is a different god from what he had been before. while god, indeed, does not change, he wants to change men, who have become altogether habituated to thoughts of wrath. 54. they who have experienced trials of the spirit, know full well how much the soul then stands in need of sure and strong consolation to induce it once more to hope for grace and to forget the wrath. one day, a whole month, perhaps is not enough for this change. just as it takes a long time to recover from bodily disorders, so such wounds of the soul cannot be healed at once, or by one word. god sees this, and tries by various means to recall the terrified souls to a certain hope of grace; he even chides himself, speaking to his own heart, as in jeremiah 18, 8, where he promises to repent of the evil he thought of doing, if the offenders also repent. 55. it should furthermore be noted that he says, "i will not again curse the ground." he speaks of a general destruction of the earth, not of a partial one, as when he destroys fields, cities, or kingdoms. the latter instances are for a warning; as mary says, "he hath put down princes from their thrones." lk 1, 52. iii. man's natural depravity and his natural powers. 1. natural depravity crops out in infancy 56. 2. it is seen as the years advance 57-58. 3. whether those who would drown it have reason for doing so 59-60. 4. there is none untainted by it 61-62. 5. the godless yield to it, believers resist it 62. * can god be charged with being changeable 63-64. 6. the knowledge of natural depravity is very necessary 65. 7. what moves sophists to ignore natural depravity 65-66. 8. how to view those who lightly regard natural depravity, and how to refute them 68-69. * meaning of "the imagination of the heart" 70. * true theological definition of man 71. 9. the proof of natural depravity and that the natural is not perfect 72-73. 10. consequence of false teaching on natural depravity and the natural 74-75. * what sophists understand by merito congrui and condigni 74. 11. how scotus tried to prove that man's natural powers were all he had, and how to refute his opinion 75-76. * value of the scholastics and their theology 77. 12. how teachers in these things lead astray 78. * the virtues of the heathen. a. estimate of them 79-80. b. how they differ from the good works of the saints 81. c. what they lack 82-83. 13. natural depravity may sleep in youth, but it will awake as the years advance 84-86. 14. those who ignore natural depravity may be refuted by experience 87. 15. philosophy manifests its vanity and blindness in its attitude to this doctrine 88-89. 16. experience confirms natural depravity 89-90. 17. whether natural depravity can be completely eradicated: how to check it 91. * how to understand "god will not smite the earth again" 92. * nature thrown into great disorder by the deluge 93. * seasons of the year again put in their order 94. * the people's talk about the signs of the last times 95. * the days of earth to be followed by the days of heaven, and we should prepare for them 96. iii. man's natural depravity and his natural powers. v. 21d. _for that the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth._ 56. this is a powerful passage, relating to original sin. whoever weakens its force, goes straying like the blind man in the sunlight, failing to see his own acts and experiences. look at the days of our swaddling clothes; in how many ways sin manifests itself in our earlier years. what an amount of switching it requires until we are taught order, as it were, and attention to duty! 57. then youth succeeds. there a stronger rebellion becomes noticeable, and in addition that untamable evil, the rage of lust and desire. if one take a wife, the result is weariness of his own and a passion for others. if the government of a state is entrusted to him, an exceptionally fruitful harvest of vice will follow--as jealousy, rivalry, haughtiness, hope of gain, avarice, wrath, anger, and other evils. 58. it is true, as the german proverb has it, that sins grow with the years: je laenger, je aerger; je aelter, je kaerger (worse with time, stingier with age). all such vices are so blatant and gross as to become objects of observation and intelligence. what, then shall we say of the inward vices when unbelief, presumption, neglect of the word, and wicked views grow up? 59. there are those who are and desire to be considered powerful theologians, though they extenuate original sin by sophistry. but vices so numerous and great cannot be extenuated. original sin is not a slight disorder or infirmity, but complete lawlessness, the like of which is not found in other creatures, except in evil spirits. 60. but do those extenuators have any scriptural proof to rest upon? let us see what moses says. as i pointed out in explaining the sixth chapter, he does not call such things evil, as lust, tyranny, and other sins, but the imagination of the human heart; that is, human energy, wisdom and reason, with all the faculties the mind employs even in our best works. although we do not condemn acts which belong to the social or civil sphere, yet the human heart vitiates these works in themselves proper, by doing them for glory, for profit, or for oppression, and either from opposition to the neighbor or to god. 61. nor can we escape the force of this passage by saying that those are meant who perished by the flood. god uses a generic term which denotes that the heart of man, as such, is meant. at the time this was spoken there were no other people than those saved in the ark, and yet the declaration is: the imagination of man's heart is evil. 62. therefore, not even the saints are excepted. in ham, the third son, this imagination of the heart betrayed its nature. and the other brothers were no better by nature. there was only this difference, that they, believing in the promised seed, retained the hope of forgiveness of sin, and did not give way to the evil imagination of their hearts, rather resisting it through the holy spirit, who is given for the very purpose of contending against, and overcoming, the malignity of man's nature. because ham gives way to his nature, he is wholly evil, and totally perishes. shem and japheth, who contend against it in their spirit, though being evil, are not altogether so. they have the holy spirit, through whom they contend against the evil, and hence are holy. 63. it would seem here that god might be accused of fickleness. before, when he was about to punish man, he assigned as a reason for his purpose the fact that the imagination of man's heart is evil; here, when he is about to give unto man the gracious promise that he will not thereafter show such anger, he puts forward the same reason. to human wisdom this appears foolish and inconsistent with divine wisdom. 64. but i gladly pass by such sublime themes, and leave them to minds possessed of leisure. for me it is enough that these works are spoken to suit our spiritual condition, inasmuch as god points out that he is now appeased and no longer angry. so parents, having chastised their disobedient children as they deserve, win again their affections by kindness. this change of mood is not deserving of criticism but rather of commendation. it profits the children; otherwise they, while fearing the rod, might also begin to hate their parents. this explanation is good enough for me, for it appeals to our faith. others may explain differently. 65. we should give diligent attention to this passage because it plainly shows that man's nature is corrupt, a truth above all others to be apprehended, because without it god's mercy and grace cannot be rightly understood. hence, the quibblers previously mentioned are to be despised and we have good reason to take to task the translator who gave occasion for this error by rendering the words so as to say, not that the imagination of man's heart is evil, but that it is inclined to evil. upon this authority the quibblers distort or set aside those passages of paul where he says that all are children of wrath (eph 2, 3) that all have sinned (rom 5, 12) and are under sin (rom 3, 9). they argue from our passage as follows: moses does not say that human nature is evil, but that it is prone to evil; this condition, call it inclination or proclivity, is under the control of free will, nor does it force man toward the evil, or (to use their own words) it imposes no constraint upon man. 66. then they proceed to find a reason for this statement and declare that even after the fall of man, there remains in him a good will and a right understanding. for the natural powers, say they, are unimpaired, not only in man but even in the devil. and finally they so twist aristotle's teachings as to make him say that reason tends toward that which is best. some traces of these views are found also in the writings of the church fathers. using psalms 4, 6 as a basis, where the prophet says, "jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us," they distinguish between a higher part of reason which inquires concerning god, and a lower part employed in temporal and civil affairs. even augustine is pleased with this distinction, as we stated above when discussing the fall of man. 67. but if only a spark of the knowledge of god had remained unimpaired in man, we should be different beings by far from what we now are. hence, those quibblers who pick flaws in the plain statements of paul are infinitely blind. if they would carefully and devoutly consider that very passage as they read it in their latin bible, they would certainly cease to father so bad a cause. for it is not an insignificant truth which moses utters when he says the senses and the thoughts of the heart of man are prone to evil from his youth. this is the case especially in the sixth chapter (vs 5) where he says that the whole thought of his heart was bent on evil continually, meaning thereby that he purposes what is evil, and that in inclination, purpose and effort he inclines to evil. for example; an adulterer, whose desires are inflamed, may lack the opportunity, the place, the person, the time, and nevertheless be stirred by the fire of lust, unable to dwell upon anything else. in this manner, says moses, does human nature always incline toward evil. can, then, the natural powers of man be said to have remained unimpaired, seeing that man's thoughts are always set upon evil things? 68. if the minds of the sophists were as open toward the holy doctrine contained in the prophetical and apostolical writings as toward their own teachers who teach the freedom of the will and the merit of works, they surely would not have permitted themselves by so small an inducement as one little word to be led away from the truth so as to teach, contrary to scripture, that man's natural powers are uninjured, and that man, by nature, is not under wrath or condemnation. notwithstanding, it appears that they turn against their own absurdity. although the natural powers of man are uninjured, yet they maintain that, to become acceptable, grace is required; in other words, they teach that god is not satisfied with man's natural goodness, unless it be improved by love. 69. but what is the need to argue longer against the madness of the sophists, since we know the true meaning of the hebrew text to be, not that man's mind and thoughts are inclined to evil, but that the imagination of the human heart is evil from youth? 70. by imagination, as i stated several times before (ch 6, â§148), he means reason itself, together with the will and the understanding, even when it dwells upon god, or occupies itself with most honorable pursuits, be they those of state or home. it is always contrary to god's law, always in sin, always under god's wrath, and it cannot be freed from this evil state by its own strength, as witness christ's words: "if therefore the son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed," jn 8, 36. 71. if you wish a definition of the word "man" take it from this text teaching that he is a rational being, with a heart given to imagination. but what does he imagine? moses answers, "evil"; that is, evil against god or god's law, and against his fellow man. thus holy scriptures ascribe to man a reason that is not idle but always imagines something. this imagination it calls evil, wicked, sacrilegious, while the philosophers call it good, and the quibblers say that the natural gifts are unimpaired. 72. therefore this text should be carefully noted and urged against the caviling quibblers: moses declares the imagination of the human heart to be evil. and if it be evil, the conclusion is natural that the natural gifts are not unimpaired, but corrupted: inasmuch as god did not create man evil, but perfect, sound, holy, knowing god, his reason right and his will toward god good. 73. seeing we have clear testimony to the fact that man is evil and turned away from god, who would be mad enough to say that the natural gifts in man remain unimpaired? that would be practically saying that man's nature is unimpaired and good even now, whereas we have overwhelming evidence in our knowledge and experience that it is debased to the utmost. 74. from that wicked theory there have sprung many dangerous and some palpably wicked utterances, for instance, that when man does the best in his power, god will unfailingly give his grace. by such teaching they have driven man, as by a trumpet, to prayer, fasting, self-torture, pilgrimages and similar performances. thus the world was taught to believe that if men did the best that nature permitted, they would earn grace, if not the grace "de merito," at least that "de congruo." a "meritum congrui" (title to reward based upon equity) they attribute to a work which has been performed not against but in accordance to the divine law, inasmuch as an evil work is subject not to a reward but a penalty. the "meritum condigni" (a title to reward based upon desert) they attribute not to the work itself but to its quality as being performed in a state of grace. 75. another saying of this kind is the declaration of scotus that man by mere natural powers may love god above all things. this declaration is based upon the principle that the natural powers are unimpaired. he argues as follows: a man loves a woman, who is a creature, and he loves her so immoderately that he will imperil his very life for her sake. similarly, a merchant loves his wares, and so eagerly that he will risk death a thousand times if only he can gain something. if therefore, the love of created things is so great, though they rank far below god, how much more will a man love god who is the highest good! hence, god can be loved with the natural powers alone. 76. a fine argument, indeed, and worthy of a franciscan monk! for he shows that, though he is a great teacher, he does not know what it means to love god. nature is so corrupt that it can no longer know god unless it be enlightened by the word and spirit of god; how then can it love god without the holy spirit? for it is true that we have no desire for what we do not know. therefore, nature cannot love god whom it does not know, but it loves an idol, and a dream of its own heart. furthermore, it is so entirely fettered by the love of created things that even after it has learned to know god from his word, it disregards him and despises his word. of this the people of our own times are an example. 77. such foolish and blasphemous deliverances are certain proof that scholastic theology has degenerated into a species of philosophy that has no knowledge of god, and walks in darkness because it disregards his word. also aristotle and cicero, who have the greatest influence with this tribe, give broad instructions concerning moral excellences. they magnify these exceedingly as social forces since they recognize them as useful for private and public ends. in nowise, however, do they teach that god's will and command is to be regarded far more than private or public advantage (and those who do not possess the word are ignorant of the will of god). quite plainly the scholastics have fallen victims to philosophical fancies to such an extent as to retain true knowledge neither of themselves nor of god. this is the cause of their lapse into such disastrous errors. 78. and, indeed, it is easy to fall after you have departed from the word; for the glitter of civil virtues is wonderfully enticing to the mind. erasmus makes of socrates almost a perfect christian, and augustine has unbounded praise for marcus attilius regulus, because he kept faith with his enemy. truthfulness indeed is the most beautiful of all virtues, and in this case another high commendation is added in that there was combined with it love of country, which in itself is a peculiar and most praiseworthy virtue. 79. you may find men of renown not famous for truthfulness. themistocles, for instance, did not have this virtue though he was a heroic man and did his country great service. that is the reason why augustine admires attilius, finding his reason and will to be utterly righteous, that is as far as it is possible for human nature to be. where, then, is vice in this case? where is wickedness? the hero's work surely cannot be censured. 80. first, regulus knew not god, and, although his conduct was right, it is still to be seen whether a theologian should not censure his motive. for to his zeal in behalf of his country is added the thirst for glory. he evinces contempt for his life so as to achieve immortal glory among those to live after him. contemplating, therefore, merely his life's dream, as it were, and the outward mask, it is a most beautiful deed. but before god it is shameful idolatry; because he claims for himself the glory of his deed. and who would doubt that he had other failings besides this thirst for glory? attilius cannot claim the great virtues of truthfulness and love of country without tending violently and insanely toward wickedness. for it is wicked for him to rob god of the glory and to claim it for himself. but human reason cannot recognize this spoliation of the deity. 81. a distinction must be made between the virtues of the heathen and the virtues of christians. it is true that in both instances hearts are divinely prompted, but in the former ambition and love of glory afterward defile the divine impulse. 82. if now, an orator should come forth, who would dilate upon the efficient cause, but disguise the ultimate and vicious one, would it not be apparent to every one that with the two most potent causes, the formal (that which gives moral value to an act) and the ultimate one, disguised, an eloquent man could extol such a wretched shadow of a virtue? but a man apt in logic will readily discover the deception; he will observe the absence of the formal cause, namely the right principle, there being no true knowledge of god nor of the proper attitude toward him. he sees, furthermore, that the final cause is vicious, because the true end and aim, obedience to god and love of neighbor, is not taken into consideration. but what kind of virtue is that where nearly every cause is lacking except the natural cause, which is a passion, an impetus or impulse, by which the soul is moved to show loyalty to an enemy? these impulses, as i said, are found also in the ungodly. if exercised for the good of the country, they become virtues; if for its injury, they become vices. this aristotle sets forth very skillfully. 83. i refer to these things that students of sacred literature may make special note of this passage, which advisedly declares human nature to be corrupt. for those make-believe virtues, found among the heathen, seem to prove the contrary--that some part of nature has remained as it was originally. hence there is need of careful judgment in order to distinguish in this matter. 84. moses adds, "from his youth," because this evil is concealed during the first period of life and sleeps, as it were. our early childhood so passes that reason and will are dormant and we are carried along by animal impulses, which pass away like a dream. hardly have we passed our fifth year when we affect idleness, play, unchastity, and evil lust. but we try to escape discipline, we endeavor to get away from obedience, and hate all virtues, especially of a higher order as truth and justice. then reason awakes out of a deep sleep, as it were, and sees certain kinds of pleasure, but not yet the true ones, and certain kinds of evils, but not yet the most powerful ones, by which it is held captive. 85. where, then, the understanding has attained to maturity, not only the other vices are found to have grown strong, but there are joined to them now sexual desire and unclean passion, gluttony, gambling, strife, rape, murder, theft, and what not? and as the parents had to apply the rod, so now the government must needs use prison and chains in order to restrain man's evil nature. 86. and who does not know the vices of a more advanced age? they march along in unbroken file--love of money, ambition, pride, perfidy, envy, and others. these vices are so much the more harmful as at this age we are more crafty in concealing and masking them. hence, the sword of government is not sufficient in this respect; there is need of hell fire for the punishment of crimes so manifold and great. justly, then, did moses say above (ch 6) that the human heart, or the imagination of the heart, is only evil each day--or at all times--and here again, that it is evil from youth. 87. the latin version, it is true, makes use of a weaker term; yet it says enough by stating that it is inclined toward evil, just as the comic dramatist says that the minds of all men are inclined to turn from labor to lust, ter andr 1, 1, 51. but those who try to misuse this expression for the purpose of making light of original sin, are shown to be in the wrong by the common experience of mankind; chiefly, however, that of the heathen, or ungodly men. for if spiritual men, who surely enjoy divine help from heaven, can hardly hold their ground against vices and be kept within the bounds of discipline, what can any man do without this help? if divine aid contends against the captivity of the law of the flesh only with fierce struggles (rom 7, 22-23), how insane is it to dream that, without this divine help, human nature can withstand corruption? 88. hence reason of itself does not decide upon the right, nor does the will, of itself, strive after the same, as a blind philosophy declares which does not know whence these fearful impulses to sin arise in children, youths, and old men. therefore it defends them, calls them emotions or passions only, and does not call them natural corruption. 89. furthermore, in noble men, who check and control these impulses, it calls them virtues; in others who give the reins to their desires, it calls them vices. this is nothing less than ignorance of the fact that human nature is evil. the scriptures, on the contrary agree with our experience and declare that the human heart is evil from youth. for we learn by experience that even holy men can scarcely stand firm; yea that even they are often entangled by gross sins, being overwhelmed by such natural corruptions. 90. the term _ne-urim_ denotes the age when man begins to use his reason; this usually occurs in the sixth year. similarly, the term _ne-arim_ is used to denote boys and youths who need the guidance of parents and teachers up to the age of manhood. it will be profitable for each of us to glance backward to that period of life and consider how willingly we obeyed the commands of our parents and teachers, how diligent we were in studying, how persevering we were, how often our parents punished our sauciness. who can say for himself that he was not much more pleased to go out for a walk, to play games, and to gossip, than to go to church in obedience to his parents? 91. although these impulses can be corrected or bridled to a certain extent by discipline, they cannot be rooted out of the heart altogether, as the traces of these impulses show when we are grown. there is truth in that unpolished lie: "the angelic youth becomes satanic in his older years." god, indeed, causes some persons to experience emotions which are naturally good; but they are induced by supernatural power. thus cyrus was impelled to restore the worship of god, and to preserve the church. but such is not the tendency of human nature. where god is present with his holy spirit, there only, the imagination of the human heart gives place to the thoughts of god. god dwells there through the word and the spirit. of such, moses does not speak here, but only of those who are without the holy spirit; they are wicked, even when at their best. v. 21e. _neither will i again smite any more everything living, as i have done._ 92. moses clearly speaks of a general destruction, like that which was caused by the flood. from this it does not follow that god will also abstain from partial destruction, and that he will take no heed of anybody's sin. there will also be an exception in the case of the last day, when not only all living things will be smitten, but all creation will be destroyed by fire. v. 22. _while the earth reigneth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease._ 93. following this text, the jews divide the year into six parts, each comprising two months, a fact which lyra also records in this connection. but it seems to me that moses simply speaks of the promise that we need not fear another general flood. during the time of the flood such confusion reigned that there was no season, either of seedtime or harvest, and by reason of the great darkness caused by the clouds and the rain, day could not readily be distinguished from night. we know how heavy clouds obscure the light. how much greater, then, was the darkness when the waters, lying under the clouds like a mirror, reflected the darkness of the clouds into the faces and eyes of the beholders! 94. the meaning, accordingly, is simply that god here promises noah the imminent restoration of the earth, so that the fields might again be sowed; that the desolation caused by the flood should be no more; that the seasons might run their course in accordance with regular law: harvest following seedtime, winter following summer, cold following heat in due order. 95. this text should be carefully remembered in view of the common notions concerning the signs before the last day. then, some declare, there will be eclipses of i know not how many days duration. they say foolishly that for seven years not a single woman will bring forth a child, and the like. but this text declares that neither day nor night, neither summer nor winter, shall cease; therefore these natural changes will go on, and there will never be an eclipse which will rob human eyes of an entire day. 96. nor is it a phrase devoid of meaning when he says, "while the earth remaineth," for he gives us to understand that the days of this earth shall sometime be numbered, and other days, days of heaven, shall follow. as long, therefore, as the days of the earth endure, so long shall the earth abide, and with it the rotation of seasons. but when these days of the earth shall pass, then all these things shall cease, and there shall follow days of heaven, that is, eternal days. there shall be one sabbath after the other, when we shall not be engrossed with bodily labor for the purpose of gaining a livelihood; for we shall be as the angels of god, mk 12, 25. our life will be to know god, to delight in god's wisdom and to enjoy the presence of god. this life we attain through faith in christ, in which the eternal father may mercifully keep us, through the merit of his son, our savior, jesus christ, by the ruling and guidance of the holy spirit. amen. amen. chapter ix. i. god blesses noah and the race. a. marriage state blessed 1-5. 1. why this blessing necessary 1. 2. wedlock established twice 2. 3. evidence of god's love to the human race 3. 4. did this blessing pertain to noah 4. * bearing of children a special blessing of god unknown to the heathen 5. i. god blesses noah and the race. a. marriage state blessed. v. 1. _and god blessed noah and his sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth._ 1. this consolation was indeed needed after the whole human race had been destroyed by the flood and only eight souls were saved. now noah knew that god was truly merciful, since, not content with that first blessing which he had bestowed upon mankind in the creation of the world, he added this new blessing, that noah might have no misgivings whatever in regard to the future increase of his posterity. and the joy brought by this promise was all the greater for god's emphatic promise on a previous occasion, that he would never again visit mankind with such severe punishment. 2. in the first place, then, this chapter renews the establishment of marriage. god, by his word and command, joins male and female for the purpose of repopulating the earth. inasmuch as god had been roused to anger before the flood by the sin of lust, it was now needful, by reason of that fearful proof of wrath, to show that god does not abhor the lawful cohabitation of man and woman, but that it is his will to increase mankind by this means. 3. the fact that god had expressed it as his will that the human race should be propagated through a union between man and woman, an end which could have been attained from stones had he failed to approve such union as lawful, after the manner of deucalion of whom the poets fable--this fact tended to furnish noah sure evidence that god loved man, and desired his welfare, and that now all anger was at an end. therefore this passage illustrates the dignity of wedlock, which is the foundation of the family and state, and the nursery of the church. 4. the objection is here raised that noah had already reached an age no longer fit for procreation in view of the fact that the bible records no instance of children being born to him afterwards, and therefore this promise was valueless. to this i reply that this promise was given, not to noah alone, but also to his sons, even to all mankind; so that the expectation of offspring was entertained even by the grandsire noah. 5. this passage, furthermore, tends to convince us that children are a gift of god and a result of his blessing, as is shown in psalms 127, 3. the heathen, who know nothing of god's word, ascribe the increase of mankind partly to nature and partly to chance, in view of the fact that those who are evidently most fit for procreation often remain without offspring. hence, they do not thank god for this gift, nor do they receive their children as a blessing from god. b. man's use of and dominion over animals 6-31. 1. whether animals feared man before the flood 6-7. 2. relation between this use and dominion and of what they give evidence 7-9. 3. this use and rule a special blessing of god 8-10. * whether the custom of slaying cattle dates from the beginning of the world 10-11. 4. whether adam knew of this use and dominion 12. 5. this use of animals is evidence of god's love to the human race 13. * god's blessings greater than his wrath 13. 6. whether this use extends to unclean animals 14-15. 7. how man's fear of animals and their wildness and cruelty can exist with this dominion 16-18. * new sins accompanied by new punishments 19-20. * sodom before and after its destruction 21. * god's punishment of wittenberg, bruges and venice, and the cause 22-23. * god's command not to eat blood. a. why given 24. b. how to treat this text, which contains god's word 25. * meaning of nephesch and basar 26. c. right understanding of the command 27. * the words, "surely your blood will i require" etc. a. lyra's and the rabbis' explanation, 28-29. b. their true meaning 30-31. b. man's use of and dominion over animals. v. 2. _and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; with all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered._ 6. it would seem that the dominion of man is here increased for his greater consolation. for though after the creation man was given dominion over all animals, yet we do not read that the beasts feared and fled from him according to the description of moses. the reason is found in the fact that heretofore the animals were not destined to be man's food; man had been a kind ruler of the beasts, not a killer and eater. 7. here, however, they are subjected to man as a tyrant with unlimited power of life and death. since the servitude of the beasts is increased and the power of man over them extended, the animals are harassed by terror and fear of man. we see even the tamed ones do not readily allow themselves to be handled; they feel the mastery of man and have a constant instinct of danger. i do not believe that such was the case before this word of god was spoken. before that time, men used suitable animals for their work and for sacrifice, but not for food. this increase of power also is a token of god's favor; he confers a privilege unknown to the patriarchs, as a token of his love and interest in man. 8. we must not undervalue this boon authority over the beasts; for it is a special gift of god, of which the heathen knew nothing, because they lack the word. we are the ones who derive the greatest benefit from this gift. when this revelation was given to noah, and such a privilege granted, there was really no need of it. a few men possessed the whole earth, so that its fruits were to be enjoyed by them in abundance and it was not necessary to add the flesh of beasts. but we today could not live altogether on the fruits of the earth; it is a great boon to us that we are permitted to eat the flesh of beasts, of birds and of fish. 9. this word, therefore, establishes the butcher's trade; it puts hares, chickens, and geese upon the spit and fills our tables with all manner of dishes. necessity makes men industrious. not only do they hunt the animals of the forests, but carefully fatten others at home for food. god in this passage establishes himself a slaughterer, as it were, for by his word he consigns to slaughter and death those animals which are suitable for food, as recompence to god-fearing noah for his tribulations during the flood. for that reason would god feed noah with lavish hand. 10. we must not think that this privilege was not divinely ordered. the heathen believe that this custom of slaughtering animals always existed. such things are established, or rather permitted, by the word of god; beasts could not have been killed without sin if god had not expressly permitted it by his word. it is a great liberty for man to slaughter all kinds of beasts fit for food and eat them without wrong-doing. had but a single kind of beasts been reserved for food, it would still have been a great boon; how much more should we value this lavish blessing, that all beasts suitable for sustenance are given into the power of man! 11. the godless and the gentiles do not recognize this; nor do the philosophers. they believe that this privilege has always been man's. as for us, however, we should have full light on the subject, in order that our consciences may enjoy both rest and freedom in the use of what god has created and allowed, there being absolutely no law against such food. there can be no sin in their use, though the wicked priests have criminally burdened the church on this subject. 12. in this passage, then, the power of man is increased and the brute beasts are committed to him, even unto death. they fear man and flee him under the new order, running counter to the experience of the past. adam would have been averse to killing even a small bird for food. but now, since the promulgation of this word, we know that, as a special blessing, god has furnished our kitchens with all kinds of meat. later on he will also take care of the cellar by showing man how to cultivate the vine. 13. these are sure proofs that god no longer hates man, but favors him. this story bears witness that, as god's wrath, once aroused, is unbearable, so his mercy is likewise endless and without measure when it again begins to glow. but his mercy is the more abundantly exercised because it is the very nature of god, while wrath really is foreign to god; he takes it upon himself contrary to his nature and forced thereto by the wickedness of men. v. 3. _every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the green herb have i given you all._ 14. here a question arises. in chapter 7, 2, moses showed the difference between clean and unclean beasts; here, however, he speaks of all animals, without any distinction. did god, then, permit man to use also the unclean animals for food? 15. the statement as such is general: every moving thing that moveth upon the earth. there are some who believe that men at the time of noah made no distinction between clean and unclean animals as regards food. but i hold a different opinion. for since such difference had been established before that time and was carefully observed in the law afterward, i believe that men used only clean beasts for food; that is, such as were offered in sacrifice. hence the general declaration must be understood with a modification: everything that liveth and moveth, of clean beasts, is to be food for you. for, in general, human nature loathes serpents, wolves, ravens, mice, and dormice, though certain tribes may be found who relish even these animals. the fear and terror of man is upon all beasts of the earth, because he is allowed to kill them; but it does not follow that man uses them all for food. it is probable that noah ate clean beasts only; and only clean beasts, he knew, were acceptable to jehovah in sacrifice. 16. but there is another thing hard to understand. how can it be that the terror and fear of man is upon all animals when wolves, lions, bears, wild boars, and tigers devour men, and are rather a terror to men? so with the entire family of serpents, from which we flee at a glance. what shall we say here? is the word of god untruthful? i answer: though we, being aware of our danger, flee from such beasts and are afraid of them, yet they, likewise, fear man. even the fiercest beasts become terrified and flee at the first sight of man; but when they become enraged they overcome man by reason of their bodily strength. 17. but, you say, why do they fear when they are stronger? i answer: they know that man is endowed with reason, which is more powerful than any beast. the skill of man masters even elephants, lions, and tigers. whatever man's bodily strength is unable to do, that he accomplishes by his skill and his reasoning powers. how would it otherwise be possible for a boy of ten years to control an entire herd of cattle? or for man to guide a horse, an animal of singular fierceness and strength, to go in whatever direction he desires, now urging it forward and then compelling it to a more moderate gait? all these things are done by man's skill, not by his strength. hence, we do not lack clear proofs that the fear of man remains upon the beasts, which harm man when they become enraged, and for that reason are feared by him. 18. i have no doubt, however, that at the time of noah and the patriarchs immediately succeeding, this fear in the beasts was greater, because righteousness then flourished and there was less of sin. afterward, when holiness of life declined and sin increased, man began to lose this blessing, and the wild beasts became a punishment for sin. moses threatens in deut 32, 34 that god would send upon them the teeth of beasts. how fearful, also, was the plague of the fiery serpents in the desert! num 21, 6. bears tore to pieces the lads who mocked the prophet, 2 kings 2, 24. why did the beasts here lose their fear of man? why did they rage against man? was not sin the cause? 19. therefore, as stated before, when new sins arise, new punishments will also arise. so we see that in our day disease and misfortunes heretofore rare become general, like the english sweat, the locusts which in the year 1542 devastated great stretches of land in poland and silesia, and other examples. 20. in like manner, god promised seasons of seeding and of harvest, of heat and cold, and yet he does not so close his eyes to our sins that the seasons, both of seeding and of harvest, are not subject to climatic disturbances, such as the fearful drouth of the year 1504 and the almost unending rains of the two following years. considering the wickedness of our age, why should we wonder that the blessing gives place to a curse, so that the beasts, which would fear us were we not wicked, are now a terror unto us and harmful? 21. the country of the sodomites was like a paradise; but by reason of sin it was turned into a sea of asphalt; and those who have seen that country tell us that most beautiful apples grow there, but when they are cut open they are found to be filled with ashes and offensive odor. the reason for this is that the sodomites did not acknowledge the gifts of god who blessed them, but misused them according to their own will. furthermore, they blasphemed god, and persecuted his saints, being haughty by reason of those good gifts. therefore the blessing was taken away, and everything became curse-ridden. this is the true explanation of the fact that, though there are signs of terror in wild animals, we are nevertheless afraid of them, and they inflict harm upon us. 22. i am quite certain that very wicked men once lived in this country of ours; how could we otherwise explain the parched soil and barren sands? names also show that the jews at one time peopled this country. where bad people live, there the land gradually grows bad by the curse of god. 23. the city of bruges in flanders used to be a renowned port; but from the time when they held king maximilian captive, the sea retreated, and the port ceased to exist. of venice they say the same thing today. nor is this very astonishing, since to the numberless sins of rulers of the state, defence of idol worship and persecution of the gospel was added. v. 4. _but flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat._ 24. what we have heard so far, referred to domestic matters; now god adds a commandment pertaining to civil government. since it was no more a sin to kill an ox or a sheep for food than it was to pluck a flower or an herb, growing in the field, there was some danger that men might misuse this god-given power over the beasts and go beyond it even to the shedding of human blood. hence, he now adds a new law, that human blood must not be shed, and at the same time he curtails the liberty of eating flesh; he forbids them to eat flesh which has not first been drained of blood. 25. the hebrew text presents many difficulties, and, for this reason, interpreters are at variance. it is needless to recite all renderings of this verse. i steadily follow the rule that the words must explain the things, not the things the words. hence, i spend no time upon the ideas of those who explain the words according to their own inclinations, making them serve the preconceived notions which they bring to their literature. 26. let us first look at the meaning of the words. _rephesh_ properly denotes a body with a soul, or a living animal, such as the ox, the sheep, man, etc. it denotes not merely the body, but a living body, as when christ says: i lay down my life for the sheep, jn 10, 15. here the word "life" means nothing else than the life animating the body. _basar_, however, means flesh, which is a part of the material element, and yet has its breath and its energy, not from the body, but from the soul. for the flesh or the body, of itself and without the soul, is an inanimate thing, like a log or a stone; but when it is filled with the breath of the soul, then its fluids and all bodily forces assume activity. 27. god here forbids the eating of a body which still contains the stirring, moving, living soul, as the hawk devours chickens, and the wolf sheep, without killing them, but while still alive. such cruelty is here forbidden by jehovah, who sets bounds to the privilege of slaughtering, lest it be done in so beastly a manner that living bodies or portions thereof be devoured. the lawful manner of slaughtering is to be observed, such as was followed at the altar and in religious rites, where the beast, having been slain without cruelty and duly cleansed from blood, was finally offered to god. i hold that the simple and true meaning of the text, which is also given by some jewish teachers, is that we must not eat raw flesh and members still palpitating, as did the laestrygones and the cyclopes. v. 5. _and surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will i require; at the hand of every beast will i require it: and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will i require the life of man._ 28. here the hebrew text is even more difficult than in the foregoing verse. lyra, quoting the rabbins, finds four kinds of manslaughter indicated here; he divides the statement into two parts, and finds a twofold explanation for each. he understands the first part to mean those who lay murderous hands upon themselves. if this is correct, then this passage is a witness for immortality; for how could god call to account a person who, being dead, no longer exists? hence, punishment of sin after this life could be indicated here. but it seems to me that philology militates against this explanation. though i do not lay claim to a perfect knowledge of the hebrew tongue, yet i am certain that such a meaning is not here apparent. 29. the second kind of murder, he illustrates by the custom of throwing human beings before wild beasts, as was done aforetime in the theatres, truly a barbaric spectacle, repulsive to all human feeling; the third kind is murder at the instigation of another; the fourth, murder of a relative. 30. this distinction would be quite satisfactory if it could be proven from the words of the text; but it is a jewish invention born of their hatred of the roman laws. it is much simpler to understand this passage as a general prohibition of murder, according to the fifth commandment, which says, "thou shalt not kill." god desires not even a beast to be killed, except for a sacred purpose or for the benefit of man. much less does he permit taking the life of man, except by divine authority, as will be explained hereafter. 31. in the first place, then, wilful and wicked slaughter is forbidden. culture is opposed to the wanton killing of animals and to the eating of raw meat. in the second place god forbids homicide of any description; for if god will require the blood of a murdered human being from the beast that slew him, how much more relentlessly will he require it at the hand of man? thus this passage voices the sentiment of the fifth commandment, that no one shall spill human blood. ii. law concerning man's slaughter; god's covenant with noah; the rainbow 32-68. a. law concerning slayers of life. 1. if it existed before the flood 32. 2. relation of the flood to this law 33. 3. this the source of all human laws 34-36. 4. when and how this law can be executed 35. * why is it well to observe that government was instituted by god 36-37. 5. in what respect is it a great blessing from god 37. 6. how is government a proof of god's love to man 38. 7. why god gave this command, and why he punishes man-slaughter 39. 8. hereby a new police and a new order are instituted 40. * verdict of philosophy and of reason on civil authority 41. * verdict of god's word 42. 9. this law applies to all men 43. 10. why god is such an enemy of man-slaughter, and so earnestly forbids it 44-45. 11. the conclusion that god loves life 46. ii. the law against taking life; god's covenant with noah; the rainbow. a. the law against taking life. v. 6a. _who sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed._ 32. here the carelessness of the latin translator deserves reproof; for he omitted the very necessary expression "by man." the difference between the time before and that after the flood is thus brought out. when cain had murdered his brother abel, god revered human blood so highly that he threatened to visit sevenfold punishment upon anyone who should kill cain. he would not have the slayer of man put to death even by due process of law; and though adam punished the sin of his son severely by casting him out, he did not dare to pronounce sentence of death upon him. 33. but here jehovah establishes a new law, requiring the murderer be put to death by man--a law unprecedented, because heretofore god had reserved all judgment to himself. when he saw that the world was growing worse and worse, he finally enforced punishment against a wicked world by the flood. here, however, god bestows a share of his authority upon man, giving him the power of life and death, that thus he may be the avenger of bloodshed. whosoever takes man's life without due warrant, him god subjects not only to his own judgment, but also to the sword of man. though god may use man as his instrument in punishing, he is himself still the avenger. were it not for the divine command, then, it would be no more lawful now to slay a murderer than it was before the flood. 34. this is the source from which spring all civil laws and the laws of nations. if god grants man the power of life and death, he certainly also grants power in matters of lesser importance--power over property, family, wife, children, servants and fields. god wills that these things shall be under the control of certain men, who are to punish the guilty. 35. we must remember well that between the power of god and of men there is this difference: god has the power to slay us when the world cannot even accuse us--when before it we are innocent. sin is born with us; we are all guilty before god. men have no authority to slay except where guilt is apparent and crime is proven. hence courts have been established and a definite method of proceeding instituted for the purpose of investigating and proving the crime before the sentence of death is passed. 36. heed, then, this passage. it establishes civil authority as god's institution, with power, not only of life and death, but jurisdiction in matters where life is not involved. magistrates are to punish the disobedience of children, theft, adultery, perjury--all sins which are forbidden in the second table. he who grants jurisdiction over the life of man, at the same time grants judgment over lesser matters. 37. the importance of this text and its claim to attention consists in the fact that it records the establishment of civil authority by god with the sword as insignia of power, for the purpose that license may be curbed and anger and other sins inhibited from growing beyond all bounds. had god not granted this power to man, what kind of lives, i ask you, would we lead? he foresaw that wickedness would ever flourish, and established this external remedy to prevent the indefinite spread of license. by this safeguard god protects life and property as by a fence and a wall. 38. we find here no less a proof of god's great love toward man than his promise that the flood shall never again rage, and his promise that flesh may be eaten for the sustenance of human life. v. 6b. _for in the image of god made he man._ 39. this is the powerful reason why god does not wish men to be killed by private arbitrament. man is a noble creature, who, unlike other living beings, has been fashioned according to the image of god. while it is true that he has lost this image through sin, as we have seen above, it is capable of being restored through the word and the holy spirit. this image god desires us to revere in each other; he forbids us to shed blood by the exercise of sheer force. but he who refuses to respect the image of god in man, and gives way to anger and provocation, those worst counselors of all, as some one has called them, his life is surrendered to civil authority in forfeit, by god, in that god commands that also his blood shall be shed. 40. thus the subject under consideration teaches the establishment of civil authority in the world, which did not exist before the flood. cain and lamech--and this is a case in point--were not slain, though the holy patriarchs were the arbiters, judges, of public action. but in this scripture they who have the sword, are commanded to use it against those who have shed blood. 41. thus the problem is here solved that worried plato and all sages. they concluded that it is impossible to administer government without injustice, because all men occupy the same level of dignity and position. why did caesar rule the world? why did others obey him, since he was only human like themselves--no better, no stronger and liable to die as soon as themselves? he was subject to the same conditions as all men. hence it seems to be tyranny for him, who was quite similar to other men, to usurp rulership among men. if he is like other men it is the highest wrong and injustice to ignore this similarity, and to foist his rule by force upon others. 42. this is the conclusion at which reason arrives and it cannot entertain any view to the contrary. but we, having the word, can see that we must oppose to such reasoning the command of god, the author of this order of things. accordingly, it is for us to render obedience to the divine order and to endure it, so that to our other sins this may not be added, that we are disobedient to the will of god at the very point where we derive benefit in so many ways. 43. to sum up, this passage permits the slaughter of animals for religious and personal use, but it emphatically forbids the taking of man's life, because man is made in the image of god. those who violate his command he gives into the hands of the authorities to be slain. v. 7. _and you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein._ 44. the slaughter of animals having been granted, not only for sacrifice, but also for food, and the killing of human beings having been forbidden, we are given the reason why god regards the shedding of human blood with so much aversion. he desires mankind to multiply on the earth; but the slaughter of men lays the earth waste and produces a wilderness. we see this in case of war. god did not create the earth without purpose. he intended it to be inhabited, is 45, 18. he makes it fruitful by rain and sunshine for man's benefit. therefore he is displeased with those who remove from the earth its inhabitants. his will is life, and not death, ps 30, 5. 45. these and similar sayings of the prophets are based upon promises like we find here, that god commands man to multiply. plainly he is more inclined to give life and to do good than to be angry and to kill. if it were otherwise, why should he forbid the taking of human life? why should pestilence be of rare occurrence? pestilence and general epidemics occur scarce once in ten years. men are born, animals grow, and crops without end are growing continually. 46. all these facts go to show that god loves, not death, but life. he created man, not that he should die, but that he should live; "but through the envy of the devil did death enter the world," sap 2, 24. but even after the fall, the blessings which remain are so guarded as to render the conclusion inevitable that god loves life rather than death. it is well for us to ponder these matters very often; thus, as solomon has truly said, jehovah shall be to us a fountain of blessings. prov 18, 22. b. god's covenant with noah 47-55. * why the same thing is repeated 47. 1. whether this covenant applies to man alone or also to the animals 48. 2. whether this covenant applies to the men and animals of that day only 49. * god always connected signs with his promises 49. * the significance of these to our first parents 49-50. 3. nature of this covenant 51. * characteristics of a humble heart and god's dealings with it 52-54. 4. this covenant given for man's comfort and as a proof of god's love 53-54. 5. it is a comfort to us at present 55. b. god's covenant with noah. vs. 8-11. _and god spake unto noah, and his sons with him, saying, and i, behold, i establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. and i will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth._ 47. previously we at various times explained this massing of words. when the holy spirit is prolix, there is a cause for it. let us therefore, consider what fear, dread and peril noah and his family endured and it will be easily understood why it was necessary for god to say and to emphasize the same things with such frequency. 48. when, in addition it is remembered that the covenant here spoken of does not pertain to man alone but embraces every living soul, we recognize that the promise does not relate to the seed but merely, to this bodily life, enjoyed by man in common with the beasts; this god will not destroy by another flood. vs. 12-16. _and god said, this is the token of the covenant which i make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for the perpetual generations: i do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. and it shall come to pass, when i bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and i will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. and the bow shall be in the cloud; and i will look upon it, that i may remember the everlasting covenant between god and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth._ 49. the term "perpetual generations" deserves particular notice; it embraces not only man and beast at that time, but all their offspring down to the end of the world. we learn another thing from this passage. god usually confirms his promise with an outward sign. in the third chapter above we read of the coats of skin with which he covered the nakedness of the first parents as token of his protection and guardianship. 50. some offer the following apt allegorical explanation. as the skin of the dead sheep keeps warm our body, so christ, having died, keeps us warm by his spirit, and will, on the last day, raise us up and give us life. others say that the skins were selected as a sign of mortality. but this seems unnecessary; all our life reminds us of mortality. more expedient was a token of life, suggesting the blessing and favor of god. the office of such tokens is to console, not to terrify. so was the sign of the rainbow given, a supplement of the promise. 51. in chapter 8, 21-22, god says in his heart that he repents of that terrible punishment, and promises that he will not repeat it, because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. if he should desire to so punish evil, there would be need of a flood every day. here he again sends forth his word to mankind, through an angel, or possibly through the mouth of noah, promising that no flood shall hereafter come upon the earth. that the promise is repeated so often is evidence of god's endeavor, in loving kindness, to remove man's fear of punishment and to set before him a hope of blessing and utmost mercy. 52. such consolation noah and his loved ones required. one who has been humbled by god cannot forget the wound and the pain. chastening is longer remembered than blessing. boys are a case in point. the tender mother, having chastised her child with the rod, endeavors to calm him with toys and other allurements, yet the memory of pain lingers, and the child cannot restrain frequent sighs and bitter sobs. how much more difficult for the conscience to accept solace after having felt the wrath of god and the fear of death! so firmly fixed are these in the mind that the soul trembles and fears in spite of gifts and consolations offered. 53. so god here shows his good will in manifold ways and feels singular joy in pouring forth mercy. he is like a mother who pets and caresses her boy until he at last begins to forget his tears and to smile into his mother's face. 54. hence figures are employed, and words are massed and the subject is presented in a clearer and clearer light, in order to adapt the consolation to the needs of the wretched people who, for an entire year, had been witnesses of the immeasurable wrath of god. they could not be delivered from fear and terror by an occasional word. there was need of repeating the promise with much exposition to dry their tears and to soften their grief. for, though they were saints, they were flesh, even as we are. 55. likewise we in our day need this consolation. at all times when the elements rage, we may be secure in the thought that the fountains of heaven and the wells of the deep are closed up by the word of god. the rainbow shows itself to this day for the purpose of symbolizing that, henceforth, there shall never be another general flood. and this promise requires, on our part, the faith that we trust god, in his mercy, will never bring another great flood upon us. c. the rainbow. 1. can it be assigned to natural causes 56-58. * what to think of the fiery meteors 59-60. 2. can it be caused by the position of the clouds 60. 3. the rainbow witnesses of god's wrath and of his goodness 61. 4. did it exist before the flood? a. opinion of those believing it did, and their reasons 62. b. luther's opinion that it was a new creation 63. c. solomon's words, "there is nothing new", do not apply here 64. 5. rainbow to be viewed as a new creature and as god's sign-board 65. 6. colors of the rainbow. a. what are they and their number 66. b. what do they signify 67. 7. to what end should the rainbow serve us 68. c. the rainbow. 56. they further dispute whether the natural causes in the rainbow signify this. it is well known that philosophers, especially aristotle in his book on meteors, use all sorts of arguments on the color of the rainbow, on the character of the clouds where it is produced, and on its curvature. quite appropriately the resemblance is noted between a mirror, which reflects an image, and the moist and arched cloud, which catches the rays of the sun, and by reflection produces the rainbow. reason sees in such phenomena what appears to it most probable, but it does not discover the truth everywhere. that is not in the power of the creature but of the creator alone. as for me, i have never given to any book less credence than to that on meteors, the basic principle of which is the assumption that natural causes explain everything. 57. some declare the rainbow to be a forerunner of a storm lasting three days, which i am ready to admit, but this much is certain, that it signifies that there will never be another flood. however, it derives this signification, not from any natural causes but only from the word of god. its meaning is such, only because god orders and declares it to be so through his word. circumcision was a token that the seed of abraham were the people of god; yet circumcision did not have this meaning in itself, but only through the word which was joined with it. again, the clothing of skin signified life and safety, not because they contained this guarantee by nature, but because god had promised it. so, the significance of the rainbow that the flood shall not return, is not based upon the word of god. 58. i do not altogether ignore theories along the lines of natural law concerning these matters; but since they are not substantiated, i place little trust in them. the reasoning of aristotle regarding the humid and hollow cloud as the cause of the rainbow is not reliable, such clouds may exist without producing a rainbow. again, according to the greater or lesser density of the medium, the bow may appear wider or narrower. i have seen here at wittenberg a circular rainbow, forming a complete ring, not simply an arch terminating on the surface of the earth, as rainbows generally appear. why, then, do rainbows assume different forms at different times? a philosopher, i suppose, will think of some reason; for he will consider it a disgrace not to be able to assign a reason for all things. but indeed, he will never persuade me to believe that he speaks the truth. 59. the only consistent and incontrovertable view to take is that all these phenomena are either works of god or of evil spirits. i have no doubt that the dancing goats (stars), the flying serpents, fiery lances, and the like, are produced by evil spirits, which thus gambol in the air, either to terrify or to deceive men. the flames which appear on board of ships were thought by the heathen to be castor and pollux. sometimes the image of a moon appears above the ears of horses. it is certain that all these things are due to the antics of evil spirits in the air, though aristotle believes them to be luminous air, just as he also declares that a comet is shining vapor. 60. to me it appears that we shall move with greater security and certainty, when, arguing from cause to effect, we conclude that the comet blazes, when it pleases god, as a sign of calamity, just as the rainbow glows, when it pleases god as a sign of mercy. who can compute all the causes which produce the appearance of the rainbow in such diversity of beautiful color, and in the form of an arch of perfect curvature? the arrangement of the clouds alone surely does not produce this perfection. hence it is by the will and the promise of god, and fulfilling his pleasure, that the rainbow is a sign to man and beast that there will nevermore at any time be a flood. 61. in recognition of this token we ought to give thanks to god. as often as the rainbow appears, it proclaims to the world with a loud voice, as it were, the story of the wrath of god, which once destroyed the world by a flood. and it proclaims solace for us, so that we may conclude that god is propitious to us henceforth and will never again visit upon us so fearful a punishment. it teaches both the love and the fear of god, the highest virtues, of which philosophy knows nothing. philosophy only disputes about material and formal causes. it does not know the final cause of this most beautiful creation. but theology does explain it. 62. in this connection also the question has received much attention whether the rainbow existed from the beginning. and in this controversy much force has been displayed. since it is written above (ch 2, 23) that god created heaven and earth in six days, and then rested from all his works, some conclude that the rainbow existed from the beginning. otherwise it would follow that creation extended beyond those six days. what, however, occurred in noah's time is this, that the rainbow, created in the beginning, was selected by god and made, through a new word, a fixed symbol, having existed hitherto without special significance. to support this view, they even quote the word of solomon that "there is no new thing under the sun," ec 1, 9. on this they base their argument that after those six days no new thing has been created. 63. my opinion is quite the contrary--that the rainbow never had existed before; it was then and there created. thus, the coats of skin with which god clothed the first parents certainly were not created in those six days, but after man's fall; hence, they were a new creation. the statement that god rested, must not be interpreted to mean that he created nothing thereafter; for christ says, "my father worketh even until now, and i work," jn 5, 17. 64. solomon's statement that there is no new thing under the sun, has given much trouble to the learned. but is it not apparent that it refers not to the works of god, but to original sin, meaning that the same reasoning powers adam had after the fall are found in man today--the same debates concerning morals, vices, virtues, the nurture of the body and the transaction of business? as the comic poet has it, speaking of another matter, "nothing is said that has not been said before." really, within the sphere of man's activity and effort there is nothing new; the same words, thoughts, designs, the same emotions, griefs, affections and incidents exist now which always existed. consequently it is quite inappropriate, in consequence to apply this aphorism to god and his works. 65. therefore, i believe that the rainbow was a new creation, not seen in the world before that time. it was established to remind the world of the bygone wrath, traces of which are still seen in the rainbow, and to give assurance of the mercy of god. it is a record, or picture in which both the bygone wrath and the present mercy are revealed. 66. there is also a difference of opinion as to the colors of the rainbow. some say there are four colors: the fiery, the bright yellow, the green and the color of water, or blue. but i think there are only two, those of fire and water. the fiery color is above, unless the rainbow is seen reversed; then, as in a mirror, that which is above is seen below. where the hues of fire and water meet, or blend, yellow results. 67. the colors have been thus arranged by god for a definite purpose. the blue should be a reminder of bygone wrath; the fiery color, a picture to us of the future judgment. while the interior or blue portion is restricted, the outer and fiery color is without bounds. thus, the first world perished by the flood, but an end was set to god's wrath. a remnant was preserved and a second world arose, but bounds are set to it. when god shall destroy the world by fire, this bodily life will never be restored. the wicked will suffer the everlasting punishment of death in the fire, while the saints will be raised up unto a new and everlasting life, which, though in the body, shall not be of the body, but of the spirit. 68. let this sign teach us to fear god and to trust in him. so may we escape the punishment of fire, even as we have escaped the punishment of the flood. it will be more practical to think of these things than to consider those philosophical arguments concerning the material cause. iii. allegories 69-132. a. allegories in general 69-81. 1. luther at first given to allegories 69-70. 2. how and why monks and anabaptists esteem them so highly 71. 3. how we should regard them 72. 4. are they to be entirely rejected 73. 5. some are, and others not 74-76. 6. how to regard origen's, augustine's and jerome's allegories 77-78. 7. pope's allegories of the sun, moon and ark 79-80. 8. what to think of the doctrine of these allegories 81. iii. concerning allegories. a. allegories in general. 69. at last we have finished the story of the flood, which moses satisfactorily describes at great length. it is a fearful example of the immeasurable and all but boundless wrath of god, which is beyond the power of human utterance. there remains to be said a word or two concerning its allegorical meaning. i have often declared that i take no great pleasure in allegories, although in my younger days they had such a fascination for me that i thought everything ought to be shown to have an allegorical meaning. i was influenced in this respect by the example of origen and jerome, whom i admired as the greatest of all theologians. i may add that augustine also uses the allegory quite frequently. 70. but while i followed the example of these men, i discovered at last that, to my great loss, i had followed a shadow, and had overlooked the very sap and marrow of the scriptures. thereupon i began to hate allegories. they are pleasing, to be sure, especially when they contain happy allusions. they may be compared to choice pictures. but as much as real objects with their native hues surpass a picture, even though it should glow, as the poet has it (stat silo v. 1, 5), with apelles-like colors, closely copied from nature, so much the historical narrative itself is superior to the allegory. 71. in our day the ignorant mob of the anabaptists is as much filled with immoderate craving for allegory as are the monks. they love to delve in the more mysterious books, such as the revelation of john, and that worthless fabrication passing under the title of the second and third books of esdras. for, there you are at liberty to follow your fancy as you please. we recall that muntzer, the seditious spirit, turned everything into allegory. but true it is, that he who, without judgment, makes allegories or follows those made by others, will not only be deceived but sustain deplorable injury, as there are examples to prove. 72. allegories must either be avoided altogether or be worked out with the best judgment. they must conform to the rule followed by the apostles, of which we shall soon have occasion to speak. let us avoid falling into those ugly and baneful absurdities, not only of those who are misnamed theologians, but also of the canonists, or rather assinists, of which the decretals and decisions of that most detestable master, the pope, are an example. 73. this statement, however, must not be taken for a general condemnation of all allegory. christ and the apostles made use of allegories at times. these, however, were in keeping with the faith according to the injunction of paul (rom 12, 6) that prophecy, or doctrine, should be according to the proportion of faith. 74. when we put the allegory under the ban, we confine ourselves to that species which, with the setting aside of scriptural warrant, is altogether the product of man's mind and fancy. those which are tested by the analogy of faith, serve not only as ornaments of the doctrine but also as consolation for the soul. 75. peter turns this very story of the flood into a most beautiful allegory, saying that baptism is symbolized by the flood, and saves us. for, in it not only the filth of the flesh is washed away, but conscience makes good answer toward god through the resurrection of jesus christ, who is enthroned at the right hand of god and has destroyed death in order to make us heirs of eternal life; who, moreover, is gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him, 1 pet 3, 21-22. this is, indeed, a theological allegory, in accordance with faith, and full of solace. 76. such is also the allegory of christ in john 3, 14, concerning the serpent lifted up in the wilderness and the healing of those bitten by the serpent's tooth who gazed upon it. again, there is that one by paul (1 cor 10, 1), all our fathers did drink from the same spiritual rock, etc. such allegories as these not only agree with the matter itself, but also instruct the heart in faith and are a help to the conscience. 77. but take a look at the ordinary allegory of jerome, origen and augustine. these men, when they create an allegory, leave faith altogether out of consideration, and merely air philosophical opinions, foreign alike to the sphere of faith and to that of morals; not to speak of the fact that they are quite silly and a mass of absurdities. 78. in a former chapter (ch 3. â§â§61, 298, 304), we heard of augustine's allegory concerning the creation of man and woman, by which he illustrates the higher and the lower attributes of man, that is, reason and the emotions. but, i ask you, what is the value of this figment? 79. the pope, however, carries away the real honors for piety and learning when he thunders from his high seat as follows: god made two great lights, the sun and the moon; the sun represents the authority of the pope, from which his imperial majesty borrows its light as the moon does from the sun. away with such rash impudence and vicious ambition! 80. in a similar style the ark, of noah's story, is compared to the roman catholic church, in which is found the pope with his cardinals, bishops, and prelates, while the laymen are swimming in the sea. that is, the laymen are altogether given to earthly business and would not be saved did not those helmsmen of the ark, or church, cast boards and ropes to the swimmers, drawing them into the ark by these means. pictures of this nature were frequently painted by monks to represent the church. 81. origen shows more sanity than the papists, in that his allegories conform to moral standards, as a rule. yet, he ought to have kept in view the rule laid down by paul, who demands that prophesy is to be the guardian of faith; for faith is edifying and the proper sphere of the church. rules governing morals can be laid by even heathen philosophers who know nothing whatever concerning faith. b. allegories in detail 82-132. 1. allegory of the baptism of the israelites under moses; the ark and the flood 82ff. * points of likeness and unlikeness in the death of believers and unbelievers 84-86. * in what way is death to be conquered 87. * how all temptations are to be overcome and believers be preserved 88-90. 2. allegories of the ark's proportions 91-92. 3. allegories of the sun and moon 93. * to what all allegories should point 94. 4. allegory of the cup 95-96. 5. allegory of the dove noah sent out of the ark 97-99. 6. allegory of the raven noah sent forth. a. thoughts of the fathers on this point 100. b. the correct allegory of the raven 101-116. * the law and the teachings of the law 101-116. (1) how illustrated by the raven 102-105. * luther's opponents falsely accuse him of forbidding good works 106-107. (2) they are no better than the intelligent moralists among the heathen 108-110. (3) they cannot quiet the conscience 111. * the raven a perfect representative of the papists 112-113. (4) how the papists make the unrighteous righteous and condemn the righteous 114-115. 7. allegories of the doves in detail 116-124. * characteristics of the dove 116. a. first dove sent forth. (1) a figure of the office of grace 117. (2) a figure of the old testament prophets 118-119. b. second dove returned with the olive leaf. (1) a figure of new testament preachers 120-122. * the fanatics and anabaptists wait in vain for new revelations 121. * nature of true gospel preachers 122. (2) a figure of the new testament 123. c. third dove did not return 124ff. 8. allegory of the seven days noah waited after he sent forth the first dove 125. 9. allegory of the evening the dove returned 126-127. * several things to be remembered in this connection. (1) allegories are not to have a world-wide treatment like the articles of faith 128. (2) defects in the allegories of the fathers 129-130. * lyra is to be preferred to all commentators 131. (3) right use of allegories 132. b. allegories in detail. 82. writing to the corinthians, paul says (1 cor 10, 2) that the israelites "were all baptized unto moses in the cloud and in the sea." if you regard only the outward circumstance and the words, even pharaoh was baptized, but he perished with his men, while israel passed through safe and unharmed. noah and his sons were saved in this baptism of the flood, while all the rest of the world, being outside of the ark, perished thereby. such a way of speaking is appropriate and forcible. "baptism" and "death" are interchangeable in scripture. paul says (rom 6, 3): "all we who were baptized into christ jesus were baptized into his death," and jesus says, "i have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am i straitened till it be accomplished!" (lk 12, 50). and to his disciples he said, "ye shall ... be baptized with the baptism that i am baptized with" (mt 20, 23). 83. in this sense the red sea was a baptism indeed. it represented to pharaoh death and god's anger. yet though israel was baptized with the same baptism, they passed through it unharmed. so the flood is truly death and the wrath of god, and yet, the faithful are saved in the midst of the flood. death engulfs and swallows all mankind; for, the wrath of god smites both the good and the bad, the pious and the wicked, without distinction. the flood was sent upon noah the same as upon the rest of the world. the red sea that engulfed pharaoh was the same as that through which israel passed unharmed. but in both cases the believers are saved while the wicked perish. that is the point of difference. the ark was noah's salvation, and it was but an expression of the promise and word of god. in these he had life, but the wicked, who believed not the word, were left to perish. 84. this is the difference which the holy spirit desired to bring out, so that the righteous, warned by this example, might believe and hope for salvation through the mercy of god in the very midst of death. they consider baptism as bound together with the promise of life, as noah did the ark. therefore, though the wise man and the fool must suffer the same death--for peter and paul die, not otherwise than nero and other wicked persons die--yet the righteous believe that in death they will be saved unto eternal life. and this hope is not vain, for they have christ, who receives their souls, and will, on the last day, raise up also the bodies of his believers unto eternal life. 85. this class of allegory is of great service, and tends to comfort the heart when you consider the contrast in the ultimate outcome. the testimony of the material eye would seem to confirm the statement of solomon (ec 2, 16) that the wise man dieth as the fool, that the righteous man dieth as though he were not the beloved of god. but the eyes of the soul must view this point of difference, that israel enters into the red sea and is saved, while pharaoh, pressing upon the heels of israel, is overwhelmed by the waves and perishes. it is the same death, then, which takes away the righteous and the wicked, and almost always the end of the former is ignominious, while that of the latter is attended by elements of splendor and power; but in the eyes of god, while the death of sinners is deplorable, that of his saints is precious, for it is consecrated by christ, through whom it becomes the beginning of eternal life. 86. as the flood and the red sea were instruments to save noah and israel from death, so to us, death is but the instrument to give us life, if we remain in faith. when the children of israel were in utmost peril, suddenly the sea parted and rose on the right side and on the left, like an iron wall, so that israel passed through without danger. why was it? in order that so death might be made to serve life. divine power overcomes the assaults of satan. thus it was in paradise. satan purposed to slay all mankind by his venom. but what happens? by reason of the truly happy guilt of our first parents, as the church sings, it comes to pass that the son of god became incarnate to free us from evil. 87. this allegory, then, beautifully teaches, strengthens and consoles us, enabling us to fear neither death nor sin, but to despise all perils, giving thanks to god that he has so called and dealt with us that even death, the universal destroyer, is compelled to be a servant of life, just as the flood, an occasion of destruction to the rest of the world, was one of salvation for noah; and the red sea, when pharaoh met his doom, served to save the children of israel. 88. what has been here expressed, finds application to the subject of temptation in general, so that we learn to despise dangers and be hopeful even where no hope seems to remain. when death or any other danger is imminent, we should rise to meet it, saying: behold, here is my red sea; here is my flood, my baptism and my death. here my life--as the philosopher said of the sea-farers--is removed from death barely by a hand's breadth. but fear not; this danger is as a handful of water opposed to the flood of grace which is mine through the word. therefore death will not destroy me, but will lift me and bear me to life. death is so utterly incapable of destroying the christian, that it constitutes the very escape from death. for bodily death ushers in the emancipation of the spirit and the resurrection of the flesh. thus, noah in the flood was not borne by the earth, nor by trees, nor by mountains, but by the very flood which destroyed the total remainder of the human race. 89. well may the prophets often extol those wonderful works of god--the passage through the red sea, the exodus from egypt, and the like. for the sea, which by its nature can only devour and destroy, is forced to part and rise and protect the israelites, lest they be overwhelmed by its tides. that which in its very nature is wrath, becomes grace to the believer; that which in reality is death, becomes life. therefore, whatever calamity comes--and this life has it in infinite measure--to threaten our property and our lives, it will all become salvation and joy if we only are in the ark; that is, if by faith we lay hold of the promise made in christ. then even death, by which we are removed, must be turned into life, and the hell, which swallows us, into a way to heaven. 90. therefore peter says (1 pet 3, 21) that we are saved by the water in baptism, which was prefigured by the flood. the water which streams about us, or the plunge into it, is death, and yet from this death or plunge, life results by virtue of the ark of safety--the word of promise to which we cling. the inspired scriptures set forth this allegory, which is not only free from weaknesses but of service in every way, and worthy of our careful attention, since it offers wonderful consolation even in the utmost perils. 91. the fathers have added another allegory taken from the form and dimensions of the ark. the human body, measured from the top of the head to the sole of the foot, is six times as long as it is wide. now, the ark, which was fifty cubits wide, measured six times as much in length, namely 300 cubits. hence, they say, the ark typifies christ the man, in whom all promises center. therefore, those who believe in him are saved even in the midst of the flood, that is, in death itself. 92. this conception is both appropriate and beautiful; above all, it agrees with faith. though there may be a mistake in the application, the groundwork is strong and secure. there is no doubt that the holy spirit found various ways to illustrate the promises to be fulfilled in christ, and the wonderful counsel of salvation for mankind through faith in christ. hence, allegories of this nature, though lacking in aptness, are not necessarily wicked and a source of offense. 93. if one were to say the sun represents christ, while the moon represents the church, which receives its light by the grace of christ, he might possibly be mistaken in his choice of illustration, yet his error is based, not upon an erroneous, but upon a sure foundation. but when the pope declares the sun represents the papal authority, while the moon represents the emperor's, then not only the application is inapt and foolish, but the very foundation is evil. such allegories are not conceived and invented by the holy spirit, but by the devil, the spirit of lies. 94. allegories must have some application to the promises and the doctrine of faith if they are to comfort and strengthen the soul. peter's allegory teaches us this. because peter saw that noah was set free in the midst of death and that the ark was an instrument of life, the ark was rightly applied to typify christ. only divine power can save in the midst of death and lead unto life. the scriptures declare that to god belong the issues from death, (ps 68, 21), and he makes death the occasion, yea, even an aid to life. 95. this has given rise to expressions used in scripture, where afflictions and perils are likened to a cup that intoxicates. this is an apt and vivid figure of speech. so the passion of christ is called a draught from a brook (ps 110, 7), meaning that it is a medicinal draught or mixture, which, though bitter, is healing in its bitterness and gives life by causing death. such soothing words serve to console us that we may learn to despise death and other perils and meet them with greater readiness. 96. satan, also, has his cup; but it is sweet, and inebriates unto nausea. he who, attracted by its sweetness, drinks it, loses his life and dies the eternal death. such was the cup the babylonians drained, as the prophet has it (jer 25, 15-27). let us, therefore, accept the cup of salvation with thanksgiving, and, as paul declares of believers, rejoice in tribulation (rom 5, 3). 97. having explained this figure of the ark and the meaning of the flood according to the canonical scriptures, we will say something also about the other features of this story--about the raven which did not return, and the doves, the first of which returned because she found no resting-place for her foot, while the second brought back with her a twig from an olive tree, and the third did not return because the earth was no more covered by water. 98. in our treatise on the narrative proper, we stated that these things occurred to be a consolation for noah and his sons; to assure them that god's wrath had passed and that he was now pacified. the dove did not bring the olive branch of her own volition. she miraculously obeyed divine power. so the serpent in paradise spoke, not of its own volition, but through the inspiration of the devil, who had taken possession of it. as, on that occasion, the serpent, by the devil's prompting, spoke, with the result that man was led into sin, so, on this occasion, it was not its own volition or instinct which moved the dove to bring the olive branch, but the prompting of god, in order that noah might gain comfort from the pleasant sight. for the olive does not supply the dove with food; she prefers the several species of wheat or pease. 99. the incident of the dove, then, is a miraculous occurrence with a definite meaning. the prophets in their messages concerning the kingdom of christ, frequently make mention of doves (ps 68, 13) and (is 60, 8). solomon also in his song seems to mention the dove with particular pleasure. therefore, we should not despise the picture this allegory holds before us, but treat its truth skillfully and aptly. 100. the allegory of the raven, invented by the doctors, is well known. because ravens delight in eating dead bodies, they have been taken as a likeness of carnal men, who delight in carnal pleasures and indulge in them. the epicureans were an example. a very fair explanation but inadequate, because it is merely of that moral and philosophical sort which erasmus was in the habit of giving after the example of origen. 101. we must look for a theological explanation. in the first place, those moralists fail to observe that scripture commends the raven for not leaving the ark of his own will. he went out at the bidding of noah, to ascertain if the waters had ceased and if god's wrath was ended. the raven, however, did not return, neither did he become a messenger of happy omen. he remained without the ark, and, though he came and went, yet he did not suffer himself to be taken by noah. 102. in all these points the allegory fittingly typifies the ministry of the law. black, the color of the bird, is a token of sadness, and the sound of his voice is unpleasant. this is true of the teachers of the law, who teach justification by works. they are the ministers of death and sin, paul calling the ministry of the law a ministry of death, (2 cor 3, 6). the law is unto death (rom 7, 10). the law worketh wrath. (rom 4, 15.) the law entered that trespass might abound. (rom 5, 20). 103. and yet, moses was sent forth by god with the law, just as the raven was sent out by noah. it is god's will that mankind be taught morality and holiness of life, and that wrath and sure punishments be announced to all who transgress the law. nevertheless, such teachers are naught but ravens wandering aimlessly about the ark; nor do they have the certain assurance that god is pacified. 104. for, the law is a teaching of such character that it cannot assure, strengthen and console an uneasy conscience, but rather terrifies it, since it only teaches what god requires of us, what he wishes to be performed by us. our consciences bear witness against us that we not only have failed to carry out the will of god as set forth in the law, but that we have done the very contrary. 105. with all justice, therefore, we may say of the teachers of the law, in the words of psalms 5, 9: "there is no certainty in their mouth." our translation has it "there is no faithfulness in their mouth." their teaching at its best can only say: if you do this, if you do that, you will be saved. christ speaks ironically when he answers the scribe who had grandly set forth the doctrine of the law, by saying, "this do, and thou shalt live" (lk 10, 28). he shows the scribe that the doctrine is holy and good, but since we are corrupt, it follows that we are guilty, since we do not, and cannot, fulfil the law. 106. hence, we declare rightly that we are not justified by the works of the law. by the works of the law we mean, not the ceremonial commandments, but those highest commandments of all, to love god and our neighbor. the reason we are not justified is that we cannot keep the commandments. we have reason, however, to challenge the impudence of our opponents who set up the cry that we forbid good works and condemn the law of god because we deny that justification is by works. this would be true if we did not admit that the raven was sent forth from the ark by noah. but we do say that the raven was sent out from the ark. and this we deny, that it was not a raven, or that it was a dove. all the clamor, the abuse, the blasphemy of our opponents have no other purpose than to force us to declare that the raven was a dove. 107. but now examine their books and carefully consider their doctrine. is it anything but a doctrine of works? this is good, this is honorable, they say; this you must do; the other is dishonorable and wicked, hence you must not do it. on the strength of such teaching, they believe themselves to be true theologians and doctors. but let them show us the person who either has done or will do all those things, especially if you present, not only the second table of the law, as they do, but also the first one. 108. he who takes his stand upon this doctrine of the law, then, is truly nothing but a hearer. he does not learn anything except its demands. since such persons have no desire to learn anything further, it should suffice for them if they are given the poem of cato, or given esop, whom i consider a better teacher of morals. these two writers are profitable reading for young men. older persons should study cicero, who, to my astonishment, is considered by some as inferior to aristotle in the sphere of ethics. this would be a rational course of study. so far as imparting moral precepts is concerned, the good intentions and the assiduity of the heathen must be commended. yet they are inferior to moses. he sets forth not only morality, but also teaches the true worship of god. nevertheless, he who places his trust solely in moses has nothing but the raven wandering aimlessly about outside of the ark. of the dove and the olive branch, he has nothing. 109 the raven, then, represents not only the law given by god, but all laws and all philosophy which are the product of human reason and wisdom. they tell us no more than what ought to be done and do not provide the strength to do it. the judgment of christ is true: "when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants" (lk 17, 10). 110. true the raven is sent out. god desires the law to be taught. he reveals it from heaven; yea, he writes it upon the hearts of all men, as paul proves (rom 2, 15). from this inherent knowledge originated all writings of the saner philosophers, of esop, aristotle, plato, xenophon, cicero and cato. and these are not unfit to set before untrained and vicious persons, that their vile tendencies may be curbed to some extent. 111. if, however, you seek for peace of conscience and for certain hope of eternal life, such philosophers are like the raven, which wanders around the ark, finding no peace outside, but not looking for it within. paul says of the jews, "israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law" (rom 9, 31). the reason for this is in the fact that the law is like the raven; it is either the ministry of death and sin or it produces hypocrites. 112. now, let those who wish, follow out this allegory by studying the nature of the raven. it is an impure bird, of somber and funereal color, with a strong beak and a harsh, shrill voice. it scents dead bodies from a great distance, and therefore men fear its voice as a certain augury of an impending death. it feeds upon carrion and enjoys localities made foul by public executions. 113. though i would not apply each and every one of these characteristics to the law, yet who does not see how well they fit the servants of the pope, the mass-priests and the monks, who were not only richly fed upon the slaughter of consciences by their false doctrines, but also used the dead bodies to obtain their livelihood, since they made a paying business out of their vigils, their anniversaries, their purifying water used in burials, and even of purgatory itself. and surely, this devotion to the dead was more profitable to them than their care of the living. truly, then, they are ravens, feeding on corpses and sitting upon them with wild cries. not only may the popish priests be fitly likened to the ravens, but indeed the whole ministry of the papacy, where it is at its best, does nothing but to gash and murder consciences. it does not show the way to true righteousness, but merely makes hypocrites, as does the law. 114. among other crimes of false prophets, ezekiel enumerates (ch 13, 19) the fact that, for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, they slay souls that should not die, and save the souls alive that should not live. this is true of these ravens, the teachers of the law. they call those righteous who live according to the letter of the law, and yet these are the very souls which do not live. on the other hand, they condemn those who violate their traditions, just as the pharisees condemned the disciples when they plucked ears of corn, when they did not wash their hands and when they failed to fast. this is an outcry, fierce and dismal, reminding us of ravens which sit upon corpses. 115. when cursing a wicked person, the greeks said, "to the ravens!" similarly, the germans use the expression, "may the ravens devour you." if we make this curse an element of the allegory, its serious character becomes evident. for what is more deplorably disastrous than to have teachers, the outcome of whose best teaching is death, and who ensnare the conscience with difficulties that cannot be disentangled? though some say this allegory of the raven is inaptly applied to the priesthood, it is true nevertheless and agrees with the fundamental truth, and it is not only most apt, but very profitable for instruction. 116. on the other hand, the incident of the dove is a most delightful picture of the gospel, especially if you carefully consider the characteristics of the dove. ten of these are usually enumerated: 1. it is without guile. 2. it does not harm with its mouth. 3. it does not harm with its claws. 4. it gathers pure grains. 5. it nourishes the young of others. 6. its song is a sigh. 7. it abides by the waters. 8. it flies in flocks. 9. it nests in safe places. 10. its flight is swift. these ten characteristics have been set forth in six verses, as follows: free from guile is the dove; the bite of her beak does not injure; wounds her claws do not strike; pure is the grain that she eats. frequent and swift is her flight to shining courses of water. list to her voice, and lo! sighs you will hear but no song! other nestlings she rears; in swarms she flies through the ether. safe is the place and high where she prepares her abode. 117. the new testament tells us the holy spirit appeared in the form of a dove (mt 3, 16). hence, we are justified in using the dove as an allegory of the ministry of grace. 118. moses implies that the dove did not fly aimlessly about the ark, as did the raven, but having been sent out and finding no place to rest, it returned to the ark and was seized by noah. 119. this dove is a picture of the holy prophets sent to teach the people; but the flood, that is, the time of the law, had not yet passed away. thus david, elias, isaiah, though they did not live to see the time of the new testament, were yet sent as messengers with the tidings that the flood would eventually be brought to an end, though that time was at a distance. having delivered their message, they returned to the ark; that is, they were justified and saved without the law, by faith in the blessed seed, in which they believed and for which they longed. 120. after this, another dove was sent forth, which found the earth dried, and not only the mountains, but also the trees, standing free from water. but she alighted upon an olive tree, plucked a branch, and brought it back to noah. 121. the allegorical meaning of this incident is interpreted by the scriptures. the olive tree is very often used as a symbol of grace, of mercy or of forgiveness of sins. the dove brings the branch in her beak, thus typifying the outward ministry, or the spoken word. for the holy spirit does not teach by new revelations aside from the ministry of the word, as the enthusiasts and anabaptists, those truly fanatical teachers, dream. it was the will of god that a branch from a living olive tree should be carried to noah in the mouth of the bird, to teach that in the new testament, the time of the flood or anger being past, god desires to set his mercy before the world by the spoken word. 122. the messengers of this word are doves; that is, sincere men, without guile, and filled with the holy spirit. isaiah 60, 8, likens ministers of the gospel or of grace to doves which fly to their windows. and, though christ commands them to imitate the harmlessness of doves, mt 10, 16, meaning that they should be sincere and free from venom, yet, he admonishes them to be wise like serpents; that is, they should be wary of false and cunning people, and cautious like the serpent, which is said to shield its head with special skill in a fight. 123. the green freshness of the olive branch, also, is a type of the word of the gospel, which endureth forever and is never without fruit. psalms 1, 3 likens those who study the word to a tree, the leaves of which do not wither. we heard nothing like this above concerning the raven, which flew to and fro near the ark. this second dove which was sent forth is a type of the new testament, where grace and the forgiveness of sins are promised openly through the sacrifice of christ. this is why the holy spirit chose to appear in the form of a dove in the new testament. 124. the third dove did not return. after the fulfilment of the promise given the whole world through the mouth of the dove, no new teaching is to be looked for, but we simply await the revelation of those things which we believe. herein is certain testimony for us that the gospel will endure unto the end of the world. 125. the text, furthermore, specifies the time noah waited after he had first sent forth a dove, namely, seven days. these seven days typify the time of the law which, of necessity, preceded the period of the new testament. 126. we read, likewise, that the second dove returned at dusk, carrying the olive branch. to the gospel the last age of the world has been assigned. nor should we look for another kind of doctrine, for it is to an evening meal that christ compared the gospel (mt 22, 2; lk 14, 16). 127. true, the doctrine of the gospel has been in the world since the fall of our first parents, and the lord confirmed this promise to the patriarchs by various signs. the first ages knew nothing of the rainbow, nor of circumcision, nor of other signs afterward ordained by god. but all ages have known of the blessed seed. since it has been revealed, there remains nothing else than the revelation of that which we believe. with the third dove, we shall fly away to that other life, never to return to the life here, so wretched and so full of grief. 128. these are my thoughts concerning this allegory. i have set them forth briefly, for we must not tarry with them as we do with historical narratives and articles of faith. 129. origen, jerome, augustine, and bernard seek diligently for allegories. but this practice has one drawback. the more attention they direct to allegories, the more do they draw it away from the facts of sacred history and from faith, to the exclusion of these more important things. allegories should be employed for the purpose of inducing and increasing, of explaining and strengthening, that faith of which all the stories treat. it is not to be wondered at, that persons who do not seek faith in the stories of the bible, look for the region of allegorical shades as a pleasant playground in which to stroll about. 130. just as in the popish church false and unscriptural words are rendered in sweet music, so learned men have too often spoiled the good meaning of a bible story, which contains a useful lesson of faith, by their childish allegories. 131. i have often spoken of the kind of theology that prevailed when i began to study. its advocates said that the letter killeth (2 cor 3, 6). therefore i disliked lyra most of all interpreters, because he followed the literal meaning so carefully. but now i prefer him, for this very reason, to all interpreters of scripture. 132. i advise you as strongly as i can to fully appreciate the great value of the bible history. but whenever you wish to employ allegory, take pains to follow the analogy of faith; that is, make the allegory agree with christ, with the church, with faith, with the ministry of the gospel. if constructed in this manner, allegories will not go astray from faith, even though they may not be genuine in every point. this foundation shall remain firm, while the stubble perishes. but let us return to our story. iv. noah and his fall. a. noah. 1. noah's character before the flood 133. 2. noah's character after the flood 134. 3. way noah executed his office as bishop 135. 4. way he executed his office as a civil ruler 136. iv. noah and his fall. a. noah. vs. 20-22. _and noah began to be a husbandman, and planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. and ham, the father of canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without._ 133. what manner of man noah was during the flood, is shown sufficiently by the story of the flood itself. what manner of man he had been before the flood, is shown by moses' declaration that he was righteous and perfect. great as this man was, we hear nothing else about him, except that his wonderful and almost incredible continence is faintly suggested and commended by the statement that he begat his first born when five hundred years of age. this very fact shows that human nature was by far stronger in its integrity at that time, and that the holy spirit held more perfect sway in the holy men of the early world than he does in us who are, as it were, the dregs and the remnants of the world's production. it surely was a commendatory record for noah to be accorded righteous and perfect before god; that is, full of faith and of the holy spirit, adorned with chastity and all good works, pure in worship and religion, suffering many temptations from the devil, the world, and himself, all which he overcame triumphantly. such was noah before the flood. 134. of his life after the flood, moses tells us very little. but is it not apparent that so noble a man, living for about 350 years after the flood, could not be idle, but must have been busy with the government of the church, which he alone established and ruled? 135. first of all, then, he performed the duties of a bishop. beset with various temptations, his foremost endeavor was to resist the devil, to console the troubled ones, to bring back the erring to the true way, to strengthen the doubting, to cheer souls in despair, to exclude from his church the impenitent, and to receive back with fatherly gladness the repentant. for, these are the duties a bishop must perform through the ministry of the word. 136. moreover, he had civil duties in establishing forms of government and in making laws, without which human passions cannot be held in check. to this was added the rule of his own household, or the care of his home. b. noah's fall. 1. why moses omitted many important things about noah and related his fall 137-138. 2. lyra tries to excuse noah's fall 139. 3. noah's fall cannot be excused 140-141. 4. his fall caused a great scandal 142. 5. ham scandalized himself through it 142-143. a. real root of this scandal 144. b. thereby noah greatly sinned 145ff. * original sin develops presumptuous people 146-148. c. this scandal reveals satan's bitterest enmity against god's church 149. * papists are ham's disciples 150. * david's enemies rejoiced over his fall 151. 6. to what end should noah's fall serve us 152-154. * the godless are not worthy to see god's glory in believers 155. * why we should not be vexed at the infirmities of believers 156-157. 7. the conduct of shem and japheth in this connection 158-173. a. they still honored their father, though they approved not his deed 158. * origin of outward sin 159. * how to avoid offense 160-162. * luther aware of his own infirmities 163. * attitude of the opponents of the word to true preachers 164. * why moses never mentioned many great events in noah's life, and thought of his fall 165-166. b. how the sons covered their father's shame 167. c. herein they had regard for god's will and were therefore pleasing to god 168. * ham's scandal. (1) it was a wilful and grievous sin 168-169. (2) the lesson we may learn from it 170. (3) reward of this scandalous deed, and why canaan is here mentioned 172-173. b. noah's fall. 137. though reason tells us that noah was burdened with these manifold duties after the flood, yet moses does not mention them. it appears to him sufficient to confine his remarks to the statement that noah began to plant a vineyard, and that he lay in his tent drunken and naked. this, surely, is a foolish and very useless tale in comparison with the many praiseworthy acts he must have performed in the course of so many years. other things might have been recorded for edification and for teaching righteousness of life. but this story even seems to endorse an offense, by abetting drunkards and those who sin in drunkenness. 138. the purpose of the holy spirit, however, is apparent from what we have said. it is to console by this record of the great sins committed by the holiest and most perfect patriarchs those righteous persons who are discouraged by the knowledge of their own weakness and are, therefore, cast down. in them we are to find proofs of our own shortcomings, that we may come to humble confession and, at the same time, seek and hope for forgiveness. this is the real and theologically true reason why the holy spirit records, rather than seemingly more important matters, the great fall of this grand man. 139. lyra states as excuse for noah that he knew not the power of wine and was deceived into drinking a little too freely. whether wine had been known before or whether noah began to cultivate it by his own skill and by divine suggestion, i know not, but i believe that noah knew the nature of this produce quite well, and that he had often made use of wine in company with his family, partly for his own person and partly also in his offerings or libations. i think that in making use of wine for his own refreshment, he partook of it too freely. 140. his action i excuse in no way. should anyone want to do so, there would be weightier arguments than those lyra uses. according to him this aged man, tired out by the great number of his daily duties and cares, had been overpowered by the wine although he was already used to it. for wine overcomes more easily those who are either exhausted by much work or burdened with age. persons of mature age, on the other hand, and such of care-free mind, can drink considerable quantities of wine without greatly impairing their reason. 141. but he who makes this excuse for the patriarch, wilfully casts aside that consolation which the holy spirit considered needful for the church, that even the greatest saints sometimes fall into sin. 142. transgression like this may seem to be slight, yet it causes great offense. not only is ham offended, but also the other brother, possibly also their wives. and we must not imagine that ham was a boy of seven years. having been born when noah was five hundred years old, he had reached an age of at least one hundred years and had one or two children of his own. 143. hence, it was not boyish thoughtlessness which caused ham to laugh at his father, as boys will do when surrounding a drunken rustic in the street and making sport of him. he was truly offended by his father's sin and thought himself to be more righteous, holy and religious than his father. noah's deed was an offense not only in appearance, but in very truth, since ham was so far tempted by the knowledge of it that he passed judgment upon noah, and found in such sin an occasion for mirth. 144. if we wish to judge ham's sin aright, we must take into account original sin, that is, the wickedness of the heart. this son would never have derided his father for being overcome by wine had he not first dismissed from his soul that reverence and esteem which god's commandment requires children to cherish toward their parents. 145. noah had been considered a fool before the flood, by the majority of mankind, and had been condemned as a false teacher and despised as a man of wild ideas. now he is laughed at by his son as a fool, and condemned as a sinner. noah was sole governor of the church and state, and ruled his own household with tireless care and labor. he had doubtless therein offended the proud and haughty spirit of his son in many ways. but the depravity of his heart which now, that the father's sin had become manifest, leaped to the surface, had so far been successfully concealed. 146. when we consider the source of ham's sin, its hideousness first appears in its true light. one never becomes an adulterer or commits murder until he has first cast out of his heart the fear of god. a pupil does not rebel against his teacher unless he has first lost due reverence for that teacher. the fourteenth psalm, verse 2, says that jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and that did seek after god. when he saw there was none he adds there was none who did good; that they had all become worthless, sinning tongues, sinning with their hands, fearing where there was no need of fear, and the like. 147. so ham, in his own estimation, was wise and holy. in his judgment his father had often acted unrighteously or foolishly. his attitude discloses a heart that despised, not only the parent, but also the divine commandment. hence, nothing remains for the evil-minded son but to grasp an opportunity for obtaining evidence to betray his father's foolishness. he does not laugh at his drunken father as a boy would, nor does he call his brethren merely that they may look upon a laughable spectacle. he means that this shall be open proof that god has withdrawn from his father and has accepted himself. therefore, he takes delight in disclosing his father's sin to others. as i said before, ham was not a boy of seven years, but had reached the age of at least one hundred. 148. original sin shows its depraving tendency in that it makes men arrogant, haughty and conceited. paul admonishes in romans 12, 3, to think of one's self soberly, "according as god hath dealt to each man a measure of faith." but, original sin does not permit ham to occupy this lowly level; hence, he presumes to go beyond his station in passing judgment upon his father. 149. we observe the same attitude in absalom. before he stirs up a rebellion against david, his father, he passes unrighteous judgment upon david's government. this dissatisfaction with his father's rule was afterward followed by unconcealed contempt and open violence, with david's destruction as the object. ham's heart being full of poison which he had gathered from his father as a spider gathers poison from the fairest rose, precisely such a result had to follow. 150. these examples serve to call our attention to the battle waged from the beginning of the world between the church and satan with his followers, the hypocrites, or false brethren. this deed of ham must not be looked upon as a result of boyish love of pranks, but of satan's most bitter enmity, wherewith he inflames his followers against the church. particularly does he incite them against those in the ministry, leading them to close watch at all times for material available for purposes of slander. the papists at present have no other business than to watch our conversation for the purpose of slander. whenever we fall into human error (for we are truly weak and are beset by our failings), they seize upon our moral uncleanness, like famished swine, and find great delight in publishing and betraying our weaknesses, like ham the accursed. they truly hunger and thirst after our offenses. although by god's grace they cannot fasten adultery, murder or like errors upon us, unless by their own fabrication (this shameless class of people abhor no kind of lie), yet they gather up smaller matters, which they afterward exaggerate to the public. 151. david's experience is well known. he was surrounded on all sides by enemies who eagerly sought out every opportunity for persecution. they were envious because he had been called to the throne by god; hence, they triumphed over his horrible fall. 152. his case, however, serves for our instruction. god sometimes permits even righteous and holy men to stumble and fall into offenses, either really or apparently, and we must take heed lest we pass judgment at once, after the example of ham, who, having secretly despised his father long before, now does so openly. he declared that his parent, being imbecile by age, had clearly been deserted by the holy spirit, since he was unable to guard against drunkenness, though the government of the church, state, and household lay upon his shoulders. o wretched ham, how happy art thou, having found at last what thou soughtest--poison in a most delightful rose! 153. everlasting praises and blessings be given to god, whose dealings with his saints are wonderful indeed. while he permits them to be weak and to fall, to be overwhelmed with disgrace and offenses, and while the world judges and condemns them, he forgives them their weaknesses and has compassion upon them; whereas he delivers into satan's hands those who regard themselves angels, and utterly rejects them. the first lesson of this story is that godly persons have the needed consolation against their infirmities when they see that even the holiest men sometimes fell most disgracefully by reason of similar infirmities. 154. in the second place, the case of ham is a fearful example of divine judgment, to teach us by ham's experience not to condemn at once, even when we see rulers of state, church, or household--such as our parents--fall into error and sin. who can tell why god so permits? such sins must not be excused, yet we see that they are of value for the consolation of the pious. they teach us that god can bear with the errors and sins of his people and that even we, when beset with sins, may trust in the mercy of god and need not lose heart. 155. but what is medicine for the righteous, is poison for the wicked. the latter do not seek to be taught and comforted by god. their unworthiness prevents them from recognizing his glory in the saints. they see nothing but the stumbling block and the snare, with the result that they fall and are left to perish alone. 156. let us, therefore, truly respect those in authority over us. if they fall, we must not be offended. we must remember that they are human, and that god's ways are wonderful in his saints, because it is his will that the wicked shall be offended and provoked. thus moses threatens the jews: "i will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation" (deut 32, 21). because, during the whole period of the kingdom, they refused to hear the prophets, god gave the offense of casting away a wise and religious people, which had the promises and was descended from the patriarchs. in its place, he chose the filth and dregs of the world, a foolish people; that is, it was without piety, without religion, without worship, without that divine wisdom which is his word. this offense roused the jews to insane anger. 157. this will be the lot of the papists. some great offense shall be given them by god against which they shall find themselves helpless, and thus they shall come to grief like ham. renouncing the reverence due both to god and his father, in deeming himself more capable of ruling the church than noah, in secretly deriding or censuring his parent, he finally presents the spectacle of disclosing his wicked and irreverent attitude before others. 158. the two other brothers, shem and japheth, did not follow ham's wicked example. while conscious of the scandalous fact that their father was drunk and lay in shameless nakedness like a little boy,--while recognizing that this ill became the ruler of church and state, they remained mindful of the reverence due a parent. they gulped down the offense given; they hid the offense and gave it a worthier aspect, so to speak, by covering their father with a garment, approaching him with eyes averted. they would have been incapable of this fine outward expression of reverence for their father, had they not occupied a correct attitude toward god in their hearts and believed their father to be both priest and ruler by right divine. 159. it is a fearful example, this one of ham. though one of the few saved during the flood, he forgets all piety. it is profitable to carefully consider how he came to fall. outward sins must first be committed in our minds; that is, before sins are visibly committed, the heart first departs from the word and from the fear of god. it neither knows god nor seeks after him, as we read in psalms 14, 2. as soon as the heart begins to set aside the word, and to despise the ministers and prophets of god, ambition and pride follow. those who stand in the way of our desires are overborne by hatred and slander, until finally insolent speech ends in murder. 160. those who are to become rulers of church or state, should daily pray earnestly to god that they may remain humble. it is the object of stories of this character to set this duty before us, for it is evident what occasioned ham's frightful fall. 161. if, then, the saints fall into sin, let us not be offended. much less should we rejoice over the weakness of others, haughtily esteeming ourselves braver, wiser, or holier than they. let us rather endure and cover up, and even put a good construction upon and excuse such errors in so far as we can, remembering that perhaps tomorrow we may suffer what happened to them today. for we all constitute a unit, being born of the same flesh. let us then heed the advice of paul, "let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall" (1 cor 10, 12). in this way the other two brothers looked upon their drunken father. their thoughts were these: behold, our father has fallen. but god is wonderful in his dealing with saints, whom he sometimes permits to fall for our instruction, that we may not despair when afflicted by kindred infirmity. 162. let us imitate their wisdom! the sins of others give us no right to judge them. before their own master they stand or fall (rom 14, 4). furthermore, if the downfall of others displease us (since, in truth, many acts neither can nor ought to be excused), let us be so much the more careful lest something like it overtake ourselves. let us not sit in proud and haughty judgment, for this is original sin in all its corruption: to lay claim to exceptional wisdom and to hunt for the moral lapses of others in order to gain the reputation of righteousness for ourselves. 163. we truly are weak sinners and must freely confess, being human, that our conversation is not always free from offense. but while we share this weakness with our enemies, we nevertheless do our duty diligently, by spreading god's word, by teaching the churches, by bettering the evil, by urging the right, by consoling the weak, by chiding the stubborn, and, in brief, by doing whatever duty god lays upon us. 164. on the other hand since our adversaries strive after nothing but hypocrisy and an outward show of holiness, so they add to the frailty which they have in common with us, the most grievous sins, because they do not follow their calling, but concern themselves with their honors and emoluments. they neglect the churches and suffer them to miserably decay. they condemn the true doctrine and teach idolatry. in short, in public life they are wise, but in their own sphere they are utterly foolish. this is the most destructive evil in the church. 165. this is the first part of the story, and, in the preparation of his record, moses has confined himself to the same. it is certain that noah was a righteous man, gifted with many heroic virtues, and that he accomplished most important things both for the church and for the state. it is not possible either to establish political communities or to found churches except by diligent effort. life, in both these manifestations (i will say nothing of the management of the home) is beset with many dangers; for satan, a liar and murderer, is the most relentless enemy of church and state. 166. but moses passes by all these achievements, not so much as alluding to them. he records but this one circumstance--that noah became drunk and was scoffed at by his youngest son. he intended it as a valuable example, teaching pious souls to trust in god's mercy. on the other hand, the proud, the lovers of cant, the sanctimonious, the wise-acres,--let them learn to fear god and beware of passing a reckless judgment upon others! as manasseh the king declares, god displays in his saints both his wonders and his terrors "against wicked and sinful men." this is illustrated in the case of ham, who did not now first come to his downfall but had cherished this hate against his father for a long time, afterward to fill the world with idolatry. vs. 23-27. _and shem and japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. and noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done unto him. and he said, cursed be canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren._ 167. it is truly a beautiful and memorable example of respect to a father which moses records in this passage. the sons might without sin have approached their father and covered him, while turning their faces toward him. what sin should it be if one, happening upon a nude person, should see what is before him without his will? still the two sons do not do this. when they heard from their haughty and mocking brother what had happened to their father, they laid a garment upon both their shoulders, entered the tent with faces turned away (how admirable!), and lowering the garment backward, covered their father. 168. who can fail to observe here the thoughtfulness of the will and word of god, and reverence before the majesty of fatherhood, which god requires to be honored, not despised or mocked by children? god seems to approve this reverence and accept it as a most pleasing offering and the very noblest worship and obedience. but his utmost hatred rests upon ham, who might have seen without sin what he saw, since it came to his view by chance, if only he had covered it up, if only he had remained silent about it, if only he had not shown himself to be pleased by the sin of his father. but he who despised god, the word, and the order established by god, not only failed to cover his father with a garment, but even derided him and left him naked. 169. in describing the act of the two brothers moses emphasizes the malice of ham, who was filled with violent and satanic hatred against his father. who of us, on finding a stranger lying by the wayside drunk and nude, would not at least cover him with his own coat to forestall disgrace? how much greater the demand in this case of a father! ham, however, fails to do for his father, the highest ruler of the world, what common humanity teaches us to do for strangers. moreover he publishes the circumstance joyfully, insulting his drunken father and making the sin of his father known to his brothers as if he had a piece of good news. 170. moses, therefore, sets ham before us as a fearful example, to be carefully taught in the churches, in order that young people may learn to respect their elders, rulers, and parents. not on account of noah, not on account of ham, but on account of those to come--on our account--is this story written, and ham, with his contempt for god and father, pictured in most repulsive colors. 171. also the punishment of this wickedness is carefully set before us. noah, looked upon by his son as a foolish, insane, and ridiculous old man, now steps forth in the majesty of a prophet, to announce to his son a divine revelation of future events. truly does paul declare that "power is made perfect in weakness" (2 cor 12, 9); for the certainty characterizing noah's utterance is proof that he was filled with the holy spirit, notwithstanding that his son had mocked and despised him as one utterly deserted by the holy spirit. 172. i will not attempt here to settle the question above referred to (ch 5, â§95) concerning the order of the sons of noah, as to which of them was the first-born and which the youngest. a point more worthy of our attention is the fact that the holy spirit is so filled with strong wrath against that disobedient and scornful son that he does not even choose to call him by his own name, but calls him canaan after the name of his son. some say that, because god had desired to save ham in the ark as one under his blessing the same as the others, he had no wish to curse him, but cursed canaan instead, a curse which, nevertheless, could not but recoil upon ham who had provoked it. thus ham's name perishes here, since the holy spirit hates it, whose hatred is, indeed, a serious hatred. we read in the psalm, "i hate them with perfect hatred" (ps 139, 22). when the holy spirit exercises his wrath, eternal death must follow. 173. although ham had sinned against his father in many ways, it is remarkable that the fruit of the first sin and the devil's malice did not become manifest until the father lay drunk and bare. when, with this sin, the previous ones had attained to fullness of power and growth, the holy spirit condemned him, and, as a warning to others, also announced the infliction of impending, endless servitude. v. 26. _and he said, blessed be jehovah, the god of shem; and let canaan be his servant._ these are two sublime prophecies, worthy of close attention. they have significance in our time, though they were grossly garbled by the jews. the jews observe that ham is cursed thrice; this fact they wrest to the glory of their own nation, promising themselves worldly dominion. v. ham cursed; shem and japheth blessed. a. the curse pronounced upon ham 174-188. 1. why ham was thrice cursed 174. * disrespect of parents, pastors and authority signs of approaching misfortune 175. 2. way ham disregarded the curse 176. 3. why ham disregarded the curse 177-178. 4. ham's temporal prosperity continued with his curse 179-181. * faith alone grasps god's threatenings and promises 180-181. * reason god postpones punishment and reward 181-182. * the papal church is not the true church 183. * believers have comfort in their tribulations 184-185. * the pious have their kingdom here in faith 186. 5. from this curse it is clear noah was enlightened by the holy spirit 187. * were all ham's descendents cursed? 188. b. blessing pronounced upon shem 189-191. 1. this is an exceedingly great blessing 189. 2. why is it clothed in praise to god 190. 3. this blessing proves that noah possessed a precious light 191. c. blessing pronounced upon japheth 192-224. 1. why the form of japheth's blessing differed from that of shem's 192. 2. herein lies a special secret 193. 3. the jews' false interpretation of this blessing 194. 4. relation of these two blessings to each other 195. * the jews' false notion about shem's blessing 196. 5. the order in which these blessings are enjoyed 197-198. * the form god's church takes in this world 199. * divine promises and threatenings to be understood in a spiritual sense 199-200. * ham and cain resemble one another in their positions and works 201. * the turk and the pope. a. what strengthens them in their opposition to the true church 202. * how a christian should conduct himself in times of misfortunes 203. b. the power and advantages of the turk and pope of no avail 204. c. attitude of church members to their pride 205-206. * why ham's name was not mentioned when he was cursed 207-208. 6. the word dilatet the latins use in explaining japheth's blessing 209-210. a. it is not in harmony with the hebrew 209-210. b. why all latin interpreters use it 211. c. it does not fully express the sense of the holy spirit 212. d. what explanation should be given here 213-215. 7. all descendents of japheth partake of this blessing through the gospel 216-217. 8. translations of latin interpreters of this blessing are to be harmonized with the original text 218-219. * ham's name 220-221. a. its meaning and reason his parents gave it to him 220. b. the hope of his parents in this name disappointed 221. 9. it is ascribed to this promise that germany in these last days received the light of the gospel 222. * abraham had noah as his teacher 223. * the temporal prosperity of ham's family, and their wickedness 224. v. ham cursed; shem and japheth blessed. a. the curse pronounced upon ham. 174. but there is another reason for this repeatedly uttered curse. god cannot forget such great irreverence toward parents, nor does he suffer it to go unpunished. he requires that parents and rulers be regarded with reverence. he requires that elders be honored, commanding that one shall rise up before a hoary head (lev 19, 32). and, speaking of ministers of the word, he says, "he that despiseth you, despiseth me" (mt 10, 40; lk 10, 16). 175. hence disobedience of parents is a sure indication that curse and disaster are close at hand. likewise is contempt of ministers and of rulers punished. when the people of the primitive world began to deride the patriarchs and to hold their authority in contempt, the flood followed. when, among the people of judah, the child began to behave himself proudly against the old man, as isaiah has it (ch 3, 5), jerusalem was laid waste and judah went down. such corruption of morals is a certain sign of impending evil. we justly fear for germany a like fate when we look upon the prevailing disrespect for authority. 176. let us, however, bear witness of a practice to which both holy writ and our experience testify. because god delays the threatened punishment he is mocked and considered a liar. in this practice we should see the seal, as it were, to every prophecy. ham hears that he is accursed; but inasmuch as the curse does not go into immediate effect, he securely despises and derides the same. 177. thus did the first world hold noah's prophecy in ridicule when he spoke of the flood. had they believed that such a punishment was close at hand, would they have gone on in a feeling of security? would they not rather have repented and begun a better life? if ham had believed that to be true which he heard from his father, he would have sought refuge in mercy and, confessing his crime, craved forgiveness. but he did neither; rather did he haughtily leave his father, to go to babylon. there, with his posterity, he gave himself up to the building of a city and of a tower, and made himself lord of all greater asia. 178. what is the reason for this feeling of security? it lies in the fact that divine prophecies must be believed; they cannot be perceived by our senses, or by experience. this is true both of divine promises and of divine threats. therefore the opposite always seems to the flesh to be true. 179. ham is cursed by his father; but he lays hold upon the greater portion of the earth and establishes vast kingdoms. on the other hand, shem and japheth are blessed, but in comparison with ham, they and their posterity are beggarly. where then are we to seek the truth of this prophecy? i answer: this prophecy and all others, whether they be promises or threats, cannot be understood by reason, but by faith alone. god delays both punishments and rewards; hence there is need of endurance. for "he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved," as christ says (mt 24, 13). 180. the life of all pious people is wholly of faith and hope. the evidence of our senses, history, and the way of the world, would teach us the opposite. ham is cursed, yet he alone obtains dominion. shem and japheth are blessed, yet they alone bear reproach and affliction. since both the promises and the threats of god reach out into the future, the issue must be awaited in faith. habakkuk says (ch 2, 3), "it will surely come, it will not delay." 181. great is the wrath of the holy spirit which here prompts him to say of ham, "a servant of servants shall he be;" that is, the lowest and vilest of slaves. but if you let history speak, you will see ham rule in canaan, whereas abraham, isaac, and jacob, and others who followed, and had the blessing, lived like servants among the canaanites. the egyptians are ham's offspring, and how cruel was the servitude israel suffered there! 182. how, then, was it true that ham was cursed and shem was blessed? in this way: the fulfillment of the promise and of the threat was in the future. this delay is ordained in order that the wicked may fill their measure of sin and may not be able to accuse god of having given them no room for repentance. on the other hand, when the righteous suffer at the hands of the unrighteous and become the servants of servants, they undergo such trial and discipline for the purpose of increasing in faith and in love toward god; so that, trained in manifold vexations and tribulations, they may attain the promise. when the time was fulfilled, the might of ham's posterity was not great enough to withstand the posterity of shem. then, indeed, was fulfilled that curse which ham and his posterity had so long despised and disbelieved. 183. it is much the same with us today. we have the true doctrine and the true worship. hence we can boast that we are the true church, having the promise of spiritual blessings in christ. as the pope's church condemns our doctrine, we know her to be not the church of christ but of satan, and truly, like ham, a "servant of servants." and yet anyone may see that the pope rules, while we are servants and the off-scouring, as paul says (1 cor 4, 12). 184. what, then, shall we poor, oppressed people do? we are to comfort our souls meanwhile with our spiritual dominion. we know we have forgiveness of sins and a gracious god, through christ, until also temporal freedom shall be vouchsafed on the last day. and we are not without traces of temporal freedom even in this life; for while tyrants stubbornly oppose the gospel, they are cut off from the earth, root and branch. 185. so was the roman empire destroyed after all the other world-powers perished; but god's word and church remain forever. likewise, christ weakens the pope's power, little by little; but that he may be utterly removed and become a servant of servants with wicked ham is a matter for faith to await. ham is shut out from the kingdom of god and possesses the kingdoms of the world for a time, just as the pope is shut out from the church of god and holds temporal dominion for a time. but his dominion shall vanish. 186. the divine law and order is that the righteous have dominion, but by faith, being satisfied with such spiritual blessing as a gracious god and the certain hope of the heavenly kingdom. meanwhile, we leave possession of the kingdoms of the world to the wicked until god shall scatter also their worldly power, and, through christ, make us heirs of all things. 187. furthermore, we learn from this prophecy that noah, by a special illumination of the holy spirit, was enabled to see, in the first place, that his posterity would remain forever, and in the second place, that the family of ham, though they were to be rulers for a time, would perish at last and above all would lose the spiritual blessing. 188. however, the explanation given above (ch 4, â§182) with reference to the descendants of cain, applies also here. i do not entertain the opinion that the offspring of ham were doomed, without exception. some found salvation by being converted to faith, but such salvation was not due to a definite promise but to uncovenanted grace, so to speak. likewise the gibeonites and others were saved when the children of israel occupied the land of canaan. job, naaman the syrian, the people of nineveh, the widow of zarephath, and others from the heathen were saved, not by virtue of a promise, but by uncovenanted grace. b. blessing pronounced upon shem. 189. but why does noah not say, "blessed be shem," instead of, "blessed be jehovah, the god of shem"? i answer that it is because of the magnitude of the blessing. the reference here is not to a temporal blessing, but to the future blessing through the promised seed. he sees this blessing to be so great that he cannot express it; hence, he turns to thanksgiving. it seems that zacharias was thinking of this very passage when he said, for a similar reason, "blessed be the lord, the god of israel" (lk 1, 68). 190. noah's blessing takes the form of thanksgiving unto god. god, he says, is blessed, who is the god of shem. in other words: it is needless for me to extend my blessing over shem, who has been blessed before with spiritual blessing; he already is a child of god, and from him the church will be continued, as it was continued from seth before the flood. full of wonderful meaning is the fact that noah joins god with shem, his son, and, as it were, unites them. 191. noah's heart must have been divinely illumined since he makes such a distinction between his sons, rejecting ham with his posterity and placing shem in line with the saints and the church because the spiritual blessing, given in paradise concerning the seed, would rest upon him. therefore, this holy man blesses god and gives thanks unto him. c. blessing pronounced upon japheth. v. 27. _god enlarge japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of shem; and let canaan be his servant._ 192. this prophecy is wonderful for the aptness of each single word. noah did not bless shem, but the god of shem, by way of giving thanks to god for having embraced shem and having adorned him with a spiritual promise, or the blessing of the woman's seed. but when he mentions japheth he does not employ the same manner of speaking as in the case of shem. his words are chosen for the purpose of showing the mystery of which paul speaks (rom 11, 11) and christ (jn 4, 22), that salvation is from the jews and yet the gentiles also became partakers of this salvation. shem alone is the true root and stem, yet the heathen are grafted upon this stem, as a foreign branch, and become partakers of the fatness and the sap which are in the chosen tree. 193. noah, seeing this through the holy spirit, predicts, in dim allusions but correctly, that christ's kingdom is to spread in the world from the root of shem, and not from that of japheth. 194. the jews prate that japheth stands for the neighboring nations around jerusalem which were admitted to the temple and its worship. but noah makes little ado about the temple of jerusalem, or the tabernacle of moses; his words refer to greater matters. he treats of the three patriarchs who are to replenish the earth. while he affirms of japheth that he does not belong to the root of the people of god which possesses the promise of the christ, he declares that he shall be incorporated through the call of the gospel into the fellowship of that people which has god and the promises. 195. here, then, we have a picture of the church of the gentiles and of the jews. ham, being wicked, is not admitted to the spiritual blessing of the seed, except as it happens by uncovenanted grace. to japheth, however, though he has not the promise of the seed, like shem, the hope is nevertheless given that he will, at some future time, be taken into the fellowship of the church. thus we gentiles, being sons of japheth, have no direct promise, indeed, and yet we are included in the promise given to the jews, since we are predestined to the fellowship of the holy people of god. these matters are here recorded, not for shem and japheth so much as for their posterity. 196. we learn why the jews are so haughty and boastful. they see that shem, their father, alone has the promise of eternal blessing, which is given through christ. so far, so good. but when they believe that the promise pertains not to faith but rather to the carnal descent, they are in error. this subject has been splendidly treated by paul (rom 9, 6). there he establishes the fact that the children of abraham are not his carnal descendants but those who have his faith (gal 3, 7). 197. the same thought is suggested here by moses, who says in so many words, "blessed be jehovah, the god of shem." this shows that there is no blessing except by the god of shem. hence, no jew will share this blessing unless he have the god of shem; that is, unless he believes. nor will japheth share the blessing unless he dwells in the tents of shem, that is, unless he associates himself with him in faith. 198. this is a grand promise, valid unto the end of the world. but just as it is limited to those who have the god of shem, that is, who believe, so the curse also is limited to those who abide in the wickedness of ham. noah spoke these words, not on the strength of human authority and feeling, but by the spirit of god. his words then refer not to a temporal, but to a spiritual and eternal curse. nor must we understand him to speak of a curse that is a curse only in the sight of the world, but rather of one in the sight of god. 199. the same statement has been made heretofore (ch 4 â§182) regarding the curse of cain. judged by outward appearances, cain obtained a greater earthly blessing than seth. god desires that his church in this world shall apparently suffer the curse pronounced upon the wicked and that, on the other hand, the wicked shall seem to be blessed. cain was the first man to build a city, calling it enoch; while seth dwelt in tents. 200. thus did ham build the city and tower of babel and ruled far and wide, while shem and japheth were poor, living in lowly tents. the facts of history, then, teach that both the promises and the curses of god are not to be understood carnally, or of the present life, but spiritually. although oppressed in the world, the righteous are surely heirs and sons of god, while the wicked, though flourishing for a season, shall ultimately be cut down and wither; a warning often uttered in the psalms. 201. there is a striking similarity in the conduct and the lot of cain and ham. cain killed his brother, which shows plainly enough the lack of reverence for his father in his heart. having been put in the ban by his father, he leaves the church of the true god and the true worship, builds the city of enoch, giving himself up altogether to worldly things. just so does ham sin by dishonoring his father. when also he subsequently receives as sentence the curse whereby he is excluded from the promised seed and the church, he parts with god and the church without misgivings, since the curse rests not upon his person but upon that of his son, and migrates to babylon, where he establishes a kingdom. 202. these are very illustrious examples and needed by the church, turk and pope today; allow us to boast of the heavenly and everlasting promise in that we have the gospel doctrine, and are the church. they know, however, our judgment of them, that we consider and condemn both pope and turk as very antichrist. how securely they ignore our judgment, confidently because of the wealth and power they possess, and also because of our weakness in character and numbers. the very same spirit we plainly see in cain and ham, in the condemned and excommunicated. 203. these truths enforce the lesson that we must not seek an abiding city or country in this bodily existence, but in its varying changes and fortunes look to the hope of eternal life, promised through christ. this is the final haven; and we must strive for it with sail and oar, as eager and earnest sailors while the tempest rages. 204. what if the turk should obtain sway over the whole world, which he never will? michael, as daniel says, will bring aid to the holy people, the church (ch 10, 13). what matter if the pope should gain possession of the wealth of all the world, as he has tried to do for many centuries with all the wealth at his command? will turk and pope thereby escape death, or even secure permanence of temporal power? why, then, should we be misled by the temporal blessings which they enjoy, or by our misfortunes and dangers, since we know that they are banished from the fellowship of the saints, while we enjoy everlasting blessings through the son of god? 205. if cain and ham, and pope and turk, who are as father and son to each other, can afford to despise the judgment of the true church on the strength of fleeting and meager successes in this life, why can not we afford in turn to despise their power and censure, on the strength of the everlasting blessings which we possess? ham was not moved by his father's curse. full of anger against him, and despising him as a crazy old man, he goes away and arms himself with the power of the world, esteeming this more highly than to be blessed with shem by his father. 206. this story should give us strength for the similar experiences of today. the priests and bishops heap contempt upon us, saying, what can those poverty stricken heretics do? priest and bishop are puffed up with their wealth and power. but let us bear this insolence of the wicked with undisturbed mind, as noah bore that of his son. let us take consolation in the hope and faith of the eternal benediction, of which, we know, they are deprived. 207. i said above (â§172) that the holy spirit was so greatly angered by the sin of ham that he could not bear even to speak his name in the curse. and it is true, as the punishment shows, that ham sinned grievously. the other reason mentioned above as not at all unlikely, i will here repeat: ham had been called and received into the ark by the divine word, and had been saved with the others, and noah wanted to spare him whom god had spared in the flood. therefore, he transferred the curse which ham merited, to canaan, his son, whom ham doubtless desired to keep with him. 208. the jews offer a different explanation: canaan, the son, having been the first to see his grandfather noah lying naked, announced it to his father, who then saw for himself; hence, canaan gave his father cause to commit the sin. let the reader judge what value there is in this exposition. 209. but there is also a philological question which must be discussed in connection. scholars call translators to account for the rendering, "god enlarge japheth," when the hebrew words do not permit it, though not only the hebrews but also the chaldeans, are mostly agreed that the word _jepheth_ means "to enlarge." technical discussions of this kind, however, are sometimes very useful to clear up the precise meaning of a passage. 210. some scholars derive the name _japheth_ from the verb _jephah_, which signifies _to be beautiful_, as in ps 45, 2: _japhjaphita mibene adam_, "thou art fairer than the children of men." but this may easily be shown to be an error; for the true origin of the word is the verb _phatah_, which means "to persuade," "to deceive with fair words" as in ex 22 16: _ki jephateh isch betulah_, "if a man entice a virgin, he shall surely pay a dowry for her." and in jer 20, 7: _pethithani jehovah va-epath_, "o jehovah, thou hast persuaded me and i was persuaded;" prov 1, 10: _im-jephatukah_, "if sinners entice thee." there is no need of more examples, for the word occurs frequently, and i have no doubt that it is derived from the greek word _peitho_, for it has the same meaning. 211. but let us turn to the question: why have all translators made it read, "god enlarge japheth," while it is not the word _pathach_, which means "to enlarge" or "to open", but rather the word _pathah_? i have no doubt that the translators were influenced by the harsh expression. since this is a promise, it seemed too harsh to state that noah had said, "god deceive japheth." this would appear to be a word of cursing, not of blessing. hence they chose a milder term, though it violated the rules of language. and since there is but a slight difference between _pathach_, and _pathah_, they used one for the other. they meant to preserve the important fact that this is a promise. 212. but there is no need for us to alter the text in this manner, and to violate its grammatical construction, since the word _pathah_, offers a most suitable meaning. being a word of double meaning, as the word _suadere_ in latin, it may be accepted either in a bad or in a good sense. hence, it is not irreverent to apply this word to god. we find it clearly so used in hosea 2, 14, where the lord says: "therefore, behold, i will (_mephateha_) allure her (or, entice her by coaxing), and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." i will suckle her, speak sweetly unto her, and thus will i deceive her, as it were, so that she may agree with me, so that the church will join herself to me, etc. in this sense the word may here rightly be taken to mean "allure," "persuade," "coax by means of friendly words and flattery." god suckle, persuade, deceive japheth by persuasion, so that japheth himself, being allured, as his name signifies, may be invited in a friendly way and thus be beguiled. 213. but you say, what will be the meaning of this? or why should there be need for japheth to be beguiled or persuaded, and that by god himself? i answer: noah makes the names to serve his purpose in this prophecy. he gives thanks to god that he establishes them to stand like a firm root from which christ was to spring. for the verb _sum_, signifies "to place," "to put in position," "to establish." 214. for japheth, however, he prays that he may become a true japheth. since he was the oldest son, who ordinarily should have been given the right of the first-born, he prays that god would persuade him in a friendly manner, first, not to envy his brother this honor, nor to be dissatisfied that this privilege was taken from him and given to his brother. furthermore, because this matter touches the person of japheth only, god includes his entire offspring in the blessing. though the promise was given to shem alone, yet god does not shut out from it the offspring of japheth, but speaks to them lovingly through the gospel, that they may also become _jepheth_, being persuaded by the word of the gospel. this is a divine persuasion, coming from the holy spirit; not from the flesh, nor from the world, nor from satan, but holy and quickening. this expression is used by paul in gal 1, 10, where he says, "am i now persuading men or god?" and gal 3, 1, "who did bewitch you that ye should not obey the truth?"--that ye do not agree to the truth, that ye do not permit yourselves to be persuaded by that which is true? 215. viewing the name japheth in this case, it signifies a person of the kind which we call guileless, who believes readily, permitting himself to be easily persuaded of a matter, who does not dispute or cling to his own ideas but submits his mind to the lord and rests upon his word, remaining a learner, not desiring to be master over the words and works of god. hence it is a touching prayer which is here recorded, that god might persuade japheth; that is, that he might speak fondly with him. noah prays that, though god does not speak to japheth on the basis of a promise, as he does with shem, yet he would speak with him on the basis of grace and divine goodness. 216. this prayer of noah foresees the spread of the gospel throughout the whole world. shem is the stem. from his posterity christ was born. the church is of the jews, who had patriarchs, prophets, and kings. and yet god here shows noah that also the wretched gentiles were to dwell in the tents of shem; that is, they were to come into that heritage of the saints which the son of god brought into this world--forgiveness of sins, the holy spirit, and everlasting life. he prophesies clearly that also japheth will hear the sweet message of the gospel as his name suggests; so that, though he have not the same title as shem, who was set to be the stem from which christ was to spring, yet he should have the persuader, namely the gospel. 217. it was paul through whom this prophecy was fulfilled. he almost unaided taught the gospel doctrine to the posterity of japheth. he says: "from jerusalem, and round about even unto illyricum, i have fully preached the gospel of christ" (rom 15, 19). almost all of asia, with the exception of the oriental peoples, together with europe, belongs to the posterity of japheth. the gentiles, therefore, did not, as the jews did, receive the kingdom and the priesthood from god. they had neither the law nor the promise. yet by the mercy of god they have heard that sweet voice of the gospel, the persuader, which is indicated by the very name of japheth. 218. the interpreters failed to recognize this as the true meaning, and god permitted them to make this mistake. still they did not miss the true meaning altogether. for the verb _hirchib_, which means "to enlarge," means also "to give consolation," just as conversely in latin the word _angustiae_ (narrow place) signifies also "pains," or "perils," or "disaster." thus we read in psalms 4, 1: "thou hast set me at large when i was in distress." the only real enlargement, or consolation, is the word of the gospel. 219. thus the several expositions are harmonized by proper interpretation. but the primary meaning of _enlarge_, which conveys the idea of _persuasion_, is the native and proper one. it sheds a bright light upon the fact that we gentiles, although the promise was not given to us, have nevertheless been called by the providence of god to the gospel. the promise pertains to shem alone, but japheth, as paul has it in romans 11, 17, was grafted into the olive tree, like a wild olive, and became a partaker of the original fatness, or the sap, of the olive. the older portions of the bible agree with the newer, and what god promised in the days of noah, he now carries out. 220. "ham" signifies "the hot and burning one." this name was given to him by his father, i believe, because of the great things he hoped for his youngest son. to noah the other two were cold men in comparison. eve rejoiced greatly when cain was born (gen 4, 1). she believed that he would restore whatever had been wrought amiss. yet he was the first to harm mankind in a new way, in that he killed his brother. 221. thus god, according to his unsearchable counsel, changes the expectations even of the saints. ham, whom his father, at his birth, had expected to be inflamed with greater zeal for the support of the church than his brothers, was hot and burning, indeed, when he grew older, but in a different sense. he burned against his parent and his god, as his deed shows. hence, his name was one of evil prophecy, unsuspected of noah when he gave it. 222. this is noah's prophecy concerning his sons, who have filled the earth with their offspring. the fact, therefore, that god has permitted the light of the gospel to shine upon germany, is due to the prophecy anent japheth. we see today the fulfillment of that which noah foretold. though we are not of the seed of abraham, yet we dwell in the tents of shem and enjoy the fulfilment of the prophecies concerning christ. vs. 28-29. _and noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. and all the days of noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died._ 223. history shows that noah died fifty years after the birth of abraham. abraham, therefore, enjoying the instruction of so able and renowned a teacher until his fiftieth year, had an opportunity to learn something of religion. and there is no doubt that noah, being filled with the holy spirit, cared for this grandchild of his with special care and love, as the only heir of shem's promises. 224. at that time the offspring of ham flourished, spreading idolatry throughout the regions of the east. abraham was in touch with it, and not without danger to himself. he was saved, however, by noah, being almost alone in recognizing the greatness of a man who was the only survivor of the early world. the others, forgetful of the wrath which had raged in the flood, taunted the pious, old man; particularly ham's progeny, puffed up by wealth and power. they heaped insults upon father noah, and--frenzied by success--they divided the curse of servitude pronounced upon them as a sign of his dotage. amen. [transcriber's note: _italic words_ have been enclosed in underscores. as the oe ligature cannot be included in this format, it has been replaced with the separate letters in "manoeuvre" and "phoenician". a few minor typographical errors have been silently corrected. some inconsistent hyphenation has been retained. the table of contents refers to original page numbers.] the book of genesis. by marcus dods, d.d., author of "israel's iron age," "the parables of our lord," "the prayer that teaches to pray," etc. new york: a. c. armstrong and son 714, broadway. contents. page chapter i. the creation 1 chapter ii. the fall 15 chapter iii. cain and abel 28 chapter iv. cain's line, and enoch 42 chapter v. the flood 55 chapter vi. noah's fall 68 chapter vii. the call of abraham 81 chapter viii. abram in egypt 96 chapter ix. lot's separation from abram 108 chapter x. abram's rescue of lot 121 chapter xi. covenant with abram 134 chapter xii. birth of ishmael 147 chapter xiii. the covenant sealed 159 chapter xiv. abraham's intercession for sodom 172 chapter xv. destruction of the cities of the plain 186 chapter xvi. sacrifice of isaac 198 chapter xvii. ishmael and isaac 212 chapter xviii. purchase of machpelah 226 chapter xix. isaac's marriage 240 chapter xx. esau and jacob 254 chapter xxi. jacob's fraud 267 chapter xxii. jacob's flight and dream 279 chapter xxiii. jacob at peniel 293 chapter xxiv. jacob's return 307 chapter xxv. joseph's dreams 321 chapter xxvi. joseph in prison 339 chapter xxvii. pharaoh's dreams 355 chapter xxviii. joseph's administration 369 chapter xxix. visits of joseph's brethren 383 chapter xxx. the reconciliation 396 chapter xxxi. the blessings of the tribes 415 i. _the creation._ genesis i. and ii. if any one is in search of accurate information regarding the age of this earth, or its relation to the sun, moon, and stars, or regarding the order in which plants and animals have appeared upon it, he is referred to recent text-books in astronomy, geology, and palæontology. no one for a moment dreams of referring a serious student of these subjects to the bible as a source of information. it is not the object of the writers of scripture to impart physical instruction or to enlarge the bounds of scientific knowledge. but if any one wishes to know what connection the world has with god, if he seeks to trace back all that now is to the very fountain-head of life, if he desires to discover some unifying principle, some illuminating purpose in the history of this earth, then we confidently refer him to these and the subsequent chapters of scripture as his safest, and indeed his only, guide to the information he seeks. every writing must be judged by the object the writer has in view. if the object of the writer of these chapters was to convey physical information, then certainly it is imperfectly fulfilled. but if his object was to give an intelligible account of god's relation to the world and to man, then it must be owned that he has been successful in the highest degree. it is therefore unreasonable to allow our reverence for this writing to be lessened because it does not anticipate the discoveries of physical science; or to repudiate its authority in its own department of truth because it does not give us information which it formed no part of the writer's object to give. as well might we deny to shakespeare a masterly knowledge of human life, because his dramas are blotted by historical anachronisms. that the compiler of this book of genesis did not aim at scientific accuracy in speaking of physical details is obvious, not merely from the general scope and purpose of the biblical writers, but especially from this, that in these first two chapters of his book he lays side by side two accounts of man's creation which no ingenuity can reconcile. these two accounts, glaringly incompatible in details, but absolutely harmonious in their leading ideas, at once warn the reader that the writer's aim is rather to convey certain ideas regarding man's spiritual history and his connection with god, than to describe the process of creation. he does describe the process of creation, but he describes it only for the sake of the ideas regarding man's relation to god and god's relation to the world which he can thereby convey. indeed what we mean by scientific knowledge was not in all the thoughts of the people for whom this book was written. the subject of creation, of the beginning of man upon earth, was not approached from that side at all; and if we are to understand what is here written we must burst the trammels of our own modes of thought and read these chapters not as a chronological, astronomical, geological, biological statement, but as a moral or spiritual conception. it will, however, be said, and with much appearance of justice, that although the first object of the writer was not to convey scientific information, yet he might have been expected to be accurate in the information he did advance regarding the physical universe. this is an enormous assumption to make on _à priori_ grounds, but it is an assumption worth seriously considering because it brings into view a real and important difficulty which every reader of genesis must face. it brings into view the twofold character of this account of creation. on the one hand it is irreconcilable with the teachings of science. on the other hand it is in striking contrast to the other cosmogonies which have been handed down from pre-scientific ages. these are the two patent features of this record of creation and both require to be accounted for. either feature alone would be easily accounted for; but the two co-existing in the same document are more baffling. we have to account at once for a want of perfect coincidence with the teachings of science, and for a singular freedom from those errors which disfigure all other primitive accounts of the creation of the world. the one feature of the document is as patent as the other and presses equally for explanation. now many persons cut the knot by simply denying that both these features exist. there is no disagreement with science, they say. i speak for many careful enquirers when i say that this cannot serve as a solution of the difficulty. i think it is to be freely admitted that, from whatever cause and however justifiably, the account of creation here given is not in strict and detailed accordance with the teaching of science. all attempts to force its statements into such accord are futile and mischievous. they are futile because they do not convince independent enquirers, but only those who are unduly anxious to be convinced. and they are mischievous because they unduly prolong the strife between scripture and science, putting the question on a false issue. and above all, they are to be condemned because they do violence to scripture, foster a style of interpretation by which the text is forced to say whatever the interpreter desires, and prevent us from recognising the real nature of these sacred writings. the bible needs no defence such as false constructions of its language bring to its aid. they are its worst friends who distort its words that they may yield a meaning more in accordance with scientific truth. if, for example, the word 'day' in these chapters, does not mean a period of twenty-four hours, the interpretation of scripture is hopeless. indeed if we are to bring these chapters into any comparison at all with science, we find at once various discrepancies. of a creation of sun, moon, and stars, subsequent to the creation of this earth, science can have but one thing to say. of the existence of fruit trees prior to the existence of the sun, science knows nothing. but for a candid and unsophisticated reader without a special theory to maintain, details are needless. accepting this chapter then as it stands, and believing that only by looking at the bible as it actually is can we hope to understand god's method of revealing himself, we at once perceive that ignorance of some departments of truth does not disqualify a man for knowing and imparting truth about god. in order to be a medium of revelation a man does not need to be in advance of his age in secular learning. intimate communion with god, a spirit trained to discern spiritual things, a perfect understanding of and zeal for god's purpose, these are qualities quite independent of a knowledge of the discoveries of science. the enlightenment which enables men to apprehend god and spiritual truth, has no necessary connection with scientific attainments. david's confidence in god and his declarations of his faithfulness are none the less valuable, because he was ignorant of a very great deal which every school-boy now knows. had inspired men introduced into their writings information which anticipated the discoveries of science, their state of mind would be inconceivable, and revelation would be a source of confusion. god's methods are harmonious with one another, and as he has given men natural faculties to acquire scientific knowledge and historical information, he did not stultify this gift by imparting such knowledge in a miraculous and unintelligible manner. there is no evidence that inspired men were in advance of their age in the knowledge of physical facts and laws. and plainly, had they been supernaturally instructed in physical knowledge they would so far have been unintelligible to those to whom they spoke. had the writer of this book mingled with his teaching regarding god, an explicit and exact account of how this world came into existence--had he spoken of millions of years instead of speaking of days--in all probability he would have been discredited, and what he had to say about god would have been rejected along with his premature science. but speaking from the point of view of his contemporaries, and accepting the current ideas regarding the formation of the world, he attached to these the views regarding god's connection with the world which are most necessary to be believed. what he had learned of god's unity and creative power and connection with man, by the inspiration of the holy ghost, he imparts to his contemporaries through the vehicle of an account of creation they could all understand. it is not in his knowledge of physical facts that he is elevated above his contemporaries, but in his knowledge of god's connection with all physical facts. no doubt, on the other hand, his knowledge of god reacts upon the entire contents of his mind and saves him from presenting such accounts of creation as have been common among polytheists. he presents an account purified by his conception of what was worthy of the supreme god he worshipped. his idea of god has given dignity and simplicity to all he says about creation, and there is an elevation and majesty about the whole conception, which we recognise as the reflex of his conception of god. here then instead of anything to discompose us or to excite unbelief, we recognise one great law or principle on which god proceeds in making himself known to men. this has been called the law of accommodation. it is the law which requires that the condition and capacity of those to whom the revelation is made must be considered. if you wish to instruct a child, you must speak in language the child can understand. if you wish to elevate a savage, you must do it by degrees, accommodating yourself to his condition, and winking at much ignorance while you instil elementary knowledge. you must found all you teach on what is already understood by your pupil, and through that you must convey further knowledge and train his faculties to higher capacity. so was it with god's revelation. the jews were children who had to be trained with what paul somewhat contemptuously calls "weak and beggarly elements," the a b c of morals and religion. not even in morals could the absolute truth be enforced. accommodation had to be practised even here. polygamy was allowed as a concession to their immature stage of development: and practices in war and in domestic law were permitted or enjoined which were inconsistent with absolute morality. indeed the whole jewish system was an adaptation to an immature state. the dwelling of god in the temple as a man in his house, the propitiating of god with sacrifice as of an eastern king with gifts; this was a teaching by picture, a teaching which had as much resemblance to the truth and as much mixture of truth as they were able then to receive. no doubt this teaching did actually mislead them in some of their ideas; but it kept them on the whole in a right attitude towards god, and prepared them for growing up to a fuller discernment of the truth. much more was this law observed in regard to such matters as are dealt with in these chapters. it was impossible that in their ignorance of the rudiments of scientific knowledge, the early hebrews should understand an absolutely accurate account of how the world came into being; and if they could have understood it, it would have been useless, dissevered as it must have been from the steps of knowledge by which men have since arrived at it. children ask us questions in answer to which we do not tell them the exact full truth, because we know they cannot possibly understand it. all that we can do is to give them some provisional answer which conveys to them some information they can understand, and which keeps them in a right state of mind, although this information often seems absurd enough when compared with the actual facts and truth of the matter. and if some solemn pedant accused us of supplying the child with false information, we would simply tell him he knew nothing about children. accurate information on these matters will infallibly come to the child when he grows up; what is wanted meanwhile is to give him information which will help to form his conduct without gravely misleading him as to facts. similarly, if any one tells me he cannot accept these chapters as inspired by god, because they do not convey scientifically accurate information regarding this earth, i can only say that he has yet to learn the first principles of revelation, and that he misunderstands the conditions on which all instruction must be given. my belief then is, that in these chapters we have the ideas regarding the origin of the world and of man which were naturally attainable in the country where they were first composed, but with those important modifications which a monotheistic belief necessarily suggested. so far as merely physical knowledge went, there is probably little here that was new to the contemporaries of the writer; but this already familiar knowledge was used by him as the vehicle for conveying his faith in the unity, love and wisdom of god the creator. he laid a firm foundation for the history of god's relation to man. this was his object, and this he accomplished. the bible is the book to which we turn for information regarding the history of god's revelation of himself, and of his will towards men; and in these chapters we have the suitable introduction to this history. no changes in our knowledge of physical truth can at all affect the teaching of these chapters. what they teach regarding the relation of man to god is independent of the physical details in which this teaching is embodied, and can as easily be attached to the most modern statement of the physical origin of the world and of man. what then are the truths taught us in these chapters? the first is that there has been a creation, that things now existing have not just grown of themselves, but have been called into being by a presiding intelligence and an originating will. no attempt to account for the existence of the world in any other way has been successful. a great deal has in this generation been added to our knowledge of the efficiency of material causes to produce what we see around us; but when we ask what gives harmony to these material causes, and what guides them to the production of certain ends, and what originally produced them, the answer must still be, not matter but intelligence and purpose. the best informed and most penetrating minds of our time affirm this. john stuart mill says: "it must be allowed that in the present state of our knowledge the adaptations in nature afford a large balance of probability in favour of creation by intelligence." professor tyndall adds his testimony and says: "i have noticed during years of self-observation that it is not in hours of clearness and vigour that [the doctrine of material atheism] commends itself to my mind--that in the hours of stronger and healthier thought it ever dissolves and disappears, as offering no solution of the mystery in which we dwell and of which we form a part." there is indeed a prevalent suspicion, that in presence of the discoveries made by evolutionists the argument from design is no longer tenable. evolution shows us that the correspondence of the structure of animals, with their modes of life, has been generated by the nature of the case; and it is concluded that a blind mechanical necessity and not an intelligent design rules all. but the discovery of the process by which the presently existing living forms have been evolved, and the perception that this process is governed by laws which have always been operating, do not make intelligence and design at all less necessary, but rather more so. as professor huxley himself says: "the teleological and mechanical views of nature are not necessarily exclusive. the teleologist can always defy the evolutionist to disprove that the primordial molecular arrangement was not intended to evolve the phenomena of the universe." evolution, in short, by disclosing to us the marvellous power and accuracy of natural law, compels us more emphatically than ever to refer all law to a supreme, originating intelligence. this then is the first lesson of the bible; that at the root and origin of all this vast material universe, before whose laws we are crushed as the moth, there abides a living conscious spirit, who wills and knows and fashions all things. the belief of this changes for us the whole face of nature, and instead of a chill, impersonal world of forces to which no appeal can be made, and in which matter is supreme, gives us the home of a father. if you are yourself but a particle of a huge and unconscious universe--a particle which, like a flake of foam, or a drop of rain, or a gnat, or a beetle, lasts its brief space and then yields up its substance to be moulded into some new creature; if there is no power that understands you and sympathizes with you and makes provision for your instincts, your aspirations, your capabilities; if man is himself the highest intelligence, and if all things are the purposeless result of physical forces; if, in short, there is no god, no consciousness at the beginning as at the end of all things, then nothing can be more melancholy than our position. our higher desires which seem to separate us so immeasurably from the brutes, we have, only that they may be cut down by the keen edge of time, and wither in barren disappointment; our reason we have, only to enable us to see and measure the brevity of our span, and so live our little day, not joyously as the unforeseeing beasts, but shadowed by the hastening gloom of anticipated, inevitable and everlasting night; our faculty for worshipping and for striving to serve and to resemble the perfect living one, that faculty which seems to be the thing of greatest promise and of finest quality in us, and to which is certainly due the largest part of what is admirable and profitable in human history, is the most mocking and foolishest of all our parts. but, god be thanked, he has revealed himself to us; has given us in the harmonious and progressive movement of all around us, sufficient indication that, even in the material world, intelligence and purpose reign; an indication which becomes immensely clearer as we pass into the world of man; and which, in presence of the person and life of christ attains the brightness of a conviction which illuminates all besides. the other great truth which this writer teaches is, that man was the chief work of god, for whose sake all else was brought into being. the work of creation was not finished till he appeared: all else was preparatory to this final product. that man is the crown and lord of this earth is obvious. man instinctively assumes that all else has been made for him, and freely acts upon this assumption. but when our eyes are lifted from this little ball on which we are set and to which we are confined, and when we scan such other parts of the universe as are within our ken, a keen sense of littleness oppresses us; our earth is after all so minute and apparently inconsiderable a point when compared with the vast suns and planets that stretch system on system into illimitable space. when we read even the rudiments of what astronomers have discovered regarding the inconceivable vastness of the universe, the huge dimensions of the heavenly bodies, and the grand scale on which everything is framed, we find rising to our lips, and with tenfold reason, the words of david: "when i consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him?" is it conceivable that on this scarcely discernible speck in the vastness of the universe, should be played out the chiefest act in the history of god? is it credible that he whose care it is to uphold this illimitable universe, should be free to think of the wants and woes of the insignificant creatures who quickly spend their little lives in this inconsiderable earth? but reason seems all on the side of genesis. god must not be considered as sitting apart in a remote position of general superintendence, but as present with all that is. and to him who maintains these systems in their respective relations and orbits, it can be no burden to relieve the needs of individuals. to think of ourselves as too insignificant to be attended to is to derogate from god's true majesty and to misunderstand his relation to the world. but it is also to misapprehend the real value of spirit as compared with matter. man is dear to god because he is like him. vast and glorious as it is, the sun cannot think god's thoughts; can fulfil but cannot intelligently sympathize with god's purpose. man, alone among god's works, can enter into and approve of god's purpose in the world and can intelligently fulfil it. without man the whole material universe would have been dark and unintelligible, mechanical and apparently without any sufficient purpose. matter, however fearfully and wonderfully wrought, is but the platform and material in which spirit, intelligence and will, may fulfil themselves and find development. man is incommensurable with the rest of the universe. he is of a different kind and by his moral nature is more akin to god than to his works. here the beginning and the end of god's revelation join hands and throw light on one another. the nature of man was that in which god was at last to give his crowning revelation, and for that no preparation could seem extravagant. fascinating and full of marvel as is the history of the past which science discloses to us; full as these slow-moving millions of years are in evidences of the exhaustless wealth of nature, and mysterious as the delay appears, all that expenditure of resources is eclipsed and all the delay justified when the whole work is crowned by the incarnation, for in it we see that all that slow process was the preparation of a nature in which god could manifest himself as a person to persons. this is seen to be an end worthy of all that is contained in the physical history of the world: this gives completeness to the whole and makes it a unity. no higher, other end need be sought, none could be conceived. it is this which seems worthy of those tremendous and subtle forces which have been set at work in the physical world, this which justifies the long lapse of ages filled with wonders unobserved, and teeming with ever new life; this above all which justifies these latter ages in which all physical marvels have been outdone by the tragical history of man upon earth. remove the incarnation and all remains dark, purposeless, unintelligible: grant the incarnation, believe that in jesus christ the supreme manifested himself personally, and light is shed upon all that has been and is. light is shed on the individual life. are you living as if you were the product of blind mechanical laws, and as if there were no object worthy of your life and of all the force you can throw into your life? consider the incarnation of the creator, and ask yourself if sufficient object is not given to you in his call that you be conformed to his image and become the intelligent executor of his purposes? is life not worth having even on these terms? the man that can still sit down and bemoan himself as if there were no meaning in existence, or lounge languidly through life as if there were no zest or urgency in living, or try to satisfy himself with fleshly comforts, has surely need to turn to the opening page of revelation and learn that god saw sufficient object in the life of man, enough to compensate for millions of ages of preparation. if it is possible that you should share in the character and destiny of christ, can a healthy ambition crave anything more or higher? if the future is to be as momentous in results as the past has certainly been filled with preparation, have you no caring to share in these results? believe that there is a purpose in things; that in christ, the revelation of god, you can see what that purpose is, and that by wholly uniting yourself to him and allowing yourself to be penetrated by his spirit you can participate with him in the working out of that purpose. ii. _the fall._ genesis iii. profound as the teaching of this narrative is, its meaning does not lie on the surface. literal interpretation will reach a measure of its significance, but plainly there is more here than appears in the letter. when we read that the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the lord god had made, and that he tempted the woman, we at once perceive that it is not with the outer husk of the story we are to concern ourselves, but with the kernel. the narrative throughout speaks of nothing but the brute serpent; not a word is said of the devil, not the slightest hint is given that the machinations of a fallen angel are signified. the serpent is compared to the other beasts of the field, showing that it is the brute serpent that is spoken of. the curse is pronounced on the beast, not on a fallen spirit summoned for the purpose before the supreme; and not in terms which could apply to a fallen spirit, but in terms that are applicable only to the serpent that crawls. yet every reader feels that this is not the whole mystery of the fall of man: moral evil cannot be accounted for by referring it to a brute source. no one, i suppose, believes that the whole tribe of serpents crawl as a punishment of an offence committed by one of their number, or that the whole iniquity and sorrow of the world are due to an actual serpent. plainly this is merely a pictorial representation intended to convey some general impressions and ideas. vitally important truths underlie the narrative and are bodied forth by it; but the way to reach these truths is not to adhere too rigidly to the literal meaning, but to catch the general impression which it seems fitted to make. no doubt this opens the door to a great variety of interpretation. no two men will attach to it precisely the same meaning. one says, the serpent is a symbol for satan, but adam and eve are historical persons. another says, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a figure, but the driving out from the garden is real. another maintains that the whole is a picture, putting in a visible, intelligible shape certain vitally important truths regarding the history of our race. so that every man is left very much to his own judgment, to read the narrative candidly and in such light from other sources as he has, and let it make its own impression upon him. this would be a sad result if the object of the bible were to bring us all to a rigid uniformity of belief in all matters; but the object of the bible is not that, but the far higher object of furnishing all varieties of men with sufficient light to lead them to god. and this being so, variety of interpretation in details is not to be lamented. the very purpose of such representations as are here given is to suit all stages of mental and spiritual advancement. let the child read it and he will learn what will live in his mind and influence him all his life. let the devout man who has ranged through all science and history and philosophy come back to this narrative, and he feels that he has here the essential truth regarding the beginnings of man's tragical career upon earth. we should, in my opinion, be labouring under a misapprehension if we supposed that none even of the earliest readers of this account saw the deeper meaning of it. when men who felt the misery of sin and lifted up their hearts to god for deliverance, read the words addressed to the serpent, "i will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel"--is it reasonable to suppose that such men would take these words in their literal sense, and satisfy themselves with the assurance that serpents, though dangerous, would be kept under, and would find in the words no assurance of that very thing they themselves were all their lifetime striving after, deliverance from the evil thing which lay at the root of all sin? no doubt some would accept the story in its literal meaning,--shallow and careless men whose own spiritual experience never urged them to see any spiritual significance in the words would do so; but even those who saw least in the story, and put a very shallow interpretation on its details, could scarcely fail to see its main teaching. the reader of this perennially fresh story is first of all struck with the account given of man's primitive condition. coming to this narrative with our minds coloured by the fancies of poets and philosophers, we are almost startled by the check which the plain and sober statements of this account give to an unpruned fancy. we have to read the words again and again to make sure we have not omitted something which gives support to those glowing descriptions of man's primitive condition. certainly he is described as innocent and at peace with god, and in this respect no terms can exaggerate his happiness. but in other respects the language of the bible is surprisingly moderate. man is represented as living on fruit, and as going unclothed, and, so far as appears, without any artificial shelter either from the heat of the sun or the cold of night. none of the arts were as yet known. all working of metals had yet to be discovered, so that his tools must have been of the rudest possible description; and the arts, such as music, which adorn life and make leisure enjoyable, were also still in the future. but the most significant elements in man's primitive condition are represented by the two trees of the garden; by trees, because with plants alone he had to do. in the centre of the garden stood the tree of life, the fruit of which bestowed immortality. man was therefore naturally mortal, though apparently with a capacity for immortality. how this capacity would have actually carried man on to immortality had he not sinned, it is vain to conjecture. the mystical nature of the tree of life is fully recognised in the new testament, by our lord, when he says: "to him that overcometh will i give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of god;" and by john, when he describes the new jerusalem: "in the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." both these representations are intended to convey, in a striking and pictorial form, the promise of life everlasting. and as of the tree of life which stands in the paradise of the future it is said "blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life;" so in eden man's immortality was suspended on the condition of obedience. and the trial of man's obedience is imaged in the other tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. from the child-like innocence in which man originally was, he was to pass forward into the condition of moral manhood, which consists not in mere innocence, but in innocence maintained in presence of temptation. the savage is innocent of many of the crimes of civilized men because he has no opportunity to commit them; the child is innocent of some of the vices of manhood because he has no temptation to them. but this innocence is the result of circumstance, not of character; and if savage or child is to become a mature moral being he must be tried by altered circumstances, by temptation and opportunity. to carry man forward to this higher stage trial is necessary, and this trial is indicated by the tree of knowledge. the fruit of this tree is prohibited, to indicate that it is only in presence of what is forbidden man can be morally tested, and that it is only by self-command and obedience to law, and not by the mere following of instincts, that man can attain to moral maturity. the prohibition is that which makes him recognise a distinction between good and evil. he is put in a position in which good is not the only thing he can do; an alternative is present to his mind, and the choice of good in preference to evil is made possible to him. in presence of this tree child-like innocence was no longer possible. the self-determination of manhood was constantly required. conscience, hitherto latent, was now evoked and took its place as man's supreme faculty. it is in vain to think of exhausting this narrative. we can, at the most, only remark upon some of the most salient points. (1) temptation comes like a serpent; like the most subtile beast of the field; like that one creature which is said to exert a fascinating influence on its victims, fastening them with its glittering eye, stealing upon them by its noiseless, low and unseen approach, perplexing them by its wide circling folds, seeming to come upon them from all sides at once, and armed not like the other beasts with one weapon of offence--horn, or hoof, or teeth--but capable of crushing its victim with every part of its sinuous length. it lies apparently dead for months together, but when roused it can, as the naturalist tells us, "outclimb the monkey, outswim the fish, outleap the zebra, outwrestle the athlete, and crush the tiger." how naturally in describing temptation do we borrow language from the aspect and movements of this creature. it does not need to hunt down its victims by long continued pursuit, its victims come and put themselves within its reach. unseen, temptation lies by our path, and before we have time to think we are fascinated and bewildered, its coils rapidly gather round us and its stroke flashes poison through our blood. against sin, when once it has wreathed itself around us, we seem helpless to contend; the very powers with which we could resist are benumbed or pinned useless to our side--our foe seems all round us, and to extricate one part is but to become entangled in another. as the serpent finds its way everywhere, over every fence or barrier, into every corner and recess, so it is impossible to keep temptation out of the life; it appears where least we expect it and when we think ourselves secure. (2) temptation succeeds at first by exciting our curiosity. it is a wise saying that "our great security against sin lies in being shocked at it. eve gazed and reflected when she should have fled." the serpent created an interest, excited her curiosity about this forbidden fruit. and as this excited curiosity lies near the beginning of sin in the race, so does it in the individual. i suppose if you trace back the mystery of iniquity in your own life and seek to track it to its source, you will find it to have originated in this craving to taste evil. no man originally meant to become the sinner he has become. he only intended, like eve, to taste. it was a voyage of discovery he meant to make; he did not think to get nipped and frozen up and never more return from the outer cold and darkness. he wished before finally giving himself to virtue, to see the real value of the other alternative. this dangerous craving has many elements in it. there is in it the instinctive drawing towards what is mysterious. one veiled figure in an assembly will attract more scrutiny than the most admired beauty. an appearance in the heavens that no one can account for will nightly draw more eyes than the most wonderful sunset. to lift veils, to penetrate disguises, to unravel complicated plots, to solve mysteries, this is always inviting to the human mind. the tale which used to thrill us in childhood, of the one locked room, the one forbidden key, bears in it a truth for men as well as for children. what is hidden must, we conclude, have some interest for us--else why hide it from us? what is forbidden must have some important bearing upon us. else why forbid it? things which are indifferent to us are left in our way, obvious, and without concealment. but as action has been taken regarding the things that are forbidden, action in view of our relation to them, it is natural to us to desire to know what these things are and how they affect us. there is added to this in young persons, a sense of incompleteness. they wish to be grown up. few boys wish to be always boys. they long for the signs of manhood, and seek to possess that knowledge of life and its ways which they very much identify with manhood. but too commonly they mistake the path to manhood. they feel as if they had a wider range of liberty and were more thoroughly men when they transgress the limits assigned by conscience. they feel as if there were a new and brighter world outside that which is fenced round by strict morality, and they tremble with excitement on its borders. it is a fatal delusion. only by choosing the good in presence of the evil are true manhood and real maturity gained. true manliness consists mainly in self control, in a patient waiting upon nature and god's law and when youth impatiently breaks through the protecting fence of god's law, and seeks growth by knowing evil, it misses that very advancement it seeks, and cheats itself out of the manhood it apes. (3) through this craving for an enlarged experience unbelief in god's goodness finds entrance. in the presence of forbidden pleasure we are tempted to feel as if god were grudging us enjoyment. the very arguments of the serpent occur to our mind. no harm will come of our indulging; the prohibition is needless, unreasonable and unkind; it is not based on any genuine desire for our welfare. this fence that shuts us out from knowing good and evil is erected by a timorous asceticism, by a ridiculous misconception of what truly enlarges human nature; it shuts us into a poor narrow life. and thus suspicions of god's perfect wisdom and goodness find entrance; we begin to think we know better than he what is good for us, and can contrive a richer, happier life than he has provided for us. our loyalty to him is loosened, and already we have lost hold of his strength and are launched on the current that leads to sin, misery, and shame. when we find ourselves saying yes, where god has said no; when we see desirable things where god has said there is death; when we allow distrust of him to rankle in our mind, when we chafe against the restrictions under which we live and seek liberty by breaking down the fence instead of by delighting in god, we are on the highway to all evil. (4) if we know our own history we cannot be surprised to read that one taste of evil ruined our first parents. it is so always. the one taste alters our attitude towards god and conscience and life. it is a veritable circe's cup. the actual experience of sin is like the one taste of alcohol to a reclaimed drunkard, like the first taste of blood to a young tiger, it calls out the latent devil and creates a new nature within us. at one brush it wipes out all the peace, and joy, and self-respect, and boldness of innocence, and numbers us among the transgressors, among the shame-faced, and self-despising, and hopeless. it leaves us possessed with unhappy thoughts which lead us away from what is bright, and honourable, and good, and like the letting out of water it seems to have tapped a spring of evil within us. it is but one step, but it is like the step over a precipice or down the shaft of a mine; it cannot be taken back, it commits to an altogether different state of things. (5) the first result of sin is shame. the form in which the knowledge of good and evil comes to us is the knowing we are naked, the consciousness that we are stripped of all that made us walk unabashed before god and men. the promise of the serpent while broken in the sense is fulfilled to the ear; the eyes of adam and eve were opened and they knew that they were naked. self-reflection begins, and the first movement of conscience produces shame. had they resisted temptation, conscience would have been born but not in self-condemnation. like children they had hitherto been conscious only of what was external to themselves, but now their consciousness of a power to choose good and evil is awakened and its first exercise is accompanied with shame. they feel that in themselves they are faulty, that they are not in themselves complete; that though created by god, they are not fit for his eye. the lower animals wear no clothes because they have no knowledge of good and evil; children feel no need of covering because as yet self-consciousness is latent, and their conduct is determined for them; those who are re-made in the image of god and glorified as christ is, cannot be thought of as clothed, for in them there is no sense of sin. but adam's clothing himself and hiding himself were the helpless attempts of a guilty conscience to evade the judgment of truth. (6) but when adam found he was no longer fit for god's eye, god provided a covering which might enable him again to live in his presence without dismay. man had exhausted his own ingenuity and resources, and exhausted them without finding relief to his shame. if his shame was to be effectually removed, god must do it. and the clothing in coats of skins indicates the restoration of man, not indeed to pristine innocence, but to peace with god. adam felt that god did not wish to banish him lastingly from his presence, nor to see him always a trembling and confused penitent. the self-respect and progressiveness, the reverence for law and order and god, which came in with clothes, and which we associate with the civilised races, were accepted as tokens that god was desirous to co-operate with man, to forward and further him in all good. it is also to be remarked that the clothing which god provided was in itself different from what man had thought of. adam took leaves from an inanimate, unfeeling tree; god deprived an animal of life, that the shame of his creature might be relieved. this was the last thing adam would have thought of doing. to us life is cheap and death familiar, but adam recognised death as the punishment of sin. death was to early man a sign of god's anger. and he had to learn that sin could be covered not by a bunch of leaves snatched from a bush as he passed by and that would grow again next year, but only by pain and blood. sin cannot be atoned for by any mechanical action nor without expenditure of feeling. suffering must ever follow wrong-doing. from the first sin to the last, the track of the sinner is marked with blood. once we have sinned we cannot regain permanent peace of conscience save through pain, and this not only pain of our own. the first hint of this was given as soon as conscience was aroused in man. it was made apparent that sin was a real and deep evil, and that by no easy and cheap process could the sinner be restored. the same lesson has been written on millions of consciences since. men have found that their sin reaches beyond their own life and person, that it inflicts injury and involves disturbance and distress, that it changes utterly our relation to life and to god, and that we cannot rise above its consequences save by the intervention of god himself, by an intervention which tells us of the sorrow he suffers on our account. for the chief point is that it is god who relieves man's shame. until we are certified that god desires our peace of mind we cannot be at peace. the cross of christ is the permanent witness to this desire on god's part. no one can read what christ has done for us without feeling sure that for himself there is a way back to god from all sin--that it is god's desire that his sin should be covered, his iniquity forgiven. too often that which seems of prime importance to god seems of very slight importance to us. to have our life founded solidly in harmony with the supreme, seems often to excite no desire within us. it is about sin we find man first dealing with god, and until you have satisfied god and yourself regarding this prime and fundamental matter of your own transgression and wrong-doing you look in vain for any deep and lasting growth and satisfaction. have you no reason to be ashamed before god? have you loved him in any proportion to his worthiness to be loved? have you cordially and habitually fallen in with his will? have you zealously done his work in the world? have you fallen short of no good he intended you should do and gave you opportunity to do? is there no reason for shame on your part before god? has his desire to cover sin no application to you? can you not understand his meaning when he comes to you with offers of pardon and acts of oblivion? surely the candid mind, the clear-judging conscience can be at no loss to explain god's solicitous concern for the sinner; and must humbly own that even that unfathomable divine emotion which is exhibited in the cross of christ, is no exaggerated and theatrical demonstration, but the actual carrying through of what was really needed for the restoration of the sinner. do not live as if the cross of christ had never been, or as if you had never sinned and had no connection with it. strive to learn what it means; strive to deal fairly with it and fairly with your own transgressions and with your present actual relation to god and his will. iii. _cain and abel._ genesis iv. it is not the purpose of this narrator to write the history of the world. it is not his purpose to write even the history of mankind. his object is to write the history of redemption. starting from the broad fact of man's alienation from god, he means to trace that element in human history which results in the perfect re-union of god and man. the key-note has been struck in the promise already given that the seed of the woman should prevail over the seed of the serpent, that the effects of man's voluntary dissociation from god should be removed. it is the fulfilment of this promise which is traced by this writer. he steadily pursues that one line of history which runs directly towards this fulfilment; turning aside now and again to pursue, to a greater or less distance, diverging lines, but always returning to the grand highway on which the promise travels. his method is first to dispose of collateral matter and then to proceed with his main theme. as here, he first disposes of the line of cain and then returns to seth through whom the line of promise is maintained. the first thing we have to do with outside the garden is death--the curse of sin speedily manifests itself in its most terrible form. but the sinner executes it himself. the first death is a murder. as if to show that all death is a wrong inflicted on us and proceeds not from god but from sin, it is inflicted by sin and by the hand of man. man becomes his own executioner, and takes part with satan, the murderer from the beginning. but certainly the first feeling produced by these events must have been one of bitter disappointment, as if the promise were to be lost in the curse. the story of cain and abel was to all appearance told in order to point out that from the very first men have been divided into two great classes, viewed in connection with god's promise and presence in the world. always there have been those who believed in god's love and waited for it, and those who believed more in their own force and energy. always there have been the humble and self-diffident who hoped in god, and the proud and self-reliant who felt themselves equal to all the occasions of life. and this story of cain and abel and the succeeding generations does not conceal the fact, that for the purposes of this world there has been visible an element of weakness in the godly line, and that it is to the self-reliant and god-defying energy of the descendants of cain that we owe much of the external civilisation of the world. while the descendants of seth pass away and leave only this record, that they "walked with god," there are found among cain's descendants, builders of cities, inventors of tools and weapons, music and poetry and the beginnings of culture. these two opposed lines are in the first instance represented by cain and abel. with each child that comes into the world some fresh hope is brought; and the name of cain points to the expectation of his parents that in him a fresh start would be made. alas! as the boy grew they saw how vain such expectation was and how truly their nature had passed into his, and how no imparted experience of theirs, taught him from without, could countervail the strong propensities to evil which impelled him from within. they experienced that bitterest punishment which parents undergo, when they see their own defects and infirmities and evil passions repeated in their children and leading them astray as they once led themselves; when in those who are to perpetuate their name and remembrance on earth they see evidence that their faults also will be perpetuated; when in those whom they chiefly love they have a mirror ceaselessly held up to them forcing them to remember the follies and sins of their own youth. certainly in the proud, self-willed, sullen cain no redemption was to be found. both sons own the necessity of labour. man is no longer in the primitive condition, in which he had only to stretch out his hand when hungry, and satisfy his appetite. there are still some regions of the earth in which the trees shower fruit, nutritious and easily preserved, on men who shun labour. were this the case throughout the world, the whole of life would be changed. had we been created self-sufficing or in such conditions as involved no necessity of toil, nothing would be as it now is. it is the need of labour that implies occasional starvation and frequent poverty, and gives occasion to charity. it is the need of labour which involves commerce and thereby sows the seed of greed, worldliness, ambition, drudgery. the ultimate physical wants of men, food and clothes, are the motive of the greater part of all human activity. trace to their causes the various industries of men, the wars, the great social movements, all that constitutes history, and you find that the bulk of all that is done upon earth is done because men must have food and wish to have it as good and with as little labour as possible. the broad facts of human life are in many respects humiliating. the disposition of men is consequently shown in the occupations they choose and the idea of life they carry into them. some, like abel, choose peaceful callings that draw out feeling and sympathy; others prefer pursuits which are stirring and active. cain chose the tillage of the ground, partly no doubt from the necessity of the case, but probably also with the feeling that he could subdue nature to his own purposes notwithstanding the curse that lay upon it. do we not all sometimes feel a desire to take the world as it is, curse and all, and make the most of it; to face its disease with human skill, its disturbing and destructive elements with human forethought and courage, its sterility and stubbornness with human energy and patience? what is stimulating men still to all discovery and invention, to forewarn seamen of coming storms, to break a precarious passage for commerce through eternal ice or through malarious swamps, to make life at all points easier and more secure? is it not the energy which opposition excites? we know that it will be hard work; we expect to have thorns and thistles everywhere, but let us see whether this may not after all be a thoroughly happy world, whether we cannot cultivate the curse altogether out of it. this is indeed the very work god has given man to do--to subdue the earth and make the desert blossom as the rose. god is with us in this work, and he who believes in god's purpose and strives to reclaim nature and compel it to some better products than it naturally yields, is doing god's work in the world. the misery is that so many do it in the spirit of cain, in a spirit of self-confident or sullen alienation from god, willing to endure all hardship but unable to lay themselves at god's feet with every capacity for work and every field he has given them to till for him and in a spirit of humble love to co-operate with him. to this spirit of godless energy, of merely selfish or worldly ambition and enterprise, the world owes not only much of its poverty and many of its greatest disasters, but also the greater part of its present advantages in external civilisation. but from this spirit can never arise the meekness, the patience, the tenderness, the charity which sweeten the life of society and are more to be desired than gold; from this spirit and all its achievements the natural outcome is the proud, vindictive, self-glorifying war-song of a lamech. the incompatibility of the two lines and the persecuting spirit of the godless are set forth by the after history of cain and abel. the one line is represented in cain, who with all his energy and indomitable courage, is depicted as of a dark, morose, suspicious, jealous, violent temper; a man born under the shadow of the fall. abel is described in contrast as guileless and sunny, free from harshness and resentment. what was in cain was shown by what came out of him, murder. the reason of the rejection of his offering was his own evil condition of heart. "if thou doest well, shalt not thou also be accepted;" implying that he was not accepted because he was not doing well. his offering was a mere form; he complied with the fashion of the family; but in spirit he was alienated from god, cherishing thoughts which the rejection of his offering brings to a head. he may have seen that the younger son won more of the parents' affection, that his company was more welcome. jealousy had been produced, that deep jealousy of the humble and godly which proud men of the world cannot help betraying and which has so very often in the world's history produced persecution. this cannot be considered too weak a motive to carry so enormous a crime. even in a highly civilised age we find an english statesman saying: "pique is one of the strongest motives in the human mind. fear is strong but transient. interest is more lasting, perhaps, and steady, but weaker; i will ever back pique against them both. it is the spur the devil rides the noblest tempers with, and will do more work with them in a week, than with other poor jades in a twelve-month." and the age of cain and abel was an age in which impulse and action lay close together, and in which jealousy is notoriously strong. to this motive john ascribes the act: "wherefore slew he him? because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." we have now learned better how to disguise our feelings; and we are compelled to control them better; but now and again we meet with a deep-seated hatred of goodness which might give rise to almost any crime. few of us can say that for our own part we have extinguished within us the spirit that disparages and depreciates and fixes the charge of hypocrisy or refers good actions to interested motives, searches out failings and watches for haltings and is glad when a blot is found. few are filled with unalloyed grief when the man who has borne an extraordinary reputation turns out to be just like the rest of us. many of us have a true delight in goodness and humble ourselves before it when we see it, and yet we know also what it is to be exasperated by the presence of superiority. i have seen a schoolboy interrupt his brother's prayers, and gird at him for his piety, and strive to draw him into sin, and do the devil's work with zest and diligence. and where goodness is manifestly in the minority how constantly does it excite hatred that pours itself out in sneers and ridicule and ignorant calumny. but this narrative significantly refers this early quarrel to religion. there is no bitterness to compare with that which worldly men who profess religion, feel towards those who cultivate a spiritual religion. they can never really grasp the distinction between external worship and real godliness. they make their offerings, they attend to the rites of the religion to which they belong and are beside themselves with indignation if any person or event suggests to them that they might have saved themselves all their trouble, because these do not at all constitute religion. they uphold the church, they admire and praise her beautiful services, they use strong but meaningless language about infidelity, and yet when brought in contact with spirituality and assured that regeneration and penitent humility are required above all else in the kingdom of god, they betray an utter inability to comprehend the very rudiments of the christian religion. abel has always to go to the wall because he is always the weaker party, always in the minority. spiritual religion, from the very nature of the case, must always be in the minority; and must be prepared to suffer loss, calumny, and violence, at the hands of the worldly religious, who have contrived for themselves a worship that calls for no humiliation before god and no complete surrender of heart and will to him. cain is the type of the ignorant religious, of the unregenerate man who thinks he merits god's favour as much as any one else; and cain's conduct is the type of the treatment which the christ-like and intelligent godly are always likely to receive at such hands. we never know where we may be led by jealousy and malice. one of the striking features of this incident is the rapidity with which small sins generate great ones. when cain went in the joy of harvest and offered his first fruits no thought could be further from his mind than murder. it may have come as suddenly on himself as on the unsuspecting abel, but the germ was in him. great sins are not so sudden as they seem. familiarity with evil thought ripens us for evil action; and a moment of passion, an hour's loss of self-control, a tempting occasion, may hurry us into irremediable evil. and even though this does not happen, envious, uncharitable, and malicious thoughts make our offerings as distasteful as cain's. he that loveth not his brother knoweth not god. first be reconciled to thy brother, says our lord, and then come and offer thy gift. other truths are incidentally taught in this narrative. (1) the acceptance of the offering depends on the acceptance of the offerer. god had respect to abel and his offering--the man first and then the offering. god looks through the offering to the state of soul from which it proceeds; or even, as the words would indicate, sees the soul first and judges and treats the offering according to the inward disposition. god does not judge of what you are by what you say to him or do for him, but he judges what you say to him and do for him by what you are. "by _faith_" says a new testament writer, "abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than cain." he had the faith which enabled him to believe that god is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. his attitude towards god was sound; his life was a diligent seeking to please god; and from all such persons god gladly receives acknowledgment. when the offering is the true expression of the soul's gratitude, love, devotedness, then it is acceptable. when it is a merely external offering, that rather veils than expresses the real feeling; when it is not vivified and rendered significant by any spiritual act on the part of the worshipper, it is plainly of no effect. what is true of all sacrifices is true of the sacrifice of christ. it remains invalid and of none effect to those who do not through it yield themselves to god. sacrifices were intended to be the embodiment and expression of a state of feeling towards god, of a submission or offering of men's selves to god; of a return to that right relation which ought ever to subsist between creature and creator. christ's sacrifice is valid for us when it is that outward thing which best expresses our feeling towards god and through which we offer or yield ourselves to god. his sacrifice is the open door through which god freely admits all who aim at a consecration and obedience like to his. it is valid for us when through it we sacrifice ourselves. whatever his sacrifice expresses we desire to take and use as the only satisfactory expression of our own aims and desires. did christ perfectly submit to and fulfil the will of god? so would we. did he acknowledge the infinite evil of sin and patiently bear its penalties, still loving the holy and righteous god? so would we endure all chastening, and still resist unto blood striving against sin. (2) again, we here find a very sharp and clear statement of the welcome truth, that continuance in sin is never a necessity, that god points the way out of sin, and that from the first he has been on man's side and has done all that could be done to keep men from sinning. observe how he expostulates with cain. take note of the plain, explicit fairness of the words in which he expostulates with him--instance, as it is, of how absolutely in the right god always is, and how abundantly he can justify all his dealings with us. god says as it were to cain; come now: and let us reason together. all god wants of any man is to be reasonable; to look at the facts of the case. "if thou doest well, shalt thou not (as well as abel) be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door," that is, if thou doest not well, the sin is not abel's nor any one's but thine own, and therefore anger at another is not the proper remedy, but anger at yourself, and repentance. no language could more forcibly exhibit the unreasonableness of not meeting god with penitent and humble acknowledgment. god has fully met our case, and has satisfied all its demands, has set himself to serve us and laid himself out to save us pain and misery, and has so entirely succeeded in making salvation and blessedness possible to us, that if we continue in sin we must trample not only upon god's love and our own reason, but on the very means of salvation. state your case at the worst, bring forward every reason why your countenance should be fallen as cain's and why your face should lower with the gloom of eternal despair--say that you have as clear evidence as cain had that your offerings are displeasing to god, and that while others are accepted you receive no token from him,--in answer to all your arguments, these words addressed to cain rise up. if not accepted already you have the means of being so. if you do well to be hardened in sin it is not because it is necessary, nor because god desires it. if you are to continue in sin you must put aside his hand. it can only be _sin_ which causes you either to despair of salvation or keeps you any way separate from god--there is no other thing worse than sin, and for sin there is an offering provided. you have not fallen into some lower grade of beings than that which is designated sinners, and it is sinners that god in his mercy hems in with this inevitable dilemma he presented to cain. if, therefore, you continue at war with god it is not because you must not do otherwise: if you go forward to any new thought, plan, or action unpardoned; if acceptance of god's forgiveness and entrance into a state of reconciliation with him be not your first action, then you must thrust aside his counsel, backed though it is with every utterance of your own reason. some of us may be this day or this week in as critical a position as cain, having as truly as he the making or marring of our future in our hands, seeing clearly the right course, and all that is good, humble, penitent and wise in us urging us to follow that course, but our pride and self-will holding us back. how often do men thus barter a future of blessing for some mean gratification of temper or lust or pride; how often by a reckless, almost listless and indifferent continuance in sin do they let themselves be carried on to a future as woful as cain's; how often when god expostulates with them do they make no answer and take no action, as if there were nothing to be gained by listening to god--as if it were a matter of no importance what future i go to--as if in the whole eternity that lies in reserve there were nothing worth making a choice about--nothing about which it is worth my while to rouse the whole energy of which i am capable, and to make, by god's grace, the determination which shall alter my whole future--to choose for myself and assert myself. (3) the writer to the hebrews makes a very striking use of this event. he borrows from it language in which to magnify the efficacy of christ's sacrifice, and affirms that the blood of christ speaketh better things, or, as it must rather be rendered, crieth louder than the blood of abel. abel's blood, we see, cried for vengeance, for evil things for cain, called god to make inquisition for blood, and so pled as to secure the banishment of the murderer. the arabs have a belief that over the grave of a murdered man his spirit hovers in the form of a bird that cries "give me drink, give me drink," and only ceases when the blood of the murderer is shed. cain's conscience told him the same thing; there was no criminal law threatening death to the murderer, but he felt that men would kill him if they could. he heard the blood of abel crying from the earth. the blood of christ also cries to god, but cries not for vengeance but for pardon. and as surely as the one cry was heard and answered in very substantial results; so surely does the other cry call down from heaven its proper and beneficent effects. it is as if the earth would not receive and cover the blood of christ, but ever exposes it before god and cries to him to be faithful and just to forgive us our sins. this blood cries louder than the other. if god could not overlook the blood of one of his servants, but adjudged to it its proper consequences, neither is it possible that he should overlook the blood of his son and not give to it its proper result. if then you feel in your conscience that you are as guilty as cain, and if sins clamour around you which are as dangerous as his, and which cry out for judgment upon you, accept the assurance that the blood of christ has a yet louder cry for mercy. if you had been abel's murderer, would you have been justly afraid of god's anger? be as sure of god's mercy now. if you had stood over his lifeless body and seen the earth refusing to cover his blood, if you felt the stain of it crimson on your conscience and if by night you started from your sleep striving vainly to wash it from your hands, if by every token you felt yourself exposed to a just punishment, your fear would be just and reasonable were nothing else revealed to you. but there is another blood equally indelible, equally clamorous. in it you have in reality what is elsewhere pretended in fable, that the blood of the murdered man will not wash out, but through every cleansing oozes up again a dark stain on the oaken floor. this blood can really not be washed out, it cannot be covered up and hid from god's eye, its voice cannot be stifled, and its cry is all for mercy. with how different a meaning then comes now to us this question of god's: "where is thy brother?" our brother also is slain. him whom god sent among us to reverse the curse, to lighten the burden of this life, to be the loving member of the family on whom each leans for help and looks to for counsel and comfort--him who was by his goodness to be as the dayspring from on high in our darkness, we found _too_ good for our endurance and dealt with as cain dealt with his more righteous brother. but he whom we slew god has raised again to give repentance and remission of sins, and assures us that his blood cleanseth from all sin. to every one therefore he repeats this question, "where is thy brother?" he repeats it to every one who is living with a conscience stained with sin; to every one that knows remorse and walks with the hanging head of shame; to every one whose whole life is saddened by the consciousness that all is not settled between god and himself; to every one who is sinning recklessly as if christ's blood had never been shed for sin; and to every one who, though seeking to be at peace with god, is troubled and downcast--to all god says, "where is thy brother?" tenderly reminding us of the absolute satisfaction for sin that has been made, and of the hope towards god we have through the blood of his son. iv. _cain's line, and enoch._ genesis iv. 12-24. "my punishment is greater than i can bear," so felt cain as soon as his passion had spent itself and the consequences of his wickedness became apparent--and so feels every one who finds he has now to live in the presence of the irrevocable deed he has done. it seems too heavy a penalty to endure for the one hour of passion; and yet as little as cain could rouse the dead abel so little can we revive the past we have destroyed. thoughtlessness has set in motion agencies we are powerless to control; the whole world is changed to us. one can fancy cain turning to see if his victim gave no sign of life, striving to reanimate the dead body, calling the familiar name, but only to see with growing dismay that the one blow had finished all with which that name was associated, and that he had made himself a new world. so are we drawn back and back in thought to that which has for ever changed life to us, striving to see if there is no possibility of altering the past, but only to find we might quite as well try to raise the dead. no voice responds to our cries of grief and dismay and too late repentance. all life now seems but a reaping of the consequences of the past. we have put ourselves in every respect at a disadvantage. the earth seems cursed so that we are hampered in our employments and cannot make as much of them as we would had we been innocent. we have got out of right relations to our fellow-men and cannot feel the same to them as we ought to feel; and the face of god is hid from us, so that now and again as time after time our hopes are blighted, our life darkened and disturbed by the obvious results of our own past deeds, we are tempted to cry out with cain: "my punishment is greater than i can bear." yet cain's punishment was less than he expected. he was not put to death as he would have been at any later period of the world's history, but was banished. and even this punishment was lightened by his having a token from god, that he would not be put to death by any zealous avenger of abel. he would experience the hardships of a man entering unexplored territory, but to an enterprising spirit this would not be without its charms. as the fresh beauties of the world's youth were disclosed to him and by their bright and peaceful friendliness allayed the bitterness of his spirit, and as the mysteries and dangers of the new regions excited him and called his thoughts from the past, some of the old delight in life may have been recovered by him. probably in many a lonely hour the recollection of his crime would return and with it all the horrors of a remorse which would drive rest and peace from his soul, and render him the most wretched of men. but busied as he was with his new enterprises, there is little doubt that he would find it, as it is still found, not impossible to banish such dreary thoughts and live in the measure of contentment which many enjoy who are as far from god as cain. it is not difficult to detect the spirit he carried with him, and the tone he gave to his line of the race. the facts recorded are few but significant. he begat a son, he built a city; and he gave to both the name enoch, that is "initiation," or "beginning," as if he were saying in his heart, "what so great harm after all in cutting short one line in abel? i can begin another and find a new starting point for the race. i am driven forth cursed as a vagabond, but a vagabond i will not be; i will make for myself a settled abode, and i will fence it round with knife-blade thorns so that no man will be able to assault me." in this settling of cain, however, we see not any symptom of his ceasing to be a vagabond, but the surest evidence that now he was content to be a fugitive from god and had cut himself off from hope. his heart had found rest and had found it apart from god. _here_, in this city he would make a fresh beginning for himself and for men. here he abandoned all clinging memories of former things, of his old home and of the god there worshipped. he had wisdom enough not to call his city by his own name, and so invite men to consider his former career or trace back anything to his old life. he cut it all off from him; his crime, his god also, all that was in it was to be no more to him and his comrades. he would make a clean start, and that men might be led to expect a great future he called his city, enoch, a beginning. but it is one thing to forgive ourselves, another thing to have god's forgiveness. it is one thing to reconcile ourselves to the curse that runs through our life, another thing to be reconciled to god and so defeat the curse. it is sometimes, though by no means always, possible to escape some of the consequences of sin: we can change our front so as to lessen the breadth of life that is exposed to them, or we can accustom and harden ourselves to a very second-rate kind of life. we can teach ourselves to live without much love in our homes or in our connections with those outside; we can learn to be satisfied if we can pay our way and make the time pass and be outwardly like other people; we can build a little city, and be content to be on no very friendly terms with any but the select few inside the trench, and actually be quite satisfied if we can _defend ourselves against_ the rest of men; we can forget the one commandment, that we should love one another. we can all find much in the world to comfort, to lull, to soothe sorrowful but wholesome remembrances; much to aid us in an easy treatment of the curse; much to shed superficial brightness on a life darkened and debased by sin, much to hush up the sad echoes that mutter from the dark mountains of vanity we have left behind us, much that assures us we have nothing to do but forget our old sins and busily occupy ourselves with new duties. but no david will say, nor will any man of true spiritual discernment say, "blessed is the man whose transgression is _forgotten_;" but only, "blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven." by all means make a fresh start, a new beginning, but let it be in your own broken heart, in a spirit humble and contrite, frankly acknowledging your guilt and finding rest and settlement for your soul in reconciliation with god. it is in the family of lamech the characteristics of cain's line are most distinctly seen, and the significance of their tendencies becomes apparent. as cain had set himself to cultivate the curse out of the world, so have his children derived from him the self-reliant hardiness and hardihood which are resolute to make of this world as bright and happy a home as may be. they make it their task to subdue the world and compel it to yield them a life in which they can delight. they are so far successful that in a few generations they have formed a home in which all the essentials of civilized life are found--the arts are cultivated and female society is appreciated. of his three sons, jabal--or "increase"--was "the father of such as dwell in tents and of such as have cattle." he had originality enough to step beyond all traditional habits and to invent a new mode of life. hitherto men had been tied to one spot by their fixed habitations, or found shelter when overtaken by storm in caves or trees. to jabal the idea first occurs, i can carry my house about with me and regulate its movements and not it mine. i need not return every night this long weary way from the pastures, but may go wherever grass is green and streams run cool. he and his comrades would thus become aware of the vast resources of other lands, and would unconsciously lay the foundations both of commerce and of wars of conquest. for both in ancient and more modern times the most formidable armies have been those vast moving shepherd races bred outside the borders of civilization and flooding as with an irresistible tide the territories of more settled and less hardy tribes. jubal again was, as his name denotes, the reputed father of all such as handle the harp and the organ, stringed and wind instruments. the stops of the reed or flute and the divisions of the string being once discovered, all else necessarily followed. the twanging of a bow-string in a musical ear was enough to give the suggestion to an observant mind; the varying notes of the birds; the winds expressing at one time unbridled fury and at another a breathing benediction, could not fail to move and stir the susceptible spirit. the spontaneous though untuned singing of children, that follows no mere melody made by another to express _his_ joy, but is the instinctive expression of their own joy, could not but give however meagrely the first rudiments of music. but here was the man who first made a piece of wood help him; who out of the commonest material of the physical world found for himself a means of expressing the most impalpable moods of his spirit. once the idea was caught that matter inanimate as well as animate was man's servant and could do his finest work for him, jabal and his brother jubal would make rapid work between them. if the rude matter of the world could _sing_ for them, what might it not do for them? they would see that there was a precision in machine-work which man's hand could not rival--a regularity which no nervous throb could throw out and no feeling interrupt, and yet at the same time when they found how these rude instruments responded to every finest shade of feeling, and how all external nature seemed able to express what was in man, must it not have been the birth of poetry as well as of music? jubal in short originates what we now compendiously describe as the fine arts. the third brother again may be taken as the originator of the useful arts--though not exclusively--for being the instructor of every artificer in brass and iron, having something of his brother's genius for invention and more than his brother's handiness and practical faculty for embodying his ideas in material forms, he must have promoted all arts which require tools for their culture. thus among these three brothers we find distributed the various kinds of genius and faculty which ever since have enriched the world. here in germ was really all that the world can do. the great lines in which individual and social activity have since run were then laid down. this notable family circle was completed by naamah, the sister of tubal-cain. the strength of female influence began to be felt contemporaneously with the cultivation of the arts. very early in the world's history it was perceived that although debarred from the rougher activities of life, women have an empire of their own. men have the making of civilisation, but women have the making of men. it is they who form the character of the individual and give its tone to the society in which they live. it is natural to men to consider the feelings and tastes of women and to adapt their manners and conversation to them; and it is for women to exercise worthily the sway they thus possess. practically and to a large extent women settle what subjects shall be spoken of, and in what tone, trifling or serious; and each ought therefore to recognise her own burden of responsibility, and see to it that the deference paid to her shall not lower him who pays it, and that the respect shown to her shall help him who shows it to respect what is pure and true, charitable, just, and worthy. let women show that it is worldly trifling or slanderous malignity or empty tittle-tattle that delights them, then they act the part of eve and tempt to sin; let them show that they prize most highly the mirth that is innocent and the conversation that is elevating and helpful, and while they win admiration for themselves they win it also for what is healthy and purifying. no woman can renounce her influence; helpful or hurtful she certainly is and must be in proportion as she is pleasing and attractive. thus early did it appear how much of what is admirable and serviceable clung to human nature apart from any recognition of god. the worldly life was then what it is now, a life not wholly and obviously polluted by excess, nor destroyed by violence, but displaying features which appeal to our sensibilities and provoke applause; a life of manifold beauty, of great power and resource, of abundant promise. there is abundant material in the world for beautifying and elevating human life, and this material may be used and is used by men who acknowledge neither its origin in god nor the ends he would serve by it. the interests of men may be advanced and the best work of the world done by three distinct classes of men--by those who work as god's children in thorough sympathy with his purposes; by those who do not know god but who are humble in heart and would sympathise with god's purposes, did they become acquainted with them; and by those who are proud and self-willed, positively alienated from god, and who do the world's work for their own ends. and so far as the external work goes the last-named class of men may be most efficient. in mental endowment, social and political wisdom, scientific aptitude, and all that tends to substantial utility, it is quite possible they may excel the godly, for "not many noble, not many wise are called." but we have nothing to measure permanent success by, save conformity with god's will; and we have nothing by which we can estimate how character will endure and how deeply it is rooted save conformity with the nature of god. if a man believes in god, in one supreme who rules and orders all things for just, holy and wise ends; if he is in sympathy with the nature and will of god and finds his truest satisfaction in forwarding the purposes of god, then you have a guarantee for this man's continuance in good and for his ultimate success. the precarious nature of all godless civilisation and the real tendency of self-sufficing pride are shown in lamech. it is in lamech the tendency culminates and in him the issue of all this brilliant but godless life is seen. therefore though he is the father, the historian speaks of him _after_ his children. in his one recorded utterance his character leaps to view definite and complete--a character of boundless force, self-reliance and godlessness. it is a little uncertain whether he means that he has actually slain a man, or whether he is putting a hypothetical case--the character of his speech is the same whichever view is taken. "i have slain," he says, or suppose i slay, "a man for wounding me, a young man for hurting me: but if cain shall be avenged seven-fold--then lamech seventy and seven-fold." that is, i take vengeance for myself with those good weapons my son has forged for me. he has furnished me with a means of defence many times more effectual than god's avenging of cain. this is the climax of the self-sufficiency to which the line of cain has been tending. cain besought god's protection; he needed god for at least one purpose, this one thread bound him yet to god. lamech has no need of god for any purpose; what his sons can make and his own right hand do is enough for him. this is what comes of finding enough in the world without god--a boastful, self-sufficient man, dangerous to society, the incarnation of the pride of life. in the long run separation from god becomes isolation from man and cruel self-sufficiency. the line of seth is followed from father to son, for the sake of showing that the promise of a seed which should be victorious over evil was being fulfilled. apparently it is also meant that during this uneventful period long ages elapsed. nothing can be told of these old world people but that they lived and died, leaving behind them heirs to transmit the promise. only once is the monotony broken; but this in so striking a manner as to rescue us from the idea that the historian is mechanically copying a barren list of names. for in the seventh generation, contemporaneous with the culmination of cain's line in the family of lamech, we come upon the simple but anything but mechanical statement: "enoch walked with god and he was not; for god took him." the phrase is full of meaning. enoch walked with god because he was his friend and liked his company, because he was going in the same direction as god, and had no desire for anything but what lay in god's path. we walk with god when he is in all our thoughts; not because we consciously think of him at all times, but because he is naturally suggested to us by all we think of; as when any person or plan or idea has become important to us, no matter what we think of, our thought is always found recurring to this favourite object, so with the godly man everything has a connection with god and must be ruled by that connection. when some change in his circumstances is thought of, he has first of all to determine how the proposed change will affect his connection with god--will his conscience be equally clear, will he be able to live on the same friendly terms with god and so forth. when he falls into sin he cannot rest till he has resumed his place at god's side and walks again with him. this is the general nature of walking with god; it is a persistent endeavour to hold all our life open to god's inspection and in conformity to his will; a readiness to give up what we find does cause any misunderstanding between us and god; a feeling of loneliness if we have not some satisfaction in our efforts at holding fellowship with god, a cold and desolate feeling when we are conscious of doing something that displeases him. this walking with god necessarily tells on the whole life and character. as you instinctively avoid subjects which you know will jar upon the feelings of your friend, as you naturally endeavour to suit yourself to your company, so when the consciousness of god's presence begins to have some weight with you, you are found instinctively endeavouring to please him, repressing the thoughts you know he disapproves, and endeavouring to educate such dispositions as reflect his own nature. it is easy then to understand how we may practically walk with god--it is to open to him all our purposes and hopes, to seek his judgment on our scheme of life and idea of happiness--it is to be on thoroughly friendly terms with god. why then do any not walk with god? because they seek what is wrong. you would walk with him if the same idea of good possessed you as possesses him; if you were as ready as he to make no deflexion from the straight path. is not the very crown of life depicted in the testimony given to enoch, that "he pleased god"? cannot you take your way through life with a resolute and joyous spirit if you are conscious that you please him who judges not by appearances, not by your manners, but by your real state, by your actual character and the eternal promise it bears? things were not made easy to enoch. in evil days, with much to mislead him, with everything to oppose him, he had by faith and diligent seeking, as the epistle to the hebrews says, to cleave to the path on which god walked, often left in darkness, often thrown off the track, often listening but unable to hear the footfall of god or to hear his own name called upon, receiving no sign but still diligently seeking the god he knew would lead him only to good. be it yours to give such diligence. do not accept it as a thing fixed that you are to be one of the graceless and ungodly, always feeble, always vacillating, always without a character, always in doubt about your state, and whether life might not be some other and better thing to you. "enoch was not, for god took him." suddenly his place on earth was empty and men drew their own conclusions. he had been known as the friend of god, where could he be but in god's dwelling-place? no sickness had slowly worn him to the grave, no mark of decay had been visible in his unabated vigour. his departure was a favour conferred and as such men recognised it. "god has taken him," they said, and their thoughts followed upward, and essayed to conceive the finished bliss of the man whom god has taken away where blessing may be more fully conferred. his age corresponded to our thirty-three, the age when the world has usually got fair hold of a man, when a man has found his place in life and means to live and see good days. the awkward, unfamiliar ways of youth that keep him outside of much of life are past, and the satiety of age is not yet reached; a man has begun to learn there is something he can do, and has not yet learned how little. it is an age at which it is most painful to relinquish life, but it was at this age god took him away, and men knew it was in kindness. others had begun to gather round him, and depend upon him, hopes were resting in him, great things were expected of him, life was strong in him. but let life dress itself in its most attractive guise, let it shine on a man with its most fascinating smile, let him be happy at home and the pleasing centre of a pleasing circle of friends, let him be in that bright summer of life when a man begins to fear he is too prosperous and happy, and yet there is for man a better thing than all this, a thing so immeasurably and independently superior to it that all this may be taken away and yet the man be far more blessed. if god would confer his highest favours, he must take a man out of all this and bring him closer to himself. v. _the flood._ genesis v.-ix. the first great event which indelibly impressed itself on the memory of the primeval world was the flood. there is every reason to believe that this catastrophe was co-extensive with the human population of the world. in every branch of the human family traditions of the event are found. these traditions need not be recited, though some of them bear a remarkable likeness to the biblical story, while others are very beautiful in their construction, and significant in individual points. local floods happening at various times in different countries could not have given birth to the minute coincidences found in these traditions, such as the sending out of the birds, and the number of persons saved. but we have as yet no material for calculating how far human population had spread from the original centre. it might apparently be argued that it could not have spread to the sea-coast, or that at any rate no ships had as yet been built large enough to weather a severe storm; for a thoroughly nautical population could have had little difficulty in surviving such a catastrophe as is here described. but all that can be affirmed is that there is no evidence that the waters extended beyond the inhabited part of the earth; and from certain details of the narrative, this part of the earth may be identified as the great plain of the euphrates and tigris. some of the expressions used in the narrative might indeed lead us to suppose that the writer understood the catastrophe to have extended over the whole globe; but expressions of similar largeness elsewhere occur in passages where their meaning must be restricted. probably the most convincing evidence of the limited extent of the flood is furnished by the animals of australia. the animals that abound in that island are different from those found in other parts of the world, but are similar to the species which are found fossilized in the island itself, and which therefore must have inhabited these same regions long anterior to the flood. if then the flood extended to australia and destroyed all animal life there, what are we compelled to suppose as the order of events? we must suppose that the creatures, visited by some presentiment of what was to happen many months after, selected specimens of their number, and that these specimens by some unknown and quite inconceivable means crossed thousands of miles of sea, found their way through all kinds of perils from unaccustomed climate, food, and beasts of prey; singled out noah by some inscrutable instinct, and surrendered themselves to his keeping. and after the year in the ark expired, they turned their faces homewards, leaving behind them no progeny, again preserving themselves intact, and transporting themselves by some unknown means to their island home. this, if the deluge was universal, must have been going on with thousands of animals from all parts of the globe; and not only were these animals a stupendous miracle in themselves, but wherever they went they were the occasion of miracle in others, all the beasts of prey refraining from their natural food. the fact is, the thing will not bear stating. but it is not the physical but the moral aspects of the flood with which we have here to do. and, first, this narrator explains its cause. he ascribes it to the abnormal wickedness of the antediluvians. to describe the demoralised condition of society before the flood, the strongest language is used. "god saw that the wickedness of man was great," monstrous in acts of violence, and in habitual courses and established usages. "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,"--there was no mixture of good, no relentings, no repentances, no visitings of compunction, no hesitations and debatings. it was a world of men fierce and energetic, violent and lawless, in perpetual war and turmoil; in which if a man sought to live a righteous life, he had to conceive it of his own mind and to follow it out unaided and without the countenance of any. this abnormal wickedness again is accounted for by the abnormal marriages from which the leaders of these ages sprang. everything seemed abnormal, huge, inhuman. as there are laid bare to the eye of the geologist in those archaic times vast forms bearing a likeness to forms we are now familiar with, but of gigantic proportions and wallowing in dim, mist-covered regions; so to the eye of the historian there loom through the obscurity colossal forms perpetrating deeds of more than human savagery, and strength, and daring; heroes that seem formed in a different mould from common men. however we interpret the narrative, its significance for us is plain. there is nothing prudish in the bible. it speaks with a manly frankness of the beauty of women and its ensnaring power. the mosaic law was stringent against intermarriage with idolatresses, and still in the new testament something more than an echo of the old denunciation of such marriages is heard. those who were most concerned about preserving a pure morality and a high tone in society were keenly alive to the dangers that threatened from this quarter. it is a permanent danger to character because it is to a permanent element in human nature that the temptation appeals. to many in every generation, perhaps to the majority, this is the most dangerous form in which worldliness presents itself; and to resist this the most painful test of principle. with natures keenly sensitive to beauty and superficial attractiveness, some are called upon to make their choice between a conscientious cleaving to god and an attachment to that which in the form is perfect but at heart is defective, depraved, godless. where there is great outward attraction a man fights against the growing sense of inward uncongeniality, and persuades himself he is too scrupulous and uncharitable, or that he is a bad reader of character. there may be an undercurrent of warning; he may be sensible that his whole nature is not satisfied and it may seem to him ominous that what is best within him does not flourish in his new attachment, but rather what is inferior, if not what is worst. but all such omens and warnings are disregarded and stifled by some such silly thought as that consideration and calculation are out of place in such matters. and what is the result? the result is the same as it ever was. instead of the ungodly rising to the level of the godly, he sinks to hers. the worldly style, the amusements, the fashions once distasteful to him, but allowed for her sake, become familiar, and at last wholly displace the old and godly ways, the arrangements that left room for acknowledging god in the family; and there is one household less as a point of resistance to the incursion of an ungodly tone in society, one deserter more added to the already too crowded ranks of the ungodly, and the life-time if not the eternity of one soul embittered. not without a consideration of the temptations that do actually lead men astray did the law enjoin: "thou shalt not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, nor take of their daughters unto thy sons." it seems like a truism to say that a greater amount of unhappiness has been produced by mismanagement, folly, and wickedness in the relation subsisting between men and women than by any other cause. god has given us the capacity of love to regulate this relation and be our safe guide in all matters connected with it. but frequently, from one cause or another, the government and direction of this relation are taken out of the hands of love and put into the thoroughly incompetent hands of convenience, or fancy, or selfish lust. a marriage contracted from any such motive is sure to bring unhappiness of a long-continued, wearing and often heart-breaking kind. such a marriage is often the form in which retribution comes for youthful selfishness and youthful licentiousness. you cannot cheat nature. just in so far as you allow yourself to be ruled in youth by a selfish love of pleasure, in so far do you incapacitate yourself for love. you sacrifice what is genuine and satisfying, because provided by nature, to what is spurious, unsatisfying, and shameful. you cannot afterwards, unless by a long and bitter discipline, restore the capacity of warm and pure love in your heart. every indulgence in which true love is absent is another blow given to the faculty of love within you--you make yourself in that capacity decrepit, paralyzed, dead. you have lost, you have killed the faculty that should be your guide in all these matters, and so you are at last precipitated without this guidance into a marriage formed from some other motive, formed therefore against nature, and in which you are the everlasting victim of nature's relentless justice. remember that you cannot have both things, a youth of loveless pleasure and a loving marriage--you must make your choice. for as surely as genuine love kills all evil desire; so surely does evil desire kill the very capacity of love, and blind utterly its wretched victim to the qualities that ought to excite love. the language used of god in relation to this universal corruption strikes every one as remarkable. "it repented the lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." this is what is usually termed anthropomorphism, _i.e._ the presenting of god in terms applicable only to man; it is an instance of the same mode of speaking as is used when we speak of god's hand or eye or heart. these expressions are not absolutely true, but they are useful and convey to us a meaning which could scarcely otherwise be expressed. some persons think that the use of these expressions proves that in early times god was thought of as wearing a body and as being very like ourselves in his inward nature. and even in our day we have been ridiculed for speaking of god as a magnified man. now in the first place the use of such expressions does not prove that even the earliest worshippers of god believed him to have eyes and hands and a body. _we_ freely use the same expressions though we have no such belief. we use them because our language is formed for human uses and on a human level, and we have no capacity to frame a better. and in the second place, though not absolutely true they do help us towards the truth. we are told that it degrades god to think of him as hearing prayer and accepting praise; nay, that to think of him as a person at all, is to degrade him. we ought to think of him as the absolutely unknowable. but which degrades god most, and which exalts him most? if we find that it is impossible to worship an absolutely unknowable, if we find that practically such an idea is a mere nonentity to us, and that we cannot in point of fact pay any homage or show any consideration to such an empty abstraction, is not this really to lower god? and if we find that when we think of him as a person, and ascribe to him all human virtue in an infinite degree, we can rejoice in him and worship him with true adoration, is not this to exalt him? while we call him our father we know that this title is inadequate, while we speak of god as planning and decreeing we know that we are merely making shift to express what is inexpressible by us--we know that our thoughts of him are never adequate and that to think of him at all is to lower him, is to think of him inadequately; but when the practical alternative is such as it is, we find we do well to think of him with the highest personal attributes we can conceive. for to refuse to ascribe such attributes to him because this is degrading him, is to empty our minds of any idea of him which can stimulate either to worship or to duty. if by ridding our minds of all anthropomorphic ideas and refusing to think of god as feeling, thinking, acting as men do, we could thereby get to a really higher conception of him, a conception which would practically make us worship him more devotedly and serve him more faithfully, then by all means let us do so. but if the result of refusing to think of him as in many ways like ourselves, is that we cease to think of him at all or only as a dead impersonal force, then this certainly is not to reach a higher but a lower conception of him. and until we see our way to some truly higher conception than that which we have of a personal god, we had better be content with it. in short, we do well to be humble, and considering that we know very little about existence of any kind, and least of all about god's, and that our god has been presented to us in human form, we do well to accept christ as our god, to worship, love, and serve him, finding him sufficient for all our wants of this life, and leaving it to other times to get the solution of anything that is not made plain to us in him. this is one boon that the science and philosophy of our day have unintentionally conferred upon us. they have laboured to make us feel how remote and inaccessible god is, how little we can know him, how truly he is past finding out; they have laboured to make us feel how intangible and invisible and incomprehensible god is, but the result of this is that we turn with all the stronger longing to him who is the image of the invisible god, and on whom a voice has fallen from the excellent glory, "this is my beloved son, hear him." the flood itself we need not attempt to describe. it has been remarked that though the narrative is vivid and forcible, it is entirely wanting in that sort of description which in a modern historian or poet would have occupied the largest space. "we see nothing of the death-struggle; we hear not the cry of despair; we are not called upon to witness the frantic agony of husband and wife, and parent and child, as they fled in terror before the rising waters. nor is a word said of the sadness of the one righteous man, who, safe himself, looked upon the destruction which he could not avert." the chaldean tradition which is the most closely allied to the biblical account is not so reticent. tears are shed in heaven over the catastrophe, and even consternation affected its inhabitants, while within the ark itself the chaldean noah says, "when the storm came to an end and the terrible water-spout ceased, i opened the window and the light smote upon my face. i looked at the sea attentively observing, and the whole of humanity had returned to mud, like seaweed the corpses floated. i was seized with sadness; i sat down and wept and my tears fell upon my face." there can be little question that this is a true description of noah's feeling. and the sense of desolation and constraint would rather increase in noah's mind than diminish. month after month elapsed; he was coming daily nearer the end of his food, and yet the waters were unabated. he did not know how long he was to be kept in this dark, disagreeable place. he was left to do his daily work without any supernatural signs to help him against his natural anxieties. the floating of the ark and all that went on in it had no mark of god's hand upon it. he was indeed _safe_ while others had been destroyed. but of what good was this safety to be? was he ever to get out of this prison-house? to what straits was he to be first reduced? so it is often with ourselves. we are left to fulfil god's will without any sensible tokens to set over against natural difficulties, painful and pinching circumstances, ill health, low spirits, failure of favourite projects and old hopes--so that at last we come to think that perhaps safety is all we are to have in christ, a mere exemption from suffering of one kind purchased by the endurance of much suffering of another kind; that we are to be thankful for pardon on any terms; and escaping with our _life_, must be content though it be bare. why, how often does a christian wonder whether, after all, he has chosen a life that he can endure, whether the monotony and the restraints of the christian life are not inconsistent with true enjoyment? this strife between the felt restriction of the christian life and the natural craving for abundant life, for entrance into all that the world can show us, and experience of all forms of enjoyment--this strife goes on unceasingly in the heart of many of us as it goes on from age to age in the world. which is the true view of life, which is the view to guide _us_ in choosing and refusing the enjoyments and pursuits that are presented to us? are we to believe that the ideal man for this life is he who has tasted all culture and delight, who believes in nature, recognising no fall and seeking for no redemption, and makes enjoyment his end; or he who sees that all enjoyment is deceptive till man is set right morally, and who spends himself on this, knowing that blood and misery must come before peace and rest, and crowned as our king and leader, not with a garland of roses, but with the crown of him who is greatest of all, because servant of all--to whom the most sunken is not repulsive, and who will not abandon the most hopeless? this comes to be very much the question, whether this life is final or preparatory?--whether, therefore, our work in it should be to check lower propensities and develop and train all that is best in character, so as to be fit for highest life and enjoyment in a world to come--or should take ourselves as we find ourselves, and delight in this present world? whether this is a placid eternal state, in which things are very much as they should be, and in which therefore we can live freely and enjoy freely; or whether it is a disordered, initial condition in which our main task should be to do a little towards putting things on a better rail and getting at least the germ and small beginnings of future good planted in one another? so that in the midst of all felt restriction, there is the highest hope, that one day we shall go forth from the narrow precincts of our ark, and step out into the free bright sunshine, in a world where there is nothing to offend, and that the time of our deprivation will seem to have been well spent indeed, if it has left within us a capacity permanently to enjoy love, holiness, justice, and all that is delighted in by god himself. the use made of this event in the new testament is remarkable. it is compared by peter to baptism, and both are viewed as illustrations of salvation by destruction. the eight souls, he says, who were in the ark, "were saved by water." the water which destroyed the rest saved them. when there seemed little hope of the godly line being able to withstand the influence of the ungodly, the flood came and left noah's family in a new world, with freedom to order all things according to their own ideas. in this peter sees some analogy to baptism. in baptism, the penitent who believes in the efficacy of christ's blood to purge away sin, lets his defilement be washed away and rises new and clean to the life christ gives. in christ the sinner finds shelter for himself and destruction for his sins. it is god's wrath against sin that saves us by destroying our sins; just as it was the flood which devastated the world, that at the same time, and thereby, saved noah and his family. in this event, too, we see the completeness of god's work. often we feel reluctant to surrender our sinful habits to so final a destruction as is implied in being one with christ. the expense at which holiness is to be bought seems almost too great. so much that has given us pleasure must be parted with; so many old ties sundered, a condition of holiness presents an aspect of dreariness and hopelessness; like the world after the flood, not a moving thing on the surface of the earth, everything levelled, prostrate, and washed even with the ground; here the corpse of a man, there the carcase of a beast; here mighty forest timber swept prone like the rushes on the banks of a flooded stream, and there a city without inhabitants, everything dank, dismal and repellent. but this is only one aspect of the work; the beginning, necessary if the work is to be thorough. if any part of the sinful life remain it will spring up to mar what god means to introduce us to. only that is to be preserved which we can take with us into our ark. only that is to pass on into our life which we can retain while we are in true connection with christ, and which we think can help us to live as his friends, and to serve him zealously. this event then gives us some measure by which we can know how much god will do to maintain holiness upon earth. in this catastrophe every one who strives after godliness may find encouragement, seeing in it the divine earnestness of god for good and against evil. there is only one other event in history that so conspicuously shows that holiness among men is the object for which god will sacrifice everything else. there is no need now of any further demonstration of god's purpose in this world and his zeal for carrying it out. and may it not be expected of us his children, that we stand in presence of the cross until our cold and frivolous hearts catch something of the earnestness, the "resisting unto blood striving against sin," which is exhibited there? the flood has not been forgotten by almost any people under heaven, but its moral result is _nil_. but he whose memory is haunted by a dying redeemer, by the thought of one whose love found its most appropriate and practical result in dying for him, _is_ prevented from much sin, and finds in that love the spring of eternal hope, that which his soul in the deep privacy of his most sacred thoughts can feed upon with joy, that which he builds himself round and broods over as his inalienable possession. vi. _noah's fall._ genesis ix. 20-27. noah in the ark was in a position of present safety but of much anxiety. no sign of any special protection on god's part was given. the waters seem to stand at their highest level still; and probably the risk of the ark's grounding on some impracticable peak, or precipitous hill-side, would seem as great a danger as the water itself. five months had elapsed, and though the rain had ceased the sky was heavy and threatening, and every day now was worth many measures of corn in the coming harvest. a reflection of the anxiety within the ark is seen in the expression, "and god remembered noah." it was needful to say so, for there was as yet no outward sign of this. to such anxieties all are subject who have availed themselves of the salvation god provides. at the first there is an easy faith in god's aid; there are many signs of his presence; the subjects in whom salvation operates have no disposition or temptation to doubt that god is with them and is working for them. but this initial stage is succeeded by a very different state of things. we seem to be left to ourselves to cope with the world and all its difficulties and temptations in our own strength. much as we crave some sign that god remembers us, no sign is given. we no longer receive the same urgent impulses to holiness of life; we have no longer the same freshness in devotion as if speaking to a god at hand. there is nothing which of itself and without reasoning about it says to us, here is god's hand upon me. in fact, the great part of our life has to be spent under these conditions, and we need to hold some well-ascertained principle regarding god's dealings, if our faith is to survive. and here in god's treatment of noah we see that god may as certainly be working for us when not working directly upon us, as when his presence is palpable. his absence from us is as needful as his presence. the clouds are as requisite for our salvation as the sunny sky. when therefore we find that salvation from sin is a much slower and more anxious matter than we once expected it to be, we are not to suppose that god is not hearing our prayers. when noah day by day cried to god for relief, and yet night after night found himself "cribb'd, cabin'd, and confined," with no sign from god but such as faith could apprehend, depend upon it he had very different feelings from those with which he first stepped into the ark. and when we are left to one monotonous rut of duty and to an unchanging and dry form of devotion, when we are called to learn to live by faith not by sight, to learn that god's purposes with us are spiritual, and that slow and difficult growth in self-command and holiness is the best proof that he hears our prayers, we must strive to believe that this also is a needful part of our salvation; and we must especially be on our guard against supposing that as god has ceased to disclose himself to us, and so to make faith easy, we may cease to disclose ourselves to him. for this is the natural and very frequent result of such an experience. discouraged by the obscurity of god's ways and the difficulty of believing when the mind is not sustained by success or by new thoughts or manifest tokens of god's presence, we naturally cease to look for any clear signs of god's concernment about our state, and rest from all anxious craving to know god's will about us. to this temptation the majority of christian people yield, and allow themselves to become indifferent to spiritual truth and increasingly interested in the non-mysterious facts of the present world, attending to present duties in a mechanical way, seeing that their families have enough to eat and that all in their little ark are provided for. but to this temptation noah did not yield. though to all appearance abandoned by god, he did what he could to ascertain what was beyond his immediate sight and present experience. he sent out his raven and his dove. not satisfied with his first enquiry by the raven, which could flit from one piece of floating garbage to another, he sent out the dove, and continued to do so at intervals of seven days. noah sent out the raven first, probably because it had been the most companionable bird and seemed the wisest, preferable to "the silly dove;" but it never came back with god's message. and so has one often found that an enquiry into god's will, the examination, for example, of some portion of scripture, undertaken with a prospect of success and with good human helps, has failed, and has failed in this peculiar ravenlike way; the enquiry has settled down on some worthless point, on some rotting carcase, on some subject of passing interest or worldly learning, and brings back no message of god to us. on the other hand, the continued use, sabbath after sabbath, of god's appointed means, and the patient waiting for some message of god to come to us through what seems a most unlikely messenger, will often be rewarded. it may be but a single leaf plucked off that we get, but enough to convince us that god has been mindful of our need, and is preparing for us a habitable world. many a man is like the raven, feeding himself on the destruction of others, satisfied with knowing how god has dealt with others. he thinks he has done his part when he has found out who has been sinning and what has been the result. but the dove will not settle on any such resting-place, and is dissatisfied until for herself she can pluck off some token that god's anger is turned away and that now there is peace on earth. and if only you wait god's time and renew your endeavours to find such tokens, some assurance will be given you, some green and growing thing, some living part, however small, of the new creation which will certify you of your hope. on the first day of the first month, new year's day, noah removed the covering of the ark, which seems to have stranded on the armenian tableland, and looked out upon the new world. he cannot but have felt his responsibility, as a kind of second adam. and many questionings must have arisen in his mind regarding the relation of the new to the old. was there to be any connection with the old world at all, or was all to begin afresh? were the promises, the traditions, the events, the genealogies of the old world of any significance now? the flood distinctly marked the going out of one order of things and the establishment of another. man's career and development, or what we call history, had not before the flood attained its goal. if this development was not to be broken short off, and if god's purpose in creation was to be fulfilled, then the world must still go on. some worlds may perhaps die young, as individuals die young. others endure through hair-breadth escapes and constant dangers, find their way like our planet through showers of fire, and pass without collision the orbits of huge bodies, carrying with them always, as our world does, the materials of their destruction within themselves. but catastrophes do not cut short, but evolve god's purposes. the flood came that god's purpose might be fulfilled. the course of nature was interrupted, the arrangements of social and domestic life were overturned, all the works of men were swept away that this purpose might be fulfilled. it was expedient that one generation should die for all generations; and this generation having been taken out of the way, fresh provision is made for the co-operation of man with god. on man's part there is an emphatic acknowledgment of god by sacrifice; on god's part there is a renewed grant to man of the world and its fulness, a renewed assurance of his favour. this covenant with noah was on the plane of nature. it is man's natural life in the world which is the subject of it. the sacredness of life is its great lesson. men might well wonder whether god did not hold life cheap. in the old world violence had prevailed. but while lamech's sword may have slain its thousands, god had in the flood slain tens of thousands. the covenant, therefore, directs that human life must be reverenced. the primal blessing is renewed. men are to multiply and replenish the earth; and the slaughter of a man was to be reckoned a capital crime; and the maintenance of life was guaranteed by a special clause, securing the regularity of the seasons. if, then, you ask, was this just a beginning again where adam began? did god just wipe out man as a boy wipes his slate clean, when he finds his calculation is turning out wrong? had all these generations learned nothing; had the world not grown at all since its birth?--the answer is, it had grown, and in two most important respects,--it had come to the knowledge of the uniformity of nature, and the necessity of human law. this great departure from the uniformity of nature brought into strong relief its normal uniformity, and gave men their first lesson in the recognition of a god who governs by fixed laws. and they learned also from the flood that wickedness must not be allowed to grow unchecked and attain dimensions which nothing short of a flood can cope with. fit symbol of this covenant was the rainbow. seeming to unite heaven and earth, it pictured to those primitive people the friendliness existing between god and man. many nations have looked upon it as not merely one of the most beautiful and striking objects in nature, but as the messenger of heaven to men. and arching over the whole horizon, it exhibits the all-embracing universality of the promise. they accepted it as a sign that god has no pleasure in destruction, that he does not give way to moods, that he does not always chide, that if weeping may endure for a night joy is sure to follow. if any one is under a cloud, leading a joyless, hopeless, heartless life, if any one has much apparent reason to suppose that god has given him up to catastrophe, and lets things run as they may, there is some satisfaction in reading this natural emblem and recognising that without the cloud, nay, without the cloud breaking into heavy sweeping rains, there cannot be the bow, and that no cloud of god's sending is permanent, but will one day give place to unclouded joy. let the prayer of david be yours, "i know, o lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. let, i pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant." it may be felt that the matters about which god spoke to noah were barely religious, certainly not spiritual. but to take god as our god in any one particular is to take him as our god for all. if we can eat our daily bread as given to us by our father in heaven, then we are heirs of the righteousness which is by faith. it is because we wait for some wonderful and out-of-the-way proofs that god is keeping faith with us that we so much lack a real and living faith. if you think of god only in connection with some spiritual difficulty, or if you are waiting for some critical spiritual experience about which you may deal with god,--if you are not transacting with him about your daily work, about your temporal wants and difficulties, about your friendships and your tastes, about that which makes up the bulk of your thought, feeling, and action, then you have yet to learn what living with god means. you have yet to learn that god the infinite creator of all is present in all your life. we are not in advance of noah, but behind him, if we cannot speak to god about common things. besides, the relation of man to god was sufficiently determined by this covenant. when any man in that age began to ask himself the question which all men in all ages ask, how shall i win the favour of god? it must, or it might, at once have struck him, why, god has already favoured me and has bound himself to me by express and solemn pledges. and radically this is all that any one needs to know. it is not a change in god's attitude towards you that is required. what is required is that you believe what is actually the case, that the holy god loves you already and is already seeking to bless you by making you like himself. believe that, and let the faith of it sink more and more deeply into your spirit, and you will find that you are saved from your sin. what remains to be told of noah is full of moral significance. rare indeed is a _wholly_ good man; and happy indeed is he who throughout his youth, his manhood, and his age lets principle govern all his actions. the righteous and rescued noah lying drunk on his tent-floor is a sorrowful spectacle. god had given him the earth, and this was the use he made of the gift; melancholy presage of the fashion of his posterity. he had god to help him to bear his responsibilities, to refresh and gladden him; but he preferred the fruit of his vineyard. can the most sacred or impressive memories secure a man against sin? noah had the memory of a race drowned for sin and of a year in solitude with god. can the dignity and weight of responsibility steady a man? this man knew that to him god had declared his purpose and that he only could carry it forward to fulfilment. in that heavy helpless figure, fallen insensible in his tent, is as significant a warning as in the flood. noah's sin brings before us two facts about sin. first, that the smaller temptations are often the most effectual. the man who is invulnerable on the field of battle amidst declared and strong enemies falls an easy prey to the assassin in his own home. when all the world was against him, noah was able to face single-handed both scorn and violence, but in the midst of his vineyard, among his own people who understood him and needed no preaching or proof of his virtue, he relaxed. he was no longer in circumstances so difficult as to force him to watch and pray, as to drive him to god's side. the temptations noah had before known were mainly from without; he now learnt that those from within are more serious. many of us find it comparatively easy to carry clean hands before the public, or to demean ourselves with tolerable seemliness in circumstances where the temptation may be very strong but is also very patent; but how careless are we often in our domestic life, and how little strain do we put upon ourselves in the company of those whom we can trust. what petulance and irritability, what angry and slanderous words, what sensuality and indolence could our own homes witness to! noah is not the only man who has walked uprightly and kept his garment unspotted from the world so long as the eye of man was on him, but who has lain uncovered on his own tent-floor. secondly, we see here how a man may fall into new forms of sin, and are reminded especially of one of the most distressing facts to be observed in the world, viz., that men in their prime and even in their old age are sometimes overtaken in sins of sensuality from which hitherto they have kept themselves pure. we are very ready to think we know the full extent of wickedness to which we may go; that by certain sins _we_ shall never be much tempted. and in some of our predictions we may be correct; our temperament or our circumstances may absolutely preclude some sins from mastering us. yet who has made but a slight alteration in his circumstances, added a little to his business, made some new family arrangements, or changed his residence, without being astonished to find how many new sources of evil seem to have been opened within him? while therefore you rejoice over sins defeated, beware of thinking your work is nearly done. especially let those of us who have for years been fighting mainly against one sin beware of thinking that if only _that_ were defeated we should be free from sin. as a man who has long suffered from one bodily disease congratulates himself that at least he knows what he may expect in the way of pain, and will not suffer as some other man he has heard of does suffer; whereas though one disease may kill others, yet some diseases only prepare the body for the assault of worse ailments than themselves, and the constitution at last breaks up under a combination of ills that make the sufferer a pity to his friends and a perplexity to his physicians. and so is it in the spirit; you cannot say that because you are so consumed by one infirmity, others can find no room in you. in short, there is nothing that can secure us against the unspeakable calamity of falling into new sins, except the direction given by our lord, "watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." there _is need_ of watching, else this precept had never been uttered; too many things absolutely needful for us to do have to be enjoined upon us to leave any room for the injunction of precepts that are unnecessary, and he who is not watching has no security that he shall not sin so as to be a scandal to his friends and a shame to himself. noah's sin brought to light the character of his three sons--the coarse irreverence of ham, the dignified delicacy and honour of shem and japheth. the bearing of men towards the sins of others is always a touchstone of character. the full exposure of sin where good is expected to come of the exposure and when it is done with sorrow and with shame is one thing, and the exposure of sin to create a laugh and merely to amuse is another. they are the true descendants of ham, whether their faces be black or white, and whether they go with no clothes or with clothes that are the product of much thought and anxiety, who find pleasure in the mere contemplation of deeds of shame, in real life, on the boards of the theatre, in daily journals, or in works of fiction. extremes meet, and the savage grossness of ham is found in many who count themselves the last and finest product of culture. it is found also in the harder and narrower set of modern investigators, who glory in exposing the scientific weakness of our forefathers, and make a jest of the mistakes of men to whom they owe much of their freedom, and whose shoe latchet they are not worthy to tie, so far as the deeper moral qualities go. but neither is religious society free from this same sin. the faults and mistakes and sins of others are talked over, possibly with some show of regret, but with, as we know, very little real shame and sadness, for these feelings prompt us, not to talk them over in companies where no good can be done in the way of remedy, but to cover them as these sorrowing sons of noah, with averted eye and humbled head. charity is the prime grace enjoined upon us and charity _covers_ a multitude of sins. and whatever excuses for exposing others we may make, however we may say it is only a love of truth and fair play that makes us drag to light the infirmities of a man whom others are praising, we may be very sure that if all _evil_ motives were absent this kind of evil speaking would cease among us. but there is a malignity in sin that leaves its bitter root in us all, and causes us to be glad when those whom we have been regarding as our superiors are reduced to our poor level. and there is a cowardliness in sin which cannot bear to be alone, and eagerly hails every symptom of others being in the same condemnation. before exposing another, think first whether your own conduct could bear a similar treatment, whether you have never done the thing you desire to conceal, said the thing you would blush to hear repeated, or thought the thought you could not bear another to read. and if you be a christian, does it not become you to remember what you yourself have learnt of the slipperiness of this world's ways, of your liability to fall, of your sudden exposure to sin from some physical disorder, or some slight mistake which greatly extenuates your sin, but which you could not plead before another? and do you know nothing of the difficulty of conquering one sin that is rooted in your constitution, and the strife that goes on in a man's own soul and in secret though he show little immediate fruit of it in his life before men? surely it becomes us to give a man credit for much good resolution and much sore self-denial and endeavour, even when he fails and sins still, because such we know to be our own case, and if we disbelieve in others until they can walk with perfect rectitude, if we condemn them for one or two flaws and blemishes, we shall be tempted to show the same want of charity towards ourselves, and fall at length into that miserable and hopeless condition that believes in no regenerating spirit nor in any holiness attainable by us. vii. _the call of abraham._ genesis xi. 27-xii. 5. with abraham there opens a new chapter in the history of the race; a chapter of the profoundest significance. the consequences of abraham's movements and beliefs have been limitless and enduring. all succeeding time has been influenced by him. and yet there is in his life a remarkable simplicity, and an entire absence of such events as impress contemporaries. among all the forgotten millions of his own time he stands alone a recognisable and memorable figure. but around his figure there gathers no throng of armed followers; with his name, no vast territorial dominion, no new legislation, not even any work of literature or art is associated. the significance of his life was not military, nor legislative, nor literary, but religious. to him must be carried back the belief in one god. we find him born and brought up among idolaters; and although it is certain there were others besides himself who here and there upon earth had dimly arrived at the same belief as he, yet it is certainly from him the monotheistic belief has been diffused. since his day the world has never been without its explicit advocacy. it is his belief in the true god, in a god who manifested his existence and his nature by responding to this belief, it is this belief and the place he gave it as the regulating principle of all his movements and thoughts, that have given him his everlasting influence. with abraham there is also introduced the first step in a new method adopted by god in the training of men. the dispersion of men and the divergence of their languages are now seen to have been the necessary preliminary to this new step in the education of the world--the fencing round of one people till they should learn to know god and understand and exemplify his government. it is true, god reveals himself to all men and governs all; but by selecting one race with special adaptations, and by giving to it a special training, god might more securely and more rapidly reveal himself to all. each nation has certain characteristics, a national character which grows by seclusion from the influences which are forming other races. there is a certain mental and moral individuality stamped upon every separate people. nothing is more certainly retained; nothing more certainly handed down from generation to generation. it would therefore be a good practical means of conserving and deepening the knowledge of god, if it were made the national interest of a people to preserve it, and if it were closely identified with the national characteristics. this was the method adopted by god. he meant to combine allegiance to himself with national advantages, and spiritual with national character, and separation in belief with a distinctly outlined and defensible territory. this method, in common with all divine methods, was in strict keeping with the natural evolution of history. the migration of abraham occurred in the epoch of migrations. but although for centuries before abraham new nations had been forming, none of them had belief in god as its formative principle. wave upon wave of warriors, shepherds, colonists have left the prolific plains of mesopotamia. swarm after swarm has left that busy hive, pushing one another further and further west and east, but all have been urged by natural impulses, by hunger, commerce, love of adventure and conquest. by natural likings and dislikings, by policy, and by dint of force the multitudinous tribes of men were finding their places in the world, the weaker being driven to the hills, and being schooled there by hard living till their descendants came down and conquered their conquerors. all this went on without regard to any very high motives. as it was with the goths who invaded italy for her wealth, as it is now with those who people america and africa because there is land or room enough, so it was then. but at last god selects one man and says, "_i_ will make of thee a great nation." the origin of this nation is not facile love of change nor lust of territory, but belief in god. without this belief this people had not been. no other account can be given of its origin. abraham is himself already the member of a tribe, well-off and likely to be well-off; he has no large family to provide for, but he is separated from his kindred and country, and led out to be himself a new beginning, and this because, as he himself throughout his life said, he heard god's call and responded to it. the city which claims the distinction of being abraham's birthplace, or at least of giving its name to the district where he was born, is now represented by a few mounds of ruins rising out of the flat marshy ground on the western bank of the euphrates, not far above the point where it joins its waters to those of the tigris and glides on to the persian gulf. in the time of abraham, ur was the capital city which gave its name to one of the most populous and fertile regions of the earth. the whole land of accad which ran up from the sea-coast to upper mesopotamia (or shinar) seems to have been known as ur-ma, the land of ur. this land was of no great extent, being little if at all larger than scotland, but it was the richest of asia. the high civilisation which this land enjoyed even in the time of abraham has been disclosed in the abundant and multifarious babylonian remains which have recently been brought to light. what induced terah to abandon so prosperous a land can only be conjectured. it is possible that the idolatrous customs of the inhabitants may have had something to do with his movements. for while the ancient babylonian records reveal a civilisation surprisingly advanced, and a social order in some respects admirable, they also make disclosures regarding the worship of the gods which must shock even those who are familiar with the immoralities frequently fostered by heathen religions. the city of ur was not only the capital, it was the holy city of the chaldeans. in its northern quarter rose high above the surrounding buildings the successive stages of the temple of the moon-god, culminating in a platform on which the priests could both accurately observe the motions of the stars and hold their night-watches in honour of their god. in the courts of this temple might be heard breaking the silence of midnight, one of those magnificent hymns, still preserved, in which idolatry is seen in its most attractive dress, and in which the lord of ur is invoked in terms not unworthy of the living god. but in these same temple-courts abraham may have seen the firstborn led to the altar, the fruit of the body sacrificed to atone for the sin of the soul; and here too he must have seen other sights even more shocking and repulsive. here he was no doubt taught that strangely mixed religion which clung for generations to some members of his family. certainly he was taught in common with the whole community to rest on the seventh day; as he was trained to look to the stars with reverence and to the moon as something more than the light which was set to rule the night. possibly then terah may have been induced to move northwards by a desire to shake himself free from customs he disapproved. the hebrews themselves seem always to have considered that his migration had a religious motive. "this people," says one of their old writings, "is descended from the chaldeans, and they sojourned heretofore in mesopotamia because they would not follow the gods of their fathers which were in the land of chaldea. for they left the way of their ancestors and worshipped the god of heaven, the god whom they knew; so they cast them out from the face of their gods, and they fled into mesopotamia and sojourned there many days. then their god commanded them to depart from the place where they sojourned and to go into the land of canaan." but if this is a true account of the origin of the movement northwards, it must have been abraham rather than his father who was the moving spirit of it; for it is certainly abraham and not terah who stands as the significant figure inaugurating the new era. if doubt rests on the moving cause of the migration from ur, none rests on that which prompted abraham to leave charran and journey towards canaan. he did so in obedience to what he believed to be a divine command, and in faith on what he understood to be a divine promise. how he became aware that a divine command thus lay upon him we do not know. nothing could persuade him that he was not commanded. day by day he heard in his soul what he recognised as a divine voice, saying: "get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house, unto a land that i will show thee!" this was god's first revelation of himself to abraham. up to this time abraham to all appearance had no knowledge of any god but the deities worshipped by his fathers in chaldea. now, he finds within himself impulses which he cannot resist and which he is conscious he ought not to resist. he believes it to be his duty to adopt a course which may look foolish and which he can justify only by saying that his conscience bids him. he recognises, apparently for the first time, that through his conscience there speaks to him a god who is supreme. in dependence on this god he gathered his possessions together and departed. so far, one may be tempted to say, no very unusual faith was required. many a poor girl has followed a weakly brother or a dissipated father to australia or the wild west of america; many a lad has gone to the deadly west coast of africa with no such prospects as abraham. for abraham had the double prospect which makes migration desirable. assure the colonist that he will find land and have strong sons to till and hold and leave it to, and you give him all the motive he requires. these were the promises made to abraham--a land and a seed. neither was there at this period much difficulty in believing that both promises would be fulfilled. the land he no doubt expected to find in some unoccupied territory. and as regards the children, he had not yet faced the condition that only through sarah was this part of the promise to be fulfilled. but the peculiarity in abraham's abandonment of present certainties for the sake of a future and unseen good is, that it was prompted not by family affection or greed or an adventurous disposition, but by faith in a god whom no one but himself recognised. it was the first step in a life-long adherence to an invisible, spiritual supreme. it was that first step which committed him to life-long dependence upon and intercourse with one who had authority to regulate his movements and power to bless him. from this time forth all that he sought in life was the fulfilment of god's promise. he staked his future upon god's existence and faithfulness. had abraham abandoned charran at the command of a widely ruling monarch who promised him ample compensation, no record would have been made of so ordinary a transaction. but this was an entirely new thing and well worth recording, that a man should leave country and kindred and seek an unknown land under the impression that thus he was obeying the command of the unseen god. while others worshipped sun, moon, and stars, and recognised the divine in their brilliance and power, in their exaltation above earth and control of earth and its life, abraham saw that there was something greater than the order of nature and more worthy of worship, even the still small voice that spoke within his own conscience of right and wrong in human conduct, and that told him how his own life must be ordered. while all around him were bowing down to the heavenly host and sacrificing to them the highest things in human nature, he heard a voice falling from these shining ministers of god's will, which said to him, "see thou do it not, for we are thy fellow-servants; worship thou god!" this was the triumph of the spiritual over the material; the acknowledgment that in god there is something greater than can be found in nature; that man finds his true affinity not in the things that are seen but in the unseen spirit that is over all. it is this that gives to the figure of abraham its simple grandeur and its permanent significance. under the simple statement "the lord said unto abram, get thee out of thy country," there are probably hidden years of questioning and meditation. god's revelation of himself to abram in all probability did not take the determinate form of articulate command without having passed through many preliminary stages of surmise and doubt and mental conflict. but once assured that god is calling him, abraham responds quickly and resolutely. the revelation has come to a mind in which it will not be lost. as one of the few theologians who have paid attention to the method of revelation has said: "a divine revelation does not dispense with a certain character and certain qualities of mind in the person who is the instrument of it. a man who throws off the chains of authority and association must be a man of extraordinary independence and strength of mind, although he does so in obedience to a divine revelation; because no miracle, no sign or wonder which accompanies a revelation can by its simple stroke force human nature from the innate hold of custom and the adhesion to and fear of established opinion; can enable it to confront the frowns of men, and take up truth opposed to general prejudice, except there is in the man himself, who is the recipient of the revelation, a certain strength of mind and independence which concurs with the divine intention." that abraham's faith triumphed over exceptional difficulties and enabled him to do what no other motive would have been strong enough to accomplish, there is therefore no call to assert. during his after-life his faith was severely tried, but the mere abandonment of his country in the hope of gaining a better was the ordinary motive of his day. it was the _ground_ of this hope, the belief in god, which made abraham's conduct original and fruitful. that sufficient inducement was presented to him is only to say that god is reasonable. there is always sufficient inducement to obey god; because life is reasonable. no man was ever commanded or required to do anything which it was not for his advantage to do. sin is a mistake. but so weak are we, so liable to be moved by the things present to us and by the desire for immediate gratification, that it never ceases to be wonderful and admirable when a sense of duty enables a man to forego present advantage and to believe that present loss is the needful preliminary of eternal gain. abraham's faith is chosen by the author of the epistle to the hebrews as an apt illustration of his definition of faith, that it is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." one property of faith is that it gives to things future and which are as yet only hoped for all the reality of actual present existence. future things may be said to have no existence for those who do not believe in them. they are not taken into account. men do not shape their conduct with any reference to them. but when a man believes in certain events that are to be, this faith of his lends to these future things the reality, the "substance" which things actually existing in the present have. they have the same weight with him, the same influence upon his conduct. without some power to realize the future and to take account of what is to be as well as of what already is, we could not carry on the common affairs of life. and success in life very greatly depends on foresight, or the power to see clearly what is to be and give it due weight. the man who has no foresight makes his plans, but being unable to apprehend the future his plans are disconcerted. indeed it is one of the most valuable gifts a man can have, to be able to say with tolerable accuracy what is to happen and what is not; to be able to sift rumours, common talk, popular impressions, probabilities, chances, and to be able to feel sure what the future will really be; to be able to weigh the character and commercial prospects of the men he deals with, so as to see what must be the issue of their operations and whom he may trust. many of our most serious mistakes in life arise from our inability to imagine the consequences of our actions and to forefeel how these consequences will affect us. now faith largely supplies the want of this imaginative foresight. it lends substance to things future. it believes the account given of the future by a trustworthy authority. in many ordinary matters all men are dependent on the testimony of others for their knowledge of the result of certain operations. the astronomer, the physiologist, the navigator, each has his department within which his predictions are accepted as authoritative. but for what is beyond the ken of science no faith in our fellow-men avails. feeling that if there is a life beyond the grave, it must have important bearings on the present, we have yet no data by which to calculate what will then be, or only data so difficult to use that our calculations are but guesswork. but faith accepts the testimony of god as unhesitatingly as that of man and gives reality to the future he describes and promises. it believes that the life god calls us to is a better life, and it enters upon it. it believes that there is a world to come in which all things are new and all things eternal; and, so believing, it cannot but feel less anxious to cling to this world's goods. that which embitters all loss and deepens sorrow is the feeling that this world is all; but faith makes eternity as real as time and gives substantial existence to that new and limitless future in which we shall have time to forget the sorrows and live past the losses of this present world. the radical elements of greatness are identical from age to age, and the primal duties which no good man can evade do not vary as the world grows older. what we admire in abraham we feel to be incumbent on ourselves. indeed the uniform call of christ to all his followers is even in form almost identical with that which stirred abraham, and made him the father of the faithful. "follow me," says our lord, "and every one that forsaketh houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." and there is something perennially edifying in the spectacle of a man who believes that god has a place and a use for him in the world, and who puts himself at god's disposal; who enters upon life refusing to be bound by the circumstances of his upbringing, by the expectations of his friends, by prevailing customs, by prospect of gain and advancement among men; and resolved to listen to the highest voice of all, to discover what god has for him to do upon earth and where he is likely to find most of god; who virtually and with deepest sincerity says, let god choose my destination: i have good land here, but if god wishes me elsewhere, elsewhere i go: who, in one word, believes in the call of god to himself, who admits it into the springs of his conduct, and recognises that for him also the highest life his conscience can suggest is the only life he can live, no matter how cumbrous and troublesome and expensive be the changes involved in entering it. let the spectacle take hold of your imagination--the spectacle of a man believing that there is something more akin to himself and higher than the material life and the great laws that govern it, and going calmly and hopefully forward into the unknown, because he knows that god is with him, that in god is our true life, that man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that cometh out of the mouth of god. even thus then may we bring our faith to a true and reliable test. all men who have a confident expectation of future good make sacrifices or run risks to obtain it. mercantile life proceeds on the understanding that such ventures are reasonable and will always be made. men might if they liked spend their money on present pleasure, but they rarely do so. they prefer to put it into concerns or transactions from which they expect to reap large returns. they have faith and as a necessary consequence they make ventures. so did these hebrews--they ran a great risk, they gave up the sole means of livelihood they had any experience of and entered what they knew to be a bare desert, because they believed in the land that lay beyond and in god's promise. what then has your faith done? what have you ventured that you would not have ventured but for god's promise? suppose christ's promise failed, in what would you be the losers? of course you would lose what you call your hope of heaven--but what would you find you had lost in this world? when a merchant's ships are wrecked or when his investment turns out bad, he loses not only the gain he hoped for, but the means he risked. suppose then christ were declared bankrupt, unable to fulfil your expectations, would you really find that you had ventured so much upon his promise that you are deeply involved in his bankruptcy, and are much worse off in this world and now than you would otherwise have been? or may i not use the words of one of the most cautious and charitable of men, and say, "i really fear, when we come to examine, it will be found that there is nothing we resolve, nothing we do, nothing we do not do, nothing we avoid, nothing we choose, nothing we give up, nothing we pursue, which we should not resolve, and do, and not do, and avoid, and choose, and give up, and pursue, if christ had not died and heaven were not promised us." if this be the case--if you would be neither much better nor much worse though christianity were a fable--if you have in nothing become poorer in this world that your reward in heaven may be greater, if you have made no investments and run no risks, then really the natural inference is that your faith in the future inheritance is small. barnabas sold his cyprus property because he believed heaven was his, and his bit of land suddenly became a small consideration; useful only in so far as he could with the mammon of unrighteousness make himself a mansion in heaven. paul gave up his prospects of advancement in the nation, of which he would of course as certainly have become the leader and first man as he took that position in the church, and plainly tells us that having made so large a venture on christ's word, he would if this word failed be a great loser, of all men most miserable because he had risked his all _in this life_ on it. people sometimes take offence at paul's plain way of speaking of the sacrifices he had made, and of peter's plain way of saying "we have left all and followed thee, what shall we have therefore?" but when people have made sacrifices they know it and can specify them, and a faith that makes no sacrifices is no good either in this world's affairs or in religion. self-consciousness may not be a very good thing: but self-deception is a worse. here as elsewhere a clear hope sprang from faith. recognising god, abraham knew that there was for men a great future. he looked forward to a time when all men should believe as he did, and in him all families of the earth be blessed. no doubt in these early days when all men were on the move and striving to make a name and a place for themselves, an onward look might be common. but the far-reaching extent, the certainty, and the definiteness of abraham's view of the future were unexampled. there far back in the hazy dawn he stood while the morning mists hid the horizon from every other eye, and he alone discerns what is to be. one clear voice and one only rings out in unfaltering tones and from amidst the babel of voices that utter either amazing follies or misdirected yearnings, gives the one true forecast and direction--the one living word which has separated itself from and survived all the prognostications of chaldean sooth-sayers and priests of ur, because it has never ceased to give life to men. it has created for itself a channel and you can trace it through the centuries by the living green of its banks and the life it gives as it goes. for this hope of abraham has been fulfilled; the creed and its accompanying blessing which that day lived in the heart of one man only has brought blessing to all the families of the earth. viii. _abram in egypt._ genesis xii. 6-20. abram still journeying southward and not as yet knowing where his shifting camp was finally to be pitched, came at last to what may be called the heart of palestine, the rich district of shechem. here stood the oak of moreh, a well-known landmark and favourite meeting-place. in after years every meadow in this plain was owned and occupied, every vineyard on the slopes of ebal fenced off, every square yard specified in some title-deed. but as yet the country seems not to have been densely populated. there was room for a caravan like abram's to move freely through the country, liberty for a far-stretching encampment such as his to occupy the lovely vale that lies between ebal and gerizim. as he rested here and enjoyed the abundant pasture, or as he viewed the land from one of the neighbouring hills, the lord appeared to him and made him aware that this was the land designed for him. here accordingly under the spreading oak round whose boughs had often clung the smoke of idolatrous sacrifice, abram erects an altar to the living god in devout acceptance of the gift, taking possession as it were of the land jointly for god and for himself. little harm will come of worldly possessions so taken and so held. as abram traversed the land, wondering what were the limits of his inheritance, it may have seemed far too large for his household. soon he experiences a difficulty of quite the opposite kind; he is unable to find in it sustenance for his followers. any notion that god's friendship would raise him above the touch of such troubles as were incident to the times, places, and circumstances in which his life was to be spent, is quickly dispelled. the children of god are not exempt from any of the common calamities; they are only expected and aided to be calmer and wiser in their endurance and use of them. that we suffer the same hardships as all other men is no proof that we are not eternally associated with god, and ought never to persuade us our faith has been in vain. abram, as he looked at the bare, brown, cracked pastures and at the dry watercourses filled only with stones, thought of the ever-fresh plains of mesopotamia, the lovely gardens of damascus, the rich pasturage of the northern borders of canaan; but he knew enough of his own heart to make him very careful lest these remembrances should make him turn back. no doubt he had come to the promised land expecting it to be the real utopia, the paradise which had haunted his thoughts as he lay among the hills of ur watching his flocks under the brilliant midnight sky. no doubt he expected that here all would be easy and bright, peaceful and luxurious. his first experience is of famine. he has to look on his herd melting away, his favourite cattle losing their appearance, his servants murmuring and obliged to scatter. in his dreams he must have night after night seen the old country, the green breadth of the land that euphrates watered, the heavy headed corn bending before the warm airs of his native land; but morning by morning he wakes to the same anxieties, to the sad reality of parched and burnt-up pastures, shepherds hanging about with gloomy looks, his own heart distressed and failing. he was also a stranger here who could not look for the help an old resident might have counted on. it was probably years since god had made any sign to him. was the promised land worth having after all? might he not be better off among his old friends in charran? should he not brave their ridicule and return? he will not so much as make it possible to return. he will not even for temporary relief go north towards his old country, but will go to egypt, where he cannot stay, and from which he must return to canaan. here, then, is a man who plainly believes that god's promise cannot fail; that god will magnify his promise, and that it above all else is worth waiting for. he believes that the man who seeks without flinching and through all disappointment and bareness to do god's will, shall one day have an abundantly satisfying reward, and that meanwhile association with god in carrying forward his abiding purposes with men is more for a man to live upon than the cattle upon a thousand hills. and thus famine rendered to abram no small service if it quickened within him the consciousness that the call of god was not to ease and prosperity, to land-owning and cattle-breeding, but to be god's agent on earth for the fulfilment of remote but magnificent purposes. his life might seem to be down among the commonplace vicissitudes, pasture might fail, and his well-stocked camp melt away, but out of his mind there could not fade the future god had revealed to him. if it had been his ambition to give his name to a tribe and be known as a wide-ruling chief, that ambition is now eclipsed by his desire to be a step towards the fulfilment of that real end for which the whole world is. the belief that god has called him to do his work has lifted him above concern about personal matters; life has taken a new meaning in his eyes by its connection with the eternal. the extraordinary country to which abram betook himself, and which was destined to exercise so profound an influence on his descendants, had even at this early date attained a high degree of civilisation. the origin of this civilisation is shrouded in obscurity, as the source of the great river to which the country owes its prosperity for many centuries kept the secret of its birth. as yet scholars are unable to tell us with certainty what pharaoh was on the throne when abram went down into egypt. the monuments have preserved the effigies of two distinct types of rulers; the one simple, kindly, sensible, stately, handsome, fearless, as of men long accustomed to the throne. these are the faces of the native egyptian rulers. the other type of face is heavy and massive, proud and strong but full of care, with neither the handsome features nor the look of kindliness and culture which belong to the other. these are the faces of the famous shepherd kings who held egypt in subjection, probably at the very time when abram was in the land. for our purposes it matters little whether abram's visit occurred while the country was under native or under foreign rule, for long before the shepherd kings entered egypt it enjoyed a complete and stable civilisation. whatever dynasty abram found on the throne, he certainly found among the people a more refined social life than he had seen in his native city, a much purer religion, and a much more highly developed moral code. he must have kept himself entirely aloof from egyptian society if he failed to discover that they believed in a judgment after death, and that this judgment proceeded upon a severe moral code. before admission into the egyptian heaven the deceased must swear that "he has not stolen nor slain any one intentionally; that he has not allowed his devotions to be seen; that he has not been guilty of hypocrisy or lying; that he has not calumniated any one nor fallen into drunkenness or adultery; that he has not turned away his ear from the words of truth; that he has been no idle talker; that he has not slighted the king or his father." to a man in abram's state of mind the egyptian creed and customs must have conveyed many valuable suggestions. but virtuous as in many respects the egyptians were, abram's fears as he approached their country were by no means groundless. the event proved that whatever sarah's age and appearance at this time were, his fears were something more than the fruit of a husband's partiality. possibly he may have heard the ugly story which has recently been deciphered from an old papyrus, and which tells how one of the pharaohs, acting on the advice of his princes, sent armed men to fetch a beautiful woman and make away with her husband. but knowing the risk he ran, why did he go? he contemplated the possibility of sarah's being taken from him; but, if this should happen, what became of the promised seed? we cannot suppose that, driven by famine from the promised land, he had lost all hope regarding the fulfilment of the other part of the promise. probably his idea was that some of the great men might take a fancy to sarah, and that he would so temporise with them and ask for her such large gifts as would hold them off for a while until he could provide for his people and get clear out of the land. it had not occurred to him that she might be taken to the palace. whatever his idea of the probable course of events was, his proposal to guide them by disguising his true relationship to sarah was unjustifiable. and his feelings during these weeks in egypt must have been far from enviable as he learned that of all virtues the egyptians set greatest store by truth, and that lying was the vice they held in greatest abhorrence. here then was the whole promise and purpose of god in a most precarious position; the land abandoned, the mother of the promised seed in a harem through whose guards no force on earth could penetrate. abram could do nothing but go helplessly about, thinking what a fool he had been, and wishing himself well back among the parched hills of bethel. suddenly there is a panic in the royal household; and pharaoh is made aware that he was on the brink of what he himself considered a great sin. besides effecting its immediate purpose, this visitation might have taught pharaoh that a man cannot safely sin within limits prescribed by himself. he had not intended such evil as he found himself just saved from committing. but had he lived with perfect purity, this liability to fall into transgression, shocking to himself, could not have existed. many sins of most painful consequence we commit, not of deliberate purpose, but because our previous life has been careless and lacking in moral tone. we are mistaken if we suppose that we can sin within a certain safe circle and never go beyond it. by this intervention on god's part abram was saved from the consequences of his own scheme, but he was not saved from the indignant rebuke of the egyptian monarch. this rebuke indeed did not prevent him from a repetition of the same conduct in another country, conduct which was met with similar indignation: "what have i offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom this great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. what sawest thou that thou hast done this thing?" this rebuke did not seem to sink deeply into the conscience of abram's descendants, for the jewish history is full of instances in which leading men do not shrink from man[oe]uvre, deceit and lying. yet it is impossible to suppose that abram's conception of god was not vastly enlarged by this incident, and this especially in two particulars. (1) abram must have received a new impression regarding god's truth. it would seem that as yet he had no very clear idea of god's holiness. he had the idea of god which mohammedans entertain, and past which they seem unable to get. he conceived of god as the supreme ruler; he had a firm belief in the unity of god and probably a hatred of idolatry and a profound contempt for idolaters. he believed that this supreme god could always and easily accomplish his will, and that the voice that inwardly guided him was the voice of god. his own character had not yet been deepened and dignified by prolonged intercourse with god and by close observation of his actual ways; and so as yet he knows little of what constitutes the true glory of god. for learning that truth is an essential attribute of god he could not have gone to a better school than egypt. his own reliance on god's promise might have been expected to produce in him a high esteem for truth and a clear recognition of its essential place in the divine character. apparently it had only partially had this effect. the heathen, therefore, must teach him. had not abram seen the look of indignation and injury on the face of pharaoh, he might have left the land feeling that his scheme had succeeded admirably. but as he went at the head of his vastly increased household, the envy of many who saw his long train of camels and cattle, he would have given up all could he have blotted from his mind's eye the reproachful face of pharaoh and nipped out this entire episode from his life. he was humbled both by his falseness and his foolishness. he had told a lie, and told it when truth would have served him better. for the very precaution he took in passing off sarai as his sister was precisely what encouraged pharaoh to take her, and produced the whole misadventure. it was the heathen monarch who taught the father of the faithful his first lesson in god's holiness. what he so painfully learned we must all learn, that god does not need lying for the attainment of his ends, and that double-dealing is always short-sighted and the proper precursor of shame. frequently men are tempted like abram to seek a god-protected and god-prospered life by conduct that is not thoroughly straightforward. some of us who statedly ask god to bless our endeavours, and who have no doubt that god approves the ends we seek to accomplish, do yet adopt such means of attaining our ends as not even men with any high sense of honour would countenance. to save ourselves from trouble, inconvenience, or danger, we are tempted to evasions and shifts which are not free from guilt. the more one sees of life, the higher value does he set on truth. let lying be called by whatever flattering title men please--let it pass for diplomacy, smartness, self-defence, policy, or civility--it remains the device of the coward, the absolute bar to free and healthy intercourse, a vice which diffuses itself through the whole character and makes growth impossible. trade and commerce are always hampered and retarded, and often overwhelmed in disaster, by the determined and deliberate doubleness of those who engage in them; charity is minimised and withheld from its proper objects by the suspiciousness engendered in us by the almost universal falseness of men; and the habit of making things seem to others what they are not, reacts upon the man himself and makes it difficult for him to feel the abiding effective reality of anything he has to do with or even of his own soul. if then we are to know the living and true god we must ourselves be true, transparent, and living in the light as he is the light. if we are to reach his ends we must adopt his means and abjure all crafty contrivances of our own. if we are to be his heirs and partners in the work of the world, we must first be his children, and show that we have attained our majority by manifesting an indubitable resemblance to his own clear truth. (2) but whether abram fully learned this lesson or not, there can be little doubt that at this time he did receive fresh and abiding impressions of god's faithfulness and sufficiency. in abram's first response to god's call he exhibited a remarkable independence and strength of character. his abandonment of home and kindred on account of a religious faith which he alone possessed, was the act of a man who relied much more on himself than on others and who had the courage of his convictions. this qualification for playing a great part in human affairs he undoubtedly had. but he had also the defects of his qualities. a weaker man would have shrunk from going into egypt and would have preferred to see his flocks dwindle rather than take so venturesome a step. no such hesitations could trammel abram's movements. he felt himself equal to all occasions. that part of his character which was reproduced in his grandson jacob, a readiness to rise to every emergency that called for management and diplomacy, an aptitude for dealing with men and using them for his purposes--this came to the front now! to all the timorous suggestions of his household he had one reply: leave it all to me; i will bring you through. so he entered egypt confident that single-handed he could cope with their pharaohs, priests, magicians, guards, judges, warriors; and find his way through the finely-meshed net that held and examined every person and action in the land. he left egypt in a much more healthy state of mind, practically convinced of his own inability to work his way to the happiness god had promised him, and equally convinced of god's faithfulness and power to bring him through all the embarrassments and disasters into which his own folly and sin might bring him. his own confidence and management had placed god's promise in a position of extreme hazard; and without the intervention of god abram saw that he could neither recover the mother of the promised seed nor return to the land of promise. abram is put to shame even in the eyes of his household slaves; and with what burning shame must he have stood before sarai and pharaoh, and received back his wife from him whose wickedness he had feared, but who so far from meaning to sin as abram suspected, was indignant that abram should have made it even possible. he returned to canaan humbled and very little disposed to feel confident in his own powers of managing in emergencies; but quite assured that god might at all times be relied on. he was convinced that god was not depending upon him, but he upon god. he saw that god did not trust to his cleverness and craft, no, nor even to his willingness to do and endure god's will, but that he was trusting in himself, and that by his faithfulness to his own promise, by his watchfulness and providence, he would bring abram through all the entanglements caused by his own poor ideas of the best way to work out god's ends and attain to his blessing. he saw, in a word, that the future of the world lay not with abram but with god. this certainly was a great and needful step in the knowledge of god. thus early and thus unmistakably was man taught in how profound and comprehensive a sense god is his saviour. commonly it takes a man a long time to learn that it is god who is saving him, but one day he learns it. he learns that it is not his own faith but god's faithfulness that saves him. he perceives that he needs god throughout, from first to last; not only to make him offers, but to enable him to accept them; not only to incline him to accept them to-day, but to maintain within him at all times this same inclination. he learns that god not only makes him a promise and leaves him to find his own way to what is promised; but that he is with him always, disentangling him day by day from the results of his own folly and securing for him not only possible but actual blessedness. few discoveries are so welcome and gladdening to the soul. few give us the same sense of god's nearness and sovereignty; few make us feel so deeply the dignity and importance of our own salvation and career. this is god's affair; a matter in which are involved not merely our personal interests, but god's responsibility and purposes. god calls us to be his, and he does not send us a-warring on our own charges, but throughout furnishes us with _everything_ we need. when we go down to egypt, when we quite diverge from the path that leads to the promised land and worldly straits tempt us to turn our back upon god's altar and seek relief by our own arrangements and devices, when we forget for a while how god has identified our interests with his own and tacitly abjure the vows we have silently registered before him, even then he follows us and watches over us and lays his hand upon us and bids us back. and this only is our hope. not in any determination of our own to cleave to him and to live in faith on his promise can we trust. if we have this determination, let us cherish it, for this is god's present means of leading us onwards. but should this determination fail, the shame with which you recognise your want of steadfastness may prove a stronger bond to hold you to him than the bold confidence with which to-day you view the future. the waywardness, the foolishness, the obstinate depravity that cause you to despair, god will conquer. with untiring patience, with all-foreseeing love, he stands by you and will bring you through. his gifts and calling are without repentance. ix. _lot's separation from abram._ genesis xiii. abram left egypt thinking meanly of himself, highly of god. this humble frame of mind is disclosed in the route he chooses; he went straight back "unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, unto the altar which he had made there at the first." with a childlike simplicity he seems to own that his visit to egypt had been a mistake. he had gone there supposing that he was thrown upon his own resources, and that in order to keep himself and his dependants alive he must have recourse to craft and dishonesty. by retracing his steps and returning to the altar at bethel, he seems to acknowledge that he should have remained there through the famine in dependence on god. whoever has attempted a similar practical repentance, visible to his own household and affecting their place of abode or daily occupations, will know how to estimate the candour and courage of abram. to own that some distinctly marked portion of our life, upon which we entered with great confidence in our own wisdom and capacity, has come to nothing and has betrayed us into reprehensible conduct, is mortifying indeed. to admit that we have erred and to repair our error by returning to our old way and practice, is what few of us have the courage to do. if we have entered on some branch of business or gone into some attractive speculation, or if we have altered our demeanour towards some friend, and if we are finding that we are thereby tempted to doubleness, to equivocation, to injustice, our only hope lies in a candid and straightforward repentance, in a manly and open return to the state of things that existed in happier days and which we should never have abandoned. sometimes we are aware that a blight began to fall on our spiritual life from a particular date, and we can easily and distinctly trace an unhealthy habit of spirit to a well-marked passage in our outward career; but we shrink from the sacrifice and shame involved in a thoroughgoing restoration of the old state of things. we are always so ready to fancy we have done enough, if we get one heartfelt word of confession uttered; so ready, if we merely turn our faces towards god, to think our restoration complete. let us make a point of getting through mere beginnings of repentance, mere intention to recover god's favour and a sound condition of life, and let us return and return till we bow at god's very altar again, and know that his hand is laid upon us in blessing as at the first. out of egypt abram brought vastly increased wealth. each time he encamped, quite a town of black tents quickly rose round the spot where his fixed spear gave the signal for halting. and along with him there journeyed his nephew, apparently of almost equal, or at least considerable wealth; not dependent on abram, nor even a partner with him, for "lot also had flocks and herds and tents." so rapidly was their substance increasing that no sooner did they become stationary than they found that the land was not able to furnish them with sufficient pasture. the canaanite and the perizzite would not allow them unlimited pasture in the neighbourhood of bethel; and as the inevitable result of this the rival shepherds, eager to secure the best pasture for their own flocks and the best wells for their own cattle and camels, came to high words and probably to blows about their respective rights. to both abram and lot it must have occurred that this competition between relatives was unseemly, and that some arrangement must be come to. and when at last some unusually blunt quarrel took place in presence of the chiefs, abram divulges to lot the scheme which had suggested itself to him. this state of things, he says, must come to an end; it is unseemly, unwise, and unrighteous. and as they walk on out of the circle of tents to discuss the matter without interruption, they come to a rising ground where the wide prospect brings them naturally to a pause. abram looking north and south and seeing with the trained eye of a large flock-master that there was abundant pasture for both, turns to lot with a final proposal: "is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, i pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then i will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then i will go to the left." thus early did wealth produce quarrelling among relatives. the men who had shared one another's fortunes while comparatively poor, no sooner become wealthy than they have to separate. abram prevented quarrel by separation. "let us," he says, "come to an understanding. and rather than be separate in heart, let us be separate in habitation." it is always a sorrowful time in family history when it comes to this, that those who have had a common purse and have not been careful to know what exactly is theirs and what belongs to the other members of the family, have at last to make a division and to be as precise and documentary as if dealing with strangers. it is always painful to be compelled to own that law can be more trusted than love, and that legal forms are a surer barrier against quarrelling than brotherly kindness. it is a confession we are sometimes compelled to make, but never without a mixture of regret and shame. as yet the character of lot has not been exhibited, and we can only calculate from the relation he bears to abram what his answer to the proposal will probably be. we know that abram has been the making of his nephew, and that the land belongs to abram; and we should expect that in common decency lot would set aside the generous offer of his uncle and demand that he only should determine the matter. "it is not for me to make choice in a land which is wholly yours. my future does not carry in it the import of yours. it is a small matter what kind of subsistence i secure or where i find it. choose for yourself, and allot to me what is right." we see here what a safeguard of happiness in life right feeling is. to be in right and pleasant relations with the persons around us will save us from error and sin even when conscience and judgment give no certain decision. the heart which feels gratitude is beyond the need of being schooled and compelled to do justly. to the man who is affectionately disposed it is superfluous to insist upon the rights of other persons. the instinct which tells a man what is due to others and makes him sensitive to their wrongs will preserve him from many an ignominious action which would degrade his whole life. but such instinct was awanting in lot. his character though in some respects admirable had none of the generosity of abram's in it. he had allowed himself on countless previous occasions to take advantage of abram's unselfishness. generosity is not always infectious; often it encourages selfishness in child, relative, or neighbour. and so lot instead of rivalling, traded on his uncle's magnanimity; and chose him all the plains of jordan because in his eye it was the richest part of the land. this choice of sodom as a dwelling-place was the great mistake of lot's life. he is the type of that very large class of men who have but one rule for determining them at the turning points of life. he was swayed solely by the consideration of worldly advantage. he has nothing deep, nothing high in him. he recognises no duty to abram, no gratitude, no modesty; he has no perception of spiritual relations, no sense that god should have something to say in the partition of the land. lot may be acquitted of a good deal which at first sight one is prompted to lay to his charge, but he cannot be acquitted of showing an eagerness to better himself, regardless of all considerations but the promise of wealth afforded by the fertility of the jordan valley. he saw a quick though dangerous road to wealth. there seemed a certainty of success in his earthly calling, a risk only of moral disaster. he shut his eyes to the risk that he might grasp the wealth; and so doing, ruined both himself and his family. the situation is one which is ceaselessly repeated. to men in business or in the cultivation of literature or art, or in one of the professions, there are presented opportunities of attaining a better position by cultivating the friendship or identifying oneself with the practice of men whose society is not in itself desirable. society is made up of little circles, each of which has its own monopoly of some social or commercial or political advantage, and its own characteristic tone and enjoyments and customs. and if a man will not join one of these circles and accommodate himself to the mode of carrying on business and to the style of living it has identified with itself, he must forego the advantages which entrance to that circle would secure for him. as clearly as lot saw that the well-watered plain stretching away under the sunshine was the right place to exercise his vocation as a flock-master, so do we see that associated with such and such persons and recognised as one of them, we shall be able more effectively than in any other position to use whatever natural gifts we have, and win the recognition and the profit these gifts seem to warrant. there is but one drawback. "the men of sodom were wicked and sinners before the lord exceedingly." there is a tone you do not like; you hesitate to identify yourself with men who live solely and with cynical frankness only for gain; whose every sentence betrays the contemptible narrowness of soul to which worldliness condemns men; who live for money and who glory in their shame. the very nature of the world in which we live makes such temptation universal. and to yield is common and fatal. we persuade ourselves we need not enter into close relations with the persons we propose to have business connections with. lot would have been horrified, that day he made his choice, had it been told him his daughters would marry men of sodom. but the swimmer who ventures into the outer circle of the whirlpool finds that his own resolve not to go further presents a very weak resistance to the water's inevitable suction. we fancy perhaps that to refuse the companionship of any class of men is pharisaic; that we have no business to condemn the attitude towards the church, or the morality, or the style of living adopted by any class of men among us. this is the mere cant of liberalism. we do not condemn persons who suffer from smallpox, but a smallpox hospital would be about the last place we should choose for a residence. or possibly we imagine we shall be able to carry some better influences into the society we enter. a vain imagination; the motive for choosing the society has already sapped our power for good. many of the errors of worldly men only reveal their most disastrous consequences in the second generation. like some virulent diseases they have a period of incubation. lot's family grew up in a very different atmosphere from that which had nourished his own youth in abram's tents. an adult and robust englishman can withstand the climate of india; but his children who are born in it cannot. and the position in society which has been gained in middle life by the carefully and hardily trained child of a god-fearing household, may not very visibly damage his own character, but may yet be absolutely fatal to the morality of his children. lot may have persuaded himself he chose the dangerous prosperity of sodom mainly for the sake of his children; but in point of fact he had better have seen them die of starvation in the most barren and parched desolation. and the parent who disregards conscience and chooses wealth or position, fancying that thus he benefits his children, will find to his life-long sorrow that he has entangled them in unimagined temptations. but the man who makes lot's choice not only does a great injury to his children, but cuts himself off from all that is best in life. we are safe to say that after leaving abram's tents lot never again enjoyed unconstrainedly happy days. the men born and brought up in sodom were possibly happy after their kind and in their fashion; but lot was not. his soul was daily vexed. many a time while hearing the talk of the men his daughters had married, must lot have gone out with a sore heart, and looked to the distant hills that hid the tents of abram, and longed for an hour of the company he used to enjoy. and the society to which you are tempted to join yourself may not be unhappy, but you can take no surer means of beclouding, embittering, and ruining your whole life than by joining it. you cannot forget the thoughts you once had, the friendships you once delighted in, the hopes that shed brightness through all your life. you cannot blot out the ideal that once you cherished as the most animating element of your life. every day there will be that rising in your mind which is in the sharpest contrast to the thoughts of those with whom you are associated. you will despise them for their shallow, worldly ideas and ways; but you will despise yourself still more, being conscious that what they are through ignorance and upbringing, you are in virtue of your own foolish and mean choice. there is that in you which rebels against the superficial and external measure by which they judge things, and yet you have deliberately chosen these as your associates, and can only think with heart-broken regret of the high thoughts that once visited you and the hopes you have now no means of fulfilling. your life is taken out of your own hands; you find yourself in bondage to the circumstances you have chosen; and you are learning in bitterness, disappointment, and shame, that indeed "a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." to determine your life solely by the prospect of worldly success is to risk the loss of the best things in life. to sacrifice friendship or conscience to success in your calling is to sacrifice what is best to what is lowest, and to blind yourself to the highest human happiness. for happily the essential elements of the highest happiness are as open to the poor as to the rich, to the unsuccessful as to the successful--love of wife and children, congenial and educating friendships, the knowledge of what the best men have done and the wisest men have said; the pleasure and impulse, the sentiments and beliefs which result from our knowledge of the heroic deeds done from year to year among men; the enlivening influence of examples that tell on all men alike, young and old, rich and poor; the insight and strength of character that are won in the hard wrestle with life; the growing consciousness that god is in human life, that he is ours and that we are his--these things and all that makes human life of value are universal as air and sunshine, but must be missed by those who make the world their object. though in point of fact lot cut himself off by his choice from direct participation in the special inheritance to which abram was called by god, it might perhaps be too much to say that his choice of the valley of jordan was an explicit renunciation of the special blessedness of those who find their joy in responding to god's call and doing his work in the world. it might also be extravagant to say that his choice of the richest land was prompted by the feeling that he was not included in the promise to abram, and might as well make the most of his present opportunities. but it is certain that abram's generosity to lot arose out of his sense that in god he himself had abundant possession. in egypt he had learned that in order to secure all that is worth having a man need never resort to duplicity, trickery, bold lying. he now learns that in order to enter on his own god-provided lot, he need shut no other man out of his. he is taught that to acknowledge amply the rights of other men is the surest road to the enjoyment of his own rights. he is taught that there is room in god's plan for every man to follow his most generous impulses and the highest views of life that visit him. it was abram's simple belief that god's promise was meant and was substantial, that made him indifferent as to what lot might choose. his faith was judged in this scene, and was proved to be sound. this man whose very calling it was to own this land, could freely allow lot to choose the best of it. why? because he has learned that it is not by any plan of his own he is to come into possession; that god who promised is to give him the land in his own way, and that his part is to act uprightly, mercifully, like god. wherever there is faith, the same results will appear. he who believes that god is pledged to provide for him cannot be greedy, anxious, covetous; can only be liberal, even magnanimous. any one can thus test his own faith. if he does not find that what god promises weighs substantially when put in the scales with gold; if he does not find that the accomplishment of god's purpose with him in the world is to him the most valuable thing, and actually compels him to think lightly of worldly position and ordinary success; if he does not find that in point of fact the gains which content a man of the world shrivel and lose interest, he may feel tolerably certain he has no faith and is not counting as certain what god has promised. it is commonly observed that wealth pursues the men who part with it most freely. abram had this experience. no sooner had he allowed lot to choose his portion than god gave him assurance that the whole would be his. it is "the meek" who "inherit the earth." not only have they, in their very losses and while suffering wrong at the hands of their fellows, a purer joy than those who wrong them; but they know themselves heirs of god with the certainty of enjoying all his possessions that can avail for their advantage. declining to devote themselves as living sacrifices to business they hold their soul at leisure for what brings truest happiness, for friendship, for knowledge, for charity. even in this life they may be said to inherit the earth, for all its richest fruits are theirs--the ground may belong to other men, but the beauty of the landscape is theirs without burden--and ever and anon they hear such words as were now uttered to abram. they alone are inclined or able to receive renewed assurances that god is mindful of his promise and will abundantly bless them. it is they who are in no haste to be rich, and are content to abide in the retired hill-country where they can freely assemble round god's altar, it is they who seek first the kingdom of god and make sure of that, whatever else they put in hazard, to whom god's encouragements come. you wonder at the certainty with which others speak of hearing god's voice and that so seldom you have the joy of knowing that god is directing and encouraging you. why should you wonder, if you very well know that your attention is directed mainly to the world, that your heart trembles and thrills with all the fluctuations of your earthly hopes, that you wait for news and listen to every hint that can affect your position in life? can you wonder that an ear trained to be so sensitive to the near earthly sounds, should quite have lost the range of heavenly voices? of the assurance here given him abram was probably much in need when lot had withdrawn with his flocks and servants. when the warmth of feeling cooled and allowed the somewhat unpleasant facts of the case to press upon his mind; and when he heard his shepherds murmuring that after all the strife they had maintained for their master's rights, he should have weakly yielded these to lot; and when he reflected, as now he inevitably would reflect, how selfish and ungrateful lot had shown himself to be, he must have been tempted to think he had possibly made a mistake in dealing so generously with such a man. this reflection on himself might naturally grow into a reflection upon god, who might have been expected so to order matters as to give the best country to the best man. all such reflections are precluded by the renewed grant he now receives of the whole land. it is always as difficult to govern our heart wisely after as before making a sacrifice. it is as difficult to keep the will decided as to make the original decision; and it is more difficult to think affectionately of those for whom the sacrifice has been made, when the change in their condition and our own is actually accomplished. there is a natural reaction after a generous action which is not always sufficiently resisted. and when we see that those who refuse to make any sacrifices are more prosperous and less ruffled in spirit than ourselves we are tempted to take matters into our own hand, and, without waiting upon god, to use the world's quick ways. at such times we find how difficult it is to hold an advanced position, and how much unbelief mingles with the sincerest faith, and what vile dregs of selfishness sully the clearest generosity; we find our need of god and of those encouragements and assistances he can impart to the soul. happy are we if we receive them and are enabled thereby to be constant in the good we have begun; for all sacrifice is good begun. and as abram saw, when the cities of the plain were destroyed, how kindly god had guided him; so when our history is complete, we shall have no inclination to grumble at any passage of our life which we entered by generosity and faith in god, but shall see how tenderly god has held us back from much that our soul has been ardently desiring, and which we thought would be the making of us. x. _abram's rescue of lot._ genesis xiv. this chapter evidently incorporates a contemporary account of the events recorded. so antique a document was it even when it found its place in this book, that the editor had to modernize some of its expressions that it might be intelligible. the places mentioned were no longer known by the names here preserved--bela, the vale of siddim, en-mishpat, the valley of shaveh, all these names were unknown even to the persons who dwelt in the places once so designated. it can scarcely have been abram who wrote down the narrative, for he himself is spoken of as abram the hebrew, the man born beyond the euphrates, which is a way of speaking of himself no one would naturally adopt. from the clear outline given of the route followed by the expedition of chedorlaomer, it might be supposed that some old staff-secretary had reported on the campaign. however that may be, the discoveries of the last two or three years have shed light on the outlandish names that have stood for four thousand years in this document, and on the relations subsisting between elam and palestine. on the bricks now preserved in our own british museum the very names we read in this chapter can be traced, in the slightly altered form which is always given to a name when pronounced by different races. chedorlaomer is the hebrew transliteration of kudur lagamar; lagamar was the name of one of the chaldean deities, and the whole name means lagamar's son, evidently a name of dignity adopted by the king of elam. elam comprehended the broad and rich plains to the east of the lower course of the tigris, together with the mountain range (8,000 to 10,000 feet high) that bounds them. elam was always able to maintain its own against assyria and babylonia, and at this time it evidently exercised some kind of supremacy not only over these neighbouring powers, but as far west as the valley of the jordan. the importance of keeping open the valley of the jordan is obvious to every one who has interest enough in the subject to look at a map. that valley was the main route for trading caravans and for military expeditions between the euphrates and egypt. whoever held that valley might prove a most formidable annoyance and indeed an absolute interruption to commercial or political relations between egypt and elam, or the eastern powers. sometimes it might serve the purpose of east and west to have a neutral power between them, as became afterwards clear in the history of israel, but oftener it was the ambition of either egypt or of the east to hold canaan in subjection. a rebellion therefore of these chiefs occupying the vale of siddim was sufficiently important to bring the king of elam from his distant capital, attaching to his army as he came, his tributaries amraphel king of shinar or northern chaldea, arioch king of a district on the east of the euphrates, and finally tidal, or rather tur-gal _i.e._ the great chief, who ruled over the nations or tribes to the north of babylonia. susa, the capital of elam, lies almost on the same parallel as the vale of siddim, but between them lie many hundred miles of impracticable desert. chedorlaomer and his army followed therefore much the same route as terah in his emigration, first going north-west up the euphrates and then crossing it probably at carchemish, or above it, and coming southward towards canaan. but the country to the east of the jordan and the dead sea was occupied by warlike and marauding tribes who would have liked nothing better than to swoop down on a rich booty-laden eastern army. with the sagacity of an old soldier therefore, chedorlaomer makes it his first business to sweep this rough ground, and so cripple the tribes in his passage southwards, that when he swept round the lower end of the dead sea and up the jordan valley he should have nothing to fear at least on his right flank. the tribe that first felt his sword was that of the rephaim, or giants. their stronghold was ashteroth karnaim, or ashteroth of the two horns, a town dedicated to the goddess astarte whose symbol was the crescent or two-horned moon. the zuzims and the emims, "a people great and many and tall," as we read in deuteronomy, next fell before the invading host. the horites, _i.e._ cave-dwellers or troglodytes, would scarcely hold chedorlaomer long, though from their hilly fastnesses they might do him some damage. passing through their mountains he came upon the great road between the dead sea and the elanitic gulf--but he crossed this road and still held westward till he reached the edge of what is roughly known as the desert of sinai. here, says the narrative (ver. 7), they returned, that is, this was their furthest point south and west, and here they turned and made for the vale of siddim, smiting the amalekites and the amorites on their route. this is the only part of the army's route that is at all obscure. the last place they are spoken of as touching before reaching the vale of siddim is hazezon-tamar, or as it was afterwards and is still called engedi. now engedi lies on the western shore of the dead sea about half way up from south to north. it lies on a very steep, indeed artificially made, pass and is a place of much greater importance on that account than its size would make it. the road between moab and palestine runs by the western margin of the dead sea up to this point, but beyond this point the shore is impracticable, and the only road is through the engedi pass on to the higher ground above. if the army chose this route then they were compelled to force this pass; if on the other hand they preferred during their whole march from kadesh to keep away west of the dead sea on the higher ground, then they would only detail a company to pounce upon engedi, as the main army passed behind and above. in either case the main body must have been if not actually within sight of, yet only a few miles from, the encampment of abram. at length as they dropped down through the practicable passes into the vale of siddim their grand object became apparent, and the kings of the five allied towns, probably warned by the hill-tribes weeks before, drew out to meet them. but it is not easy to check an army in full career, and the wells of bitumen, which those who knew the ground might have turned to good purpose against the foreigners, actually hindered the home troops and became a trap to them. the rout was complete. no second stand or rally was attempted. the towns were sacked, the fields swept, and so swift were the movements of the invaders that although abram was barely twenty miles off, and no doubt started for the rescue of lot the hour he got the news, he did not overtake the army, laden as it was with spoil and retarded by prisoners and wounded, until they had reached the sources of jordan. but well-conceived and brilliantly executed as this campaign had been, the experienced warrior had failed to take account of the most formidable opponent he would have to reckon with. those that escaped from the slaughter at sodom took to the hills, and either knowing they would find shelter with abram or more probably blindly running on, found themselves at nightfall within sight of the encampment at hebron. there is no delay on abram's part; he hastily calls out his men, each snatching his bow, his sword, and his spear, and slinging over his shoulders a few days' provision. the neighbouring amorite chiefs aner, mamre and eshcol join them, probably with a troop each, and before many hours are lost they are down the passes and in hot pursuit. not however till they had traversed a hundred and twenty miles or more do they overtake the eastern army. but at dan, at the very springs of the jordan, they find them, and making a night attack throw them into utter confusion and pursue them as far as hobah, a village near damascus, that retains to this day the same name. one is naturally curious to see how abram will conduct himself in circumstances so unaccustomed. from leading a quiet pastoral life he suddenly becomes the most important man in the country, a man who can make himself felt from the nile to the tigris. from a herd he becomes a hero. but, notoriously, power tries a man, and, as one has often seen persons make very glaring mistakes in such altered circumstances and alter their characters and beliefs to suit and take advantage of the new material and opportunities presented to them, we are interested in seeing how a man whose one rule of action has hitherto been faith in a promise given him by god, will pass through such a trial. can a spiritual quality like faith be of much service in rough campaigning and when the man of faith is mixed up with persons of doubtful character and unscrupulous conduct, and brought into contact with considerable political powers? can we trace to abram's faith any part of his action at this time? no sooner is the question put than we see that his faith in god's promise was precisely that which gave him balance and dignity, courage and generosity in dealing with the three prominent persons in the narrative. he could afford to be forgiving and generous to his grand competitor lot, precisely because he felt sure god would deal generously with himself. he could afford to acknowledge melchizedek and any other authority that might appear, as his superior, and he would not take advantage, even when at the head of his men eager for more fighting, of the peaceful king who came out to propitiate him, because he knew that god would give him his land without wronging other people. and he scorned the wages of the king of sodom, holding himself to be no mercenary captain, nor indebted to any one but god. in a word, you see faith producing all that is of importance in his conduct at this time. lot is the person who of all others might have been expected to be forward in his expressions of gratitude to abram--not a word of his is recorded. ashamed he cannot but have been, for if abram said not a word of reproach, there would be plenty of lot's old friends among abram's men who could not lose so good an opportunity of twitting him about the good choice he had made. and considering how humiliating it would have been for him to go back with abram and abandon the district of his adoption, we can scarcely wonder that he should have gone quietly back to sodom, well as he must by this time have known the nature of the risks he ran there. for, after all, this warning was not very loud. the same thing, or a similar thing, might have happened had he remained with abram. the warning was unobtrusive as the warnings in life mostly are; audible to the ear that has been accustomed to listen to the still small voice of conscience, inaudible to the ear that is trained to hear quite other voices. god does not set angels and flaming swords in every man's path. the little whisper that no one hears but ourselves only and that says quite quietly that we are continuing in a wrong course, is as certain an indication that we are in danger, as if god were to proclaim our case from heaven with thunder or the voice of an archangel. and when a man has persistently refused to listen to conscience it ceases to speak, and he loses the power to discern between good and evil and is left wholly without a guide. he may be running straight to destruction and he does not know it. you cannot live under two principles of action, regard to worldly interest and regard to conscience. you can train yourself to great acuteness in perceiving and following out what is for your worldly advantage, or you can train yourself to great acuteness of conscience; but you must make your choice, for in proportion as you gain sensitiveness in the one direction you lose it in the other. if your eye is _single_ your whole body is full of light; but if the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! melchizedek is generally recognised as the most mysterious and unaccountable of historical personages; appearing here in the king's vale no one knows whence, and disappearing no one knows whither, but coming with his hands full of substantial gifts for the wearied household of abram, and the captive women that were with him. of each of the patriarchs we can tell the paternity; the date of his birth, and the date of his death; but this man stands with none to claim him, he forms no part of any series of links by which the oldest and the present times are connected. though possessed of the knowledge of the most high god, his name is not found in any of those genealogies which show us how that knowledge passed from father to son. of all the other great men whose history is recorded a careful genealogy is given; but here the writer breaks his rule, and breaks it where, had there not been substantial reason, he would most certainly have adhered to it. for here is the greatest man of the time, a man before whom abram the father of the faithful, the honoured of all nations, bowed and paid tithes; and yet he appears and passes away likest to a vision of the night. perhaps even in his own time there was none that could point to the chamber where first he was cradled, nor show the tent round which first he played in his boyhood, nor hoard up a single relic of the early years of the man that had risen to be the first man upon earth in those days. so that the apostle speaks of him as a very type of all that is mysterious and abrupt in appearance and disappearance, "without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life," and as he significantly adds, "made like unto the son of god." for as melchizedek stands thus on the page of history, so our lord in reality--as the one has no recorded pedigree, and holds an office beginning and ending in his own person, so our lord, though born of a woman, stands separate from sinners and quite out of the ordinary line of generations, and exercises an office which he received hereditarily from none, and which he could commit to no successor. as the one stands apparently disconnected from all before and after him, so the other in point of fact did thus suddenly emerge from eternity, a problem to all who saw him; owning the authority of earthly parents, yet claiming an antiquity greater than abram's; appearing suddenly to the captivity led captive, with his hands full of gifts, and his lips dropping words of blessing. melchizedek is the one personage on earth whom abram recognises as his spiritual superior. abram accepts his blessing and pays him tithes; apparently as priest of the most high god; so that in paying to him, abram is giving the tenth of his spoils to god. this is not any mere courtesy of private persons. it was done in presence of various parties of jealously watchful retainers. men of rank and office and position _consider_ how they should act to one another and who should take precedence. and abram did deliberately and with a perfect perception of what he was doing, whatever he now did. manifestly therefore god's revelation of himself was not as yet confined to the one line running from abram to christ. here was a man of whom we really do not know whether he was a canaanite, a son of ham or a son of shem; yet abram recognises him as having knowledge of the true god, and even bows to him as his spiritual superior in office if not in experience. this shows us how little jealousy abram had of others being favoured by god, how little he thought _his_ connection with god would be less secure if other men enjoyed a similar connection, and how heartily he welcomed those who with different rites and different prospects yet worshipped the living god. it shows us also how apt we are to limit god's ways of working; and how little we understand of the connections he has with those who are not situated as we ourselves are. here while all our attention is concentrated on abram as carrying the whole spiritual hope of the world, there emerges from an obscure canaanite valley a man nearer to god than abram is. from how many unthought-of places such men may at any time come out upon us, we really can never tell. again melchizedek is evidently a title, not a name--the word means king of righteousness, or righteous king. it may have been a title adopted by a line of kings, or it may have been peculiar to this one man. but these old canaanites, if canaanites they were, had got hold of a great principle when they gave this title to the king of their city of salem or peace. they perceived that it was the righteousness, the justice, of their king that could best uphold their peaceful city. they saw that the right king for them was a man not grinding his neighbours by war and taxes, not overriding the rights of others and seeking always enlargement of his own dominion; nor a merely merciful man, inclined to treat sin lightly and leaning always to laxity; but the man they would choose to give them peace was the righteous man who might sometimes seem overscrupulous, sometimes over-stern, who would sometimes be called romantic and sometimes fanatical, but through all whose dealings it would be obvious that justice to all parties was the aim in view. some of them might not be good enough to love a ruler who made no more of their special interest than he did of others, but all would possibly have wit enough to see that only by justice could they have peace. it is the reflex of god's government in which righteousness is the foundation of peace, a righteousness unflinching and invariable, promulgating holy laws and exacting punishment from all who break them. it is this that gives us hope of eternal peace, that we know god has not left out of account facts that must yet be reckoned with, nor merely lulled the unquiet forebodings of conscience, but has let every righteous law and principle find full scope, has done righteously in offering us pardon so that nothing can ever turn up to deprive us of our peace. and it is quite in vain that any individual holds before his mind the prospect of peace, _i.e._ of permanent satisfaction, so long as he is not seeking it by righteousness. in so far as he is keeping his conscience from interfering, in so far is he making it impossible to himself to enter into the condition for the sake of which he is keeping conscience from regulating his conduct. lastly, abram's refusal of the king of sodom's offers is significant. naturally enough, and probably in accordance with well-established usage, the king proposes that abram should receive the rescued goods and the spoil of the invading army. but abram knew men, and knew that although now sodom was eager to show that he felt himself indebted to abram, the time would come when he would point to this occasion as laying the foundation of abram's fortune. when a man rises in the world every one will tell you of the share he had in raising him, and will convey the impression that but for assistance rendered by the speaker he would not have been what he now is. abram knows that he is destined to rise, and knows also by whose help he is to rise. he intends to receive all from god; and therefore not a thread from sodom. he puts his refusal in the form adopted by the man whose mind is made up beyond revisal. he has "vowed" it. he had anticipated such offers and had considered their bearing on his relations to god and man; and taking advantage of the unembarrassed season in which the offer was as yet only a possibility, he had resolved that when it was actually made he would refuse it, no matter what advantages it seemed to offer. so should we in our better seasons and when we know we are viewing things healthily, conscientiously, and righteously, determine what our conduct is to be, and if possible so commit ourselves to it that when the right frame is passed we cannot draw back from the right conduct. abram had done so, and however tempting the spoils of the eastern kings were, they did not move him. his vow had been made to the possessor of heaven and earth, in whose hand were riches beyond the gifts of sodom. here again it is the man of faith that appears. he shows a noble jealousy of god's prerogative to bless him. he will not give men occasion to say that any earthly monarch has enriched him. it shall be made plain that it is on god he is depending. in all men of faith there will be something of this spirit. they cannot fail so to frame their life as to let it come clearly out that for happiness, for success, for comfort, for joy, they are in the main depending on god. that this cannot be done in the complex life of modern society, no one will venture to say in presence of this incident. could we more easily have shown our reliance upon god in the hurry of a sudden foray, in the turmoil and intense action of a midnight attack and hand to hand conflict, in the excitement and elation of a triumphal progress, the kings of the country vying with one another to do us honour and the rescued captives lauding our valour and generosity? no one fails to see what it was that balanced abram in this intoxicating march. no one asks what enabled him, while leading his armed followers flushed with success through a land weakened by recent dismay and disaster, to restrain them and himself from claiming the whole land as his. no one asks what gave him moral perception to see that the opportunity given him of winning the land by the sword was a temptation not a guiding providence. to every reader it is obvious that his dependence on god was his safeguard and his light. god would bring him by fair and honourable means to his own. there was no need of violence, no need of receiving help from doubtful allies. this is true nobility; and this, faith always produces. but it must be a faith like abram's; not a quick and superficial growth, but a deeply-rooted principle. for against all temptations this only is our sure defence, that already our hearts are so filled with god's promise that other offers find no craving in us, no empty dissatisfied spot on which they can settle. to such faith god responds by the elevating and strengthening assurance, "i am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." xi. _covenant with abram._ genesis xv. of the nine divine manifestations made during abram's life this is the fifth. at ur, at kharran, at the oak of moreh, at the encampment between bethel and ai, and now at mamre, he received guidance and encouragement from god. different terms are used regarding these manifestations. sometimes it is said "the lord appeared unto him;" here for the first time in the course of god's revelation occurs that expression which afterwards became normal, "the word of the lord came unto abram." throughout the subsequent history this word of the lord continues to come, often at long intervals, but always meeting the occasion and needs of his people and joining itself on to what had already been declared, until at last the word became flesh and dwelt among us, giving thus to all men assurance of the nearness and profound sympathy of their god. to repeat this revelation is impossible. a repetition of it would be a denial of its reality. for a second life on earth is allowed to no man; and were our lord to live a second human life it were proof he was no true man, but an anomalous, unaccountable, uninstructive, appearance or simulacrum of a man. but though these revelations of god are finished, though complete knowledge of god is given in christ, god comes to the individual still through the spirit whose office it is to take of the things of christ and show them to us. and in doing so the law is observed which we see illustrated here. god comes to a man with further encouragement and light for a new step when he has conscientiously used the light he already has. the temper that "seeks for a sign" and expects that some astounding providence should be sent to make us religious is by no means obsolete. many seem to expect that before they act on the knowledge they have, they will receive more. they put off giving themselves to the service of god under some kind of impression that some striking event or much more distinct knowledge is required to give them a decided turn to a religious life. in so doing they invert god's order. it is when we have conscientiously followed such light as we have, and faithfully done all that we know to be right, that god gives us further light. it was immediately on the back of faithful action that abram received new help to his faith. the time was seasonable for other reasons. never did abram feel more in need of such assurance. he had been successful in his midnight attack and had scattered the force from beyond euphrates, but he knew the temper of these eastern monarchs well enough to be aware that there was nothing they hailed with greater pleasure than a pretext for extending their conquests and adding to their territory. to abram it must have appeared certain that the next campaigning season would see his country invaded and his little encampment swept away by the eastern host. most appropriate, therefore, are the words: "fear not, abram: i am thy shield." but another train of thoughts occupied abram's mind perhaps even more unceasingly at this time. after busy engagement comes dulness; after triumph, flatness and sadness. i have pursued kings, got myself a great name, led captivity captive. men are speaking of me in sodom, and finding that in me they have a useful and important ally. but what is all this to my purpose? am i any nearer my inheritance? i have got all that men might think i needed; they may be unable to understand why now, of all times, i should seem heartless; but, o lord, thou knowest how empty these things seem to me, and what wilt thou give me? abram could not understand why he was kept so long waiting. the child given when he was a hundred years old might equally have been given twenty-five years before, when he first came to the land of canaan. all abram's servants had their children, there was no lack of young men born in his encampment. he could not leave his tent without hearing the shouts of other men's children, and having them cling to his garments--but "to me thou hast given no seed; and lo! one born in mine house, a slave, is mine heir." thus it often is that while a man is receiving much of what is generally valued in the world, the one thing he himself most prizes is beyond his reach. he has his hope irremovably fixed on something which he feels would complete his life and make him a thoroughly happy man; there is one thing which, above all else, would be a right and helpful blessing to him. he speaks of it to god. for years it has framed a petition for itself when no other desire could make itself heard. back and back to this his heart comes, unable to find rest in anything so long as this is withheld. he cannot help feeling that it is god who is keeping it from him. he is tempted to say, "what is the use of all else to me, why give me things thou knowest i care little for, and reserve the one thing on which my happiness depends?" as abram might have said; "why make me a great name in the land, when there is no one to keep it alive in men's memories; why increase my possessions when there is none to inherit but a stranger?" is there then any resulting benefit to character in this so common experience of delayed expectations? in abram's case there certainly was. it was in these years he was drawn close enough to god to hear him say, "_i_ am thy exceeding great reward." he learned in the multitude of his debatings about god's promise and the delay of its fulfilment, that god was more than all his gifts. he had started as a mere hopeful colonist and founder of a family; these twenty-five years of disappointment made him the friend of god and the father of the faithful. slowly do we also pass from delight in god's gifts to delight in himself, and often by a similar experience. from what have you received truest and deepest pleasure in life? is it not from your friendships? not from what your friends have given you or done for you; rather from what you have done for them; but chiefly from your affectionate intercourse. you, being persons, must find your truest joy in persons, in personal love, personal goodness and wisdom. but friendship has its crown in the friendship of god. the man who knows god as his friend and is more certain of god's goodness and wisdom and steadfastness than he can be of the worth of the man he has loved and trusted and delighted in from his boyhood, the man who is always accompanied by a latent sense of god's observation and love, is truly living in the peace of god that passeth understanding. this raises him above the touch of worldly losses and restores him in all distresses, even to the surprise of observers; his language is, "there may be many that will say, who will show us any good? lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. _thou_ hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased." but evidently there was still another feeling in abram's heart at this particular point in his career. he could not bear to think he was to miss that very thing which god had promised him. the keen yearning for an heir which god's promise had stirred in him was not lost sight of in the great saying, "_i_ am thy exceeding great reward." when he was journeying back to his encampment not a shoestring richer than he left, and while he heard his men, disappointed of booty, murmuring that he should be so scrupulous, he cannot but have felt some soreness that he should be set before his little world as a man who had the enjoyment neither of this world's rewards nor of god. and here must have come the strong temptation that comes to every man: might it not be as well to take what he could get, to enjoy what was put fairly within his reach, instead of waiting for what seemed so uncertain as god's gift? it is painful to be exposed to the observation of others or to our own observation, as persons who, on the one hand, refuse to seek happiness in the world's way, and yet are not finding it in god. you have possibly with some magnanimity rejected a tempting offer because there were conditions attached to which conscience could not reconcile itself; but you find that you are in consequence suffering greater privations than you expected and that no providential intervention seems to be made to reward your conscientiousness. or you suddenly become aware that though you have for years refused to be mirthful or influential or successful or comfortable in the world's way and on the world's terms, you are yet getting no substitute for what you refuse. you will not join the world's mirth, but then you are morose and have no joy of any kind. you will not use means you disapprove of for influencing men, but neither have you the influence of a strong christian character. in fact by giving up the world you seem to have contracted and weakened instead of enlarging and deepening your life. in such a condition we can but imitate abram and cast ourselves more resolutely on god. if you find it most weary and painful to deny yourself in these special ways which have fallen to be your experience, you can but utter your complaint to god, assured that in him you will find consideration. he knows why he has called you, why he has given you strength to abandon worldly hopes; he appreciates your adherence to him and he will renew your faith and hope. if day by day you are saying, "lead thou me on," if you say, "what wilt thou give me?" not in complaint but in lively expectation, encouragement enough will be yours. the means by which abram's faith was renewed were appropriate. he has been seeing in the tumult and violence and disappointment of the world much to suggest the thought that god's promise could never work itself out in the face of the rude realities around him. so god leads him out and points him to the stars, each one called by his name, and thus reminds the chaldæan who had so often gazed at and studied them in their silent steady courses, that his god has designs of infinite sweep and comprehension; that throughout all space his worlds obey his will and all harmoniously play their part in the execution of his vast design; that we and all our affairs are in a strong hand, but moving in orbits so immense that small portions of them do not show us their direction and may seem to be out of course. abram is led out alone with the mighty god, and to every saved soul there comes such a crisis when before god's majesty we stand awed and humbled, all complaints hushed, and indeed our personal interests disappear or become so merged in god's purposes that we think only of him; our mistakes and wrong-doing are seen now not so much as bringing misery upon ourselves as interrupting and perverting his purposes, and his word comes home to our hearts as stable and satisfying. it was in this condition that abram believed god, and he counted it to him for righteousness. probably if we read this without paul's commentary on it in the fourth of romans, we should suppose it meant no more than that abram's faith, exercised as it was in trying circumstances, met with god's cordial approval. the faith or belief here spoken of was a resolute renewal of the feeling which had brought him out of chaldæa. he put himself fairly and finally into god's hand to be blessed in god's way and in god's time, and this act of resignation, this resolve that he would not force his own way in the world but would wait upon god, was looked upon by god as deserving the name of righteousness, just as much as honesty and integrity in his conduct with lot or with his servants. paul begs us to notice that an act of faith accepting god's favour is a very different thing from a work done for the sake of winning god's favour. god's favour is always a matter of grace, it is favour conferred on the undeserving; it is never a matter of debt, it is never favour conferred because it has been won. to put this beyond doubt he appeals to this righteousness of abram's. how, he asks, did abram achieve righteousness? not by observing ordinances and commandments; for there were none to observe; but by trusting god, by believing that already without any working or winning of his, god loved him and designed blessedness for him, in short by referring his prospect of happiness and usefulness wholly to god and not at all to himself. this is the essential quality of the godly; and having this, abram had that root which produced all actual righteousness and likeness to god. it is sufficiently obvious in such a life as abram's why faith is the one thing needful. faith is required because it is only when a man believes god's promise and rests in his love that he can co-operate with god in severing himself from iniquitous prospects and in so living for spiritual ends as to enter the life and the blessedness god calls him to. the boy who does not believe his father, when he comes to him in the midst of his play and tells him he has something for him which will please him still better, suffers the penalty of unbelief by losing what his father would have given him. all missing of true enjoyment and blessedness results from unbelief in god's promise. men do not walk in god's ways because they do not believe in god's ends. they do not believe that spiritual ends are as substantial and desirable as those that are physical. abram's faith is easily recognised, because not only had he not wrought for the blessing god promised him, but it was impossible for him even to see how it could be achieved. that which god promised was apparently quite beyond the reach of human power. it serves then as an admirable illustration of the essence of faith; and paul uses it as such. it is not because faith is the root of all actual righteousness that paul describes it as "imputed for righteousness." it is because faith at once gives a man possession of what no amount of working could ever achieve. god now offers in christ righteousness, that is to say, justification, the forgiveness of sins and acceptance with god with all the fruits of this acceptance, the indwelling divine spirit and life everlasting. he offers this freely as he offered to abram what abram could never have won for himself. and all that we are asked to do is to accept it. this is all we are asked to do in order to our becoming the forgiven and accepted children of god. after becoming so, there of course remains an infinite amount of service to be rendered, of work to be done, of self-discipline to be undergone. but in answer to the awakened sinner's enquiry, "what must i do to be saved," paul replies, "you are to _do_ nothing; nothing you can do can win god's favour, because that favour is already yours; nothing you can do can achieve the rectification of your present condition, but christ has achieved it. believe that god is with you and that christ can deliver you and commit yourself cordially to the life you are called to, hopeful that what is promised will be fulfilled." abram's faith cordial as it was, yet was not independent of some sensible sign to maintain it. the sign given was twofold: the smoking furnace and a prediction of the sojourn of abram's posterity in egypt. the symbols were similar to those by which on other occasions the presence of god was represented. fire, cleansing, consuming, and unapproachable, seemed to be the natural emblem of god's holiness. in the present instance it was especially suitable, because the manifestation was made after sundown and when no other could have been seen. the cutting up of the carcases and passing between the pieces was one of the customary forms of contract. it was one of the many devices men have fallen upon to make sure of one another's word. that god should condescend to adopt these modes of pledging himself to men is significant testimony to his love; a love so resolved on accomplishing the good of men that it resents no slowness of faith and accommodates itself to unworthy suspicions. it makes itself as obvious and pledges itself with as strong guarantees to men as if it were the love of a mortal whose feelings might change and who had not clearly foreseen all consequences and issues. the prediction of the long sojourn of abram's posterity in egypt was not only helpful to those who had to endure the egyptian bondage, but also to abram himself. he no doubt felt the temptation, from which at no time the church has been free, to consider himself the favourite of heaven before whose interests all other interests must bow. he is here taught that other men's rights must be respected as well as his, and that not one hour before absolute justice requires it, shall the land of the amorites be given to his posterity. and that man is considerably past the rudimentary knowledge of god who understands that every act of god springs from justice and not from caprice, and that no creature upon earth is sooner or later unjustly dealt with, by the supreme ruler. in the life of abram it becomes visible, how, by living with god and watching for every expression of his will, a man's knowledge of the divine nature enlarges; and it is also interesting to observe that shortly after this he grounds all his pleading for sodom on the truth he had learned here: "shall not the judge of _all the earth_ do right?" the announcement that a long interval must elapse before the promise was fulfilled must no doubt have been a shock to abram; and yet it was sobering and educative. it is a great step we take when we come clearly to understand that god has a great deal to do with us before we can fully inherit the promise. for god's promise, so far from making everything in the future easy and bright, is that which above all else discloses how stern a reality life is; how severe and thorough that discipline must be which makes us capable of achieving god's purposes with us. a horror of great darkness may well fall upon the man who enters into covenant with god, who binds himself to that being whom no pain nor sacrifice can turn aside from the pursuance of aims once approved. when we look forward and consider the losses, the privations, the self-denials, the delays, the pains, the keen and real discipline, the lowliness of the life to which fellowship with god leads men, darkness and gloom and smoke darken our prospect and discourage us; but the smoke is that which arises from a purifying fire that purges away all that prevents us from living spiritually, a darkness very different from that which settles over the life which amidst much present brightness carries in it the consciousness that its course is downwards, that the blows it suffers are deadening, that its sun is steadily nearing its setting and that everlasting night awaits it. but over all other feelings this solemn transacting with god must have produced in abram a humble ecstasy of confidence. the wonderful mercy and kindness of god in thus binding himself to a weak and sinful man cannot but have given him new thoughts of god and new thoughts of himself. with fresh elevation of mind and superiority to ordinary difficulties and temptations would he return to his tent that night. in how different a perspective would all things stand to him now that the infinite god had come so near to him. things which yesterday fretted or terrified him seemed now remote: matters which had occupied his thought he did not now notice or remember. he was now the friend of god, taken up into a new world of thoughts and hopes; hiding in his heart the treasure of god's covenant, brooding over the infinite significance and hopefulness of his position as god's ally. for indeed this was a most extraordinary and a most encouraging event. the infinite god drew near to abram and made a contract with him. god as it were said to him, i wish you to count upon me, to make sure of me: i therefore pledge myself by these accustomed forms to be your friend. but it was not as an isolated person, nor for his own private interests alone that abram was thus dealt with by god. it was as a medium of universal blessing that he was taken into covenant with god. the kindness of god which he experienced was merely an intimation of the kindness all men would experience. the laying aside of unapproachable dignity and entrance into covenant with a man was the proclamation of his readiness to be helpful to all and to bring himself within reach of all. that you may have a god at hand he thus brought himself down to men and human ways, that your life may not be vain and useless, dark and misguided, and that you may find that you have a part in a well-ordered universe in which a holy god cares for all and makes his strength and wisdom available for all. do not allow these intimations of his mercy to go for nothing but use them as intended for your guidance and encouragement. xii. _birth of ishmael._ genesis xvi. in this unpretending chapter we have laid bare to us the origin of one of the most striking facts in the history of religion: namely, that from the one person of abram have sprung christianity and that religion which has been and still is its most formidable rival and enemy, mohammedanism. to ishmael, the son of abram, the arab tribes are proud to trace their pedigree. through him they claim abram as their father, and affirm that they are his truest representatives, the sons of his first-born. in mohammed, the arabian, they see the fulfilment of the blessing of abram, and they have succeeded in persuading a large part of the world to believe along with them. little did sarah think when she persuaded abram to take hagar that she was originating a rivalry which has run with keenest animosity through all ages and which oceans of blood have not quenched. the domestic rivalry and petty womanish spites and resentments so candidly depicted in this chapter, have actually thrown on the world from that day to this one of its darkest and least hopeful shadows. the blood of our own countrymen, it may be of our own kindred, will yet flow in this unappeasable quarrel. so great a matter does a little fire kindle. so lasting and disastrous are the issues of even slight divergences from pure simplicity. it is instructive to observe how long this matter of obtaining an heir for abram occupies the stage of sacred history and in how many aspects it is shown. the stage is rapidly cleared of whatever else might naturally have invited attention, and interest is concentrated on the heir that is to be. the risks run by the appointed mother, the doubts of the father, the surrender now of the mother's rights,--all this is trivial if it concerned only one household, important only when you view it as significant for the race. it was thus men were taught thoughtfully to brood upon the future and to believe that, though divine, blessing and salvation would spring from earth: man was to co-operate with god, to recognise himself as capable of uniting with god in the highest of all purposes. at the same time, this long and continually deferred expectation of abram was the simple means adopted by god to convince men once for all that the promised seed is not of nature but of grace, that it is god who sends all effectual and determining blessing, and that we must learn to adapt ourselves to his ways and wait upon him. the first man, then, whose religious experience and growth are recorded for us at any length, has this one thing to learn, to trust god's word and wait for it. in this everything is included. but gradually it appears to us all that this is the great difficulty, to wait; to let god take his own time to bless us. it is hard to believe in god's perfect love and care when we are receiving no present comfort or peace; hard to believe we shall indeed be sanctified when we seem to be abandoned to sinful habit; hard to pass all through life with some pain, or some crushing trouble, or some harassing anxiety, or some unsatisfied craving. it is easy to start with faith, most trying to endure patiently to the end. it is thus god educates his children. compelled to wait for some crowning gift, we cannot but study god's ways. it is thus we are forced to look below the surface of life to its hidden meanings and to construe god's dealings with ourselves apart from the experience of other men. it is thus we are taught actually to loosen our hold of things temporal and to lay hold on what is spiritual and real. he who leaves himself in god's hand will one day declare that the pains and sorrows he suffered were trifling in comparison with what he has won from them. but sarah could not wait. she seems to have fixed ten years as the period during which she would wait; but at the expiry of this term she considered herself justified in helping forward god's tardy providence by steps of her own. one cannot severely blame her. when our hearts are set upon some definite blessing, things seem to move too slowly and we can scarcely refrain from urging them on without too scrupulously enquiring into the character of our methods. we are willing to wait for a certain time, but beyond that we must take the matter into our own hand. this incident shows, what all life shows, that whatever be the boon you seek, you do yourself an injury if you cease to seek it in the best possible form and manner, and decline upon some lower thing which you can secure by some easy stratagem of your own. the device suggested by sarah was so common that the wonder is that it had not long before been tried. jealousy or instinctive reluctance may have prevented her from putting it in force. she might no doubt have understood that god, always working out his purposes in consistency with all that is most honourable and pure in human conduct, requires of no one to swerve a hair's breadth from the highest ideal of what a human life should be, and that just in proportion as we seek the best gifts and the most upright and pure path to them does god find it easy to bless us. but in her case it was difficult to continue in this belief; and at length she resolved to adopt the easy and obvious means of obtaining an heir. it was unbelieving and foolish, but not more so than our adoption of practices common in our day and in our business which we know are not the best, but which we nevertheless make use of to obtain our ends because the most righteous means possible do not seem workable in our circumstances. are you not conscious that you have sometimes used a means of effecting your purpose, which you would shrink from using habitually, but which you do not scruple to use to tide you over a difficulty, an extraordinary device for an extraordinary emergency, a hagar brought in for a season to serve a purpose, not a sarah accepted from god and cherished as an eternal helpmeet. it is against this we are here warned. from a hagar can at the best spring only an ishmael, while in order to obtain the blessing god intends we must betake ourselves to god's barren-looking means. the evil consequences of sarah's scheme were apparent first of all in the tool she made use of. agur the son of jakeh says: "for three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear. for a servant when he reigneth, and a fool when he is filled with meat; for an odious woman when she is married, and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress." naturally this half-heathen girl, when she found that her son would probably inherit all abram's possessions, forgot herself, and looked down on her present, nominal mistress. a flood of new fancies possessed her vacant mind and her whole demeanour becomes insulting to sarah. the slave-girl could not be expected to sympathize with the purpose which abram and sarah had in view when they made use of her. they had calculated on finding only the unquestioning, mechanical obedience of the slave, even while raising her practically to the dignity of a wife. they had fancied that even to the deepest feelings of her woman's heart, even in maternal hopes, she would be plastic in their hands, their mere passive instrument. but they have entirely miscalculated. the slave has feelings as quick and tender as their own, a life and a destiny as tenaciously clung to as their god-appointed destiny. instead of simplifying their life they have merely added to it another source of complexity and annoyance. it is the common fate of all who use others to satisfy their own desires and purposes. the instruments they use are never so soulless and passive as it is wished. if persons cannot serve you without deteriorating in their own character, you have no right to ask them to serve you. to use human beings as if they were soulless machines is to neglect radical laws and to inflict the most serious injury on our fellow-men. mistresses who do not treat their servants with consideration, recognising that they are as truly women as themselves, with all a woman's hopes and feelings, and with a life of their own to live, are committing a grievous wrong, and evil will come of it. in such an emergency as now arose in abram's household, character shows itself clearly. sarah's vexation at the success of her own scheme, her recrimination and appeal for strange justice, her unjustifiable treatment of hagar, abram's bedouin disregard of the jealousies of the women's tent, his gallio-like repudiation of judgment in such quarrels, his regretful vexation and shame that through such follies, mistakes, and wranglings, god had to find a channel for his promise to flow--all this discloses the painful ferment into which abram's household was thrown. sarah's attempt to rid herself with a high hand of the consequences of her scheme was signally unsuccessful. in the same inconsiderate spirit in which she had put hagar in her place, she now forces her to flee, and fancies that she has now rid herself and her household of all the disagreeable consequences of her experiment. she is grievously mistaken. the slave comes back upon her hands, and comes back with the promise of a son who should be a continual trouble to all about him. all through ishmael's boyhood abram and sarah had painfully to reap the fruits of what they had sown. we only make matters worse when we endeavour by injustice and harshness to crush out the consequences of wrong-doing. the difficulties into which sin has brought us can only be effectually overcome by sincere contrition and humiliation. it is not all in a moment nor by one happy stroke you can rectify the sin or mistake of a moment. if by your wise devices you have begotten young ishmaels, if something is every day grieving you and saying to you, "this comes of your careless inconsiderate conduct in the past," then see that in your vexation there is real penitence and not a mere indignant resentment against circumstances or against other people, and see that you are not actually continuing the fault which first gave birth to your present sorrow and entanglement. when hagar fled from her mistress she naturally took the way to her old country. instinctively her feet carried her to the land of her birth. and as she crossed the desert country where palestine, egypt and arabia meet, she halted by a fountain, spent with her flight and awed by the solitude and stillness of the desert. her proud spirit is broken and tamed, the fond memories of her adopted home and all its customs and ways and familiar faces and occupations, overtake her when she pauses and her heart reacts from the first excitement of hasty purpose and reckless execution. to whom could she go in egypt? was there one there who would remember the little slave girl or who would care to show her a kindness? has she not acted madly in fleeing from her only protectors? the desolation around her depicts her own condition. no motion stirs as far as her eye can reach, no bird flies, no leaf trembles, no cloud floats over the scorching sun, no sound breaks the death-like quiet; she feels as if in a tomb, severed from all life, forgotten of all. her spirit is breaking under this sense of desolation, when suddenly her heart stands still as she hears a voice utter her own name "hagar, sarai's maid." as readily as every other person when god speaks to them, does hagar recognise who it is who has followed her into this blank solitude. in her circumstances to hear the voice of god left no room for disobedience. the voice of god made audible through the actual circumstances of our daily life acquires a force and an authority we never attached to it otherwise. probably, too, hagar would have gone back to abram's tents at the bidding of a less authoritative voice than this. already she was softening and repenting. she but needed some one to say, "go back." you may often make it easier for a proud man to do a right thing by giving him a timely word. frequently men stand in the position of hagar, knowing the course they ought to adopt and yet hesitating to adopt it until it is made easy to them by a wise and friendly word. in the promise of a son which was here given to hagar and the prediction concerning his destiny, while there was enough to teach both her and abram that he was not to be the heir of the promise, there was also much to gratify a mother's pride and be to hagar a source of continual satisfaction. the son was to bear a name which should commemorate god's remembrance of her in her desolation. as often as she murmured it over the babe or called it to the child or uttered it in sharp remonstrance to the refractory boy, she was still reminded that she had a helper in god who had heard and would hear her. the prediction regarding the child has been strikingly fulfilled in his descendants; the three characteristics by which they are distinguished being precisely those here mentioned. "he will be a wild man," literally, "a wild ass among men," reminding us of the description of this animal in job: "whose house i have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwelling. he scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver. the range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing." like the zebra that cannot be domesticated, the arab scorns the comforts of civilized life, and adheres to the primitive dress, food, and mode of life, delighting in the sensation of freedom, scouring the deserts, sufficient with his horse and spear for every emergency. his hand also is against every man, looking on all as his natural enemies or as his natural prey; in continual feud of tribe against tribe and of the whole race against all of different blood and different customs. and yet he "dwells in the presence of his brethren;" though so warlike a temper would bode his destruction and has certainly destroyed other races, this ishmaelite stock continues in its own lands with an uninterrupted history. in the words of an authoritative writer: "they have roved like the moving sands of their deserts; but their race has been rooted while the individual wandered. that race has neither been dissipated by conquest, nor lost by migration, nor confounded with the blood of other countries. they have continued to dwell in the presence of all their brethren, a distinct nation, wearing upon the whole the same features and aspects which prophecy first impressed upon them." what struck hagar most about this interview was god's presence with her in this remote solitude. she awakened to the consciousness that duty, hope, god, are ubiquitous, universal, carried in the human breast, not confined to any place. her hopes, her haughtiness, her sorrows, her flight, were all known. the feeling possessed her which was afterwards expressed by the psalmist: "thou knowest my down-sitting, and mine uprising, thou understandest my thoughts afar off. thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. thou tellest my wanderings; put thou my tears in thy bottle; are they not in thy book?" even here where i thought to have escaped every eye, have i been following and at length found him that seeth me. as truly and even more perceptibly than in abram's tents, god is with her here in the desert. to evade duty, to leave responsibility behind us, is impossible. in all places we are god's children, bound to accept the responsibilities of our nature. in all places god is with us, not only to point out our duty but to give us the feeling that in adhering to duty we adhere to him, and that it is because he values us that he presses duty upon us. with him is no respect of persons; the servant is in his sight as vivid a personality as the mistress, and god appears not to the overbearing mistress but to the overborne servant. happy they who when god has thus met them and sent them back on their own footsteps, a long and weary return, have still been so filled with a sense of god's love in caring for them through all their errors, that they obey and return. all round about his people does god encamp, all round about his flock does the faithful shepherd watch and drive back upon the fold each wanderer. not only to those who are consciously seeking him does god reveal himself, but often to us at the very farthest point of our wandering, at our extremity, when another day's journey would land us in a region from which there is no return. when our regrets for the past become intolerably poignant and bitter; when we see a waste of years behind us barren as the sand of the desert, with nothing done but what should but cannot be undone; when the heart is stupefied with the sense of its madness and of the irretrievable loss it has sustained, or when we look to the future and are persuaded little can grow up in it out of such a past, when we see that all that would have prepared us for it has been lightly thrown aside or spent recklessly for nought, when our hearts fail us, this is god besetting us behind and before. and may he grant us strength to pray, "show me thy ways, o lord, teach me thy paths. lead me in thy truth and teach me: for thou art the god of my salvation; on thee do i wait all the day." the quiet glow of hopefulness with which hagar returned to abram's encampment should possess the spirit of every one of us. hagar's prospects were not in all respects inviting. she knew the kind of treatment she was likely to receive at the hands of sarah. she was to be a bondwoman still. but god had persuaded her of his care and had given her a hope large enough to fill her heart. that hope was to be fulfilled by a return to the home she had fled from, by a humbling and painful experience. there is no person for whom god has not similar encouragement. frequently persons forget that god is in their life, fulfilling his purposes. they flee from what is painful; they lose their bearings in life and know not which way to turn; they do not fancy there is help for them in god. yet god is with them; by these very circumstances that reduce them to desolateness and despair he leads them to hope in him. each one of us has a place in his purpose; and that place we shall find not by fleeing from what is distressing but by submitting ourselves cheerfully to what he appoints. god's purpose is real, and life is real, meant to accomplish not our present passing pleasure, but lasting good in conformity with god's purpose. be sure that when you are bidden back to duties that seem those of a slave, you are bidden to them by god, whose purposes are worthy of himself and whose purposes include you and all that concerns you. there are, i think, few truths more animating than this which is here taught us, that god has a purpose with each of us; that however insignificant we seem, however friendless, however hardly used, however ousted even from our natural place in this world's households, god has a place for us; that however we lose our way in life we are not lost from his eye; that even when we do not think of choosing him he in his divine, all-embracing love chooses us, and throws about us bonds from which we cannot escape. of hagar many were complacently thinking it was no great matter if she were lost, and some might consider themselves righteous because they said she deserved whatever mishap might befall her. but not so god. of some of us, it may be, others may think no great blank would be made by our loss; but god's compassion and care and purpose comprehend the least worthy. the very hairs of your head are all numbered by him. nothing is so trivial and insignificant as to escape his attention, nothing so intractable that he cannot use it for good. trust in him, obey him, and your life will yet be useful and happy. xiii. _the covenant sealed._ genesis xvii. according to the dates here given fourteen years had passed since abram had received any intimation of god's will regarding him. since the covenant had been made some twenty years before, no direct communication had been received; and no message of any kind since ishmael's birth. it need not, therefore, surprise us that we are often allowed to remain for years in a state of suspense, uncertain about the future, feeling that we need more light and yet unable to find it. all truth is not discovered in a day, and if that on which we are to found for eternity take us twenty years or a life's experience to settle it in its place, why should we on this account be overborne with discouragement? they who love the truth and can as little abstain from seeking it as the artist can abstain from admiring what is lovely, will assuredly have their reward. to be expectant yet not impatient, unsatisfied yet not unbelieving, to hold mind and heart open, assured that light is sown for the upright and that all that is has lessons for the teachable, this is our proper attitude. think you, 'mid all this mighty sum of things for ever speaking, that nothing of itself will come, but we must still be seeking? we appreciate the significance of a revelation in proportion as we understand the state of mind to which it is made. abram's state of mind is disclosed in the exclamation: "oh, that ishmael might live before thee!" he had learned to love the bold, brilliant, domineering boy. he saw how the men liked to serve him and how proud they were of the young chief. no doubt his wild intractable ways often made his father anxious. sarah was there to point out and exaggerate all his faults and to prognosticate mischief. but there he was, in actual flesh and blood, full of life and interest in everything, daily getting deeper into the affections of abram, who allowed and could not but allow his own life to revolve very much around the dashing, attractive lad. so that the reminder that he was not the promised heir was not entirely welcome. when he was told that the heir of promise was to be sarah's child, he could not repress the somewhat peevish exclamation: "oh, that ishmael might serve thy turn!" why call me off again from this actual attainment to the vague, shadowy, non-existent heir of promise, who surely can never have the brightness of eye and force of limb and lordly ways of this ishmael? would that what already exists in actual substance before the eye might satisfy thee and fulfil thine intention and supersede the necessity of further waiting! must i again loosen my hold, and part with my chief attainment? must i cut my moorings and launch again upon this ocean of faith with a horizon always receding and that seems absolutely boundless? we are familiar with this state of mind. we wish god would leave us alone. we have found a very attractive substitute for what he promises, and we resent being reminded that our substitute is not, after all, the veritable, eternal, best possession. it satisfies our taste, our intellect, our ambition; it sets us on a level with other men and gives us a place in the world; but now and again we feel a void it does not fill. we have attained comfortable circumstances, success in our profession, our life has in it that which attracts applause and sheds a brilliance over it; and we do not like being told that this is not all. our feeling is oh, that this might do! that this might be accepted as perfect attainment! it satisfies me (all but a little bit); might it not satisfy god? why summon me again away from domestic happiness, intellectual enjoyment, agreeable occupations, to what really seems so unattainable as perfect fellowship with god in the fulfilment of his promise? why spend all my life in waiting and seeking for high spiritual things when i have so much with which i can be moderately satisfied? for our complaint often is not that god gives so little but that he offers too much, more than we care to have: that he never will let us be content with anything short of what perfectly fulfils his perfect love and purpose. this being abram's state of mind, he is aroused from it by the words: "i am the almighty god; walk before me and be thou perfect." i am the almighty god, able to fulfil your highest hopes and accomplish for you the brightest ideal that ever my words set before you. there is no need of paring down the promise till it square with human probabilities, no need of relinquishing one hope it has begotten, no need of adopting some interpretation of it which may make it seem easier to fulfil, and no need of striving to fulfil it in any second-rate way. all possibility lies in this: i am the almighty god. walk before me and be thou perfect, therefore. do not train your eye to earthly distances and earthly magnitudes and limit your hope accordingly, but live in the presence of the almighty god. do not defer the advices of conscience and of your purest aspirations to some other possible world; do not settle down at the low level of godless nature and of the men around you; do not give way to what you yourself know to be weakness and evidence of defeat; do not let self-indulgence take the place of my commandments, indolence supplant resolution and the likelihoods of human calculation obliterate the hopes stirred by the divine call: be thou perfect. is not this a summons that comes appropriately to every man? whatever be our contentment, our attainments, our possessions, a new light is shed upon our condition when we measure it by god's idea and god's resources. is my life god's ideal? does that which satisfies me satisfy him? the purpose of god's present appearance to abram was to renew the covenant, and this he does in terms so explicit, so pregnant, so magnificent that abram must have seen more distinctly than ever that he was called to play a very special part in god's providence. that kings should spring from him, a mere pastoral nomad in an alien country, could not suggest itself to abram as a likely thing to happen. indeed, though a line of kings or two lines of kings did spring from him through isaac, the terms of the prediction seem scarcely exhausted by that fulfilment. and accordingly paul without hesitation or reserve transfers this prediction to a spiritual region, and is at pains to show that the many nations of whom abram was to be the father, were not those who inherited his blood, his natural appearance, his language and earthly inheritance, but those who inherited his spiritual qualities and the heritage in god to which his faith gave him entrance. and he argues that no difference of race or disadvantages of worldly position can prevent any man from serving himself heir to abram, because the seed, to whom as well as to abram the promise was made, was christ, and in christ there is neither jew nor gentile, bond nor free, but all are one. in connection then with this covenant in which god promised that he would be a god to abram and to his seed, two points of interest to us emerge. first that christ is abram's heir. in his use of god's promise we see its full significance. in his life-long appropriation of god we see what god meant when he said, "i will be a god to thee and to thy seed." we find our lord from the first living as one who felt his life encompassed by god, embraced and comprehended in that higher life which god lives through all and in all. his life was all and whole a life in god. he recognised what it is to have a god, one whose will is supreme and unerringly good, whose love is constant and eternal, who is the first and the last, beyond whom and from under whom we can never pass. he moved about in the world in so perfectly harmonious a correspondence with god, so merging himself in god and his purpose and with so unhesitating a reliance upon him, that he seemed and was but a manifestation of god, god's will embodied, god's child, god expressing himself in human nature. he showed us once for all the blessedness of true dependence, fidelity and faith. he showed us how that simple promise 'i will be a god to thee,' received in faith, lifts the human life into fellowship with all that is hopeful and inspiring, with all that is purifying, with all that is real and abiding. but a second point is, that jesus was the heir of abram not merely because he was his descendant, a jew with all the advantages of the jew, but because, like abram, he was full of faith. god was the atmosphere of his life. but he claimed god not because he was jewish, but because he was human. through the jews god had made himself known, but it was to what was human not to what was jewish he appealed. and it was as son of man not as son of israel or of adam that jesus responded to god and lived with him as his god. not by specially jewish rites did jesus approach and rest in god, but by what is universal and human, by prayer to the father, by loving obedience, by faith and submission. and thus we too may be joint-heirs with christ and possess god. and if we think of ourselves as left to struggle with natural defects amidst irreversible natural laws; if we begin to pray very heartlessly, as if he who once listened were now asleep or could do nothing; if our life seems profitless, purposeless, and all unhinged; then let us look back to this sure promise of god, that he will be our god: our god, for, if christ's god, then ours, for if we be christ's then are we abram's seed and heirs according to the promise. how few in any given day are living on this promise: how few attach reality to god's continuous revelation of himself, the reality in this world's transitory history: how few can believe in the nearness and observance and love of god, how few can strenuously seek to be holy or understand where abiding happiness is to be found; for all these things are here. yet who knocks at this door? who makes, as christ made, his life a unity with god, undismayed, unmurmuring, unreluctant, neither fearful of god nor disobedient, but diligent, earnest, jubilant, because god has said, "i will be thy god." do you believe these things and can you forbear to use them? do you believe that it is open to you, whosoever you are, to have the eternal and supreme god for your god, that he may use all his divine nature in your behalf; have you conceived what it is that god means when he extends to you this offer, and can you decline to accept it, can you do otherwise than cherish it and seek to find more and more in it every day you live? two seals were at this time affixed to the covenant: the one for abram himself, the other for every one who shared with him in his blessings of the covenant. the first consisted in the change of his own name to abraham, "the father of a multitude," and of his wife's to sarah, "princess" or "queen," because she was now announced as the destined mother of kings. and however abraham would be annoyed to see the hardly suppressed smile on the ironical faces of his men as he boldly commanded them to call him by a name whose verification seemed so grievously to lag; and however indignant and pained he may have been to hear the young ishmael jeering sarah with her new name, and lending to it every tone of mockery and using it with insolent frequency, yet abraham knew that these names were not given to deceive; and probably as the name of abraham has become one of the best known names on earth, so to himself did it quickly acquire a preciousness as god's voice abiding with him, god's promise renewed to him through every man that addressed him, until at length the child of promise lying on his knees took up its first syllable and called him "abba." this seal was special to abraham and sarah, the other was public. all who desired to partake with abraham in the security, hope, and happiness of having god as their god, were to submit to circumcision. this sign was to determine who were included in the covenant. by this outward mark encouragement and assurance of faith were to be quickened in the heart of all abraham's descendants. the mark chosen was significant. it was indeed not distinctive in its outward form; so little so that at this day no fewer than one hundred and fifty millions of the race make use of the same rite for one purpose or other. all the descendants of ishmael of course continue it, but also all who have their religion, that is, all mohammedans; but besides these, some tribes in south america, some in australia, some in the south sea islands, and a large number of kaffir tribes. the ancient egyptians certainly practised it, and it has been suggested that abraham may have become acquainted with the practice during his sojourn in egypt. it is however uncertain whether the practice in egypt runs back to so early a time. if it were an established egyptian usage, then of course hagar would demand for her boy at the usual age the rite which she had always associated with entrance on a new stage of life. but even supposing this was the case, the rite was none the less available for the new use to which it was now put. the rainbow existed before the flood; bread and wine existed before the night of the lord's supper; baptisms of various kinds were practised before the days of the apostles. and for this very reason, when god desired a natural emblem of the stability of the seasons he chose a striking feature of nature on which men were already accustomed to look with pleasure and hope; when he desired symbols of the body and blood of the redeemer he took those articles which already had a meaning as the most efficacious human nutriment; when he desired to represent to the eye the renunciation of the old life and the birth to a new life which we have by union with christ, he took that rite which was already known as the badge of discipleship; and when he desired to impress men by symbol with the impurity of nature and with our dependence on god for the production of all acceptable life, he chose that rite which, whether used before or not, did most strikingly represent this. with the significance of circumcision to other men who practise it, we have here nothing to do. it is as the chief sacrament of the old covenant, by which god meant to aid all succeeding generations of hebrews in believing that god was their god. and this particular mark was given, rather than any other, that they might recognise and ever remember that human nature was unable to generate its own saviour, that in man there is a native impurity which must be laid aside when he comes into fellowship with the holy god. and these circumcised races, although in many respects as unspiritual as others, have yet in general perceived that god is different from nature, a holy being to whom we cannot attain by any mere adherence to nature, but only by the aid he himself extends to us in ways for which nature makes no provision. the lesson of circumcision is an old one and rudely expressed, but it is vital; and no abhorrence of the circumcised for the uncircumcised too strongly, however unjustly, emphasizes the distinction that actually subsists between those who believe in nature and those who believe in god. the lesson is old, but the circumcision of the heart to which the outward mark pointed, is ever required. that is the true seal of our fellowship with god; the earnest of the spirit which gives promise of eternal union with the holy one; the relentings, the shame, the softening of heart, the adoration and reverence for the holiness of god, the thirst for him, the joy in his goodness, these are the first fruits of the spirit, which lead on to our calling god father, and feeling that to be alone with him is our happiness. it is this putting aside of our natural confidence in nature and absorption in nature, and this turning to god as our confidence and our life, which constitutes the true circumcision of the heart. believing as abraham was, he could not forbear smiling when god said that sarah would be the mother of the promised seed. this incredulity of abraham was so significant that it was commemorated in the name of isaac, the laugher. this heir was typical of all god's best gifts, at first reckoned impossible, at last filling the heart with gladness. the smile of incredulity became the laughter of joy when the child was born and sarah said, "god hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me." it is they who expect things so incongruous and so impossible to nature unaided that they smile even while they believe, who will one day find their hopes fulfilled and their hearts running over with joyful laughter. if your heart is fixed only on what you can accomplish for yourself, no great joy can ever be yours. but frame your actual hopes in accordance with the promise of god, expect holiness, fulness of joy, animating partnership with god in the highest matters, the resurrection of the dead, the life everlasting, and one day you will say, "god hath made me to laugh." but abraham prostrating himself to hide a smile is the symbol of our common attitude. we profess to believe in a god of unspeakable power and goodness, but even while we do so we find it impossible to attach a sense of reality to his promises. they are kindly, well-intentioned words, but are apparently spoken in neglect of solid, obstinate facts. how hard is it for us to learn that god is the great reality, and that the reality of all else may be measured by its relation to him. sarah's laughter had a different meaning. indeed sarah does not appear to have been by any means a blameless character. her conduct towards hagar showed us that she was a woman capable of generous impulses but not of the strain of continued magnanimous conduct. she was capable of yielding her wifely rights on the impulse of the brilliant scheme that had struck her, but like many other persons who can begin a magnanimous or generous course of conduct, she could not follow it up to the end, but failed disgracefully in her conduct towards her rival. so now again she betrays characteristic weakness. when the strangers came to abraham's tent, and announced that she was to become a mother, she smiled in superior, self-assured, woman's wisdom. when the promise threatened no longer to hover over her household as a mere sublime and exalting idea which serves its purpose if it keep them in mind that god has spoken to them, but to take place now among the actualities of daily occurrence, she hails this announcement with a laugh of total incredulity. whatever she had made of god's word, she had not thought it was really and veritably to come to pass; she smiled at the simplicity which could speak of such an unheard-of thing. this is true to human nature. it reminds you how you have dealt with god's promises,--nay, with god's commandments--when they offered to make room for themselves in the everyday life of which you are masters, every detail of which you have arranged, seeming to know absolutely the laws and principles on which your particular line of life must be carried on. have you never smiled at the simplicity which could set about making actual, about carrying out in practical life, in society, in work, in business, those thoughts, feelings and purposes, which god's promises beget? sarah did not laugh outright, but smiled behind the lord; she did not mock him to his face, but let the compassionate expression pass over her face with which we listen to the glowing hopes of the young enthusiast who does not know the world. have we not often put aside god's voice precisely thus; saying within us, we know what kind of things can be done by us and others and what need not be attempted; we know what kind of frailties in social intercourse we must put up with, and not seek to amend; what kind of practices it is vain to think of abolishing; we know what use to make of god's promise and what use not to make of it; how far to trust it, and how far to give greater weight to our knowledge of the world and our natural prudence and sense? does not our faith, like sarah's, vary in proportion as the promise to be believed is unpractical? if the promise seems wholly to concern future things, we cordially and devoutly assent; but if we are asked to believe that god intends within the year to do so-and-so, if we are asked to believe that the result of god's promise will be found taking a substantial place among the results of our own efforts--then the derisive smile of sarah forms on our face. to look at the crowds of persons professing religion, one would suppose nothing was commoner than faith. there is nothing rarer. devoutness is common; righteousness of life is common; a contempt for every kind of fraud and underhand practice is common; a highminded disregard for this world's gains and glories is common; an abhorrence of sensuality and an earnest thirst for perfection are common--but faith? will the son of man when he comes find it on earth? may not the messengers of god yet say, who hath believed our report? why, the great majority of christian people have never been near enough to spiritual things to know whether they are or are not, they have never narrowly weighed spiritual issues and trembled as they watched the uncertain balance, they say they believe god and a future of happiness because they really do not know what they are talking about--they have not measured the magnitude of these things. faith is not a blind and careless assent to matters of indifference, faith is not a state of mental suspense with a hope that things may turn out to be as the bible says. faith is the firm persuasion that these things are so. and he who at once knows the magnitude of these things and believes that they are so, must be filled with a joy that makes him independent of the world, with an enthusiasm which must seem to the world like insanity. it is quite a different world in which the man of faith lives. xiv. _abraham's intercession for sodom._ genesis xviii. the scene with which this chapter opens is one familiar to the observer of nomad life in the east. during the scorching heat and glaring light of noon, while the birds seek the densest foliage and the wild animals lie panting in the thicket and everything is still and silent as midnight, abraham sits in his tent door under the spreading oak of mamre. listless, languid, and dreamy as he is, he is at once aroused into brightest wakefulness by the sudden apparition of three strangers. remarkable as their appearance no doubt must have been, it would seem that abraham did not recognise the rank of his visitors; it was, as the writer to the hebrews says, "unawares" that he entertained angels. but when he saw them stand as if inviting invitation to rest, he treated them as hospitality required him to treat any wayfarers. he sprang to his feet, ran and bowed himself to the ground, and begged them to rest and eat with him. with the extraordinary, and as it seems to our colder nature extravagant courtesy of an oriental, he rates at the very lowest the comforts he can supply; it is only a little water he can give to wash their feet, a morsel of bread to help them on their way, but they will do him a kindness if they accept these small attentions at his hands. he gives, however, much more than he offered, seeks out the fatted calf and serves while his guests sit and eat. the whole scene is primitive and oriental, and "presents a perfect picture of the manner in which a modern bedawee sheykh receives travellers arriving at his encampment;" the hasty baking of bread, the celebration of a guest's arrival by the killing of animal food not on other occasions used even by large flock-masters; the meal spread in the open air, the black tents of the encampment stretching back among the oaks of mamre, every available space filled with sheep, asses, camels,--the whole is one of those clear pictures which only the simplicity of primitive life can produce. not only, however, as a suitable and pretty introduction which may ensure our reading the subsequent narrative is it recorded how hospitably abraham received these three. later writers saw in it a picture of the beauty and reward of hospitality. it is very true, indeed, that the circumstances of a wandering pastoral life are peculiarly favourable to the cultivation of this grace. travellers being the only bringers of tidings are greeted from a selfish desire to hear news as well as from better motives. life in tents, too, of necessity makes men freer in their manners. they have no door to lock, no inner rooms to retire to, their life is spent outside, and their character naturally inclines to frankness and freedom from the suspicions, fears, and restraints of city life. especially is hospitality accounted the indispensable virtue, and a breach of it as culpable as a breach of the sixth commandment, because to refuse hospitality is in many regions equivalent to subjecting a wayfarer to dangers and hardships under which he is almost certain to succumb. "this tent is mine," said yussouf, "but no more than it is god's; come in, and be at peace; freely shalt thou partake of all my store, as i of his who buildeth over these our tents his glorious roof of night and day, and at whose door none ever yet heard nay." still we are of course bound to import into our life all the suggestions of kindly conduct which any other style of living gives us. and the writer to the hebrews pointedly refers to this scene and says, "let us not be forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." and often in quite a prosaic and unquestionable manner does it become apparent to a host, that the guest he has been entertaining has been sent by god, an angel indeed ministering to his salvation, renewing in him thoughts that had been dying out, filling his home with brightness and life like the smile of god's own face, calling out kindly feelings, provoking to love and to good works, effectually helping him onwards and making one more stage of his life endurable and even blessed. and it is not to be wondered at that our lord himself should have continually inculcated this same grace; for in his whole life and by his most painful experience were men being tested as to who among them would take the stranger in. he who became man for a little that he might for ever consecrate the dwelling of abraham and leave a blessing in his household, has now become man for evermore, that we may learn to walk carefully and reverentially through a life whose circumstances and conditions, whose little socialities and duties, and whose great trials and strains he found fit for himself for service to the father. this tabernacle of our human body has by his presence been transformed from a tent to a temple, and this world and all its ways that he approved, admired, and walked in, is holy ground. but as he came to abraham trusting to his hospitality, not sending before him a legion of angels to awe the patriarch but coming in the guise of an ordinary wayfarer; so did he come to his own and make his entrance among us, claiming only the consideration which he claims for the least of his people, and granting to whoever gave him _that_ the discovery of his divine nature. had there been ordinary hospitality in bethlehem that night before the taxing, then a woman in mary's condition had been cared for and not superciliously thrust among the cattle, and our race had been delivered from the everlasting reproach of refusing its god a cradle to be born and sleep his first sleep in, as it refused him a bed to die in, and left chance to provide him a grave in which to sleep his latest sleep. and still he is coming to us all requiring of us this grace of hospitality, not only in the case of every one who asks of us a cup of cold water and whom our lord himself will personate at the last day and say, "_i_ was a stranger and ye took me in;" but also in regard to those claims upon our heart's reception which he only in his own person makes. but while we are no doubt justified in gathering such lessons from this scene, it can scarcely have been for the sake of inculcating hospitality that these angels visited abraham. and if we ask, why did god on this occasion use this exceptional form of manifesting himself; why, instead of approaching abraham in a vision or in word as had been found sufficient on former occasions, did he now adopt this method of becoming abraham's guest and eating with him?--the only apparent reason is that he meant this also to be the test applied to sodom. there too his angels were to appear as wayfarers, dependent on the hospitality of the town, and by the people's treatment of these unknown visitors their moral state was to be detected and judged. the peaceful meal under the oaks of mamre, the quiet and confidential walk over the hills in the afternoon when abraham in the humble simplicity of a godly soul was found to be fit company for these three--this scene where the lord and his messengers receive a becoming welcome and where they leave only blessing behind them, is set in telling contrast to their reception in sodom, where their coming was the signal for the outburst of a brutality one blushes to think of, and elicited all the elements of a mere hell upon earth. lot would fain have been as hospitable as abraham. deeper in his nature than any other consideration was the traditional habit of hospitality. to this he would have sacrificed everything--the rights of strangers were to him truly inviolable. lot was a man who could as little see strangers without inviting them to his house as abraham could. he would have treated them handsomely as his uncle; and what he could do he did. but lot had by his choice of a dwelling made it impossible he should afford safe and agreeable lodging to any visitor. he did his best, and it was not his reception of the angels that sealed sodom's doom, and yet what shame he must have felt that he had put himself in circumstances in which his chief virtue could not be practised. so do men tie their own hands and cripple themselves so that even the good they would take pleasure in doing is either wholly impossible or turns to evil. in divulging to abraham his purpose in visiting sodom, it is enounced here that god acted on a principle which seems afterwards to have become almost proverbial. surely the lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. there are indeed two grounds stated for making known to abraham this catastrophe. the reason that we should naturally expect, viz. that he might go on and warn lot is not one of them. why then make any announcement to abraham if the catastrophe cannot be averted, and if abraham is to turn back to his own encampment? the first reason is: "shall i hide from abraham that thing which i do? _seeing that abraham_ shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him." in other words, abraham has been made the depository of a blessing for all nations, and account must therefore be given to him when any people is summarily removed beyond the possibility of receiving this blessing. if a man has got a grant for the emancipation of the slaves in a certain district, and is informed on landing to put this grant in force that fifty slaves are to be executed that day, he has certainly a right to know and he will inevitably desire to know that this execution is to be, and why it is to be. when an officer goes to negotiate an exchange of prisoners, if two of the number cannot be exchanged, but are to be shot, he must be informed of this and account of the matter must be given him. abraham often brooding on god's promise, living indeed upon it, must have felt a vague sympathy with all men, and a sympathy not at all vague, but most powerful and practical with the men in the jordan valley whom he had rescued from chedorlaomer. if he was to be a blessing to any nation it must surely be to those who were within an afternoon's walk of his encampment and among whom his nephew had taken up his abode. suppose he had not been told, but had risen next morning and seen the dense cloud of smoke overhanging the doomed cities, might he not with some justice have complained that although god had spoken to him the previous day, not one word of this great catastrophe had been breathed to him. the second reason is expressed in the nineteenth verse; god had chosen abraham that he might command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the lord, to do justice and judgment that the lord might fulfil his promise to abraham. that is to say, as it was only by obedience and righteousness that abraham and his seed were to continue in god's favour, it was fair that they should be encouraged to do so by seeing the fruits of unrighteousness. so that as the dead sea lay throughout their whole history on their borders reminding them of the wages of sin, they might never fail rightly to interpret its meaning, and in every great catastrophe read the lesson "except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." they could never attribute to chance this predicted judgment. and in point of fact frequent and solemn reference was made to this standing monument of the fruit of sin. as yet there was no moral law proclaimed by any external authority. abraham had to discover what justice and goodness were from the dictates of his own conscience and from his observation upon men and things. but he was at all events persuaded that only so long as he and his sought honestly to live in what they considered to be righteousness would they enjoy god's favour. and they read in the destruction of sodom a clear intimation that certain forms of wickedness were detestable to god. the earnestness with which abraham intercedes for the cities of the plain reveals a new side of his character. one could understand a strong desire on his part that lot should be rescued, and no doubt the preservation of lot formed one of his strongest motives to intercede, yet lot is never named, and it is, i think, plain that he had more than the safety of lot in view. he prayed that the city might be spared, not that the righteous might be delivered out of its ruin. probably he had a lively interest in the people he had rescued from captivity, and felt a kind of protectorate over them as he sometimes looked down on them from the hills near his own tents. he pleads for them as he had fought for them, with generosity, boldness and perseverance; and it was his boldness and unselfishness in fighting for them that gave him boldness in praying for them. there has come into vogue in this country a kind of intercession which is the exact reverse of this of abraham--an obtuse, mechanical intercession about whose efficacy one may cherish a reasonable suspicion. the bible and common sense bid us pray with the spirit and with the _understanding_; but at some meetings for prayer you are asked to pray for people you do not know and have no real interest in. you are not told even their names, so that if an answer is sent you could not identify the answer, nor is any clue given you by which if god should propose to use you for their help you could know where the help was to be applied. for all you know the slip of paper handed in among a score of others may misrepresent the circumstances; and even supposing it does not, what likeness to the effectual fervent prayer of an anxious man has the petition that is once read in your hearing and at once and for ever blotted from your mind by a dozen others of the same kind. not so did abraham pray: he prayed for those he knew and had fought for; and i see no warrant for expecting that our prayers will be heard for persons whose good we seek in no other way than prayer, in none of those ways which in all other matters our conduct proves we judge more effectual than prayer. when lot was carried captive abraham did not think it enough to put a petition for him in his evening prayer. he went and _did_ the needful thing, so that now when there is nothing else he can do but pray, he intercedes, as few of us can without self-reproach or feeling that had we only done our part there might now be no need of prayer. what confidence can a parent have in praying for a son who is going to a country where vice abounds, if he has done little or nothing to infix in his boy's mind a love of virtue? in some cases the very persons who pray for others are themselves the obstacles preventing the answer. were we to ask ourselves how much we are prepared to do for those for whom we pray, we should come to a more adequate estimate of the fervency and sincerity of our prayers. the element in abraham's intercession that jars on the reader is the trading temper that strives always to get the best possible terms. abraham seems to think god can be beaten down and induced to make smaller and smaller demands. no doubt this style of prayer was suggested to abraham by the statement on god's part that he was going to sodom to see if its iniquity was so great as it was reported; that is, to number, as it were, the righteous men in it. abraham seizes upon this and asks if he would not spare it if fifty were found in it. but abraham knowing sodom as he did could not have supposed this number would be found. finding, then, that god meets him so far, he goes on step by step getting larger in his demands, until when he comes to ten he feels that to go farther would be intolerably presumptuous. along with this audacious beating down of god, there is a genuine and profound reverence and humility which at each renewal of the petition dictate some such expression as: "i who am but dust and ashes," "let not my lord be angry." it is remarkable too that, throughout, it is for justice abraham pleads, and for justice of a limited and imperfect kind. he proceeds on the assumption that the town will be judged as a town, and either wholly saved or wholly destroyed. he has no idea of individual discrimination being made, those only suffering who had sinned. and yet it is this principle of discrimination on which god ultimately proceeds, rescuing lot. yet is not this intercession the history of what every one who prays passes through, beginning with the idea that god is to be won over to more liberal views and a more munificent intention, and ending with the discovery that god gives what we should count it shameless audacity to ask? we begin to pray, "as if ourselves were better certainly than what we come to--maker and high priest" and we leave off praying assured that the whole is to be managed by a righteousness and love and wisdom, which we cannot plan for, which any love or desire of ours would only limit the action of, and which must be left to work out its own purposes in its own marvellous ways. we begin, feeling that we have to beat down a reluctant god and that we can guide the mind of god to some better thing than he intends: when the answer comes we recognise that what we set as the limit of our expectation god has far over-stepped, and that our prayer has done little more than show our inadequate conception of god's mercy. not only in this respect but throughout this chapter there is betrayed an inadequate conception of god. the language is adapted to the use of men who are as yet unable to conceive of one infinite, eternal spirit. they think of him as one who needs to come down and institute an inquiry into the state of sodom, if he is to know with accuracy the moral condition of its inhabitants. we can freely use the same language, but we put into it a meaning that the words do not literally bear: abraham and his contemporaries used and accepted the words in their literal sense. and yet the man who had ideas of god in some respects so rudimentary was god's friend, received singular tokens of his favour, found his whole life illuminated with his presence, and was used as the point of contact between heaven and earth, so that if you desire the first lessons in the knowledge of god which will in time grow into full information, it is to the tent of abraham, you must go. this surely is encouraging; for who is not conscious of much difficulty in thinking rightly of god? who does not feel that precisely here, where the light should be brightest, clouds and darkness seem to gather? it may indeed be said that what was excusable in abraham is inexcusable in us; that we have that day, that full noon of christ to which he could only, out of the dusky dawn, look forward. but after all may not a man with some justice say: give me an afternoon with god, such as abraham had; give me the opportunity of converse with a god submitting himself to question and answer, to those means and instruments of ascertaining truth which i daily employ in other matters, and i will ask no more? christ has given us entrance into the final stage of our knowledge of god, teaching us that god is a spirit and that we cannot see the father; that christ himself left earth and withdrew from the bodily eye that we might rely more upon spiritual modes of apprehension and think of god as a spirit. but we are not at all times able to receive this teaching, we are children still and fall back with longing for the times when god walked and spoke with man. and this being so, we are encouraged by the experience of abraham. we shall not be disowned by god though we do not know him perfectly. we can but begin where we are, not pretending that that is clear and certain to us which in fact is not so, but freely dealing with god according to the light we have, hoping that we too, like abraham, shall see the day of christ and be glad; shall one day stand in the full light of ascertained and eternal truth, knowing as we are known. in conclusion, we shall find when we read the following chapter, and especially the prayer of lot that he might not be driven to the wild mountain district, but might occupy the little town of zoar which was saved for his sake--we shall find, that much light is reflected on this prayer of abraham. without trenching on what may be more fitly spoken of afterwards, it may now be observed that the difference between lot and abraham, as between man and man generally, comes out nowhere more strikingly than in their prayers. abraham had never prayed for himself with a tithe of the persistent earnestness with which he prays for sodom--a town which was much indebted to him, but towards which for more reasons than one a smaller man would have borne a grudge. lot, on the other hand, much indebted to sodom, identified indeed with it, one of its leading citizens, connected by marriage with its inhabitants, is in no agony about its destruction, and has indeed but one prayer to offer, and that is, that when all his fellow-townsmen are destroyed, he may be comfortably provided for. while the men he has bargained and feasted with, the men he has made money out of and married his daughters to, are in the agonies of an appalling catastrophe and so near that the smoke of their torment sweeps across his retreat, he is so disengaged from regrets and compassion that he can nicely weigh the comparative comfort and advantage of city and rural life. one would have thought better of the man if he had declined the angelic rescue and resolved to stand by those in death whose society he had so coveted in life. and it is significant that while the generous, large-hearted, devout pleading of abraham is in vain, the miserable, timorous, selfish petition of lot is heard and answered. it would seem as if sometimes god were hopeless of men, and threw to them in contempt the gifts they crave, giving them the poor stations in this life their ambition is set upon, because he sees they have made themselves incapable of enduring hardness, and so quelling their lower nature. an answered prayer is not always a blessing, sometimes it is a doom: "he sent them meat to the full: but while their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of god came upon them and slew the fattest of them." probably had lot felt any inclination to pray for his townsmen he would have seen that for him to do so would be unseemly. his circumstances, his long association with the sodomites, and his accommodation of himself to their ways had both eaten the soul out of him and set him on quite a different footing towards god from that occupied by abraham. a man cannot on a sudden emergency lift himself out of the circumstances in which he has been rooted, nor peel off his character as if it were only skin deep. abraham had been living an unworldly life in which intercourse with god was a familiar employment. his prayer was but the seasonable flower of his life, nourished to all its beauty by the habitual nutriment of past years. lot in his need could only utter a peevish, pitiful, childish cry. he had aimed all his life at being comfortable, he could not now wish anything more than to be comfortable. "stand out of my sunshine," was all he could say, when he held by the hand the plenipotentiary of heaven, and when the roar of the conflict of moral good and evil was filling his ears--a decent man, a righteous man, but the world had eaten out his heart till he had nothing to keep him in sympathy with heaven. such is the state to which men in our society, as in sodom, are brought by risking their spiritual life to make the most of this world. xv. _destruction of the cities of the plain._ genesis xix. while abraham was pleading with the lord the angels were pursuing their way to sodom. and in doing so they apparently observed the laws of those human forms which they had assumed. they did not spread swift wings and alight early in the afternoon at the gates of the city; but taking the usual route, they descended from the hills which separated abraham's encampment from the plain of the jordan, and as the sun was setting reached their destination. in the deep recess which is found at either side of the gateway of an eastern city, lot had taken his accustomed seat. wearied and vexed with the din of the revellers in the street, and oppressed with the sultry doom-laden atmosphere, he was looking out towards the cool and peaceful hills, purple with the sinking sun behind them, and letting his thoughts first follow and then outrun his eye; he was now picturing and longing for the unseen tents of abraham, and almost hearing the cattle lowing round at evening and all the old sounds his youth had made familiar. he is recalled to the actual present by the footfall of the two men, and little knowing the significance of his act, invites them to spend the night under his roof. it has been observed that the historian seems to intend to bring out the quietness and the ordinary appearance of the entire circumstances. all goes on as usual. there is nothing in the setting sun to say that for the last time it has shone on these rich meadows, or that in twelve hours its rising will be dimmed by the smoke of the burning cities. the ministers of so appalling a justice as was here displayed enter the city as ordinary travellers. when a crisis comes, men do not suddenly acquire an intelligence and insight they have not habitually cultivated. they cannot suddenly put forth an energy nor exhibit an apt helpfulness which only character can give. when the test comes, we stand or fall not according to what we would wish to be and now see the necessity of being, but according to what former self-discipline or self-indulgence has made us. how then shall this angelic commission of enquiry proceed? shall it call together the elders of sodom--or shall it take lot outside the city and cross-examine him, setting down names and dates and seeking to come to a fair judgment. not at all--there is a much surer way of detecting character than by any process of examination by question and answer. to each of us god says: "since by its _fruit_ a tree is judged, show me thy fruit, the _latest act_ of thine! for in the _last_ is summed the first, and all,- what thy life last put heart and soul into, there shall i taste thy product." it is thus these angels proceed. they do not startle the inhabitants of sodom into any abnormal virtue nor present opportunity for any unwonted iniquity. they give them opportunity to act in their usual way. nothing could well be more ordinary than the entrance to the city of two strangers at sunset. there is nothing in this to excite, to throw men off their guard, to overbalance the daily habit, or give exaggerated expression to some special feature of character. it is thus we are all judged--by the insignificant circumstances in which we act without reflection, without conscious remembrance of an impending judgment, with heart and soul and full enjoyment. first lot is judged. lot's character is a singularly mixed one. with all his selfishness, he was hospitable and public-spirited. lover of good living, as undoubtedly he was, his courage and strength of character are yet unmistakable. his sitting at the gate in the evening to offer hospitality may fairly be taken as an indication of his desire to screen the wickedness of his townsmen, and also to shield the stranger from their brutality. from the style in which the mob addressed him, it is obvious that he had made himself offensive by interfering to prevent wrong-doing. he was nicknamed "the censor," and his eye was felt to carry condemnation. it is true there is no evidence that his opposition had been of the slightest avail. how could it avail with men who knew perfectly well that with all his denunciation of their wicked ways, he preferred their money-making company to the desolation of the hills, where he would be vexed with no filthy conversation, but would also find no markets? still it is to lot's credit that in such a city, with none to observe, none to applaud, and none to second him, he should have been able to preserve his own purity of life and steadily to resist wrong-doing. it would be cynical to say that he cultivated austerity and renounced popular vices as a salve to a conscience wounded by his own greed. that he had the courage which lies at the root of strength of character became apparent as the last dark night of sodom wore on. to go out among a profligate, lawless mob, wild with passion and infuriated by opposition--to go out and shut the door behind him--was an act of true courage. his confidence in the influence he had gained in the town cannot have blinded him to the temper of the raging crowd at his door. to defend his unknown guests he put himself in a position in which men have frequently lost life. in the first few hours of his last night in sodom, there is much that is admirable and pathetic in lot's conduct. but when we have said that he was bold and that he hated other men's sins, we have exhausted the more attractive side of his character. the inhuman collectedness of mind with which, in the midst of a tremendous public calamity, he could scheme for his own private well-being is the key to his whole character. he had no feeling. he was cold-blooded, calculating, keenly alive to his own interest, with all his wits about him to reap some gain to himself out of every disaster; the kind of man out of whom wreckers are made, who can with gusto strip gold rings off the fingers of doomed corpses; out of whom are made the villains who can rifle the pockets of their dead comrades on a battlefield, or the politicians who can still ride on the top of the wave that hurls their country on the rocks. when abraham gave him his choice of a grazing ground, no rush of feeling, no sense of gratitude, prevented him from making the most of the opportunity. when his house was assailed, he had coolness, when he went out to the mob, to shut the door behind him that those within might not hear his bargain. when the angel, one might almost say, was flurried by the impending and terrible destruction, and was hurrying him away, he was calm enough to take in at a glance the whole situation and on the spot make provision for himself. there was no need to tell him not to look back as his wife did: no deep emotion would overmaster him, no unconquerable longing to see the last of his dear friends in sodom would make him lose one second of his time. even the loss of his wife was not a matter of such importance as to make him forget himself and stand to mourn. in every recorded act of his life appears this same unpleasant characteristic. between lot and judas there is an instructive similarity. both had sufficient discernment and decision of character to commit themselves to the life of faith, abandoning their original residence and ways of life. both came to a shameful end, because the motive even of the sacrifices they made was self-interest. neither would have had so dark a career had he more justly estimated his own character and capabilities, and not attempted a life for which he was unfit. they both put themselves into a false position; than which nothing tends more rapidly to deteriorate character. lot was in a doubly false position, because in sodom as well as in abraham's shifting camp he was out of place. he voluntarily bound himself to men he could not love. one side of his nature was paralysed; and that the side which in him especially required development. it is the influence of home life, of kindly surroundings, of friendships, of congenial employment, of everything which evokes the free expression of what is best in us; it is this which is a chief factor in the development of every man. but instead of the genial and fertilising influence of worthy friendships, and ennobling love, lot had to pretend good-will where he felt none, and deceit and coldness grew upon him in place of charity. besides, a man in a false position in life, out of which he can by any sacrifice deliver himself, is never at peace with god until he does deliver himself. and any attempt to live a righteous life with an evil conscience is foredoomed to failure. and if it still be felt that lot was punished with extreme severity, and that if every man who chose a good grazing ground or a position in life which was likely to advance his fortune were thereby doomed to end his days in a cave and under the darkest moral brand, society would be quite disintegrated, it must be remembered, that in order to advance his interests in life, lot sacrificed much that a man is bound by all means to cherish; and further, it must be said that our destinies are thus determined. the whole iniquity and final consequences of our disposition are not laid before us in the mass; but to give the rein to any evil disposition is to yield control of our own life and commit ourselves to guidance which cannot result in good, and is of a nature to result in utter shame and wretchedness. turning from the rescued to the destroyed, we recognise how sufficient a test of their moral condition the presence of the angels was. the inhabitants of sodom quickly afford evidence that they are ripe for judgment. they do nothing worse than their habitual conduct led them to do. it is not for this one crime they are punished; its enormity is only the legible instance which of itself convicts them. they are not aware of the frightful nature of the crime they seek to commit. they fancy it is but a renewal of their constant practice. they rush headlong on destruction and do not know it. how can it be otherwise? if a man _will not_ take warning, if he will persist in sin, then the day comes when he is betrayed into iniquity the frightful nature of which he did not perceive, but which is the natural result of the life he has led. he goes on and will not give up his sin till at last the final damning act is committed which seals his doom. character tends to express itself in one perfectly representative act. the habitual passion, whatever it is, is always alive and seeking expression. sometimes one consideration represses it, sometimes another; but these considerations are not constant, while the passion is, and must therefore one day find its opportunity--its opportunity not for that moderate, guarded, disguised expression which passes without notice, but for the full utterance of its very essence. so it was here, the whole city, small and great, young and old, from every quarter came together unanimous and eager in prosecuting the vilest wickedness. no further investigation or proof was needed: it has indeed passed into a proverb: "they _declare_ their sin as sodom." to punish by a special commission of enquiry is quite unusual in god's government. nations are punished for immorality or for vicious administration of law or for neglect of sanitary principles by the operation of natural laws. that is to say, there is a distinctly traceable connection between the crime and its punishment; the one being the natural cause of the other. that nations should be weakened, depopulated, and ultimately sink into insignificance, is the natural result of a development of the military spirit of a country and the love of glory. that a population should be decimated by cholera or small-pox is the inevitable result of neglecting intelligible laws of health. it seems to me absurd to put this destruction of sodom in the same category. the descent of meteoric stones from the sky is not the natural result of immorality. the vices of these cities have disastrous national results which are quite legibly written in some races existing in the present day. we have here to do not with what is natural but with what is miraculous. of course it is open to any one to say, "it was merely accidental--it was a mere coincidence that a storm of lightning so violent as to set fire to the bituminous soil should rage in the valley, while on the hills a mile or two off all was serene; it was a mere coincidence that meteoric stones or some instrument of conflagration should set on fire just these cities, not only one of them but four of them, and no more." and certainly were there nothing more to go upon than the fact of their destruction, this coincidence, however extraordinary, must still be admitted as wholly natural, and having no relation to the character of the people destroyed. it might be set down as pure accident, and be classed with storms at sea, or volcanic eruptions, which are due to physical causes and have no relation to the moral character of those involved, but indiscriminately destroy all who happen to be present. but we have to account not only for the fact of the destruction but for its prediction both to abraham and to lot. surely it is only reasonable to allow that such prediction was supernatural; and the prediction being so, it is also reasonable to accept the account of the event given by the predicters of it, and understand it not as an ordinary physical catastrophe, but as an event contrived with a view to the moral character of those concerned, and intended as an infliction of punishment for moral offences. and before we object to a style of dealing with nations so different from anything we now detect, we must be sure that a quite different style of dealing was not at that time required. if there is an intelligent training of the world, it must follow the same law which requires that a parent deal in one way with his boy of ten and in another with his adult son. of lot's wife the end is recorded in a curt and summary fashion. "his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." the angel, knowing how closely on the heels of the fugitives the storm would press, had urgently enjoined haste, saying, "look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain." rapid in its pursuit as a prairie fire, it was only the swift who could escape it. to pause was to be lost. the command, "look not behind thee" was not given because the scene was too awful to behold for what men can endure, men may behold, and abraham looked upon it from the hill above. it was given simply from the necessity of the case and from no less practical and more arbitrary reason. accordingly when the command was neglected, the consequence was felt. why the infatuated woman looked back one can only conjecture. the woful sounds behind her, the roar of the flame and of jordan driven back, the crash of falling houses and the last forlorn cry of the doomed cities, all the confused and terrific din that filled her ear, may well have paralysed her and almost compelled her to turn. but the use our lord makes of her example shows us that he ascribed her turning to a different motive. he uses her as a warning to those who seek to save out of the destruction more than they have time to save, and so lose all. "he which shall be on the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away; and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. remember lot's wife." it would seem, then, as if our lord ascribed her tragic fate to her reluctance to abandon her household stuff. she was a wife after lot's own heart, who in the midst of danger and disaster had an eye to her possessions. the smell of fire, the hot blast in her hair, the choking smoke of blazing bitumen, suggested to her only the thought of her own house decorations, her hangings, and ornaments, and stores. she felt keenly the hardship of leaving so much wealth to be the mere food of fire. the thought of such intolerable waste made her more breathless with indignation than her rapid flight. involuntarily as she looks at the bleak, stony mountains before her, she thinks of the rich plain behind; she turns for one last look, to see if it is impossible to return, impossible to save anything from the wreck. the one look transfixes her, rivets her with dismay and horror. nothing she looked for can be seen; all is changed in wildest confusion. unable to move, she is overtaken and involved in the sulphurous smoke, the bitter salts rise out of the earth and stifle her and encrust around her and build her tomb where she stands. lot's wife by her death proclaims that if we crave to make the best of both worlds, we shall probably lose both. her disposition is not rare and exceptional as the pillar of salt which was its monument. she is not the only woman whose heart is so fixedly set upon her household possessions that she cannot listen to the angel-voices that would guide her. are there none but lot's wife who show that to them there is nothing so important, nothing else indeed to live for at all, but the management of a house and the accumulation of possessions? if all who are of the same mind as lot's wife shared her fate the world would present as strange a spectacle as the dead sea presents at this day. for radically it was her divided mind which was her ruin. she had good impulses, she saw what she ought to do, but she did not do it with a mind made up. other things divided her thoughts and diverted her efforts. what else is it ruins half the people who suppose themselves well on the way of life? the world is in their heart; they cannot pursue with undivided mind the promptings of a better wisdom. their heart is with their treasure, and their treasure is really not in spiritual excellence, not in purity of character, not in the keen bracing air of the silent mountains where god is known, but in the comforts and gains of the luxurious plain behind. we are to remember lot's wife that we may bear in mind how possible it is that persons who promise well and make great efforts and bid fair to reach a place of safety may be overtaken by destruction. we can perhaps tell of exhausting effort, we may have outstripped many in practical repentance, but all this may only be petrified by present carelessness into a monument recording how nearly a man may be saved and yet be destroyed. "have ye suffered all these things in vain, if it be yet in vain?" "ye have run well, what now hinders you?" the question always is, not, what have you done, but what are you now doing? up to the site of the pillar, lot's wife had done as well as lot, had kept pace with the angels; but her failure at that point destroyed her. the same urgency may not be felt by all; but it should be felt by all to whose conscience it has been distinctly intimated that they have become involved in a state of matters which is ruinous. if you are conscious that in your life there are practices which may very well issue in moral disaster, an angel has taken you by the hand and bid you flee. for you to delay is madness. yet this is what people will do. sagacious men of the world, even when they see the probability of disaster, cannot bear to come out with loss. they will always wait a little longer to see if they cannot rescue something more, and so start on a fresh course with less inconvenience. they will not understand that it is better to live bare and stripped with a good conscience and high moral achievement, than in abundance with self-contempt. what they have, always seems more to them than what they are. xvi. _sacrifice of isaac._ genesis xxii. the sacrifice of isaac was the supreme act of abraham's life. the faith which had been schooled by so singular an experience and by so many minor trials was here perfected and exhibited as perfect. the strength which he had been slowly gathering during a long and trying life was here required and used. this is the act which shines like a star out of those dark ages, and has served for many storm-tossed souls over whom god's billows have gone, as a mark by which they could still shape their course when all else was dark. the devotedness which made the sacrifice, the trust in god that endured when even such a sacrifice was demanded, the justification of this trust by the event, and the affectionate fatherly acknowledgment with which god gloried in the man's loyalty and strength of character--all so legibly written here--come home to every heart in the time of its need. abraham has here shown the way to the highest reach of human devotedness and to the heartiest submission to the divine will in the most heart-rending circumstances. men and women living our modern life are brought into situations which seem as torturing and overwhelming as those of abraham, and all who are in such conditions find, in his loyal trust in god, sympathetic and effectual aid. in order to understand god's part in this incident and to remove the suspicion that god imposed upon abraham as a duty what was really a crime, or that he was playing with the most sacred feelings of his servant, there are one or two facts which must not be left out of consideration. in the first place, abraham did not think it wrong to sacrifice his son. his own conscience did not clash with god's command. on the contrary, it was through his own conscience god's will impressed itself upon him. no man of abraham's character and intelligence could suppose that any word of god could make that right which was in itself wrong, or would allow the voice of conscience to be drowned by some mysterious voice from without. if abraham had supposed that in all circumstances it was a crime to take his son's life, he could not have listened to any voice that bade him commit this crime. the man who in our day should put his child to death and plead that he had a divine warrant for it would either be hanged or confined as insane. no miracle would be accepted as a guarantee for the divine dictation of such an act. no voice from heaven would be listened to for a moment, if it contradicted the voice of the universal conscience of mankind. but in abraham's day the universal conscience had only approbation to express for such a deed as this. not only had the father absolute power over the son, so that he might do with him what he pleased; but this particular mode of disposing of a son would be considered singular only as being beyond the reach of ordinary virtue. abraham was familiar with the idea that the most exalted form of religious worship was the sacrifice of the first-born. he felt, in common with godly men in every age, that to offer to god cheap sacrifices while we retain for ourselves what is truly precious, is a kind of worship that betrays our low estimate of god rather than expresses true devotion. he may have been conscious that in losing ishmael he had felt resentment against god for depriving him of so loved a possession; he may have seen canaanite fathers offering their children to gods he knew to be utterly unworthy of any sacrifice; and this may have rankled in his mind until he felt shut up to offer his all to god in the person of his son, his only son, isaac. at all events, however it became his conviction that god desired him to offer his son, this was a sacrifice which was in no respect forbidden by his own conscience. but although not wrong in abraham's judgment, this sacrifice was wrong in the eye of god; how then can we justify god's command that he should make it? we justify it precisely on that ground which lies patent on the face of the narrative--god meant abraham to make the sacrifice in spirit, not in the outward act; he meant to write deeply on the jewish mind the fundamental lesson regarding sacrifice, that it is in the spirit and will all true sacrifice is made. god intended what actually happened, that abraham's sacrifice should be complete and that human sacrifice should receive a fatal blow. so far from introducing into abraham's mind erroneous ideas about sacrifice, this incident finally dispelled from his mind such ideas and permanently fixed in his mind the conviction that the sacrifice god seeks is the devotion of the living soul not the consumption of a dead body. god met him on the platform of knowledge and of morality to which he had attained, and by requiring him to sacrifice his son taught him and all his descendants in what sense alone such sacrifice can be acceptable. god meant abraham to sacrifice his son, but not in the coarse material sense. god meant him to yield the lad truly to him; to arrive at the consciousness that isaac more truly belonged to god than to him, his father. it was needful that abraham and isaac should be in perfect harmony with the divine will. only by being really and absolutely in god's hand could they, or can any one, reach the whole and full good designed for them by god. how old isaac was at the time of this sacrifice there is no means of accurately ascertaining. he was probably in the vigour of early manhood. he was able to take his share in the work of cutting wood for the burnt offering and carrying the faggots a considerable distance. it was necessary too that this sacrifice should be made on isaac's part not with the timorous shrinking or ignorant boldness of a boy, but with the full comprehension and deliberate consent of maturer years. it is probable that abraham was already preparing, if not to yield to isaac the family headship, yet to introduce him to a share in the responsibilities he had so long borne alone. from the touching confidence in one another which this incident exhibits, a light is reflected on the fond intercourse of former years. isaac was at that time of life when a son is closest to a father, mature but not independent; when all that a father can do has been done, but while as yet the son has not passed away into a life of his own. and isaac was no ordinary son. the man of business who has encouraged and solaced himself in his toil by the hope that his son will reap the fruit of it and make his old age easy and honoured, but who outlives his son and sees the effort of his life go for nothing; the proprietor who bears an ancient name and sees his heir die--these are familiar objects of pathetic interest, and no heart is so hard as to refuse a tear of sympathy when brought into view of such heart-withering bereavements. but in abraham all fatherly feelings had been evoked and strengthened and deepened by a quite peculiar experience. by a special and most effectual discipline he had been separated from the objects which ordinarily divide men's attention and eke out their contentment in life, and his whole hopes had been compelled to centre in his son. it was not the perpetuation of a name nor the transmission of a well-known and valuable property; it was not even the gratification of the most justifiable and tender of human affections, that was crushed and thwarted in abraham by this command; but it was also and especially that hope which had been aroused and fostered in him by extraordinary providences and which concerned, as he believed, not himself alone but all men. manifestly no harder task could have been set to abraham, than that which was imposed on him by the command, "take now thy son, thine only son, isaac, whom thou lovest," this son of thine in whom all the promises are yea and amen to thee, this son for whose sake thou gavest up home and kindred, and banished thy firstborn ishmael, this son whom thou lovest, and offer him for a burnt-offering. this son, abraham might have said, whom i have been taught to cherish, putting aside all other affections that i might love him above all, i am now with my own hand to slay, to slay with all the terrible niceties and formalities of sacrifice _and with all the love and adoration of sacrifice_. i am with my own hand to destroy all that makes life valuable to me, and as i do so i am to love and worship him who commands this sacrifice. i am to go to isaac, whom i have taught to look forward to the fairest happiest life, and i am to contradict all i ever told him and tell him now that he has only grown to maturity that he might be cut down in the flush and hope of opening manhood. what can abraham have thought? possibly the thought would occur that god was now recalling the great gift he had made. there is always enough conscience of sin in the purest human heart to engender self-reproach and fear on the faintest occasion; and when so signal a token of god's displeasure as this was sent, abraham may well have believed himself to have been unwittingly guilty of some great crime against god, or have now thought with bitterness of the languid devotion he had been offering him. i have in sacrificing a lamb been as if i had been cutting off a dog's neck, profane and thoughtless in my worship, and now god is solemnising me indeed. i have in thought or desire kept back the prime of my flock, and god is now teaching me that a man may not rob god. who could have been surprised if in this horror of great darkness the mind of abraham had become unhinged? who could wonder if he had slain _himself_ to make the loss of isaac impossible? who could wonder if he had sullenly ignored the command, waited for further light, or rejected an alliance with god which involved such lamentable conditions? nothing that could befall him in consequence of disobedience, he might have supposed, could exceed in pain the agony of obedience. and it is always easier to endure the pain inflicted upon us by circumstances than to do with our own hand and free will what we know will involve us in suffering. it is not mere resignation but active obedience that was required of abraham. his was not the passive resignation of the man out of whose reach death or disaster has swept his dearest treasures, and who is helped to resignation by the consciousness that no murmuring can bring them back--his was the far more difficult active resignation, which has still in possession all that it prizes, and may withhold these treasures if it pleases, but is called by a higher voice than that of self-pleasing to sacrifice them all. but though abraham was the chief, he was not the sole actor in this trying scene. to isaac this was the memorable day of his life, and quiescent and passive as his character seems to have been, it cannot but have been stirred and strained now in every fibre of it. abraham could not find it in his heart to disclose to his son the object of the journey; even to the last he kept him unconscious of the part he was himself to play. two long days' journey, days of intense inward commotion to abraham, they went northward. on the third day the servants were left, and father and son went on alone, unaccompanied and unwitnessed. "so they went," as the narrative twice over says, "both of them together," but with minds how differently filled; the father's heart torn with anguish, and distracted by a thousand thoughts, the son's mind disengaged, occupied only with the new scenes and with passing fancies. nowhere in the narrative does the completeness of the mastery abraham had gained over his natural feelings appear more strikingly than in the calmness with which he answers isaac's question. as they approach the place of sacrifice isaac observes the silent and awe-struck demeanour of his father, and fears that it may have been through absence of mind he has neglected to bring the lamb. with a gentle reverence he ventures to attract abraham's attention: "my father;" and he said, "here am i, my son." and he said, "behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" it is one of those moments when only the strongest heart can bear up calmly and when only the humblest faith has the right word to say. "my son, the lord will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering." not much longer could the terrible truth be hidden from isaac. with what feelings must he have seen the agonised face of his father as he turned to bind him and as he learned that he must prepare not to sacrifice but to be sacrificed. here then was the end of those great hopes on which his youth had been fed. what could such contradiction mean? was he to submit even to his father in such a matter? why should he not expostulate, resist, flee? such ideas seem to have found short entertainment in the mind of isaac. trained by long experience to trust his father, he obeys without complaint or murmur. still it cannot cease to be matter of admiration and astonishment that a young man should have been able on so brief a notice, through so shocking a way, and with so startling a reversal of his expectations, to forego all right to choose for himself, and yield himself implicitly to what he believed to be god's will. by a faith so absolute isaac became indeed the heir of abraham. when he laid himself on the altar, trusting his father and his god, he came of age as the true seed of abraham and entered on the inheritance, making god his god. at that supreme moment he made himself over to god, he put himself at god's disposal; if his death was to be helpful in fulfilling god's purpose he was willing to die. it was god's will that must be done, not his. he knew that god could not err, could not harm his people; he was ignorant of the design which his death could fulfil, but he felt sure that his sacrifice was not asked in vain. he had familiarised himself with the thought that he belonged to god; that he was on earth for god's purposes not for his own; so that now when he was suddenly summoned to lay himself formally and finally on god's altar, he did not hesitate to do so. he had learned that there are possessions more worth preserving than life itself, that "manhood is the one immortal thing beneath time's changeful sky"-he had learned that "length of days is knowing when to die." no one who has measured the strain that such sacrifice puts upon human nature can withhold his tribute of cordial admiration for so rare a devotedness, and no one can fail to see that by this sacrifice isaac became truly the heir of abraham. and not only isaac, but every man attains his majority by sacrifice. only by losing our life do we begin to live. only by yielding ourselves truly and unreservedly to god's purpose do we enter the true life of men. the giving up of self, the abandonment of an isolated life, the bringing of ourselves into connection with god, with the supreme and with the whole, this is the second birth. to reach that full stream of life which is moved by god's will and which is the true life of men, we must so give ourselves up to god, that each of his commandments, each of his providences, all by which he comes into connection with us, has its due effect upon us. if we only seek from god help to carry out our own conception of life, if we only desire his power to aid us in making of this life what we have resolved it shall be, we are far indeed from isaac's conception of god and of life. but if we desire that god fulfil in us, and through us his own conception of what our life should be, the only means of attaining this desire is to put ourselves fairly into god's hand, unflinchingly to do what we believe to be his will irrespective of present darkness and pain and privation. he who thus bids an honest farewell to earth and lets himself be bound and laid upon god's altar, is conscious that in renouncing himself he has won god and become his heir. have you thus given yourselves to god? i do not ask if your sacrifice has been perfect, nor whether you do not ever seek great things still for yourselves; but do you know what it is thus to yield yourself to god, to put god first, yourself second or nowhere? are you even occasionally quite willing to sink your own interests, your own prospects, your own native tastes, to have your own worldly hopes delayed or blighted, your future darkened? have you even brought your intellect to bear upon this first law of human life, and determined for yourself whether it is the case or not that man's life, in order to be profitable, joyful, and abiding, must be lived in god? do you recognise that human life is not for the individual's good, but for the common good, and that only in god can each man find his place and his work? all that we give up to him we have in an ampler form. the very affections which we are called to sacrifice are purified and deepened rather than lost. when abraham resigned his son to god and received him back, their love took on a new delicacy and tenderness. they were more than ever to one another after this interference of god. and he meant it to be so. where our affections are thwarted or where our hopes are blasted, it is not our injury, but our good, that is meant, a fineness and purity, an eternal significance and depth, are imparted to affections that are annealed by passing through the fire of trial. not till the last moment did god interpose with the gladdening words, "lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now i know that thou fearest god, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me." the significance of this was so obvious that it passed into a proverb: "in the mount of the lord it shall be provided." it was there, and not at any earlier point, abraham saw the provision that had been made for an offering. up to the moment when he lifted the knife over all he lived for, it was not seen that other provision was made. up to the moment when it was indubitable that both he and isaac were obedient unto death, and when in will and feeling they had sacrificed themselves, no substitute was visible, but no sooner was the sacrifice complete in spirit than god's provision was disclosed. it was the spirit of sacrifice, not the blood of isaac, that god desired. it was the noble generosity of abraham that god delighted in, not the fatherly grief that would have followed the actual death of isaac. it was the heroic submission of father and son that god saw with delight, rejoicing that men were found capable of the utmost of heroism, of patient and unflinching adherence to duty. at any point short of the consummation, interposition would have come too soon, and would have prevented this educative and elevating display of the capacity of men for the utmost that life can require of them. had the provision of god been made known one minute before the hand of abraham was raised to strike, it would have remained doubtful whether in the critical moment one or other of the parties might not have failed. but when the sacrifice was complete, when already the bitterness of death was past, when all the agonizing conflict was over, the anguish of the father mastered, and the dismay of the son subdued to perfect conformity with the supreme will, then the full reward of victorious conflict was given, and god's meaning flashed through the darkness, and his provision was seen. this is the universal law. we find god's provision only on the mount of sacrifice, not at any stage short of this, but only there. we must go the whole way in faith; what lies before us as duty, we must do; often in darkness and utter misery, seeing no possibility of escape or relief, we must climb the hill where we are to abandon all that has given joy and hope to our life; and not before the sacrifice has been actually made can we enter into the heaven of victory god provides. you may be called to sacrifice your youth, your hopes of a career, your affections, that you may uphold and soothe the lingering days of one to whom you are naturally bound. or your whole life may have centred in an affection which circumstances demand you shall abandon; you may have to sacrifice your natural tastes and give up almost everything you once set your heart on; and while to others the years bring brightness and variety and scope, to you they may be bringing only monotonous fulfilment of insipid and uncongenial tasks. you may be in circumstances which tempt you to say, does god see the inextricable difficulty i am in? does he estimate the pain i must suffer if immediate relief do not come? is obedience to him only to involve me in misery from which other men are exempt? you may even say that although a substitute was found for isaac, no substitute has been found for the sacrifice you have had to make, but you have been compelled actually to lose what was dear to you as life itself. but when the character has been fully tried, when the utmost good to character has been accomplished, and when delay of relief would only increase misery, then relief comes. still the law holds good, that as soon as you in spirit yield to god's will, and with a quiet submissiveness consent to the loss or pain inflicted upon you, in that hour your whole attitude to your circumstances is transformed, you find rest and assured hope. two things are certain: that, however painful your condition is, god's intention is not to injure, but to advance you, and that hopeful submission is wiser, nobler, and every way better than murmuring and resentment. finally, these words, "the lord will provide," which abraham uttered in that exalted frame of mind which is near to the prophetic ecstasy, have been the burden sung by every sincere and thoughtful worshipper as he ascended the hill of god to seek forgiveness of his sin, the burden which the lord's worshipping congregation kept on its tongue through all the ages, till at length, as the angel of the lord had opened the eyes of abraham to see the ram provided, the voice of the baptist "crying in the wilderness" to a fainting and well-nigh despairing few turned their eye to god's great provision with the final announcement, "behold the lamb of god." let us accept this as a motto which we may apply, not only in all temporal straits, when we can see no escape from loss and misery, but also in all spiritual emergency, when sin seems a burden too great for us to bear, and when we seem to lie under the uplifted knife of god's judgment. let us remember that god's desire is not that we suffer pain, but that we learn obedience, that we be brought to that true and thorough confidence in him which may fit us to fulfil his loving purposes. let us, above all, remember that we cannot know the grace of god, cannot experience the abundant provision he has made for weak and sinful men, until we have climbed the mount of sacrifice and are able to commit ourselves wholly to him. not by attacking our manifold enemies one by one, nor by attempting the great work of sanctification piecemeal, shall we ever make much growth or progress, but by giving ourselves up wholly to god and by becoming willing to live in him and as his. xvii. _ishmael and isaac._ gen. xxi., xxii. "abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. * * * which things are an allegory."--galatians iv. 22. "abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son."--genesis xxii. 10. in the birth of isaac, abraham at length sees the long-delayed fulfilment of the promise. but his trials are by no means over. he has himself introduced into his family the seeds of discord and disturbance, and speedily the fruit is borne. ishmael, at the birth of isaac, was a lad of fourteen years, and, reckoning from eastern customs, he must have been over sixteen when the feast was made in honour of the weaned child. certainly he was quite old enough to understand the important and not very welcome alteration in his prospects which the birth of this new son effected. he had been brought up to count himself the heir of all the wealth and influence of abraham. there was no alienation of feeling between father and son: no shadow had flitted over the bright prospect of the boy as he grew up; when suddenly and unexpectedly there was interposed between him and his expectation the effectual barrier of this child of sarah's. the importance of this child to the family was in due course indicated in many ways offensive to ishmael; and when the feast was made, his spleen could no longer be repressed. this weaning was the first step in the direction of an independent existence, and this would be the point of the feast in celebration. the child was no longer a mere part of the mother, but an individual, a member of the family. the hopes of the parents were carried forward to the time when he should be quite independent of them. but in all this there was great food for the ridicule of a thoughtless lad. it was precisely the kind of thing which could easily be mocked without any great expenditure of wit by a boy of ishmael's age. the too visible pride of the aged mother, the incongruity of maternal duties with ninety years, the concentration of attention and honours on so small an object,--all this was, doubtless, a temptation to a boy who had probably at no time too much reverence. but the words and gestures which others might have disregarded as childish frolic, or, at worst, as the unseemly and ill-natured impertinence of a boy who knew no better, stung sarah, and left a poison in her blood that infuriated her. "cast out that bondwoman and her son," she demanded of abraham. evidently she feared the rivalry of this second household of abraham, and was resolved it should come to an end. the mocking of ishmael is but the violent concussion that at last produces the explosion, for which material has long been laid in train. she had seen on abraham's part a clinging to ishmael, which she was unable to appreciate. and though her harsh decision was nothing more than the dictate of maternal jealousy, it did prevent things from running on as they were until even a more painful family quarrel must have been the issue. the act of expulsion was itself unaccountably harsh. there was nothing to prevent abraham sending the boy and his mother under an escort to some safe place; nothing to prevent him from giving the lad some share of his possessions sufficient to provide for him. nothing of this kind was done. the woman and the boy were simply put to the door; and this, although ishmael had for years been counted abraham's heir, and though he was a member of the covenant made with abraham. there may have been some law giving sarah absolute power over her maid; but if any law gave her power to do what was now done, it was a thoroughly barbarous one, and she was a barbarous woman who used it. it is one of those painful cases in which one poor creature, clothed with a little brief authority, stretches it to the utmost in vindictive maltreatment of another. sarah happened to be mistress, and, instead of using her position to make those under her happy, she used it for her own convenience, for the gratification of her own spite, and to make those beneath her conscious of her power by their suffering. she happened to be a mother, and instead of bringing her into sympathy with all women and their children, this concentrated her affection with a fierce jealousy on her own child. she breathed freely when hagar and ishmael were fairly out of sight. a smile of satisfied malice betrayed her bitter spirit. no thought of the sufferings to which she had committed a woman who had served her well for years, who had yielded everything to her will, and who had no other natural protector but her, no glimpses of abraham's saddened face, visited her with any relentings. it mattered not to her what came of the woman and the boy to whom she really owed a more loving and careful regard than to any except abraham and isaac. it is a story often repeated. one who has been a member of the household for many years is at last dismissed at the dictate of some petty pique or spite as remorselessly and inhumanly as a piece of old furniture might be parted with. some thoroughly good servant, who has made sacrifices to forward his employer's interest, is at last, through no offence of his own, found to be in his employer's way, and at once all old services are forgotten, all old ties broken, and the authority of the employer, legal but inhuman, is exercised. it is often those who can least defend themselves who are thus treated; no resistance is possible, and also, alas! the party is too weak to face the wilderness on which she is thrown out, and if any cares to follow her history, we may find her at the last gasp under a bush. still, both for abraham and for ishmael it was better this severance should take place. it was grievous to abraham; and sarah saw that for this very reason it was necessary. ishmael was his first-born, and for many years had received the whole of his parental affection: and, looking on the little isaac, he might feel the desirableness of keeping another son in reserve, lest this strangely-given child might as strangely pass away. coming to him in a way so unusual, and having perhaps in his appearance some indication of his peculiar birth, he might seem scarcely fit for the rough life abraham himself had led. on the other hand, it was plain that in ishmael were the very qualities which isaac was already showing that he lacked. already abraham was observing that with all his insolence and turbulence there was a natural force and independence of character which might come to be most useful in the patriarchal household. the man who had pursued and routed the allied kings could not but be drawn to a youth who already gave promise of capacity for similar enterprises--and this youth his own son. but can abraham have failed to let his fancy picture the deeds this lad might one day do at the head of his armed slaves? and may he not have dreamt of a glory in the land not altogether such as the promise of god encouraged him to look for, but such as the tribes around would acknowledge and fear? all the hopes abraham had of ishmael had gained firm hold of his mind before isaac was born; and before isaac grew up, ishmael must have taken the most influential place in the house and plans of abraham. his mind would thus have received a strong bias towards conquest and forcible modes of advance. he might have been led to neglect, and, perhaps, finally despise, the unostentatious blessings of heaven. if, then, abraham was to become the founder, not of one new warlike power in addition to the already too numerous warlike powers of the east, but of a religion which should finally develop into the most elevating and purifying influence among men, it is obvious that ishmael was not at all a desirable heir. whatever pain it gave to abraham to part with him, separation in some form had become necessary. it was impossible that the father should continue to enjoy the filial affection of ishmael, his lively talk, and warm enthusiasm, and adventurous exploits, and at the same time concentrate his hope and his care on isaac. he had, therefore, to give up, with something of the sorrow and self-control he afterwards underwent in connection with the sacrifice of isaac, the lad whose bright face had for so many years shone in all his paths. and in some such way are we often called to part with prospects which have wrought themselves very deep into our spirit, and which, indeed, just because they are very promising and seductive, have become dangerous to us, upsetting the balance of our life, and throwing into the shade objects and purposes which ought to be outstanding. and when we are thus required to give up what we were looking to for comfort, for applause, and for profit, the voice of god in its first admonition sometimes seems to us little better than the jealousy of a woman. like sarah's demand, that none should share with her son, does the requirement seem which indicates to us that we must set nothing on a level with god's direct gifts to us. we refuse to see why we may not have all the pleasures and enjoyments, all the display and brilliance that the world can give. we feel as if we were needlessly restricted. but this instance shows us that when circumstances compel us to give up something of this kind which we have been cherishing, room is given for a better thing than itself to grow. for ishmael himself, too, wronged as he was in the mode of his expulsion, it was yet far better that he should go. isaac _was_ the true heir. no jeering allusions to his late birth or to his appearance could alter that fact. and to a temper like ishmael's it was impossible to occupy a subordinate, dependent position. all he required to call out his latent powers was to be thrown thus on his own resources. the daring and high spirit and quickness to take offence and use violence, which would have wrought untold mischief in a pastoral camp, were the very qualities which found fit exercise in the desert, and seemed there only in keeping with the life he had to lead. and his hard experience at first would at his age do him no harm, but good only. to be compelled to face life single-handed at the age of sixteen is by no means a fate to be pitied. it was the making of ishmael, and is the making of many a lad in every generation. but the two fugitives are soon reminded that, though expelled from abraham's tents and protection, they are not expelled from his god. ishmael finds it true that when father and mother forsake him, the lord takes him up. at the very outset of his desert life he is made conscious that god is still his god, mindful of his wants, responsive to his cry of distress. it was not through ishmael the promised seed was to come, but the descendants of ishmael had every inducement to retain faith in the god of abraham, who listened to their father's cry. the fact of being excluded from certain privileges did not involve that they were to be excluded from all privileges. god still "heard the voice of the lad, and the angel of god called to hagar out of heaven." it is this voice of god to hagar that so speedily, and apparently once for all, lifts her out of despair to cheerful hope. it would appear as if her despair had been needless; at least from the words addressed to her, "what aileth thee, hagar?" it would appear as if she might herself have found the water that was close at hand, if only she had been disposed to look for it. but she had lost heart, and perhaps with her despair was mingled some resentment, not only at sarah, but at the whole hebrew connection, including the god of the hebrews, who had before encouraged her. here was the end of the magnificent promise which that god had made her before her child was born--a helpless human form gasping its life away without a drop of water to moisten the parched tongue and bring light to the glazing eyes, and with no easier couch than the burning sand. was it for this, the bitterest drop that, apart from sin, can be given to any parent to drink, she had been brought from egypt and led through all her past? had her hopes been nursed by means so extraordinary only that they might be so bitterly blighted? thus she leapt to her conclusions, and judged that because her skin of water had failed god had failed her too. no one can blame her, with her boy dying before her, and herself helpless to relieve one pang of his suffering. hitherto in the well-furnished tents of abraham she had been able to respond to his slightest desire. thirst he had never known, save as the relish to some boyish adventure. but now, when his eyes appeal to her in dying anguish, she can but turn away in helpless despair. she cannot relieve his simplest want. not for her own fate has she any tears, but to see her pride, her life and joy, perishing thus miserably, is more than she can bear. no one can blame, but every one may learn from her. when angry resentment and unbelieving despair fill the mind, we may perish of thirst in the midst of springs. when god's promises produce no faith, but seem to us so much waste paper, we are necessarily in danger of missing their fulfilment. when we ascribe to god the harshness and wickedness of those who represent him in the world, we commit moral suicide. so far from the promises given to hagar being now at the point of extinction, this was the first considerable step towards their fulfilment. when ishmael turned his back on the familiar tents, and flung his last gibe at sarah, he was really setting out to a far richer inheritance, so far as this world goes, than ever fell to isaac and his sons. but the chief use paul makes of this entire episode in the history is to see in it an allegory, a kind of picture made up of real persons and events, representing the impossibility of law and gospel living harmoniously together, the incompatibility of a spirit of service with a spirit of sonship. hagar, he says, is in this picture the likeness of the law given from sinai, which gendereth to bondage. hagar and her son, that is to say, stand for the law and the kind of righteousness produced by the law,--not superficially a bad kind; on the contrary, a righteousness with much dash and brilliance and strong manly force about it, but at the root defective, faulty in its origin, springing from the slavish spirit. and first paul bids us notice how the free-born is persecuted and mocked by the slave-born, that is, how the children of god who are trying to live by love and faith in christ are put to shame and made uneasy by the law. they believe they are god's dear children, that they are loved by him, and may go out and in freely in his house as their own home, using all that is his with the freedom of his heirs; but the law mocks them, frightens them, tells them _it_ is god's first-born, law lying far back in the dimness of eternity, coeval with god himself. it tells them they are puny and weak, scarcely out of their mother's arms, tottering, lisping creatures, doing much mischief, but none of the housework, at best only getting some little thing to pretend to work at. in contrast to their feeble, soft, unskilled weakness, it sets before them a finely-moulded, athletic form, becoming disciplined to all work, and able to take a place among the serviceable and able-bodied. but with all this there is in that puny babe a life begun which will grow and make it the true heir, dwelling in the house and possessing what it has not toiled for, while the vigorous, likely-looking lad must go into the wilderness and make a possession for himself with his own bow and spear. now, of course, righteousness of life and character, or perfect manhood, is the end at which all that we call salvation aims, and that which can give us the purest, ripest character is salvation for us; that which can make us, for all purposes, most serviceable and strong. and when we are confronted with persons who might speak of service we cannot render, of an upright, unfaltering carriage we cannot assume, of a general human worthiness we can make no pretension to, we are justly perturbed, and should regain our equanimity only under the influence of the most undoubted truth and fact. if we can honestly say in our hearts, "although we can show no such work done, and no such masculine growth, yet we have a life in us which is of god, and will grow;" if we are sure that we have the spirit of god's children, a spirit of love and dutifulness, we may take comfort from this incident. we may remind ourselves that it is not he who has at the present moment the best appearance who always abides in the father's home, but he who is by birth the heir. have we or have we not the spirit of the son? not feeling that we must every evening make good our claim to another night's lodging by showing the task we have accomplished, but being conscious that the interests in which we are called to work are our own interests, that we are heirs in the father's house, so that all we do for the house is really done for ourselves. do we go out and in with god, feeling no need of his commands, our own eye seeing where help is required, and our own desires being wholly directed towards that which engages all his attention and work? for paul would have each of us apply, allegorically, the words, cast out the bondwoman and her son, that is, cast out the legal mode of earning a standing in god's house, and with this legal mode cast out all the self-seeking, the servile fear of god, the self-righteousness, and the hard-heartedness it engenders. cast out wholly from yourself the spirit of the slave, and cherish the spirit of the son and heir. the slave-born may seem for a while to have a firm footing in the father's house, but it cannot last. the temper and tastes of ishmael are radically different from those of abraham, and when the slave-born becomes mature, the wild egyptian strain will appear in his character. moreover, he looks upon the goods of abraham as plunder; he cannot rid himself of the feeling of an alien, and this would, at length, show itself in a want of frankness with abraham--slowly, but surely, the confidence between them would be worn out. nothing but being a child of god, being born of the spirit, can give the feeling of intimacy, confidence, unity of interest, which constitutes true religion. all we do as slaves goes for nothing; that is to say, all we do, not because we see the good of it, but because we are commanded; not because we have any liking for the thing done, but because we wish to be paid for it. the day is coming when we shall attain our majority, when it will be said to us by god, now, do whatever you like, whatever you have a mind to; no surveillance, no commands are now needed; i put all into your own hand. what, in these circumstances, should we straightway do? should we, for the love of the thing, carry on the same work to which god's commands had driven us; should we, if left absolutely in charge, find nothing more attractive than just to prosecute that idea of life and the world set before us by christ? or, should we see that we had merely been keeping ourselves in check for a while, biding our time, untamed as ishmael, craving the rewards but not the life of the children of god? the most serious of all questions these--questions that determine the issues of our whole life, that determine whether our home is to be where all the best interests of men and the highest blessings of god have their seat, or in the pathless desert where life is an aimless wandering, dissociated from all the forward movements of men. the distinction between the servile spirit and the spirit of sonship being thus radical, it could be by no mere formality, or exhibition of his legal title, that isaac became the heir of god's heritage. his sacrifice on moriah was the requisite condition of his succession to abraham's place; it was the only suitable celebration of his majority. abraham himself had been able to enter into covenant with god only by sacrifice; and sacrifice not of a dead and external kind, but vivified by an actual surrender of himself to god, and by so true a perception of god's holiness and requirements, that he was in a horror of great darkness. by no other process can any of his heirs succeed to the inheritance. a true resignation of self, in whatever outward form this resignation may appear, is required that we may become one with god in his holy purposes and in his eternal blessedness. there could be no doubt that abraham had found a true heir, when isaac laid himself on the altar and steadied his heart to receive the knife. dearer to god, and of immeasurably greater value than any service, was this surrender of himself into the hand of his father and his god. in this was promise of all service and all loving fellowship. "precious in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints. o lord, truly i am thy servant; i am thy servant, the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds." so incomparable with the most distinguished service did this sacrifice of isaac's self appear, that the record of his active life seems to have had no interest to his contemporaries or successors. there was but this one thing to say of him. no more seemed needful. the sacrifice was indeed great, and worthy of commemoration. no act could so conclusively have shown that isaac was thoroughly at one with god. he had much to live for; from his birth there hovered around him interests and hopes of the most exciting and flattering nature; a new kind of glory such as had not yet been attained on earth was to be attained, or, at any rate, approached in him. this glory was certain to be realised, being guaranteed by god's promise, so that his hopes might launch out in the boldest confidence and give him the aspect and bearing of a king; while it was uncertain in the time and manner of its realisation, so that the most attractive mystery hung around his future. plainly his was a life worth entering on and living through; a life fit to engage and absorb a man's whole desire, interest, and effort; a life such as might well make a man gird himself and resolve to play the man throughout, that so each part of it might reveal its secret to him, and that none of its wonder might be lost. it was a life which, above all others, seemed worth protecting from all injury and risk, and for which, no doubt, not a few of the home-born servants in the patriarchal encampment would have gladly ventured their own. there have, indeed, been few, if any, lives of which it could so truly be said, the world cannot do without this--at all hazards and costs this must be cherished. and all this must have been even more obvious to its owner than to any one else, and must have begotten in him an unquestioning assurance, that he at least had a charmed life, and would live and see good days. yet with whatever shock the command of god came upon him, there is no word of doubt or remonstrance or rebellion. he gave his life to him who had first given it to him. and thus yielding himself to god, he entered into the inheritance, and became worthy to stand to all time the representative heir of god, as abraham by his faith had become the father of the faithful. xviii. _purchase of machpelah._ genesis xxiii. it may be supposed to be a needless observation that our life is greatly influenced by the fact that it speedily and certainly ends in death. but it might be interesting, and it would certainly be surprising, to trace out the various ways in which this fact influences life. plainly every human affair would be altered if we lived on here for ever, supposing that were possible. what the world would be had we no predecessors, no wisdom but what our own past experience and the genius of one generation of men could produce, we can scarcely imagine. we can scarcely imagine what life would be or what the world would be did not one generation succeed and oust another and were we contemporary with the whole process of history. it is the grand irreversible and universal law that we give place and make room for others. the individual passes away, but the history of the race proceeds. here on earth in the meantime, and not elsewhere, the history of the race is being played out, and each having done his part, however small or however great, passes away. whether an individual, even the most gifted and powerful, could continue to be helpful to the race for thousands of years, supposing his life were continued, it is needless to inquire. perhaps as steam has force only at a certain pressure, so human force requires the condensation of a brief life to give it elastic energy. but these are idle speculations. they show us, however, that our life beyond death will be not so much a prolongation of life as we now know it as an entire change in the form of our existence; and they show us also that our little piece of the world's work must be quickly done if it is to be done at all, and that it will not be done at all unless we take our life seriously and own the responsibilities we have to ourselves, to our fellows, to our god. death comes sadly to the survivor, even when there is as little untimeliness as in the case of sarah; and as abraham moved towards the familiar tent the most intimate of his household would stand aloof and respect his grief. the stillness that struck upon him, instead of the usual greeting, as he lifted the tent-door; the dead order of all inside; the one object that lay stark before him and drew him again and again to look on what grieved him most to see; the chill which ran through him as his lips touched the cold, stony forehead and gave him sensible evidence how gone was the spirit from the clay--these are shocks to the human heart not peculiar to abraham. but few have been so strangely bound together as these two were, or have been so manifestly given to one another by god, or have been forced to so close a mutual dependence. not only had they grown up in the same family, and been together separated from their kindred, and passed through unusual and difficult circumstances together, but they were made co-heirs of god's promise in such a manner that neither could enjoy it without the other. they were knit together, not merely by natural liking and familiarity of intercourse, but by god's choosing them as the instrument of his work and the fountain of his salvation. so that in sarah's death abraham doubtless read an intimation that his own work was done, and that his generation is now out of date and ready to be supplanted. abraham's grief is interrupted by the sad but wholesome necessity which forces us from the blank desolation of watching by the dead to the active duties that follow. she whose beauty had captivated two princes must now be buried out of sight. so abraham stands up from before his dead. such a moment requires the resolute fortitude and manly self-control which that expression seems intended to suggest. there is something within us which rebels against the ordinary ongoing of the world side by side with our great woe; we feel as if either the whole world must mourn with us, or we must go aside from the world and have our grief out in private. the bustle of life seems so meaningless and incongruous to one whom grief has emptied of all relish for it. we seem to wrong the dead by every return of interest we show in the things of life which no longer interest _him_. yet he speaks truly who says:- "when sorrow all our heart would ask, we need not shun our daily task, and hide ourselves for calm; the herbs we seek to heal our woe, familiar by our pathway grow, our common air is balm." we must resume our duties, not as if nothing had happened, not proudly forgetting death and putting grief aside as if this life did not need the chastening influence of such realities as we have been engaged with, or as if its business could not be pursued in an affectionate and softened spirit, but acknowledging death as real and as humbling and sobering. abraham then goes forth to seek a grave for sarah, having already with a common predilection fixed on the spot where he himself would prefer to be laid. he goes accordingly to the usual meeting-place or exchange of these times, the city-gate, where bargains were made, and where witnesses for their ratification could always be had. men who are familiar with eastern customs rather spoil for us the scene described in this chapter by assuring us that all these courtesies and large offers are merely the ordinary forms preliminary to a bargain, and were as little meant to be literally understood as we mean to be literally understood when we sign ourselves "your most obedient servant." abraham asks the hittite chiefs to approach ephron on the subject, because all bargains of the kind are negotiated through mediators. ephron's offer of the cave and field is merely a form. abraham quite understood that ephron only indicated his willingness to deal, and so he urges him to state his price, which ephron is not slow to do; and apparently his price was a handsome one such as he could not have asked from a poorer man, for he adds, "what are four hundred shekels between wealthy men like you and me? without more words let the bargain be closed--bury thy dead." the first landed property, then, of the patriarchs is a grave. in this tomb were laid abraham and sarah, isaac and rebecca; here, too, jacob buried leah, and here jacob himself desired to be laid after his death, his last words being, "bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of ephron the hittite." this grave, therefore, becomes the centre of the land. where the dust of our fathers is, there is our country; and as you may often hear aged persons, who are content to die and have little else to pray for, still express a wish that they may rest in the old well-remembered churchyard where their kindred lie, and may thus in the weakness of death find some comfort, and in its solitariness some companionship from the presence of those who tenderly sheltered the helplessness of their childhood; so does this place of the dead become henceforth the centre of attraction for all abraham's seed to which still from egypt their longings and hopes turn, as to the one magnetic point which, having once been fixed there, binds them ever to the land. it is this grave which binds them to the land. this laying of sarah in the tomb is the real occupation of the land. during the lapse of ages, all around this spot has been changed again and again; but at some remote period, possibly as early as the time of david, the reverence of the jews built these tombs round with masonry so substantial that it still endures. within the space thus enclosed there stood for long a christian church, but since the mohammedan domination was established, a mosque has covered the spot. this mosque has been guarded against christian intrusion with a jealousy almost as rigid as that which excludes all unbelievers from approaching mecca. and though the prince of wales was a few years ago allowed to enter the mosque, he was not permitted to make any examination of the vaults beneath, where the original tomb must be. it is evident that this narrative of the purchase of machpelah and the burial of sarah was preserved, not so much on account of the personal interest which abraham had in these matters, as on account of the manifest significance they had in connection with the history of his faith. he had recently heard from his own kindred in mesopotamia, and it might very naturally have occurred to him that the proper place to bury sarah was in his fatherland. the desire to lie among one's people is a very strong eastern sentiment. even tribes which have no dislike to emigration make provision that at death their bodies shall be restored to their own country. the chinese notoriously do so. abraham, therefore, could hardly have expressed his faith in a stronger form than by purchasing a burying-ground for himself in canaan. it was equivalent to saying in the most emphatic form that he believed this country would remain in perpetuity the country of his children and people. he had as yet given no such pledge as this was, that he had irrevocably abandoned his fatherland. he had bought no other landed property; he had built no house. he shifted his encampment from place to place as convenience dictated, and there was nothing to hinder him from returning at any time to his old country. but now he fixed himself down; he said, as plainly as acts can say, that his mind was made up that this was to be in all time coming his land; this was no mere right of pasture rented for the season, no mere waste land he might occupy with his tents till its owner wished to reclaim it; it was no estate he could put into the market whenever trade should become dull and he might wish to realise or to leave the country; but it was a kind of property which he could not sell and could not abandon. again, his determination to hold it in perpetuity is evident not only from the nature of the property, but also from the formal purchase and conveyance of it--the complete and precise terms in which the transaction is completed. the narrative is careful to remind us again and again that the whole transaction was negotiated in the audience of the people of the land, of all those who went in at the gate, that the sale was thoroughly approved and witnessed by competent authorities. the precise subjects made over to abraham are also detailed with all the accuracy of a legal document--"the field of ephron, which was in machpelah, which was before mamre, the field and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure unto abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city." abraham had no doubt of the friendliness of such men as aner, eshcol, and mamre, his ancient allies, but he was also aware that the best way to maintain friendly relations was to leave no loophole by which difference of opinion or disagreement might enter. let the thing be in black and white, so that there may be no misunderstanding as to terms, no expectations doomed to be unfulfilled, no encroachments which must cause resentment, if not retaliation. law probably does more to prevent quarrels than to heal them. as statesmen and historians tell us that the best way to secure peace is to be prepared for war, so legal documents seem no doubt harsh and unfriendly, but really are more effective in maintaining peace and friendliness than vague promises and benevolent intentions. in arranging affairs and engagements one is always tempted to say, never mind about the money, see how the thing turns out and we can settle that by-and-bye; or, in looking at a will, one is tempted to ask, of what strength is christian feeling--not to say family affection--if all these hard-and-fast lines need to be drawn round the little bit of property which each is to have? but experience shows that this is false delicacy, and that kindliness and charity may be as fully and far more safely expressed in definite and legal terms than in loose promises or mere understandings. again, abraham's idea in purchasing this sepulchre is brought out by the circumstance that he would not accept the offer of the children of heth to use one of their sepulchres. this was not pride of blood or any feeling of that sort, but the right feeling that what god had promised as his own peculiar gift must not seem to be given by men. possibly no great harm might have come of it if abraham had accepted the gift of a mere cave, or a shelf in some other man's burying-ground; but abraham could not bear to think that any captious person should ever be able to say that the inheritance promised by god was really the gift of a hittite. similar captiousness appears not only in the experience of the individual christian, but also in the treatment religion gets from the world. it is quite apparent, that is to say, that the world counts itself the real proprietor here, and christianity a stranger fortunately or unfortunately thrown upon its shores and upon _its mercy_. one cannot miss noticing the patronising way of the world towards the church and all that is connected with it, as if it alone could give it those things needful for its prosperity--and especially willing is it to come forward in the hittite fashion and offer to the sojourner a sepulchre where it may be decently buried, and as a dead thing lie out of the way. but thoughts of a still wider reach were no doubt suggested to abraham by this purchase. often must he have brooded on the sacrifice of isaac, seeking to exhaust its meaning. many a talk in the dusk must his son and he have had about that most strange experience. and no doubt the one thing that seemed always certain about it was, that it is through death a man truly becomes the heir of god; and here again in this purchase of a tomb for sarah it is the same fact that stares him in the face. he becomes a proprietor when death enters his family; he himself, he feels, is likely to have no more than this burial-acre of possession of his land; it is only by dying he enters on actual possession. till then he is but a tenant, not a proprietor; as he says to the children of heth, he is but a stranger and a sojourner among them, but at death he will take up his permanent dwelling in their midst. was this not to suggest to him that there might be a deeper meaning underlying this, and that possibly it was only by death he could enter fully into all that god intended he should receive? no doubt in the first instance it was a severe trial to his faith to find that even at his wife's death he had acquired no firmer foothold in the land. no doubt it was the very triumph of his faith that though he himself had never had a settled, permanent residence in the land, but had dwelt in tents, moving about from place to place, just as he had done the first year of his entrance upon it, yet he died in the unalterable persuasion that the land was his, and that it would one day be filled with his descendants. it was the triumph of his faith that he believed in the performance of the promise as he had originally understood it; that he believed in the gift of the actual visible land. but it is difficult to believe that he did not come to the persuasion that god's friendship was more than any single thing he promised; difficult to suppose he did not feel something of what our lord expressed in the words that god is the god of the living, not of the dead; that those who are his enter by death into some deeper and richer experience of his love. such is the interpretation put upon abraham's attitude of mind by the writer, who of all others saw most deeply into the moving principles of the old testament dispensation and the connection between old things and new--i mean the writer of the epistle to the hebrews. he says that persons who act as abraham did declare plainly that they seek a country; and if on finding they did not get the country in which they sojourned they thought the promise had failed, they might, he says, have found opportunity to return to the country whence they came at first. and why did they not do so? because they sought a better, that is, an heavenly country. wherefore god is not ashamed to be called their god, for he hath prepared for them a city; as if he said, god would have been ashamed of abraham if he had been content with less, and had not aspired to something more than he received in the land of canaan. now how else could abraham's mind have been so effectually lifted to this exalted hope as by the disappointment of his original and much tamer hope? had he gained possession of the land in the ordinary way of purchase or conquest, and had he been able to make full use of it for the purposes of life; had he acquired meadows where his cattle might graze, towns where his followers might establish themselves, would he not almost certainly have fallen into the belief that in these pastures and by his worldly wealth and quiet and prosperity he was already exhausting god's promise regarding the land? but buying the land for his dead he is forced to enter upon it from the right side, with the idea that not by present enjoyment of its fertility is god's promise to him exhausted. both in the getting of his heir and in the acquisition of his land his mind is led to contemplate things beyond the range of earthly vision and earthly success. he is led to the thought that god having become his god, this means blessing eternal as god himself. in short abraham came to believe in a life beyond the grave on very much the same grounds as many people still rely on. they feel that this life has an unaccountable poverty and meagreness in it. they feel that they themselves are much larger than the life here allotted to them. they are out of proportion. it may be said that this is their own fault; they should make life a larger, richer thing. but that is only apparently true; the very brevity of life, which no skill of theirs can alter, is itself a limiting and disappointing condition. moreover, it seems unworthy of god as well as of man. as soon as a worthy conception of god possesses the soul, the idea of immortality forthwith follows it. we instinctively feel that god can do far more for us than is done in this life. our knowledge of him here is most rudimentary; our connection with him obscure and perplexed, and wanting in fulness of result; we seem scarcely to know whose we are, and scarcely to be reconciled to the essential conditions of life, or even to god;--we are, in short, in a very different kind of life from that which we can conceive and desire. besides, a serious belief in god, in a personal spirit, removes at a touch all difficulties arising from materialism. if god lives and yet has no senses or bodily appearance, we also may so live; and if his is the higher state and the more enjoyable state, we need not dread to experience life as disembodied spirits. it is certainly a most acceptable lesson that is read to us here--viz., that god's promises do not shrivel, but grow solid and expand as we grasp them. abraham went out to enter on possession of a few fields a little richer than his own, and he found an eternal inheritance. naturally we think quite the opposite of god's promises; we fancy they are grandiloquent and magnify things, and that the actual fulfilment will prove unworthy of the language describing it. but as the woman who came to touch the hem of christ's garment with some dubious hope that thus her body might be healed, found herself thereby linked to christ for evermore, so always, if we meet god at any one point and honestly trust him for even the smallest gift, he makes that the means of introducing himself to us and getting us to understand the value of his better gifts. and indeed, if this life were all, might not god well be ashamed to call himself our god? when he calls himself our god he bids us expect to find in him inexhaustible resources to protect and satisfy and enrich us. he bids us cherish boldly all innocent and natural desires, believing that we have in him one who can gratify every such desire. but if this life be all, who can say existence has been perfectly satisfactory--if there be no reversal of what has here gone wrong, no restoration of what has here been lost, if there be no life in which conscience and ideas and hopes find their fulfilment and satisfaction, who can say he is content and could ask no more of god? who can say he does not see what more god could do for him than has here been done? doubtless there are many happy lives, doubtless there are lives which carry in them a worthiness and a sacredness which manifest god's presence, but even such lives only more powerfully suggest a state in which all lives shall be holy and happy, and in which, freed from inward uneasiness and shame and sorrow, we shall live unimpeded the highest life, life as we feel it ought to be. the very joys men have here experienced suggest to them the desirableness of continued life; the love they have known can only intensify their yearning for this perpetual enjoyment; their whole experience of this life has served to reveal to them the endless possibilities of growth and of activity that are bound up in human nature; and if death is to end all this, what more has life been to any of us than a seed-time without a harvest, an education without any sphere of employment, a vision of good that can never be ours, a striving after the unattainable? if this is all that god can give us we must indeed be disappointed in him. but he is disappointed in us if we do not aspire to more than this. in this sense also he is ashamed to be called our god. he is ashamed to be known as the god of men who never aspire to higher blessings than earthly comfort and present prosperity. he is ashamed to be known as connected with those who think so lightly of his power that they look for nothing beyond what every man calculates on getting in this world. god means all present blessings and all blessings of a lower kind to lure us on to trust him and seek more and more from him. in these early promises of his he says nothing expressly and distinctly of things eternal. he appeals to the immediate wants and present longings of men--just as our lord while on earth drew men to himself by healing their diseases. take, then, any one promise of god, and, however small it seems at first, it will grow in your hand; you will find always that you get more than you bargained for, that you cannot take even a little without going further and receiving all. xix. _isaac's marriage._ genesis xxiv. "favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the lord, she shall be praised."--prov. xxxi. 30. "when a son has attained the age of twenty years, his father, if able, should marry him, and then take his hand and say, i have disciplined thee, and taught thee, and married thee; i now seek refuge with god from thy mischief in the present world and the next." this mohammedan tradition expresses with tolerable accuracy the idea of the eastern world, that a father has not discharged his responsibilities towards his son until he finds a wife for him. abraham no doubt fully recognised his duty in this respect, but he had allowed isaac to pass the usual age. he was thirty-seven at his mother's death, forty when the events of this chapter occurred. this delay was occasioned by two causes. the bond between isaac and his mother was an unusually strong one; and alongside of that imperious woman a young wife would have found it even more difficult than usual to take a becoming place. besides, where was a wife to be found? no doubt some of abraham's hittite friends would have considered any daughter of theirs exceptionally fortunate who should secure so good an alliance. the heir of abraham was no inconsiderable person even when measured by hittite expectations. and it may have taxed abraham's sagacity to find excuses for not forming an alliance which seemed so natural, and which would have secured to him and his heirs a settled place in the country. this was so obvious, common, easily accomplished a means of gaining a footing for isaac among somewhat dangerous neighbours, that it stands to reason abraham must often have weighed its advantages. but as often as he weighed the advantages of this solution of his difficulty, so often did he reject them. he was resolved that the race should be of pure hebrew blood. his own experience in connection with hagar had given this idea a settled prominence in his mind. and, accordingly, in his instructions to the servant whom he sent to find a wife for isaac, two things were insisted on--1st, that she should not be a canaanite; and, 2nd, that on no pretext should isaac be allowed to leave the land of promise and visit mesopotamia. the steward, knowing something of men and women, foresaw that it was most unlikely that a young woman would forsake her own land and preconceived hopes and go away with a stranger to a foreign country. abraham believes she will be persuaded. but in any case, he says, one thing must be seen to; isaac must on no account be induced to leave the promised land even to visit mesopotamia. god will furnish isaac with a wife without putting him into circumstances of great temptation, without requiring him to go into societies in the slightest degree injurious to his faith. in fact, abraham refused to do what countless christian mothers of marriageable sons and daughters do without compunction. he had an insight into the real influences that form action and determine careers which many of us sadly lack. and his faith was rewarded. the tidings from his brother's family arrived in the nick of time. light, he found, was sown for the upright. it happened with him as it has doubtless often happened with ourselves, that though we have been looking forward to a certain time with much anxiety, unable even to form a plan of action, yet when the time actually came, things seemed to arrange themselves, and the thing to do became quite obvious. abraham was persuaded god would send his angel to bring the affair to a happy issue. and when we seem drifting towards some great upturning of our life, or when things seem to come all of a sudden and in crowds upon us, so that we cannot judge what we should do, it is an animating thought that another eye than ours is penetrating the darkness, finding for us a way through all entanglement and making crooked things straight for us. but the patience of isaac was quite as remarkable as the faith of abraham. he was now forty years old, and if, as he had been told, the great aim of his life, the great service he was to render to the world, was bound up with the rearing of a family, he might with some reason be wondering why circumstances were so adverse to the fulfilment of this vocation. must he not have been tempted, as his father had been, to take matters into his own hand? fathers are perhaps too scrupulous about telling their sons instructive passages from their own experience; but when abraham saw isaac exercised and discomposed about this matter, he can scarcely have failed to strengthen his spirit by telling him something of his own mistakes in life. abraham must have seen that everything depended on isaac's conduct, and that he had a very difficult part to play. he himself had been supernaturally encouraged to leave his own land and sojourn in canaan; on the other hand, by the time jacob grew up, the idea of the promised land had become traditional and fixed; though even jacob, had he found laban a better master, might have permanently renounced his expectations in canaan. but isaac enjoyed the advantages neither of the first nor of the third generation. the coming into canaan was not his doing, and he saw how little of the land abraham had gained. he was under strong temptation to disbelieve. and when he measured his condition with that of other young men, he certainly required unusual self-control. and to every one who would urge, youth is passing, and i am not getting what i expected at god's hand; i have not received that providential leading i was led to expect, nor do i find that my life is made simpler; it is very well to tell me to wait, but life is slipping away, and we may wait too long--to every one whose heart urges such murmurs, abraham through isaac would say: but if you wait for god you get something, some positive good, and not some mere appearance of good; you at last do get begun, you get into life at the right door; whereas if you follow some other way than that which you believe god wishes to lead you in, you get nothing. isaac's continence had its reward. in the suitableness of rebekah to a man of his nature, we see the suitableness of all such gifts of god as are really waited for at his hand. god may keep us longer waiting than the world does, but he gives us never the wrong thing. isaac had no idea of rebekah's character; he could only yield himself to god's knowledge of what he needed; and so there came to him, from a country he had never seen, a help-meet singularly adapted to his own character. one cannot read of her lively, bustling, almost forward, but obliging and generous conduct at the well, nor of her prompt, impulsive departure to an unknown land, without seeing, as no doubt eliezer very quickly saw, that this was exactly the woman for isaac. in this eager, ardent, active, enterprising spirit, his own retiring and contemplative, if not sombre disposition found its appropriate relief and stimulus. hers was a spirit which might indeed, with so mild a lord, take more of the management of affairs than was befitting; and when the wear and tear of life had tamed down the girlish vivacity with which she spoke to eliezer at the well, and leapt from the camel to meet her lord, her active-mindedness does appear in the disagreeable shape of the clever scheming of the mother of a family. in her sons you see her qualities exaggerated: from her, esau derived his activity and open-handedness; and in jacob, you find that her self-reliant and unscrupulous management has become a self-asserting craft which leads him into much trouble, if it also sometimes gets him out of difficulties. but such as rebekah was, she was quite the woman to attract isaac and supplement his character. so in other cases where you find you must leave yourself very much in god's hand, what he sends you will be found more precisely adapted to your character than if you chose it for yourself. you find your whole nature has been considered,--your aims, your hopes, your wants, your position, whatever in you waits for something unattained. and as in giving to isaac the intended mother of the promised seed, god gave him a woman who fitted in to all the peculiarities of his nature, and was a comfort and a joy to him in his own life; so we shall always find that god, in satisfying his own requirements, satisfies at the same time our wants--that god carries forward his work in the world by the satisfaction of the best and happiest feelings of our nature, so that it is not only the result that is blessedness, but blessing is created along its whole course. abraham's servant, though not very sanguine of success, does all in his power to earn it. he sets out with an equipment fitted to inspire respect and confidence. but as he draws nearer and nearer to the city of nahor, revolving the delicate nature of his errand, and feeling that definite action must now be taken, he sees so much room for making an irreparable mistake that he resolves to share his responsibility with the god of his master. and the manner in which he avails himself of god's guidance is remarkable. he does not ask god to guide him to the house of bethuel; indeed, there was no occasion to do so, for any child could have pointed out the house to him. but he was a cautious person, and he wished to make his own observations on the appearance and conduct of the younger women of the household, before in any way committing himself to them. he was free to make these observations at the well; while he felt it must be very awkward to enter laban's house with the possibility of leaving it dissatisfied. at the same time, he felt it was for god rather than for him to choose a wife for isaac. so he made an arrangement by which the interposition of god was provided for. he meant to make his own selection, guided necessarily by the comparative attractiveness of the women who came for water, possibly also by some family likeness to sarah or isaac he might expect to see in any women of bethuel's house; but knowing the deceitfulness of appearances, he asked god to confirm and determine his own choice by moving the girl he should address to give him a certain answer. having arranged this, "behold! rebekah came out with her pitcher upon her shoulder, and the damsel was very fair to look upon." in the bible the beauty of women is frankly spoken of without prudery or mawkishness as an influence in human affairs. the beauty of rebekah at once disposed eliezer to address her, and his first impression in her favour was confirmed by the obliging, cheerful alacrity with which she did very much more than she was asked, and, indeed, took upon herself, through her kindness of disposition, a task of some trouble and fatigue. it is important to observe then in what sense and to what extent this capable servant asked a sign. he did not ask for a bare, intrinsically insignificant sign. he might have done so. he might have proposed as a test, let her who stumbles on the first step of the well be the designed wife of isaac; or, let her who comes with a certain-coloured flower in her hand--or so forth. but the sign he chose was significant, because dependent on the character of the girl herself; a sign which must reveal her good-heartedness and readiness to oblige and courteous activity in the entertainment of strangers--in fact, the outstanding eastern virtue. so that he really acted very much as isaac himself must have done. he would make no approach to any one whose appearance repelled him; and when satisfied in this particular, he would test her disposition. and of course it was these qualities of rebekah which afterwards caused isaac to feel that this was the wife god had designed for him. it was not by any arbitrary sign that he or any man could come to know who was the suitable wife for him, but only by the love she aroused within him. god has given this feeling to direct choice in marriage; and where this is wanting, nothing else whatever, no matter how astoundingly providential it seems, ought to persuade a man that such and such a person is designed to be his wife. there are turning points in life at once so momentous in their consequence, and affording so little material for choice, that one is much tempted to ask for more than providential leading. not only among savages and heathen have omens been sought. among christians there has been manifest a constant disposition to appeal to the lot, or to accept some arbitrary way of determining which course we should follow. in very many predicaments we should be greatly relieved were there some one who could at once deliver us from all hesitation and mental conflict by one authoritative word. there are, perhaps, few things more frequently and determinedly wished for, nor regarding which we are so much tempted to feel that such a thing should be, as some infallible guide before whom we could lay every difficulty; who would tell us at once what ought to be done in each case, and whether we ought to continue as we are or make some change. but only consider for a moment what would be the consequence of having such a guide. at every important step of your progress you would, of course, instantly turn to him; as soon as doubt entered your mind regarding the moral quality of an action, or the propriety of a course you think of adopting, you would be at your counsellor. and what would be the consequence? the consequence would be, that instead of the various circumstances, experiences, and temptations of this life being a training to you, your conscience would every day become less able to guide you, and your will less able to decide, until, instead of being a mature son of god, who has learned to conform his conscience and will to the will of god, you would be quite imbecile as a moral creature. what god desires by our training here is, that we become like to him; that there be nurtured in us a power to discern between good and evil; that by giving our own voluntary consent to his appointments, and that by discovering in various and perplexing circumstances what is the right thing to do, we may have our own moral natures as enlightened, strengthened, and fully developed every way as possible. the object of god in declaring his will to us is not to point out particular steps, but to bring our wills into conformity with his, so that whether we err in any particular step or no, we shall still be near to him in intention. he does with us as we with children. we do not always at once relieve them from their little difficulties, but watch with interest the working of their own conscience regarding the matter, and will give them no sign till they themselves have decided. evidently, therefore, before we may dare to ask a sign from god, the case must be a very special one. if you are at present engaged in something that is to your own conscience doubtful, and if you are not hiding this from god, but would very willingly, so far as you know your own mind, do in the matter what he pleases--if no further light is coming to you, and you feel a growing inclination to put it to god in this way: "grant, o lord, that something may happen by which i may know thy mind in this matter"--this is asking from god a kind of help which he is very ready to give, often leading men to clearer views of duty by events which happen within their knowledge, and which having no special significance to persons whose minds are differently occupied, are yet most instructive to those who are waiting for light on some particular point. the danger is not here, but in fixing god down to the special thing which shall happen as a sign between him and you; which, when it happens, gives no fresh light on the subject, leaves your mind still _morally_ undecided, but only binds you, by an arbitrary bargain of your own, to follow one course rather than another. this matter that you would so summarily dispose of may be the very thread of your life which god means to test you by; this state of indecision which you would evade, god may mean to continue until your moral character grows strong enough to rise above it to the right decision. no one will suppose that rebekah's readiness to leave her home was due to mere light-mindedness. her motives were no doubt mixed. the worldly position offered to her was good, and there was an attractive spice of romance about the whole affair which would have its charm. she may also be credited with some apprehension of the great future of isaac's family. in after life she certainly showed a very keen sense of the value of the blessings peculiar to that household. and, probably above all, she had an irresistible feeling that this was her destiny. she saw the hand of god in her selection, and with a more or less conscious faith in god she passed to her new life. her first meeting with her future husband is not the least picturesque passage in this most picturesque narrative. isaac had gone out on that side of the encampment by which he knew his father's messenger was most likely to approach. he had gone out "to meditate at even-tide;" his meditation being necessarily directed and intensified by his attitude of critical expectancy. the evening light, in our country hanging dubiously between the glare of noon and the darkness of midnight, invites to that condition of mind which lies between the intense alertness of day and the deep oblivion of sleep, and which seems the most favourable for the meditation of divine things. the dusk of evening seems interposed between day and night to invite us to that reflection which should intervene betwixt our labour and our rest from labour, that we may leave our work behind us satisfied that we have done what we could, or, seeing its faultiness, may still lay us down to sleep with god's forgiveness. it is when the bright sunlight has gone, and no more reproaches our inactivity, that friends can enjoy prolonged intercourse, and can best unbosom to one another, as if the darkness gave opportunity for a tenderness which would be ashamed to show itself during the twelve hours in which a man shall work. and all that makes this hour so beloved by the family circle, and so conducive to friendly intercourse, makes it suitable also for such intercourse with god as each human soul can attempt. most of us suppose we have some little plot of time railed off for god morning and evening, but how often does it get trodden down by the profane multitude of this world's cares, and quite occupied by encroaching secular engagements. but evening is the time when many men are, and when all men ought to be least hurried; when the mind is placid, but not yet prostrate; when the body requires rest from its ordinary labour, but is not yet so oppressed with fatigue as to make devotion a mockery; when the din of this world's business is silenced, and as a sleeper wakes to consciousness when some accustomed noise is checked, so the soul now wakes up to the thought of itself and of god. i know not whether those of us who have the opportunity have also the resolution to sequester ourselves evening by evening, as isaac did; but this i do know, that he who does so will not fail of his reward, but will very speedily find that his father who seeth in secret is manifestly rewarding him. what we all need above all things is to let the mind _dwell_ on divine things--to be able to sit down knowing we have so much clear time in which we shall not be disturbed, and during which we shall think directly under god's eye--to get quite rid of the feeling of getting through with something, so that without distraction the soul may take a deliberate survey of its own matters. and so shall often god's gifts appear on our horizon when we lift up our eyes, as isaac "lifted up his eyes and saw the camels coming" with his bride. twilight, "nature's vesper-bell," or the light shaded at evening by the hills of palestine, seems, then, to have called isaac to a familiar occupation. this long-continued mourning for his mother, and his lonely meditation in the fields, are both in harmony with what we know of his character, and of his experience on mount moriah. retiring and contemplative, willing to conciliate by concession rather than to assert and maintain his rights against opposition, glad to yield his own affairs to the strong guidance of some other hand, tender and deep in his affections, to him this lonely meditation seems singularly appropriate. his dwelling, too, was remote, on the edge of the wilderness, by the well which hagar had named lahai-roi. here he dwelt as one consecrated to god, feeling little desire to enter deeper into the world, and preferring the place where the presence of god was least disturbed by the society of men. but at this time he had come from the south, and was awaiting at his father's encampment the result of eliezer's mission. and one can conceive the thrill of keen expectancy that shot through him as he saw the female figure alighting from the camel, the first eager exchange of greetings, and the gladness with which he brought rebekah into his mother sarah's tent and was comforted after his mother's death. the readiness with which he loved her seems to be referred in the narrative to the grief he still felt for his mother; for as a candle is never so easily lit as just after it has been put out, so the affection of isaac, still emitting the sad memorial of a past love, more quickly caught at the new object presented. and thus was consummated a marriage which shows us how thoroughly interwrought are the plans of god and the life of man, each fulfilling the other. for as the salvation god introduces into the world is a practical, every-day salvation to deliver us from the sins which this life tempts us to, so god introduced this salvation by means of the natural affections and ordinary arrangements of human life. god would have us recognise in our lives what he shows us in this chapter, that he has made provision for our wants, and that if we wait upon him he will bring us into the enjoyment of all we really need. so that if we are to make any advance in appropriating to ourselves god's salvation, it can only be by submitting ourselves implicitly to his providence, and taking care that in the commonest and most secular actions of our lives we are having respect to his will with us, and that in those actions in which our own feelings and desires seem sufficient to guide us, we are having regard to his controlling wisdom and goodness. we are to find room for god everywhere in our lives, not feeling embarrassed by the thought of his claims even in our least constrained hours, but subordinating to his highest and holiest ends everything that our life contains, and acknowledging as his gift what may seem to be our own most proper conquest or earning. xx. _esau and jacob._ genesis xxv. "he goeth as an ox goeth to the slaughter, till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life."--prov. vii. 22, 23. the character and career of isaac would seem to tell us that it is possible to have too great a father. isaac was dwarfed and weakened by growing up under the shadow of abraham. of his life there was little to record, and what was recorded was very much a reproduction of some of the least glorious passages of his father's career. the digging of wells for his flocks was among the most notable events in his commonplace life, and even in this he only re-opened the wells his father had dug. in him we see the result of growing up under too strong and dominant an external influence. the free and healthy play of his own capacities and will was curbed. the sons of outstanding fathers are much tempted to follow in the wake of _their_ success, and be too much controlled and limited by the example therein set to them. there is a great deal to induce a son to do so; this calling has been successful in his father's case, what better can he do than follow? also he may get the use of his _wells_--those sources his father has opened for the easier or more abundant maintenance of those dependent on him, the business he has established, the practice he has made, the connections he has formed--these are useful if he follows in his father's line of life. but all this tends, as in isaac's case, to the stunting of the man himself. life is made too easy for him. isaac has been called "the wordsworth of the old testament," but his meditative disposition seems to have degenerated into mere dreamy apathy, which, at last, made him the tool of the more active-minded members of his family, and was also attended by its common accompaniment of sensuality. it seems also to have brought him to a condition of almost entire bodily prostration, for a comparison of dates shows that he must have spent forty or fifty years in blindness and incapacity for all active duty. neither can this greatly surprise us, for it is abundantly open to our own observation that men of the finest spiritual discernment, and of whose godliness in the main one cannot doubt, are also frequently the prey of the most childish tastes, and most useless even to the extent of doing harm in practical matters. they do not see the evil that is growing in their own family; or, if they see it, they cannot rouse themselves to check it. isaac's marriage, though so promising in the outset, brought new trial into his life. rebekah had to repeat the experience of sarah. the intended mother of the promised seed was left for twenty years childless--to contend with the doubts, surmises, evil proposals, proud challengings of god, and murmurings, which must undoubtedly have arisen even in so bright and spirited a heart as rebekah's. it was thus she was taught the seriousness of the position she had chosen for herself, and gradually led to the implicit faith requisite for the discharge of its responsibilities. many young persons have a similar experience. they seem to themselves to have chosen a wrong position, to have made a thorough mistake in life, and to have brought themselves into circumstances in which they only retard, or quite prevent, the prosperity of those with whom they are connected. in proportion as rebekah loved isaac, and entered into his prospects, must she have been tempted to think she had far better have remained in padan-aram. it is a humbling thing to stand in some other person's way; but if it is by no fault of ours, but in obedience to affection or conscience we are in this position, we must, in humility and patience, wait upon providence as rebekah did, and resist all morbid despondency. this second barrenness in the prospective mother of the promised seed was as needful to all concerned as the first was; for the people of god, no more than any others, can learn in one lesson. they must again be brought to a real dependence on god as the giver of the heir. the prayer with which isaac "entreated" the lord for his wife "because she was barren" was a prayer of deeper intensity than he could have uttered had he merely remembered the story that had been told him of his own birth. god must be recognised again and again and throughout as the giver of life to the promised line. we are all apt to suppose that when once we have got a thing in train and working we can get on without god. how often do we pray for the bestowal of a blessing, and forget to pray for its continuance? how often do we count it enough that god has conferred some gift, and, not inviting him to continue his agency, but trusting to ourselves, we mar his gift in the use? learn, therefore, that although god has given you means of working out his salvation, your rebekah will be barren without his continued activity. on his own means you must re-invite his blessing, for without the continuance of his aid you will make nothing of the most beautiful and appropriate helps he has given you. it was by pain, anxiety, and almost dismay, that rebekah received intimation that her prayer was answered. in this she is the type of many whom god hears. inward strife, miserable forebodings, deep dejection, are often the first intimations that god is listening to our prayer and is beginning to work within us. you have prayed that god would make you more a blessing to those about you, more useful in your place, more answerable to his ends: and when your prayer has risen to its highest point of confidence and expectation, you are thrown into what seems a worse state than ever, your heart is broken within you, you say, is this the answer to my prayer, is this god's blessing; if it be so, why am i thus? for things that make a man serious, happen when god takes him in hand, and they that yield themselves to his service will not find that that service is all honour and enjoyment. its first steps will often land us in a position we can make nothing of, and our attempts to aid others will get us into difficulties with them; and especially will our desire that christ be formed in us bring into such lively action the evil nature that is in us, that we are torn by the conflict, and our heart lies like the ground of a fierce struggle, seamed and furrowed, tossed and confused. as soon as there is a movement within us in one direction, immediately there is an opposing movement: as soon as one of the natures says, do this; the other says, do it not. the better nature is gaining slightly the upper hand, and by a long, steady strain, seems to be wearying out the other, when suddenly there is one quick stroke and the evil nature conquers. and every movement of the parties is with pain to ourselves; either conscience is wronged, and gives out its cry of shame, or our natural desires are trodden down, and that also is pain. and so disconnected and connected are we, so entirely one with both parties, and yet so able to contemplate both that rebekah's distress seems aptly enough to symbolize our own. and whether the symbol be apt or no, there can be no question that he who enquires of the lord as she did, will receive a similar assurance that there are two natures within him, and that "the elder shall serve the younger," the nature last formed, and that seems to give least promise of life, shall master the original, eldest born child of the flesh. the children whose birth and destinies were thus predicted, at once gave evidence of a difference even greater than that which will often strike one as existing between two brothers, though rarely between twins. the first was born, all over like a hairy garment, presenting the appearance of being rolled up in a fur cloak or the skin of an animal--an appearance which did not pass away in childhood, but so obstinately adhered to him through life, that an imitation of his hands could be produced with the hairy skin of a kid. this was by his parents considered ominous. the want of the hairy covering which the lower animals have, is one of the signs marking out man as destined for a higher and more refined life than they; and when their son appeared in this guise, they could not but fear it prognosticated his sensual, animal career. so they called him esau. and so did the younger son from the first show his nature, catching the heel of his brother, as if he were striving to be firstborn; and so they called him jacob, the heel-catcher or supplanter--as esau afterwards bitterly observed, a name which precisely suited his crafty, plotting nature, shown in his twice over tripping up and overthrowing his elder brother. the name which esau handed down to his people was, however, not his original name, but one derived from the colour of that for which he sold his birthright. it was in that exclamation of his, "feed me with that same _red_," that he disclosed his character. so different in appearance at birth, they grew up of very different character; and as was natural, he who had the quiet nature of his father was beloved by the mother, and he who had the bold, practical skill of the mother was clung to by the father. it seems unlikely that rebekah was influenced in her affection by anything but natural motives, though the fact that jacob was to be the heir must have been much on her mind, and may have produced the partiality which maternal pride sometimes begets. but before we condemn isaac, or think the historian has not given a full account of his love for esau, let us ask what we have noticed about the growth and decay of our own affections. we are ashamed of isaac; but have we not also been sometimes ashamed of ourselves on seeing that our affections are powerfully influenced by the gratification of tastes almost or quite as low as this of isaac's? he who cunningly panders to our taste for applause, he who purveys for us some sweet morsel of scandal, he who flatters or amuses us, straightway takes a place in our affections which we do not accord to men of much finer parts, but who do not so minister to our sordid appetites. the character of jacob is easily understood. it has frequently been remarked of him that he is thoroughly a jew, that in him you find the good and bad features of the jewish character very prominent and conspicuous. he has that mingling of craft and endurance which has enabled his descendants to use for their own ends those who have wronged and persecuted them. the jew has, with some justice and some injustice, been credited with an obstinate and unscrupulous resolution to forward his own interests, and there can be no question that in this respect jacob is the typical jew--ruthlessly taking advantage of his brother, watching and waiting till he was sure of his victim; deceiving his blind father, and robbing him of what he had intended for his favourite son; outwitting the grasping laban, and making at least his own out of all attempts to rob him; unable to meet his brother without stratagem; not forgetting prudence even when the honour of his family is stained; and not thrown off his guard even by his true and deep affection for joseph. yet, while one recoils from this craftiness and management, one cannot but admire the quiet force of character, the indomitable tenacity, and, above all, the capacity for warm affection and lasting attachments, that he showed throughout. but the quality which chiefly distinguished jacob from his hunting and marauding brother was his desire for the friendship of god and sensibility to spiritual influences. it may have been jacob's consciousness of his own meanness that led him to crave connection with some being or with some prospect that might ennoble his nature and lift him above his innate disposition. it is an old, old truth that not many noble are called; and, seeing quite as plainly as others see their feebleness and meanness, the ignoble conceive a self-loathing which is sometimes the beginning of an unquenchable thirst for the high and holy god. the consciousness of your bad, poor nature may revive within you day by day, as the remembrance of physical weakness returns to the invalid with every morning's light; but to what else can god so effectively appeal when he offers you present fellowship with himself and eventual conformity to his own nature? it has been pointed out that the weakness in esau's character which makes him so striking a contrast to his brother is his inconstancy. "that one error fills him with faults; makes him run through all the sins." constancy, persistence, dogged tenacity is certainly the striking feature of jacob's character. he could wait and bide his time; he could retain one purpose year after year till it was accomplished. the very motto of his life was, "i will not let thee go except thou bless me." he watched for esau's weak moment, and took advantage of it. he served fourteen years for the woman he loved, and no hardship quenched his love. nay, when a whole lifetime intervened, and he lay dying in egypt, his constant heart still turned to rachel, as if he had parted with her but yesterday. in contrast with this tenacious, constant character stands esau, led by impulse, betrayed by appetite, everything by turns and nothing long. to-day despising his birthright, to-morrow breaking his heart for its loss; to-day vowing he will murder his brother, to-morrow falling on his neck and kissing him; a man you cannot reckon upon, and of too shallow a nature for anything to root itself deeply in. the event in which the contrasted characters of the twin brothers were most decisively shown, so decisively shown that their destinies were fixed by it, was an incident which, in its external circumstances, was of the most ordinary and trivial kind. esau came in hungry from hunting: from dawn to dusk he had been taxing his strength to the utmost, too eagerly absorbed to notice either his distance from home or his hunger; it is only when he begins to return depressed by the ill-luck of the day, and with nothing now to stimulate him, that he feels faint; and when at last he reaches his father's tents, and the savoury smell of jacob's lentiles greets him, his ravenous appetite becomes an intolerable craving, and he begs jacob to give him some of his food. had jacob done so with brotherly feeling there would have been nothing to record. but jacob had long been watching for an opportunity to win his brother's birthright, and though no one could have supposed that an heir to even a little property would sell it in order to get a meal five minutes sooner than he could otherwise get it, jacob had taken his brother's measure to a nicety, and was confident that present appetite would in esau completely extinguish every other thought. it is perhaps worth noticing that the birthright in ishmael's line, the guardianship of the temple at mecca, passed from one branch of the family to another in a precisely similar way. we read that when the guardianship of the temple and the governorship of the town "fell into the hands of abu gabshan, a weak and silly man, cosa, one of mohammed's ancestors, circumvented him while in a drunken humour, and bought of him the keys of the temple, and with them the presidency of it, for a bottle of wine. but abu gabshan being gotten out of his drunken fit, sufficiently repented of his foolish bargain; from whence grew these proverbs among the arabs: more vexed with late repentance than abu gabshan; and, more silly than abu gabshan--which are usually said of those who part with a thing of great moment for a small matter." which brother presents the more repulsive spectacle of the two in this selling of the birthright it is hard to say. who does not feel contempt for the great, strong man, declaring he will die if he is required to wait five minutes till his own supper is prepared; forgetting, in the craving of his appetite, every consideration of a worthy kind; oblivious of everything but his hunger and his food; crying, like a great baby, feed me with that _red_! so it is always with the man who has fallen under the power of sensual appetite. he is always going to die if it is not immediately gratified. he _must_ have his appetite satisfied. no consideration of consequences can be listened to or thought of; the man is helpless in the hands of his appetite--it rules and drives him on, and he is utterly without self-control; nothing but physical compulsion can restrain him. but the treacherous and self-seeking craft of the other brother is as repulsive; the cold-blooded, calculating spirit that can hold every appetite in check, that can cleave to one purpose for a life-time, and, without scruple, take advantage of a twin-brother's weakness. jacob knows his brother thoroughly, and all his knowledge he uses to betray him. he knows he will speedily repent of his bargain, so he makes him swear he will abide by it. it is a relentless purpose he carries out--he deliberately and unhesitatingly sacrifices his brother to himself. still, in two respects, jacob is the superior man. he can appreciate the birthright in his father's family, and he has constancy. esau might be a pleasant companion, far brighter and more vivacious than jacob on a day's hunting; free and open-handed, and not implacable; and yet such people are not satisfactory friends. often the most attractive people have similar inconstancy; they have a superficial vivacity, and brilliance, and charm, and good-nature, which invite a friendship they do not deserve. parents frequently make the mistake of isaac, and think more highly of the gay, sparkling, but shallow child, than of the child who cannot be always smiling, but broods over what he conceives to be his wrongs. sulkiness is itself not a pleasing feature in a child's character, but it may only be the childish expression of constancy, and of a depth of character which is slow to let go any impression made upon it. on the other hand, frankness and a quick throwing aside of passion and resentment are pleasing features in a child, but often these are only the expressions of a fickle character, rapidly changing from sun to shower like an april day, and not to be trusted for retaining affection or good impressions any longer than it retains resentment. but esau's despising of his birthright is that which stamps the man and makes him interesting to each generation. no one can read the simple account of his reckless act without feeling how justly we are called upon to "look diligently lest there be among us any profane person as esau, who, for one morsel of meat, sold his birthright." had the birthright been something to eat, esau would not have sold it. what an exhibition of human nature! what an exposure of our childish folly and the infatuation of appetite! for esau has company in his fall. we are all stricken by his shame. we are conscious that if god had made provision for the flesh we should have listened to him more readily. "but what will this birthright profit us?" we do not see the good it does: were it something to keep us from disease, to give us long unsated days of pleasure, to bring us the fruits of labour without the weariness of it, to make money for us, where is the man who would not value it--where is the man who would lightly give it up? but because it is only the favour of god that is offered, his endless love, his holiness made ours, this we will imperil or resign for every idle desire, for every lust that bids us serve it a little longer. born the sons of god, made in his image, introduced to a birthright angels might covet, we yet prefer to rank with the beasts of the field, and let our souls starve if only our bodies be well tended and cared for. there is in esau's conduct and after-experience so much to stir serious thought, that one always feels reluctant to pass from it, and as if much more ought to be made of it. it reflects so many features of our own conduct, and so clearly shows us what we are from day to day liable to, that we would wish to take it with us through life as a perpetual admonition. who does not know of those moments of weakness, when we are fagged with work, and with our physical energy our moral tone has become relaxed? who does not know how, in hours of reaction from keen and exciting engagements, sensual appetite asserts itself, and with what petulance we inwardly cry, we shall die if we do not get this or that paltry gratification? we are, for the most part, inconstant as esau, full of good resolves to-day, and to-morrow throwing them to the winds--to-day proud of the arduousness of our calling, and girding ourselves to self-control and self-denial, to-morrow sinking back to softness and self-indulgence. not once as esau, but again and again we barter peace of conscience and fellowship with god and the hope of holiness, for what is, in simple fact, no more than a bowl of pottage. even after recognising our weakness and the lowness of our tastes, and after repenting with self-loathing and misery, some slight pleasure is enough to upset our steadfast mind, and make us as plastic as clay in the hand of circumstances. it is with positive dismay one considers the weakness and blindness of our hours of appetite and passion: how one goes then like an ox to the slaughter, all unconscious of the pitfalls that betray and destroy men, and how at any moment we ourselves may truly sell our birthright. xxi. _jacob's fraud._ genesis xxvii. "the counsel of the lord standeth for ever."--psalm xxxiii. 11. there are some families whose miserable existence is almost entirely made up of malicious plottings and counter-plottings, little mischievous designs, and spiteful triumphs of one member or party in the family over the other. it is not pleasant to have the veil withdrawn, and to see that where love and eager self-sacrifice might be expected their places are occupied by an eager assertion of rights, and a cold, proud, and always petty and stupid, nursing of some supposed injury. in the story told us so graphically in this page, we see the family whom god has blessed sunk to this low level, and betrayed by family jealousies into unseemly strife on the most sacred ground. each member of the family plans his own wicked device, and god by the evil of one defeats the evil of another, and saves his own purpose to bless the race from being frittered away and lost. and it is told us in order that, amidst all this mess of human craft and selfishness, the righteousness and stability of god's word of promise may be more vividly seen. let us look at the sin of each of the parties in order, and the punishment of each. in the epistle to the hebrews isaac is commended for his faith in blessing his sons. it was commendable in him that, in great bodily weakness, he still believed himself to be the guardian of god's blessing, and recognised that he had a great inheritance to bequeath to his sons. but, in unaccountable and inconsistent contempt of god's expressed purpose, he proposes to hand over this blessing to esau. many things had occurred to fix his attention upon the fact that esau was not to be his heir. esau had sold his birthright, and had married hittite women, and his whole conduct was, no doubt, of a piece with this, and showed that, in his hands, any spiritual inheritance would be both unsafe and unappreciated. that isaac had some notion he was doing wrong in giving to esau what belonged to god, and what god meant to give to jacob, is shown from his precipitation in bestowing the blessing. he has no feeling that he is authorized by god, and therefore he cannot wait calmly till god should intimate, by unmistakable signs, that he is near his end; but, seized with a panic lest his favourite should somehow be left unblessed, he feels, in his nervous alarm, as if he were at the point of death, and, though destined to live for forty-three years longer, he calls esau that he may hand over to him his dying testament. how different is the nerve of a man when he knows he is doing god's will, and when he is but fulfilling his own device. for the same reason, he has to stimulate his spirit by artificial means. the prophetic ecstasy is not felt by him; he must be exhilarated by venison and wine, that, strengthened and revived in body, and having his gratitude aroused afresh towards esau, he may bless him with all the greater vigour. the final stimulus is given when he smells the garments of esau on jacob, and when that fresh earthy smell which so revives us in spring, as if our life were renewed with the year, and which hangs about one who has been in the open air, entered into isaac's blood, and lent him fresh vigour. it is a strange and, in some respects, perplexing spectacle that is here presented to us--the organ of the divine blessing represented by a blind old man, laid on a "couch of skins," stimulated by meat and wine, and trying to cheat god by bestowing the family blessing on the son of his own choice to the exclusion of the divinely-appointed heir. out of such beginnings had god to educate a people worthy of himself, and through such hazards had he to guide the spiritual blessing he designed to convey to us all. isaac laid a net for his own feet. by his unrighteous and timorous haste he secured the defeat of his own long-cherished scheme. it was his hasting to bless esau which drove rebekah to checkmate him by winning the blessing for her favourite. the shock which isaac felt when esau came in and the fraud was discovered is easily understood. the mortification of the old man must have been extreme when he found that he had so completely taken himself in. he was reclining in the satisfied reflection that for once he had overreached his astute rebekah and her astute son, and in the comfortable feeling that, at last, he had accomplished his one remaining desire, when he learns from the exceeding bitter cry of esau that he has himself been duped. it was enough to rouse the anger of the mildest and godliest of men, but isaac does not storm and protest--"he trembles exceedingly." he recognises, by a spiritual insight quite unknown to esau, that this is god's hand, and deliberately confirms, with his eyes open, what he had done in blindness: "i have blessed him: _yea_, and he shall be blessed." had he wished to deny the validity of the blessing, he had ground enough for doing so. he had not really given it: it had been stolen from him. an act must be judged by its intention, and he had been far from intending to bless jacob. was he to consider himself bound by what he had done under a misapprehension? he had given a blessing to one person under the impression that he was a different person; must not the blessing go to him for whom it was designed? but isaac unhesitatingly yielded. this clear recognition of god's hand in the matter, and quick submission to him, reveals a habit of reflection, and a spiritual thoughtfulness, which are the good qualities in isaac's otherwise unsatisfactory character. before he finished his answer to esau, he felt he was a poor feeble creature in the hand of a true and just god, who had used even his infirmity and sin to forward righteous and gracious ends. it was his sudden recognition of the frightful way in which he had been tampering with god's will, and of the grace with which god had prevented him from accomplishing a wrong destination of the inheritance, that made isaac tremble very exceedingly. in this humble acceptance of the disappointment of his life's love and hope, isaac shows us the manner in which we ought to bear the consequences of our wrong-doing. the punishment of our sin often comes through the persons with whom we have to do, unintentionally on their part, and yet we are tempted to hate them because they pain and punish us, father, mother, wife, child, or whoever else. isaac and esau were alike disappointed. esau only saw the supplanter, and vowed to be revenged. isaac saw god in the matter, and trembled. so when shimei cursed david, and his loyal retainers would have cut off his head for so doing, david said, "let him alone, and let him curse: it may be that the lord hath bidden him." we can bear the pain inflicted on us by men when we see that they are merely the instruments of a divine chastisement. the persons who thwart us and make our life bitter, the persons who stand between us and our dearest hopes, the persons whom we are most disposed to speak angrily and bitterly to, are often thorns planted in our path by god to keep us on the right way. isaac's sin propagated itself with the rapid multiplication of all sin. rebekah overheard what passed between isaac and esau, and although she might have been able to wait until by fair means jacob received the blessing, yet when she sees isaac actually preparing to pass jacob by and bless esau, her fears are so excited that she cannot any longer quietly leave the matter in god's hand, but must lend her own more skilful management. it may have crossed her mind that she was justified in forwarding what she knew to be god's purpose. she saw no other way of saving god's purpose and jacob's rights than by her interference. the emergency might have unnerved many a woman, but rebekah is equal to the occasion. she makes the threatened exclusion of jacob the very means for at last finally settling the inheritance upon him. she braves the indignation of isaac and the rage of esau, and fearless herself, and confident of success, she soon quiets the timorous and cautious objections of jacob. she knows that for straightforward lying and acting a part she was sure of good support in jacob. luther says, "had it been me, i'd have dropped the dish." but jacob had no such tremors--could submit his hands and face to the touch of isaac, and repeat his lie as often as needful. an old man bedridden like isaac becomes the subject of a number of little deceptions which may seem, and which may be, very unimportant in themselves, but which are seen to wear down the reverence due to the father of a family, and which imperceptibly sap the guileless sincerity and truthfulness of those who practise them. this overreaching of isaac by dressing jacob in esau's clothes, might come in naturally as one of those daily deceptions which rebekah was accustomed to practise on the old man whom she kept quite in her own hand, giving him as much or as little insight into the doings of the family as seemed advisable to her. it would never occur to her that she was taking god in hand; it would seem only as if she were making such use of isaac's infirmity as she was in the daily practice of doing. but to account for an act is not to excuse it. underlying the conduct of rebekah and jacob was the conviction that they would come better speed by a little deceit of their own than by suffering god to further them in his own way--that though god would certainly not practise deception himself, he might not object to others doing so--that in this emergency holiness was a hampering thing which might just for a little be laid aside that they might be more holy afterwards--that though no doubt in ordinary circumstances, and as a normal habit, deceit is not to be commended, yet in cases of difficulty, which call for ready wit, a prompt seizure, and delicate handling, men must be allowed to secure their ends in their own way. their unbelief thus directly produced immorality--immorality of a very revolting kind, the defrauding of their relatives, and repulsive also because practised as if on god's side, or, as we should now say, "in the interests of religion." to this day the method of rebekah and jacob is largely adopted by religious persons. it is notorious that persons whose ends are good frequently become thoroughly unscrupulous about the means they use to accomplish them. they dare not say in so many words that they may do evil that good may come, nor do they think it a tenable position in morals that the end sanctifies the means; and yet their consciousness of a justifiable and desirable end undoubtedly does blunt their sensitiveness regarding the legitimacy of the means they employ. for example, protestant controversialists, persuaded that vehement opposition to popery is good, and filled with the idea of accomplishing its downfall, are often guilty of gross misrepresentation, because they do not sufficiently inform themselves of the actual tenets and practices of the church of rome. in all controversy, religious and political, it is the same. it is always dishonest to circulate reports that you have no means of authenticating: yet how freely are such reports circulated to blacken the character of an opponent, and to prove his opinions to be dangerous. it is always dishonest to condemn opinions we have not inquired into, merely because of some fancied consequence which these opinions carry in them: yet how freely are opinions condemned by men who have never been at the trouble carefully to inquire into their truth. they do not feel the dishonesty of their position, because they have a general consciousness that they are on the side of religion, and of what has generally passed for truth. all keeping back of facts which are supposed to have an unsettling effect is but a repetition of this sin. there is no sin more hateful. under the appearance of serving god, and maintaining his cause in the world, it insults him by assuming that if the whole bare, undisguised truth were spoken, his cause would suffer. the fate of all such attempts to manage god's matters by keeping things dark, and misrepresenting fact, is written for all who care to understand in the results of this scheme of rebekah's and jacob's. they gained nothing, and they lost a great deal, by their wicked interference. they gained nothing; for god had promised that the birthright would be jacob's, and would have given it him in some way redounding to his credit and not to his shame. and they lost a great deal. the mother lost her son; jacob had to flee for his life, and, for all we know, rebekah never saw him more. and jacob lost all the comforts of home, and all those possessions his father had accumulated. he had to flee with nothing but his staff, an outcast to begin the world for himself. from this first false step onwards to his death, he was pursued by misfortune, until his own verdict on his life was, "few and evil have been the days of the years of my life." thus severely was the sin of rebekah and jacob punished. it coloured their whole after-life with a deep sombre hue. it was marked thus, because it was a sin by all means to be avoided. it was virtually the sin of blaming god for forgetting his promise, or of accusing him of being unable to perform it: so that they, rebekah and jacob, had, forsooth, to take god's work out of his hands, and show him how it ought to be done. the announcement of god's purpose, instead of enabling them quietly to wait for a blessing they knew to be certain, became in their unrighteous and impatient hearts actually an inducement to sin. abraham was so bold and confident in his faith, at least latterly, that again and again he refused to take as a gift from men, and on the most honourable terms, what god had promised to give him: his grandson is so little sure of god's truth, that he will rather trust his own falsehood; and what he thinks god may forget to give him, he will steal from his own father. some persons have especial need to consider this sin--they are tempted to play the part of providence, to intermeddle where they ought to refrain. sometimes just a little thing is needed to make everything go to our liking--the keeping back of one small fact, a slight variation in the way of stating the matter, is enough--things want just a little push in the right direction; it is wrong but very slightly so. and so they are encouraged to close for a moment their eyes and put to their hand. of all the parties in this transaction none is more to blame than esau. he shows now how selfish and untruthful the sensual man really is, and how worthless is the generosity which is merely of impulse and not bottomed on principle. while he so furiously and bitterly blamed jacob for supplanting him, it might surely have occurred to him that it was really he who was supplanting jacob. he had no right, divine or human, to the inheritance. god had never said that his possession should go to the oldest, and had in this case said the express opposite. besides, inconstant as esau was, he could scarcely have forgotten the bargain that so pleased him at the time, and by which he had sold to his younger brother all title to his father's blessings. jacob was to blame for seeking to win his own by craft, but esau was more to blame for endeavouring furtively to recover what he knew to be no longer his. his bitter cry was the cry of a disappointed and enraged child, what hosea calls the "howl" of those who seem to seek the lord, but are really merely crying out, like animals, for corn and wine. many that care very little for god's love will seek his favours; and every wicked wretch who has in his prosperity spurned god's offers, will, when he sees how he has cheated himself, turn to god's gifts, though not to god, with a cry. esau would now very gladly have given a mess of pottage for the blessing that secured to its receiver "the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine." like many another sinner, he wanted both to eat his cake and have it. he wanted to spend his youth sowing to the flesh, and have the harvest which those only can have who have sown to the spirit. he wished both of two irreconcilable things--both the red pottage and the birth right. he is a type of those who think very lightly of spiritual blessings while their appetites are strong, but afterwards bitterly complain that their whole life is filled with the results of sowing to the flesh and not to the spirit. "we barter life for pottage; sell true bliss for wealth or power, for pleasure or renown; thus, esau-like, our father's blessing miss, then wash with fruitless tears our faded crown." the words of the new testament, in which it is said that esau "found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears," are sometimes misunderstood. they do not mean that he sought what we ordinarily call repentance, a change of mind about the value of the birthright. he _had_ that; it was this that made him weep. what he sought now was some means of undoing what he had done, of cancelling the deed of which he repented. his experience does not tell us that a man once sinning as esau sinned becomes a hardened reprobate whom no good influence can impress or bring to repentance, but it says that the sin so committed leaves irreparable consequences--that no man can live a youth of folly and yet find as much in manhood and maturer years as if he had lived a careful and god-fearing youth. esau had irrecoverably lost that which he would now have given all he had to possess; and in this, i suppose, he represents half the men who pass through this world. he warns us that it is very possible, by careless yielding to appetite and passing whim, to entangle ourselves irrecoverably for this life, if not to weaken and maim ourselves for eternity. at the time, your act may seem a very small and secular one, a mere bargain in the ordinary course, a little transaction such as one would enter into carelessly after the day's work is over, in the quiet of a summer evening or in the midst of the family circle; or it may seem so necessary that you never think of its moral qualities, as little as you question whether you are justified in breathing; but you are warned that if there be in that act a crushing out of spiritual hopes to make way for the free enjoyment of the pleasures of sense--if there be a deliberate preference of the good things of this life to the love of god--if, knowingly, you make light of spiritual blessings, and count them unreal when weighed against obvious worldly advantages--then the consequences of that act will in this life bring to you great discomfort and uneasiness, great loss and vexation, an agony of remorse, and a life-long repentance. you are warned of this, and most touchingly, by the moving entreaties, the bitter cries and tears of esau. but even when our life is spoiled irreparably, a hope remains for our character and ourselves--not certainly if our misfortunes embitter us, not if resentment is the chief result of our suffering; but if, subduing resentment, and taking blame to ourselves instead of trying to fix it on others, we take revenge upon the real source of our undoing, and extirpate from our own character the root of bitterness. painful and difficult is such schooling. it calls for simplicity, and humility, and truthfulness--qualities not of frequent occurrence. it calls for abiding patience; for he who begins thus to sow to the spirit late in life, must be content with inward fruits, with peace of conscience, increase of righteousness and humility, and must learn to live without much of what all men naturally desire. while each member of isaac's family has thus his own plan, and is striving to fulfil his private intention, the result is, that god's purpose is fulfilled. in the human agency, such faith in god as existed was overlaid with misunderstanding and distrust of god. but notwithstanding the petty and mean devices, the short-sighted slyness, the blundering unbelief, the profane worldliness of the human parties in the transaction, the truth and mercy of god still find a way for themselves. were matters left in our hands, we should make shipwreck even of the salvation with which we are provided. we carry into our dealings with it the same selfishness, and inconstancy, and worldliness which made it necessary: and had not god patience to bear with, as well as mercy to invite us; had he not wisdom to govern us in the use of his grace, as well as wisdom to contrive its first bestowal, we should perish with the water of life at our lips. xxii. _jacob's flight and dream._ genesis xxvii. 41-xxviii. "so foolish was i, and ignorant: i was as a beast before thee. nevertheless i am continually with thee."--psalm lxxiii. 22. it is so commonly observed as to be scarcely worth again remarking, that persons who employ a great deal of craft in the management of their affairs are invariably entrapped in their own net. life is so complicated, and every matter of conduct has so many issues, that no human brain can possibly foresee every contingency. rebekah was a clever woman, and quite competent to outwit men like isaac and esau, but she had in her scheming neglected to take account of laban, a man true brother to herself in cunning. she had calculated on esau's resentment, and knew it would last only a few days, and this brief period she was prepared to utilize by sending jacob out of esau's reach to her own kith and kin, from among whom he might get a suitable wife. but she did not reckon on laban's making her son serve fourteen years for his wife, nor upon jacob's falling so deeply in love with rachel as to make him apparently forget his mother. in the first part of her scheme she feels herself at home. she is a woman who knows exactly how much of her mind to disclose, so as effectually to lead her husband to adopt her view and plan. she did not bluntly advise isaac to send jacob to padan-aram, but she sowed in his apprehensive mind fears which she knew would make him send jacob there; she suggested the possibility of jacob's taking a wife of the daughters of heth. she felt sure that _isaac_ did not need to be told where to send his son to find a suitable wife. so isaac called jacob, and said, go to padan-aram, to the house of thy mother's father, and take thee a wife thence. and he gave him the family blessing--god almighty give thee the blessing of abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee--so constituting him his heir, the representative of abraham. the effect this had on esau is very noticeable. he sees, as the narrative tells us, a great many things, and his dull mind tries to make some meaning out of all that is passing before him. the historian seems intentionally to satirise esau's attempt at reasoning, and the foolish simplicity of the device he fell upon. he had an idea that jacob's obedience in going to seek a wife of another stock than he had connected himself with would be pleasing to his parents; and perhaps he had an idea that it would be possible to steal a march upon jacob in his absence, and by a more speedily effected obedience to his parents' desire, win their preference, and perhaps move isaac to alter his will and reverse the blessing. though living in the chosen family, he seems to have had not the slightest idea that there was any higher will than his father's being fulfilled in their doings. he does not yet see why he himself should not be as blessed as jacob; he cannot grasp at all the distinction that grace makes; cannot take in the idea that god has chosen a people to himself, and that no natural advantage or force or endowment can set a man among that people, but only god's choice. accordingly, he does not see any difference between ishmael's family and the chosen family; they are both sprung from abraham, both are naturally the same, and the fact that god expressly gave his inheritance past ishmael is nothing to esau--an act of _god_ has no meaning to him. he merely sees that he has not pleased his parents as well as he might by his marriage, and his easy and yielding disposition prompts him to remedy this. this is a fine specimen of the hazy views men have of what will bring them to a level with god's chosen. through their crass insensibility to the high righteousness of god, there still does penetrate a perception that if they are to please him there are certain means to be used for doing so. there are, they see, certain occupations and ways pursued by christians, and if by themselves adopting these they can please god, they are quite willing to humour him in this. like esau, they do not see their way to drop their old connections, but if by making some little additions to their habits, or forming some new connection, they can quiet this controversy that has somehow grown up between god and his children,--though, so far as they see, it is a very unmeaning controversy,--they will very gladly enter into any little arrangement for the purpose. we will not, of course, divorce the world, will not dismiss from our homes and hearts what god hates and means to destroy, will not accept god's will as our sole and absolute law, but we will so far meet god's wishes as to add to what we have adopted something that is almost as good as what god enjoins: we will make any little alterations which will not quite upset our present ways. much commoner than hypocrisy is this dim-sighted, blundering stupidity of the really profane worldly man, who thinks he can take rank with men whose natures god has changed, by the mere imitation of some of their ways; who thinks, that as he cannot without great labour, and without too seriously endangering his hold on the world, do precisely what god requires, god may be expected to be satisfied with a something like it. are we not aware of endeavouring at times to cloak a sin with some easy virtue, to adopt some new and apparently good habit, instead of destroying the sin we know god hates; or to offer to god, and palm upon our own conscience, a mere imitation of what god is pleased with? do you attend church, do you come and decorously submit to a service? that is not at all what god enjoins, though it is like it. what he means is, that you worship him, which is a quite different employment. do you render to god some outward respect, have you adopted some habits in deference to him, do you even attempt some private devotion and discipline of the spirit? still what he requires is something that goes much deeper than all that; namely, that you love him. to conform to one or two habits of godly people is not what is required of us; but to be at heart godly. as jacob journeyed northwards, he came, on the second or third evening of his flight, to the hills of bethel. as the sun was sinking he found himself toiling up the rough path which abraham may have described to him as looking like a great staircase of rock and crag reaching from earth to sky. slabs of rock, piled one upon another, form the whole hill-side, and to jacob's eye, accustomed to the rolling pastures of beersheba, they would appear almost like a structure built for superhuman uses, well founded in the valley below, and intended to reach to unknown heights. overtaken by darkness on this rugged path, he readily finds as soft a bed and as good shelter as his shepherd-habits require, and with his head on a stone and a corner of his dress thrown over his face to preserve him from the moon, he is soon fast asleep. but in his dreams the massive staircase is still before his eyes, and it is no longer himself that is toiling up it as it leads to an unexplored hill-top above him, but the angels of god are ascending and descending upon it, and at its top is jehovah himself. thus simply does god meet the thoughts of jacob, and lead him to the encouragement he needed. what was probably jacob's state of mind when he lay down on that hill-side? in the first place, and as he would have said to any man he chanced to meet, he wondered what he would see when he got to the top of this hill; and still more, as he may have said to rebekah, he wondered what reception he would meet with from laban, and whether he would ever again see his father's tents. this vision shows him that his path leads to god, that it is he who occupies the future; and, in his dream, a voice comes to him: "i am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land." he had, no doubt, wondered much whether the blessing of his father was, after all, so valuable a possession, whether it might not have been wiser to take a share with esau than to be driven out homeless thus. god has never spoken to him; he has heard his father speak of assurances coming to him from god, but as for him, through all the long years of his life he has never heard what he could speak of as a voice of god. but this night these doubts were silenced--there came to his soul an assurance that never departed from it. he could have affirmed he heard god saying to him: "i am the lord god of thy father abraham, and the god of isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will i give it." and lastly, all these thoughts probably centred in one deep feeling, that he was an outcast, a fugitive from justice. he was glad he was in so solitary a place, he was glad he was so far from esau and from every human eye; and yet--what desolation of spirit accompanied this feeling: there was no one he could bid good-night to, no one he could spend the evening hour with in quiet talk; he was a banished man, whatever fine gloss rebekah might put upon it, and deep down in his conscience there was that which told him he was not banished without cause. might not god also forsake him--might not god banish him, and might he not find a curse pursuing him, preventing man or woman from ever again looking in his face with pleasure? such fears are met by the vision. this desolate spot, unvisited by sheep or bird, has become busy with life, angels thronging the ample staircase. here, where he thought himself lonely and outcast, he finds he has come to the very gate of heaven. his fond mother might, at that hour, have been visiting his silent tent and shedding ineffectual tears on his abandoned bed, but he finds himself in the very house of god, cared for by angels. as the darkness had revealed to him the stars shining overhead, so when the deceptive glare of waking life was dulled by sleep, he saw the actual realities which before were hidden. no wonder that a vision which so graphically showed the open communication between earth and heaven should have deeply impressed itself on jacob's descendants. what more effectual consolation could any poor outcast, who felt he had spoiled his life, require than the memory of this staircase reaching from the pillow of the lonely fugitive from justice up into the very heart of heaven? how could any most desolate soul feel quite abandoned so long as the memory retained the vision of the angels thronging up and down with swift service to the needy? how could it be even in the darkest hour believed that all hope was gone, and that men might but curse god and die, when the mind turned to this bridging of the interval between earth and heaven? in the new testament we meet with an instance of the familiarity with this vision which true israelites enjoyed. our lord, in addressing nathanael, makes use of it in a way that proves this familiarity. under his fig-tree, whose broad leaves were used in every jewish garden as a screen from observation, and whose branches were trained down so as to form an open-air oratory, where secret prayer might be indulged in undisturbed, nathanael had been declaring to the father his ways, his weaknesses, his hopes. and scarcely more astonished was jacob when he found himself the object of this angelic ministry on the lonely hill-side, than was nathanael when he found how one eye penetrated the leafy screen, and had read his thoughts and wishes. apparently he had been encouraging himself with this vision, for our lord, reading his thoughts, says: "because i said unto thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree i saw thee, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these--thou shalt see heaven opened, and the angels of god ascending and descending upon the son of man." this, then, is a vision for us even more than for jacob. it has its fulfilment in the times after the incarnation more manifestly than in previous times. the true staircase by which heavenly messengers ascend and descend is the son of man. it is he who really bridges the interval between heaven and earth, god and man. in his person these two are united. you cannot tell whether christ is more divine or human, more god or man--solidly based on earth, as this massive staircase, by his real humanity, by his thirty-three years' engagement in all human functions and all experiences of this life, he is yet familiar with eternity, his name is "he that came down from heaven," and if your eye follows step by step to the heights of his person, it rests at last on what you recognise as divine. his love it is that is wide enough to embrace god on the one hand, and the lowest sinner on the other. truly he is the way, the stair, leading from the lowest depth of earth to the highest height of heaven. in him you find a love that embraces you as you are, in whatever condition, however cast down and defeated, however embittered and polluted--a love that stoops tenderly to you and hopefully, and gives you once more a hold upon holiness and life, and in that very love unfolds to you the highest glory of heaven and of god. when this comes home to a man in the hour of his need, it becomes the most arousing revelation. he springs from the troubled slumber we call life, and all earth wears a new glory and awe to him. he exclaims with jacob, "how dreadful is this place. surely the lord is in this place, and i knew it not." the world that had been so bleak and empty to him, is filled with a majestic vital presence. jacob is no longer a mere fugitive from the results of his own sin, a shepherd in search of employment, a man setting out in the world to try his fortune; he is the partner with god in the fulfilment of a divine purpose. and such is the change that passes on every man who believes in the incarnation, who feels himself to be connected with god by jesus christ; he recognises the divine intention to uplift his life, and to fill it with new hopes and purposes. he feels that humanity is consecrated by the entrance of the son of god into it: he feels that all human life is holy ground since the lord himself has passed through it. having once had this vision of god and man united in christ, life cannot any more be to him the poor, dreary, commonplace, wretched round of secular duties and short-lived joys and terribly punished sins it was before: but it truly becomes the very gate of heaven; from each part of it he knows there is a staircase rising to the presence of god, and that out of the region of pure holiness and justice there flow to him heavenly aids, tender guidance, and encouragement. do you think the idea of the incarnation too aerial and speculative to carry with you for help in rough, practical matters? the incarnation is not a mere idea, but a fact as substantial and solidly rooted in life as anything you have to do with. even the shadow of it jacob saw carried in it so much of what was real that when he was broad awake he trusted it and acted on it. it was not scattered by the chill of the morning air, nor by that fixed staring reality which external nature assumes in the gray dawn as one object after another shows itself in the same spot and form in which night had fallen upon it. there were no angels visible when he opened his eyes; the staircase was there, but it was of no heavenly substance, and if it had any secret to tell, it coldly and darkly kept it. there was no retreat for the runaway from the poor common facts of yesterday. the sky seemed as far from earth as it did yesterday, his track over the hill as lonely, his brother's wrath as real;--but other things also had become real; and as he looked back from the top of the hill on the stone he had set up, he felt the words, "i am with thee in all places whither thou goest," graven on his heart, and giving him new courage; and he knew that every footfall of his was making a bethel, and that as he went he was carrying god through the world. the bleakest rains that swept across the hills of bethel could never wash out of his mind the vision of bright-winged angels, as little as they could wash off the oil or wear down the stone he had set up. the brightest glare of this world's heyday of real life could not outshine and cause them to disappear; and the vision on which we hope is not one that vanishes at cock-crow, nor is he who connects us with god shy of human handling, but substantial as ourselves. he offered himself to every kind of test, so that those who knew him for years could say, with the most absolute confidence, "that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life ... declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the father, and with his son jesus christ." jacob obeyed a good instinct when he set up as a monumental stone that which had served as his pillow while he dreamt and saw this inspiring vision. he felt that, vivid as the impression on his mind then was, it would tend to fade, and he erected this stone that in after days he might have a witness that would testify to his present assurance. one great secret in the growth of character is the art of prolonging the quickening power of right ideas, of perpetuating just and inspiring impressions. and he who despises the aid of all external helps for the accomplishment of this object is not likely to succeed. religion, some men say, is an inward thing: it does not consist of public worship, ordinances, and so forth, but it is a state of spirit. very true; but he knows little of human nature who fancies a state of spirit can be maintained without the aid of external reminders, presentations to eye and ear of central religious truths and facts. we have all of us had such views of truth, and such corresponding desires and purposes, as would transform us were they only permanent. but what a night has settled on our past, how little have we found skill to prolong the benefit arising from particular events or occasions. some parts of our life, indeed, require no monument, there is nothing _there_ we would ever again think of, if possible; but, alas! these, for the most part, have erected monuments of their own, to which, as with a sad fascination, our eyes are ever turning--persons we have injured, or who, somehow, so remind us of sin, that we shrink from meeting them--places to which sins of ours have attached a reproachful meaning. and these natural monuments must be imitated in the life of grace. by fixed hours of worship, by rules and habits of devotion, by public worship, and especially by the monumental ordinance of the lord's supper, must we cherish the memory of known truth, and deepen former impressions. to the monument jacob attached a vow, so that when he returned to that spot the stone might remind him of the dependence on god he now felt, of the precarious situation he was in when this vision appeared, and of all the help god had afterwards given him. he seems to have taken up the meaning of that endless chain of angels ceaselessly coming down full of blessing, and going up empty of all but desires, requests, aspirations. and if we are to live with clean conscience and with heart open to god, we must so live that the messengers who bring god's blessings to us shall not have an evil report to take back of the manner in which we have received and spent his bounty. this whole incident makes a special appeal to those who are starting in life. jacob was no longer a young man, but he was unmarried, and he was going to seek employment with nothing to begin the world with but his shepherd's staff, the symbol of his knowledge of a profession. many must see in him a very exact reproduction of their own position. they have left home, and it may be they have left it not altogether with pleasant memories, and they are now launched on the world for themselves, with nothing but their staff, their knowledge of some business. the spot they have reached may seem as desolate as the rock where jacob lay, their prospects as doubtful as his. for such an one there is absolutely no security but that which is given in the vision of jacob--in the belief that god will be with you in all places, and that even now on that life which you are perhaps already wishing to seclude from all holy influences, the angels of god are descending to bless and restrain you from sin. happy the man who, at the outset, can heartily welcome such a connection of his life with god: unhappy he who welcomes whatever blots out the thought of heaven, and who separates himself from all that reminds him of the good influences that throng his path. the desire of the young heart to see life and know the world is natural and innocent, but how many fancy that in seeing the lowest and poorest perversions of life they see life--how many forget that unless they keep their hearts pure they can never enter into the best and richest and most enduring of the uses and joys of human life. even from a selfish motive and the mere desire to succeed in the world, every one starting in life would do well to consider whether he really has jacob's blessing and is making his vow. and certainly every one who has any honour, who is governed by any of those sentiments that lead men to noble and worthy actions, will frankly meet god's offers and joyfully accept a heavenly guidance and a permanent connection with god. before we dismiss this vision, it may be well to look at one instance of its fulfilment, that we may understand the manner in which god fulfils his promises. jacob's experience in haran was not so brilliant and unexceptionable as he might perhaps expect. he did, indeed, at once find a woman he could love, but he had to purchase her with seven years' toil, which ultimately became fourteen years. he did not grudge this; because it was customary, because his affections were strong, and because he was too independent to send to his father for money to buy a wife. but the bitterest disappointment awaited him. with the burning humiliation of one who has been cheated in so cruel a way, he finds himself married to leah. he protests, but he cannot insist on his protest, nor divorce leah; for, in point of fact, he is conscious that he is only being paid in his own coin, foiled with his own weapons. in this veiled bride brought in to him on false pretences, he sees the just retribution of his own disguise when with the hands of esau he went in and received his father's blessing. his mouth is shut by the remembrance of his own past. but submitting to this chastisement, and recognising in it not only the craft of his uncle, but the stroke of god, that which he at first thought of as a cruel curse became a blessing. it was leah much more than rachel that built up the house of israel. to this despised wife six of the tribes traced their origin, and among these was the tribe of judah. thus he learned the fruitfulness of god's retribution--that to be humbled by god is really to be built up, and to be punished by him the richest blessing. through such an experience are many persons led: when we would embrace the fruit of years of toil god thrusts into our arms something quite different from our expectation--something that not only disappoints, but that at first repels us, reminding us of acts of our own we had striven to forget. is it with resentment you still look back on some such experience, when the reward of years of toil evaded your grasp, and you found yourself bound to what you would not have worked a day to obtain?--do you find yourself disheartened and discouraged by the way in which you seem regularly to miss the fruit of your labour? if so, no doubt it were useless to assure you that the disappointment may be more fruitful than the hope fulfilled, but it can scarcely be useless to ask you to consider whether it is not the fact that in jacob's case what was thrust upon him _was_ more fruitful than what he strove to win. xxiii. _jacob at peniel._ genesis xxxii. "humble yourselves in the sight of the lord, and he shall lift you up."--james iv. 10. jacob had a double reason for wishing to leave padan-aram. he believed in the promise of god to give him canaan; and he saw that laban was a man with whom he could never be on a thoroughly good understanding. he saw plainly that laban was resolved to make what he could out of his skill at as cheap a rate as possible--the characteristic of a selfish, greedy, ungrateful, and therefore, in the end, ill-served master. laban and esau were the two men who had hitherto chiefly influenced jacob's life. but they were very different in character. esau could never see that there was any important difference between himself and jacob--except that his brother was trickier. esau was the type of those who honestly think that there is not much in religion, and that saints are but white-washed sinners. laban, on the contrary, is almost superstitiously impressed by the distinction between god's people and others. but the chief practical issue of this impression is, not that he seeks god's friendship for himself, but that he tries to make a profitable use of god's friends. he seeks to get god's blessing, as it were, at second-hand. if men could be related to god indirectly, as if in law and not by blood, that would suit laban. if god would admit men to his inheritance on any other terms than being sons in the direct line, if there were some relationship once removed, a kind of sons-in-law, so that mere connection with the godly, though not with god, would win his blessing, this would suit laban. laban is the man who appreciates the social value of virtue, truthfulness, fidelity, temperance, godliness, but wishes to enjoy their fruits without the pain of cultivating the qualities themselves. he is scrupulous as to the character of those he takes into his employment, and seeks to connect himself in business with good men. in his domestic life, he acts on the idea which his experience has suggested to him, that persons really godly will make his home more peaceful, better regulated, safer than otherwise it might be. if he holds a position of authority, he knows how to make use, for the preservation of order and for the promotion of his own ends, of the voluntary efforts of christian societies, of the trustworthiness of christian officials, and of the support of the christian community. but with all this recognition of the reality and influence of godliness, he never for one moment entertains the idea of himself becoming a godly man. in all ages there are labans, who clearly recognise the utility and worth of a connection with god, who have been much mixed up with persons in whom that worth was very conspicuous, and who yet, at the last, "depart and return unto their place," like jacob's father-in-law, without having themselves entered into any affectionate relations with god. from laban, then, jacob was resolved to escape. and though to escape with large droves of slow-moving sheep and cattle, as well as with many women and children, seemed hopeless, the cleverness of jacob did not fail him here. he did not get beyond reach of pursuit; he could never have expected to do so. but he stole away to such a distance from haran as made it much easier for him to come to terms with laban, and much more difficult for laban to try any further device for detaining him. but, delivered as he was from laban, he had an even more formidable person to deal with. as soon as laban's company disappear on the northern horizon, jacob sends messengers south to sound esau. his message is so contrived as to beget the idea in esau's mind that his younger brother is a person of some importance, and yet is prepared to show greater deference to himself than formerly. but the answer brought back by the messengers is the curt and haughty despatch of the man of war to the man of peace. no notice is taken of jacob's vaunted wealth. no proposal of terms as if esau had an equal to deal with, is carried back. there is only the startling announcement: "esau cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him." jacob at once recognises the significance of this armed advance on esau's part. esau has not forgotten the wrong he suffered at jacob's hands, and he means to show him that he is entirely in his power. therefore was jacob "greatly afraid and distressed." the joy with which, a few days ago, he had greeted the host of god, was quite overcast by the tidings brought him regarding the host of esau. things heavenly do always look so like a mere show; visits of angels seem so delusive and fleeting; the exhibition of the powers of heaven seems so often but as a tournament painted on the sky, and so unavailable for the stern encounters that await us on earth, that one seems, even after the most impressive of such displays, to be left to fight on alone. no wonder jacob is disturbed. his wives and dependants gather round him in dismay; the children, catching the infectious panic, cower with cries and weeping about their mothers; the whole camp is rudely shaken out of its brief truce by the news of this rough esau, whose impetuosity and warlike ways they had all heard of and were now to experience. the accounts of the messengers would no doubt grow in alarming descriptive detail as they saw how much importance was attached to their words. their accounts would also be exaggerated by their own unwarlike nature, and by the indistinctness with which they had made out the temper of esau's followers, and the novelty of the equipments of war they had seen in his camp. could we have been surprised had jacob turned and fled when thus he was made to picture the troops of esau sweeping from his grasp all he had so laboriously earned, and snatching the promised inheritance from him when in the very act of entering on possession? but though in fancy he already hears their rude shouts of triumph as they fall upon his defenceless band, and already sees the merciless horde dividing the spoil with shouts of derision and coarse triumph, and though all around him are clamouring to be led into a safe retreat, jacob sees stretched before him the land that is his, and resolves that, by god's help, he shall win it. what he does is not the act of a man rendered incompetent through fear, but of one who has recovered from the first shock of alarm and has all his wits about him. he disposes his household and followers in two companies, so that each might advance with the hope that it might be the one which should not meet esau; and having done all that his circumstances permit, he commends himself to god in prayer. after jacob had prayed to god, a happy thought strikes him, which he at once puts in execution. anticipating the experience of solomon, that "a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city," he, in the style of a skilled tactician, lays siege to esau's wrath, and directs against it train after train of gifts, which, like successive battalions pouring into a breach, might at length quite win his brother. this disposition of his peaceful battering trains having occupied him till sunset, he retires to the short rest of a general on the eve of battle. as soon as he judges that the weaker members of the camp are refreshed enough to begin their eventful march, he rises and goes from tent to tent awaking the sleepers, and quickly forming them into their usual line of march, sends them over the brook in the darkness, and himself is left alone, not with the depression of a man who waits for the inevitable, but with the high spirits of intense activity, and with the return of the old complacent confidence of his own superiority to his powerful but sluggish-minded brother--a confidence regained now by the certainty he felt, at least for the time, that esau's rage could not blaze through all the relays of gifts he had sent forward. having in this spirit seen all his camp across the brook, he himself pauses for a moment, and looks with interest at the stream before him, and at the promised land on its southern bank. this stream, too, has an interest for him as bearing a name like his own--a name that signifies the "struggler," and was given to the mountain torrent from the pain and difficulty with which it seemed to find its way through the hills. sitting on the bank of the stream, he sees gleaming through the darkness the foam that it churned as it writhed through the obstructing rocks, or heard through the night the roar of its torrent as it leapt downwards, tortuously finding its way towards jordan; and jacob says, so will i, opposed though i be, win my way, by the circuitous routes of craft or by the impetuous rush of courage, into the land whither that stream is going. with compressed lips, and step as firm as when, twenty years before, he left the land, he rises to cross the brook and enter the land--he rises, and is seized in a grasp that he at once owns as formidable. but surely this silent close, as of two combatants who at once recognise one another's strength, this protracted strife, does not look like the act of a depressed man, but of one whose energies have been strung to the highest pitch, and who would have borne down the champion of esau's host had he at that hour opposed his entrance into the land which jacob claimed as his own, and into which, as his glove, pledging himself to follow, he had thrown all that was dear to him in the world. it was no common wrestler that would have been safe to meet him in that mood. why, then, was jacob thus mysteriously held back while his household were quietly moving forward in the darkness? what is the meaning, purpose, and use of this opposition to his entrance? these are obvious from the state of mind jacob was in. he was going forward to meet esau under the impression that there was no other reason why he should not inherit the land but only his wrath, and pretty confident that by his superior talent, his mother-wit, he could make a tool of this stupid, generous brother of his. and the danger was, that if jacob's device had succeeded, he would have been confirmed in these impressions, and have believed that he had won the land from esau, with god's help certainly, but still by his own indomitable pertinacity of purpose and skill in dealing with men. now, this was not the state of the case at all. jacob had, by his own deceit, become an exile from the land, had been, in fact, banished for fraud; and though god had confirmed to him the covenant, and promised to him the land, yet jacob had apparently never come to any such thorough sense of his sin and entire incompetency to win the birthright for himself, as would have made it _possible_ for him to receive simply as god's gift this land which as god's gift was alone valuable. jacob does not yet seem to have taken up the difference between inheriting a thing as god's gift, and inheriting it as the meed of his own prowess. to such a man god cannot _give_ the land; jacob cannot receive it. he is thinking only of winning it, which is not at all what god means, and which would, in fact, have annulled all the covenant, and lowered jacob and his people to the level simply of other nations who had to win and keep their territories at their risk, and not as the blessed of god. if jacob then is to get the land, he must take it as a gift, which he is not prepared to do. during the last twenty years he has got many a lesson which might have taught him to distrust his own management, and he had, to a certain extent, acknowledged god; but his jacob-nature, his subtle, scheming nature, was not so easily made to stand erect, and still he is for wriggling himself into the promised land. he is coming back to the land under the impression that god needs to be managed, that even though we have his promises it requires dexterity to get them fulfilled, that a man will get into the inheritance all the readier for knowing what to veil from god and what to exhibit, when to cleave to his word with great profession of most humble and absolute reliance on him, and when to take matters into one's own hand. jacob, in short, was about to enter the land as jacob, the supplanter, and that would never do; he was going to win the land from esau by guile, or as he might; and not to receive it from god. and, therefore, just as he is going to step into it, there lays hold of him, not an armed emissary of his brother, but a far more formidable antagonist--if jacob will win the land, if it is to be a mere trial of skill, a wrestling match, it must at least be with the right person. jacob is met with his own weapons. he has not chosen war, so no armed opposition is made; but with the naked force of his own nature, he is prepared for any man who will hold the land against him; with such tenacity, toughness, quick presence of mind, elasticity, as nature has given him, he is confident he can win and hold his own. so the real proprietor of the land strips himself for the contest, and lets him feel, by the first hold he takes of him, that if the question be one of mere strength he shall never enter the land. this wrestling therefore was by no means actually or symbolically prayer. jacob was not aggressive, nor did he stay behind his company to spend the night in praying for them. it was god who came and laid hold on jacob to prevent him from entering the land in the temper he was in, and as jacob. he was to be taught that it was not only esau's appeased wrath, or his own skilful smoothing down of his brother's ruffled temper, that gave him entrance; but that a nameless being, who came out upon him from the darkness, guarded the land, and that by his passport only could he find entrance. and henceforth, as to every reader of this history so much more to jacob's self, the meeting with esau and the overcoming of his opposition were quite secondary to and eclipsed by his meeting and prevailing with this unknown combatant. this struggle had, therefore, immense significance for the history of jacob. it is, in fact, a concrete representation of the attitude he had maintained towards god throughout his previous history; and it constitutes the turning point at which he assumes a new and satisfactory attitude. year after year jacob had still retained confidence in himself; he had never been thoroughly humbled, but had always felt himself able to regain the land he had lost by his sin. and in this struggle he shows this same determination and self-confidence. he wrestles on indomitably. as kurtz, whom i follow in his interpretation of this incident, says, "all along jacob's life had been the struggle of a clever and strong, a pertinacious and enduring, a self-confident and self-sufficient person, who was sure of the result only when he helped himself--a contest with god, who wished to break his strength and wisdom, in order to bestow upon him real strength in divine weakness, and real wisdom in divine folly." all this self-confidence culminates now, and in one final and sensible struggle, his jacob-nature, his natural propensity to wrest what he desires and win what he aims at, from the most unwilling opponent, does its very utmost and does it in vain. his steady straining, his dexterous feints, his quick gusts of vehement assault, make no impression on this combatant and move him not one foot off his ground. time after time his crafty nature puts out all its various resources, now letting his grasp relax and feigning defeat, and then with gathered strength hurling himself on the stranger, but all in vain. what jacob had often surmised during the last twenty years, what had flashed through him like a sudden gleam of light when he found himself married to leah, that he was in the hands of one against whom it is quite useless to struggle, he now again begins to suspect. and as the first faint dawn appears, and he begins dimly to make out the face, the quiet breathing of which he had felt on his own during the contest, the man with whom he wrestles touches the strongest sinew in jacob's body, and the muscle on which the wrestler most depends shrivels at the touch and reveals to the falling jacob how utterly futile had been all his skill and obstinacy, and how quickly the stranger might have thrown and mastered him. all in a moment, as he falls, jacob sees how it is with him, and who it is that has met him thus. as the hard, stiff, corded muscle shrivelled, so shrivelled his obdurate, persistent self-confidence. and as he is thrown, yet cleaves with the natural tenacity of a wrestler to his conqueror; so, utterly humbled before this mighty one whom now he recognises and owns, he yet cleaves to him and entreats his blessing. it is at this touch, which discovers the almighty power of him with whom he has been contending, that the whole nature of jacob goes down before god. he sees how foolish and vain has been his obstinate persistence in striving to trick god out of his blessing, or wrest it from him, and now he owns his utter incapacity to advance one step in this way, he admits to himself that he is stopped, weakened in the way, thrown on his back, and can effect nothing, simply nothing, by what he thought would effect all; and, therefore, he passes from wrestling to praying, and with tears, as hosea says, sobs out from the broken heart of the strong man, "i will not let thee go except thou bless me." in making this transition from the boldness and persistence of self-confidence to the boldness of faith and humility, jacob becomes israel--the supplanter, being baffled by his conqueror, rises a prince. disarmed of all other weapons, he at last finds and uses the weapons wherewith god is conquered, and with the simplicity and guilelessness now of an israelite indeed, face to face with god, hanging helpless with his arms around him, he supplicates the blessing he could not win. thus, as abraham had to become god's heir in the simplicity of humble dependence on god; as isaac had to lay himself on god's altar with absolute resignation, and so become the heir of god, so jacob enters on the inheritance through the most thorough humbling. abraham had to give up all possessions and live on god's promise; isaac had to give up life itself; jacob had to yield his very self, and abandon all dependence on his own ability. the new name he receives signalizes and interprets this crisis in his life. he enters his land not as jacob, but as israel. the man who crossed the jabbok was not the same as he who had cheated esau and outwitted laban and determinedly striven this morning with the angel. he was israel, god's prince, entering on the land freely bestowed on him by an authority none could resist; a man who had learned that in order to receive from god, one must ask. very significant to jacob in his after life must have been the lameness consequent on this night's struggle. he, the wrestler, had to go halting all his days. he who had carried all his weapons in his own person, in his intelligent watchful eye and tough right arm, he who had felt sufficient for all emergencies and a match for all men, had now to limp along as one who had been worsted and baffled and could not hide his shame from men. so it sometimes happens that a man never recovers the severe handling he has received at some turning point in his life. often there is never again the same elastic step, the same free and confident bearing, the same apparent power, the same appearance to our fellow-men of completeness in our life; but, instead of this, there is a humble decision which, if it does not walk with so free a gait, yet knows better what ground it is treading and by what right. to the end some men bear the marks of the heavy stroke by which god first humbled them. it came in a sudden shock that broke their health, or in a disappointment which nothing now given can ever quite obliterate the trace of, or in circumstances painfully and permanently altered. and the man has to say with jacob, i shall never now be what i might have been; i was resolved to have my own way, and though god in his mercy did not suffer me to destroy myself, yet to drive me from my purpose he was forced to use a violence, under the effects of which i go halting all my days, saved and whole, yet maimed to the end of time. i am not ashamed of the mark, at least when i think of it as god's signature i am able to glory in it, but it never fails to remind me of a perverse wilfulness i am ashamed of. with many men god is forced to such treatment; if any of us are under it, god forbid we should mistake its meaning and lie prostrate and despairing in the darkness instead of clinging to him who has smitten and will heal us. for the treatment which jacob received at peniel must not be set aside as singular or exceptional. sometimes god interposes between us and a greatly-desired possession which we have been counting upon as our right and as the fair and natural consequence of our past efforts and ways. the expectation of this possession has indeed determined our movements and shaped our life for some time past, and it would not only be assigned to us by men as fairly ours, but god also has himself seemed to encourage us to win it. yet when it is now within sight, and when we are rising to pass the little stream which seems alone to separate us from it, we are arrested by a strong, an irresistible hand. the reason is, that god wishes us to be in such a state of mind that we shall receive it as his gift, so that it becomes ours by an indefeasible title. similarly, when advancing to a spiritual possession, such checks are not without their use. many men look with longing to what is eternal and spiritual, and they resolve to win this inheritance. and this resolve they often make as if its accomplishment depended solely on their own endurance. they leave almost wholly out of account that the possibility of their entering the state they long for is not decided by their readiness to pass through any ordeal, spiritual or physical, which may be required of them, but by god's willingness to give it. they act as if by taking advantage of god's promises, and by passing through certain states of mind and prescribed duties, they could, irrespective of god's present attitude towards them and constant love, win eternal happiness. in the life of such persons there must therefore come a time when their own spiritual energy seems all to collapse in that painful, utter way in which, when the body is exhausted, the muscles are suddenly found to be cramped and heavy and no longer responsive to the will. they are made to feel that a spiritual dislocation has taken place, and that their eagerness to enter life everlasting no longer stirs the active energies of the soul. in that hour the man learns the most valuable truth he can learn, that it is god who is wishing to save him, not he who must wrest a blessing from an unwilling god. instead of any longer looking on himself as against the world, he takes his place as one who has the whole energy of god's will at his back, to give him rightful entrance into all blessedness. so long as jacob was in doubt whether it was not some kind of man that was opposing him, he wrestled on; and our foolish ways of dealing with god terminate, when we recognise that he is not such an one as ourselves. we naturally act as if god had some pleasure in thwarting us--as if we could, and even ought to, maintain a kind of contest with god. we deal with him as if he were opposed to our best purposes and grudged to advance us in all good, and as if he needed to be propitiated by penitence and cajoled by forced feelings and sanctimonious demeanour. we act as if we could make more way were god not in our way, as if our best prospects began in our own conception and we had to win god over to our views. if god is unwilling, then there is an end: no device nor force will get us past him. if he is willing, why all this unworthy dealing with him, as if the whole idea and accomplishment of salvation did not proceed from him? xxiv. _jacob's return._ genesis xxxv. "as for me, when i came from padan, rachel died by me in the land of canaan in the way."--gen. xlviii. 7. the words of the wrestler at the brook jabbok, "let me go, for the day breaketh," express the truth that spiritual things will not submit themselves to sensible tests. when we seek to let the full daylight, by which we discern other objects, stream upon them, they elude our grasp. when we fancy we are on the verge of having our doubts for ever scattered, and our suppositions changed into certainties, the very approach of clear knowledge and demonstration seems to drive those sensitive spiritual presences into darkness. as pascal remarked, and remarked as the mouth-piece of all souls that have earnestly sought for god, the world only gives us indications of the presence of a god who conceals himself. it is, indeed, one of the most mysterious characteristics of our life in this world, that the great existence which originates and embraces all other beings, should himself be so silent and concealed: that there should be need of subtle arguments to prove his existence, and that no argument ever conceived has been found sufficiently cogent to convince all men. one is always tempted to say, how easy to end all doubt, how easy for god so to reveal himself as to make unbelief impossible, and give to all men the glad consciousness that they have a god. the reason of this "reserve" of god must lie in the nature of things. the greatest forces in nature are silent and unobtrusive and incomprehensible. without the law of gravitation the universe would rush into ruin, but who has ever seen this force? its effects are everywhere visible, but itself is shrouded in darkness and cannot be comprehended. so much more must the infinite spirit remain unseen and baffling all comprehension. "no man hath seen god at any time" must ever remain true. to ask for god's name, therefore, as jacob did, is a mistake. for almost every one supposes that when he knows the name of a thing, he knows also its nature. the giving of a name, therefore, tends to discourage enquiry, and to beget an unfounded satisfaction as if, when we know what a thing is called, we know what it is. the craving, therefore, which we all feel in common with jacob--to have all mystery swept from between us and god, and to see him face to face, so that we may know him as we know our friends--is a craving which cannot be satisfied. you cannot ever know god as he is. your mind cannot comprehend a being who is pure spirit, inhabiting no body, present with you here but present also hundreds of millions of miles away, related to time and to space and to matter in ways utterly impossible for you to comprehend. what is possible, god has done. he has made himself known in christ. we are assured, on testimony that stands every kind of test, that in him, if nowhere else, we find god. and yet even by christ this same law of reserve if not concealment was observed. not only did he forbid men and devils to proclaim who he was, but when men, weary of their own doubts and debatings, impatiently challenged him, "if thou be the christ tell us plainly," he declined to do so. for really men must grow to the knowledge of him. even a human face cannot be known by once or twice seeing it; the practised artist often misses the expression best loved by the intimate friend, or by the relative whose own nature interprets to him the face in which he sees himself reflected. much more can the child of god only attain to the knowledge of his father's face by first of all _being_ a child of god, and then by gradually growing up into his likeness. but though god's operation is in darkness the results of it are in the light. "as jacob passed over peniel, the _sun rose_ upon him, and he halted upon his thigh." as jacob's company halted when they missed him, and as many anxious eyes were turned back into the darkness, they were unable still to see him; and even when the darkness began to scatter, and they saw dimly and far off a human figure, the sharpest eyes among them declare it cannot be jacob, for the gait and walk, which alone they can judge by at that distance and in that light, are not his. but when at last the first ray of sunlight streams on him from over the hills of gilead, all doubt is at an end; it _is_ jacob, but halting on his thigh. and he himself finds it is not a strain which the walking of a few paces will ease, nor a night cramp which will pass off, nor a mere dream which would vanish in broad day, but a real permanent lameness which he must explain to his company. has he missed a step on the bank in the darkness, or stumbled or slipped on the slippery stones of the ford? it is a far more real thing to him than any such accident. so, however others may discredit the results of a work on the soul which they have not seen--however they may say of the first and most obvious results, "this is but a sickness of soul which the rising sun will dispel; a feigned peculiarity of walk which will be forgotten in the bustle of the day's work"--it is not so, but every contact with real life makes it more obvious that when god touches a man the result is real. and as jacob's household and children in all generations counted that sinew which shrank sacred, and would not eat of it, so surely should we be reverential towards god's work in the soul of our neighbour, and respect even those peculiarities which are often the most obvious first-fruits of conversion, and which make it difficult for us to walk in the same comfort with these persons, and keep step with them as easily as once we did. a reluctance to live like other good people, an inability to share their innocent amusements, a distaste for the very duties of this life, a harsh or reserved bearing towards unconverted persons, an awkwardness in speaking of their religious experience, as well as an awkwardness in applying it to the ordinary circumstances of their life,--these and many other of the results of god's work on the soul should not be rudely dealt with, but respected; for though not in themselves either seemly or beneficial, they are evidence of god's touch. after this contest with the angel, the meeting of jacob with esau has no separate significance. jacob succeeds with his brother because already he has prevailed with god. he is on a satisfactory footing now with the sovereign who alone can bestow the land and judge betwixt him and his brother. jacob can no longer suppose that the chief obstacle to his advance is the resentment of esau. he has felt and submitted to a stronger hand than esau's. such schooling we all need; and get, if we will take it. like jacob, we have to make our way to our end through numberless human interferences and worldly obstacles. some of these we have to flee from, as jacob from laban; others we must meet and overcome, as our esaus. our own sin or mistake has put us under the power of some whose influence is disastrous; others, though we are not under their power at all, yet, consciously or unconsciously to themselves, continually cross our path and thwart us, keep us back and prevent us from effecting what we desire, and from shaping things about us according to our own ideas. and there will, from time to time, be present to our minds obvious ways in which we could defeat the opposition of these persons, and by which we fancy we could triumph over them. and what we are here taught is, that we need look for no triumph, and it is a pity for us if we win a triumph over any human opposition, however purely secular and unchristian, without first having prevailed with god in the matter. he comes in between us and all men and things, and, laying his hand on us, arrests us from further progress till we have to the very bottom and in every part adjusted the affair with him--and then, standing right with him, we can very easily, or at least we _can_, get right with all things. and it should be a suggestive and fruitful thought to the most of us that, in all cases in which we sin against our brother, god presents himself as the champion of the wronged party. one day or other we must meet not the strongest putting of all those cases in which we have erred as the offended party could himself put them, but we must meet them as put by the eternal advocate of justice and right, who saw our spirit, our merely selfish calculating, our base motive, our impure desire, our unrighteous deed. gladly would jacob have met the mightiest of esau's host in place of this invincible opponent, and it is this same mighty one, this same watchful guardian of right who threw himself in jacob's way, who has his eye on us, who has tracked us through all our years, and who will certainly one time appear in our path as the champion of every one we have wronged, of every one whose soul we have put in jeopardy, of every one to whom we have not done what god intended we should do, of every one whom we have attempted merely to make use of; and in stating their case and showing us what justice and duty would have required of us, he will make us feel, what we cannot feel till he himself convinces us, that, in all our dealings with men, wherein we have wronged them we have wronged him. the narrative now prepares to leave jacob and make room for joseph. it brings him back to bethel, thereby completing the history of his triumph over the difficulties with which his life had been so thickly studded. the interest and much of the significance of a man's life come to an end when position and success are achieved. the remaining notices of jacob's experience are of a sorrowful kind; he lives under a cloud until at the close the sun shines out again. we have seen him in his youth making experiments in life; in his prime founding a family and winning his way by slow and painful steps to his own place in the world; and now he enters on the last stage of his life, a stage in which signs of breaking up appear almost as soon as he attains his aim and place in life. after all that had happened to jacob, we should have expected him to make for bethel as rapidly as his unwieldy company could be moved forwards. but the pastures that had charmed the eye of his grandfather captivated jacob as well. he bought land at shechem, and appeared willing to settle there. the vows which he had uttered with such fervour when his future was precarious are apparently quite forgotten, or more probably neglected, now that danger seems past. to go to bethel involved the abandonment of admirable pastures, and the introduction of new religious views and habits into his family life. a man who has large possessions, difficult and precarious relations to sustain with the world, and a household unmanageable from its size, and from the variety of dispositions included in it, requires great independence and determination to carry out domestic reform on religious grounds. even a slight change in our habits is often delayed because we are shy of exposing to observation fresh and deep convictions on religious subjects. besides, we forget our fears and our vows when the time of hardship passes away; and that which, as young men, we considered almost hopeless, we at length accept as our right, and omit all remembrance and gratitude. a spiritual experience that is separated from your present by twenty years of active life, by a foreign residence, by marriage, by the growing up of a family around you, by other and fresher spiritual experiences, is apt to be very indistinctly remembered. the obligations you then felt and owned have been overlaid and buried in the lapse of years. and so it comes that a low tone is introduced into your life, and your homes cease to be model homes. out of this condition jacob was roughly awakened. sinning by unfaithfulness and softness towards his family, he is, according to the usual law, punished by family disaster of the most painful kind. the conduct of simeon and levi was apparently due quite as much to family pride and religious fanaticism as to brotherly love or any high moral view. in them first we see how the true religion, when held by coarse and ungodly men, becomes the root of all evil. we see the first instance of that fanaticism which so often made the jews a curse rather than a blessing to other nations. indeed, it is but an instance of the injustice, cruelty, and violence that at all times result where men suppose that they themselves are raised to quite peculiar privileges and to a position superior to their fellows, without recognising also that this position is held by the grace of a holy god and for the good of their fellows. jacob is now compelled to make a virtue of necessity. he flees to bethel to escape the vengeance of the shechemites. to such serious calamities do men expose themselves by arguing with conscience and by refusing to live up to their engagements. how can men be saved from living merely for sheep-feeding and cattle-breeding and trade and enjoyment? how can they be saved from gradually expelling from their character all principle and all high sentiment that conflicts with immediate advantage and present pleasure, save by such irresistible blows as here compelled jacob to shift his camp? he has spiritual perception enough left to see what is meant. the order is at once issued: "put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: and let us arise, and go up to bethel; and i will make there an altar unto god, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which i went." thus frankly does he acknowledge his error, and repair, so far as he can, the evil he has done. thus decidedly does he press god's command on those whom he had hitherto encouraged or connived at. even from his favourite rachel he takes her gods and buries them. the fierce simeon and levi, proud of the blood with which they had washed out their sister's stain, are ordered to cleanse their garments and show some seemly sorrow, if they can. if years go by without any such incident occurring in our life as drives us to a recognition of our moral laxity and deterioration, and to a frank and humble return to a closer walk with god, we had need to strive to awaken ourselves and ascertain whether we are living up to old vows and are really animated by thoroughly worthy motives. it was when jacob came back to the very spot where he had lain on the open hill-side, and pointed out to his wives and children the stone he had set up to mark the spot, that he felt humbled as he cast his eye over the flocks and tents he now owned. and if you can, like jacob, go back to spots in your life which were very woful and perplexed, years even when all continued dreary, dark, and hopeless, when friendlessness and poverty, bereavement or disease, laid their chilling, crushing hands upon you, times when you could not see what possible good there was for you in the world; and if now all this is solved, and your condition is in the most striking contrast to what you can remember, it becomes you to make acknowledgment to god such as you may have made to your friends, such acknowledgment as makes it plain that you are touched by his kindness. the acknowledgment jacob made was sensible and honest. he put away the gods which had divided the worship of his family. in our life there is probably that which constantly tends to usurp an undue place in our regard; something which gives us more pleasure than the thought of god, or from which we really expect a more palpable benefit than we expect from god, and which, therefore, we cultivate with far greater assiduity. how easily, if we really wish to be on a clear footing with god, can we discover what things should be cast revengefully from us, buried and stamped upon and numbered with the things of the past. are there not in your life any objects for the sake of which you sacrifice that nearness to god, and that sure hold of him you once enjoyed? are you not conscious of any pursuits, or hopes, or pleasures, or employments which practically have the effect of making you indifferent to spiritual advancement, and which make you shy of bethel--shy of all that sets clear before you your indebtedness to god, and your own past vows and resolves? "but," continues the narrative, "_but_ deborah, rebekah's nurse, died;" that is, although jacob and his house were now living in the fear of god, that did not exempt them from the ordinary distresses of family life. and among these, one that falls on us with a chastening and mild sadness all its own, occurs when there passes from the family one of its oldest members, and one who has by the delicate tact of love gained influence over all, and has by the common consent become the arbiter and mediator, the confidant and counsellor of the family. they, indeed, are the true salt of the earth whose own peace is so deep and abiding, and whose purity is so thorough and energetic, that into their ear we can disburden the troubled heart or the guilty conscience, as the wildest brook disturbs not and the most polluted fouls not the settled depths of the all-cleansing ocean. such must deborah have been, for the oak under which she was buried was afterwards known as "the oak of weeping." specially must jacob himself have mourned the death of her whose face was the oldest in his remembrance, and with whom his mother and his happy early days were associated. very dear to jacob, as to most men, were those who had been connected with and could tell him of his parents, and remind him of his early years. deborah, by treating him still as a little boy, perhaps the only one who now called him by the pet name of childhood, gave him the pleasantest relief from the cares of manhood and the obsequious deportment of the other members of his household towards him. so that when she went a great blank was made to him: no longer was the wise and happy old face seen in her tent door to greet him of an evening; no longer could he take refuge in the peacefulness of her old age from the troubles of his lot: she being gone, a whole generation was gone, and a new stage of life was entered on. but a heavier blow, the heaviest that death could inflict, soon fell upon him. she who had been as god's gift and smile to him since ever he had left bethel at the first is taken from him now that he is restored to god's house. the number of his sons is completed, and the mother is removed. suddenly and unexpectedly the blow fell, as they were journeying and fearing no ill. notwithstanding the confident and cheering, though ambiguous, assurances of those about her, she had that clear knowledge of her own state which, without contradicting, simply put aside such assurances, and, as her soul was departing, feebly named her son benoni, son of my sorrow. she felt keenly what was, to a nature like hers, the very anguish of disappointment. she was never to feel the little creature stirring in her arms with personal human life, nor see him growing up to manhood as the son of his father's right hand. it was this sad death of rachel's which made her the typical mother in israel. it was not an unclouded, merely prosperous life which could fitly have foreshadowed the lives of those by whom the promised seed was to come; and least of all of the virgin to whom it was said, "a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also." it was the wail of rachel that poetical minds among the jews heard from time to time mourning their national disasters--"rachel weeping" for her children, when by captivity they were separated from their mother country, or when, by the sword of herod, the mothers of bethlehem were bereaved of their babes. but it was also observed that that which brought this anguish on the mothers of bethlehem was the birth there of the last son of israel, the blossom of this long-growing plant, suddenly born after a long and barren period, the son of israel's right hand. still another death is registered in this chapter. it took place twelve years after joseph went into egypt, but is set down here for convenience. esau and jacob are, for the last time, brought together over their dead father--and for the last time, as they see that family likeness which comes out so strikingly in the face of the dead, do they feel drawn with brotherly affection to greet one another as sons of one father. in the dead isaac, too, they find an object of veneration more impressive than they had found in the living father: the infirmities of age are exchanged for the mystery and majesty of death; the man has passed out of reach of pity, of contempt; the shrill, uncontrolled treble is no longer heard, there are no weak, plaintive movements, no childishness; but a solemn, august silence, a silence that seems to bid on-lookers be still and refrain from disturbing the first communings of the departed spirit with things unseen. the tenderness of these two brothers towards one another and towards their father was probably quickened by remorse when they met at his deathbed. they could not, perhaps, think that they had hastened his end by causing him anxieties which age has not strength to throw off; but they could not miss the reflection that the life now closed and finally sealed up might have been a much brighter life had they acted the part of dutiful, loving sons. scarcely can one of our number pass from among us without leaving in our minds some self-reproach that we were not more kindly towards him, and that now he is beyond our kindness; that our opportunity for being brotherly towards _him_ is for ever gone. and when we have very manifestly erred in this respect, perhaps there are among all the stings of a guilty conscience few more bitterly piercing than this. many a son who has stood unmoved by the tears of a living mother--his mother by whom he lives, who has cherished him as her own soul, who has forgiven and forgiven and forgiven him, who has toiled and prayed, and watched for him--though he has hardened himself against her looks of imploring love and turned carelessly from her entreaties and burst through all the fond cords and snares by which she has sought to keep him, has yet broken down before the calm, unsolicitous, resting face of the dead. hitherto he has not listened to her pleadings, and now she pleads no more. hitherto she has heard no word of pure love from him, and now she hears no more. hitherto he has done nothing for her of all that a son may do, and now there is nothing he can do. all the goodness of her life gathers up and stands out at once, and the time for gratitude is past. he sees suddenly, as by the withdrawal of a veil, all that that worn body has passed through for him, and all the goodness these features have expressed, and now they can never light up with joyful acceptance of his love and duty. such grief as this finds its one alleviation in the knowledge that we may follow those who have gone before us; that we may yet make reparation. and when we think how many we have let pass without those frank, human, kindly offices we might have rendered, the knowledge that we also shall be gathered to our people comes in as very cheering. it is a grateful thought that there is a place where we shall be able to live rightly, where selfishness will not intrude and spoil all, but will leave us free to be to our neighbour all that we ought to be and all that we would be. xxv. _joseph's dreams._ genesis xxxvii. "surely the wrath of man shall praise thee."--psalm lxxvi. 10. the migration of israel from canaan to egypt was a step of prime importance in the history. great difficulties surrounded it, and very extraordinary means were used to bring it about. the preparatory steps occupied about twenty years, and nearly a fourth of the book of genesis is devoted to this period. this migration was a new idea. so little was it the result of an accidental dearth, or of any of those unforeseen calamities which cause families to emigrate from our own country, that god had forewarned abraham himself that it must be. but only when it was becoming matter of actual experience and of history did god make known the precise object to be accomplished by it. this he makes known to jacob as he passes from canaan; and as, in abandoning the land he had so painfully won, his heart sinks, he is sustained by the assurance, "fear not to go down into egypt; i will there make thee a great nation." the meaning of the step and the suitableness of the time and of the place to which israel migrated, are apparent. for more than two hundred years now had abraham and his descendants been wandering as pilgrims, and as yet there were no signs of god's promise being kept to them. that promise had been of a land and of a seed. great fecundity had been promised to the race; but instead of that there had been a remarkable and perplexing barrenness, so that after two centuries one tent could contain the whole male population. in jacob's time the population began to increase, but just in proportion as this part of the promise showed signs of fulfilment did the other part seem precarious. for, in proportion to their increase, the family became hostile to the canaanites, and how should they ever get past that critical point in their history at which they would be strong enough to excite the suspicion, jealousy, and hatred of the indigenous tribes, and yet not strong enough to defend themselves against this enmity? their presence was tolerated, just as our countrymen tolerated the presence of french refugees, on the score of their impotence to do harm. they were placed in a quite anomalous position; a single family who had continued for two hundred years in a land which they could only seem in jest to call theirs, dwelling as guests amid the natives, maintaining peculiar forms of worship and customs. collision with the inhabitants seemed unavoidable as soon as their real character and pretensions oozed out, and as soon as it seemed at all likely that they really proposed to become owners and masters in the land. and, in case of such collision, what could be the result, but that which has ever followed where a few score men, brave enough to be cut down where they stood, have been exposed to mass after mass of fierce and blood-thirsty barbarians? a small number of men have often made good their entrance into lands where the inhabitants greatly outnumbered them, but these have commonly been highly disciplined troops, as in the case of the handful of spaniards who seized mexico and peru; or they have been backed by a power which could aid with vast resources, as when the romans held this country, or when the english lad in india left his pen on his desk and headed his few resolute countrymen, and held his own against unnumbered millions. it may be argued that if even abraham with his own household swept canaan clear of invaders, it might now have been possible for his grandson to do as much with increased means at his disposal. but, not to mention that every man has not the native genius for command and military enterprise which abraham had, it must be taken into account that a force which is quite sufficient for a marauding expedition or a night attack, is inadequate for the exigencies of a campaign of several years' duration. the war which jacob must have waged, had hostilities been opened, must have been a war of extermination, and such a war must have desolated the house of israel if victorious, and, more probably by far, would have quite annihilated it. it is to obviate these dangers, and to secure that israel grow without let or hindrance, that jacob's household is removed to a land where protection and seclusion would at once be secured to them. in the land of goshen, secured from molestation partly by the influence of joseph, but much more by the caste-prejudices of the egyptians, and their hatred of all foreigners, and shepherds in particular, they enjoyed such prosperity and attained so rapidly the magnitude of a nation that some, forgetful alike of the promise of god and of the natural advantages of israel's position, have refused to credit the accounts given us of the increase in their population. in a land so roomy, so fertile, and so secluded as that in which they were now settled, they had every advantage for making the transition from a family to a nation. here they were preserved from all temptation to mingle with neighbours of a different race, and so lose their special place as a people called out by god to stand alone. the egyptians would have scorned the marriages which the canaanites passionately solicited. here the very contempt in which they were held proved to be their most valuable bulwark. and if christians have any of the wisdom of the serpent, they will often find in the contempt or exclusiveness of worldly men a convenient barrier, preventing them, indeed, from enjoying some privileges, but at the same time enabling them, without molestation, to pursue their own way. i believe young people especially feel put about by the deprivations which they have to suffer in order to save their religious scruples; they are shut off from what their friends and associates enjoy, and they perceive that they are not so well liked as they would be had they less desire to live by conscience and by god's will. they feel ostracized, banished, frowned upon, laid under disabilities; but all this has its compensations: it forms for them a kind of goshen where they may worship and increase, it runs a fence around them which keeps them apart from much that tempts and from much that enfeebles. the residence of israel in egypt served another important purpose. by contact with the most civilised people of antiquity they emerged from the semi-barbarous condition in which they had previously been living. going into egypt mere shepherds, as jacob somewhat plaintively and deprecatingly says to pharaoh; not even possessed, so far as we know, of the fundamental arts on which civilisation rests, unable to record in writing the revelations god made, or to read them if recorded; having the most rudimentary ideas of law and justice, and having nothing to keep them together and give them form and strength, save the one idea that god meant to confer on them great distinction; they were transferred into a land where government had been so long established and law had come to be so thoroughly administered that life and property were as safe as among ourselves to-day, where science had made such advances that even the weather-beaten and time-stained relics of it seem to point to regions into which even the bold enterprise of modern investigation has not penetrated, and where all the arts needful for life were in familiar use, and even some practised which modern times have as yet been unable to recover. to no better school could the barbarous sons of bilhah and zilpah have been sent; to no more fitting discipline could the lawless spirits of reuben, simeon, and levi have been subjected. in egypt, where human life was sacred, where truth was worshipped as a deity, and where law was invested with the sanctity which belonged to what was supposed to have descended from heaven, they were brought under influences similar to those which ancient rome exerted over conquered races. the unwitting pioneer of this great movement was a man in all respects fitted to initiate it happily. in joseph we meet a type of character rare in any race, and which, though occasionally reproduced in jewish history, we should certainly not have expected to meet with at so early a period. for what chiefly strikes one in joseph is a combination of grace and power, which is commonly looked upon as the peculiar result of civilising influences, knowledge of history, familiarity with foreign races, and hereditary dignity. in david we find a similar flexibility and grace of character, and a similar personal superiority. we find the same bright and humorous disposition helping him to play the man in adverse circumstances; but we miss in david joseph's self-control and incorruptible purity, as we also miss something of his capacity for difficult affairs of state. in daniel this latter capacity is abundantly present, and a facility equal to joseph's in dealing with foreigners, and there is also a certain grace or nobility in the jewish vizier; but joseph had a surplus of power which enabled him to be cheerful and alert in doleful circumstances, which daniel would certainly have borne manfully but probably in a sterner and more passive mood. joseph, indeed, seemed to inherit and happily combine the highest qualities of his ancestors. he had abraham's dignity and capacity, isaac's purity and power of self-devotion, jacob's cleverness and buoyancy and tenacity. from his mother's family he had personal beauty, humour, and management. a young man of such capabilities could not long remain insensible to his own powers or indifferent to his own destiny. indeed, the conduct of his father and brothers towards him must have made him self-conscious, even though he had been wholly innocent of introspection. the force of the impression he produced on his family may be measured by the circumstance that the princely dress given him by his father did not excite his brothers' ridicule but their envy and hatred. in this dress there was a manifest suitableness to his person, and this excited them to a keen resentment of the distinction. so too they felt that his dreams were not the mere whimsicalities of a lively fancy, but were possessed of a verisimilitude which gave them importance. in short, the dress and the dreams were insufferably exasperating to the brothers, because they proclaimed and marked in a definite way the feeling of joseph's superiority which had already been vaguely rankling in their consciousness. and it is creditable to joseph that this superiority should first have emerged in connection with a point of conduct. it was in moral stature that the sons of bilhah and zilpah felt that they were outgrown by the stripling whom they carried with them as their drudge. neither are we obliged to suppose that joseph was a gratuitous tale-bearer, or that when he carried their evil report to his father he was actuated by a prudish, censorious, or in any way unworthy spirit. that he very well knew how to hold his tongue no man ever gave more adequate proof; but he that understands that there is a time to keep silence necessarily sees also that there is a time to speak. and no one can tell what torture that pure young soul may have endured in the remote pastures, when left alone to withstand day after day the outrage of these coarse and unscrupulous men. an elder brother, if he will, can more effectually guard the innocence of a younger brother than any other relative can, but he can also inflict a more exquisite torture. joseph, then, could not but come to think of his future and of his destiny in this family. that his father should make a pet of him rather than of benjamin, he would refer to the circumstance that he was the oldest son of the wife of his choice, of her whom first he had loved, and who had no rival while he lived. to so charming a companion as joseph must always have been, jacob would naturally impart all the traditions and hopes of the family. in him he found a sympathetic and appreciative listener, who wiled him on to endless narrative, and whose imaginativeness quickened his own hopes and made the future seem grander and the world more wide. and what jacob had to tell could fall into no kindlier soil than the opening mind of joseph. no hint was lost, every promise was interpreted by some waiting aspiration. and thus, like every youth of capacity, he came to have his day-dreams. these day-dreams, though derided by those who cannot see the cæsar in the careless trifler, and though often awkward and even offensive in their expression, are not always the mere discontented cravings of youthful vanity, but are frequently instinctive gropings towards the position which the nature is fitted to fill. "our wishes," it has been said, "are the forefeeling of our capabilities;" and certainly where there is any special gift or genius in a man, the wish of his youth is predictive of the attainment of manhood. whims, no doubt, there are, passing phases through which natural growth carries us, flutterings of the needle when too near some powerful influence; yet amidst all variations the true direction will be discernible and ultimately will be dominant. and it is a great art to discover what we are fit for, so that we may settle down to our own work, or patiently wait for our own place, without enviously striving to rob every other man of his crown and so losing our own. it is an art that saves us much fretting and disappointment and waste of time, to understand early in life what it is we can accomplish, and what precisely we mean to be at; "to recognise in our personal gifts or station, in the circumstances and complications of our life, in our relations to others, or to the world--the will of god teaching us what we are, and for what we ought to live." how much of life often is gone before its possessor sees the use he can put it to, and ceases to beat the air! how much of life is an ill-considered but passionate striving after what can never be attained, or a vain imitation of persons who have quite different talents and opportunities from ourselves, and who are therefore set to quite another work than ours. it was because joseph's dreams embodied his waking ambition that they were of importance. dreams become significant when they are the concentrated essence of the main stream of the waking thoughts, and picturesquely exhibit the tendency of the character. "in a dream," says elihu, "in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose." this is precisely the use of dreams: our tendencies, unbridled by reason and fact, run on to results; the purposes which the business and other good influences of the day have kept down act themselves out in our dreams, and we see the character unimpeded by social checks, and as it would be were it unmodified by the restraints and efforts and external considerations of our conscious hours. our vanity, our pride, our malice, our impurity, our deceit, our every evil passion, has free play, and shows us its finished result, and in so vivid and true though caricatured a form that we are startled and withdrawn from our purpose. the evil thought we have suffered to creep about our heart seems in our dreams to become a deed, and we wake in horror and thank god we can yet refrain. thus the poor woman, who in utter destitution was beginning to find her child a burden, dreamt she had drowned it, and woke in horror at the fancied sound of the plunge--woke to clasp her little one to her breast with the thrill of a grateful affection that never again gave way. so that while no man is so foolish as to expect instruction from every dream any more than from every thought that visits his waking mind, yet every one who has been accumulating some knowledge of himself is aware that he has drawn a large part of this from his unconscious hours. as the naturalist would know but a small part of the animal kingdom by studying the creatures that show themselves in the daylight, so there are moles and bats of the spirit that exhibit themselves most freely in the darkness; and there are jungles and waste places in the character which, if you look on them only in the sunshine, may seem safe and lovely, but which at night show themselves to be full of all loathsome and savage beasts. with the simplicity of a guileless mind, and with the natural proneness of members of one family to tell in the morning the dreams they have had, joseph tells to the rest what seems to himself interesting, if not very suggestive. possibly he thought very little of his dream till he saw how much importance his brothers attached to it. possibly there might be discernible in his tone and look some mixture of youthful arrogance. and in his relation of the second dream, there was discernible at least a confidence that it would be realised, which was peculiarly intolerable to his brothers, and to his father seemed a dangerous symptom that called for rebuke. and yet "his father observed the saying;" as a parent has sometimes occasion to check his child, and yet, having done so, feels that that does not end the matter; that his boy and he are in somewhat different spheres, so that while he was certainly justified in punishing such and such a manifestation of his character, there is yet something behind that he does not quite understand, and for which possibly punishment may not be exactly the suitable award. we fall into jacob's mistake when we refuse to acknowledge as genuine and god-inspired any religious experience which we ourselves have not passed through, and which appears in a guise that is not only unfamiliar, but that is in some particulars objectionable. up to the measure of our own religious experience, we recognise as genuine, and sympathise with, the parallel experience of others; but when they rise above us and get beyond us, we begin to speak of them as visionaries, enthusiasts, dreamers. we content ourselves with pointing again and again to the blots in their manner, and refuse to read the future through the ideas they add to our knowledge. but the future necessarily lies, not in the definite and finished attainment, but in the indefinite and hazy and dream-like germs that have yet growth in them. the future is not with jacob, the rebuker, but with the dreaming, and, possibly, somewhat offensive joseph. it was certainly a new element joseph introduced into the experience of god's people. he saw, obscurely indeed, but with sufficient clearness to make him thoughtful, that the man whom god chooses and makes a blessing to others is so far advanced above his fellows that they lean upon him and pay him homage as if he were in the place of god to them. he saw that his higher powers were to be used for his brethren, and that the high destiny he somehow felt to be his was to be won by doing service so essential that his family would bow before him and give themselves into his hand. he saw this, as every man whose love keeps pace with his talent sees it, and he so far anticipated the dignity of him who, in the deepest self-sacrifice, assumed a position and asserted claims which enraged his brethren and made even his believing mother marvel. joseph knew that the welfare of his family rested not with the esau-like good-nature of reuben, still less with the fanatical ferocity of simeon and levi, not with the servile patience of issachar, nor with the natural force and dignity of judah, but with some deeper qualities which, if he himself did not yet possess, he at least valued and aspired to. whatever joseph thought of the path by which he was to reach the high dignity which his dreams foreshadowed, he was soon to learn that the path was neither easy nor short. each man thinks that, for himself at least, an exceptional path will be broken out, and that without difficulties and humiliations he will inherit the kingdom. but it cannot be so. and as the first step a lad takes towards the attainment of his position often involves him in trouble and covers him with confusion, and does so even although he ultimately finds that it was the only path by which he could have reached his goal; so, that which was really the first step towards joseph's high destiny, no doubt seemed to him most calamitous and fatal. it certainly did so to his brothers, who thought that they were effectually and for ever putting an end to joseph's pretensions. "behold, this dreamer cometh; come now therefore, and let us slay him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams." they were, however, so far turned from their purpose by reuben as to put him in a pit, meaning to leave him to die; and, doubtless, they thought themselves lenient in doing so. the less violent the death inflicted, the less of murder seems to be in it; so that he who slowly kills the body by only wounding the affections often counts himself no murderer at all, because he strikes no blood-shedding blow, and can deceive himself into the idea that it is the working of his victim's own spirit that is doing the damage. the tank into which joseph's brethren cast him was apparently one of those huge reservoirs excavated by shepherds in the east, that they may have a supply of water for their flocks in the end of the dry season, when the running waters fail them. being so narrow at the mouth that they can be covered by a single stone, they gradually widen and form a large subterranean room; and the facility they thus afford for the confinement of prisoners was from the first too obvious not to be commonly taken advantage of. in such a place was joseph left to die: under the ground, sinking in mire, his flesh creeping at the touch of unseen slimy creatures, in darkness, alone; that is to say, in a species of confinement which tames the most reckless and maddens the best balanced spirits, which shakes the nerve of the calmest, and has sometimes left the blankness of idiocy in masculine understandings. a few wild cries that ring painfully round his prison show him he need expect no help from without; a few wild and desperate beatings round the shelving walls of rock show him there is no possibility of escape; he covers his face, or casts himself on the floor of his dungeon to escape within himself, but only to find this also in vain, and to rise and renew efforts he knows to be fruitless. here, then, is what has come of his fine dreams. with shame he now remembers the beaming confidence with which he had related them; with bitterness he thinks of the bright life above him, from which these few feet cut him so absolutely off, and of the quick termination that has been put to all his hopes. into such tanks do young persons especially get cast; finding themselves suddenly dropped out of the lively scenery and bright sunshine in which they have been living, down into roomy graves where they seem left to die at leisure. they had conceived a way of being useful in the world; they had found an aim or a hope; they had, like joseph, discerned their place and were making towards it, when suddenly they seem to be thrown out and are left to learn that the world can do very well without them, that the sun and moon and the eleven stars do not drop from their courses or make wail because of their sad condition. high aims and commendable purposes are not so easily fulfilled as they fancied. the faculty and desire in them to be of service are not recognised. men do not make room for them, and god seems to disregard the hopes he has excited in them. the little attempt at living they have made seems only to have got themselves and others into trouble. they begin to think it a mistake their being in the world at all; they curse the day of their birth. others are enjoying this life, and seem to be making something of it, having found work that suits and develops them; but, for their own part, they cannot get fitted into life at any point, and are excluded from the onward movement of the world. they are again and again flung back, until they fear they are not to see the fulfilment of any one bright dream that has ever visited them, and that they are never, never at all, to live out the life it is in them to live, or find light and scope for maturing those germs of the rich human nature that they feel within them. all this is in the way to attainment. this or that check, this long burial for years, does not come upon you merely because stoppage and hindrance have been useful to others, but because your advancement lies through these experiences. young persons naturally feel strongly that life is all before them, that this life is, in the first place, their concern, and that god must be proved sufficient for this life, able to bring them to their ideal. and the first lesson they have to learn is, that mere youthful confidence and energy are not the qualities that overcome the world. they have to learn that humility, and the ambition that seeks great things, but not for ourselves, are the qualities really indispensable. but do men become humble by being told to become so, or by knowing they ought to be so? god must make us humble by the actual experience we meet with in our ordinary life. joseph, no doubt, knew very well, what his aged grandfather must often have told him, that a man must die before he begins to live. but what could an ambitious, happy youth make of this, till he was thrown into the pit and left there? as truly passing through the bitterness of death as isaac had passed through it, and as keenly feeling the pain of severance from the light of life. then, no doubt, he thought of isaac, and of isaac's god, till between himself and the impenetrable dungeon-walls the everlasting arms seemed to interpose, and through the darkness of his death-like solitude the face of jacob's god appeared to beam upon him, and he came to feel what we must, by some extremity, all be made to feel, that it was not in this world's life but in god he lived, that nothing could befall him which god did not will, and that what god had for him to do, god would enable him to do. the heartless barbarity with which the brethren of joseph sat down to eat and drink the very dainties he had brought them from his father, while they left him, as they thought, to starve, has been regarded by all later generations as the height of hard-hearted indifference. amos, at a loss to describe the recklessness of his own generation, falls back upon this incident, and cries woe upon those "that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointment, but they are not grieved for the affliction of joseph." we reflect, if we do not substantially reproduce, their sin when we are filled with animosity against those who usher in some higher kind of life, effort, or worship, than we ourselves as yet desire or are fit for, and which, therefore, reflects shame on our incapacity; and when we would fain, without using violence, get rid of such persons. there are often schemes set on foot by better men than ourselves, against which somehow our spirit rises, yet which, did we consider, we should at the most say with the cautious gamaliel, let us beware of doing anything to hinder this, let us see whether, perchance, it be not of god. sometimes there are in families individuals who do not get the encouragement in well-doing they might expect in a christian family, but are rather frowned upon and hindered by the other members of it, because they seem to be inaugurating a higher style of religion than the family is used to, and to be reflecting from their own conduct a condemnation of what has hitherto been current. this treatment, who among us has not extended to him who in his whole experience so closely resembles joseph? so long as christ is to us merely, as it were, the pet of the family, the innocent, guileless, loving being on whom we can heap pretty epithets, and in whom we find play for our best affections, to whom it is easier to show ourselves affectionate and well-disposed than to the brothers who mingle with us in all our pursuits; so long as he remains to us as a child whose demands it is a relaxation to fulfil, we fancy that we are giving him our hearts, and that he, if any, has our love. but when he declares to us his dreams, and claims to be our lord, to whom with most absolute homage we must bow, who has a right to rule and means to rule over us, who will have his will done by us and not our own, then the love we fancied seems to pass into something like aversion. his purposes we would fain believe to be the idle fancies of a dreamer which he himself does not expect us to pay much heed to. and if we do not resent the absolute surrender of ourselves to him which he demands, if the bowing down of our fullest sheaves and brightest glory to him is too little understood by us to be resented; if we think such dreams are not to come true, and that he does not mean much by demanding our homage, and therefore do not resent the demand; yet possibly we can remember with shame how we have "anointed ourselves with the chief ointment," lain listlessly enjoying some of those luxuries which our brother has brought us from the father's house, and yet let himself and his cause be buried out of sight--enjoyed the good name of christian, the pleasant social refinements of a christian land, even the peace of conscience which the knowledge of the christian's god produces, and yet turned away from the deeper emotions which his personal entreaties stir, and from those self-sacrificing efforts which his cause requires if it is to prosper. there are, too, unstable reubens still, whom something always draws aside, and who are ever out of the way when most needed; who, like him, are on the other side of the hill when christ's cause is being betrayed; who still count their own private business that which must be done, and god's work that which may be done--work for themselves necessary, and god's work only voluntary and in the second place. and there are also those who, though they would be honestly shocked to be charged with murdering christ's cause, can yet leave it to perish. xxvi. _joseph in prison._ genesis xxxix. "blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life."--james i. 12. dramatists and novelists who make it their business to give accurate representations of human life, proceed upon the understanding that there is a plot in it, and that if you take the beginning or middle without the end, you must fail to comprehend these prior parts. and a plot is pronounced good in proportion as, without violating truth to nature, it brings the leading characters into situations of extreme danger or distress, from which there seems no possible exit, and in which the characters themselves may have fullest opportunity to display and ripen their individual excellences. a life is judged poor and without significance, certainly unworthy of any longer record than a monumental epitaph may contain, if there be in it no critical passages, no emergencies when all anticipation of the next step is baffled, or when ruin seems certain. though it has been brought to a successful issue, yet, to make it worthy of our consideration, it must have been brought to this issue through hazard, through opposition, contrary to many expectations that were plausibly entertained at the several stages of its career all men, in short, are agreed that the value of a human life consists very much in the hazards and conflicts through which it is carried; and yet we resent god's dealing with us when it comes to be our turn to play the hero, and by patient endurance and righteous endeavour to bring our lives to a successful issue. how flat and tame would this narrative have read had joseph by easy steps come to the dignity he at last reached through a series of misadventures that called out and ripened all that was manly and strong and tender in his character. and take out of your own life all your difficulties, all that ever pained, agitated, depressed you, all that disappointed or postponed your expectations, all that suddenly called upon you to act in trying situations, all that thoroughly put you to the proof--take all this away, and what do you leave, but a blank insipid life that not even yourself can see any interest in? and when we speak of joseph's life as typical, we mean that it illustrates on a great scale and in picturesque and memorable situations principles which are obscurely operative in our own experience. it pleases the fancy to trace the incidental analogies between the life of joseph and that of our lord. as our lord, so joseph was the beloved of his father, sent by him to visit his brethren, and see after their well-being, seized and sold by them to strangers, and thus raised to be their saviour and the saviour of the world. joseph in prison pronouncing the doom of one of his fellow-prisoners and the exaltation of the other, suggests the scene on calvary where the one fellow-sufferer was taken, the other left. joseph's contemporaries had of course no idea that his life foreshadowed the life of the redeemer, yet they must have seen, or ought to have seen, that the deepest humiliation is often the path to the highest exaltation, that the deliverer sent by god to save a people may come in the guise of a slave, and that false accusations, imprisonment, years of suffering, do not make it impossible nor even unlikely that he who endures all these may be god's chosen son. in joseph's being lifted out of the pit only to pass into slavery, many a man of joseph's years has seen a picture of what has happened to himself. from a position in which they have been as if buried alive, young men not uncommonly emerge into a position preferable certainly to that out of which they have been brought, but in which they are compelled to work beyond their strength, and _that_ for some superior in whom they have no special interest. grinding toil, and often cruel insult, are their portion; and no necklace heavy with tokens of honour that afterwards may be allotted them can ever quite hide the scars made by the iron collar of the slave. one need not pity them over much, for they are young and have a whole life-time of energy and power of resistance in their spirit. and yet they will often call themselves slaves, and complain that all the fruit of their labour passes over to others and away from themselves, and all prospect of the fulfilment of their former dreams is quite cut off. that which haunts their heart by day and by night, that which they seem destined and fit for, they never get time nor liberty to work out and attain. they are never viewed as proprietors of themselves, who may possibly have interests of their own and hopes of their own. in joseph's case there were many aggravations of the soreness of such a condition. he had not one friend in the country. he had no knowledge of the language, no knowledge of any trade that could make him valuable in egypt--nothing, in short, but his own manhood and his faith in god. his introduction to egypt was of the most dispiriting kind. what could he expect from strangers, if his own brothers had found him so obnoxious? now when a man is thus galled and stung by injury, and has learned how little he can depend upon finding good faith and common justice in the world, his character will show itself in the attitude he assumes towards men and towards life generally. a weak nature, when it finds itself thus deceived and injured, will sullenly surrender all expectation of good, and will vent its spleen on the world by angry denunciations of the heartless and ungrateful ways of men. a proud nature will gather itself up from every blow, and determinedly work its way to an adequate revenge. a mean nature will accept its fate, and while it indulges in cynical and spiteful observations on human life, will greedily accept the paltriest rewards it can secure. but the supreme healthiness of joseph's nature resists all the infectious influences that emanate from the world around him, and preserves him from every kind of morbid attitude towards the world and life. so easily did he throw off all vain regrets and stifle all vindictive and morbid feelings, so readily did he adjust himself to and so heartily enter into life as it presented itself to him, that he speedily rose to be overseer in the house of potiphar. his capacity for business, his genial power of devoting himself to other men's interests, his clear integrity, were such, that this officer of pharaoh's could find no more trustworthy servant in all egypt--"he left all that he had in joseph's hand: and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat." thus joseph passed safely through a critical period of his life--the period during which men assume the attitude towards life and their fellow-men which they commonly retain throughout. too often we accept the weapons with which the world challenges us, and seek to force our way by means little more commendable than the injustice and coldness we ourselves resent. joseph gives the first great evidence of moral strength by rising superior to this temptation, to which almost all men in one degree or other succumb. you can hear him saying, deep down in his heart and almost unconsciously to himself: if the world is full of hatred, there is all the more need that at least one man should forgive and love; if men's hearts are black with selfishness, ambition, and lust, all the more reason for me to be pure and to do my best for all whom my service can reach; if cruelty, lying, and fraud meet me at every step, all the more am i called to conquer these by integrity and guilelessness. his capacity, then, and power of governing others, were no longer dreams of his own, but qualities with which he was accredited by those who judged dispassionately and from the bare actual results. but this recognition and promotion brought with it serious temptation. so capable a person was he that a year or two had brought him to the highest post he could expect as a slave. his advancement, therefore, only brought his actual attainment into more painful contrast with the attainment of his dreams. as this sense of disappointment becomes more familiar to his heart, and threatens, under the monotonous routine of his household work, to deepen into a habit, there suddenly opens to him a new and unthought-of path to high position. an intrigue with potiphar's wife might lead to the very advancement he sought. it might lift him out of the condition of a slave. it may have been known to him that other men had not scrupled so to promote their own interests. besides, joseph was young, and a nature like his, lively and sympathetic, must have felt deeply that in his position he was not likely to meet such a woman as could command his cordial love. that the temptation was in any degree to the sensual side of his nature there is no evidence whatever. for all that the narrative says, potiphar's wife may not have been attractive in person. she _may_ have been; and as she used persistently, "day by day," every art and wile by which she could lure joseph to her mind, in some of his moods and under such circumstances as she would study to arrange he may have felt even this element of the temptation. but it is too little observed, and especially by young men who have most need to observe it, that in such temptations it is not only what is sensual that needs to be guarded against, but also two much deeper-lying tendencies--the craving for loving recognition, and the desire to respond to the feminine love for admiration and devotion. the latter tendency may not seem dangerous, but i am sure that if an analysis could be made of the broken hearts and shame-crushed lives around us, it would be found that a large proportion of misery is due to a kind of uncontrolled and mistaken chivalry. men of masculine make are prone to show their regard for women. this regard, when genuine and manly, will show itself in purity of sympathy and respectful attention. but when this regard is debased by a desire to please and ingratiate oneself, men are precipitated into the unseemly expressions of a spurious manhood. the other craving--the craving for love--acts also in a somewhat latent way. it is this craving which drives men to seek to satisfy themselves with the expressions of love, as if thus they could secure love itself. they do not distinguish between the two; they do not recognise that what they most deeply desire is love, rather than the expression of it; and they awake to find that precisely in so far as they have accepted the expression without the sentiment, in so far have they put love itself beyond their reach. this temptation was, in joseph's case, aggravated by his being in a foreign country, unrestrained by the expectations of his own family, or by the eye of those he loved. he had, however, that which restrained him, and made the sin seem to him an impossible wickedness, the thought of which he could not, for a moment, entertain. "behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; there is none greater in this house than i; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can i do this great wickedness, and sin against god?" gratitude to the man who had pitied him in the slave market, and shown a generous confidence in a comparative stranger, was, with joseph, a stronger sentiment than any that potiphar's wife could stir in him. one can well believe it. we know what enthusiastic devotedness a young man of any worth delights to give to his superior who has treated him with justice, generosity, and confidence; who himself occupies a station of importance in public life; and who, by a dignified graciousness of demeanour, can make even the slave feel that he too is a man, and that through his slave's dress his proper manhood and worth are recognised. there are few stronger sentiments than the enthusiasm or quiet fidelity that can thus be kindled, and the influence such a superior wields over the young mind is paramount. to disregard the rights of his master seemed to joseph a great wickedness and sin against god. the treachery of the sin strikes him; his native discernment of the true rights of every party in the case cannot, for a moment, be hoodwinked. he is not a man who can, even in the excitement of temptation, overlook the consequences his sin may have on others. not unsteadied by the flattering solicitations of one so much above him in rank, nor sullied by the contagion of her vehement passion; neither afraid to incur the resentment of one who so regarded him, nor kindled to any impure desire by contact with her blazing lust; neither scrupling thoroughly to disappoint her in himself, nor to make her feel her own great guilt, he flung from him the strong inducements that seemed to net him round and entangle him as his garment did, and tore himself, shocked and grieved, from the beseeching hand of his temptress. the incident is related not because it was the most violent temptation to which joseph was ever exposed, but because it formed a necessary link in the chain of circumstances that brought him before pharaoh. and however strong this temptation may have been, more men would be found who could thus have spoken to potiphar's wife than who could have kept silence when accused by potiphar. for his purity you will find his equal, one among a thousand; for his mercy scarcely one. for there is nothing more intensely trying than to live under false and painful accusations, which totally misrepresent and damage your character; which effectually bar your advancement, and which yet you have it in your power to disprove. joseph, feeling his indebtedness to potiphar, contents himself with the simple averment that he himself is innocent. the word is on his tongue that can put a very different face on the matter, but rather than utter that word, joseph will suffer the stroke that otherwise must fall on his master's honour; will pass from his high place and office of trust, through the jeering or possibly compassionating slaves, branded as one who has betrayed the frankest confidence, and is fitter for the dungeon than the stewardship of potiphar. he is content to lie under the cruel suspicion that he had in the foulest way wronged the man whom most he should have regarded, and whom in point of fact he did enthusiastically serve. there was one man in egypt whose good-will he prized, and this man now scorned and condemned him, and this for the very act by which joseph had proved most faithful and deserving. and even after a long imprisonment, when he had now no reputation to maintain, and when such a little bit of court scandal as he could have retailed would have been highly palatable and possibly useful to some of those polished ruffians and adventurers who made their dungeon ring with questionable tales, and with whom the free and levelling intercourse of prison life had put him on the most familiar footing, and when they twitted and taunted him with his supposed crime, and gave him the prison sobriquet that would most pungently embody his villainy and failure, and when it might plausibly have been pleaded by himself that such a woman should be exposed, joseph uttered no word of recrimination, but quietly endured, knowing that god's providence could allow him to be merciful; protesting, when needful, that he himself was innocent, but seeking to entangle no one else in his misfortune. it is this that has made the world seem so terrible a place to many--that the innocent must so often suffer for the guilty, and that, without appeal, the pure and loving must lie in chains and bitterness, while the wicked live and see good days. it is this that has made men most despairingly question whether there be indeed a god in heaven who knows who the real culprit is, and yet suffers a terrible doom slowly to close around the innocent; who sees where the guilt lies, and yet moves no finger nor speaks the word that would bring justice to light, shaming the secure triumph of the wrongdoer, and saving the bleeding spirit from its agony. it was this that came as the last stroke of the passion of our lord, that he was numbered among the transgressors; it was this that caused or materially increased the feeling that god had deserted him; and it was this that wrung from him the cry which once was wrung from david, and may well have been wrung from joseph, when, cast into the dungeon as a mean and treacherous villain, whose freedom was the peril of domestic peace and honour, he found himself again helpless and forlorn, regarded now not as a mere worthless lad, but as a criminal of the lowest type. and as there always recur cases in which exculpation is impossible just in proportion as the party accused is possessed of honourable feeling, and where silent acceptance of doom is the result not of convicted guilt, but of the very triumph of self-sacrifice, we must beware of over-suspicion and injustice. there is nothing in which we are more frequently mistaken than in our suspicions and harsh judgments of others. "but the lord was with joseph, and allowed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison." as in potiphar's house, so in the king's house of detention, joseph's fidelity and serviceableness made him seem indispensable, and by sheer force of character he occupied the place rather of governor than of prisoner. the discerning men he had to do with, accustomed to deal with criminals and suspects of all shades, very quickly perceived that in joseph's case justice was at fault, and that he was a mere scape-goat. well might potiphar's wife, like pilate's, have had warning dreams regarding the innocent person who was being condemned; and probably potiphar himself had suspicion enough of the true state of matters to prevent him from going to extremities with joseph, and so to imprison him more out of deference to the opinion of his household, and for the sake of appearances, than because joseph alone was the object of his anger. at any rate, such was the vitality of joseph's confidence in god, and such was the light-heartedness that sprang from his integrity of conscience, that he was free from all absorbing anxiety about himself, and had leisure to amuse and help his fellow-prisoners, so that such promotion as a gaol could afford he won, from a dungeon to a chain, from a chain to his word of honour. thus even in the unlatticed dungeon the sun and moon look in upon him and bow to him; and while his sheaf seems at its poorest, all rust and mildew, the sheaves of his masters do homage. after the arrival of two such notable criminals as the chief butler and baker of pharaoh--the chamberlain and steward of the royal household--joseph, if sometimes pensive, must yet have had sufficient entertainment at times in conversing with men who stood by the king, and were familiar with the statesmen, courtiers, and military men who frequented the house of potiphar. he had now ample opportunity for acquiring information which afterwards stood him in good stead, for apprehending the character of pharaoh, and for making himself acquainted with many details of his government, and with the general condition of the people. officials in disgrace would be found much more accessible and much more communicative of important information than officials in court favour could have been to one in joseph's position. it is not surprising that three nights before pharaoh's birthday these functionaries of the court should have recalled in sleep such scenes as that day was wont to bring round, nor that they should vividly have seen the parts they themselves used to play in the festival. neither is it surprising that they should have had very anxious thoughts regarding their own fate on a day which was chosen for deciding the fate of political or courtly offenders. but it is remarkable that they having dreamed these dreams joseph should have been found willing to interpret them. one desires some evidence of joseph's attitude towards god during this period when god's attitude towards him might seem doubtful, and especially one would like to know what joseph by this time thought of his juvenile dreams, and whether in the prison his face wore the same beaming confidence in his own future which had smitten the hearts of his brothers with impatient envy of the dreamer. we seek some evidence, and here we find it. joseph's willingness to interpret the dreams of his fellow-prisoners proves that he still believed in his own, that among his other qualities he had this characteristic also of a steadfast and profound soul, that he "reverenced as a man the dreams of his youth." had he not done so, and had he not yet hoped that somehow god would bring truth out of them, he would surely have said: don't you believe in dreams; they will only get you into difficulties. he would have said what some of us could dictate from our own thoughts: i won't meddle with dreams any more; i am not so young as i once was; doctrines and principles that served for fervent romantic youth seem puerile now, when i have learned what human life actually is; i can't ask this man, who knows the world and has held the cup for pharaoh, and is aware what a practical shape the king's anger takes, to cherish hopes similar to those which often seem so remote and doubtful to myself. my religion has brought me into trouble: it has lost me my situation, it has kept me poor, it has made me despised, it has debarred me from enjoyment. can i ask this man to trust to inward whisperings which seem to have so misled me? no, no; let every man bear his own burden. if he wishes to become religious, let not me bear the responsibility. if he will dream, let him find some other interpreter. this casual conversation, then, with his fellow-prisoners was for joseph one of those perilous moments when a man holds his fate in his hand, and yet does not know that he is specially on trial, but has for his guidance and safe-conduct through the hazard only the ordinary safeguards and lights by the aid of which he is framing his daily life. a man cannot be forewarned of trial, if the trial is to be a fair test of his habitual life. he must not be called to the lists by the herald's trumpet warning him to mind his seat and grasp his weapon; but must be suddenly set upon if his habit of steadiness and balance is to be tested, and the warrior-instinct to which the right weapon is ever at hand. as joseph, going the round of his morning duty and spreading what might stir the appetite of these dainty courtiers, noted the gloom on their faces, had he not been of a nature to take upon himself the sorrows of others, he might have been glad to escape from their presence, fearful lest he should be infected by their depression, or should become an object on which they might vent their ill-humour. but he was girt with a healthy cheerfulness that could bear more than his own burden; and his pondering of his own experience made him sensitive to all that affected the destinies of other men. thus joseph in becoming the interpreter of the dreams of other men became the fulfiller of his own. had he made light of the dreams of his fellow-prisoners because he had already made light of his own, he would, for aught we can see, have died in the dungeon. and, indeed, what hope is left for a man, and what deliverance is possible, when he makes light of his own most sacred experience, and doubts whether after all there was any divine voice in that part of his life which once he felt to be full of significance? sadness, cynical worldliness, irritability, sour and isolating selfishness, rapid deterioration in every part of the character--these are the results which follow our repudiation of past experience and denial of truth that once animated and purified us; when, at least, this repudiation and denial are not themselves the results of our advance to a higher, more animating, and more purifying truth. we cannot but leave behind us many "childish things," beliefs that we now recognise as mere superstitions, hopes and fears which do not move the maturer mind; we cannot but seek always to be stripping ourselves of modes of thinking which have served their purpose and are out of date, but we do so only for the sake of attaining freer movement in all serviceable and righteous conduct, and more adequate covering for the permanent weaknesses of our own nature--"not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon," that truth partial and dawning may be swallowed up in the perfect light of noon. and when a supposed advance in the knowledge of things spiritual robs us of all that sustains true spiritual life in us, and begets an angry contempt of our own past experience and a proud scorning of the dreams that agitate other men; when it ministers not at all to the growth in us of what is tender and pure and loving and progressive, but hardens us to a sullen or coarsely riotous or coldly calculating character, we cannot but question whether it is not a delusion rather than a truth that has taken possession of us. if it is fanciful, it is yet almost inevitable, to compare joseph at this stage of his career to the great interpreter who stands between god and us, and makes all his signs intelligible. those egyptians could not forbear honouring joseph, who was able to solve to them the mysteries on the borders of which the egyptian mind continually hovered, and which it symbolized by its mysterious sphinxes, its strange chambers of imagery, its unapproachable divinities. and we bow before the lord jesus christ, because he can read our fate and unriddle all our dim anticipations of good and evil, and make intelligible to us the visions of our own hearts. there is that in us, as in these men, from which a skilled eye could already read our destiny. in the eye of one who sees the end from the beginning, and can distinguish between the determining influences of character and the insignificant manifestations of a passing mood, we are already designed to our eternal places. and it is in christ alone your future is explained. you cannot understand your future without taking him into your confidence. you go forward blindly to meet you know not what, unless you listen to his interpretation of the vague presentiments that visit you. without him what can we make of those suspicions of a future judgment, or of those yearnings after god, that hang about our hearts? without him what can we make of the idea and hope of a better life than we are now living, or of the strange persuasion that all will yet be well--a persuasion that seems so groundless, and which yet will not be shaken off, but finds its explanation in christ? the excess of side light that falls across our path from the present seems only to make the future more obscure and doubtful, and from him alone do we receive any interpretation of ourselves that even seems to be satisfying. our fellow-prisoners are often seen to be so absorbed in their own affairs that it is vain to seek light from them; but he, with patient, self-forgetting friendliness, is ever disengaged, and even elicits, by the kindly and interrogating attitude he takes towards us, the utterance of all our woes and perplexities. and it is because he has had dreams himself that he has become so skilled an interpreter of ours. it is because in his own life he had his mind hard pressed for a solution of those very problems which baffle us, because he had for himself to adjust god's promise to the ordinary and apparently casual and untoward incidents of a human life, and because he had to wait long before it became quite clear how one scripture after another was to be fulfilled by a course of simple confiding obedience--it is because of this experience of his own, that he can now enter into and rightly guide to its goal every longing we cherish. xxvii. _pharaoh's dreams._ genesis xli. "thus saith the lord, that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers: that saith of cyrus, he is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure."--isa. xliv. 25, 28. the preceding act in this great drama--the act comprising the scenes of joseph's temptation, unjust imprisonment, and interpretation of his fellow-prisoners' dreams--was written for the sake of explaining how joseph came to be introduced to pharaoh. other friendships may have been formed in the prison, and other threads may have been spun which went to make up the life of joseph, but this only is pursued. for a time, however, there seemed very little prospect that this would prove to be the thread on which his destiny hung. joseph made a touching appeal to the chief butler: "yet did not the chief butler remember joseph, but forgat him." you can see him in the joy of his release affectionately pressing joseph's hand as the king's messengers knocked off his fetters. you can see him assuring joseph, by his farewell look, that he might trust him; mistaking mere elation at his own release for warmth of feeling towards joseph, though perhaps even already feeling just the slightest touch of awkwardness at being seen on such intimate terms with a hebrew slave. how could he, when in the palace of pharaoh and decorated with the insignia of his office and surrounded by courtiers, break through the formal etiquette of the place? what with the pleasant congratulations of old friends, and the accumulation of business since he had been imprisoned, and the excitement of restoration from so low and hopeless to so high and busy a position, the promise to joseph is obliterated from his mind. if it once or twice recurs to his memory, he persuades himself he is waiting for a good opening to mention joseph. it would perhaps be unwarrantable to say that he admits the idea that he is in no way indebted to joseph, since all that joseph had done was to interpret, but by no means to determine, his fate. the analogy which we could not help seeing between joseph's relation to his fellow-prisoners, and our lord's relation to us, pursues us here. for does not the bond between us and him seem often very slender, when once we have received from him the knowledge of the king's good-will, and find ourselves set in a place of security? is not christ with many a mere stepping-stone for their own advancement, and of interest only so long as they are in anxiety about their own fate? their regard for him seems abruptly to terminate as soon as they are ushered to freer air. brought for a while into contact with him, the very peace and prosperity which that intercourse has introduced them to become opiates to dull their memory and their gratitude. they have received all they at present desire, they have no more dreams, their life has become so plain and simple and glad that they need no interpreter. they seem to regard him no more than an official is regarded who is set to discharge to all comers some duty for which he is paid; who mingles no love with his work, and from whom they would receive the same benefits whether he had any personal interest in them or no. but there is no christianity where there is no loving remembrance of christ. if your contact with him has not made him your friend whom you can by no possibility forget, you have missed the best result of your introduction to him. it makes one think meanly of the chief butler that such a personality as joseph's had not more deeply impressed him--that everything he heard and saw among the courtiers did not make him say to himself: there is a friend of mine, in prison hard by, that for beauty, wisdom, and vivacity would more than match the finest of you all. and it says very little for us if we can have known anything of christ without seeing that in him we have what is nowhere else, and without finding that he has become the necessity of our life to whom we turn at every point. but, as things turned out, it was perhaps as well for joseph that his promising friend did forget him. for, supposing the chief butler had overcome his natural reluctance to increase his own indebtedness to pharaoh by interceding for a friend, supposing he had been willing to risk the friendship of the captain of the guard by interfering in so delicate a matter, and supposing pharaoh had been willing to listen to him, what would have been the result? probably that joseph would have been sold away to the quarries, for certainly he could not have been restored to potiphar's house; or, at the most, he might have received his liberty, and a free pass out of egypt. that is to say, he would have obtained liberty to return to sheep-shearing and cattle-dealing and checkmating his brother's plots. in any probable case his career would have tended rather towards obscurity than towards the fulfilment of his dreams. there seems equal reason to congratulate joseph on his friend's forgetfulness, when we consider its probable effects, not on his career, but on his character. when he was left in prison after so sudden and exciting an incursion of the outer world as the king's messengers would make, his mind must have run chiefly in two lines of thought. naturally he would feel some envy of the man who was being restored; and when day after day passed and more than the former monotony of prison routine palled on his spirit; when he found how completely he was forgotten, and how friendless and lone a creature he was in that strange land where things had gone so mysteriously against him; when he saw before him no other fate than that which he had seen befall so many a slave thrown into a dungeon at his master's pleasure and never more heard of, he must have been sorely tempted to hate the whole world, and especially those brethren who had been the beginning of all his misfortunes. had there been any selfishness in solution in joseph's character, this is the point at which it would have quickly crystallized into permanent forms. for nothing more certainly elicits and confirms selfishness than bad treatment. but from his conduct on his release, we see clearly enough that through all this trying time his heroism was not only that of the strong man who vows that though the whole world is against him the day will come when the world shall have need of him, but of the saint of god in whom suffering and injustice leave no bitterness against his fellows, nor even provoke one slightest morbid utterance. but another process must have been going on in joseph's mind at the same time. he must have felt that it was a very serious thing that he had been called upon to do in interpreting god's will to his fellow-prisoners. no doubt he fell into it quite naturally and aptly, because it was liker his proper vocation, and more of his character could come out in it than in anything he had yet done. still, to be mixed up thus with matters of life and death concerning other people, and to have men of practical ability and experience and high position listening to him as to an oracle, and to find that in very truth a great power was committed to him, was calculated to have _some_ considerable result one way or other on joseph. and these two years of unrelieved and sobering obscurity cannot but be considered most opportune. for one of two things is apt to follow the world's first recognition of a man's gifts. he is either induced to pander to the world's wonder and become artificial and strained in all he does, so losing the spontaneity and naturalness and sincerity which characterise the best work; or he is awed and steadied. and whether the one or the other result follow, will depend very much on the other things that are happening to him. in joseph's case it was probably well that after having made proof of his powers he was left in such circumstances as would not only give him time for reflection, but also give a humble and believing turn to his reflections. he was not at once exalted to the priestly caste, nor enrolled among the wise men, nor put in any position in which he would have been under constant temptation to display and trifle with his power; and so he was led to the conviction that deeper even than the joy of receiving the recognition and gratitude of men was the abiding satisfaction of having done the thing god had given him to do. these two years, then, during which joseph's active mind must necessarily have been forced to provide food for itself, and have been thrown back upon his past experience, seem to have been of eminent service in maturing his character. the self-possessed dignity and ease of command which appear in him from the moment when he is ushered into pharaoh's presence have their roots in these two years of silence. as the bones of a strong man are slowly, imperceptibly knit, and gradually take the shape and texture they retain throughout; so during these years there was silently and secretly consolidating a character of almost unparalleled calmness and power. one has no words to express how tantalizing it must have been to joseph to see this egyptian have his dreams so gladly and speedily fulfilled, while he himself, who had so long waited on the true god, was left waiting still, and now so utterly unbefriended that there seemed no possible way of ever again connecting himself with the world outside the prison walls. being pressed thus for an answer to the question, what does god mean to make of my life? he was brought to see and to hold as the most important truth for him, that the first concern is, that god's purposes be accomplished; the second, that his own dreams be fulfilled. he was enabled, as we shall see in the sequel, to put god truly in the first place, and to see that by forwarding the interests of other men, even though they were but light-minded chief butlers at a foreign court, he might be as serviceably furthering the purposes of god, as if he were forwarding his own interests. he was compelled to seek for some principle that would sustain and guide him in the midst of much disappointment and perplexity, and he found it in the conviction that the essential thing to be accomplished in this world, and to which every man must lay his shoulder, is god's purpose. let that go on, and all else that should go on will go on. and he further saw that he best fulfils god's purpose who, without anxiety and impatience, does the duty of the day, and gives himself without stint to the "charities that soothe and heal and bless." his perception of the breadth of god's purpose, and his profound and sympathetic and active submission to it, were qualities too rare not to be called into influential exercise. after two years he is suddenly summoned to become god's interpreter to pharaoh. the egyptian king was in the unhappy though not uncommon position of having a revelation from god which he could not read, intimations and presentiments he could not interpret. to one man is given the revelation, to another the interpretation. the official dignity of the king is respected, and to him is given the revelation which concerns the welfare of the whole people. but to read god's meaning in a revelation requires a spiritual intelligence trained to sympathy with his purposes, and such a spirit was found in joseph alone. the dreams of pharaoh were thoroughly egyptian. the marvel is, that a symbolism so familiar to the egyptian eye should not have been easily legible to even the most slenderly gifted of pharaoh's wise men. "in my dream," says the king, "behold, i stood upon the bank of the river: and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine," and so on. every land or city is proud of its river, but none has such cause to be so as egypt of its nile. the country is accurately as well as poetically called "the gift of nile." out of the river do really come good or bad years, fat or lean kine. wholly dependent on its annual rise and overflow for the irrigating and enriching of the soil, the people worship it and love it, and at the season of its overflow give way to the most rapturous expressions of joy. the cow also was reverenced as the symbol of the earth's productive power. if then, as joseph avers, god wished to show to pharaoh that seven years of plenty were approaching, this announcement could hardly have been made plainer in the language of dreams than by showing to pharaoh seven well-favoured kine coming up out of the bountiful river to feed on the meadow made richly green by its waters. if the king had been sacrificing to the river, such a sight, familiar as it was to the dwellers by the nile, might well have been accepted by him as a promise of plenty in the land. but what agitated pharaoh, and gave him the shuddering presentiment of evil which accompanies some dreams, was the sequel. "behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favoured and lean-fleshed, such as i never saw in all the land of egypt for badness: and the lean and the ill-favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: and when they had eaten them up it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favoured, as at the beginning,"--a picture which to the inspired dream-reader represented seven years of famine so grievous, that the preceding plenty should be swallowed up and not be known. a similar image occurred to a writer who, in describing a more recent famine in the same land, says: "the year presented itself as a monster whose wrath must annihilate all the resources of life and all the means of subsistence." it tells in favour of the court magicians and wise men that not one of them offered an interpretation of dreams to which it would certainly not have been difficult to attach some tolerably feasible interpretation. probably these men were as yet sincere devotees of astrology and occult science, and not the mere jugglers and charlatans their successors seem to have become. when men cannot make out the purpose of god regarding the future of the race, it is not wonderful that they should endeavour to catch the faintest, most broken echo of his voice to the world, wherever they can find it. now there is a wide region, a borderland between the two worlds of spirit and of matter, in which are found a great many mysterious phenomena which cannot be explained by any known laws of nature, and through which men fancy they get nearer to the spiritual world. there are many singular and startling appearances, coincidences, forebodings, premonitions which men have always been attracted towards, and which they have considered as open ways of communication between god and man. there are dreams, visions, strange apprehensions, freaks of memory, and other mental phenomena, which, when all classed together, assorted, and skilfully applied to the reading of the future, once formed quite a science by itself. when men have no word from god to depend upon, no knowledge at all of where either the race or individuals are going to, they will eagerly grasp at anything that even seems to shed a ray of light on their future. we for the most part make light of that whole category of phenomena, because we have a more sure word of prophecy by which, as with a light in a dark place, we can tell where our next step should be, and what the end shall be. but invariably in heathen countries, where no guiding spirit of god was believed in, and where the absence of his revealed will left numberless points of duty doubtful and all the future dark, there existed in lieu of this a class of persons who, under one name or other, undertook to satisfy the craving of men to see into the future, to forewarn them of danger, and advise them regarding matters of conduct and affairs of state. at various points of the history of god's revelation these professors of occult science appear. in each case a profound impression is made by the superior wisdom or power displayed by the "wise men" of god. but in reading the accounts we have of these collisions between the wisdom of god and that of the magicians, a slight feeling of uneasiness sometimes enters the mind. you may feel that these wonders of joseph, moses, and daniel have a romantic air about them, and you feel, perhaps, a slight scruple in granting that god would lend himself to such displays--displays so completely out of date in our day. but we are to consider not only that there is nothing of the kind more certain than that dreams do sometimes even now impart most significant warning to men; but, also, that the time in which joseph lived was the childhood of the world, when god had neither spoken much to men, nor could speak much, because as yet they had not learned his language, but were only being slowly taught it by signs suited to their capacity. if these men were to receive any knowledge beyond what their own unaided efforts could attain, they must be taught in a language they understood. they could not be dealt with as if they had already attained a knowledge and a capacity which could only be theirs many centuries after; they must be dealt with by signs and wonders which had perhaps little moral teaching in them, but yet gave evidence of god's nearness and power such as they could and did understand. god thus stretched out his hand to men in the darkness, and let them feel his strength before they could look on his face and understand his nature. it is the existence at the court of pharaoh of this highly respected class of dream-interpreters and wise men, which lends significance to the conduct of joseph when summoned into the royal presence. such wisdom as he displayed in reading pharaoh's visions was looked upon as attainable by means within the reach of any man who had sufficient faculty for the science. and the first idea in the minds of the courtiers would probably have been, had joseph not solemnly protested against it, that he was an adept where they were apprentices and bunglers, and that his success was due purely to professional skill. this was of course perfectly well known to joseph, who for a number of years had been familiar with the ideas prevalent at the court of pharaoh; and he might have argued that there could be no great harm in at least effecting his deliverance from an unjust imprisonment by allowing pharaoh to suppose that it was to him he was indebted for the interpretation of his dreams. but his first word to pharaoh is a self-renouncing exclamation: "not in me: _god_ shall give pharaoh an answer of peace." two years had elapsed since anything had occurred which looked the least like the fulfilment of his own dreams, or gave him any hope of release from prison; and now, when measuring himself with these courtiers and feeling able to take his place with the best of them, getting again a breath of free air and feeling once more the charm of life, and having an opening set before his young ambition, being so suddenly transferred from a place where his very existence seemed to be forgotten to a place where pharaoh himself and all his court eyed him with the intensest interest and anxiety, it is significant that he should appear regardless of his own fate, but jealously careful of the glory of god. considering how jealous men commonly are of their own reputation, and how impatiently eager to receive all the credit that is due to them for their own share in any good that is doing, and considering of what essential importance it seemed that joseph should seize this opportunity of providing for his own safety and advancement, and should use this as the tide in his affairs that led to fortune, his words and bearing before pharaoh undoubtedly disclose a deeply in-wrought fidelity to god, and a magnanimous patience regarding his own personal interests. for it is extremely unlikely that in proposing to pharaoh to set a man over this important business of collecting corn to last through the years of famine, it presented itself to joseph as a conceivable result that he should be the person appointed--he a hebrew, a slave, a prisoner, cleaned but for the nonce, could not suppose that pharaoh would pass over all those tried officers and ministers of state around him and fix upon a youth who was wholly untried, and who might, by his different race and religion, prove obnoxious to the people. joseph may have expected to make interest enough with pharaoh to secure his freedom, and possibly some subordinate berth where he could hopefully begin the world again; but his only allusion to himself is of a depreciatory kind, while his reference to god is marked with a profound conviction that this is god's doing, and that to him is due whatever is due. well may the hebrew race be proud of those men like joseph and daniel, who stood in the presence of foreign monarchs in a spirit of perfect fidelity to god, commanding the respect of all, and clothed with the dignity and simplicity which that fidelity imparted. it matters not to joseph that there may perhaps be none in that land who can appreciate his fidelity to god or understand his motive. it matters not what he may lose by it, or what he could gain by falling in with the notions of those around him. he himself knows the real state of the case, and will not act untruly to his god, even though for years he seems to have been forgotten by him. with daniel he says in spirit, "let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another. as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that i have more than any living, but that the interpretation may be known to the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thine heart. he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass." there is something particularly noble and worthy of admiration in a man thus standing alone and maintaining the fullest allegiance to god, without ostentation, and with a quiet dignity and naturalness that show he has a great fund of strength behind. that we do not misjudge joseph's character or ascribe to him qualities which were invisible to his contemporaries, is apparent from the circumstance that pharaoh and his advisers, with little or no hesitation, agreed that to no man could they more safely entrust their country in this emergency. the mere personal charm of joseph might have won over those experienced advisers of the crown to make compensation for his imprisonment by an unusually handsome reward, but no mere attractiveness of person and manner, nor even the unquestionable guilelessness of his bearing, could have induced them to put such an affair as this into his hands. plainly they were impressed with joseph; almost supernaturally impressed, and felt god through him. he stood before them as one mysteriously appearing in their emergency, sent out of unthought-of quarters to warn and save them. happily there was as yet no jealousy of the god of the hebrews, nor any exclusiveness on the part of the chosen people: pharaoh and joseph alike felt that there was one god over all and through all. and it was joseph's self-abnegating sympathy with the purposes of this supreme god that made him a transparent medium, so that in his presence the egyptians felt themselves in the presence of god. it is so always. influence in the long run belongs to those who rid their minds of all private aims, and get close to the great centre in which all the race meets and is cared for. men feel themselves safe with the unselfish, with persons in whom they meet principle, justice, truth, love, god. we are unattractive, useless, uninfluential, just because we are still childishly craving a private and selfish good. we know that a life which does not pour itself freely into the common stream of public good is lost in dry and sterile sands. we know that a life spent upon self is contemptible, barren, empty, yet how slowly do we come to the attitude of joseph, who watched for the fulfilment of god's purposes, and found his happiness in forwarding what god designed for the people. xxviii. _joseph's administration._ gen. xli. 37-57, and xlvii. 13-26. "he made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: to bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom."--psalm. cv. 21, 22. "many a monument consecrated to the memory of some nobleman gone to his long home, who during life had held high rank at the court of pharaoh, is decorated with the simple but laudatory inscription, 'his ancestors were unknown people'"--so we are told by our most accurate informant regarding egyptian affairs. indeed, the tales we read of adventurers in the east, and the histories which recount how some dynasties have been founded, are sufficient evidence that, in other countries besides egypt, sudden elevation from the lowest to the highest rank is not so unusual as amongst ourselves. historians have recently made out that in one period of the history of egypt there are traces of a kind of semitic mania, a strong leaning towards syrian and arabian customs, phrases, and persons. such manias have occurred in most countries. there was a period in the history of rome when everything that had a greek flavour was admired; an anglo-mania once affected a portion of the french population, and reciprocally, french manners and ideas have at times found a welcome among ourselves. it is also clear that for a time lower egypt was under the dominion of foreign rulers who were in race more nearly allied to joseph than to the native population. but there is no need that so complicated a question as the exact date of this foreign domination be debated here, for there was that in joseph's bearing which would have commended him to any sagacious monarch. not only did the court accept him as a messenger from god, but they could not fail to recognise substantial and serviceable human qualities alongside of what was mysterious in him. the ready apprehension with which he appreciated the magnitude of the danger, the clear-sighted promptitude with which he met it, the resource and quiet capacity with which he handled a matter involving the entire condition of egypt, showed them that they were in the presence of a true statesman. no doubt the confidence with which he described the best method of dealing with the emergency was the confidence of one who was convinced he was speaking for god. this was the great distinction they perceived between joseph and ordinary dream-interpreters. it was not guesswork with him. the same distinction is always apparent between revelation and speculation. revelation speaks with authority; speculation gropes its way, and when wisest is most diffident. at the same time pharaoh was perfectly right in his inference: "forasmuch as god hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art." he believed that god had chosen him to deal with this matter because he was wise in heart, and he believed his wisdom would remain because god had chosen him. at length, then, joseph saw the fulfilment of his dreams within his reach. the coat of many colours with which his father had paid a tribute to the princely person and ways of the boy, was now replaced by the robe of state and the heavy gold necklace which marked him out as second to pharaoh. whatever nerve and self-command and humble dependence on god his varied experience had wrought in him were all needed when pharaoh took his hand and placed his own ring on it, thus transferring all his authority to him, and when turning from the king he received the acclamations of the court and the people, bowed to by his old masters, and acknowledged the superior of all the dignitaries and potentates of egypt. only once besides, so far as the egyptian inscriptions have yet been deciphered, does it appear that any subject was raised to be regent or viceroy with similar powers. joseph is, as far as possible, naturalised as an egyptian. he receives a name easier of pronunciation than his own, at least to egyptian tongues--zaphnath-paaneah, which, however, was perhaps only an official title meaning "governor of the district of the place of life," the name by which one of the egyptian counties or states was known. the king crowned his liberality and completed the process of naturalisation by providing him with a wife, asenath, the daughter of potipherah, priest of on. this city was not far from avaris or haouar, where joseph's pharaoh, ra-apepi ii., at this time resided. the worship of the sun-god, ra, had its centre at on (or heliopolis, as it was called by the greeks), and the priests of on took precedence of all egyptian priests. joseph was thus connected with one of the most influential families in the land, and if he had any scruples about marrying into an idolatrous family, they were too insignificant to influence his conduct, or leave any trace in the narrative. his attitude towards god and his own family was disclosed in the names which he gave to his children. in giving names which had a meaning at all, and not merely a taking sound, he showed that he understood, as well he might, that every human life has a significance and expresses some principle or fact. and in giving names which recorded his acknowledgment of god's goodness, he showed that prosperity had as little influence as adversity to move him from his allegiance to the god of his fathers. his first son he called manasseh, _making to forget_, "for god," said he, "hath made me forget all my toil and all my father's house"--not as if he were now so abundantly satisfied in egypt that the thought of his father's house was blotted from his mind, but only that in this child the keen longings he had felt for kindred and home were somewhat alleviated. he again found an object for his strong family affection. the void in his heart he had so long felt was filled by the little babe. a new home was begun around him. but this new affection would not weaken, though it would alter the character of, his love for his father and brethren. the birth of this child would really be a new tie to the land from which he had been stolen. for, however ready men are to spend their own life in foreign service, you see them wishing that their children should spend their days among the scenes with which their own childhood was familiar. in the naming of his second son ephraim he recognises that god had made him fruitful in the most unlikely way. he does not leave it to us to interpret his life, but records what he himself saw in it. it has been said: "to get at the truth of any history is good; but a man's own history--when he reads that truly, ... and knows what he is about and has been about, it is a bible to him." and now that joseph, from the height he had reached, could look back on the way by which he had been led to it, he cordially approved of all that god had done. there was no resentment, no murmuring. he would often find himself looking back and thinking, had i found my brothers where i thought they were, had the pit not been on the caravan-road, had the merchants not come up so opportunely, had i not been sold at all or to some other master, had i not been imprisoned, or had i been put in another ward--had any one of the many slender links in the chain of my career been absent, how different might my present state have been. how plainly i now see that all those sad mishaps that crushed my hopes and tortured my spirit were steps in the only conceivable path to my present position. many a man has added his signature to this acknowledgment of joseph's, and confessed a providence guiding his life and working out good for him through injuries and sorrows, as well as through honours, marriages, births. as in the heat of summer it is difficult to recall the sensation of winter's bitter cold, so the fruitless and barren periods of a man's life are sometimes quite obliterated from his memory. god has it in his power to raise a man higher above the level of ordinary happiness than ever he has sunk below it; and as winter and spring-time, when the seed is sown, are stormy and bleak and gusty, so in human life seed-time is not bright as summer nor cheerful as autumn; and yet it is then, when all the earth lies bare and will yield us nothing, that the precious seed is sown: and when we confidently commit our labour or patience of to-day to god, the land of our affliction, now bare and desolate, will certainly wave for us, as it has waved for others, with rich produce whitened to the harvest. there is no doubt then that joseph had learned to recognise the providence of god as a most important factor in his life. and the man who does so, gains for his character all the strength and resolution that come with a capacity for waiting. he saw, most legibly written on his own life, that god is never in a hurry. and for the resolute adherence to his seven-years' policy such a belief was most necessary. nothing, indeed, is said of opposition or incredulity on the part of the egyptians. but was there ever a policy of such magnitude carried out in any country without opposition or without evilly-disposed persons using it as a weapon against its promoter? no doubt during these years he had need of all the personal determination as well as of all the official authority he possessed. and if, on the whole, remarkable success attended his efforts, we must ascribe this partly to the unchallengeable justice of his arrangements, and partly to the impression of commanding genius joseph seems everywhere to have made. as with his father and brethren he was felt to be superior, as in potiphar's house he was quickly recognised, as in the prison no prison-garb or slave-brand could disguise him, as in the court his superiority was instinctively felt, so in his administration the people seem to have believed in him. and if, on the whole and in general, joseph was reckoned a wise and equitable ruler, and even adored as a kind of saviour of the world, it would be idle in us to canvass the wisdom of his administration. when we have not sufficient historical material to apprehend the full significance of any policy, it is safe to accept the judgment of men who not only knew the facts, but were themselves so deeply involved in them that they would certainly have felt and expressed discontent had there been ground for doing so. the policy of joseph was simply to economize during the seven years of abundance to such an extent that provision might be made against the seven years of famine. he calculated that one-fifth of the produce of years so extraordinarily plenteous would serve for the seven scarce years. this fifth he seems to have bought in the king's name from the people, buying it, no doubt, at the cheap rates of abundant years. when the years of famine came, the people were referred to joseph; and, till their money was gone, he sold corn to them, probably not at famine prices. next he acquired their cattle, and finally, in exchange for food, they yielded to him both their lands and their persons. so that the result of the whole was, that the people who would otherwise have perished were preserved, and in return for this preservation they paid a tax or rent on their farm-lands to the amount of one-fifth of their produce. the people ceased to be proprietors of their own farms, but they were not slaves with no interest in the soil, but tenants sitting at easy rents--a fair enough exchange for being preserved in life. this kind of taxation is eminently fair in principle, securing, as it does, that the wealth of the king and government shall vary with the prosperity of the whole land. the chief difficulty that has always been experienced in working it, has arisen from the necessity of leaving a good deal of discretionary power in the hands of the collectors, who have generally been found not slow to abuse this power. the only semblance of despotism in joseph's policy is found in the curious circumstance that he interfered with the people's choice of residence, and shifted them from one end of the land to another. this may have been necessary not only as a kind of seal on the deed by which the lands were conveyed to the king, and as a significant sign to them that they were mere tenants, but also joseph probably saw that for the interests of the country, if not of agricultural prosperity, this shifting had become necessary for the breaking up of illegal associations, nests of sedition, and sectional prejudices and enmities which were endangering the community.[1] modern experience supplies us with instances in which, by such a policy, a country might be regenerated and a seven years' famine hailed as a blessing if, without famishing the people, it put them unconditionally into the hands of an able, bold, and beneficent ruler. and this was a policy which could be much better devised and executed by a foreigner than by a native. egypt's indebtedness to joseph was, in fact, two-fold. in the first place he succeeded in doing what many strong governments have failed to do: he enabled a large population to survive a long and severe famine. even with all modern facilities for transport and for making the abundance of remote countries available for times of scarcity, it has not always been found possible to save our own fellow-subjects from starvation. in a prolonged famine which occurred in egypt during the middle ages, the inhabitants, reduced to the unnatural habits which are the most painful feature of such times, not only ate their own dead, but kidnapped the living on the streets of cairo and consumed them in secret. one of the most touching memorials of the famine with which joseph had to deal is found in a sepulchral inscription in arabia. a flood of rain laid bare a tomb in which lay a woman having on her person a profusion of jewels which represented a very large value. at her head stood a coffer filled with treasure, and a tablet with this inscription: "in thy name, o god, the god of himyar, i, tayar, the daughter of dzu shefar, sent my steward to joseph, and he delaying to return to me, i sent my handmaid with a measure of silver to bring me back a measure of flour; and not being able to procure it, i sent her with a measure of gold; and not being able to procure it, i sent her with a measure of pearls; and not being able to procure it, i commanded them to be ground; and finding no profit in them, i am shut up here." if this inscription is genuine--and there seems no reason to call it in question--it shows that there is no exaggeration in the statement of our narrator that the famine was very grievous in other lands as well as in egypt. and, whether genuine or not, one cannot but admire the grim humour of the starving woman getting herself buried in the jewels which had suddenly dropped to less than the value of a loaf of bread. but besides being indebted to joseph for their preservation, the egyptians owed to him an extension of their influence; for, as all the lands round about became dependent on egypt for provision, they must have contracted a respect for the egyptian administration. they must also have added greatly to egypt's wealth and during those years of constant traffic many commercial connections must have been formed which in future years would be of untold value to egypt. but above all, the permanent alterations made by joseph on their tenure of land, and on their places of abode, may have convinced the most sagacious of the egyptians that it was well for them that their money had failed, and that they had been compelled to yield themselves unconditionally into the hands of this remarkable ruler. it is the mark of a competent statesman that he makes temporary distress the occasion for permanent benefit; and from the confidence joseph won with the people, there seems every reason to believe that the permanent alterations he introduced were considered as beneficial as certainly they were bold. and for our own spiritual uses it is this point which seems chiefly important. in joseph is illustrated the principle that, in order to the attainment of certain blessings, unconditional submission to god's delegate is required. if we miss this, we miss a large part of what his history exhibits, and it becomes a mere pretty story. the prominent idea in his dreams was that he was to be worshipped by his brethren. in his exaltation by pharaoh, the absolute authority given to him is again conspicuous: "without thee shall no man lift up hand or foot in all the land of egypt." and still the same autocracy appears in the fact that not one egyptian who was helpful to him in this matter is mentioned; and no one has received such exclusive possession of a considerable part of scripture, so personal and outstanding a place. all this leaves upon the mind the impression that joseph becomes a benefactor, and in his degree a saviour, to men by becoming their absolute master. when this was hinted in his dreams at first his brothers fiercely resented it. but when they were put to the push by famine, both they and the egyptians recognised that he was appointed by god to be their saviour, while at the same time they markedly and consciously submitted themselves to him. men may always be expected to recognise that he who can save them alive in famine has a right to order the bounds of their habitation; and also that in the hands of one who, from disinterested motives, has saved them, they are likely to be quite as safe as in their own. and if we are all quite sure of this, that men of great political sagacity can regulate our affairs with tenfold the judgment and success that we ourselves could achieve, we cannot wonder that in matters still higher, and for which we are notoriously incompetent, there should be one into whose hands it is well to commit ourselves--one whose judgment is not warped by the prejudices which blind all mere natives of this world, but who, separate from sinners yet naturalised among us, can both detect and rectify everything in our condition which is less than perfect. if there are certainly many cases in which explanations are out of the question, and in which the governed, if they are wise, will yield themselves to a trusted authority, and leave it to time and results to justify his measures, any one, i think, who anxiously considers our spiritual condition must see that here too obedience is for us the greater part of wisdom, and that, after all speculation and efforts at sufficing investigation, we can still do no better than yield ourselves absolutely to jesus christ. he alone understands our whole position; he alone speaks with the authority that commands confidence, because it is felt to be the authority of the truth. we feel the present pressure of famine; we have discernment enough, some of us, to know we are in danger, but we cannot penetrate deeply either into the cause or the possible consequences of our present state. but christ--if we may continue the figure--legislates with a breadth of administrative capacity which includes not only our present distress but our future condition, and, with the boldness of one who is master of the whole case, requires that we put ourselves wholly into his hand. he takes the responsibility of all the changes we make in obedience to him, and proposes so to relieve us that the relief shall be permanent, and that the very emergency which has thrown us upon his help shall be the occasion of our transference not merely out of the present evil, but into the best possible form of human life. from this chapter, then, in the history of joseph, we may reasonably take occasion to remind ourselves, first, that in all things pertaining to god unconditional submission to christ is necessarily required of us. apart from christ we cannot tell what are the necessary elements of a permanently happy state; nor, indeed, even whether there is any such state awaiting us. there is a great deal of truth in what is urged by unbelievers to the effect that spiritual matters are in great measure beyond our cognizance, and that many of our religious phrases are but, as it were, thrown out in the direction of a truth but do not perfectly represent it. no doubt we are in a provisional state, in which we are not in direct contact with the absolute truth, nor in a final attitude of mind towards it; and certain representations of things given in the word of god may seem to us not to cover the whole truth. but this only compels the conclusion that for us christ is the way, the truth, and the life. to probe existence to the bottom is plainly not in our power. to say precisely what god is, and how we are to carry ourselves towards him, is possible only to him who has been with god and is god. to submit to the spirit of christ, and to live under those influences and views which formed his life, is the only method that promises deliverance from that moral condition which makes spiritual vision impossible. we may remind ourselves, secondly, that this submission to christ should be consistently adhered to in connection with those outward occurrences in our life which give us opportunity of enlarging our spiritual capacity. there can be little doubt that there would be presented to joseph many a plan for the better administration of this whole matter, and many a petition from individuals craving exemption from the seemingly arbitrary and certainly painful and troublesome edict regulating change of residence. many a man would think himself much wiser than the minister of pharaoh in whom was the spirit of god. when we act in a similar manner, and take upon us to specify with precision the changes we should like to see in our condition, and the methods by which these changes might best be accomplished, we commonly manifest our own incompetence. the changes which the strong hand of providence enforces, the dislocation which our life suffers from some irresistible blow, the necessity laid upon us to begin life again and on apparently disadvantageous terms, are naturally resented; but these things being certainly the result of some unguardedness, improvidence, or weakness in our past state, are necessarily the means most appropriate for disclosing to us these elements of calamity and for securing our permanent welfare. we rebel against such perilous and sweeping revolutions as the basing of our life on a new foundation demands; we would disregard the appointments of providence if we could; but both our voluntary consent to the authority of christ and the impossibility of resisting his providential arrangements, prevent us from refusing to fall in with them, however needless and tyrannical they seem, and however little we perceive that they are intended to accomplish our permanent well-being. and it is in after years, when the pain of severance from old friends and habits is healed, and when the discomfort of adapting ourselves to a new kind of life is replaced by peaceful and docile resignation to new conditions, that we reach the clear perception that the changes we resented have in point of fact rendered harmless the seeds of fresh disaster, and rescued us from the results of long bad government. he who has most keenly felt the hardship of being diverted from his original course in life, will in after life tell you that had he been allowed to hold his own land, and remain his own master in his old loved abode, he would have lapsed into a condition from which no worthy harvest could be expected. if a man only wishes that his own conceptions of prosperity be realised, then let him keep his land in his own hand and work his material irrespective of god's demands; for certainly if he yields himself to god, his own ideas of prosperity will not be realised. but if he suspects that god may have a more liberal conception of prosperity and may understand better than he what is eternally beneficial, let him commit himself and all his material of prosperity without doubting into god's hand, and let him greedily obey all god's precepts; for in neglecting one of these, he so far neglects and misses what god would have him enter into. footnotes: [1] "it happened very often that the inhabitants of one district threatened an attack on the occupants of another on account of some dispute about divine or human questions. the hostile feelings of the opponents not unfrequently broke out into a hard struggle, and it required the whole armed power of the king to extinguish at its first outburst the flaming torch of war, kindled by domineering chiefs of nomes or ambitious priests."--brugsch, _history of egypt_, i. 16. xxix. _visits of joseph's brethren._ gen. xlii.-xliv. "fear not: for am i in the place of god? but as for you, ye thought evil against me; but god meant it unto good."--gen. 1. 19, 20. the purpose of god to bring israel into egypt was accomplished by the unconscious agency of joseph's natural affection for his kindred. tenderness towards home is usually increased by residence in a foreign land; for absence, like a little death, sheds a halo round those separated from us. but joseph could not as yet either re-visit his old home or invite his father's family into egypt. even, indeed, when his brothers first appeared before him, he seems to have had no immediate intention of inviting them as a family to settle in the country of his adoption, or even to visit it. if he had cherished any such purpose or desire he might have sent down wagons at once, as he at last did, to bring his father's household out of canaan. why, then, did he proceed so cautiously? whence this mystery, and disguise, and circuitous compassing of his end? what intervened between the first and last visit of his brethren to make it seem advisable to disclose himself and invite them? manifestly there had intervened enough to give joseph insight into the state of mind his brethren were in, enough to satisfy him they were not the men they had been, and that it was safe to ask them and would be pleasant to have them with him in egypt. fully alive to the elements of disorder and violence that once existed among them, and having had no opportunity of ascertaining whether they were now altered, there was no course open but that which he adopted of endeavouring in some unobserved way to discover whether twenty years had wrought any change in them. for effecting this object he fell on the expedient of imprisoning them, on pretence of their being spies. this served the double purpose of detaining them until he should have made up his mind as to the best means of dealing with them, and of securing their retention under his eye until some display of character might sufficiently certify him of their state of mind. possibly he adopted this expedient also because it was likely deeply to move them, so that they might be expected to exhibit not such superficial feelings as might have been elicited had he set them down to a banquet and entered into conversation with them over their wine, but such as men are surprised to find in themselves, and know nothing of in their lighter hours. joseph was, of course, well aware that in the analysis of character the most potent elements are only brought into clear view when the test of severe trouble is applied, and when men are thrown out of all conventional modes of thinking and speaking. the display of character which joseph awaited he speedily obtained. for so new an experience to these free dwellers in tents as imprisonment under grim egyptian guards worked wonders in them. men who have experienced such treatment aver that nothing more effectually tames and breaks the spirit: it is not the being confined for a definite time with the certainty of release in the end, but the being shut up at the caprice of another on a false and absurd accusation; the being cooped up at the will of a stranger in a foreign country, uncertain and hopeless of release. to joseph's brethren so sudden and great a calamity seemed explicable only on the theory that it was retribution for the great crime of their life. the uneasy feeling which each of them had hidden in his own conscience, and which the lapse of twenty years had not materially alleviated, finds expression: "and they said one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us." the similarity of their position to that in which they had placed their brother stimulates and assists their conscience. joseph, in the anguish of his soul, had protested his innocence, but they had not listened; and now their own protestations are treated as idle wind by this egyptian. their own feelings, representing to them what they had caused joseph to suffer, stir a keener sense of their guilt than they seem ever before to have reached. under this new light they see their sin more clearly, and are humbled by the distress into which it has brought them. when joseph sees this, his heart warms to them. he may not yet be quite sure of them. a prison-repentance is perhaps scarcely to be trusted. he sees they would for the moment deal differently with him had they the opportunity, and would welcome no one more heartily than himself, whose coming among them had once so exasperated them. himself keen in his affections, he is deeply moved, and his eyes fill with tears as he witnesses their emotion and grief on his account. fain would he relieve them from their remorse and apprehension--why, then, does he forbear? why does he not at this juncture disclose himself? it has been satisfactorily proved that his brethren counted their sale of him the great crime of their life. their imprisonment has elicited evidence that that crime had taken in their conscience the capital place, the place which a man finds some one sin or series of sins will take, to follow him with its appropriate curse, and hang over his future like a cloud--a sin of which he thinks when any strange thing happens to him, and to which he traces all disaster--a sin so iniquitous that it seems capable of producing any results however grievous, and to which he has so given himself that his life seems to be concentrated there, and he cannot but connect with it all the greater ills that happen to him. was not this, then, security enough that they would never again perpetrate a crime of like atrocity? every man who has almost at all observed the history of sin in himself, will say that most certainly it was quite insufficient security against their ever again doing the like. evidence that a man is conscious of his sin, and, while suffering from its consequences, feels deeply its guilt, is not evidence that his character is altered. and because we believe men so much more readily than god, and think that they do not require, for form's sake, such needless pledges of a changed character as god seems to demand, it is worth observing that joseph, moved as he was even to tears, felt that common prudence forbade him to commit himself to his brethren without further evidence of their disposition. they had distinctly acknowledged their guilt, and in his hearing had admitted that the great calamity that had befallen them was no more than they deserved; yet joseph, judging merely as an intelligent man who had worldly interests depending on his judgment, could not discern enough here to justify him in supposing that his brethren were changed men. and it might sometimes serve to expose the insufficiency of our repentance were clear-seeing men the judges of it, and did they express their opinion of its trustworthiness. we may think that god is needlessly exacting when he requires evidence not only of a changed mind about past sin, but also of such a mind being now in us as will preserve us from future sin; but the truth is, that no man whose common worldly interests were at stake would commit himself to us on any less evidence. god, then, meaning to bring the house of israel into egypt in order to make progress in the divine education he was giving to them, could not introduce them into that land in a state of mind which would negative all the discipline they were there to receive. these men then had to give evidence that they not only saw, and in some sense repented of, their sin, but also that they had got rid of the evil passion which had led to it. this is what god means by repentance. our sins are in general not so microscopic that it requires very keen spiritual discernment to perceive them. but to be quite aware of our sin, and to acknowledge it, is not to repent of it. everything falls short of thorough repentance which does not prevent us from committing the sin anew. we do not so much desire to be accurately informed about our past sins, and to get right views of our past selves; we wish to be no longer sinners, we wish to pass through some process by which we may be separated from that in us which has led us into sin. such a process there is, for these men passed through it. the test which revealed the thoroughness of his brothers' repentance was unintentionally applied by joseph. when he hid his cup in benjamin's sack, all that he intended was to furnish a pretext for detaining benjamin, and so gratifying his own affection. but, to his astonishment, his trick effected far more than he intended; for the brothers, recognising now their brotherhood, circled round benjamin, and, to a man, resolved to go back with him to egypt. we cannot argue from this that joseph had misapprehended the state of mind in which his brothers were, and in his judgment of them had been either too timorous or too severe; nor need we suppose that he was hampered by his relations to pharaoh, and therefore unwilling to connect himself too closely with men of whom he might be safer to be rid; because it was this very peril of benjamin's that matured their brotherly affection. they themselves could not have anticipated that they would make such a sacrifice for benjamin. but throughout their dealings with this mysterious egyptian, they felt themselves under a spell, and were being gradually, though perhaps unconsciously, softened, and in order to complete the change passing upon them, they but required some such incident as this of benjamin's arrest. this incident seemed by some strange fatality to threaten them with a renewed perpetration of the very crime they had committed against rachel's other son. it threatened to force them to become again the instrument of bereaving their father of his darling child, and bringing about that very calamity which they had pledged themselves should never happen. it was an incident, therefore, which, more than any other, was likely to call out their family love. the scene lives in every one's memory. they were going gladly back to their own country with corn enough for their children, proud of their entertainment by the lord of egypt; anticipating their father's exultation when he heard how generously they had been treated and when he saw benjamin safely restored, feeling that in bringing him back they almost compensated for having bereaved him of joseph. simeon is revelling in the free air that blew from canaan and brought with it the scents of his native land, and breaks into the old songs that the strait confinement of his prison had so long silenced--all of them together rejoicing in a scarcely hoped-for success; when suddenly, ere the first elation is spent, they are startled to see the hasty approach of the egyptian messenger, and to hear the stern summons that brought them to a halt, and boded all ill. the few words of the just egyptian, and his calm, explicit judgment, "ye have done evil in so doing," pierce them like a keen blade--that they should be suspected of robbing one who had dealt so generously with them; that all israel should be put to shame in the sight of the stranger! but they begin to feel relief as one brother after another steps forward with the boldness of innocence; and as sack after sack is emptied, shaken, and flung aside, they already eye the steward with the bright air of triumph; when, as the very last sack is emptied, and as all breathlessly stand round, amid the quick rustle of the corn, the sharp rattle of metal strikes on their ear, and the gleam of silver dazzles their eyes as the cup rolls out in the sunshine. this, then, is the brother of whom their father was so careful that he dared not suffer him out of his sight! this is the precious youth whose life was of more value than the lives of all the brethren, and to keep whom a few months longer in his father's sight simeon had been left to rot in a dungeon! this is how he repays the anxiety of the family and their love, and this is how he repays the extraordinary favour of joseph! by one rash childish act had this fondled youth, to all appearance, brought upon the house of israel irretrievable disgrace, if not complete extinction. had these men been of their old temper, their knives had very speedily proved that their contempt for the deed was as great as the egyptian's; by violence towards benjamin they might have cleared themselves of all suspicion of complicity; or, at the best, they might have considered themselves to be acting in a fair and even lenient manner if they had surrendered the culprit to the steward, and once again carried back to their father a tale of blood. but they were under the spell of their old sin. in all disaster, however innocent they now were, they saw the retribution of their old iniquity; they seem scarcely to consider whether benjamin was innocent or guilty, but as humbled, god-smitten men, "they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city." thus joseph in seeking to gain _one_ brother found eleven--for now there could be no doubt that they were very different men from those brethren who had so heartlessly sold into slavery their father's favourite--men now with really brotherly feelings, by penitence and regard for their father so wrought together into one family, that this calamity, intended to fall only on one of their number, did in falling on him fall on them all. so far from wishing now to rid themselves of rachel's son and their father's favourite, who had been put by their father in so prominent a place in his affection, they will not even give him up to suffer what seemed the just punishment of his theft, do not even reproach him with having brought them all into disgrace and difficulty, but, as humbled men who knew they had greater sins of their own to answer for, went quietly back to egypt, determined to see their younger brother through his misfortune or to share his bondage with him. had these men not been thoroughly changed, thoroughly convinced that at all costs upright dealing and brotherly love should continue; had they not possessed that first and last of christian virtues, love to their brother, then nothing could so certainly have revealed their want of it as this apparent theft of benjamin's. it seemed in itself a very likely thing that a lad accustomed to plain modes of life, and whose character it was to "ravin as a wolf," should, when suddenly introduced to the gorgeous egyptian banqueting-house with all its sumptuous furnishings, have coveted some choice specimen of egyptian art, to carry home to his father as proof that he could not only bring himself back in safety, but scorned to come back from any expedition empty-handed. it was not unlikely either that, with his mother's own superstition, he might have conceived the bold design of robbing this egyptian, so mysterious and so powerful, according to his brothers' account, and of breaking that spell which he had thrown over them; he may thus have conceived the idea of achieving for himself a reputation in the family, and of once for all redeeming himself from the somewhat undignified, and to one of his spirit somewhat uncongenial, position of the youngest of a family. if, as is possible, he had let any such idea ooze out in talking with his brethren as they went down to egypt, and only abandoned it on their indignant and urgent remonstrance, then when the cup, joseph's chief treasure according to his own account, was discovered in benjamin's sack, the case must have looked sadly against him even in the eyes of his brethren. no protestations of innocence in a particular instance avail much when the character and general habits of the accused point to guilt. it is quite possible, therefore, that the brethren, though willing to believe benjamin, were yet not so thoroughly convinced of his innocence as they would have desired. the fact that they themselves had found their money returned in their sacks, made for benjamin; yet in most cases, especially where circumstances corroborate it, an accusation even against the innocent takes immediate hold and cannot be summarily and at once got rid of. thus was proof given that the house of israel was now in truth one family. the men who, on very slight instigation, had without compunction sold joseph to a life of slavery, cannot now find it in their heart to abandon a brother who, to all appearance, was worthy of no better life than that of a slave, and who had brought them all into disgrace and danger. judah had no doubt pledged himself to bring the lad back without scathe to his father, but he had done so without contemplating the possibility of benjamin becoming amenable to egyptian law. and no one can read the speech of judah--one of the most pathetic on record--in which he replies to joseph's judgment that benjamin alone should remain in egypt, without perceiving that he speaks not as one who merely seeks to redeem a pledge, but as a good son and a good brother. he speaks, too, as the mouth-piece of the rest, and as he had taken the lead in joseph's sale, so he does not shrink from standing forward and accepting the heavy responsibility which may now light upon the man who represents these brethren. his former faults are redeemed by the courage, one may say heroism, he now shows. and as he spoke, so the rest felt. they could not bring themselves to inflict a new sorrow on their aged father; neither could they bear to leave their young brother in the hands of strangers. the passions which had alienated them from one another, and had threatened to break up the family, are subdued. there is now discernible a common feeling that binds them together, and a common object for which they willingly sacrifice themselves. they are, therefore, now prepared to pass into that higher school to which god called them in egypt. it mattered little what strong and equitable laws they found in the land of their adoption, if they had no taste for upright living; it mattered little what thorough national organization they would be brought into contact with in egypt, if in point of fact they owned no common brotherhood, and were willing rather to live as units and every man for himself than for any common interest. but now they were prepared, open to teaching, and docile. to complete our apprehension of the state of mind into which the brethren were brought by joseph's treatment of them, we must take into account the assurance he gave them, when he made himself known to them, that it was not they but god who had sent him into egypt, and that god had done this for the purpose of preserving the whole house of israel. at first sight this might seem to be an injudicious speech, calculated to make the brethren think lightly of their guilt, and to remove the just impressions they now entertained of the unbrotherliness of their conduct to joseph. and it might have been an injudicious speech to impenitent men; but no further view of sin can lighten its heinousness to a really penitent sinner. prove to him that his sin has become the means of untold good, and you only humble him the more, and more deeply convince him that while he was recklessly gratifying himself and sacrificing others for his own pleasure, god has been mindful of others, and, pardoning him, has blessed them. god does not need our sins to work out his good intentions, but we give him little other material; and the discovery that through our evil purposes and injurious deeds god has worked out his beneficent will, is certainly not calculated to make us think more lightly of our sin or more highly of ourselves. joseph in thus addressing his brethren did, in fact, but add to their feelings the tenderness that is in all religious conviction, and that springs out of the consciousness that in all our sin there has been with us a holy and loving father, mindful of his children. this is the final stage of penitence. the knowledge that god has prevented our sin from doing the harm it might have done, does relieve the bitterness and despair with which we view our life, but at the same time it strengthens the most effectual bulwark between us and sin--love to a holy, over-ruling god. this, therefore, may always be safely said to penitents: out of your worst sin god can bring good to yourself or to others, and good of an apparently necessary kind; but good of a permanent kind can result from your sin only when you have truly repented of it, and sincerely wish you had never done it. once this repentance is really wrought in you, then, though your life can never be the same as it might have been had you not sinned, it may be, in some respects, a more richly developed life, a life fuller of humility and love. you can never have what you sold for your sin; but the poverty your sin has brought may excite within you thoughts and energies more valuable than what you have lost, as these men lost a brother but found a saviour. the wickedness that has often made you bow your head and mourn in secret, and which is in itself unutterable shame and loss, may, in god's hand, become food against the day of famine. you cannot ever have the enjoyments which are possible only to those whose conscience is laden with no evil remembrances, and whose nature, uncontracted and unwithered by familiarity with sin, can give itself to enjoyment with the abandonment and fearlessness reserved for the innocent. no more at all will you have that fineness of feeling which only ignorance of evil can preserve; no more that high and great conscientiousness which, once broken, is never repaired; no more that respect from other men which for ever and instinctively departs from those who have lost self-respect. but you may have a more intelligent sympathy with other men and a keener pity for them; the experience you have gathered too late to save yourself may put it in your power to be of essential service to others. you cannot win your way back to the happy, useful, evenly-developed life of the comparatively innocent, but the life of the true-hearted penitent is yet open to you. every beat of your heart now may be as if it throbbed against a poisoned dagger, every duty may shame you, every day bring weariness and new humiliation, but let no pain or discouragement avail to defraud you of the good fruits of true reconciliation to god and submission to his lifelong discipline. see that you lose not both lives, the life of the comparatively innocent and the life of the truly penitent. xxx. _the reconciliation._ gen. xlv. "by faith joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones."--heb. xi. 22. it is generally by some circumstance or event which perplexes, troubles, or gladdens us, that new thoughts regarding conduct are presented to us, and new impulses communicated to our life. and the circumstances through which joseph's brethren passed during the famine not only subdued and softened them to a genuine family feeling, but elicited in joseph himself a more tender affection for them than he seems at first to have cherished. for the first time since his entrance into egypt did he feel, when judah spoke so touchingly and effectively, that the family of israel was one; and that he himself would be reprehensible did he make further breaches in it by carrying out his intention of detaining benjamin. moved by judah's pathetic appeal, and yielding to the generous impulse of the moment, and being led by a right state of feeling to a right judgment regarding duty, he claimed his brethren as brethren, and proposed that the whole family be brought into egypt. the scene in which the sacred writer describes the reconciliation of joseph and his brothers is one of the most touching on record;--the long estrangement so happily terminated; the caution, the doubts, the hesitation on joseph's part, swept away at last by the resistless tide of long pent-up emotion; the surprise and perplexity of the brethren as they dared now to lift their eyes and scrutinize the face of the governor, and discerned the lighter complexion of the hebrew, the features of the family of jacob, the expression of their own brother; the anxiety with which they wait to know how he means to repay their crime, and the relief with which they hear that he bears them no ill-will--everything, in short, conduces to render this recognition of the brethren interesting and affecting. that joseph, who had controlled his feeling in many a trying situation, should now have "wept aloud," needs no explanation. tears always express a mingled feeling; at least the tears of a man do. they may express grief, but it is grief with some remorse in it, or it is grief passing into resignation. they may express joy, but it is joy born of long sorrow, the joy of deliverance, joy that can now afford to let the heart weep out the fears it has been holding down. it is as with a kind of breaking of the heart, and apparent unmanning of the man, that the human soul takes possession of its greatest treasures; unexpected success and unmerited joy humble a man; and as laughter expresses the surprise of the intellect, so tears express the amazement of the soul when it is stormed suddenly by a great joy. joseph had been hardening himself to lead a solitary life in egypt, and it is with all this strong self-sufficiency breaking down within him that he eyes his brethren. it is his love for them making its way through all his ability to do without them, and sweeping away as a flood the bulwarks he had built round his heart,--it is this that breaks him down before them, a man conquered by his own love, and unable to control it. it compels him to make himself known, and to possess himself of its objects, those unconscious brethren. it is a signal instance of the law by which love brings all the best and holiest beings into contact with their inferiors, and, in a sense, puts them in their power, and thus eternally provides that the superiority of those that are high in the scale of being shall ever be at the service of those who in themselves are not so richly endowed. the higher any being is, the more love is in him: that is to say, the higher he is, the more surely is he bound to all who are beneath him. if god is highest of all, it is because there is in him sufficiency for all his creatures, and love to make it universally available. it is one of our most familiar intellectual pleasures to see in the experience of others, or to read, a lucid and moving account of emotions identical with those which have once been our own. in reading an account of what others have passed through, our pleasure is derived mainly from two sources--either from our being brought, by sympathy with them and in imagination, into circumstances we ourselves have never been placed in, and thus artificially enlarging our sphere of life, and adding to our experience feelings which could not have been derived from anything we ourselves have met with; or, from our living over again, by means of their experience, a part of our life which had great interest and meaning to us. it may be excusable, therefore, if we divert this narrative from its original historical significance, and use it as the mirror in which we may see reflected an important passage or crisis in our own spiritual history. for though some may find in it little that reflects their own experience, others cannot fail to be reminded of feelings with which they were very familiar when first they were introduced to christ, and acknowledged by him. 1. the modes in which our lord makes himself known to men are various as their lives and characters. but frequently the forerunning choice of a sinner by christ is discovered in such gradual and ill-understood dealings as joseph used with those brethren. it is the closing of a net around them. they do not see what is driving them forward, nor whither they are being driven; they are anxious and ill at ease; and not comprehending what ails them, they make only ineffectual efforts for deliverance. there is no recognition of the hand that is guiding all this circuitous and mysterious preparatory work, nor of the eye that affectionately watches their perplexity, nor are they aware of any friendly ear that catches each sigh in which they seem hopelessly to resign themselves to the relentless past from which they cannot escape. they feel that they are left alone to make what they can now of the life they have chosen and made for themselves; that there is floating behind and around them a cloud bearing the very essence exhaled from their past, and ready to burst over them; a phantom that is yet real, and that belongs both to the spiritual and material world, and can follow them in either. they seem to be doomed men--men who are never at all to get disentangled from their old sin. if any one is in this baffled and heartless condition, fearing even good lest it turn to evil in his hand; afraid to take the money that lies in his sack's mouth, because he feels there is a snare in it; if any one is sensible that life has become unmanageable in his hands, and that he is being drawn on by an unseen power which he does not understand, then let him consider in the scene before us how such a condition ends or may end. it took many months of doubt, and fear, and mystery to bring those brethren to such a state of mind as made it advisable for joseph to disclose himself, to scatter the mystery, and relieve them of the unaccountable uneasiness that possessed their minds. and your perplexity will not be allowed to last longer than it is needful. but it is often needful that we should first learn that in sinning we have introduced into our life a baffling, perplexing element, have brought our life into connection with inscrutable laws which we cannot control, and which we feel may at any moment destroy us utterly. it is not from carelessness on christ's part that his people are not always and from the first rejoicing in the assurance and appreciation of his love. it is his carefulness which lays a restraining hand on the ardour of his affection. we see that this burst of tears on joseph's part was genuine, we have no suspicion that he was feigning an emotion he did not feel; we believe that his affection at last could not be restrained, that he was fairly overcome,--can we not trust christ for as genuine a love, and believe that his emotion is as deep? we are, in a word, reminded by this scene, that there is always in christ a greater love seeking the friendship of the sinner than there is in the sinner seeking for christ. the search of the sinner for christ is always a dubious, hesitating, uncertain groping; while on christ's part there is a clear-seeing, affectionate solicitude which lays joyful surprises along the sinner's path, and enjoys by anticipation the gladness and repose which are prepared for him in the final recognition and reconcilement. 2. in finding their brother again, those sons of jacob found also their own better selves which they had long lost. they had been living in a lie, unable to look the past in the face, and so becoming more and more false. trying to leave their sin behind them, they always found it rising in the path before them, and again they had to resort to some new mode of laying this uneasy ghost. they turned away from it, busied themselves among other people, refused to think of it, assumed all kinds of disguise, professed to themselves that they had done no great wrong; but nothing gave them deliverance--there was their old sin quietly waiting for them in their tent door when they went home of an evening, laying its hand on their shoulder in the most unlooked-for places, and whispering in their ear at the most unwelcome seasons. a great part of their mental energy had been spent in deleting this mark from their memory, and yet day by day it resumed its supreme place in their life, holding them under arrest as they secretly felt, and keeping them reserved to judgment. so, too, do many of us live as if yet we had not found the life eternal, the kind of life that we can always go on with--rather as those who are but making the best of a life which can never be very valuable, nor ever perfect. there seem voices calling us back, assuring us we must yet retrace our steps, that there are passages in our past with which we are not done, that there is an inevitable humiliation and penitence awaiting us. it is through that we can alone get back to the good we once saw and hoped for; there were right desires and resolves in us once, views of a well-spent life which have been forgotten and pressed out of remembrance, but all these rise again in the presence of christ. reconciled to him and claimed by him, all hope is renewed within us. if he makes himself known to us, if he claims connection with us, have we not here the promise of all good? if he, after careful scrutiny, after full consideration of all the circumstances, bids us claim as our brother him to whom all power and glory are given, ought not this to quicken within us everything that is hopeful, and ought it not to strengthen us for all frank acknowledgment of the past and true humiliation on account of it? 3. a third suggestion is made by this narrative. joseph commanded from his presence all who might be merely curious spectators of his burst of feeling, and might, themselves unmoved, criticise this new feature of the governor's character. in all love there is a similar reserve. the true friend of christ, the man who is profoundly conscious that between himself and christ there is a bond unique and eternal, longs for a time when he may enjoy greater liberty in uttering what he feels towards his lord and redeemer, and when, too, christ himself shall by telling and sufficient signs put it for ever beyond doubt that this love is more than responded to. words sufficiently impassioned have indeed been put into our lips by men of profound spiritual feeling, but the feeling continually weighs upon us that some more palpable mutual recognition is desirable between persons so vitally and peculiarly knit together as christ and the christian are. such recognition, indubitable and reciprocal, must one day take place. and when christ himself shall have taken the initiative, and shall have caused us to understand that we are verily the objects of his love, and shall have given such expression to his knowledge of us as we cannot now receive, we on our part shall be able to reciprocate, or at least to accept, this greatest of possessions, the brotherly love of the son of god. meanwhile this passage in joseph's history may remind us that behind all sternness of expression there may pulsate a tenderness that needs thus to disguise itself; and that to those who have not yet recognised christ, he is better than he seems. those brethren no doubt wonder now that even twenty years' alienation should have so blinded them. the relaxation of the expression from the sternness of an egyptian governor to the fondness of family love, the voice heard now in the familiar mother tongue, reveal the brother; and they who have shrunk from christ as if he were a cold official, and who have never lifted their eyes to scrutinize his face, are reminded that he can so make himself known to them that not all the wealth of egypt would purchase from them one of the assurances they have received from him. the same warm tide of feeling which carried away all that separated joseph from his brethren bore him on also to the decision to invite his father's entire household into egypt. we are reminded that the history of joseph in egypt is an episode, and that jacob is still the head of the house, maintaining its dignity and guiding its movements. the notices we get of him in this latter part of his history are very characteristic. the indomitable toughness of his youth remained with him in his old age. he was one of those old men who maintain their vigour to the end, the energy of whose age seems to shame and overtax the prime of common men; whose minds are still the clearest, their advice the safest, their word waited for, their perception of the actual state of affairs always in advance of their juniors, more modern and fully abreast of the times in their ideas than the latest born of their children. such an old age we recognise in jacob's half-scornful chiding of the helplessness of his sons even after they had heard that there was corn in egypt. "why look ye one upon another? behold! i have heard that there is corn in egypt; get ye down thither and buy for us from thence." jacob, the man who had wrestled through life and bent all things to his will, cannot put up with the helpless dejection of this troop of strong men, who have no wit to devise an escape for themselves, and no resolution to enforce upon the others any device that may occur to them. waiting still like children for some one else to help them, having strength to endure but no strength to undertake the responsibility of advising in an emergency, they are roused by their father, who has been eyeing this condition of theirs with some curiosity and with some contempt, and now breaks in upon it with his "why look ye one upon another?" it is the old jacob, full of resources, prompt and imperturbable, equal to every turn of fortune, and never knowing how to yield. even more clearly do we see the vigour of jacob's old age when he comes in contact with joseph. for many years joseph had been accustomed to command; he had unusual natural sagacity and a special gift of insight from god, but he seems a child in comparison with jacob. when he brings his two sons to get their grandfather's blessing, jacob sees what joseph has no inkling of, and peremptorily declines to follow the advice of his wise son. with all joseph's sagacity there were points in which his blind father saw more clearly than he. joseph, who could teach the egyptian senators wisdom, standing thus at a loss even to understand his father, and suggesting in his ignorance futile corrections, is a picture of the incapacity of natural affection to rise to the wisdom of god's love, and of the finest natural discernment to anticipate god's purposes or supply the place of a lifelong experience. jacob's warm-heartedness has also survived the chills and shocks of a long lifetime. he clings now to benjamin as once he clung to joseph. and as he had wrought for rachel fourteen years, and the love he bare to her made them seem but a few days, so for twenty years now had he remembered joseph who had inherited this love, and he shows by his frequent reference to him that he was keeping his word and going down to the grave mourning for his son. to such a man it must have been a severe trial indeed to be left alone in his tents, deprived of all his twelve sons; and we hear his old faith in god steadying the voice that yet trembles with emotion as he says, "if i be bereaved of my children, i am bereaved." it was a trial not, indeed, so painful as that of abraham when he lifted the knife over the life of his only son; but it was so similar to it as inevitably to suggest it to the mind. jacob also had to yield up all his children, and to feel, as he sat solitary in his tent, how utterly dependent upon god he was for their restoration; that it was not he but god alone who could build the house of israel. the anxiety with which he gazed evening after evening towards the setting sun, to descry the returning caravan, was at last relieved. but his joy was not altogether unalloyed. his sons brought with them a summons to shift the patriarchal encampment into egypt--a summons which evidently nothing would have induced jacob to respond to had it not come from his long-lost joseph, and had it not thus received what he felt to be a divine sanction. the extreme reluctance which jacob showed to the journey, we must be careful to refer to its true source. the asiatics, and especially shepherd tribes, move easily. one who thoroughly knows the east says: "the oriental is not afraid to go far, if he has not to cross the sea; for, once uprooted, distance makes little difference to him. he has no furniture to carry, for, except a carpet and a few brass pans, he uses none. he has no trouble about meals, for he is content with parched grain, which his wife can cook anywhere, or dried dates, or dried flesh, or anything obtainable which will keep. he is, on a march, careless where he sleeps, provided his family are around him--in a stable, under a porch, in the open air. he never changes his clothes at night, and he is profoundly indifferent to everything that the western man understands by 'comfort.'" but there was in jacob's case a peculiarity. he was called upon to abandon, for an indefinite period, the land which god had given him as the heir of his promise. with very great toil and not a little danger had jacob won his way back to canaan from mesopotamia; on his return he had spent the best years of his life, and now he was resting there in his old age, having seen his children's children, and expecting nothing but a peaceful departure to his fathers. but suddenly the wagons of pharaoh stand at his tent-door, and while the parched and bare pastures bid him go to the plenty of egypt, to which the voice of his long-lost son invites him, he hears a summons which, however trying, he cannot disregard. such an experience is perpetually reproduced. many are they who having at length received from god some long-expected good are quickly summoned to relinquish it again. and while the waiting for what seems indispensable to us is trying, it is tenfold more so to have to part with it when at last obtained, and obtained at the cost of much besides. that particular arrangement of our worldly circumstances which we have long sought, we are almost immediately thrown out of. that position in life, or that object of desire, which god himself seems in many ways to have encouraged us to seek, is taken from us almost as soon as we have tasted its sweetness. the cup is dashed from our lips at the very moment when our thirst was to be fully slaked. in such distressing circumstances we cannot _see_ the end god is aiming at; but of this we may be certain, that he does not wantonly annoy, or relish our discomfiture, and that when we are compelled to resign what is partial, it is that we may one day enjoy what is complete, and that if for the present we have to forego much comfort and delight, this is only an absolutely necessary step towards our permanent establishment in all that can bless and prosper us. it is this state of feeling which explains the words of jacob when introduced to pharaoh. a recent writer, who spent some years on the banks of the nile and on its waters, and who mixed freely with the inhabitants of egypt, says: "old jacob's speech to pharaoh really made me laugh, because it is so exactly like what a fellah says to a pacha, 'few and evil have the days of the years of my life been,' jacob being a most prosperous man, but it is manners to say all that." but eastern manners need scarcely be called in to explain a sentiment which we find repeated by one who is generally esteemed the most self-sufficing of europeans. "i have ever been esteemed," goethe says, "one of fortune's chiefest favourites; nor will i complain or find fault with the course my life has taken. yet, truly, there has been nothing but toil and care; and i may say that, in all my seventy-five years, i have never had a month of genuine comfort. it has been the perpetual rolling of a stone, which i have always had to raise anew." jacob's life had been almost ceaseless disquiet and disappointment. a man who had fled his country, who had been cheated into a marriage, who had been compelled by his own relative to live like a slave, who was only by flight able to save himself from a perpetual injustice, whose sons made his life bitter,--one of them by the foulest outrage a father could suffer, two of them by making him, as he himself said, to stink in the nostrils of the inhabitants of the land he was trying to settle in, and all of them by conspiring to deprive him of the child he most dearly loved--a man who at last, when he seemed to have had experience of every form of human calamity, was compelled by famine to relinquish the land for the sake of which he had endured all and spent all, might surely be forgiven a little plaintiveness in looking back upon his past. the wonder is to find jacob to the end unbroken, dignified, and clear-seeing, capable and commanding, loving and full of faith. cordial as the reconciliation between joseph and his brethren seemed, it was not as thorough as might have been desired. so long, indeed, as jacob lived, all went well; but "when joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him." no wonder joseph wept when he received their message. he wept because he saw that he was still misunderstood and distrusted by his brethren; because he felt, too, that had they been more generous men themselves, they would more easily have believed in his forgiveness; and because his pity was stirred for these men, who recognised that they were so completely in the power of their younger brother. joseph had passed through severe conflicts of feeling about them, had been at great expense both of emotion and of outward good on their account, had risked his position in order to be able to serve them, and here is his reward! they supposed he had been but biding his time, that his apparent forgetfulness of their injury had been the crafty restraint of a deep-seated resentment; or, at best, that he had been unconsciously influenced by regard for his father, and now, when that influence was removed, the helpless condition of his brethren might tempt him to retaliate. this exhibition of a craven and suspicious spirit is unexpected, and must have been profoundly saddening to joseph. yet here, as elsewhere, he is magnanimous. pity for them turns his thoughts from the injustice done to himself. he comforts them, and speaks kindly to them, saying, fear ye not; i will nourish you and your little ones. many painful thoughts must have been suggested to joseph by this conduct. if, after all he had done for his brethren, they had not yet learned to love him, but met his kindness with suspicion, was it not probable that underneath his apparent popularity with the egyptians there might lie envy, or the cold acknowledgment that falls far short of love? this sudden disclosure of the real feeling of his brethren towards him must necessarily have made him uneasy about his other friendships. did every one merely make use of him, and did no one give him pure love for his own sake? the people he had saved from famine, was there one of them that regarded him with anything resembling personal affection? distrust seemed to pursue joseph from first to last. first his own family misunderstood and persecuted him. then his egyptian master had returned his devoted service with suspicion and imprisonment. and now again, after sufficient time for testing his character might seem to have elapsed, he was still looked upon with distrust by those who of all others had best reason to believe in him. but though joseph had through all his life been thus conversant with suspicion, cruelty, falsehood, ingratitude, and blindness, though he seemed doomed to be always misread, and to have his best deeds made the ground of accusation against him, he remained not merely unsoured, but equally ready as ever to be of service to all. the finest natures may be disconcerted and deadened by universal distrust; characters not naturally unamiable are sometimes embittered by suspicion; and persons who are in the main high-minded do stoop, when stung by such treatment, to rail at the world, or to question all generous emotion, steadfast friendship, or unimpeachable integrity. in joseph there is nothing of this. if ever man had a right to complain of being unappreciated, it was he; if ever man was tempted to give up making sacrifices for his relatives, it was he. but through all this he bore himself with manly generosity, with simple and persistent faith, with a dignified respect for himself and for other men. in the ingratitude and injustice he had to endure, he only found opportunity for a deeper unselfishness, a more god-like forbearance. and that such may be the outcome of the sorest parts of human experience we have one day or other need to remember. when our good is evil spoken of, our motives suspected, our most sincere sacrifices scrutinized by an ignorant and malicious spirit, our most substantial and well-judged acts of kindness received with suspicion, and the love that is in them quite rejected, it is then we have opportunity to show that to us belongs the christian temper that can pardon till seventy times seven, and that can persist in loving where love meets no response, and benefits provoke no gratitude. how joseph spent the years which succeeded the famine we have no means of knowing; but the closing act of his life seemed to the narrator so significant as to be worthy of record. "joseph said unto his brethren, i die: and god will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to abraham, to isaac, and to jacob. and joseph took an oath of the children of israel, saying, god will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence." the egyptians must have chiefly been struck by the simplicity of character which this request betokened. to the great benefactors of our country, the highest award is reserved to be given after death. so long as a man lives, some rude stroke of fortune or some disastrous error of his own may blast his fame; but when his bones are laid with those who have served their country best, a seal is set on his life, and a sentence pronounced which the revision of posterity rarely revokes. such honours were customary among the egyptians; it is from their tombs that their history can now be written. and to none were such honours more accessible than to joseph. but after a life in the service of the state he retains the simplicity of the hebrew lad. with the magnanimity of a great and pure soul, he passed uncontaminated through the flatteries and temptations of court-life; and, like moses, "esteemed the reproach of christ greater riches than the treasures of egypt." he has not indulged in any affectation of simplicity, nor has he, in the pride that apes humility, declined the ordinary honours due to a man in his position. he wears the badges of office, the robe and the gold necklace, but these things do not reach his spirit. he has lived in a region in which such honours make no deep impression; and in his death he shows where his heart has been. the small voice of god, spoken centuries ago to his forefathers, deafens him to the loud acclaim with which the people do him homage. by later generations this dying request of joseph's was looked upon as one of the most remarkable instances of faith. for many years there had been no new revelation. the rising generations that had seen no man with whom god had spoken, were little interested in the land which was said to be theirs, but which they very well knew was infested by fierce tribes who, on at least one occasion during this period, inflicted disastrous defeat on one of the boldest of their own tribes. they were, besides, extremely attached to the country of their adoption; they luxuriated in its fertile meadows and teeming gardens, which kept them supplied at little cost of labour with delicacies unknown on the hills of canaan. this oath, therefore, which joseph made them swear, may have revived the drooping hopes of the small remnant who had any of his own spirit. they saw that he, their most sagacious man, lived and died in full assurance that god would visit his people. and through all the terrible bondage they were destined to suffer, the bones of joseph, or rather his embalmed body, stood as the most eloquent advocate of god's faithfulness, ceaselessly reminding the despondent generations of the oath which god would yet enable them to fulfil. as often as they felt inclined to give up all hope and the last surviving israelitish peculiarity, there was the unburied coffin remonstrating; joseph still, even when dead, refusing to let his dust mingle with egyptian earth. and thus, as joseph had been their pioneer who broke out a way for them into egypt, so did he continue to hold open the gate and point the way back to canaan. the brethren had sold him into this foreign land, meaning to bury him for ever; he retaliated by requiring that the tribes should restore him to the land from which he had been expelled. few men have opportunity of showing so noble a revenge; fewer still, having the opportunity, would so have used it. jacob had been carried up to canaan as soon as he was dead: joseph declines this exceptional treatment, and prefers to share the fortunes of his brethren, and will then only enter on the promised land when all his people can go with him. as in life, so in death, he took a large view of things, and had no feeling that the world ended in him. his career had taught him to consider national interests; and now, on his death-bed, it is from the point of view of his people that he looks at the future. several passages in the life of joseph have shown us that where the spirit of christ is present, many parts of the conduct will suggest, if they do not actually resemble, acts in the life of christ. the attitude towards the future in which joseph sets his people as he leaves them, can scarcely fail to suggest the attitude which christians are called to assume. the prospect which the hebrews had of fulfilling their oath grew increasingly faint, but the difficulties in the way of its performance must only have made them more clearly see that they depended on god for entrance on the promised inheritance. and so may the difficulty of our duties as christ's followers measure for us the amount of grace god has provided for us. the commands that make you sensible of your weakness, and bring to light more clearly than ever how unfit for good you are, are witnesses to you that god will visit you and enable you to fulfil the oath he has required you to take. the children of israel could not suppose that a man so wise as joseph had ended his life with a childish folly, when he made them swear this oath, and could not but renew their hope that the day would come when his wisdom would be justified by their ability to discharge it. neither ought it to be beyond our belief that, in requiring from us such and such conduct, our lord has kept in view our actual condition and its possibilities, and that his commands are our best guide towards a state of permanent felicity. he that aims always at the performance of the oath he has taken, will assuredly find that god will not stultify himself by failing to support him. xxxi. _the blessings of the tribes._ genesis xlviii. and xlix. jacob's blessing of his sons marks the close of the patriarchal dispensation. henceforth the channel of god's blessing to man does not consist of one person only, but of a people or nation. it is still _one seed_, as paul reminds us, a unit that god will bless, but this unit is now no longer a single person--as abraham, isaac, or jacob--but one people, composed of several parts, and yet one whole; equally representative of christ, as the patriarchs were, and of equal effect every way in receiving god's blessing and handing it down until christ came. the old testament church, quite as truly as the new, formed one whole with christ. apart from him it had no meaning, and would have had no existence. it was the promised seed, always growing more and more to its perfect development in christ. as the promise was kept to abraham when isaac was born, and as isaac was truly the promised seed--in so far as he was a part of the series that led on to christ, and was given in fulfilment of the promise that promised christ to the world--so all through the history of israel we must bear in mind that in them god is fulfilling this same promise, and that they are the promised seed in so far as they are one with christ. and this interprets to us all those passages of the prophets regarding which men have disputed whether they are to be applied to israel or to christ: passages in which god addresses israel in such words as, "behold my servant," "mine elect," and so forth, and in the interpretation of which it has been thought sufficient proof that they do not apply to christ, to prove that they do apply to israel; whereas, on the principle just laid down, it might much more safely be argued that because they apply to israel, therefore they apply to christ. and it is at this point--where israel distributes among his sons the blessing which heretofore had all lodged in himself--that we see the first multiplication of christ's representatives; the mediation going on no longer through individuals, but through a nation; and where individuals are still chosen by god, as commonly they are, for the conveyance of god's communications to earth, these individuals, whether priests or prophets, are themselves but the official representatives of the nation. as the patriarchal dispensation ceases, it secures to the tribes all the blessing it has itself contained. every father desires to leave to his sons whatever he has himself found helpful, but as they gather round his dying bed, or as he sits setting his house in order, and considering what portion is appropriate for each, he recognises that to some of them it is quite useless to bequeath the most valuable parts of his property, while in others he discerns a capacity which promises the improvement of all that is entrusted to it. and from the earliest times the various characters of the tribes were destined to modify the blessing conveyed to them by their father. the blessing of israel is now distributed, and each receives what each can take; and while in some of the individual tribes there may seem to be very little of blessing at all, yet, taken together, they form a picture of the common outstanding features of human nature, and of that nature as acted upon by god's blessing, and forming together one body or church. a peculiar interest attaches to the history of some nations, and is not altogether absent from our own, from the precision with which we can trace the character of families, descending often with the same unmistakable lineaments from father to son for many generations.[2] one knows at once to what families to look for restless and turbulent spirits, ready for conspiracy and revolution; and one knows also where to seek steady and faithful loyalty, public-spiritedness, or native ability. and in israel's national character there was room for the great distinguishing features of the tribes, and to show the richness and variety with which the promise of god could fulfil itself wherever it was received. the distinguishing features which jacob depicts in the blessings of his sons are necessarily veiled under the poetic figures of prophecy, and spoken of as they would reveal themselves in worldly matters; but these features were found in all the generations of the tribes, and displayed themselves in things spiritual also. for a man has not two characters, but one; and what he is in the world, that he is in his religion. in our own country, it is seen how the forms of worship, and even the doctrines believed, and certainly the modes of religious thought and feeling, depend on the natural character, and the natural character on the local situation of the respective sections of the community. no doubt in a country like ours, where men so constantly migrate from place to place, and where one common literature tends to mould us all to the same way of thinking, you do get men of all kinds in every place; yet even among ourselves the character of a place is generally still visible, and predominates over all that mingles with it. much more must this character have been retained in a country where each man could trace his ancestry up to the father of the tribe, and cultivated with pride the family characteristics, and had but little intercourse, either literary or personal, with other minds and other manners. as we know by dialect and by the manners of the people when we pass into a new country, so must the israelite have known by the eye and ear when he had crossed the county frontier, when he was conversing with a benjamite, and when with a descendant of judah. we are not therefore to suppose that any of these utterances of jacob are mere geographical predictions, or that they depict characteristics which might appear in civil life, but not in religion and the church, or that they would die out with the first generation. in these blessings, therefore, we have the history of the church in its most interesting form. in these sons gathered round him, the patriarch sees his own nature reflected piece by piece, and he sees also the general outline of all that must be produced by such natures as these men have. the whole destiny of israel is here in germ, and the spirit of prophecy in jacob sees and declares it. it has often been remarked[3] that as a man draws near to death, he seems to see many things in a much clearer light, and especially gets glimpses into the future, which are hidden from others. "the soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed, lets in new light through chinks that time hath made." being nearer to eternity, he instinctively measures things by its standard, and thus comes nearer a just valuation of all things before his mind, and can better distinguish reality from appearance. jacob has studied these sons of his for fifty years, and has had his acute perception of character painfully enough called to exercise itself on them. he has all his life long had a liking for analysing men's inner life, knowing that, when he understands that, he can better use them for his own ends; and these sons of his own have cost him thought enough over and above that sometimes penetrating interest which a father will take in the growth of a son's character; and now he knows them thoroughly, understands their temptations, their weaknesses, their capabilities, and, as a wise head of a house, can, with delicate and unnoticed skill, balance the one against the other, ward off awkward collisions, and prevent the evil from destroying the good. this knowledge of jacob prepares him for being the intelligent agent by whom god predicts in outline the future of his church. one cannot but admire, too, the faith which enables jacob to apportion to his sons the blessings of a land which had not been much of a resting-place to himself, and regarding the occupation of which his sons might have put to him some very difficult questions. and we admire this dignified faith the more on reflecting that it has often been very grievously lacking in our own case--that we have felt almost ashamed of having so little of a present tangible kind to offer, and of being obliged to speak only of invisible and future blessings; to set a spiritual consolation over against a worldly grief; to point a man whose fortunes are ruined to an eternal inheritance; or to speak to one who knows himself quite in the power of sin of a remedy which has often seemed illusory to ourselves. some of us have got so little comfort or strength from religion ourselves, that we have no heart to offer it to others; and most of us have a feeling that we should seem to trifle were we to offer invisible aid against very visible calamity. at least we feel that we are doing a daring thing in making such an offer, and can scarce get over the desire that we had something to speak of which sight could appreciate, and which did not require the exercise of faith. again and again the wish rises within us that to the sick man we could bring health as well as the promise of forgiveness, and that to the poor we could grant an earthly, while we make known a heavenly, inheritance. one who has experienced these scruples, and known how hard it is to get rid of them, will know also how to honour the faith of jacob, by which he assumes the right to bless pharaoh--though he is himself a mere sojourner by sufferance in pharaoh's land, and living on his bounty--and by which he gathers his children round him and portions out to them a land which seemed to have been most barren to himself, and which now seemed quite beyond his reach. the enjoyments of it, which he himself had not very deeply tasted, he yet knew were real; and if there were a look of scepticism, or of scorn, on the face of any one of his sons; if the unbelief of any received the prophetic utterances as the ravings of delirium, or the fancies of an imbecile and worn-out mind going back to the scenes of its youth, in jacob himself there was so simple and unsuspecting a faith in god's promise, that he dealt with the land as if it were the only portion worth bequeathing to his sons, as if every canaanite were already cast out of it, and as if he knew his sons could never be tempted by the wealth of egypt to turn with contempt from the land of promise. and if we would attain to this boldness of his, and be able to speak of spiritual and future blessings as very substantial and valuable, we must ourselves learn to make much of god's promise, and leave no taint of unbelief in our reception of it. and often we are rebuked by finding that when we do offer things spiritual, even those who are wrapped in earthly comforts appreciate and accept the better gifts. so it was in joseph's case. no doubt the highest posts in egypt were open to his sons; they might have been naturalised, as he himself had been, and, throwing in their lot with the land of their adoption, might have turned to their advantage the rank their father held, and the reputation he had earned. but joseph turns from this attractive prospect, brings them to his father, and hands them over to the despised shepherd-life of israel. one need scarcely point out how great a sacrifice this was on joseph's part. so universally acknowledged and legitimate a desire is it to pass to one's children the honour achieved by a life of exertion, that states have no higher rewards to confer on their most useful servants than a title which their descendants may wear. but joseph would not suffer his children to risk the loss of their share in god's peculiar blessing, not for the most promising openings in life, or the highest civil honours. if the thoroughly open identification of them with the shepherds, and their profession of a belief in a distant inheritance, which must have made them appear madmen in the eyes of the egyptians, if this was to cut them off from worldly advancement, joseph was not careful of this, for resolved he was that, at any cost, they should be among god's people. and his faith received its reward; the two tribes that sprang from him received about as large a portion of the promised land as fell to the lot of all the other tribes put together. you will observe that ephraim and manasseh were adopted as sons of jacob. jacob tells joseph, "they shall be mine," not my grandsons, but as reuben and simeon. no other sons whom joseph might have were to be received into this honour, but these two were to take their place on a level with their uncles as heads of tribes, so that joseph is represented through the whole history by the two populous and powerful tribes of ephraim and manasseh. no greater honour could have been put on joseph, nor any more distinct and lasting recognition made of the indebtedness of his family to him, and of how he had been as a father bringing new life to his brethren, than this, that his sons should be raised to the rank of heads of tribes, on a level with the immediate sons of jacob. and no higher honour could have been put on the two lads themselves than that they should thus be treated as if they were their father joseph--as if they had his worth and his rank. he is merged in them, and all that he has earned is, throughout the history, to be found, not in his own name, but in theirs. it all proceeds from him; but his enjoyment is found in their enjoyment, his worth acknowledged in their fruitfulness. thus did god familiarise the jewish mind through its whole history with the idea, if they chose to think and have ideas, of adoption, and of an adoption of a peculiar kind, of an adoption where already there was an heir who, by this adoption, has his name and worth merged in the persons now received into his place. ephraim and manasseh were not received alongside of joseph, but each received what joseph himself might have had, and joseph's name as a tribe was henceforth only to be found in these two. this idea was fixed in such a way, that for centuries it was steeping into the minds of men, so that they might not be astonished if god should in some other case, say the case of his own son, adopt men into the rank he held, and let his estimate of the worth of his son, and the honour he puts upon him, be seen in the adopted. this being so, we need not be alarmed if men tell us that imputation is a mere legal fiction, or human invention; a legal fiction it may be, but in the case before us it was the never-disputed foundation of very substantial blessings to ephraim and manasseh; and we plead for nothing more than that god would act with us as here he did act with these two, that he would make us his direct heirs, make us his own sons, and give us what he who presents us to him to receive his blessing did earn, and merits at the father's hand. we meet with these crossed hands of blessing frequently in scripture; the younger son blessed above the elder--as was needful, lest grace should become confounded with nature, and the belief gradually grow up in men's minds that natural effects could never be overcome by grace, and that in every respect grace waited upon nature. and these crossed hands we meet still; for how often does god quite reverse _our_ order, and bless most that about which we had less concern, and seem to put a slight on that which has engrossed our best affection. it is so, often in precisely the way in which joseph found it so; the son whose youth is most anxiously cared for, to whom the interests of the younger members of the family are sacrificed, and who is commended to god continually to receive his right-hand blessing, this son seems neither to receive nor to dispense much blessing; but the younger, less thought of, left to work his own way, is favoured by god, and becomes the comfort and support of his parents when the elder has failed of his duty. and in the case of much that we hold dear, the same rule is seen; a pursuit we wish to be successful in we can make little of, and are thrown back from continually, while something else into which we have thrown ourselves almost accidentally prospers in our hand and blesses us. again and again, for years together, we put forward some cherished desire to god's right hand, and are displeased, like joseph, that still the hand of greater blessing should pass to some other thing. does god not know what is oldest with us, what has been longest at our hearts, and is dearest to us? certainly he does: "i know it, my son, i know it," he answers to all our expostulations. it is not because he does not understand or regard your predilections, your natural and excusable preferences, that he sometimes refuses to gratify your whole desire, and pours upon you blessings of a kind somewhat different from these you most earnestly covet. he will give you the whole that christ hath merited; but for the application and distribution of that grace and blessing you must be content to trust him. you may be at a loss to know why he does no more to deliver you from some sin, or why he does not make you more successful in your efforts to aid others, or why, while he so liberally prospers you in one part of your condition, you get so much less in another that is far nearer your heart; but god does what he will with his own, and if you do not find in one point the whole blessing and prosperity you think should flow from such a mediator as you have, you may only conclude that what is lacking there will elsewhere be found more wisely bestowed. and is it not a perpetual encouragement to us that god does not merely crown what nature has successfully begun, that it is not the likely and the naturally good that are most blessed, but that god hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world and things which are despised hath god chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are? in reuben, the first-born, conscience must have been sadly at war with hope as he looked at the blind, but expressive, face of his father. he may have hoped that his sin had not been severely thought of by his father, or that the father's pride in his first-born would prompt him to hide, though it could not make him forget it. probably the gross offence had not been made known to the family. at least, the words "he went up" may be understood as addressed in explanation to the brethren. it may indeed have been that the blind old man, forcibly recalling the long-past transgression, is here uttering a mournful, regretful soliloquy, rather than addressing any one. it may be that these words were uttered to himself as he went back upon the one deed that had disclosed to him his son's real character, and rudely hurled to the ground all the hopes he had built up for his first-born. yet there is no reason to suppose, on the other hand, that the sin had been previously known or alluded to in the family. reuben's hasty, passionate nature could not understand that if jacob had felt that sin of his deeply, he should not have shown his resentment; he had stunned his father with the heavy blow, and because he did not cry out and strike him in return, he thought him little hurt. so do shallow natures tremble for a night after their sin, and when they find that the sun rises and men greet them as cordially as before, and that no hand lays hold on them from the past, they think little more of their sin--do not understand that fatal calm that precedes the storm. had the memory of reuben's sin survived in jacob's mind all the sad events that had since happened, and all the stirring incidents of the emigration and the new life in egypt? could his father at the last hour, and after so many thronged years, and before his brethren, recall the old sin? he is relieved and confirmed in his confidence by the first words of jacob, words ascribing to him his natural position, a certain conspicuous dignity too, and power such as one may often see produced in men by occupying positions of authority, though in their own character there be weakness. but all the excellence that jacob ascribes to reuben serves only to embitter the doom pronounced upon him. men seem often to expect that a future can be _given_ to them irrespective of what they themselves are, that a series of blessings and events might be prepared for them, and made over to them; whereas every man's future must be made by himself, and is already in great part formed by the past. it was a vain expectation of reuben to expect that he, the impetuous, unstable, superficial son, could have the future of a deep, and earnest, and dutiful nature, or that his children should derive no taint from their parent, but be as the children of joseph. no man's future need be altogether a doom to him, for god may bless to him the evil fruit his life has borne; but certainly no man need look for a future which has no relation to his own character. his future will always be made up of _his_ deeds, _his_ feelings, and the circumstances which _his_ desires have brought him into. the future of reuben was of a negative, blank kind--"thou shalt _not_ excel;" his unstable character must empty it of all great success. and to many a heart since have these words struck a chill, for to many they are as a mirror suddenly held up before them. they see themselves when they look on the tossing sea, rising and pointing to the heavens with much noise, but only to sink back again to the same everlasting level. men of brilliant parts and great capacity are continually seen to be lost to society by instability of purpose. would they only pursue one direction, and concentrate their energies on one subject, they might become true heirs of promise, blessed and blessing; but they seem to lose relish for every pursuit on the first taste of success--all their energy seems to have boiled over and evaporated in the first glow, and sinks as the water that has just been noisily boiling when the fire is withdrawn from under it. no impression made upon them is permanent: like water, they are plastic, easily impressible, but utterly incapable of retaining an impression; and therefore, like water, they have a downward tendency, or at the best are but retained in their place by pressure from without, and have no eternal power of growth. and the misery of this character is often increased by the _desire_ to excel which commonly accompanies instability. it is generally this very desire which prompts a man to hurry from one aim to another, to give up one path to excellence when he sees that other men are making way upon another: having no internal convictions of his own, he is guided mostly by the successes of other men, the most dangerous of all guides. so that such a man has all the bitterness of an eager desire doomed never to be satisfied. conscious to himself of capacity for something, feeling in him the excellency of power, and having that "excellency of dignity," or graceful and princely refinement, which the knowledge of many things, and intercourse with many kinds of people, have imparted to him, he feels all the more that pervading weakness, that greedy, lustful craving for all kinds of priority, and for enjoying all the various advantages which other men severally enjoy, which will not let him finally choose and adhere to his own line of things, but distracts him by a thousand purposes which ever defeat one another.[4] the sin of the next oldest sons was also remembered against them, and remembered apparently for the same reason--because the character was expressed in it. the massacre of the shechemites was not an accidental outrage that any other of the sons of jacob might equally have perpetrated, but the most glaring of a number of expressions of a fierce and cruel disposition in these two men. in jacob's prediction of their future, he seems to shrink with horror from his own progeny--like her who dreamt she would give birth to a firebrand. he sees the possibility of the direst results flowing from such a temper, and, under god, provides against these by scattering the tribes, and thus weakening their power for evil. they had been banded together so as the more easily and securely to accomplish their murderous purposes. "simeon and levi are brethren"--showing a close affinity, and seeking one another's society and aid, but it is for bad purposes; and therefore they must be divided in jacob and scattered in israel. this was accomplished by the tribe of levi being distributed over all the other tribes as the ministers of religion. the fiery zeal, the bold independence, and the pride of being a distinct people, which had been displayed in the slaughter of the shechemites, might be toned down and turned to good account when the sword was taken out of their hand. qualities such as these, which produce the most disastrous results when fit instruments can be found, and when men of like disposition are suffered to band themselves together, may, when found in the individual and kept in check by circumstances and dissimilar dispositions, be highly beneficial. in the sin, levi seems to have been the moving spirit, simeon the abetting tool, and in the punishment, it is the more dangerous tribe that is scattered, so that the other is left companionless. in the blessings of moses, the tribe of simeon is passed over in silence; and that the tribe of levi should have been so used for god's immediate service stands as evidence that punishments, however severe and desolating, even threatening something bordering on extinction, may yet become blessings to god's people. the sword of murder was displaced in levi's hand by the knife of sacrifice; their fierce revenge against sinners was converted into hostility against sin; their apparent zeal for the forms of their religion was consecrated to the service of the tabernacle and temple; their fanatical pride, which prompted them to treat all other people as the offscouring of the earth, was informed by a better spirit, and used for the upbuilding and instruction of the people of israel. in order to understand why this tribe, of all others, should have been chosen for the service of the sanctuary and for the instruction of the people, we must not only recognise how their being scattered in punishment of their sin over all the land fitted them to be the educators of the nation and the representatives of all the tribes, but also we must consider that the sin itself which levi had committed broke the one command which men had up till this time received from the mouth of god; no law had as yet been published but that which had been given to noah and his sons regarding bloodshed, and which was given in circumstances so appalling, and with sanctions so emphatic, that it might ever have rung in men's ears, and stayed the hand of the murderer. in saying, "at the hand of every man's brother will i require the life of man," god had shown that human life was to be counted sacred. he himself had swept the race from the face of the earth, but adding this command immediately after, he showed all the more forcibly that punishment was his own prerogative, and that none but those appointed by him might shed blood--"vengeance is mine, saith the lord." to take private revenge, as levi did, was to take the sword out of god's hand, and to say that god was not careful enough of justice, and but a poor guardian of right and wrong in the world; and to destroy human life in the wanton and cruel manner in which levi had destroyed the shechemites, and to do it under colour and by the aid of religious zeal, was to god the most hateful of sins. but none can know the hatefulness of a sin so distinctly as he who has fallen into it, and is enduring the punishment of it penitently and graciously, and therefore levi was of all others the best fitted to be entrusted with those sacrificial symbols which set forth the value of all human life, and especially of the life of god's own son. very humbling must it have been for the levite who remembered the history of his tribe to be used by god as the hand of his justice on the victims that were brought in substitution for that which was so precious in the sight of god. the blessing of judah is at once the most important and the most difficult to interpret in the series. there is enough in the history of judah himself, and there is enough in the subsequent history of the tribe, to justify the ascription to him of all lion-like qualities--a kingly fearlessness, confidence, power, and success; in action a rapidity of movement and might that make him irresistible, and in repose a majestic dignity of bearing. as the serpent is the cognisance of dan, the wolf of benjamin, the hind of naphtali, so is the lion of the tribe of judah. he scorns to gain his end by a serpentine craft, and is himself easily taken in; he does not ravin like a wolf, merely plundering for the sake of booty, but gives freely and generously, even to the sacrifice of his own person: nor has he the mere graceful and ineffective swiftness of the hind, but the rushing onset of the lion--a character which, more than any other, men reverence and admire--"judah, _thou_ art he whom thy brethren shall praise"--and a character which, more than any other, fits a man to take the lead and rule. if there were to be kings in israel, there could be little doubt from which tribe they could best be chosen; a wolf of the tribe of benjamin, like saul, not only hung on the rear of retreating philistines and spoiled them, but made a prey of his own people, and it is in david we find the true king, the man who more than any other satisfies men's ideal of the prince to whom they will pay homage;--falling indeed into grievous error and sin, like his forefather, but, like him also, right at heart, so generous and self-sacrificing that men served him with the most devoted loyalty, and were willing rather to dwell in caves with him than in palaces with any other. the kingly supremacy of judah was here spoken of in words which have been the subject of as prolonged and violent contention as any others in the word of god. "the sceptre shall not depart from judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until shiloh come." these words are very generally understood to mean that judah's supremacy would continue until it culminated or flowered into the personal reign of shiloh; in other words, that judah's sovereignty was to be perpetuated in the person of jesus christ. so that this prediction is but the first whisper of that which was afterwards so distinctly declared, that david's seed should sit on the throne for ever and ever. it was not accomplished in the letter, any more than the promise to david was; the tribe of judah cannot in any intelligible sense be said to have had rulers of her own up to the coming of christ, or for some centuries previous to that date. for those who would quickly judge god and his promise by what they could see in their own day, there was enough to provoke them to challenge god for forgetting his promise. but in due time _the_ king of men, he to whom all nations have gathered, did spring from this tribe; and need it be said that the very fact of his appearance proved that the supremacy had not departed from judah? this prediction, then, partook of the character of very many of the old testament prophecies; there was sufficient fulfilment in the letter to seal, as it were, the promise, and give men a token that it was being accomplished, and yet so mysterious a falling short, as to cause men to look beyond the literal fulfilment, on which alone their hopes had at first rested, to some far higher and more perfect spiritual fulfilment. but not only has it been objected that the sceptre departed from judah long before christ came, and that therefore the word shiloh cannot refer to him, but also it has been truly said that wherever else the word occurs it is the name of a town--that town, viz., where the ark for a long time was stationed, and from which the allotment of territory was made to the various tribes; and the prediction has been supposed to mean that judah should be the leading tribe till the land was entered. many objections to this naturally occur, and need not be stated. but it comes to be an inquiry of some interest, how much information regarding a personal messiah did the brethren receive from this prophecy? a question very difficult indeed to answer. the word shiloh means "peace-making," and if they understood this as a proper name, they must have thought of a person such as isaiah designates as the prince of peace--a name it was similar to that wherewith david called his son solomon, in the expectation that the results of his own lifetime of disorder and battle would be reaped by his successor in a peaceful and prosperous reign. it can scarcely be thought likely, indeed, that this single term "shiloh," which might be applied to many things besides a person, should give to the sons of jacob any distinct idea of a personal deliverer; but it might be sufficient to keep before their eyes, and specially before the tribe of judah, that the aim and consummation of all lawgiving and ruling was peace. and there was certainly contained in this blessing an assurance that the purpose of judah would not be accomplished, and therefore that the existence of judah as a tribe would not terminate, until peace had been through its means brought into the world: thus was the assurance given, that the productive power of judah should not fail until out of that tribe there had sprung that which should give peace. but to us who have seen the prediction accomplished, it plainly enough points to _the_ lion of the tribe of judah, who in his own person combined all kingly qualities. in him we are taught by this prediction to discover once more the single person who stands out on the page of this world's history as satisfying men's ideal of what their king should be, and of how the race should be represented;--the one who without any rival stands in the mind's eye as that for which the best hopes of men were waiting, still feeling that the race could do more than it had done, and never satisfied but in him. zebulun, the sixth and last of leah's sons, was so called because said leah, "now will my husband _dwell with me_" (such being the meaning of the name), "for i have borne him six sons." all that is predicted regarding this tribe is that his _dwelling_ should be by the sea, and near the ph[oe]nician city zidon. this is not to be taken as a strict geographical definition of the tract of country occupied by zebulun, as we see when we compare it with the lot assigned to it and marked out in the book of joshua; but though the border of the tribe did not reach to zidon, and though it can only have been a mere tongue of land belonging to it that ran down to the mediterranean shore, yet the situation ascribed to it is true to its character as a tribe that had commercial relations with the ph[oe]nicians, and was of a decidedly mercantile turn. we find this same feature indicated in the blessing of moses: "rejoice, zebulun, in thy _going out_, and issachar in thy tents"--zebulun having the enterprise of a seafaring community, and issachar the quiet bucolic contentment of an agricultural or pastoral population: zebulun always restlessly eager for emigration or commerce, for _going out_ of one kind or other; issachar satisfied to live and die in his own tents. it is still, therefore, character rather than geographical position that is here spoken of--though it is a trait of character that is peculiarly dependent on geographical position: we, for example, because islanders, having become the maritime power and the merchants of the world; not being shut off from other nations by the encompassing sea, but finding paths by it equally in all directions ready provided for every kind of traffic. zebulun, then, was to represent the commerce of israel, its _outgoing_ tendency; was to supply a means of communication and bond of connection with the world outside, so that through it might be conveyed to the nations what was saving in israel, and that what israel needed from other lands might also find entrance. in the church also, this is a needful quality: for our well-being there must ever exist among us those who are not afraid to launch on the wide and pathless sea of opinion; those in whose ears its waves have from their childhood sounded with a fascinating invitation, and who at last, as if possessed by some spirit of unrest, loose from the firm earth, and go in quest of lands not yet discovered, or are impelled to see for themselves what till now they have believed on the testimony of others. it is not for all men to quit the shore, and risk themselves in the miseries and disasters of so comfortless and hazardous a life; but happy the people which possesses, from one generation to another, men who must see with their own eyes, and to whose restless nature the discomforts and dangers of an unsettled life have a charm. it is not the instability of reuben that we have in these men, but the irrepressible longing of the born seaman, who _must_ lift the misty veil of the horizon and penetrate its mystery. and we are not to condemn, even when we know we should not imitate, men who cannot rest satisfied with the ground on which we stand, but venture into regions of speculation, of religious thought which we have never trodden, and may deem hazardous. the nourishment we receive is not all native-grown; there are views of truth which may very profitably be imported from strange and distant lands; and there is no land, no province of thought, from which we may not derive what may advantageously be mixed with our own ideas; no direction in which a speculative mind can go in which it may not find something which may give a fresh zest to what we already use, or be a real addition to our knowledge. no doubt men who refuse to confine themselves to one way of viewing truth--men who venture to go close to persons of very different opinions from their own, who determine for themselves to prove all things, who have no very special love for what they were native to and originally taught, who show rather a taste for strange and new opinions--these persons live a life of great hazard, and in the end are generally, like men who have been much at sea, unsettled; they have not fixed opinions, and are in themselves, as individual men, unsatisfactory and unsatisfied; but still they have done good to the community, by bringing to us ideas and knowledge which otherwise we could not have obtained. such men god gives us to widen our views; to prevent us from thinking that we have the best of everything; to bring us to acknowledge that others, who perhaps in the main are not so favoured as ourselves, are yet possessed of some things we ourselves would be the better of. and though these men must themselves necessarily hang loosely, scarcely attached very firmly to any part of the church, like a seafaring population, and often even with a border running very close to heathenism, yet let us own that the church has need of such--that without them the different sections of the church would know too little of one another, and too little of the facts of this world's life. and as the seafaring population of a country might be expected to show less interest in the soil of their native land than others, and yet we know that in point of fact we are dependent on no class of our population so much for leal patriotism, and for the defence of our country, so one has observed that the church also must make similar use of her zebuluns--of men who, by their very habit of restlessly considering all views of truth which are alien to our own ways of thinking, have become familiar with, and better able to defend us against, the error that mingles with these views. issachar receives from his father a character which few would be proud of or would envy, but which many are very content to bear. as the strong ass that has its stall and its provender provided can afford to let the free beasts of the forest vaunt their liberty, so there is a very numerous class of men who have no care to assert their dignity as human beings, or to agitate regarding their rights as citizens, so long as their obscurity and servitude provide them with physical comforts, and leave them free of heavy responsibilities. they prefer a life of ease and plenty to a life of hardship and glory. they are not lazy nor idle, but are quite willing to use their strength so long as they are not overdriven out of their sleekness. they have neither ambition nor enterprise, and willingly bow their shoulders to bear, and become the servants of those who will free them from the anxiety of planning and managing, and give them a fair and regular remuneration for their labour. this is not a noble nature, but in a world in which ambition so frequently runs through a thorny and difficult path to a disappointing and shameful end, this disposition has much to say in its own defence. it will often accredit itself with unchallengeable common sense, and will maintain that it alone enjoys life and gets the good of it. they will tell you they are the only true utilitarians, that to be one's own master only brings cares, and that the degradation of servitude is only an idea; that _really_ servants are quite as well off as masters. look at them: the one is as a strong, powerful, well-cared-for animal, his work but a pleasant exercise to him, and when it is over never following him into his rest; he eats the good of the land, and has what all seem to be in vain striving for, rest and contentment: the other, the master, has indeed his position, but that only multiplies his duties; he has wealth, but that proverbially only increases his cares and the mouths that are to consume it; it is _he_ who has the air of a bondsman, and never, meet him when you may, seems wholly at ease and free from care. yet, after all that can be said in favour of the bargain an issachar makes, and however he may be satisfied to rest, and in a quiet, peaceful way enjoy life, men feel that at the best there is something despicable about such a character. he gives his labour and is fed, he pays his tribute and is protected; but men feel that they ought to meet the dangers, responsibilities, and difficulties of life in their own persons, and at first hand, and not buy themselves off so from the burden of individual self-control and responsibility. the animal enjoyment of this life and its physical comforts may be a very good ingredient in a national character: it might be well for israel to have this patient, docile mass of strength in its midst: it may be well for our country that there are among us not only men eager for the highest honours and posts, but a great multitude of men perhaps equally serviceable and capable, but whose desires never rise beyond the ordinary social comforts; the contentedness of such, even though reprehensible, tempers or balances the ambition of the others, and when it comes into personal contact rebukes its feverishness. they, as well as the other parts of society, have amidst their error a truth--the truth that the ideal world in which ambition, and hope, and imagination live is not everything; that the material has also a reality, and that though hope does bless mankind, yet attainment is also something, even though it be a little. yet this truth is not the whole truth, and is only useful as an ingredient, as a part, not as the whole; and when we fall from any high ideal of human life which we have formed, and begin to find comfort and rest in the mere physical good things of this world, we may well despise ourselves. there is a pleasantness still in the land that appeals to us all; a luxury in observing the risks and struggles of others while ourselves secure and at rest; a desire to make life easy, and to shirk the responsibility and toil that public-spiritedness entails. yet of what tribe has the church more cause to complain than of those persons who seem to imagine that they have done enough when they have joined the church and received their own inheritance to enjoy; who are alive to no emergency, nor awake to the need of others; who have no idea at all of their being a part of the community, for which, as well as for themselves, there are duties to discharge; who couch, like the ass of issachar, in their comfort without one generous impulse to make common cause against the common evils and foes of the church, and are unvisited by a single compunction that while they lie there, submitting to whatever fate sends, there are kindred tribes of their own being oppressed and spoiled? there seems to have been an improvement in this tribe, an infusion of some new life into it. in the time of deborah, indeed, it is with a note of surprise that, while celebrating the victory of israel, she names even issachar as having been roused to action, and as having helped in the common cause--"the princes of issachar were with deborah, _even_ issachar;" but we find them again in the days of david wiping out their reproach, and standing by him manfully. and there an apparently new character is given to them--"the children of issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what israel ought to do." this quite accords, however, with the kind of practical philosophy which we have seen to be imbedded in issachar's character. men they were not distracted by high thoughts and ambitions, but who judged things according to their substantial value to themselves; and who were, therefore, in a position to give much good advice on practical matters--advice which would always have a tendency to trend too much towards mere utilitarianism and worldliness, and to partake rather of crafty politic diplomacy than of far-seeing statesmanship, yet trustworthy for a certain class of subjects. and here, too, they represent the same class in the church, already alluded to; for one often finds that men who will not interrupt their own comfort, and who have a kind of stolid indifference as to what comes of the good of the church, have yet also much shrewd practical wisdom; and were these men, instead of spending their sagacity in cynical denunciation of what the church does, to throw themselves into the cause of the church, and heartily advise her what she _ought_ to do, and help in the doing of it, their observation of human affairs, and political understanding of the times, would be turned to good account, instead of being a reproach. next came the eldest son of rachel's handmaid, and the eldest son of leah's handmaid, dan and gad. dan's name, meaning "judge," is the starting point of the prediction--"dan shall judge his people." this word "judge" we are perhaps somewhat apt to misapprehend; it means rather to defend than to sit in judgment on; it refers to a judgment passed between one's own people and their foes, and an execution of such judgment in the deliverance of the people and the destruction of the foe. we are familiar with this meaning of the word by the constant reference in the old testament to god's _judging_ his people; this being always a cause of joy as their sure deliverance from their enemies. so also it is used of those men who, when israel had no king, rose from time to time as the champions of the people, to lead them against the foe, and who are therefore familiarly called "the judges." from the tribe of dan the most conspicuous of these arose, samson, namely, and it is probably mainly with reference to this fact that jacob so emphatically predicts of _this_ tribe, "dan shall judge his people." and notice the appended clause (as reflecting shame on the sluggish issachar), "as one of the tribes of israel," recognising always that his strength was not for himself alone, but for his country; that he was not an isolated people who had to concern himself only with his own affairs, but _one_ of the tribes of israel. the manner, too, in which dan was to do this was singularly descriptive of the facts subsequently evolved. dan was a very small and insignificant tribe, whose lot originally lay close to the philistines on the southern border of the land. it might seem to be no obstacle whatever to the invading philistines as they passed to the richer portion of judah, but this little tribe, through samson, smote these terrors of the israelites with so sore and alarming a destruction as to cripple them for years and make them harmless. we see, therefore, how aptly jacob compares them to the venomous snake that lurks in the road and bites the horses' heels; the dust-coloured adder that a man treads on before he is aware, and whose poisonous stroke is more deadly than the foe he is looking for in front. and especially significant did the imagery appear to the jews, with whom this poisonous adder was indigenous, but to whom the horse was the symbol of foreign armament and invasion. the whole tribe of dan, too, seems to have partaken of that "grim humour" with which samson saw his foes walk time after time into the traps he set for them, and give themselves an easy prey to him--a humour which comes out with singular piquancy in the narrative given in the book of judges of one of the forays of this tribe, in which they carried off micah's priest and even his gods. but why, in the full flow of his eloquent description of the varied virtues of his sons, does the patriarch suddenly check himself, lie back on his pillows, and quietly say, "i have waited for thy salvation, o god"? does he feel his strength leave him so that he cannot go on to bless the rest of his sons, and has but time to yield his own spirit to god? are we here to interpolate one of those scenes we are all fated to witness when some eagerly watched breath seems altogether to fail before the last words have been uttered, when those who have been standing apart, through sorrow and reverence, quickly gather round the bed to catch the last look, and when the dying man again collects himself and finishes his work? probably jacob, having, as it were, projected himself forward into those stirring and warlike times he has been speaking of, so realises the danger of his people, and the futility even of such help as dan's when god does not help, that, as if from the midst of doubtful war, he cries, as with a battle cry, "i have waited for thy salvation, o god." his longing for victory and blessing to his sons far overshot the deliverance from philistines accomplished by samson. that deliverance he thankfully accepts and joyfully predicts, but in the spirit of an israelite indeed, and a genuine child of the promise, he remains unsatisfied, and sees in all such deliverance only the pledge of god's coming nearer and nearer to his people, bringing with him _his_ eternal salvation. in dan, therefore, we have not the catholic spirit of zebulun, nor the practical, though sluggish, temper of issachar; but we are guided rather to the disposition which ought to be maintained through all christian life, and which, with special care, needs to be cherished in church-life--a disposition to accept with gratitude all success and triumph, but still to aim through all at that highest victory which god alone can accomplish for his people. it is to be the battle-cry with which every christian and every church is to preserve itself, not merely against external foes, but against the far more disastrous influence of self-confidence, pride, and glorying in man--"for _thy_ salvation, o god, do we wait." gad also is a tribe whose history is to be warlike, his very name signifying a marauding, guerilla troop; and his history was to illustrate the victories which god's people gain by tenacious, watchful, ever-renewed warfare. the church has often prospered by her dan-like insignificance; the world not troubling itself to make war upon her. but oftener gad is a better representative of the mode in which her successes are gained. we find that the men of gad were among the most valuable of david's warriors, when his necessity evoked all the various skill and energy of israel. "of the gadites," we read, "there separated themselves unto david into the hold of the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains: one of the least of them was better than an hundred, and the greatest mightier than a thousand." and there is something particularly inspiriting to the individual christian in finding this pronounced as part of the blessing of god's people--"a troop shall overcome him, _but he shall_ overcome at the last." it is this that enables us to persevere--that we have god's assurance that present discomfiture does not doom us to final defeat. if you be among the children of promise, among those that gather round god to catch his blessing, you shall overcome at the last. you may now feel as if assaulted by treacherous, murderous foes, irregular troops, that betake themselves to every cruel deceit, and are ruthless in spoiling you; you may be assailed by so many and strange temptations that you are bewildered and cannot lift a hand to resist, scarce seeing where your danger comes from; you may be buffeted by messengers of satan, distracted by a sudden and tumultuous incursion of a crowd of cares so that you are moved away from the old habits of your life amid which you seem to stand safely; your heart may seem to be the rendezvous of all ungodly and wicked thoughts, you may feel trodden under foot and overrun by sin, but, with the blessing of god, you shall overcome at the last. only cultivate that dogged pertinacity of gad, which has no thought of ultimate defeat, but rallies cheerfully and resolutely after every discomfiture. footnotes: [2] merivale's _romans under the empire_, vi. 261. [3] plato, _repub._ i. 5, etc. [4] the subsequent history of the tribe shows that the character of its father was transmitted. "no judge, no prophet, not one of the tribe of reuben, is mentioned." (_vide_ smith's dictionary, _reuben_.) the precious and sacred writings of martin luther _the hero of the reformation, the greatest of the teuton church fathers, and the father of protestant church literature_ based on the kaiser chronological edition with reference to the erlangen and walch editions edited by john nicholas lenker, d.d. in connection with leading scholars of all parts of the church lutherans in all lands co., minneapolis, minn., u.s.a. 1904 luther on the creation a critical and devotional commentary on genesis based on dr. henry cole's translation from the original latin. revised, enlarged, parts retranslated and edited in complete form by john nicholas lenker, d.d. professor of old testament exegesis, author of "lutherans in all lands" and president of the national lutheran library association vol. i. lutherans in all lands co., minneapolis, minn., u.s.a. 1904 copyright, 1904, by prof. j. n. lenker, d.d. second introduction --to-luther's works in english. this introduction or prospectus is supplementary to that in the first volume on the psalms, in that it likewise emphasizes, though from different view-points, the history and fruits, as well as the present need and future mission of the protestant classics of the greatest of all reformers in their relation to the development of the human race. let us in this introduction briefly notice the following: the progress of the movement to translate and circulate luther's works in english, and then emphasize the need of developing an interest to read them; first, because of the relation of luther and his writings to the public library; and secondly, because as the chief of the teuton protestant church fathers, we need to understand luther in his relation to the greek and latin church fathers, and our true historic relations to them all. the progress of the movement. with profound gratitude to almighty god for his rich blessing bestowed upon the publication and quick sale of the first volume, luther's commentary on the psalms, a book "the mourning soul cannot well be without," we now send forth the first volume of his commentary on genesis, with the confidence that those, who think with melanchthon that "a single page of luther contains more sound divinity than many whole volumes," will not change their opinion by studying this volume. having purchased all the copies of luther on galatians and his notes on the gospels by dr. p. anstadt, and the right to reprint them, with two other volumes about ready for the press, one by prof. e. f. bartholomew, d.d., and another by dr. bernhard pick, our progress is encouraging, especially since the movement has taken an intersynodical character with colaborers from every branch of our polyglot communion. luther on the old testament needed first. this volume on genesis follows the first volume on the psalms because the volumes ought to be published first that are needed most and will do the most good. as professor of old testament exegesis i found that like "luther on the psalms" so "luther on genesis" was not accessible to the english, swedish, norwegian and danish students of theology, prof. bugge's norwegian translation of extracts from it being out of print. therefore we believe this volume also will be welcomed by all old testament professors and students. while both these volumes will be a healthy corrective to the old testament critics, their contribution to the biblical knowledge and the devotional life of protestantism cannot be exaggerated. though first delivered to critical students they have also been extensively read in family worship. luther began and closed his blessed ministry in the church of god not by fighting the pope, but by expounding the word of god. he began by explaining the whole psalter from 1513 to 1516 (before 1517) forming volumes iii and iv of the kaiser chronological edition and closed his life's labors by expounding the first book of the bible, genesis, which composes volumes i and ii of the st. louis walch edition. he commenced with the penitential psalms of david and ended with moses, the earliest writings of the old testament. the reason so many preachers and congregations neglect the old testament is because it is neglected in the seminaries. god willing a volume of luther on the prophetical books will be issued and then in all three years at the seminary the students may have something of luther on the pentateuch, psalms and prophets. luther's words on public libraries. in the recent marvelous development of public libraries it is held if it is the duty of the state to teach the child to read for the welfare of the child and of the state, it is also the duty of the state to offer the child something to read. hence the library is being supported by taxation like the public school, and the library buildings are being erected near the high schools. it is as president roosevelt said while west recently, our civilization rests on the church, the school and the library. the library is the child of the church and school and will in turn greatly influence both. luther, the founder of the protestant church, and the founder of the public school, is also the founder of the protestant library. yea, more, nearly four hundred years ago he united the school and the library as is proved by the following: it is noteworthy that luther closes his "address to the mayors and aldermen of all the cities of germany in behalf of christian schools," which is considered by educators for its pioneer character and statements of principles "the most important educational treatise ever written," by a powerful appeal in behalf of public libraries which i give in full from luther on education by prof. painter. luther concludes that great educational treatise thus: "finally, this must be taken into consideration by all who earnestly desire to see such schools established and the study of the languages preserved in the german states; that no cost nor pains should be spared to procure good libraries in suitable buildings, especially in the large cities that are able to afford it. for if a knowledge of the gospel and of every kind of learning is to be preserved, it must be embodied in books, as the prophets and apostles did, as i have already shown. this should be done, not only that our spiritual and civil leaders may have something to read and study, but also that good books may not be lost, and that the arts and languages may be preserved, with which god has graciously favored us. st. paul was diligent in this matter, since he lays the injunction upon timothy, 'give heed to reading,' i tim. 4:13, and directs him to bring the books, but especially the parchments left at troas, 2 tim. 4:13. "all the kingdoms that have been distinguished in the world have bestowed care upon this matter, and particularly the israelites, among whom moses was the first to begin the work, who commanded them to preserve the book of the law in the ark of god, and put it under the care of levites, that any one might procure copies from them. he even commanded the king to make a copy of this book in the hands of the levites. among other duties, god directed the levitical priesthood to preserve and attend to the books. afterwards joshua increased and improved this library, as did subsequently samuel, david, solomon, isaiah, and many kings and prophets. hence have come to us the holy scriptures of the old testament, which would not otherwise have been collected and preserved, if god had not required such diligence in regard to it. "after this example collegiate churches and convents formerly founded libraries, although with few good books. and the injury from the neglect to procure books and good libraries, when there were men and books enough for that purpose, was afterwards perceived in the decline of every kind of knowledge; and instead of good books, the senseless, useless, and hurtful books of the monks, the catholicon, florista, graecista, labyrinthus, dormi secure (names of latin grammars and collections of sermons), and the like, were introduced by satan, so that the latin language was corrupted, and neither good schools, good instruction, nor good methods of study remained. and as we see, the language and arts are, in an imperfect manner, recovered from fragments of old books rescued from the worms and dust; and every day men are seeking these literary remains, as people dig in the ashes of a ruined city after treasures and jewels. "therein we have received our just due, and god has well recompensed our ingratitude, in that we did not consider his benefits, and lay up a supply of good literature when we had time and opportunity, but neglected it, as if we were not concerned. he in turn, instead of the holy scriptures and good books, suffered aristotle and numberless pernicious books to come into use, which only lead us further from the bible. to these were added the progeny of satan, the monks and the phantoms of the universities, which we founded at incredible cost, and many doctors, preachers, teachers, priests and monks, that is to say, great, coarse, fat fellows, adorned with red and brown caps, like swine led with a golden chain and decorated with pearls; and we have burdened ourselves with them, who have taught us nothing useful, but have made us more and more blind and stupid, and as a reward have consumed all our property, and filled all the cloisters, and indeed every corner with dregs and filth of their unclean and noxious books, of which we cannot think without horror. "has it not been a grievous misfortune that a boy has hitherto been obliged to study twenty years or longer, in order to learn enough miserable latin to become a priest and to read the mass? and whosoever has succeeded in this has been called blessed, and blessed the mother that has borne such a child! and yet he has remained a poor ignorant man all through life, and has been of no real service whatever. everywhere we have had such teachers and masters, who have known nothing themselves, who have been able to teach nothing useful, and who have been ignorant even of the right methods of learning and teaching. how has it come about? no books have been accessible but the senseless trash of the monks and sophists. how could the pupils and teacher differ from the books they studied? a crow does not hatch a dove, nor a fool make a man wise. that is the recompense of our ingratitude, in that we did not use diligence in the formation of libraries, but allowed good books to perish, and bad ones to survive. "but my advice is not to collect all sorts of books indiscriminately thinking only of getting a vast number together. i would have discrimination used, because it is not necessary to collect the commentaries of the jurists, the productions of all the theologians, the discussions of all the philosophers, and the sermons of all the monks. such trash i would reject altogether, and provide my library only with useful books; and in making the selection i would advise with learned men. "in the first place, a library should contain the holy scriptures in latin, greek, hebrew, german and other languages. then the best and most ancient commentators in greek, hebrew and latin. "secondly, such books as are useful in acquiring the languages, as the poets and orators, without considering whether they are heathen or christian, greek or latin. for it is from such works that grammar must be learned. "thirdly, books treating of all the arts and sciences. "lastly, books on jurisprudence and medicine, though here discrimination is necessary. "a prominent place should be given to chronicles and histories, in whatever language they may be obtained; for they are wonderfully useful in understanding and regulating the course of the world, and in disclosing the marvelous works of god. o, how many noble deeds and wise maxims produced on german soil have been forgotten and lost, because no one at the time wrote them down; or if they were written, no one preserved the books; hence we germans are unknown in other lands, and are called brutes that know only how to fight, eat and drink. but the greeks and romans, and even the hebrews have recorded their history with such particularity, that even if a woman or child did anything noteworthy, all the world was obliged to read and know it; but we germans are always germans and will remain germans. "since god has so graciously and abundantly provided us with art, scholars and books, it is time for us to reap the harvest and gather for future use the treasures of these golden years. for it is to be feared (and even now it is beginning to take place) that new and different books will be produced, until at last, through the agency of the devil, the good books which are being printed will be crowded out by the multitude of ill-considered, senseless and noxious works. for satan certainly designs that we should torture ourselves again with catholicons, florists, modernists and other trash of the accursed monks and sophists, always learning, yet never acquiring knowledge. "therefore, my dear sirs, i beg you to let my labor bear fruit with you. and though there be some who think me too insignificant to follow my advice, or who look down upon me as one condemned by tyrants; still let them consider that i am not seeking my own interest, but that of all germany. and even if i were a fool, and yet should hit upon something good, no wise man should think it a disgrace to follow me. and if i were a turk and heathen, and it should yet appear that my advice was advantageous, not for myself, but for christianity, no reasonable person would despise my counsel. sometimes a fool has given better advice than a whole company of wise men. moses received instruction from jethro. "herewith i commend you all to the grace of god. may he soften your hearts, and kindle therein a deep interest in behalf of the poor, wretched and neglected youth; and through the blessing of god may you so counsel and aid them as to attain to a happy christian social order in respect to both body and soul, with all fullness and abounding plenty, to the praise and honor of god the father, through jesus christ our saviour. amen." wittenberg, 1524. in his "table talk" luther continues thus: "the multitude of books is a great evil. there is no measure or limit to this fever for writing; every one must be an author; some out of vanity, to acquire celebrity and make a name; others for the sake of lucre and gain. the bible is now buried under so many commentaries, that the text is not regarded. i could wish that all my books were buried nine ells deep in the ground, by reason of the ill example they will give, every one seeking to imitate me in writing many books, with the hope of procuring fame. but christ died not to favor our ambition and vain-glory, but that his name might be glorified. "the aggregation of large libraries tends to direct men's thoughts from the one great book, the bible, which ought, day and night, to be in every man's hand. my object, my hope, in translating the scriptures, was to check the so prevalent production of new works, and so to direct men's study and thoughts more closely to the divine word. never will the writings of mortal man in any respect equal the sentences inspired by god. we must yield the place of honor to the prophets and apostles, keeping ourselves prostrate at their feet as we listen to their teaching. i would not have those who read my books, in these stormy times, devote one moment to them which they would otherwise have consecrated to the bible." luther the father of modern libraries. the foregoing literal quotations on the library; its divine origin and its biblical and ecclesiastical development from the time of moses; its interlingual and international importance; its satanic and anti-christ-like dangers; its true mission and relation to the church, school, family and state; the comprehensive sample catalogue of a model library; and the words that when libraries tend to direct men's thoughts from or against the one great book they are complete failures; these and other like thoughts of luther, who was born only 15 years after the death of guthenburg, his countryman, the inventor of printing; these words so warm, clear and wise of the hero of the reformation, uttered nearly 400 years ago, prove that luther and not franklin was the father or founder of modern libraries of printed books and documents. in w. t. fletcher's "public libraries in america," of the columbian knowledge series, published in boston, 1899, we read on page 10, "but when did the public library movement begin? not even the reformation, with its tremendous assertion of the right of man to spiritual freedom, brought about the change so designated. franklin more than any other originated this movement." it is strange that in all the recent and growing bibliography on the library there is little or no tendency to trace the origin of the protestant library to the protestant reformation. yet mr. fletcher says on p. 37, "it is a significant fact that everywhere the clergy are found foremost in advancing the library movement." he certainly does not mean the catholic clergy. if you examine the libraries of our day and judge from their contents and spirit, the conclusion irresistibly comes to one that they do not know their own father or founder. their walls often are decorated with fine pictures of illustrious men, carnegie and other liberal donors; but in no public library, not even in districts of our country where the german and scandinavian taxpayers are in the majority do we find a picture on their walls, "martin luther, the founder of the library among the protestant teutonic nations." though carnegie should expend all his fortune on libraries alone, his donation to the library idea would be unworthy to be compared with that of luther. besides what luther wrote urging the teutonic nations accepting his teachings to erect libraries or "book houses" as he called them, and besides what he did in other ways to encourage the collection of the writings of the germanic nations, this teuton of the teutons, their child and father, born, as i said, only fifteen years after the inventor of printing died, wrote a library of 113 volumes in the infancy of printing, which is still today the leading classic library of protestantism, which has been translated and retranslated in part into every language of the globe and influenced every protestant and many catholic authors, and is or should be the foundation and center of every library that is not anti-protestant. alas! alas! it is not so in our own protestant land, the united states. he seems to be feared more as a leader of a sect, which he never was, than loved and honored as the hero of the reformation and the very soul of the protestant teutonic literary activity and its treasures. however i am not so greatly concerned to have luther honored as the father of the modern library by hanging his picture on their walls. there is a better way for the protestant library to honor their father and that is to purchase his writings complete in the german, scandinavian and english languages and then interest their german, scandinavian and english citizens to read them. true some libraries have a dozen or more books written about luther, his life, etc., but not a single book written by him. all the books that others have or may write about him are as nothing compared to what he himself wrote in explaining the holy scriptures and the fundamental principles of our modern aggressive protestant civilization. if they are the happy possessors of a few books translated from our great teuton church father, the books are often in such poor and antiquated english that no one can nor will read them with any comfort. librarians and pastors and protestant laymen, what have you up-to-date in your library from the heart and pen of the father of protestant literature? look now and see, and make a note of what you find and write us, and we may be of some help to you in completing your collection. but what is the use for libraries to purchase luther's works in german, scandinavian or english when the people do not call for the books and read them. therefore we have given emphasis to their cry that is going abroad in the land. read luther! read luther!! read luther!!! why? because as a true intelligent protestant you cannot read any thing better. millions of people have said and millions more will say next to the bible they received more from luther's writings than from all other books combined. and if you take the protestant professors of our land, and for that matter of all lands, they all together would come far short of making a luther. he was not only ahead of his times, but on many subjects he is far ahead of our age. yes, when we keep company with luther we feel we are behind the times, on subjects like romanism, protestantism, christian schools, christian libraries, the christian family, the christian state, and many christian social problems. it is possible to go backwards as well as forwards. how can i read luther when i have not his books and i cannot afford to purchase them? our cry is not buy luther! buy luther!! buy luther!!! but read luther! read luther!! read luther!!! many buy luther's works and do not read them. they can afford to purchase them all and as they have a beautiful book-case with glass doors, perhaps the finest piece of furniture in their homes, as the style now is (for what is a home without an up-to-date book-case?), they subscribe for all luther's works for a show in their book-case, and we ask can you name a set of books that makes a better show in any public or private library than luther's works, especially in a protestant library? they are also really a far better investment than these large, thick, cheap but dear, subscription books, which are nice only while they are new and then they fade and the outside becomes as bad as the inside. when you look at the libraries of many protestant homes, you pity them, first because of what they have not and then because of what they have. but luther's writings should go into the home library not for a show nor for an investment, but to be read. perhaps there is no passage of scripture that our homes should take to heart just now more than the advice of father paul to his spiritual son, timothy: "give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. neglect not the gift that is in thee." 1 tim. 4:13-14. give heed that you read something, that you read the best, and give heed how you read, that the gifts in you may not be neglected. then the right, sound exhortation and pure teaching will follow. notice the order is first, give heed to reading. many have never read any writings of luther except perhaps his small catechism. they have not built very well on the foundation laid. when one thinks of the solid christian books our german and scandinavian parents read and what the children read now-a-days, you must sigh. again many say i have now more books than i can read and if i buy more i will not read them. well, you will not lose much if you do not read many books you have, but if you would sell these and buy a few of the classic writings of protestantism and read and read them again and again, you would be blessed, and just such a work is luther on genesis. no one is too poor to be a luther reader. i have spoken of those who can afford to buy luther's works and do buy them, and yet they do not read them. there is another class much smaller but much better; namely, those who enjoyed the study of their catechism and the little they have read here and there in extracts from luther and they long to read more, but do not know where to get the books or have not the money to buy them. to all such let our pastors, parochial and sunday school teachers and all others say on every occasion possible that such works can be had in the public library. if you do not find them there make application on the little blank slips the library furnishes for the public to request the library to secure the books desired. if they do not do so at once have your neighbors repeat and repeat the same request. this is the way the latest trashy novels are introduced in public libraries, for they buy only what the public asks for. these libraries are supported as a rule by taxation and the germans and scandinavians are heavy taxpayers and their requests for good standard books in their own language or in english will be favorably considered. we ourselves are to blame if public libraries have not the standard classics of their protestant father and founder. it if therefore in harmony with historic development and with the spirit of luther that in chicago, june 29, 1903, an adjourned meeting of the convention, which assembled in the same city in september of the previous year, was held and effected an organization known as the national lutheran library association one aim of which as specified in its constitution, is "to aid in duplicating as far as practicable the 'luther' literature in the british museum library in all the larger american public libraries." (see the constitution for further details.) the public libraries of great britain are far ahead of the american public libraries in their luther literature, and we as free loyal americans cannot afford to let it continue so. the question arises, what nations, what culture should characterize the libraries of the world? shall the greeks, or the latins or the teutons? to aid in answering this question i will add another heading the greek, latin and teuton church fathers. in the introduction of vol. i in the psalms, to which the reader is referred, it was stated that the key-note of all of the "sacred books" of the east is "salvation by works." and yet in the face of this protestants are asked to believe that they are "sacred books," when their main teachings are directly contrary to what we have been taught to esteem as most sacred, namely, our christian faith in the grace of christ for salvation. to protestants they are not sacred books but the very opposite. i would far rather call the writings of luther sacred, which teach and defend the doctrine of salvation by grace as taught by the one great book, although it stands alone and protests against the false teachings of the so-called sacred books of the east. however let us now look more closely at the west. here we find that protestants have shown commendable zeal and enterprise in translating, publishing and circulating the large libraries of the greek and latin church fathers. every pastor continuously receives circulars with the almost irresistible temptation to purchase the patristic writings of both catholic churches. this is all well, but we should not forget that the anglo-saxon people are neither greeks nor latins, but teutons, and that our teuton church fathers are protestants and they also should be translated, published, circulated and read and taught. little wittenberg dare not fall behind constantinople and rome. it ought not. _for "saxon and norman and dane are we."_ true the teutons can and do learn from the greek and latin church fathers, but we also believe that the children of the old greeks and latins can learn much from our teuton fathers, and that they have as good reasons to welcome our classic church literature as we have theirs; and we hope the day may soon come when they will translate and read ours as faithfully and impartially as we do theirs. what a blessing that would bring to christendom! in some quarters however english protestants have been in danger of appreciating the fathers of the greeks and latins to the extent of neglecting to give due honor to their own. many protestant ministers' libraries contain all classics except the protestant classics. let the whole world have the greek and the latin fathers as it has, but let protestants awake and give the world theirs. is it not a shame and a pity that while all the writings of the greek and latin fathers have been translated into many languages, yet the complete works of luther, the first and chief of the protestant fathers, have never been translated into any language, though his loyal disciples are numbered by the hundreds of thousands in different tongues, as the fruits of those writings? for of the 70,169,000 lutherans in the world, 43,731,000 speak german, 7,300,000 swedish, 3,500,000 norwegian, 3,200,000 danish, 3,000,000 finnish, 1,100,000 esthnish, 400,000 hungarian (or 4,500,000 of the finnish or magyarian race), 4,000,000 english, 2,000,000 lettish, 500,000 slovakian, 300,000 polish, 200,000 french, 100,000 dutch, 100,000 russian, 82,000 icelandic, 50,000 bohemian, 63,000 wendish, 113,000 lithuanian, 250,000 the heathen dialects of asia and 280,000 the heathen dialects of africa. and further as all german speaking reformed churches use luther's version of the scriptures, so they welcome his writings also. true in all these 17 or more languages some of luther's writings have appeared. but it is distressing to learn how few they are, and how out of date and imperfect some of these are. luther is the common property of all protestants, and so are his writings. they would be helpful in all time to the 21,000,000 episcopalians, the 17,000,000 methodists, the 11,000,000 baptists, the 9,000,000 presbyterians, the 4,500,000 congregationalists, and all other protestants; and not only to the 140,000,000 protestants, but also to the 80,000,000 greek catholics and 200,000,000 latin catholics and to the heathen, to the infidel, to the state as well as to the church. the first thing for protestants to do is to give all nations the bible; and the second, to give them the best protestant classics. we can. will we? no nation or race is greater than its greatest men, and those greatest men are not greater than their best writings. hence little is of more value in literature than the honest critique by these greatest men of the best writings of the most civilized and cultured nations before their time. therefore of the greatest interest are the following criticisms of the greatest teuton church father on the greek and latin church fathers. they are taken literally from his table talk and read thus: i will not presume to criticise too closely the writings of the fathers, seeing they are received of the church, and have great applause, for then i should be held an apostate; but whoever reads chrysostom, will find he digresses from the chief points, and proceeds to other matters, saying nothing, or very little, of that which pertains to the subject. when i was expounding the epistle to the hebrews, and turned to what chrysostom had written upon it, i found nothing to the purpose; yet i believe that he at that time, being the chief rhetorician, had many hearers, though he taught without profit; for the chief office of a preacher is to teach uprightly, and diligently to look to the main points and foundation on which he stands, and so instruct and teach the hearers that they understand aright and may be able to say: this is well taught. when this is done, he may avail himself of rhetoric to adorn his subject and admonish the people. behold what great darkness is in the books of the fathers concerning faith; yet if the article of justification be darkened, it is impossible to smother the grossest errors of mankind. st. jerome, indeed, wrote upon matthew, upon the epistles to the galatians and to titus; but, alas, very coldly. ambrose wrote six books on genesis, but they are very poor. augustine wrote nothing to the purpose concerning faith; for he was first roused up and made a man by the pelagians, in striving against them. i can find no exposition upon the epistles to the romans and galatians, in which anything is taught pure and right. what a happy time have we now as to the purity of the doctrine; but alas, we little esteem it. we must read the fathers cautiously, and lay them in the gold balance, for they often stumbled and went astray, and introduced into their books many monkish things. augustine had more work and labor to wind himself out of the writings of the fathers, than he had with the heretics. gregory expounds the five pounds mentioned in the gospel, which the husbandman gave to his servants to put to use, to be the five senses, which the beasts also possess. the two pounds he construes to be the reason and understanding. the more i read the books of the fathers, the more i find myself offended; for they were but men, and, to speak the truth with all their repute and authority, undervalued the books and writings of the sacred apostles of christ. the papists were not ashamed to say, what are the scriptures? we must read the holy fathers and teachers, for they drew and sucked the honey out of the scriptures. as if god's word were to be understood and conceived by none but themselves, whereas the heavenly father says: "him shall ye hear," who in the gospel taught most plainly in parables and similitudes. augustine was the ablest and purest of all the doctors, but he could not of himself bring things back to their original condition, and he often complains that the bishops, with their traditions and ordinances, trouble the church more than did the jews with their laws. i am persuaded that if at this time, st. peter, in person, should preach all the articles of the holy scriptures, and only deny the pope's authority, power and primacy, and say that the pope is not the head of all christendom, they would cause him to be hanged. jerome should not be numbered among the teachers of the church, for he was a heretic; yet i believe he was saved through faith in christ. he speaks not of christ, but merely carries his name in his mouth. again he says, jerome may be consulted for the purpose of historical study. as to faith, and good true religion and doctrine, there is not a word about them in his writings. he writes only respecting fasts, sorts of food, virginity, etc. i have already proscribed origin. chrysostom possesses no authority in my estimation. basil is but a monk, for whom i would not give the value of a hair. the apology of philip melanchthon is worth all the writings of all the doctors of the church put together, not excepting those of st. augustine. tertullian is a thorough carlstad; cyprian the martyr is a feeble theologian. the fathers said nothing decisive during their lives, respecting justification by grace; but at their death they believed in it. this was the more prudent course for them to follow, in order neither to encourage mysticism, nor discourage good works. these worthy fathers lived better than they wrote. since i became, by the grace of god, capable of understanding st. paul, i have been unable to esteem any of these doctors; they have shrunk into insignificance in my estimation. prefaces and dedications --of-luther's "dear genesis." his "swan song" and his "it is finished." we certainly will be pardoned for issuing here and at this time the prefaces: of veit dietrich, who published the first of these lectures in latin; of basil faber, who was the first to translate parts from latin into german; of dr. walch, who issued one of the best editions of luther's complete works; and of dr. cole, who was the first to translate a small part from latin into english. the words of these four men are a stronger appeal than we can write for the extensive circulation among english protestants of this the last and the greatest of luther's writings. it is as mathesius says: "surely the last thoughts are the best when they at the time refer to the word of god and spring from it. the sermons and books of aged men are worthy of consideration and preservation." hence, jerome weller called this commentary luther's swan song, and morlin calls it the "consummatum est," "it is finished," of luther. a new interest will be taken in the lines of this book when it is remembered how dear they were to the reformer himself. he frequently expresses his love for his "dear genesis," and had the prophetic impression that his labors in genesis and his earthly life would terminate together. and so they did. this was the last public work of luther's forty years of professorial, ministerial and reformatory labors. this saint of god, who was "a lion before men, but a lamb before god," concludes his commentary thus: "this is now the dear book of genesis. may our lord grant that others may do it better than i have done. i can no more; i am so weak. pray to god for me, that he may grant me a good holy hour at death!" a friend, one of the collectors of these comments, records these remarkable coincidences at the foot of the commentary: "the man of god, doctor martin luther, finished his commentaries on the book of genesis in the year of our lord 1545, on the 17th day of november; having commenced them in the year 1535. in his opening remarks he had said, 'this exposition i shall pore over and die over (_immorabor et immoriar_).' according to this prophecy concerning himself he died at eisleben, feb. 18th, 1546, piously and continually calling upon the son of god." dedication of veit dietrich. _to the most illustrious, high-born prince and lord, john ernest, duke of saxony, landgrave of thuringia, margrave of misnia._ it is this glorious and beautiful architectural building, the world; that is, the heavens and earth with all that in them is, as the stars, the elements, the trees, the plants, and all kinds of animals, etc., created so admirably for it and wisely ordered by god in their relations to one another, that teaches us to know god as the one eternal and almighty creator and the right master-builder, and to understand that he created us for this life, body and soul, and gave us reason and a spirit in order that he might thereby be worshipped. and such knowledge would have remained pure and beautiful in the hearts of all men without doubt and error of any kind had human nature not fallen through disobedience into such miserable darkness and other innumerable calamities. for what blindness and ignorance of god, his nature and will, his providence and government, there is in the hearts of all men in their corrupt and infirm nature, is evident from the doubts which stick in the hearts of everyone, concerning which plato was right when he wisely said, "that the minds of men are so overpowered with conviction by the laws of the motion of the heavenly bodies and other testimonies of nature, that they are compelled to confess that the world had for its creator an eternal and almighty divine mind." and yet we find that this knowledge and this conviction are darkened and deranged when we consider how enormous and confused all things are in the world and in this life, and when we find ourselves so often plunged into such great misery and need without help or rescue as if there were no god left to his creatures. from such doubts all those mad-brained opinions of philosophers have arisen. some, as the epicureans, denied the existence of god altogether; others, as aristotle and the stoics, believed god was an eternal mind, yet bound and confined him to second causes; just in the same way as the poets fable that saturn was bound by jupiter. thus they ascribe to him no action, but that which the general concurrence of second causes produces. hence having their minds infatuated with this delirium, they can neither ask any good thing of god, nor expect any good thing from him, because, with them events are necessarily only consequents which responsively follow upon their natural first causes. therefore, while these men thus reasoned, they did not bring forth their own private and personal opinions only, but the common errors which lie concealed naturally in the minds of the whole human race. the greatest part of mankind fix their eyes upon second causes; but these never raise them so high as the great over-ruler of all; so as to wait for the government or pressing forth of second causes from and by him, as elijah did, when he prayed for rain in the midst of a drought, and as isaiah did, when he drove back an army of the enemy by prayer. when this darkness in the mind of man had followed upon the fall of our first parents, god came forth anew out of his secret habitation, and immediately made himself known again, with a distinct _voice_ and with fresh testimonies; that the human race might not appear to be created in vain nor without a mighty purpose, nor for destruction only. the creation indeed was a great benefit and blessing from god. but much more so was his revelation of himself to the human race from the very "beginning," by certain testimonies and evidences; delivering with a distinct voice the _promise_ of eternal life and salvation, and making a declaration concerning a judgment to come, in which after this life he would separate the righteous from the wicked. the law also, though known to nature at first, he renewed, and showed what was his true worship. he caused it moreover to be attended with signs, which could be wrought by no power less than infinite. he recalled the dead to life, he stopped the motions of the heavens and the course of the sun, and he even turned the sun back in his course to refute a human delirium, which pretended to suspend god by second causes as by the golden chain of homer. and lastly, the son of god himself assumed human nature and lived openly with us, taught us and became a sacrifice and offering for our sins; and after having overcome death rose and lived again, and discoursed with many in an open and familiar manner; and moreover preached to a great multitude of hearers. and although these things, on account of their greatness, seem to human judgment to be mere fictions, yet they are attested and sealed by sure and certain evidences and miracles; so that they are as surely true as that it is mid-day when the sun has mounted in his course to the mid-heaven. to these blessings we are also to add this, that god was pleased that there should be a history of the human race from the very "beginning," and a record of all those testimonies, by which he revealed himself, committed to writing and engraven on biblical monuments, which should remain forever. nor will god be known in any other way than by these testimonies; nor will he consider any assembly of men, who are ignorant of these testimonies, to be his church, nor will he receive the prayer of those, who do not call upon him as the same god, who does thus make himself known by these his testimonies. the mohammedans and turks call upon god as the creator of universal nature, but they set themselves against his son and his son's doctrine. they say, that he who can approve such doctrine cannot be god. and as to his son, in whom god more especially reveals himself, and concerning whom he says himself, "this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased, hear ye him," on him they spit with infuriated madness! and what says plato here? although plato does raise his mind above the common opinions of the vulgar, and does not ascribe divinity to statues of wood and stone, but really does inquire after god with very wise reasoning; and although he defines him to be "an eternal mind" and the great cause of all good in nature, yet he still errs very widely from the true god. but how is that, some one may say? what description of god will you find more appropriate than plato's? i acknowledge that he thought most learnedly and wisely concerning the nature of god; but concerning his will, he hangs in doubt himself and leaves all his readers and disciples in doubt also; and to use his own expression "bestormed and shipwrecked in their reasoning." neither plato nor mohammed knew whether god heard and received the unworthy; nor how, nor why, he received them. plato ought however to have inquired not only how god manifested himself in the creation of things, and what traces of himself he impressed upon the face of nature, but also whether or not he had uttered any voice by any certain signs or testimonies, and how that voice was spread abroad and made known. he might have heard these things when studying mathematics in egypt, and might easily have learned all particulars from their neighbors the jews. but the greater part of men always despise the voice and the church of god. but to what purpose is all this far-fetched introduction? it is for this end, that we may know the true church of god is nowhere but among those, who have and who embrace the writings of the prophets and the apostles; that god is nowhere rightly called upon, but where the doctrine contained in these books truly shines forth. and here again we have to consider another singular blessing of god: that he was pleased to cause a whole connected history of all ages, from "the beginning," to be recorded in these books, and has preserved them by his own peculiar care. nay, the whole mosaic economy was ordained for this very preservation of them. for what was the whole of that economy, but a school and library of these books? and the fountain of all is the _first book_ of moses, called genesis, which profane men may perhaps laugh at and consider that it does not differ from the "timon" of plato, in which also the creation of the world is described. but the godly reader knows that there is a wide difference between profane descriptions and this description given us from above. for the latter not only informs us of the beginnings and nature of created bodies, but gives us a description of god himself. and it contains also an account of the beginnings of _the church_; for the sake of which all other things were created and made, all which things we must know before we can understand whence the doctrine of the church proceeded and how the knowledge of it was spread abroad in the world. all heathen superstitions crept into the assemblies of men without any certain authors, and were afterwards accumulated by fanatical persons on various occasions. but from "the book of genesis" we learn that the doctrine of the church was delivered to our first parents by the voice of god, and that thence the knowledge of it was preserved and spread abroad in the world by a continued series of persons and events, and not without manifest evidences and testimonies. enoch was taken up into heaven; noah truly preached of the flood and was afterwards preserved in the flood; abraham, isaac, jacob, joseph, etc., for there are many signs and evidences that they were teachers and priests, truly called of god, were most certain witnesses, that the doctrine which they embraced and preached was from heaven. symmachus objects against christians, that all agree that the oldest doctrine must be the true one; but that the apostolic doctrine is a recent fiction. but symmachus is here in a very great error; for it can be most manifestly proved that the doctrine now held by the church is the first doctrine that was ever delivered to the world. and that is plainly shown in this "book of genesis," where both the doctrine is recorded as having been delivered of god; and also the increasing nations are described, which departed from the purity of that doctrine and formed for themselves new opinions concerning god and set up idols, instead of worshipping him. therefore, we must come to this book for a description of the beginnings of the church, and for testimonies of its propagation; and it is to this book that all doctrines must be referred in order to discover their origin or antiquity. philosophers knew nothing of the cause of sin, of the cause of death, nor of the cause of the great calamities to which the human race are subject; nor did they know anything of the restitution of all things, nor of eternal life. they were continually inquiring, how there is so much misery in the nature of the human race, which is so exalted and excellent. how often do they exclaim against and lament man's violent and impetuous inclinations to vice! they see that his virtues are weak and that they are only faint attempts which soon vanish and end in nothing; as we see in pausanius, who was the great general of the greeks against mardonius; and in alexander; also in themistocles and many others. aristotle seeks for the cause of the death of the human race and of all other living creatures in their material nature; and to make good his hypotheses, he enumerates privation among the principles of natural things; that he might in some way or other make out a continual lapse of matter, decaying and perishing, in order to assume other forms. but the book now under consideration sets before us a far different cause of the death of the human race and of the corruptions which defile it; it shows that the cause was a turning away from god in our human nature at "the beginning;" which human nature, casting away the light and knowledge of god and of life, procured to itself a confusion in its powers and a subjection to the tyranny of the devil and of death. the greatness and enormity of these evils appeared in our first parents, in the murder of cain and in other horrible wickednesses, seen in those first flowers of the human race, which excelled all others in purity and excellence. then again we have a beautiful view and proof of this in the propagation and continual renewing of the church; where it appears that the church is not a kingdom or body politic, belonging to this world, enclosed and guarded by armed garrisons; but a body formed of widely dispersed assemblies, though not hidden and obscure; bearing about with them the divine voice and the word, and dispensing it in public congregations of honest men, to kings, rulers and cities; and calling and drawing many everywhere to prayer and to the true worship of god; though they are all the while derided, cast out, and driven away by tyrants and by the great part of mankind. melchizedek, whom the old divines supposed was shem, the son of noah, surpassed all the men of that time in wisdom, righteousness and age; and he preached for a long time to the people of sodom and the neighboring places, for his dwelling was not more than eight english miles from sodom. therefore no doubt he had a congregation, by no means insignificant, which contained the families of abraham, lot and many others. for although the church was small, yet there was always some church existing; and that no obscure nor inconsiderable assemblage. and these little schools or congregations of hearers were protected and defended from on high. for all the neighboring cities, sodom the chief in power, with infuriated madness despised the heavenly doctrine, and railed at and hated its preachers. in meditating on this book of genesis the picture moses gives us of the church at that time is to be continually and diligently considered. and indeed in reading these histories, the following six particulars are to be carefully borne in mind. _first, the doctrine of our primitive fathers is to be considered,_ and that the prophets and apostles drew many things from these fountains. for our forefathers and the prophets learned the benefits of christ, both out of the promise given to abraham and from other parts of those histories. how eruditely and learnedly does paul draw up the article of righteousness by faith out of that word of genesis, "abraham believed in god, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." and david ascribes unto christ a priesthood like that of melchizedek; marking particularly his office of blessing; when he blessed abraham and promised him in the sweetest words, the favor and help of god; which was different from the office of the levitical priesthood. this is a most rich part of the scripture of genesis as the following commentary frequently points out, and as the godly reader at once perceives in this very history itself; for he knows that these histories are to be read in a far different spirit and with a widely different intent, than all profane and heathen histories. heathen histories merely set before us examples of civil manners, and show that the events attending honest designs are for the most part good, and pleasant, and successful; but that the most fatal calamities await atrocious wickedness. and this is nearly all that we learn from profane and heathen histories. but these prophetic writings contain things of much higher moment; the doctrine of god, the divine testimonies concerning eternal things and the government of the church. _secondly. we must observe and consider these miracles._ not merely to feast our wondering curiosity on their singularity or novelty, but hold them fast as testimonies and evidences; intended to show what kind of doctrine and what kind of teachers god approves. all those marvelous and signal acts of god are above nature, and wrought as "seals" of the doctrine. for we are not to imagine that god was in jest, when he forewarned the antediluvian world of the flood, and when he saved the family of noah alone from that mighty deluge. all these his mighty acts were testimonials of his providence and of his doctrine, which the aged noah preached. _thirdly. let the government, defense and protection of the church be diligently observed;_ which, although it seems to be neglected of god, yet exhibits most illustrious proofs of the presence of god and of his providence. the emperor augustus ruled the world by sure and established laws; he had his armies, to whose care he entrusted the safety of his provinces, and he had also his wealth and other resources, wherewith to support his armies. thus a political government is fortified and protected by human laws, counsels and power. but the government of the church is far different from this. abraham, isaac and jacob wander about like private men and strangers in the land without any human resources for protection; and they collect together a church by the word or voice of god, and by the holy ghost. and though they are unceasingly exercised with various sorrows and distresses, they still find themselves delivered from all evils, protected and defended from above! so also jacob, when about to take his journey with all his family through the territories of his angry and embittered brother, is filled with fears and hesitations, and the difficulties seem insurmountable by all human counsel, but in the night he wrestles with the lord and is encouraged, confirmed and protected. and many like examples are contained in this little but momentous book of record, which shows us that god is ever with his church. it commands and encourages us also to seek and hope for help and defense from him. for these things were recorded and handed down to posterity that we might be encouraged by such examples and might know that god in the same manner is ever willing to protect and defend us. _fourthly. we must bear in mind the continual succession of the church._ men magnify the ordinary succession of all human things; the titles and honors and decorations of parents and the magnificence of houses and places. cain, ishmael and esau arrogated to themselves dominion and superiority in the church, because they had the advantage of their brethren in age. the ancient babylonians maintained that their opinions concerning god were the most true, because that was the most ancient dwelling place of our fathers, and because it was the capital and citadel of their empire; just as bishops and colleges now on account of an ordinary succession assume to themselves this peculiar honor, that they cannot err; and that they are the habitation and the pillars of the truth. but paul shows us in romans 9:6, etc., that all such judgments and opinions are refuted in genesis, where the apostle shows in the most forcible manner that the church is not propagated and continued by any prerogatives or privileges of birth or place, but by the calling and word of god. the family of jacob was the church; because it retained the doctrine of the word from heaven; but esau did not retain it. thus the church which fell away and declined in palestine was restored by the calling of the great teacher abraham, and by the renewal of the promise to him with additional evidences and testimonies, and this history shows that the church is the care of god, and is regenerated and revived by him; as paul says, "and he gave gifts unto men, prophets and apostles, and pastors, and teachers." let us not then be moved by honors of dignity, or places, or an orderly succession, so as to be made to believe that the church is that assembly of men who oppose the gospel and who would kill and exterminate all honest men on account of their profession of the doctrine of godliness, as cain did. _fifthly. we must bear in mind while reading this book of genesis, the lives, manners and actions of the persons recorded in it._ we have before been speaking of the doctrine and government of the church, and they who despise these will never truly value or prize this book. for such men seek in these histories as in all others, and are interested only in the various commotions and changes of states and kingdoms, and the examples and lives of the leaders of armies and the wonderful events of wars. but here they read also the conversations and lives of shepherds; which are like real pastorals, better than virgil's bucolica. and they here read also the marriages and quarrels of women, which they despise as altogether without interest. all such readers and proud men err, and do not understand that it is the church which is here portrayed by moses, which is poor and humble in external appearance and unlike mighty empires; yet, as the members of that church lived a civil life, its history consists in domestic and political actions; according to the vocation of those members of the church of god and the various occurrences which took place in their lives. thus abraham taught his guests concerning god, and with such effect that they themselves said, that he was an angel from god; for it is indeed a great work, verily the greatest of all works to teach rightly concerning god. this same man carries on war when circumstances require it and defeats a huge army of the chaldeans with a very small number, showing thereby that true courage is a divine motion in the soul from god. this same man is also a master of a family, is full of pure affection, and loves his wives and his children. he is also a diligent man in all his domestic affairs. he defends his fountains and his cattle. in buying he evinces peculiar care, justice and equity; things which he knows god requires in all the dealings of men with each other. and in all this tenor of domestic and political life abraham's great aim is this, that thereby his confession and profession might be made manifest by his actions. in all the common calamities moreover which attend this life of trouble, he exercises the fear of god, patience and calling upon god in prayer; and he experiences at the hand of god many and great deliverances. all these things in the lives of the holy patriarchs are committed to _letters_ and recorded in this holy book; to the end that superstitions of every kind might be refuted. for in all ages superstitious men have imagined and sought out various ceremonies and modes of religious action, which are not consistent even with common sense, and these superstitious ceremonies they have pompously commended to the people under the title of great acts of religion. all the laws of celibacy, of particular meats and drinks, of afflicting and torturing the body, to make a feigned outside show of religion, are as ancient as the world itself. but let us oppose to all these mad inventions the domestic and political lives and conversations of the patriarchal fathers, which were full of examples of faith, full of the most honorable and kind duties toward their fellow men, and full of the tenderest affection. nevertheless, these holy characters were not without ceremonies. there were sacrifices; there were certain explanations of the word and will of god; there were certain holy exercises. the possession of letters and of learning also rested with these men especially. from them it is that we received theology, history and medicine. therefore they must doubtless have been engaged in various domestic duties and exercises; that those of the less experienced ages might be instructed by them and trained to virtue. _sixthly. even the faults and falls of the great men, recorded in this book must be particularly considered._ they took the greatest care not to rush into anything against their consciences. but some offenses will arise in the best of men even against their wills. and sometimes offenses occur of which men are wholly ignorant and unconscious before they take place. lot, when in the great grief of his mind he had drunk to excess, was defiled by an incestuous commerce with his own daughters. but in these slips and falls we are to observe a distinctive difference. these holy men who feared god, as i said, were on their guard not to rush into anything against their consciences; and when they happened to fall they deplored the weakness of human nature and learned to see the value of the promise of deliverance through the saviour, who was to come. and they at length knew that god had received them again in mere mercy, for the sake of the great deliverer promised; and by that confidence and trust in the promised mercy they returned to god; and therefore they obtained pardon and were delivered from their sins and the punishment of them. hence jacob preaches and proclaims the angel, the son of god, by whom he said he was "delivered from all evil"; namely, from sin and eternal punishment. but the wicked, as cain, the "giants," and the people of sodom, defiled themselves with various sins and iniquities in an open contempt of god, and rushed into eternal destruction. therefore the wide difference between the falls and punishments of these two characters is to be diligently observed in reading this book of genesis. these observations i have made by way of introduction for the benefit of the inexperienced, that being thus forewarned they might know that the doctrine contained in these sacred histories is concerning the most momentous things, and is most copious and extensive, which indeed the following commentary will most learnedly and blessedly open up and explain. let those therefore who read it bear in mind that the six particular admonitions which i have here mentioned; and let their aim in reading be this, that by meditating on the lives of the holy men here recorded, they may become accustomed to the fear of god and to faith in him; and to call upon him in prayer and supplication. and as there is no old commentary of the book of genesis existing, and as it is well known to all that this book is calculated to be of the utmost benefit and profit, thanks are due to the reverend doctor luther, our teacher, both from myself and from all who fear god, for having undertaken this exposition, by doing which he has rendered a most essential service; not only to us, but to all posterity; because he has here opened up and explained the most important things; and has also so commented upon those most excellent men and lights of the church, abraham, isaac, jacob and joseph, that their virtues because of this commentary shine forth with much renewed brightness. before this, when the people heard the names of these luminaries of the church, they had no particular thoughts upon their spiritual excellencies or their heroism; nor did they consider them to be above the common rank of shepherds; but now, they learn to acknowledge the peculiar presence of god with them, and to render thanks unto god that they were called of him and that they so wonderfully governed and revived the church. from these also they have borrowed eminent examples of the fear of god, of faith, of confession, of patience, and of many other holy virtues. on these they fix their eyes as on leaders and lights of the church, and inquire of their doctrine for the confirmation of their faith. in a word they venerate them as their fathers; that is, as teachers of all who call upon jesus christ; and they understand also that these same patriarchs are the fathers in the flesh of those murderers, the jews, and of others who, like the jews of old, hold up christ for a laughing-stock and "crucify him afresh" day by day. indeed, it is no small step toward godliness to know the doctrines of abraham, isaac, jacob and joseph; and to exalt these eminent men in our esteem. and that this commentary might be a benefit to more, and might be handed down to posterity, as doctor luther had not leisure enough to commit it to writing, with the help of my friends, caspar cruciger and george rorary, i collected it with the greatest diligence and speed, as we received it from the mouth of our venerable teacher luther; and faithfully committed it to paper; and i hope our services will be acceptable to all our readers who fear the lord. this useful and valuable monument of divine knowledge and experience therefore i dedicate to you, most illustrious prince, john ernest; which, i doubt not, you will prize more than any monuments of marble or of brass. for i know it is your desire that this noble work of martin luther should be preserved for the church's sake; and i am equally assured that you love and cherish it with a pious regard, and after the example of your father; and i am also persuaded that you love the author of it; which also you do after the example of your reverend father, that most upright prince, elector john, duke of saxony, whose worth we thus deservedly record; who, although he was far inferior to our most eminent leaders, whom i have before mentioned, abraham, isaac, jacob and joseph; yet i may justly rank him with that pharaoh, king of egypt, whom joseph instructed in the true knowledge of god; and who gave a quiet dwelling to the family of jacob. for thus your father also learned the gospel with a holy desire that he might worship god. and he cherished and adorned the churches, and devoted all his counsels with the greatest moderation, to the common peace and tranquility of germany. receive therefore, illustrious prince, this great work, which is now dedicated to you; that by reading these wonderful histories of the government, the perils, and the defense of the church of god, you may learn to govern and strengthen your own exalted mind. the reason why this commentary did not appear all at once, but in separate volumes, was because the labor of collecting and committing it to paper was very great; and we have not much idle time at our disposal, from the duties of our calling, as many dream we have; nor as those have, who only vaunt and talk of their great and numerous good works. i hope however that this my candid confession will be accepted by the reader, if i shall put into his hands a part of our labors first; though it is not a small part; and i promise that the remainder shall be added to it in a short time. for as one of old says, "a godly mind surmounts the hardest toil." we who are engaged in church work have not only the labor of commenting and teaching, but we have also to endure many other burdens; and that, too, with much courage and firm determination of mind. nor am i deterred from my purpose even by the opinions of those, who say that nothing which our adversaries advance, who reproach this kind of doctrine (which, through the goodness and mercy of god, sounds forth in our church), ought to be published to the world. for god's will is that he should be proclaimed aloud, both by the living voice and by the writings of his church. hence it is said concerning the church's living voice, "out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise." and concerning her writings, "these things shall be written for the generation to come." god's will is, that the doctrine revealed by him should be delivered faithfully and purely to posterity. and his will also is that we should inculcate it by speaking, by discoursing, by commenting, and by writing; that it might become familiarly known to us. and this continual meditation and application of the pen are of essential service to the promotion of godliness. in a word, on what subjects can we meditate and what things can we commit to paper more useful and important than these? i approve of the labors of all, who devote themselves to the useful arts. i praise those who describe the nature and properties of plants and adorn any of the arts given us from above. but it is not more the duty of men to philosophize upon plants or upon the anatomy of the human body, than to collect with a godly intent those things which were delivered to us of god, attended with sure and certain testimonies. and as to our adversaries, who reproach the doctrine of our church, all such are refuted in this very book of genesis by those sure witnesses, abraham, isaac, jacob and joseph. since, therefore, we have such eminent men as these, as witnesses on our side; nay, as our teachers, too; let us not be moved by the calumnies and reproaches of the wicked. reader, farewell. to god i commend you. christmas, 1544. dedication of basil faber. _to the worthy, honorable and illustrious christopher von steinberg, my gracious lord:_ how one should read the books of moses and what one should chiefly learn from them are fully set forth by our beloved and highly honored father, doctor luther, in many places of his writings; namely, one should first of all and above all concentrate his attention upon the very loving and comforting promises concerning our lord and saviour, some of which are very clear and plain in the sacred writings of moses, as gen. 3:15, "and i will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." also, gen. 22:18, "and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." likewise deut. 18:15, "jehovah thy god will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him shall ye hearken." in the second place attention should be given to the glorious and beautiful examples of faith, of love, of suffering, of patience, of prayer and other spiritual characteristics and traits in the saints, as in adam, abel, noah, abraham, isaac, jacob and others. how god was disposed toward them, governed, protected and heard them. and thirdly, study the examples of unbelief among the ungodly and of the divine wrath and judgment, in cain, ishmael, esau, in the flood and in the destruction of sodom and gomorrah. for all these are nowhere described more truly and fully than in the writings of moses; and such examples illustrate, if they are rightly studied, how the entire old testament is to be used with profit; namely, that we learn to trust and believe in god from the examples of the saints set before us, how god received them, ruled and led them and wonderfully protected them. but from the examples of the wrath and judgment of god learn to fear him. such passages are not only here and there in all the books of moses, but in his first book he treats also the following important themes: whence all creatures, especially man, have their origin; also what sin and death are and how man may be delivered from them and become truly pious, which every man seeks and desires; for these are the most important subjects of all the sacred scriptures. likewise, how the church originated and grew, often came in need and danger, and was wonderfully preserved by god. the foregoing one should know, if he would read moses, and especially his first book, genesis. but so much is in these sound and useful lessons and explanations of genesis by our honored father, doctor martin luther, of blessed memory, that i will give a short account of it. and first it is true that this dear and great man, our beloved father and prophet, doctor martin luther, served the church to his last days in many and various labors. in his exposition of the prophetical and apostolical writings, he has most faithfully explained, enforced and defended the doctrines concerning the forgiveness of sins, righteousness before god, and eternal salvation. however his expositions of his "beloved genesis," as he delighted to call it, are a key or paragon to all his other writings and books, and a very rich treasure in which an excellent theology is gathered and formulated, as every diligent reader will find for himself. for what is now and then treated in many writings of doctor luther, flow together here in one work, which might rightly be called dr. luther's theology. further you find here for the first time many useful reports of all kinds of spiritual and theological discussions, as they spring up continuously, and especially critical and special instruction almost on every article of christian doctrine, of god, of the three persons in the divine essence, of the creation, of sin, of faith and the forgiveness of sin; of the law and the gospel, and how both doctrines are to be distinguished from one another, which have never been treated better and more fully than in this book. also, of the true church, of the papacy of rome, against which you will find here very powerful storms, almost on every page. against the jews and all their lies, dreams and phantasies; also some powerful discussions and strong refutations of their prejudices, comments, corruptions and misunderstandings. in addition also the correct exegesis or explanations of many difficult passages of the scriptures, and strong consolation in all kinds of spiritual need and temptations, as against doubt and unbelief, the fear and the crisis of death, and the like. also, the refutation of many false teachings and heresies both old and new. in addition some fine and useful histories illustrating the course of the gospel in our day. likewise prophecies concerning germany as to its sad future because it lightly esteems the word and is so very unthankful, some of which have already been realized and others are about to be. finally you find at times, according to the drift and occasion of the expositions, good counsels and reports also about external and worldly affairs, to know which fully is necessary, useful and pleasant. therefore then, as i considered it a sin that such a treasure should remain only in the latin language and that others, who were unacquainted with it, should be robbed of it, especially since dr. martin luther was the teacher and prophet of germany; and in order that everybody, especially the fathers of homes and the people at large, might enjoy this treasure to their profit, advancement and consolation, have i in my weak ability translated the first two parts of the exposition into german in the plainest and most faithful manner, and dedicated the same to your high honor and to other christians of the nobility, who have been admonished to love and further such christian works, for a testimony and praise that your highness was disposed in a christian and praiseworthy manner to further such useful church works, and heartily inclined to do them. may our beloved god and father of our lord jesus christ grant that it may be helpful to many pious christians! herewith i commend your highness and the benevolent christians of the worthy nobility to the care and protection of almighty god. your humble, willing servant, basil faber. dated magdeburg, st. michael, a.d. 1557. preface of dr. john george walch. among the illustrious gifts of grace with which god endowed our beloved and blessed dr. martin luther, as the chosen agent for the reformation of the church, one of the greatest was that he did not only love the divine word from his heart and held it indeed, dearer than thousands of gold and silver; but also that he possessed a deep insight into and was mighty in explaining the scriptures of the old and new testaments. both were united in a high degree in him by the wisdom and goodness of god. he was indeed a great lover of the divine word and found in it his greatest pleasure, when he studied it to be established in his faith by learning from it the way he should walk. in the many and various trials he had to experience he could draw from it the one consolation, of which he gave many proofs and at the same time left behind him a testimony that can not be gainsaid, which confirms that for which he is in this respect honored. for his love and high appreciation of the sacred scriptures he makes apparent upon every occasion. from the beginning of his academic career to its close he lectured constantly and untiringly on the scriptures and sought to make his hearers acquainted with them. he founded his teachings on them and was therefore firm and unmovable in the same. he used them against his opponents as the sword of the spirit, put them to flight and refuted all their errors, so that they could not do anything against him, especially the papists. he praised the scriptures most highly and admonished all to read them and pray to god for true light if they desired the true knowledge and wished to further their salvation. as great as was his love to the divine books so well was he experienced in them and god gave him great talents to understand and explain them. he did not hang to the outward shell nor did he seek to apply in his expositions an extensive human knowledge; but he came to the right foundation and the true and real purpose of the spirit of god, whether he had before him the legal or the evangelical word, and knew a clear and impressive way to give the true meaning and will of god in the respective passages, especially concerning the universal sinful and deep ruin of mankind, the grace and merciful love of god, christ the kernel of all the holy scriptures, righteousness by faith, the active and working character of faith, as also other points of life and doctrine, which he did not do the least in the historical parts of the scriptures. such gifts luther received from god because he was chosen as the agent of the reformation, and they were by all means necessary to that end. for by means of the scriptures the light penetrated the darkness covering the world, and revealed the abominations of the papacy. hence he translated the scriptures into german from the original texts. he placed the bible in the hands of the people. then in his sermons, academic lectures and everywhere he diligently explained in many excellent expositions the divine books, where he showed how one is to understand the word of god and apply it fruitfully to his edification. these expository and exegetical writings of the sainted luther are written with a talent especially adapted for the work, and they have also at all times brought special blessings, although we deny not that some are to be preferred to others. and among luther's very best writings all agree, and rightly so, is his commentary on genesis, a short historical account of which i will now give. luther began this work at wittenberg in his lectures to the university students in 1536, and ended it after ten years of labor, nov. 17, 1545, only a few months before his death. so john mathesius reports in his "sermons on the life of luther," and then adds, luther because of worry left wittenberg for a time to visit the prince of anhalt, at merseburg, and wrote, "upon his return home, he finished his genesis, nov. 17, 1545, on which he had labored ten years." ludwig von seckendorf's "history of lutheranism" is the authority that he began this work in 1536, while in the margin of the latin edition is printed that he entered upon the exposition of the twenty-second chapter, oct. 27, 1539. in the meantime the wisdom of god directed that this glorious treasure should not lie buried, but should be brought to light for the quickening of many souls, and issued periodically in parts. the beginning was made while luther was still living, and the first part, the creation and the flood, appeared in 1545, containing his lectures on the first eleven chapters of genesis, edited by veit dietrich, who heard luther deliver the lectures while a student at wittenberg, to which he wrote a dedication, and luther added a short but precious "address to the christian reader" [both of which we print in full]. luther died in 1546, and veit dietrich in 1549, but jerome besoldus, pastor at nuremberg, continued the work and issued the three other parts or volumes at nuremberg. the second volume, the history of abraham, with a preface by michael roting, professor at nuremberg, from the twelfth chapter to verse 10 of the twenty-fifth chapter, was published in 1550. the third volume, to the thirty-sixth chapter, appeared in 1552, with a preface by philip melanchthon, and the fourth volume to the end of genesis, in 1554, prefaced by besoldus himself. jerome baumgartner, a councilman of nuremberg, and a great lover of luther's writings, appointed besoldus to this work upon the death of veit dietrich, melanchthon and rorary approving. jerome besoldus studied at wittenberg, heard these lectures from luther's mouth, and diligently wrote a large part of them as they were delivered. he stayed in the home of luther and ate at his table. he made use, also, of what dietrich, cruciger, rorary and stoltz had written from luther's mouth. he says when veit dietrich died while preparing the second volume, the enemies of the gospel sought to prevent its publication, and there was little hope that it should appear in print complete. but god graciously heard the prayers of the godly in these dark and distressing days, who longed for the last and best writings of their beloved luther, when councilman baumgartner resolved that at least what veit dietrich had prepared for the second volume should appear, and the result was the work complete was printed. this commentary was delivered to the students in latin and first published in that language. but soon arrangements were perfected to issue it in german. basil faber, who died while rector in erfurt, a celebrated educator, translated the first two volumes, whose dedication we give in full; and john guden, senior pastor at brunswick, translated volumes three and four, and his dedication was to the same person and written on epiphany of the same year, 1557, a little before faber's dedication. other editions of the commentary, both in latin and german, followed, and then it was incorporated in the editions of the complete works of luther; in the wittenberg edition, in latin and german, and in the altenburg and the leipsic collections in german, and all subsequent editions. that luther himself did not make much of this work is a proof of his humility and that he ascribed nothing to himself, but all to the grace of god. nevertheless the commentary is worthy of all the praise it has received. in the formula of concord our forefathers referred to it as a _"commentarius praeclarus,"_ or an excellent commentary and the leipsic and wittenberg theologians in their final report and explanation, especially against flacius, mention "the augsburg confession," the postils, and other sermons of luther which are full of the precious teachings and strong consolation of the holy ghost, and all his other books on doctrine, especially those written after the diet of augsburg, in 1530, among the best of which are his explanations of certain prophets and the psalms, the epistle to the galatians; and in this select list is classified the "commentary on genesis." they designate it as a "rich exposition, with which he closed his calling, his ministerial office and his life in a blessed way. because of this we justly esteem it highly. for in the same commentary he gave full and free expression to his last convictions and confession on most of the articles of the christian faith and bequeathed them to the world." in like manner have other divines of our church judged of this commentary and held that we should esteem it highly and that it proves luther was truly a great expounder of the scriptures. (basil faber's dedication is quoted at length here, also veit dietrich at other places, but we refer the reader to their documents, which we give in full.) john guden says: "luther has left us in this commentary a rich treasury as a legacy, and what a valuable treasure it is, they will truly learn, who diligently read it. as a summary, one finds here the true kernel of the doctrine our god has revealed to us through dr. luther, as melanchthon, jonas and other spiritual men have also rightly judged." mathesius with good spiritual taste says: "he who learns to know christ in genesis has instruction in the power of the divine word and knows what sin and righteousness are, which avail before god. my testimony concerning this blessed commentary i wish to leave behind me that my natural and spiritual children may not forget it, but esteem it highly all their lives. my genesis, for the sake of instruction and consolation, i have frequently read through, underscored and described. remember this commentary explained to me the word and will of christ, and from it god gave comfort, rest and life to my troubled soul. for when our case is like the suffering of the patriarchs and the exposition suits one's heart as if the doctor really speaks with us, then the commentary is incorporated in us and lives in us, and refreshes and quickens one's heart." joachim morlin, in "how to read with profit the writings and books of the beloved and blessed man of god, dr. martin luther," praises above all others this commentary and says: "read the following 'consummatum est,' 'it is finished,' of this holy man, 'the beloved genesis,' in which as in a new world he brings forth and opens up not only certain parts but all the treasures and riches of the wisdom of the divine word, so that there is not another book like it on earth since the times of the apostles. luther's genesis makes all theologians scholars." jerome weller says: "luther's commentary on genesis is his swan song. for although all luther's writings are full of manifold doctrines and consolations, yet his commentary on genesis excels all others. there is hardly a temptation for which he has not given in this commentary a sure remedy; yes, luther has excelled himself in this commentary. therefore i continually admonish all theological students again and again that they read this commentary diligently and assiduously and never lay it out of their hands, but seek to be wedded to it. for i can assure you i received more benefit from this commentary than from almost all the other writings of luther. therefore i will never be satisfied nor tired of reading it. if all that has been written since the apostles were gathered in one heap, they would not be worthy to be compared with this commentary. i know that i speak the truth, and all who have experienced the truth and learned theologians share my convictions." not that the work does not praise itself but that we may better know that not only a few but that the teachers of our church generally, have at all times justly emphasized its praise, i add a few more testimonies. timothy kirchner, in the preface to his _"thesaurus dr. lutheri"_ (1565), says: "in this book all theologians must go to school, and no one will graduate in it. luther, the man of god, has so clearly and richly treated in it nearly all the greatest and most important articles of our christian faith, that the like, the holy bible alone excepted, has not appeared in the world and indeed will not. it will be and remain indeed a _'thesaurus thesaurorum,'_ a treasury of treasuries, and a perennial fountain of all consolation, along with the bible." david chytraeus (1557) also does not know how to praise this work enough, he says: "it is a swan song and at the same time a complete work in every respect. not only is it a rich treasure of spiritual wisdom and learning, clothed in fine, rich language, and an accurate explanation of all the difficult passages and questions, but it has also developed in its language a special and characteristic power, which moves the soul of the reader and inspires him to true piety, fear of god, faith and other virtues." he admonishes all the godly attentively and diligently to read this last work of luther, and advertise it in preference to other writings, which are indeed learned, but are not as awakening as this one. daniel cramer agrees with chytraeus and says in his "isagogics," in 1630: "whoever has not read this commentary is not worthy of the name of a theologian." abraham calov in his preface to his "commentary on genesis" (1671), calls this "a golden book," and thomas crenius (1704), "a work that can not be praised enough." christian gerber expresses his conviction thus: "the writings of luther are worthy to be esteemed more highly and used more diligently. his commentary on genesis is a remarkable book, not only awakening but useful and edifying to read. he has so beautifully described the virtues and piety of the holy patriarchs that one can hardly read them enough when he once begins. one could draw from this commentary an excellent patriarchal and christian system of ethics, and it is to be hoped that some theologian will do it, which would indeed be a useful and excellent book." again john heinreich von seelen writes: "it is a treasure more precious that gold, containing inestimable riches of holy thoughts, so that some have rightly judged that this is the best of all luther's books." von seckendorf writes: "one is really amazed at the almost incredible gifts of luther to explain the holy scriptures so critically and clearly without any great effort. he studied the greatest expounders of the bible. he was little concerned about his words and style and dictated nothing, and the same thoughts he uttered on other occasions in different words, for he was never in want of words." many more like testimonies could be quoted. the foregoing words of praise are well grounded, as every one who has thoughtfully and diligently read this book must confess. what richard simon, the jewish critic, and pallavicinus, maimburg and other enemies of the protestant faith have said against it only prove their own ignorance and darkness in spiritual knowledge and makes luther shine forth all the brighter. when von seckendorf wished to make extracts from this commentary, so many important subjects and passages were found that he did not know which to select. there is a glorious work for this book of the sainted luther to accomplish. from it the learned and the unlearned may be taught the true meaning of genesis, gain a critical insight into many theological subjects and reap much for their private devotions. therefore it is well that new editions of it are constantly being issued and an opportunity is given to a larger number to read it. this edition will be found more correct and accurate than the others, and also more serviceable and convenient. this is due to the publisher, mr. john gottgetreu mueller, who has chosen not only good paper and print, but also a convenient form (a quarto instead of a folio form). may the lord of lords make this labor of the sainted luther to be a greater blessing, so that his most holy name may further be glorified and many souls be established in the saving knowledge of the gospel, or encouraged to that end, for the sake of his merciful love. amen. john george walch. jena, april 6th, 1739. from the preface by dr. henry cole. a tribute of a theologian of england. "this invaluable and last production of the loved and revered reformer is a rich and precious mine of sacred wisdom; a vast treasury of deep research, of varied scriptural knowledge and of extensive christian experience; in a word, it is a profound and comprehensive body of biblical, sacred-historical, doctrinal, spiritual and experimental divinity. so that a christian who procures 'luther on galatians' and 'luther on genesis' possesses a complete treasury of rich, solid and saving theology. "indeed it is impossible to convey by any command of description an idea of the extent, depth and richness of the mine of christian knowledge and experience, which luther's long hidden and unknown exposition of genesis contains. the sins, trials, afflictions, faith, hope, deliverances, joys and duties of kings, princes, magistrates, husbands, wives, parents, children, masters and servants, rich and poor, are treated, as they occur in the lives of the patriarchs and prominent characters of the divine record. "i hesitate not a moment to express my fullest persuasion that the church of christ will consider luther's commentary on genesis the deepest and most spiritual exposition of any book or portion of the holy scriptures in existence; entering the most deeply and clearly into god's mind, and furnishing the most profound, varied and blessed edification for the family of heaven; and also the most useful, truthful, valuable and divine instruction for the world at large. "as an expositor of the holy scriptures luther's comments contain a depth of investigation unpenetrated, a width of meditation unspanned, an extent of research unoccupied, a scriptural knowledge unpossessed, a variety of reflections unevinced, a multitude of wonders unrevealed, a number of beauties undiscovered, a value of instruction uncommunicated, a spirit of holiness unbreathed, a height of praise unascended, a depth of worship unfathomed, and a magnification of the scriptures as the word of god, unsurpassed and unequalled by any commentator, before or since his day." this divine and educator of the church of england says luther's commentary on genesis is "doubtless the masterpiece of the greatest of the extra bible saints and servants of the most high." "what an ox-like labor, or as the reformer expresses it, 'what a ministerial sweat!'" "this greatest of all commentaries." space will not permit more. in the second volume on genesis we hope to say more on the place this commentary has held and ought to hold in english protestantism. a tribute of a christian lady in scotland. dr. cole in his preface, dated london, feb. 2nd, 1857, records to the praise of god that, "it came in a most remarkable and wholly unexpected way to the knowledge of a noble lady of scotland, lady m----, that the 'creation,' the first part of luther's great commentary on genesis, was translated; and that the translator was at a loss for ways and means whereby to print and publish it; and, after two letters of favored communication and explanation between the translator and her ladyship, this 'noble' disciple of the redeemer, 1 cor. 1:26, in her second letter at once with divine nobleness of mind purchased the manuscript at its full fixed price, without one word about abatement; and she also as nobly undertook to print and publish it at her own expense. from her ladyship's communications it appeared that she herself was 'brought to the knowledge of the truth' by reading translations of luther's writings. her present holy acts of service to the cause of truth were therefore those of gratitude to god, of love and honor to the name of luther, and of encouragement to his humble translators." years before, this lady read of dr. cole's intention to translate luther on genesis, but it did not appear. thinking that the translator had no doubt "gone the way of all the earth," she made an effort to have it translated and published, in order to be benefited still more by reading luther in english. hence her great surprise after many years to receive a letter from dr. cole, stating the manuscript was finally ready. she replied thus: "my dear sir:-your letter was the cause of much interest and surprise to me; for about the time that you completed your translation of 'the creation' by luther, i was anxiously inquiring from every one i could think of, to know if there was any one who could and would translate it; and i bought the work on genesis in the original in hope to find some one to translate it; but upon inquiring of messrs. ---and others, i found that the translation and publication would be so expensive that i was obliged to abandon the thought of it." * * * * * it thus pleased all-wise god to choose not a rich son of his, but a daughter to execute his blessed work. may god grant that this interest so general and promising in england and scotland half a century ago in translating luther may be revived by all the sons and daughters who have been benefited by his writings! minneapolis, minn., nov. 28th, 1903. j. n. lenker. dr. martin luther to the christian reader. my lectures on genesis i did not undertake with the intention that they be published and advertised; but in order that i might serve for a time our university as it is at present, and that i might exercise my audience and myself in the word of god; lest i should finish the death of this body in an old age indolent and entirely useless. to this end ps. 146:2 awakened and encouraged me: "while i live will i praise jehovah; i will sing praises unto my god while i have any being." moreover, i undertook the work in order that i might be found at death among that "little flock" and of those "babes," out of whose mouth "god perfects praise" or establishes strength, by which he destroys the enemy and the avenger, ps. 8:2. for the world always has enough monsters and devils, who blaspheme, corrupt and pervert the word of god, so that god be not adorned with his glory, but satan instead is adored. it however so happened that these lectures fell into the hands of two good and pious men who collected them. dr. casper cruciger, whose books sufficiently testify how he was led by the spirit of god and by the study of his word; and mr. george rorary, the ministers of our church here at wittenberg. their work was followed by that of master veit dietrich, the pastor at nuremberg, who contributed his share. all of these men are truly faithful, scholarly and zealous ministers of the word of god, and their judgment is that these lectures should by all means be published. for my part i leave them to act according to their own conviction, as st. paul says, "let each man be fully assured in his own mind," rom. 14:5, and as i see that they are moved by a holy zeal to serve the congregations of the church of christ, i therefore strongly approve of their intention and i pray that the benediction of god may rest upon them! however i would prefer that their christian labors and valuable time were spent on a better book and a better author. for i am not one of whom it can be said, "he did a good work"; neither one of whom you can say, "he tried to do a good work"; i belong to the last order of authors, who dare scarcely say, "i desired to do a good work." oh, that i might be worthy of being the last in this last order. for all these lectures were delivered in an extemporaneous and popular form, just as the expressions came into my mouth, following in quick succession and also mixed with german, and surely more verbose than i wished. not however that i am conscious of having spoken anything contrary to the truth. my chief aim has been, as far as possible, to avoid obscurity and present as perspicuous as my talent and ability could the things which i wished to have understood. for i feel keenly that these weighty matters of which moses wrote have been treated by me in a manner far beneath their dignity and importance. but i console myself with the old proverb, "let him fail who attempts to do a thing better than he is able"; and with this scripture, "god requires nothing of a man beyond the ability he has given him." 2 cor. 8:12. but why multiply words? that of which we treat are the scriptures; the scriptures, i say, of the holy spirit, and for these things, as st. paul says, who is sufficient? 2 cor. 3:5. they are a river, says gregory, in which a lamb may walk or touch bottom and an elephant must swim. they are the wisdom of god which makes the wise of this world and "the prince" of it fools; which makes babes eloquent, and the eloquent men babes. in a word he is not the best, who comprehends all things and never fails, for such a one never has been, is not now and never will be; but he is the best here who loves the most, as ps. 1:2 says, "blessed is the man that loveth the law of jehovah and meditateth on it." abundantly sufficient is it for us, if we delight in this divine wisdom, love it and meditate on it day and night. we examine the commentaries of the fathers and find that the good will was certainly not lacking among them, but to do it they were not able. and how ridiculous are all of our day, who attempt to explain the great things, the scriptures by a beautiful, as they term it, by a pure latinity or by paraphrases, being themselves utterly destitute of the spirit and of understanding, and no more competent to treat such holy things than, as the proverb runs, "asses are to play upon a harp." jerome correctly said, every one brings the offering to the tabernacle he can afford. one brings gold, another silver, another precious stones and the skins or the hair of goats. for the lord has need of all these things. the wills of all were equally pleasing to him, though their offerings were not equal. therefore i permit these few goat hairs of mine to be published, as my offering and sacrifice unto god, whom i beseech in christ jesus, our lord, that he would, through my labors, give occasion to others to do better or at least to exert themselves to explain these things better than i have done. as to my adversaries and their god, the devil, i believe with holy pride and exultation in the lord, that i have given occasions enough to them to cavil and calumniate, for this i have continually and liberally done from the beginning of my ministry. this is the only service they are worthy to perform, for they neither can do nor desire to do anything that is good; being, as paul says, "men of corrupt minds; and unto every good work reprobate," tit. 1:15, 16. may our lord jesus christ perfect his work, which he hath begun in us and hasten that day of our redemption, for which we long with uplifted heads, and for which we sigh and wait in pure faith and a good conscience, in which we have also served an ungrateful world, a world that is the incorrigible enemy even of its own, to say nothing of our, salvation. "come, lord jesus!" and let every one that loves thee, say, "come, lord jesus!" amen. commentary on genesis. chapter i. i. introduction. this first chapter of our holy bible is written in the simplest and plainest language, and yet it contains the greatest and at the same time the most difficult themes. therefore the jews, as jerome testifies, were forbidden to read it or hear it read before they were thirty years of age. the jews required that all the other scriptures be well known by every one before they were permitted to approach this chapter. their rabbins however accomplished little good by this, for even many of the rabbins themselves, whose years were more than twice thirty, give in their commentaries and talmuds the most childish and foolish explanations of these, the greatest of all subjects. nor has any one yet in the church to the present day explained all these momentous things correctly and satisfactorily in every respect. for interpreters have confused and entangled every thing with such a variety, diversity and infinity of questions that it is very clear that god reserved to himself the majesty of this wisdom, and the correct understanding of this chapter, leaving to us only the general ideas that the world had a beginning and was created by god out of nothing. this general knowledge may clearly be taken from the text. but with respect to the particulars, there is so much that one cannot be clear about and hence innumerable questions have continually been raised in commentaries. from moses however we know that 6000 years ago the world did not exist. but of this no philosopher can in any way be persuaded; because, according to aristotle the first and the last man cannot in any way be determined, although however aristotle leaves the problem in doubt whether or not the world is eternal, yet he is inclined to the opinion that it is eternal. for human reason cannot ascend higher than to declare that the world is eternal, and an infinite generation preceded us and will follow us. here human reason is forced to stand still. however from this belief follows as a consequence the perilous opinion that the soul is mortal, because philosophy knows no plurality of infinities. for it cannot be, but that human reason must be overwhelmed and shipwrecked in the sea of the majesty of these themes. plato collected, perhaps in egypt, some traditional sparks as it were from the sermons of the fathers and prophets, and therefore he came nearer the truth than others. he holds that matter and mind are eternal; but he says that the world had a beginning and that it was made out of matter. but i cease to mention the opinions of philosophers, for lyra cites these although he does not explain them. thus neither among the hebrews, greeks nor latins is there a leading teacher whom we can follow here with safety. therefore i shall be pardoned if i shall see what i can say on the subject. for except the one general opinion that the world was created out of nothing there is scarcely another thing connected with the subject on which there is entire agreement among all theologians. hilary and augustine, two great lights in the church, believed that the world was made on a sudden and all at once, not successively during the space of six days. augustine plays upon these six days in a marvelous manner in explaining them. he considers them to be mystical days of knowledge in the angels, and not natural days. hence have arisen those continual discussions in the schools and in churches concerning the evening and morning knowledge, which augustine was the cause of being introduced. these are all diligently collected and particularly mentioned by lyra. let those therefore who wish to know more about them consult lyra. but all these disputations, though subtle and clever, are not to the point in question. for what need is there to make a two-fold knowledge. equally useless is it to consider moses in the beginning of his history as speaking mystically or allegorically. for as he is not instructing us concerning allegorical creatures and an allegorical world, but concerning essential creatures and a world visible and apprehensive by the senses, he calls, as we say in our trite proverb, "a post, a post;" that is, when he says morning or day or evening, his meaning is the same as ours when we use those terms, without any allegory whatever. thus the evangelist matthew, in his last chapter, uses the same manner of expression when he says that christ arose on the evening of the sabbath; that is, at that time of one of the sabbath days which was formed by the evening light. but if we cannot fully comprehend the days here mentioned nor understand why god chose to use these intervals of time, let us rather confess our ignorance in the matter than wrest the words of moses from the circumstances which he is recording to a meaning, which has nothing to do with those circumstances. with respect therefore to this opinion of augustine, we conclude that moses spoke literally and plainly and neither allegorically nor figuratively; that is, he means that the world with all creatures was created in six days as he himself expresses it. if we cannot attain unto a comprehension of the reason why it was so, let us still remain scholars and leave all the preceptorship to the holy spirit! these days were distinguished thus. on the first day the unformed mass of heaven and earth was created to which light was then added. on the second day the firmament. on the third day the earth was produced out of the waters and its fruits created. on the fourth day the heavens were adorned by the creation of the sun, moon and stars. on the fifth day the fishes of the sea and the fowls of the air. on the sixth day the beasts of the earth were created, and man was made. i say nothing of the other views which divide these sacred matters into the work of creation, of distinction, and of ornation, because i do not think such divisions of the subject can be made to harmonize in all respects with each other. if any one admire such views let him consult lyra. as to lyra thinking that a knowledge of the opinion of philosophers concerning matter is necessary, and that on such knowledge must depend a man's understanding the six days' work of creation, i question whether lyra himself really understood what aristotle calls matter. for aristotle does not, like ovid, call the original unformed chaotic mass matter. wherefore omitting these unnecessary subjects altogether, let us come at once to moses as a far better teacher, whom we may more safely follow than we may philosophers, who dispute without the word about things they do not understand. ii. god's work on the six days in particular. part i. god's work on the first day. i. v. 1. _in the beginning god created the heavens and the earth._ a necessary and a very difficult question arises here, in that moses speaks of the creation of the heavens and the earth, and yet does not mention the day on which nor the word by which they were created. for one naturally inquires why moses did not rather use the same form of words here, as he did subsequently, where mention is made of the word thus: _"in the beginning, god said, let there be the heavens and the earth?"_ for moses mentions "the heavens and the earth" before god had spoken anything, whereas both the decalogue and the whole scripture testify that god made the heavens and the earth, and all that in them is, "in six days." but as i said before, we enter on this path without a guide. we leave therefore to others to follow their own judgment here, while we will expound it according to our views. not those elements which now are, but the original rude and unformed substances moses calls "the heavens and earth." the water was dark, and because it was by nature the lighter element it surrounded the earth, itself also as yet unformed was a kind of mud. god formed this first material, if i may so call it, of his future work, not before or apart from the six days, but, according to the express words of the decalogue, in the "beginning" of the first day. as i view the matter therefore moses does not mention here the first day, because these confused substances of the hitherto rude heavens and earth were afterwards formed, and as it were fully adorned and distinguished. for what he immediately calls the "deep" and the "waters;" that is, the rude and unformed water which was not yet distributed nor adorned with its proper form, he here calls "the heavens;" whereas, had moses spoken otherwise and had said, "in the beginning god said, let there be the heavens and the earth;" there would have been no need of afterwards saying, "god said;" seeing that these unformed waters would have been already illuminated and the light would have been already created. the meaning of moses therefore in all simplicity is that all things which now exist were created by god and that "in the beginning" of the first day were created the mass of mud or of earth, and of dark mist or of water; on which afterwards, in the after part of the first day, god shed the light and caused the day to appear, which might discover this rude mass of "the heavens and the earth;" which was in all respects like undeveloped seed, and yet adapted to produce whatever god should require. v. 2a. _and the earth was waste and void._ in the hebrew words tohu and bohu there is no more meaning than can be expressed in any other language, yet these terms are frequently used in the sacred scriptures. tohu means "nothing," so that a tohu earth means, in its simple reality, that which is in itself "empty" or "waste;" where there is no way, no distinction of places, no hill, no vale, no grass, no herbs, no animals, no men. and such was the first appearance of the waste and untilled earth, for while the water was mixed with the earth no distinctions of those various objects could be discerned, which are clearly seen since the earth's formation and cultivation. thus isaiah, 34:11, when threatening destruction to the whole earth says "there shall be stretched upon it the line of tohu, confusion; and the plummet of bohu, emptiness;" that is, it shall be made so desolate that neither men nor beasts shall be left upon it; all houses shall he devastated and all things hurled into chaos and confusion. just as jerusalem was afterwards laid waste by the romans and rome by the goths, so that no vestige of the ancient city as it once was could be pointed out. you now behold the earth standing out of the waters, the heavens adorned with stars, the fields with trees, and cities with houses; but should all these things be taken away and hurled into confusion and into one chaotic heap, the state of things thus produced would be what moses calls tohu and bohu. as the earth was surrounded with darkness or with waters over which darkness brooded, so also the heaven was unformed. it was not only tohu because it was destitute of the garnishing of the stars, and bohu because it was not yet separated and distinguished from the earth, but because it was as yet altogether destitute of light and a dark and deep abyss which like a dense cloud enveloped the earth, or that mass of mud; for the division of the waters from the waters follows later. here then we have the first thing which moses teaches: that the heavens and the earth were created on the first day; but, that the heaven was as yet unformed, not separated from the waters, destitute of its luminaries, and not elevated to its position; and the earth in like manner was as yet without its animals, its rivers and its mountains. as to lyra's argument that this original matter was mere power and was afterward rendered substance by its own power, or as to what augustine says in his book of "confessions," that matter is as it were nothing, and that no medium matter can be thought of between the creator and the thing created; such subtle disquisitions i by no means approve. for how could that be a mere nothing which was already of such material and substance that moses calls it "the heavens and the earth"? unless indeed you would call it artificially the same kind of matter which you call wood, which is not yet wrought into a chest or a bench. but this latter substance is what true philosophers would call matter in a secondary state. we should rather consider the whole subject, as peter considers it, 2 pet. 3:5, where speaking of the wicked, he says "for this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of god; by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." for peter seems to intimate that the earth consists of water, and was made out of water, and that after it was produced out of water and placed as it were in the light, it swam as it now seems to do in the water. this, says he, the wicked knew, and therefore being confident of this condition of things, they feared no peril from water, which they knew to be the fundamental substance of the earth. yet the water destroyed that earth which it preserved, buoyed up and bore; just as at the last it shall be destroyed by fire. from this intimation of peter, it would appear, that the earth was made to stand in the water, and out of the water. but let this suffice concerning the original matter or material. if any one should discuss the subject with greater subtlety of argument, i do not think he would do so, with any profit. v. 2b. _and darkness was upon the face of the deep._ the "water," the "deep," and the "heavens," are here put for the same thing; namely, for that dark unformed substance which afterwards was divided by the word. for it was the office of the second person of the trinity, namely christ, the son of god, to divide and adorn that chaotic mass produced from nothing. and this may have been the very design of moses in not mentioning the word in the first place; that is, in not saying at first, _"and god said."_ for some maintain that this was done by moses purposely. v. 2c. _and the spirit of god moved upon the face of the waters._ some consider "the spirit of god" here to mean merely the wind. but if anything material is here to be understood by "spirit," i should rather refer it to the first moving of the original unformed mass of heaven and earth, which is called "the deep," which is always in motion to this day; for water is never still, its surface is always in motion. but i prefer here to understand the holy spirit. for the wind is a creature which did not exist, while as yet the heavens and the earth lay in that confused chaotic mass. there is moreover an universal agreement of the christian church concerning a revelation of the mystery of the holy trinity in this first creative work. the father through the son, whom moses here calls the word, creates "the heavens and the earth" out of nothing. over these the holy spirit broods. and as a hen sits upon her eggs that she may hatch her young, thus warming her eggs and as it were infusing into them animation, so the scriptures say the holy ghost brooded as it were on the waters; that he might infuse life into these elementary substances which were afterwards to be animated and garnished. for the office of the holy spirit is to give life. these explanations, as far as i see, are sufficient for our present purpose. wherefore casting away all other diverse opinions, let us set down this as the truth, that god created "the heavens and the earth," as yet a rude mass, out of nothing; so that the earth, as an unformed chaotic mass, enveloped the heaven as yet also an unformed mass, like a dark, circumfluent, nebulous cloud. it is necessary however that we discuss the terms here used. at the very beginning of this discussion we are met by the expression "in the beginning." some have expounded the words "in the beginning" as meaning "in the son," from john 1:1; seeing that christ also gives to the jews when they inquired "who he was?" this answer, "the beginning, who also speak unto you," john 8:25. this same exposition is given also from ps. 110:3, "with thee is the beginning, in the day of thy power;" which passage nearly all commentators expound as meaning, "with thee is thy son in divine power." but it is well known to those acquainted with the greek language that the expression _tan archan_ should be rendered by an adverbial phraseology "at first" or "in the beginning," etc. it is a figure of speech which we frequently meet in greek. wherefore let those who will, amuse themselves by thus interpreting the expression "in the beginning." i prefer the simplest explanation which can be at once understood by the less learned. my belief is therefore that the design of moses was to signify the beginning of time; so that "in the beginning" has the same meaning as if he had said, "at that time before which there was no time." or he means that when the world began it so began that the heavens and the earth were created by god out of nothing; but created in a rude shapeless mass, not formed and beautified as they now are. though they lay not long thus, but began immediately on the first day to be garnished with the light. the arians imagined that angels and the son of god were made before "the beginning." but let us pass by this blasphemy. we will omit also another question, "what was god doing before the beginning of the world;" was he in a state of entire inaction or not? to this question augustine introduced in his confession the reply, "he was making a hell for all searchers into his secrets." this reply says augustine was made to ridicule the violent and audacious blasphemy of the question. the modesty therefore of augustine pleases one, who elsewhere candidly says that in all such cases he draws in the sails of his thoughts. for if we speculate and dispute to infinity, these things still remain incomprehensible. even those things which we see we can understand but little. how much less then shall we grasp in our knowledge such things as these. for what will you determine concerning things that were before and beyond time? or what can be your thoughts of things god did before time was? wherefore let us away with all such thoughts and believe that god before the creation of the world was incomprehensible in his essential rest, but that now since the creation he is within and without and above all creatures; that is, he is still incomprehensible. this is all that can be said, because that which was outside of time our intellect can not comprehend. wherefore god does not manifest himself in anything but in his works and in his word; because these can in some measure be comprehended, all other things which properly belong to his divinity, cannot be comprehended or understood, as they really are; such as those things which were beyond time and before the world's creation, etc. perhaps god appeared to adam unveiled; but after his sin he may have shown himself to him in "a noise," gen. 3:8, under which he was covered as with a veil. so also later in the tabernacle god was veiled by the sanctuary; and in the desert by the pillar of a cloud and by the pillar of fire. wherefore moses also calls these things "appearances" or "shadowings" of god, by which he then manifested himself. and cain calls that the "face" and the "presence" of god where he had before offered his sacrifices, gen. 4:14. for our nature is so deformed by sin, yea corrupted and lost, that it cannot understand god naked and unveiled nor comprehend what he really is. therefore it is that these covering veils are absolutely necessary. it is moreover insanity to dispute much concerning god as to what he was beyond and before time, for that is to desire to comprehend naked divinity or the naked divine essence. and it is for this very reason that god has wrapt himself in the veils of his works and under certain visible appearances, just as at this day he veils himself under baptism, absolution, etc. if you depart from these veiling signs, you at once run away beyond measure, beyond place and beyond time into the most absolute nothing; concerning which, as philosophers say, there can be no knowledge. therefore it is that we with solemn propriety enter not into this question; but rest content with this simple meaning of the expression, "in the beginning." ii. but it is more worthy of observation that moses does not say "in the beginning, adoni, the lord created the heavens and the earth;" but he uses a noun of the plural number elohim; by which name, in the books of moses, and in other parts of the scriptures both angels and magistrates are sometimes called. as in ps. 82:6, "i have said ye are gods." it is certain however that here it signifies the one true god, by whom all things were made. why therefore does moses here use a plural noun or name? the jews cavil at moses in various ways. to us however it is clear that the intent of moses is to set forth directly the trinity; or the plurality of persons in the one divine nature. for as he is speaking of the work of the creation it manifestly follows that he excludes angels, who are creatures, from the creative work. there remains therefore this sacred conclusion of the whole matter; that god is one, and that this most perfect unity is also a most perfect trinity. for how otherwise does moses use the plural number, "in the beginning elohim _created_." the cold and wicked cavilling of the jews therefore is to be altogether exploded, when they say that moses used the plural number for the sake of reverence. for what place is there here for the exercise of reverence? especially since that which is an idiom among us germans is not common to all languages; namely, that it should be considered a point of reverence to use the plural number when speaking of one person. although the jews make so much noise about this term elohim being applied to angels and to men, be it remembered that it is in the plural number in this place where it cannot possibly be applied to any but the one true god, because moses is treating of the creation. there were moreover many other singular nouns which moses might have used had he not purposely intended to show to the spiritually minded, that in the divine nature there is before and independently of all creation and all creatures, a plurality of persons. he does not indeed say in plain terms, there is the father, there is the son, and there is the holy ghost; and they are the one true god; because that was reserved for the doctrine of the gospel. it was enough for him by the use of a plural noun though afterwards applied to men also, to set forth this plurality of the divine persons. nor ought it to offend us that this same term is afterwards applied to creatures. for why should not god communicate his name unto us, seeing that he communicates to us his power, and his office? for us to remit sins, to retain sins, to quicken to spiritual life, etc., are the works of the divine majesty alone; and yet these same works are a sign to men and they are wrought by the word which men teach. thus paul said, "that i may save some of them that are my flesh," rom. 11:14. and again, "i am become all things to all men, that i may by all means save some," 1 cor. 9:22. as therefore these works are truly the works of god, although they are assigned also unto men and are wrought by means of men; so the name of god truly represents god though it is applied also to men. arius could not deny that christ existed before the world was created, because christ himself says, "before abraham was, i am," john 8:58. it is written in the proverbs, 8:22, also, "before the heavens were, i am." arius is obliged therefore to confess that christ or the word was created before all things, and that he afterwards created all things, and that he was the most perfect of all creatures though he did not exist from everlasting. but to this fanatical and impious opinion we ought to oppose that which moses so briefly expresses by the term "in the beginning." nor does moses place anything before "the beginning" but god himself; and him he here represents by a plural noun. into these absurd opinions do minds fall when they speculate on such mighty things without the word. we know not ourselves; as lucretius says, "man knows not the nature of his own soul." we feel that we can judge, enumerate, distinguish quantities, and, if i may so call them, spiritual creatures, such as truth and falsehood, and yet we cannot to this day define what the soul is. how much less then shall we be able to understand the divine nature! we know not for instance what is the motion of our will; for it is not a motion of quality or of quantity; and yet it is some motion. what then can we know of things divine? it is fanatical therefore to dispute concerning god and the divine nature without the word and without some veiling representation. yet thus do all heretics; and they think and dispute respecting god with the same security as they would respecting a hog or a cow. therefore they receive a reward worthy their temerity; for by these means they are dashed on the rocks of every peril. hence he who would contemplate such mighty things in safety and without danger must confine himself with all simplicity within those representations, signs and veils of the divine majesty, his word and his works. for it is in his word and his works that he reveals himself unto us; and such as attain unto the knowledge of these are like the woman laboring under the issue of blood, healed by touching these hems of his garment. those on the other hand who strive to reach god without these veils and coverings, attempt to scale heaven without a ladder, that is, without the word; and in so doing are overwhelmed by the majesty of god, which they vainly endeavor to comprehend, and they fall and perish. and so it befell arius. he conceived the imagination that there was some medium between the creator and the creature; and that by that medium all things were created. into this error he necessarily fell the moment he denied contrary to the scriptures a plurality of persons in the divine nature. but as he discussed these things without the word of god and depended solely on his own cogitations, he could not but be thus dashed to pieces. thus the monk of the papists, because he follows not the word, imagines such a god to be sitting in heaven as will save any one who is covered with a cowl and observes a certain strict rule of life. such a one also attempts to ascend into heaven by his own cogitations without god as revealed in his word, or without the revealed face of god for his guide. thus also the jews had their idols and their groves. the fall and the destruction of all are alike. they are precipitated and dashed to pieces; because every one leaving the word follows his own imaginations. if therefore we would walk safely we must embrace those things which the word teaches, and which god himself has willed us to know; and all other things which are not revealed in the word we must leave. for what are those things to me, which god did before the world was made, or how can i comprehend them? this is indulging thoughts upon the naked divinity. and these are the thoughts by which the jews suffer themselves to be led away from this text; and which thus prevent them from believing in a plurality of persons in the deity; whereas it is evident that moses employs a plural noun. the papal decree condemned the anthropomorphists (manlikeners), because they spoke of god as they would of a man, and attributed to him eyes, ears, arms, etc. an unjust condemnation truly! for how otherwise can man talk with man concerning god? if to think thus of god be heresy; then for a certainty is the salvation of all children, who can only think and speak thus as children concerning god, at an end for ever. but to say nothing about children, give me the most learned doctor in all the world; how otherwise will even he speak and teach concerning god? an injury therefore was thereby done to good men; who, though they believed god to be omnipotent and the only saviour, yet were condemned merely because they said god has eyes by which he looks upon the poor and needy, and ears by which he listens to their prayers. for how otherwise can this our nature understand the spiritual reality of god. moreover the scriptures use this form of speech. wherefore such were undeservedly condemned. they should rather have been lauded for the simplicity which they studied; which is so requisite in all teaching. it is absolutely necessary that when god reveals himself unto us, he should do so under some veil of representation, some shadowing manifestation, and should say, "behold under this veil thou shalt surely discover me." and when we embrace god under this veil or shadow, when we thus adore him, call upon him, and offer to him our sacrifices, we are said rightly to offer our sacrifices unto god! it was thus doubtless that our first parents worshipped god. in the morning when the sun rose they adored the creator in the creature; or to speak more plainly they were by the creature reminded of the creator. their posterity retained the custom, but without the knowledge; and hence the custom lapsed into idolatry. the cause of this idolatry was not the sun; for he is a good creature of god; but the knowledge and the doctrine became by degrees extinct; for satan cannot endure true doctrine. thus when satan had drawn eve from the word, she fell immediately into sin. to return then to the anthropomorphists. i consider that they were condemned unjustly and without cause. for the prophets represent god as sitting on a throne. when foolish persons hear this their thoughts are immediately picturing a golden throne, marvellously decorated, etc., though they must all the while know that there can be no such material throne in heaven. hence isaiah says "that he saw god sitting on a throne; and his train filled the temple," is. 6:1. whereas god cannot absolutely or by real vision appear to be thus represented or seen. but such figures and representations are well-pleasing to the holy spirit; and such works of god are set before us by the means of which we may apprehend god by our understanding. such also are those figures when it is said that "he made the heavens and the earth"; that he sent his son; that he speaks by his son; that he baptizes; that he remits sins by the word. he that does not understand these things will never understand god. but i say no more here; since these things have been frequently and abundantly discussed by me elsewhere; yet it was necessary to touch upon them on the present occasion for moses' sake, whom the jews here so severely attack, in the exposition of which we are proving the plurality of the divine persons in the deity. now let us proceed with the text. iii. v. 3. _and god said, let there be light: and there was light._ moses has already said that the rude mass of heaven and earth which he also calls "darkness" and "the deep," was made by the word; and that work ought to be considered the work of the "first day." yet, it is now for the first time that moses uses the expression "god said, let there be light," etc. a marvelous phraseology this indeed; unknown to any writer of any other language under heaven, that god by speaking causes that to exist, which had no existence before. here therefore moses sets before us the medium and instrument which god used in performing his works, namely the word. but we must here carefully mark the distinction in the hebrew language between the words amar and dabar. we render each by the terms to say or to speak. but, in the hebrew there is this difference: amar only and properly signifies the word uttered. but dabar means also the thing or substance uttered. as when the prophets say "this is the word of the lord," they use the term dabar not amar. even at this day the new arians blind the eyes of those unacquainted with the hebrew language by saying that the term in question implies, and is, "a thing created;" and that in this way it is that christ is called the word. against this impious, and at the same time ignorant, corruption of the term word, the reader is duly warned, and exhorted to remember that moses here uses the word amar which simply and properly signifies the word uttered; so that the word uttered is something distinct from him who utters it; as here is also a distinction between the person speaking and the thing spoken. therefore we have before proved from this text a plurality of persons; so here is also an evident distinction of persons; for it affirms that it is god the speaker, if i may so express myself, who creates; and yet he uses no material; but creates the heavens and the earth out of nothing by the sole word he utters. compare here the gospel of st. john "in the beginning was the word." he exactly agrees with moses. he says that there was no creature whatever before the world was made. yet god possessed the word. and what is this word and what does it do? hear moses. the light, says he, as yet was not; but the darkness out of its nothing-state is changed into that most excellent creature, light. by what? by the word. therefore, "in the beginning" and before every creature is the word; and it is so powerful that out of nothing it makes all things. hence that irrefragably follows, which john eloquently adds, that the word was and is god! and yet, that the word is a person different from god the father; even as the word, and he who utters the word, are things absolutely distinct from each other. but at the same time this distinction is of the nature that the most perfect oneness, if i may so speak, of unity remains. these are lofty mysteries, nor is it safe to go further into them than the holy spirit is pleased to lead us. wherefore here let us stop; content with the knowledge that when the unformed heaven and unformed earth, each enveloped in mist and darkness, had stood forth created out of nothing by the word, the light also shone forth out of nothing; and even out of darkness itself by the word. the first work of the creator paul speaks of as a marvellous work; "god that commanded the light to shine out of darkness," etc. the command of god, says he, made that light. this therefore is enough for us and sufficient to confirm our faith, that christ is truly god, who existed with the father from all eternity before the world was made; and that by him, who is the wisdom and word of the father, the father made all things. it is remarkable also that paul in his passage makes the conversion of the wicked the work of a new creation, and a work wrought also by the word. but here reason impiously busies itself with foolish questions. it argues, if the word ever existed, why did not god create the heavens and the earth before by that word? and again, since the heavens and the earth were first made, when god began to speak, it seems to follow that the word then first had existence, when the creatures began to exist, etc. but these impious cogitations are to be cast from us for concerning these things we can determine nothing nor think aright. for beyond that "beginning" of the creation is nothing but naked and divine essence; naked deity! and since god is incomprehensible that also is incomprehensible which was before the world; because it is nothing less than naked god! we believe it right therefore to speak only of "the beginning," because we cannot advance beyond the beginning. but since john and moses affirm that the word was "in the beginning," and before every creature, it of necessity follows that the word was ever in the creator and in the naked essence of god. therefore he is the true god; yet so, that the father begets and the son is begotten. for moses establishes this difference when he names god, who spoke and the word which was spoken. and this was enough for moses to do; for the clearer explanation of this mystery properly belongs to the new testament and to the son, who is in the bosom of the father. in the new testament therefore we hear the literal names of the sacred persons, the father, the son and the holy ghost. these indeed are indicated in certain psalms, and in the prophets but not so distinctly expressed. augustine explains the word somewhat otherwise. for he interprets the expression "said" in this manner. "said;" that is, it was so defined from all eternity by the word of the father; it was so appointed of god. because the son is the mind, the image and the wisdom of god. but the true and simple meaning is to be retained. "god said;" that is, god by the word made and created all things. this meaning the apostle also confirms when he says, "by whom also he made the worlds," heb. 1:2. and again, "all things were made by him and for him," col. 1:16. and within these limits ought to be confined every thought of the creation; our duty is to proceed no further; if we do, we fall headlong into certain darkness and destruction. let these facts therefore be sufficient for us in any question concerning the world and its creation. with respect to the material of the world that it was made out of nothing; as the light was made out of that which was not light, so the whole heavens and the whole earth were made out of nothing; as the apostle says, "he calleth those things that are not, as though they were," rom. 4:17. with respect to the instrument or medium which god used, it was his omnipotent word which was with god from the beginning, and as paul speaks, "before the foundation of the world," eph. 1:4. therefore when paul says in col. 1:16, "all things were made by him," for he uses the preposition, after the hebrew manner, for per; the hebrews thus use their letter beth; this and all similar passages are taken from this verse of moses, who is here speaking of the word uttered, by which anything is commanded or demanded. this word was god, and was an omnipotent word, spoken in the divine essence. no one heard this word uttered but god himself; that is, god the father, god the son and god the holy ghost. while it was uttered the light was generated; not out of the material of the word nor out of the material of the speaker, but out of darkness itself. the father spoke within, the work was immediately wrought without, and the light existed. in the same manner also were all things afterwards created. these facts, i say, concerning the manner of the creation are amply sufficient for us. iv. but here again a well known question is perpetually agitated, namely, of what kind was that light by which the original unformed mass of heaven and earth was illumined, seeing that neither the sun, nor the stars, were then created; and yet the text shows that this light was real and material. this fact has given occasion to some to have recourse to an allegory, who would explain the matter thus: "let there be light;" that is, the angelic nature. and again, "god divided the light from the darkness;" that is, he separated the holy angels from the wicked angels. but this is to trifle with allegories, utterly out of place and not to interpret scripture. moses is here historically recording facts. he is moreover writing and penning a record for unlettered men; that they may have the plainest possible testimonies concerning the great creation. such absurdities therefore are not here to be tolerated. a second question is here also agitated, namely, whether this light moved itself with a circular motion. i confess that i for my part know not the truth of the matter. but if any one desires to know what i consider the nearest to the truth my opinion is, that this light was movable, so that its motion from east to west, or from its rising to its setting formed the natural day. although it is difficult to describe the kind of light it was, yet i am by no means inclined to think that we should depart, without cause, from the plain grammar of the subject; or that we should use any violence by wresting from their common meaning the plainest terms. for moses distinctly affirms that "there was light;" and he reckons this as the "first day" of the creation. my opinion is therefore that this was true and real light; and that it revolved with a circular motion as the light of the sun revolves. i believe however that this light was not so clear and splendent as it afterwards was, when augmented, ornamented and beautified by the light of the sun. even as the sacred scriptures testify that in the last day god will make the present light of the sun, now unclean, in comparison with its future brightness, far more splendid and glorious; as therefore the present light is as it were a thick and imperfect mass of light, when compared with that light which shall be, so that original light was imperfect when compared with the light that now shines. such are my sentiments concerning these two questions. moses then proceeds to say: v. 5. _and there was evening and there was morning one day._ we must here first observe that the jews begin their day differently from us. with them the day commences from the evening and the setting sun and terminates on the evening following. we begin our day with the rising sun. and it is very remarkable that the jews derive their term evening, which they call aeref, from araf which signifies "to mingle or confound." in the same manner from the term aref they form their expression arof, which our countryman renders by cynomia, "dogfly," which may signify "a confused fly." because in the evening, the appearances of things are confused and indistinct, and when the light is removed cannot be clearly discerned. v. moses has taught us concerning the first day. we shall see however that moses retains this same expression "god said" in the creation of all the other creatures. "and god said let there be a firmament," etc. the very repetition of this same expression ought to be most delightful to us, because as i said, it brings to us a mighty testimony for the confirmation of our faith; that the son, in these eternal things, is very god; and that in the unity of the divinity there is a plurality of persons; because the speaker is one person and the word spoken another person. in this manner also the psalmist speaks, "by the word of jehovah were the heavens made," etc., ps. 33:6. and solomon implies the force of this wonderful phrase of moses, when he writes that the divine wisdom was as it were the handmaid of the creation. "i was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth was, etc.; when he established the heavens, i was there; when he set a circle upon the face of the deep," prov. 8:23, 27. here solomon shows that he fully understood this doctrine of our religion, so plainly set forth by moses; and that he understood it in a manner beyond the knowledge of the ignorant multitude, who heard these things, and read them, but understood them not. for had not solomon fully understood this mystery, he could not have spoken thus. but he drew all these things from this verse of moses, as from a deep and holy fountain. another proof of this his divine knowledge is prov. 30:3, "what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?" i believe also that there were similar writings of other holy men, such as of enoch, elijah, etc., in which there existed many testimonies of the same kind. but as even at the present day, these things though plainly revealed in the new testament remain hidden, and are by many not only not received, but fiercely opposed, so to a much greater extent did it happen among the jewish people, while the holy fathers set these mysteries before the wise in divine things, with the greatest skill and wisdom. to us it is great consolation to know that these divine mysteries were thus shadowed forth by moses from the beginning of the world; that in these divine beings there is a plurality of persons and yet a unity of the divine essence. and if there are some who do not believe, but fiercely oppose this doctrine, what is that to us? abraham saw three, and adored one! and the holy spirit says, gen. 19:24, "then jehovah rained fire from jehovah out of heaven." although fanatics understand not nor regard these words, yet we know that they are the words not of a drunken man, but of god. many such testimonies as these exist throughout the old testament, which that excellent man, hilary, has diligently collected. if these testimonies are obscure, and to the wicked and unbelieving seem to be unfounded, yet to the godly all things which are revealed and handed down to us in the holy scriptures are firmly founded and sufficiently clear. they know that the person speaking is one person and that the word spoken is another person; not in nature but in person; and is that word by which all things were made "in the beginning;" and by which they are all upheld to this day; as paul says in his epistle to the hebrews, "upholding all things by the word of his power," heb. 1:3. but here we are to be admonished that the words, "let there be light," are the words of god and not of moses; that is, that they are realities, facts, works! for god "calleth those things that be not as though they were;" and god speaks not grammatical words but very and substantial things. so that what with us is sounding voice, is with god a substantial thing, a reality! thus, the sun, the moon, the heaven, the earth, peter, paul, you, and i, are all and each, words of god! yea, we are single syllables or single letters as it were of and in comparison to the whole creation. we also speak, but we can only speak grammatically, or in letters. that is we give names to created things, etc. but divine grammar is quite another thing! when god says, "shine thou sun," the sun immediately exists and shines forth. thus the words of god are things, not mere words! here therefore there has been rightly made a distinction between the word created and the word uncreated. the word created is a thing, or fact, or work done, by means of the word uncreated. for what is the whole creation but the word of god spoken forth or uttered? but the word uncreated is the divine mind or thought, the internal command of god, flowing from god, and the same as god, and yet it is a distinct person. and thus god reveals himself unto us as the speaker, having with or in himself, the word increate, by which he created the world and all things with the utmost facility of operation, namely by merely speaking! so that there was no more difficulty with god in creating than with us in speaking. it was in such meditations as these that the pious fathers augustine and hilary found their delight. part ii. god's work on the second day. i. v. 6. _and god said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters._ moses may here seem to have forgotten himself in that he treats not at all of two most important themes: the creation and the fall of the angels, but confines his sacred narrative to the creation of corporeal things. though there is no doubt that angels were created, yet not one word is found in all the scriptures concerning their creation, their battle, or their fall; except that which christ briefly utters, john 8:44, in reference to the devil, that he "abode not in the truth;" except also that woful account of the serpent, which the sacred historian hereafter gives us in the third chapter of genesis. it is wonderful therefore that moses is wholly silent on things of such great interest. hence it is that men having nothing certain recorded upon the subject, naturally fell into various fictions and fabrications, that there were nine legions of angels, and that so vast was their multitude that they were nine whole days falling from heaven. others have indulged imaginations concerning the mighty battle between these superior beings, in what manner the good resisted the evil angels. my belief is that these ideas of the particulars of this battle were taken from the fight which exists in the church, where godly ministers are ever contending against evil and fanatical teachers, and that on this ground they have formed their ideas of the battle of the good angels against the evil ones who wished to usurp deity. but so it ever is. where no plain testimonies exist rash men consider themselves at liberty to imagine and invent what they please. in the same manner men form their various opinions concerning the danger and the fear of angels and of the evils they work, all which opinions are founded on is. 14:12, 13, where lucifer is represented as having said in his heart, "i will ascend into heaven, i will exalt my throne above the stars of god." but the prophet is there predicting the greatness of the pride of the king of the babylonians. bernard again has the idea that lucifer foresaw in god that his purpose was to exalt man above the nature of angels, that his proud spirit envied man this felicity and that he fell in consequence. but let the christian man take these things at their own value and at no more. for myself i would by no means urge any one to give his assent to any such opinions. the things that are certain are, that the angels fell, and that the devil from having been an angel of light was made an angel of darkness. perhaps there was also a conflict between the good angels and the evil. as moses however was writing to a new and uninformed people his object was to write those things only which were useful and necessary to be known. the nature of angels therefore and other kindred subjects which were not necessary to be known he passed by. wherefore nothing on the whole of this obscure subject, beyond what moses has plainly recorded, ought to be expected from me. the more especially so, as the new testament itself treats very sparingly of this deep theme. it says nothing more concerning the angels than that they were condemned and that they are still held as it were in prison and in chains until the judgment of the last day. let it suffice us therefore to know that there are good angels and bad angels, but that god created them all alike good. whence it follows of necessity, that the evil angels fell and stood not in the truth. but how they fell and stood not in the truth is unknown. it is nevertheless probable that they fell by pride; because they despised the word or son of god, and wished to exalt themselves before him. this is all i have to say. now let us return to moses. ii. we have heard that the work of the first day was the rude unformed "heavens and earth," both of which god illumined with a certain impure and imperfect light. we now come to the work of the second day, where we shall see in what manner god produced out of this original rough undigested mist or nebulosity, which he called "heavens," that glorious and beauteous "heaven" which now is, and as it now is; if you except the stars and the greater luminaries. the hebrews very appropriately derive the term schamaim the name of the heavens from the word maim, which signifies "waters." for the letter schin is often used in composition for a relative, so that schamaim signifies "watery," or "that which has a watery nature." this indeed appears so from the color of the "heavens." and experience teaches that the air is humid by nature. philosophers also say that if there were no sun the air would be a perpetual humidity. but they assert that the air is both humid and warm, but that it is humid from its own nature, because the heaven was made out of waters, and that therefore it is, that it rains and contains a fructifying moisture; but because the light and heat of the sun are added to it, the humid nature of the air is so tempered that it is also warm. this thick and rude mass of mist or nebulosity, created out of nothing on the first day, god grasps by his word and commands it to extend itself into the form and with the motion of a sphere. for in the hebrew the word rakia signifies "a something extended;" from the verb raka, which means "to unfold or expand." and the heaven was formed by an extension of that original rude body of mist, just as the bladder of a hog is extended into a circular form when it is inflated. i use thus a rustic similitude that the sacred matter may be the more plainly understood. when therefore job 37:18 says "that the heavens are strengthened with iron," "that the sky is strong as a molten mirror," his mind is not dealing with the material but with the word of god, which can make a thing the softest by nature the hardest and the firmest. for what is softer than water? what is thinner or more subtile than air? yet these things, which were the most subtile and the softest by nature, from being created by the word preserve their form and motion with the greatest perfection and the greatest firmness. whereas, had the heaven been formed of adamant or of any material infinitely harder still, it would by its rapid, long and continuous motion, have soon been broken in pieces or melted. in the same manner the sun, by his rapid motion, would melt in one day even if formed of the hardest material, were it not for the word of god by which it was created. for motion is of itself very creative of heat. hence aristotle asserts that the lead of the arrow is sometimes melted by the velocity of its motion. these facts of nature therefore are miracles of god, in which the omnipotence of his word is clearly discerned, exhibiting the wonder that the heaven, though softer and more subtile than water, and performing continuously the most rapid revolution, and that too with so vast a variety of bodies and their motions, should have existed and revolved so many thousands of years uninjured and unweakened! it was this that caused job to say, "that the heavens were molten, as it were, of brass," job 37:18; that they are by nature the softest of substances. how great the subtility of the air is in which we live, we ourselves know perfectly well; for it is not only not tangible, but not discernible. and the heaven, or ether, is still more subtile and thinner than the air or atmosphere. for its blue or sea-color or water-color appearance is not a proof of its density, but rather of its distance and its thinness; to which its rarified state, if you compare the thicker substances of the clouds, the latter will appear in comparison, like the smoke of wet wood when first ignited. it is to this extreme subtility, yet unaltered durability, that job alludes as above mentioned. so philosophers have among them this celebrated maxim, "that which is humid is limited by no boundary of its own." wherefore the heaven which cannot consist by any boundary of its own, being aqueous, consists by the word of god; as it is taught in the present divine record of moses, "let there be a firmament!" gen. 1:6. hence philosophers who were more diligent in their inquiries formed their conclusion, and that by no means a light one for nature to form, that all things were ruled and governed, not by chance nor at random, but by a divine providence; seeing that the motions of the heavens and of the superior bodies are so certain and so peculiar to themselves. who indeed could possibly say that all these things proceeded by chance, or by their own mere undirected nature, when even the workmanship of men proceeds not from chance, but from skillful art and certain design, such as pillars formed round, triangular, hexagonal, etc.? all these things therefore are the works of the divine majesty! by him the sun holds his course so accurately and with so fixed a law, that he deviates not a hair's breadth from his all-certain path in any one part of heaven. this course he holds in the most subtile ether, supported by no substances or bodies whatsoever, but is borne along as a leaf in the air. though this comparison is neither strictly correct nor appropriate, because the motion of a leaf is irregular and uncertain; but the course of the sun is ever certain, and that too in an ether far more subtile than this atmosphere in which we move and live. this marvelous extension of the original rule and dense nebulosity or cloud or mist is here called by moses "a firmament," in which the sun with all the planets have their motion round the earth, in that most subtile material. but who is it that gives such firmness to this most volatile and fluctuating substance? most certainly it is not nature that gives it, which in far less important things than these can exert no such power. it follows therefore that it is the work of him, who "in the beginning" said unto the heavens and unto this volatile substance, "let there be a firmament," or "be thou a firmament," and who establishes and preserves all these things by his omnipotent power, put forth through his word. this word makes the air with all its thinness and lightness to be harder and firmer than adamant, and to preserve its own boundary; and this word could on the contrary make adamant to be softer than water, in order that from such works as these we might know what kind of a god our god is; namely, the god omnipotent, who made out of the rude mass of unformed heavens the present all-beauteous, all-glorious heaven; and who did all these things according to his will as well as according to his power. but i have said that with the hebrews the "firmament" derives its name from a verb in their language signifying "to extend." it is to this signification of the hebrew verb that david beautifully alludes, in his similitude of military hide-coverings and tents which he uses in ps. 104:2, when he says of god "who stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain." for as the rolled-up hide-covering of the military tent is unrolled and then stretched out as a canopy to the stakes which are fixed in the earth, so thou, o god, says david, unrolledst as it were and stretchedst out the first formed, but as yet unformed, rude heaven, into the present glorious "firmament," where thou sittest invisibly as on a sphere over the whole creation, in the midst of all things and yet out of and above all things. it is a circumstance naturally exciting our particular wonder that moses evidently makes three distinct parts or divisions of this portion of the creation. he describes "a firmament in the midst of the waters," which "divides the waters from the waters." for myself i am inclined to think that the firmament here mentioned is the highest body of all; and that the waters, not those "above" the firmament, but those which hang and fly about "under" the firmament, are the clouds, which we behold with our natural eyes; so that by the waters which are "divided from the waters," we may understand the clouds which are divided from our waters which are in the earth. moses however speaks in the plainest possible terms, both of waters "above" and of waters "under" the firmament. wherefore i here hold my own mind and judgment in captivity and bow to the word, although i cannot comprehend it. but a question here arises, what those waters are and how those bodies of water which are "above" the firmament are distinguished from those which are "under" the firmament. the division and distinction here made by philosophers is well known. they make the elements to be four; and they distinguish and place them according to their qualities. they assign the lowest place to the earth; a second place to the water; a third to the air; and the last and highest place to the fire. other philosophers add to these four elements ether as a fifth essence. after this division and number of the elements, there are numerated seven spheres or orbs of the planets, and an eighth sphere of the fixed stars. and on these subjects it is agreed among all philosophers that there are four spheres of generating and corruptible principles; and also eight others of non-generating and incorruptible principles. and aristotle disputes concerning the nature of the heaven; that it is not composed of the elements, but has its own peculiar nature, because if it were composed of the elements it would be corruptible, in that these substances would mingle together and mutually produce and suffer corruption. therefore he will not attribute to heaven and the heavenly bodies the primary qualities, _primas qualitates_, that is, the attributes of the elements, and says that they are simply creatures possessing a co-eternal light, and qualities and attributes peculiarly their own, and created with them. now these things, although they are not certain, yet since they contain principles of a most beautiful theory, gathered from a course of reasoning approaching the truth, are useful for instruction, and it would be barbarous if one should determine to neglect or despise them, since in some respects they harmonize with experience. for we experience it to be the truth that fire by its very nature travels beyond itself, as is seen in the phenomena of the lightning and the fiery meteors in the air. by these principles, learned from experience, they are led to give fire the highest place, next to it the air, after it water comes third, and last the earth in the lowest place, since in weight it surpasses all the others. these things have their place and use as rudiments or primary principles, which if any one contend that they are not universally true, yet they are true in general and serve to the end that we may learn and hand down to others the true theories. for though fire can be struck from flint, yet it cannot therefore be denied that in the highest regions there is fire. therefore theology gives these theorists this rule, which philosophy does not know sufficiently, that although god ordained and created all these things by his word, yet he is not therefore bound to these rules so that he can not change them according to his good pleasure. for we see that neither grammar nor the other sciences are so perfectly set forth in rules that there are no exceptions; thus the laws of public and secular affairs step in and temper all things with reason. how much more can this be done in divine things, so that, although we indeed experience that the four elements are ordained and disposed by god, yet they can, contrary to this order, also have and maintain fire in the middle of the ocean, just as we saw that it was hidden in flint. likewise the mathematicians have concluded that there were a definite number of spheres, not that it is necessary to be so, but because one can not teach anything definitely about such things unless one distinguishes the spheres thus, on account of the variety of their motions, about which one can teach nothing without such imagination, if i may so name it. for teachers and professors of these sciences or theories say: we give examples, not because they are in every detail correct, but in order that no one may teach differently concerning those subjects. therefore it would be the height of folly to despise and ridicule such things as some do, because it is not so sure that it could not be different, for they serve to the end that good arts and sciences may be taught, and that is sufficient. the philosophers in general teach such things, to which the more modern theologians agree and add to these eight spheres two more,--the crystalline, glacial or aqueous heaven, and then the empyreal or fiery heaven. the greeks however have discussed these themes much more elegantly and prudently than our scholars. for ambrose and augustine have had very childish thoughts. therefore i praise jerome because he simply passed over them in silence. there are some who hold that the crystalline heaven is watery, because they think it is the waters of which moses here speaks, and there the firmament or eighth sphere is added so that they be not consumed by their rapid and constant motion. but these are puerile thoughts, and i will rather confess that i do not understand moses in this passage than that i should approve such illiterate thoughts. the seventh heaven they call empyreal; not because it is fiery or burning, but from the light which is lucid and splendid. this heaven in the home of god and of the blessed, because it was filled immediately after creation with angels, and lucifer, as they affirm, fell from this heaven. these are about all the ideas that theologians have added to the opinions of philosophers. however, our scientists, who have studied astronomy, teach that there are still more spheres; namely, twelve, and three motions in the eight spheres; as, the _motum raptum_, _motum proprium_, _motum trepidationis_, a rending motion, a characteristic motion, and a trembling motion. for of such things indeed one cannot speak, unless he give each motion its own sphere. averrois had other thoughts, more absurd and far more in agreeable to reason. for he advocated that each sphere was an intellect, or an intelligent nature. the occasion or cause of these foolish thoughts was that he saw the infallibly perfect and most regular motion of the heavenly bodies. therefore he thought these spheres were intelligent substances, each setting itself in motion in a sure and continuous manner. but from this follows the greatest and worst ignorance of god; wherefore we repudiate the thoughts of averrois. but the others, which we have mentioned, we approve in so far as they are useful to be taught. for indeed this knowledge of the motion of the heavenly bodies is most worthy of all praise, however little that knowledge may be. moses however proceeds with his narrative of the creation in all simplicity and plainness, as they say; making here three divisions: waters "above" the firmament, waters "under" the firmament, and "the firmament" in the middle. in the term heaven, moses comprehends all that body which philosophers represent by their eight spheres, by fire and by air. for the sacred historian makes no mention of the flowing of the waters until the third day. and it is manifest that the air in which we live is called in the holy scriptures the heaven; because the scriptures speak of the "fowls of heaven," job 28:21; ps. 8:8. it also speaks of the heavens being shut when it does not rain, 1 kings 8:35. and again it speaks of the heavens giving their dew, zech. 8:12; all these things take place in the air, not in the spheres of the moon or of the other planets. this distinction of the spheres therefore is not mosaic nor scriptural but is an invention of men as an aid to instruction on these astronomical subjects; and which ought not to be despised as such an assistance. and although they say that the elements are corruptible, yet i doubt it, for i see indeed that they remain. and although a part at times is changed, yet it follows that the whole will be changed; but these changes of the elements are only in part. thus the air remains unchanged in which the birds live and fly; also the earth upon which the trees and other things grow, though certain parts of the same are changed. now aristotle makes the cause of all these things the first mover, _primum motorem_. averrois however says the cause of these motions are _"formae assistentes a foris;"_ that is, intelligent natures which move from without. following moses we say that all these things are brought forth and governed simply by the word of god. he spake and it was done. he never commanded that the angels should govern these bodies; just as we ourselves are not governed by the angels, although we are guarded and kept by the angels. thus also that the motion of the planets retrogrades is the work of god created by his word, which work belongs to god himself, which is greater and higher than can be attributed to angels, but god, who thus distinguished these things, governs and preserves them. and it is the same god who commanded the sun to start in its course but the firmament to stand still, said also to the planets and the stars, thou shaft move so and so. the word does even this; namely, it makes the most uncertain motion the most certain, even though these heavenly material bodies move in the fluctuating atmosphere, and not in any place or along any material line. for as a fish in the middle of the sea, a bird in the open heavens, so the stars move in their appointed course, but in a motion most secure and very wonderful indeed. thus also this is clearly the cause why the elbe river here at wittenberg and in this district has its fixed and continuous course and dare not become weary. all such works are the works of the word, which moses here honors and praises: "he said," etc. but we christians ought to meditate and think on these things and their causes differently from philosophers. although there are some things which are beyond our comprehension, as for instance these waters that are "above" the firmament, all such things are rather to be believed with a confession of our ignorance than profanely denied, or arrogantly interpreted according to our shallow comprehension. it behooves us ever to adhere to the phraseology of the holy scriptures, and to stand by the very words of the holy spirit, whom it pleased in this sacred narrative by his servant moses, so to arrange the different parts of the great work of creation, as to place in the midst "the firmament;" formed out of the original mass of the unshapen heaven and earth, and stretched out and expanded by the word; and then to represent some waters as being "above" that firmament and other waters "under" that firmament, both waters being also formed out of the same original rude undigested matter. and the whole of this part of the creation is called by the holy spirit the heaven; together also with its seven spheres and the whole region of the air; in which are meteors and signs of fire and in which the wandering fowls make their homes. therefore these common principles we will not oppose nor deny, when they say everything by nature sinks under itself, and everything light rises above itself, although we also see that dense heavy vapors arise but by reason of the influence and motion of heat. we say also that all these things were thus created and maintained by the word, and they can also by virtue of the power in the same word be changed yet today; as all nature will finally be altogether transformed. thus also it is contrary to the rule given that waters should be above the heaven or firmament, and yet the text affirms it. to return therefore unto the principal matter before us; when any inquiry is instituted as to the nature of these waters, it cannot be denied that moses here affirms that waters are "above" the heaven; but of what kind or nature these waters are, i freely confess for myself that i know not; for the scriptures make no other mention of them than in this verse, and in the song of the three children, in the apocrypha, dan. 3:61; and i can attempt to declare nothing certain on these and similar subjects. hence i can say nothing whatever as known and understood concerning the heaven where the angels are and where god dwells with the blessed; nor concerning other kindred things, which shall be revealed unto us in the last day, when we shall have been clothed with another body. but i add, for the sake of those who do not understand this, that in the scriptures the word heaven often signifies what we call the horizon. hence the whole firmament is called the heaven of heavens, in which are gathered the heaven of all human beings; that is, the horizon. in this respect we have a different heaven here in germany than the people in france or italy. but this name helps nothing at all in the explanation of our text. therefore the greater number of theologians interpret here waters, as also indicated above, the glacial heaven, the cold heaven, which is located where it is that it may moisten and refresh the lower sphere in their great and swift motion, lest they be consumed by their excessive heat. but whether they have thus concluded correctly, i will leave unanswered. i freely confess that i do not know what kind of waters these are. for the old teachers of the church did not specially worry about this, as we see augustine condemned all astrology. although it contains much superstition, yet it should not be entirely despised, for it is wholly given up to the observation and consideration of divine themes, a zeal and diligence most worthy of human beings. therefore we find that many most highly talented and excellent persons have exercised themselves in astrology and obtained pleasure from it. sufficient has been said on this subject to show that on the second day the heaven was separated and located so that it stood in the middle between the waters. iii. but here another question presents itself. to the works of all the other days there is added the divine sentence of approbation, "and god saw that it was good." how is it then that the same sentence is not added to the second day's work, when the greatest and most beautiful part of the whole creation was made? to this question it may be replied, that this same divine sentence is added at the end of the creation of all things on the sixth day and more fully expressed thus, "and god saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." and these words apply to the heaven also. lyra is inclined to think with rabbi solomon, that as this divine expression, "and god saw that it was good," is uttered twice during the third day's work, one of the divine sentences refers to the second day's work; which was perfected on the third day, when the waters which are "under" the heaven were more distinctly divided from the waters which were "above" the heaven. but it is by far the safest way not to be too curious and inquiring on these subjects; because they exceed our human capacity. others speculate here and give reasons they understand not, that the second number is of an evil omen, because it is the first number that departs from the unity of god, but god was displeased with this digression and approved of the unity, and therefore he did not add the clause "it was good" on the second day. lyra is however right in calling this a misleading and dangerous explanation. for in this manner all the numbers depart from the unity. therefore it is far the safest not to be too curious and inquiring in these subjects, because they are placed above our human capacity. for how can we understand that order which god himself establishes and approves. yes, reason must here be put to shame, for what is order in the eyes of god we judge to be the confusion of order. thus the stars seem to us to be arranged thoughtlessly in wild disorder in that the bright ones are scattered among those more obscure, and the lesser among the greater. who would judge this to be order? and yet it is the most perfect harmony, so constituted by the all-wise mind itself. in like manner we judge of other matters. it seems confusing that our elbe and all rivers flow to the sea in an irregular winding course. such disorder there seems to be also among trees, yes, between man and wife, where it appears there is no order. but all this only proves that god is a god of order and that his judgment as to order is quite different than ours. we therefore cease to follow more curiously the question why god added twice to the third day, "and god saw," etc., and omitted it on the second day. nor will we conclude rashly whether the work of the second day was finished in the third day or not. philosophers have handed down the rudiments of the arts and of the science of astronomy, and in doing so they divided the heaven into various spheres. we have a much simpler theory or science, in that we at once make god the immediate creator of all things by his word, _dixit_, "and god said." for how can we understand that order which god approves as such? nay, our natural reason must here of necessity be confounded; for that which is order with god is in our judgment confusion. hence the stars appear to us to be in a state of wild disorder; the bright being mingled with the more obscure, and the lesser with the greater. who would judge this to be order? and yet it is consummate harmony; and so constituted by the all-wise mind. and so we judge of other things. our river elbe seems a confusion; as do all other rivers also; because their streams empty themselves into the sea by winding courses. in the same manner trees seem to present a confusion. nor do males and females in the world and their unions and combinations appear to be a state of order. all here also as to the appearance of things is disorder and confusion. all these things therefore unitedly prove that god possesses an order, and judges of it, differently from ourselves. cease we therefore to penetrate into these things with too much curiosity, why it is that god repeats the divine sentence in question twice during the work of the third day and omits it altogether in the work of the second day? nor determine we rashly whether the work of the second day was finished on the third day or not. philosophers laid down the rudiments of the arts and of the science of astronomy; and in so doing they divided the heaven into its various spheres. but we adopt a simpler and more true method of procedure and judgment; for we at once make god the immediate creator of all things by his word, "and god said." part iii. god's work on the third day. i. v. 9a. _and god said, let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place._ in the foregoing i observed that we do not understand the order of the works of god. had he therefore asked us our opinion here we should have advised him to use such an order as to add the sentence now in question to the work of the second day. but god will ever be master of his own order and the ruler of the world. wherefore we ought not to be over curious here. the text plainly declares that god commanded the waters "under the heavens to be gathered together unto one place." it does not say as before, v. 7, "under the firmament," where it is said, and god divided the waters which were "under the firmament" from the waters which were "above the firmament." the heavens therefore, according to the phraseology and definition of the scriptures, are the whole of the higher region and its machinery, together with the entire body of the air and all its spheres. the hebrew name is derived from the material of which it is composed; namely, from that confused body of water, by the extension or expansion or multiplication of which it was formed. for that first body of unformed water was not so extensive in itself, but was so expanded or spread out by the word. just as christ, according to the record of the gospel, so multiplied a few loaves by his blessing as to make them suffice for a great multitude of men. what therefore we philosophically call the air, with all its spheres, moses here calls the heavens. but by waters he means the waters of our seas and rivers, which were also formed out of that original unformed mass of water; or out of the dregs or lees of it, as it were, after the heavens had been formed or expanded out of it by the word. i believe however that the nature and power of our water are far inferior to those of the heavenly waters. for our waters are, as i have said, the dregs, as it were, of the higher waters. so that they may be said to have been gathered together not only as to their place or position, but as to their body or substance, because these latter waters are heavier than those of the air or heaven. for we can breathe in the air, but we cannot breathe in the water. and when moses says that these waters were "gathered together unto one place" collectively, he is rather to be understood as speaking in a plural or distributive sense. as if he had said, that they were gathered unto various places; and not that the whole body of the waters was gathered unto one place, as one ocean, but that they were distributed into various seas and rivers; some higher up, and some lower down, some greater, and some less, etc. v. 9b. _and let the dry (land) appear._ these words claim particular attention, because moses had just before said, that the earth was tohu and bohu; that is unformed, rude and uncultivated, mixed with waters and washed by the waters on every side. here therefore moses also means that this original mass of earth was sunk under the waters and covered by them. otherwise, why should he represent god as saying "and let the dry land appear," if it had not been surrounded by the abyss of water and almost covered with these original nebulous mists or waters? for we have here a confirmation of that which i have repeatedly set forth; that the world, at its first formation, was nothing but a rude chaotic mass of water and earth; and now on the third day the earth is brought out and made to appear. as therefore at first the light was brought in upon the waters; so now, the beauty of that light is made to shine upon the earth. for both these qualities were necessary to render the earth habitable; that it should be "dry" and that it should be in the light or illuminated. ii. moses now calls the earth "dry" on account of the removal of the original waters from it. thus we behold the waters of the ocean rage and boil as if they would swallow up the whole earth. for the ocean stands higher than the earth. but it cannot pass its appointed bounds, for this spot of dry land circumscribes the earth of the first creation; and even opposes an insuperable barrier to original ocean-waters. hence job, 38th chapter, and the 104th psalm bear witness that, although the sea is higher than the earth and is limited by no boundaries of its own, yet it cannot pass its boundaries appointed of god. for the earth, being the center of the world, would naturally be submerged and covered with the sea. but god keeps back the sea by his word and thus makes the plane of the earth stand forth out of the waters, as far as is necessary for the habitation and life of man. hence it is by the power of god that the waters are prevented from rushing in upon us. god therefore performs for us to this day and will do so to the end of the world, the same miracle which he wrought for the children of israel in the red sea, ex. 14:21-22. but he made a special manifestation of his power by working the mighty miracle on that occasion, to the intent that he might bind that people, who were few in number, the more devotedly to his worship. and what else is this our life upon earth, but a passage through the red sea, where the high and threatening walls of water stand up on each side of us? for it is most certainly true that the sea is much higher than the earth. god therefore to this day commands the waters to hang suspended and holds them up by his word that they may not break in upon us, as they burst in upon the world at the deluge. sometimes however signs of god's power are still manifested, whole islands perish under the waters, whereby god shows that the mighty water is still in his hands, and that it is with him either to hold it fast or to let it rush in upon the wicked and the ungrateful. philosophers have their disputes also concerning the center of the world and the circumfluent water. indeed it is wonderful that they go so far as to determine the earth to be the center of the whole creation. and it is from this argument, that they conclude that the earth cannot fall; because it is supported from within by the other spheres surrounding it on every side. hence according to these philosophers the heaven and all other spheres rest upon this center, by which support they themselves also derive their durability. it is well becoming us to know these arguments. but these philosophers know not that the whole of this stability rests on the power of the word of god. although therefore the water of the mighty ocean is higher than the earth, yet it cannot pass its appointed bounds nor cover the earth. but we live and breathe as the children of israel existed in the midst of the red sea. v. 10. _and god saw that it was good._ moses here adds this divine commendation although nothing was wrought beside the division of the waters and the bringing out of waters a small particle of the earth. now above, at the most beautiful part of god's creation, this short divine commendatory sentence was not added. perhaps it was omitted as an intimation from god that he is more concerned about our habitation than about his own; and that he might by such intimation animate us to higher feelings of gratitude and praise. for we were not destined to exist in the air or in the heaven, but on the earth where we were appointed to support our life by meat and drink. therefore after god adorned the roof of man's habitation, namely, the heaven, and added the light, he now spreads its floor and makes the earth suitable for the dwelling service of men. this part of his work, god twice declares to be "good" on our account, by which he would intimate that we men form so great a part of his care, that he is desirous to assure us by such a twofold approbation of this portion of his creation-work wrought with so much care that he would ever hold it under his peculiar protection; that he would grant it his perpetual presence, and would prevent our great enemy and our most certain death, the mighty water, from rushing in upon us. beautifully therefore did god form in "the beginning" the foundation and roof of this house. now let us see how he furnished and garnished it. iii. v. 11. _and god said, let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after its kind, etc._ god, as we have seen, has now constructed the first and the principal parts of man's house. its roof, the heaven, is most beautiful, but it is not yet fully adorned. its foundation is the earth. its walls are the mighty waters on every side. god next makes provision for our food. he commands the earth to bring forth herbs and trees to bear fruit of every kind. here you may again see why the earth was before called tohu and bohu; because it was as yet not only dark, but altogether barren of fruit. but mark what kind of food god prepares for us; namely, herbs and fruits of trees. i believe therefore that our bodies would have been much stronger and healthier if this surfeiting and especially the eating of flesh of all kinds since the flood had not been introduced. for although the earth after the sin of adam was cursed, and because still more corrupt after the flood, yet our food of herbs would have been much more refining, thin and pure, had we still lived on them, than our gross feeding on flesh is now. it is quite evident that in the beginning of the world the food of man was herbs, and it is equally evident that the herbs were created for the very end that they might be food for man. that the earth produces grain, trees and herbs of every kind is the work of this day. now indeed, all things spring forth from the seed of their kind. but the original creation was wrought without any seed, by the simple power of the word. indeed that seeds now put forth their plants is still the effect of the work of the original creation by the word, and it is a work full of wonder and admiration. for it is a singular act of god's power that the grain, falling on the earth, springs forth in its time and brings forth fruit after its kind. and that like plants should be put forth from like seeds in an unceasing and unchanging order, is sure proof that it is not the consequence of a chance creation, but the especial operation of divine providence. hence from wheat grows nothing but wheat; from barley nothing but barley; from the bean nothing but beans; for the same continuous and unaltered nature, order and condition of each plant are constantly preserved. philosophy knows nothing of the cause of all this and attributes the whole to nature. we however well understand that nature was so created at the first by the power of the word, that the seeds and forms of all plants might be exactly and perfectly preserved. wherefore not only are the first-day waters of heaven multiplied, as there is need; but the first seeds are also multiplied, as god sees fit, and they all preserve their original form and nature with the utmost perfection. here again a question is frequently raised as to the time or season of the year, in which the world was created; whether the creation was wrought in the spring or autumn. and although the opinions of men differ on this point, yet each one has his own reasons and conjectures. those who prefer making autumn the season of creation, consider that they prove their judgment to be correct from the fact that the trees when first created produced their fruit. for adam and eve ate of their fruit. they prove their opinion moreover to be the right one, as they think, by the argument that the works of god are perfect! others will have it, that the spring was the time of the creation, because the spring is the most beautiful season of the year and is, as it were, the infancy and childhood of nature. hence it is that the ancient poet ovid describes the spring as being the originating cradle-time of the world. neither party however has sufficient ground for concluding their arguments to be exclusively right; for the sacred text supports both opinions, because it declares, that the earth "brought or budded forth," which certainly is not the time of autumn, but of spring. it also declares that fruits then existed; which it is equally certain is not the time of spring. wherefore, my opinion is that such was the miracle wrought of god at the first creation of the world that all these things existed at the one time; the earth budded forth, the trees blossomed, and the fruits, in their perfection, immediately and suddenly followed; and then the miracle ceased; and nature gradually fell into her regular order. thus, all these herbs and trees are propagated by means of their seeds in the same kinds and forms as those in which they were first created. hence men reason wrongly, when they argue from the natural to the supernatural effect. for the whole is to be attributed to the creator and to his first creation-work, in which he at the same time perfected the infant buddings of spring and the mature fruits of autumn, as far as the herbs and the fruits of the trees were concerned. moreover this state of things at the creation induced hilary and others to conclude that the world stood forth suddenly at the word of god in all its full perfection; and that god did not employ six whole natural days in the work of creation. for the text compels us to confess that the trees together with their fruits existed on the same day adam was created. but although all this was indeed wrought of god very much more quickly than it is now for this same work of god in our age generally occupies six months of time, yet the text does not use the verb "to fructify" only but also the verb "to germinate." with reference therefore to this question, concerning the time of the creation, it is most probable that the spring was the season in which the world was first created. hence the jews begin their year at this season, making the first month of spring the first of their year, that being the time of the year when the earth begins to open its bosom and all things in nature bud forth. concerning this part of the creation another question is also raised as to the time when the unfruitful or barren trees and herbs were created. for myself i would not attempt to settle anything as to this point, but i will offer my opinion. i believe that all trees were in the beginning good and fruitful; and that the beasts of the field and adam had as it were one and the same table; and that they all fed on wheat, pulse and the other nobler fruits; for there was then the greatest possible abundance of all these creatures. after the sin of adam however god said for the first time to the earth "that it should bring forth thorns and briars." wherefore there can be no doubt that we have so many trees and herbs which are of no use whatever for food as the divine punishment of that first sin of adam. hence it is that many have considered the whole original state of earth paradise, on account of the blessing and the abundance which attended the first creation. those who held this opinion affirmed that the expulsion of adam from paradise was his being deprived of this happy state of the earth and placed among thorns, where frequently after the greatest labor scarcely any benefit is derived. on this matter however we shall speak hereafter. but with respect to the present question, i am quite inclined to think that all the trees were fruitful when first created. the curious reasoning of the men of our day is detestable; when they inquire in their arguments, why it was that god adorned the earth with fruits on the third day before he had garnished the heaven with stars? they affirm that such a part of the creation-work belonged rather to the work of the sixth day; and that it would have been more appropriate as the heaven was first expanded before the earth was brought forth, had the heaven been adorned before the earth. for they say that the adorning of the earth belonged more properly to the sixth day. lyra would make here the subtle distinction that this was not the ornament of the earth but the form of it. however i doubt whether any such distinction can be admitted, as satisfactory. my opinion is that, as i have before said, the order adopted by god in all these things is not to be submitted to the exercise of any judgment of ours. indeed was not the heaven adorned with that light, which was created on the first day? that light was assuredly the most beautiful ornament of the whole creation. in this sacred matter i therefore much prefer that we consider the divine care and goodness exercised in our especial behalf, in that god prepared a habitation so beautiful for the man, whom he was about to create, before he created him, in order that when created he might find a habitation already prepared and furnished for him, into which thus ready and garnished god led him when created, and commanded him to enjoy all the fruits and provisions of his ample abode. thus on the third day were prepared the food and the store-room. on the fourth day the sun and the moon were given for the service of man. on the fifth day "dominion" was committed to him over the fishes and the birds. on the sixth day the same "dominion" was intrusted to him over all the beasts, that he might use all the rich blessings of these creatures freely, according to his necessities; and as a return god only required that man should acknowledge the goodness of his creator and live in his fear and worship. this peculiar care of god over us and for us even before we were created, may be contemplated rightly and with great benefit to our souls, but all conjectures, reasonings and arguments upon the great subject of the creation are uncertain and fruitless. the same care for us is manifest in his spiritual gifts. for long before we are converted to faith christ, our redeemer, rose and ascended above, and is now in the house of his father preparing mansions for us; that when we arrive there we may find heaven furnished with everything that can complete our joy. adam therefore not yet created was much less able to think of his future good than even we are, for he as yet had no existence at all. whereas we continually hear all these things from the word of god, as promised to us. let us look at this first creation of the world therefore as a type and figure of the world to come, and thereby let us learn the exceeding goodness of god, who thus benefits, blesses and enriches us, even before we are capable of thinking for ourselves. this solicitude, care, liberality and beneficence of god, both for our present and future life, are matters more becoming us to contemplate and admire than it is to enter upon speculations and conjectures as to the reason why god began to ornament the earth on the third day. let these observations suffice concerning the work of the third day in which a house was built and furnished for man. now follow the remaining days in which we were appointed rulers, to "have dominion over" the whole creation. part iv. god's work on the fourth day. i. v. 14a. _and god said, let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night._ this is the work of the fourth day in which those all-beautiful creatures, the sun and the moon, together with all the stars, were created by the word. nor were they created as to their substances and their bodies only, but as to the blessing of god upon them and through them; that is, as to their powers, effects and influence. you heard above that on the first day the "light" was created. this light continued to illumine all things instead of the sun, the moon and the stars until the fourth day. and on the fourth day those authors and rulers of the day and the night were themselves created. hence there has here arisen a question with reference to this first "light;" whether after the sun and the moon were created it disappeared altogether or remained, embodied in the sun. and on this point a great diversity of sentiments and opinions has existed. my simple belief is that the nature of all these works of god is the same. as on the first day the rude unformed heaven and earth were created and afterward completely formed and perfected, as the originally imperfect heaven was afterward stretched out and adorned with light, and as the earth was first called forth from the waters and then clothed with trees and herbs, so the first formed light of the first day, which was then only begun, as it were, and imperfect, was afterwards perfected and completed by the addition of those new creatures, the sun, the moon and the stars. others say that this original "light" still remains, but is obscured by the brightness of the sun. both opinions may be true. for it may be that the original light still remains and was as it were the seed-light of the sun and the moon. moses however makes a difference here, calling the sun and the moon the "greater lights." what philosophers say therefore concerning the magnitude of these bodies has properly nothing to do with the text before us. what we have here to do is to observe that the scriptures do not speak of these bodies with reference to the magnitude of the bodies themselves but with reference to the magnitude of their light! for if you would compare the sun with the stars and collect all the stars into one body, you would have a body perhaps greater than the sun, but that whole body of stars together would not form a light equal to the light of the sun. on the contrary if you could divide the sun into minute particles, the most minute particles would surpass in brightness the brightest star. for all these bodies were created with an essential difference as paul affirms. "there is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars," etc., 1 cor. 15:41. and this difference does not consist in the nature or magnitude of their bodies, but in the nature and essentiality of their creation itself; so that in this the work of god's creation is more wonderful. hence marvellous beyond expression or thought is the fact that the rays of the sun should be dispersed through such length and breadth, with such wonderful properties of nourishment and heat to all bodies under their influence; and that, too, while the sun itself revolves with such amazing velocity. astronomers say also that the stars are lighted as it were by the sun so that they shine. likewise they say that the moon borrows its light from the sun. and this is beautifully proved in an eclipse of the moon, when the earth comes between the sun and moon and the light of the sun is not transmitted to the moon. i do not deny nor reject this, but i do hold however that it is of divine power that this efficacy is added to the sun to light and illumine even the distant moon and stars with its own light; and likewise that the moon and stars are so created that they have the capacity to receive the light that is projected from the sun so far away. augustine sets forth two opinions about the moon in the beginning of the 12th psalm, and in his discussions he forces an allegory upon the church, while he himself defines nothing. but i leave this; for from astronomers as from master artists we most readily learn what points are possible to be disputed in this science. i am satisfied that in these bodies so glorious and useful for our life we discern the goodness and power of god, who created such things by his word and conserved them to the present day for our use. these are matters belonging to our calling or profession; that is, they are theological themes, and they have the efficacy to comfort and strengthen our hearts. what is further discussed concerning the nature and attributes of these creatures, although for the most part approaching the truth and studied with profit, yet i see that the reason is by far too weak to understand these things perfectly. therefore the greatest men of genius and learning, overwhelmed by the worthiness of these creatures, could not conclude otherwise than that they are eternal, and, as it were, gods. since, therefore, philosophers define a star to be a denser point within its own orbit, we come much nearer the truth when we define it to be light created by god through his word. and it is indeed more likely that the stars are bodies round like the sun, little globes fixed to the firmament, so that each gives light by night, according to its gift and its creative functions. v. 14b. _and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years._ when moses adds above, "and let them divide the day from the night," he intimates that difference between the natural and the artificial day, so universally made by astronomers. for he had before said, "and there was evening and there was morning one day;" "were the second day," etc., where he is speaking of the natural day which consists of 24 hours, during which the first great movable body, the sun, performs his revolution from east to west. but here, when the sacred historian says, "and let them divide the day from the night" he is speaking of the artificial day, the space of time during which the sun is above the horizon. ii. these therefore are the primary offices of the sun and the moon: to be the rulers and directors of the night and the day; whereas the stars perform not these offices nor are so appointed of god. but the sun, when he rises, brings in the day without the rising or aid of the other stars. so the moon, even independently of the stars, is the ruler of the night and makes the night; for she is created by god for that very office. as to these changes of the day and the night, they are ordained for the refreshment of our bodies by sleep and rest. the sun shows his brighter light for man's work. the moon has her paler light as more adapted for repose than for work. but what is the meaning of moses when he says, "and let them be for signs," etc.? lyra explains it as signifying signs of rains and storms, etc. this in an interpretation which i would not strongly oppose; though i have great doubts whether these "lights in the firmament of heaven" do, or can, pre-signify rains, tempests, etc., with any certainty, as the poet virgil and others represent in their writings. the gospel does indeed make a "reddened" evening a sign of "fair weather," and on the contrary a "lowering" morning a sign of "foul weather," math. 16:2-3. with respect therefore to the common saying that the rising of the constellation of the pleiades indicates rain and other proverbs of a similar description, i will not with great concern tear them to pieces, nor will i at once admit and confirm them, because i cannot see that they are all uniformly sure and certain. i hold the simplest meaning of the text is that he does not speak of such inferior signs, but greater signs, such as eclipses and collisions of heavenly bodies, so that a sign is a wonder, a prophecy or miracle, by which he reveals his wrath or the misfortune of the world. if any think this explanation is too coarse, let us remember that moses wrote for a rude people. here belong meteors and the rare phenomena which take place in the air, when stars are seen to fall, when halos surround the sun and moon, when the rainbow appears and similar things happen in the sky. for moses calls the heaven the whole aqueous mass in which the stars and planets move, also the highest sphere. we speak of spheres and circles to make the explanation plainer. for the scriptures know nothing of these and say that the moon with the sun and stars are not each in its sphere, but in the firmament of heaven, below and above are the waters. that they are signs of future events, experience teaches concerning planet collisions and meteors. the expression "for seasons" claims particular attention. the term in the hebrew is lemoedim; and moed signifies "a stated, fixed, certain time." hence it is a term commonly used in the scriptures to signify "a tabernacle of covenant;" because there certain feasts were accustomed to be held in a certain place and time according to certain rites. therefore it is that moses describes the sun and the moon as being created "for seasons;" not only because the seasons are ruled and evidently changed by the course of the sun; for we see that most inferior bodies are changed by the access and recess of the sun; and the quality of the air according to which our own bodies are also changed is of one kind in the winter, of another in the summer, of another in the autumn and of another in the spring; but because we observe other differences and distinctions of times and seasons in civil life, all which are derived from the motions and revolutions of these heavenly bodies. hence at a certain time of the year men make their contracts for building houses, hire their servants and their services, and collect taxes, debts and rents, etc. all these are services rendered us and blessings bestowed upon us by the sun and the moon, that we may by their laws and revolutions divide the times and seasons for the various labors of man and enjoy many other blessings which they confer. it is by them that we divide and number our weeks, months, quarters, etc., etc. the next expression, "for days," refers to the natural day, during which the sun performs his revolution round the earth. our being enabled therefore to number days and also years, are blessings of the creation and are thus ordained of god. wherefore philosophers define time to be "an enumeration of motions," which numbering could have no existence if the heavenly bodies did not move by a sure and fixed law. if they all stood fixed in a certain place without motion, numbering could have neither commencement nor regulation. and where there is no numbering of days, months, years, etc., there is no time. hence a man in a sound sleep, being destitute of all sense of number and of all faculty of enumeration, knows not how long he sleeps. in a like manner, though we can in a measure recollect our infancy, yet we are not conscious of the fact of having sucked the breasts of our mothers; and yet we then had natural life. the reason is that we were deficient in the sense of number and the power of annumeration. for this same reason beasts know nothing of time; just as infants have no such knowledge. the sense and faculty of number therefore prove man to be a peculiar and superior creature of god on which account we find augustine declaring the faculty of annumeration to be an especial gift of our nature, and proving from this very gift the immortality of the soul; because man alone can calculate and understand time. with reference to the future life, some here inquire whether the offices of these heavenly bodies are designed of god to cease. but the life to come will be without time. for the godly will enjoy an eternal day and the ungodly will have an endless night and eternal darkness. the sun therefore makes the day, not only by his light and brightness, but by his motion, which he makes from east to west until he rises again at the end of 24 hours and thus makes another day. wherefore astronomers make three great benefits to proceed from the sun: his motion, his light and his influence. concerning his influence however i shall enter upon no subtle inquiry. it is enough for me to know that these heavenly bodies were created for our use; that they may be unto us "for signs of wrath or of grace and for seasons," that we might observe certain distinctions of time, etc. these things, because they are taught us in the holy scriptures are sure. all things else, such as the doctrines and predictions of astrologers, are not thus certain. one is wont to inquire here concerning the astrological predictions which some confirm and prove from this text. if they are not defended perseveringly and pertinaciously, i will not combat them strongly. for one ought to concede to the ingenious and learned brains their playground. therefore when one reads of the misuse and unbelief of their superstitions, i would not be greatly offended if one exercise himself in these predictions for the sake of pleasure. as to that which pertains to the practice of astrology i could never he persuaded to count astrology among the sciences, for the reasons that it has no clear demonstration or visible proof. that they cite experiences does not influence me. for all astrological experiences are merely particular. for those, skilled in the practice only, have observed and committed to writing the things that have not failed; the other experiences, however, in which they failed or were not followed by the results they predicted would certainly follow were not committed to writing nor remembered. but just as aristotle says that one swallow alone does not make summer, so i think one cannot form a true and complete science from such single and particular observations. for just as it is said of hunters, they may hunt every day, but they do not find game every day. the same may be said of astrologers and their predictions, because they fail very often. but now since they indeed contain some truth, what folly it is at the same time that one should be so anxious about the future. for grant that it is possible to know the future through the predictions of astrologers, were it not in many respects far better, if they are evil, to be entirely ignorant of them than to know them, as cicero contends? instead it is much better to stand in the fear of god always and to pray than to be tormented and tortured by the fear of future events. but more of this at another time. wherefore my judgment is that astrological predictions cannot safely and satisfactorily be founded upon this passage of scripture; for they are, as i have said, signs observed and collected by reason. but the next and proper meaning, if we understand moses concerning the signs, which god knows and shows, is to the end that men in general may be admonished and terrified by them. let these observations on the fourth day suffice. now here begins to open upon us and to present itself to our meditation that great subject, the immortality of the soul. for no creature besides man can understand the motion of the heaven or estimate the celestial bodies and their revolutions. the pig, the cow, the dog cannot measure the water they drink. but man can measure even the heaven and form his calculations of all the heavenly bodies. wherefore a spark of eternal life glitters forth here from the fact that man is naturally exercised in this knowledge of all nature. for this anxious inquiry indicates that men were not created with the design that they should live forever in this small weak portion of god's universe; but that they should occupy the heaven, which in this life they so admire and in the study and contemplation of which they are continually engaged. if heaven were not the destination of man what aim or need was there for his being endowed with this wide capacity for rich knowledge and thought. indeed the stature and form of the body of man also argues that he was designed for heavenly things, even though his origin was so very mean and humble. for god made the first man from the common earth. after this the human race began to be propagated from the seed of the male and female, in which the embryo is formed in the womb in all its particular members, and there it grows until by its birth it is ushered forth into the light of heaven. from this birth comes the life of sensation, the life of motion and the life of operation. when at length the body has grown and the man has a sound reason and soul in a sound body, then first shines forth in all its brightness that life of intelligence found in no other earthly creature. by this faculty, leaning on the aid of the mathematical sciences, which no one can deny were indicated and taught from above, man mounts in his mind from earth to heaven, and leaving behind him the things below concerns himself about and inquires into heavenly things. hogs do not do this, nor cows nor any other beasts of the earth, it is the employment of man alone. man therefore is a being created of god with the design that at an appointed time he should leave the earth, dwell in heavenly mansions and live a life eternal. these great principles of man's creation form the reasons why he is able not only to speak and to judge, which are things pertaining to language and argument, but is capable also of acquiring any science whatever. from this fourth day therefore begins to be manifested the peculiar glory of our race. because god here forms his mind and purpose to create such a being as should be capable of understanding the motions of those heavenly bodies, which are created on this fourth day; and a being who should delight himself in their knowledge, as peculiarly and exclusively adapted to his nature. all these things therefore ought to call forth our thanksgiving and praise; while we reflect that we are the citizens of that heavenly country which we now behold, understand and wonder at, yet understand only as strangers and exiles, but which after this life we shall behold nearer and understand perfectly. hitherto therefore we have heard the divine historian speak of those creatures only, which are endowed with neither life nor sense; although some philosophers have spoken of the stars and the greater heavenly bodes, as if they were animate and rational. this i think has arisen from the motion of these bodies, which is rational and so certain that there is nothing like it in any other creatures. hence some philosophers have affirmed that the heavenly creatures were composed of body and intellect, though their bodies were not material. plato reasons thus in his "timoeus." all such opinions however are to be utterly exploded and our whole intellect is to be subjected to the word of god and to what is there written. the holy scriptures plainly teach that god made all these things, that he might by them prepare for the man, whom he was about to create, a home and a hospitable reception; and that all these things are governed and preserved by the power of the same word, by which they were originally created. wherefore all things being at length prepared pertaining to the furniture of his home, the scriptures next show us the manner in which man was "formed" and introduced into his possession to the end that we might be taught that the providence of god over us and for us is greater than all our own care and concern for ourselves can possibly be. these things are plainly taught us in the scriptures. all other things not supported by the authority of the scriptures are to be repudiated and rejected. i have therefore thought it especially becoming and necessary to repeat here that admonition which i have frequently given, that we ought constantly to acquaint and familiarize ourselves with the phraseology of the holy spirit. for no one can successfully study any of the human arts unless he first correctly understands the idiom of the language in which its principles are described. for lawyers have their peculiar terms, unknown to the physician and the philosopher. in like manner, the latter have each a phraseology peculiar to themselves with which the professors of other arts have little or no acquaintance. now one art ought not to perplex another. but every art ought to maintain its own course in its own way and to adopt its own peculiar terms. accordingly we find the holy spirit, to use a language and a phraseology peculiar to his own divine self, declaring that god created all things by his word or by speaking them into being; "he spake and it was done"; that he wrought all things by his word; and that all the works of god are certain words of god, certain things created by the uncreated word. as therefore the philosopher uses his own terms, so the holy ghost uses his. hence when the astronomer speaks of his spheres, his cycles and his epicycles, he does so rightly, for it is lawful for him in the profession of his art to use such terms as may enable him the better to instruct his disciples. on the other hand the holy ghost will know nothing of such terms in the sacred scriptures. hence those scriptures call the whole of that part of the creation which is above us, "the heaven," nor ought that term to be disapproved by the astronomer; for the astronomer and the scripture both adopt, as i have said, terms peculiar to themselves. it is in this manner that we are to understand the term "seasons" in the sacred text before us. for the term "season" with the philosopher and with the hebrew has not the same signification. with the jews the term "season" signifies, theologically, an appointed feast or festival; and also the intervals of days, which concur and conjoin to form the year, wherefore this term is everywhere rendered by the word "feast" or "festival" or "festivity"; except where it is used to signify a "tabernacle" or "tent." i deemed it best to offer these admonitions concerning language and phraseology before we advance further, and i hope they will not be found useless or out of place, as showing the importance that every art should confine itself to its own language and terms; that no one art should condemn or deride another, but that each should rather aid the other and render mutual services. and this indeed the professors of all arts do, in order that the unity of the whole state may be preserved; which, as aristotle says, "cannot be constituted of a physician and a physician; but must be formed of a physician and a husbandman." part v. god's work on the fifth day. i. v. 20. _and god said, let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth,_ etc., etc. we see moses retains invariably the same sacred phraseology, "and god said," etc. hitherto he has been speaking of the superior creatures; the heaven with all its host of planets and stars, which god created out of water by the word, and gave light unto it, just as we now see the air around us lucid, with a natural illumination. moses now proceeds to speak of new creatures also produced out of the waters; namely, of birds and fishes. he connects these two creatures in his narrative on account of their similarity of nature. for as the fish swims in the water, so does the bird swim as it were in the air. though their flesh differs, yet they have the same origin. for the sacred text is here quite plain, that the birds when created out of the waters immediately flew into the air where they now live. moses here retains moreover his uniform term in calling the whole region above us, "heaven." and first it is worthy of admiration that, although the fishes and the birds were both created out of the same matter, the waters, yet as the bird cannot live in the water, neither can the fish exist, if brought into the air. physicians rightly argue, when they affirm that the flesh of birds is more wholesome than that of fishes, even though the nature of birds is also aqueous; because they live in a more rarified element; for air is a purer element than water; the latter, in which the fish are generated and live, being constituted of the dregs as it were of the former. philosophers however do not believe this identity of the nature of birds and of fishes. but the faith of the sacred scriptures which is far above philosophy and far more certain, assures us that the nature of the fish and of the bird had the same origin. here again is a further proof of the divine authority and majesty of this book, in that it sets before us under such various forms that power of god by which he created all things, beyond the conception of all reason and understanding. who for instance could ever have thought, that out of water a nature could be produced, which should by no means endure water? but the word of god speaks, and in a moment out of water are created birds. if therefore the word of god but sound, all things are immediately possible; and out of the same water shall be formed either fishes or birds. every bird therefore and every fish is nothing more or less than a word of divine grammar or language; by which grammar all things, otherwise impossible, immediately become possible and easy; by which also things contrary and conflicting become similar and harmonious; and vice versa. but these divine things are thus written and ought to be diligently observed, studied and known by us, that we might learn to admire and adore the power of the divine majesty; and that we might edify and strengthen our faith from all these marvellous creation works of god! for if one could raise the dead it would be nothing in comparison to this wonderful work; that a bird was created in a moment out of water! but the reason we do not day by day and continually wonder at these things, is because by our having seen them always before us, they have lost their wonder in our eyes. if however one does but believe these things, he is compelled at once to wonder at them. and that wonder gradually confirms his faith. for if god can form a mass of water, call forth and create the heaven and its stars, each one of which equals or exceeds the earth itself in magnitude; if god can, from a small drop of water, create the sun and the moon, can he not defend my poor body against all enemies and against satan himself? can he not after that poor body is laid in the tomb raise it again to another and a new life? wherefore we are to learn from this book of genesis the power of god; that we may accustom ourselves to doubt nothing that god promises in his word! for, in this glorious and marvellous creation work is laid a confirmation of our faith in all the promises of god; that there is nothing so difficult, nothing so impossible, which god cannot do and perfect by his word. for all this is here proved by god's creation of the heaven, earth, sea and all that is in them. but we must here touch upon that which has arrested the attention of the holy fathers, and especially of augustine; that moses in this sacred narrative uses these three expressions in reference to god, "god said;" "god made;" and "god saw;" as if god designed by these three expressions, used by his servant moses, to set forth the three persons of the divine majesty! thus by the expression "said" is signified the father. the father begat the word from all eternity; and by this same word he made in time this world. and these holy fathers applied the expression, "god made" to the person of the son; for the son has in himself the "express image" of the person of the father; not only of his majesty, but of his power by which he created all things. hence the son gives to all things their existence. and as by the father things are spoken into being, so are they also by the son or the word of the father, by whom "all things subsist." and to these two persons is also added a third; the person of the holy spirit, who "sees" and approves all things which are created. these three expressions therefore, "said," "made," "saw," are spoken by moses in a beautiful and appropriate manner as attributive of the three divine persons; that we might by these three expressions the more distinctly understand that great article of faith, the holy trinity. for the sole reason these props of our faith were religiously sought by the holy fathers was, that the profound subject, the doctrine of the holy trinity, so incomprehensible in itself, might in some measure receive aid to its comprehension. wherefore i by no means condemn these pious attempts, because they are perfectly in harmony with the analogy of faith and most useful also for the instruction and confirmation of faith. in this manner hilary also distinguishes other attributes. "eternity is in the father; form, in the image; and use, in the gift." he says that the holy spirit is the gift for use, because he gives the use of all things; in that he governs and preserves all things that they perish not. the same fathers hold and affirm also, "the father is the mind; the son the understanding; the holy ghost the will." not that the father is without understanding or the son without will. but these are attributes; that is terms or expressions, which are not applicable to three divine persons collectively, but to the one or the other divine person, separately or differently. not, as we have said, that the father is without wisdom, etc. but we thus portray and present these divine things to our minds that we may better hold and explain the article of faith on the holy trinity. when therefore the sacred text says "and god saw that it was good," the divine expression implies god's intended preservation also of the thing which he had in each case just created. for the creature itself, thus newly created, could not stand unless the holy spirit should love it, and unless this complacency of god in his own work should preserve that work. for god did not thus create these things, designing to forsake them when created, but he approves them and loves them still. the great creator by his divine agency still simultaneously stirs, moves and preserves, after his own god-like method all things which he hath made. i deemed it right thus briefly to touch upon these sacred matters; for the godly thoughts of those, who have preceded us in this holy study and whose course we are ourselves pursuing, are well worthy our knowledge. the expression in the above text, which jerome renders "the creeping creature that hath life," is in the original hebrew nephesch, and signifies a "soul" or "life" or "something living." moses calls fishes by this name. with reference to birds, it is well known that they are amphibious; that is they live either on land or in the air. ii. v. 21a. _and god created the great sea-monsters (whales)._ an inquiry may naturally here be made, why moses mentions by name, "whales" only. but it is so, that the scriptures in general make mention only of the greater fishes. the mention of "leviathan" and of "dragons" in the book of job, and in other places of the scriptures is well known. it is certain however that all the large sea-monsters are called by the name, "whales;" some of which have wings as the dolphin, the king of fishes. not however because it exceeds all other fishes in size. for the eagle, the king of birds, does not surpass all birds, nor is the lion, the king, larger than all other beasts. i believe however the reason of this is that we might know that these huge bodies are really the glorious works of god, and that we might not through any terror at such awe-striking bulks, imagine that these stupendous animals were not works of god, but unreal monsters. these great facts of creation being thus established in our minds, it is easy to conclude, that as these enormous bodies were created by god, the lesser fishes, such as herrings, sprats, minnows, etc., were created also by him. let him who would contemplate this more deeply read job, chap. 41. he will there plainly see in what lofty language the holy spirit, by means of the poet-author of that book, lauds that marvellous monster "leviathan," whose strength and confidence is such that he contemns even the force of arrows. such descriptions open our eyes and encourage our faith to believe the more easily and firmly that god is able to preserve us also, who are so indescribably less in magnitude and strength. a question here also raised concerning mice and doormice; whence and how they originate and are generated. for we find by experience that not even ships, which are perpetually swimming on the ocean, are free from mice, and no house can be thoroughly cleared of mice but that they will still be generated. the same inquiry may be instituted concerning flies. and also whither birds go in the time of autumn. if you ask aristotle concerning mice, his argument is that some animals are _homoigena_, "generated from a like kind," and others, _heterogena_, "generated from a different kind," and that mice are "heterogena," because mice, he says, are not generated from mice only, but from putrid matter; the putridity of which is consumed and gradually becomes a mouse. if you ask by what power this generation is effected, aristotle answers that the putrid humidity of this matter is cherished, generatively, by the heat of the sun; and that by this process a living animal is produced; just as we see the bluebottle fly generated from horse-manure. but this reasoning is far from satisfying me, for the sun warms all things, but generates nothing, unless god speak it into being by his divine power. even supposing therefore that the mouse were generated from putrid matter, yet the mouse would be a creature of divine power. the mouse is therefore a creature of the divine word and power; and it is, as i believe of an aqueous nature. were it not a creature of the divine word and power, it would have no natural form nor would its species be preserved. whereas it has a form the most beautiful, in its kind; legs of such exquisite symmetry, hair so smooth, as to make it evident that it was created for a certain order of creatures by the word of god. in the mouse therefore we admire also the creature and the workmanship of god. and the same may as certainly be said of flies. concerning the disappearing of birds i have no certain knowledge. for it is not very likely that they retire into regions farther south. indeed the miracle concerning swallows is known by experience, that they lie as dead in the waters during the winter, and revive at the approach of summer; which fact is indeed a great similitude and proof of our resurrection. for these are operations of the divine majesty truly wonderful. hence we see them, but we understand them not. and my belief is that although a single swallow may appear unseasonably, now and then, i doubt however whether it ever can be the case, such swallow is restored from its death-like state by god himself. unto the creation work of the fifth day therefore belong all crawling, creeping and flying creatures; and all other creatures which move in any way in the air or the water. iii. v. 21b and 22. _and god saw that it was good. and god blessed them._ why did not god pronounce the word of blessing upon the above inanimate bodies of his creation also? in those cases he only said, that the bodies which he had created pleased him, but he did not bless them. but when he comes to the generation and propagation of living bodies, then he institutes a new mode of their increase and multiplication. hence the sun and the stars, as we see, do not generate from themselves bodies like unto themselves. but herbs and trees have this blessing upon them, that they grow and bring forth fruit. still there is nothing in them like unto this present blessing, pronounced by god upon the living bodies. moses therefore by this word of the divine blessing makes a glorious distinction between the bodies before created, and these living bodies which were created on the fifth day, because here a new method of generation is instituted. for in this case from living bodies are generated separate kinds of offspring which also live. but this certainly is not the case with trees nor herbs; for unless they be sown anew they bear no fruit, nor does a seed grow simply from a seed, but from a plant. but in the present instance a living body is generated from a living body. this latter operation therefore, that animal bodies should increase and be multiplied from bodies of their own kind, is entirely another and a new work of god. because a pear-tree does not produce a pear-tree but a pear. but in the latter case, that which a bird produces is a bird. that which a fish generates is a fish. marvellous indeed and numberless is the multiplication of each species and infinite the fecundity, but it is greatest in marine and aquatic animals. what then is the cause of this wonderful and admirable generation or propagation? the hen lays an egg; she cherishes it until a living body is formed in the egg, which at length the hen hatches. philosophers allege the cause of all this to be the operation of the sun and the heat of the hen's body. i fully grant all this. but divines speak much nearer the truth, when they affirm that the whole generative process takes place by the effective operation of the word, here spoken by god, "and god blessed them; and said, be fruitful and multiply." this word of god's blessing is present in the very body of the hen and of all living creatures; and the heat by which the hen cherishes the egg is essentially and effectively the heat of the word of god; for without this word the heat of the sun or of the body would be utterly ineffectual and useless. wherefore to this admirable part of his creation work god adds his peculiar blessing in order that these living bodies now created on the fifth day might be fruitful. from these circumstances may be seen what this divine blessing is, namely, multiplication. now when we bless we can effect nothing. all we can do is to pray. but this prayer is inoperative. we cannot effect the things for which we pray. but the blessing of god carries with it actual fruitfulness and multiplication. it is at once effectual. on the contrary the divine curse is non-multiplication and diminution. and the curse is also at once effectual. here again, the phraseology of moses is to be carefully observed. what moses calls the blessing of god, philosophers call fecundity; that is, when certain living and sound bodies are produced from other living and sound bodies. nothing resembles this in trees, for a tree does not generate the like unto itself; it is the seed that produces the like of the tree. this is a great and marvellous miracle, but like all things else in the wonderful works of god, it loses its wonder from our being always accustomed to behold it without reflection or consideration. another question here arises concerning worms and various hurtful creeping things; reptiles as toads; and venomous flies and also butterflies. in all these living creatures there is a wonderful fecundity. and it is singular that the more hurtful the creatures the more prolific generally is their generation and the greater their multiplication. but we will leave this question to our subsequent comments on the third chapter of this book. for my belief is that at the time of creation, now under consideration, none of these venomous, hurtful or annoying creatures as yet existed. i believe that they afterwards sprang from the earth, when cursed by god as the punishment of sin, that they might afflict us and compel us to flee unto god in prayer. but more on this subject, as i have just intimated, hereafter. thus have we then a sight of the living bodies created on the fifth day. and we have seen that the word of god, spoken on this day, is still effectual; for fishes are still generated from mere and very water. hence fish-ponds and lakes still generate fishes. minnows are generated in fish-ponds, in which there were none before. for i see no likelihood of truth in the trifling arguments of some, who will have it that fishes caught by birds, drop their seed into fish-ponds and lakes, while they are being borne along in the air by their feathered captors; and that such dropped fish-seed afterwards increases and furnishes the ponds. i believe therefore the true and sole cause of all this generation and multiplication of fishes, to be god's commanding word to the water on the fifth day of his creation work to bring forth fishes. i believe that this divine word is still effectual; and that it still works all these things! part vi. god's work on the sixth day. i. v. 24. _and god said, let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind,_ etc. we have now seen created the heaven with all its hosts, the sun, the moon and the stars. we have seen the sea created, with its fishes and birds. for as the fishes swim in the water so do the birds swim as it were in the air. to the earth also we have seen added its ornaments of herbs, trees and fruits. and now, before man is introduced into this his dwelling place, as it were, beasts of the earth are added; and beasts of labor and burden; and also reptiles. after all these things man himself is also created! man however is not created that he might fly with the bird nor that he might swim with the fish. but man has a nature common to all other animals in this respect, that he is designed to live upon the earth. for the use of ships is artificial, in the construction and use of which man attempts to imitate the fishes and the birds. for the ship performs both movements. it flies in the air and swims on the water. we are not however here speaking of things artificial, but of things natural. the hebrews here make a distinction of names and appellations. they call behamah, those animals which we denominate "beasts of burden;" and they distinguish by the same appellation the lesser beasts of the wood; such as stags, goats, hares and whatever animals feed on food common to us, and live on herbs and the fruits of trees. but they term carnivorous beasts, such as wolves, lions and bears, etc., haieso erez; which is generally and correctly rendered, "beasts of the earth." but whether this distinction is uniformly observed i know not. it does not appear to me that the observance of it is uniform. one thing however is quite certain, that moses here intended to comprehend all terrestrial animals, whether they feed on flesh or on herbs. of all these he affirms that the earth is the mother, which brought them all forth from herself by the word, as the sea also brought forth all fishes from herself by the same word. we have heard above however that god said to the water, "let the water be moved," etc., in order that by this its motion the sea might be filled with fishes and the air with birds. and we have seen also that afterwards the blessing of generation was first added. but here in the creation of terrestrial animals, another word is used; and god says, "let the earth bring forth." he does not say, "let the earth be moved." for the earth is a quiescent body. therefore in the creation work of the fourth day, god also says, "and let the earth bring forth grass," verse 11. for god wills that the earth should send forth both animals and herbs without any motion. but whether these animals were formed after the similitude of the formation of man out of the "ground," or whether they burst forth on a sudden, the scriptures define nothing on the subject; yet as moses is here celebrating the formation of man as having been wrought by a peculiar design and contrivance of the mind of god; my own opinion is that all the other animals of the earth stood forth created in a moment, as the fishes were made on a sudden in the sea. the reason god did not here, vs. 24 and 25, add his blessing is quite plain; because it embraces all the creatures mentioned in these verses, when it is afterwards pronounced on man, v. 28. it was sufficient therefore for moses to say in this place, "and god saw that it was good," v. 25. but let us now approach the last and most glorious work of god: the creation of man! ii. v. 26a. _and god said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness._ here again moses adopts a new phraseology. the divine expression is not in this place, "let the sea be moved," or "let the earth bring forth grass" or "fruits." but the remarkable word of god here is, "let us make, or form, or fashion, or fabricate man." wherefore this expression implies manifest deliberation and counsel; the like of which is found not in the creation of any former creatures. in those cases god says simply without any deliberation, counsel or particular design of mind, "let the sea be moved;" "let the earth bring forth," etc. but here where god wills to create man, he turns himself as it were to deep thought and enters into profound counsel and deliberation. first of all then we have here indicated the signal difference between man and every other creature of god and his high exaltation above them all. beasts do indeed greatly resemble man in many particulars. they live with him; they eat with him; they are brought up with him; they feed on many of the same things with him; they rest with him; they sleep with him, etc. if therefore you consider their food, their bringing up, their housing, their conservation, etc., there is a great similarity between man and beast. moses however here sets before us the striking difference between man and all the animals mentioned; when he affirms that man was created by the peculiar counsel and providence of god; whereby he signifies that man is a creature far excelling all other animals, which live a corporeal life; which excellence was more especially prominent while nature was as yet unfallen and uncorrupted. the opinion of epicurus was that man was created only to eat and to drink. this was not separating man from beasts; for beasts have also their pleasures, and they pursue them with delight. whereas the sacred text before us forcibly expresses the distinction and separation of man from beast, when it affirms that god took deep thought and certain counsel in forming man; which counsel was taken, not only to form man, but to form him "in the image and after the likeness of god." this image of god is a far different thing from the care of the belly and the indulgence of the appetite; for these things beasts well understand and eagerly crave. moses therefore in this place signifies to the spiritually minded that we were created unto a life far more excellent than, and high above, anything which this corporeal life could ever have been, even if nature had remained perfect and uncorrupted by sin. for godly teachers well affirm that if adam had not fallen god would have translated him from an animal life to spiritual life after a certain number of saints had been perfected. for adam was not designed by his creation to live without food, drink and procreation. but all these corporeal things would have ceased at an appointed time; after a number of saints had been completed; and adam, together with his posterity, would have been translated to a life spiritual and eternal. these natural works of our corporeal life, eating, drinking, procreation, etc., would still have existed and would have been a service of gratitude to god; which service we should have performed without any of that corrupt concupiscence which cleaves to us since the sin of the fall and without any sin of our own or any fear of death. this would indeed have been a life of pleasure and of sweetness. of such a life it is lawful for us to think; but such a life is not now possible for us to live. this however we have still left to us: we can believe and with all assurance look for a spiritual life after this present life; an end of this life in paradise; thought for us and destined for us by god through the merits of christ. wherefore the portion of the sacred text before us claims our especial meditation in which the holy spirit so magnificently extols the human nature and so distinctly separates it from all the other creatures of god. for the mere corporeal or animal life of man was designed to resemble in a great measure the life of the beasts of the earth. because as beasts require food, drink and sleep for the refreshment and restoration of their bodies, so adam was designed also to use these even in his state of innocence. but that which moses moreover affirms, that man was so created unto this animal life that he was also "made" in the "image" and "after the likeness" of god, this is a manifest indication of a life different from and far above a mere animal life. adam was endowed therefore with a twofold life: an animal and an immortal life. the latter however was not as yet plainly revealed, but held in hope. had he not fallen by sin therefore, he would have eaten and drunk, worked and generated in all innocence, sinlessness and happiness. i have thought proper to make these admonitory observations upon that difference which god made by his deep counsel between us men and all other animals among which he permits us to live. i shall return to this subject hereafter and shall dilate upon it to a greater extent. secondly, i would remark upon this divine word "let us make," that it pertains to the mystery and confirmation of our faith; by which we believe that there is one god from all eternity and three distinct persons in one divinity or divine essence, the father, the son and the holy ghost. the jews indeed attempt in various ways to elude this passage; but they can bring nothing solidly or effectually against it. for this passage plagues them to death, to use the expression of occa. that author so describes all trying and tormenting questions, which he finds he cannot solve. the jews assert that god uses the same expression elsewhere, when he includes the angels with himself; and also where he includes with himself the earth and other creatures. but i would here ask in the first place, why god did not use this same expression before in the creation of the previous creatures? i would demand secondly what the creation of man had to do with angels or angels with it? and i would thirdly call attention to the fact, that god makes here no mention of angels whatever but simply says, "let us." wherefore god speaks here of makers or creators. this expression therefore could not design or imply angels. in the fourth place, it is quite certain that it was not, could not, and cannot, be said that we were created "in the image" of angels. and fifthly and lastly, we have the divine word in both forms of expression in the plural and also in the singular number, "let us make" and "god made." moses therefore here most clearly and most forcibly indicates to us, that there is internally in the very divinity itself and in the very creative essence, an inseparable and eternal plurality. suffer we not the gates of hell themselves to wrest this truth from the grasp of our faith! and as to what the jews say about god's joining the earth with himself when he speaks by the pronoun we or us, that is frivolous and absurd. for surely the earth is not our maker or creator. why did not the adorable god rather join the sun with himself, when he spoke. for aristotle affirms that man and the sun generate man. but neither would this invention succeed; because we are not made in the image of the earth but we are made "in the image" and "after the likeness" of those glorious makers and creators who here speak and say, "let us make," etc. these makers are three distinct persons in one divine essence. it is in the image of these three divine and glorious persons that we are created, as we shall hereafter further hear. and again, it is extremely absurd for the jews to assert with reference to this passage that god adopts, in the words he here uses, the custom of princes; who, for the sake of reverence and dignity, use the plural number when they speak. but the holy spirit does not imitate this distancing pomp of terms, if i may so term it; nor do the scriptures know anything of such a manner of speech. wherefore most assuredly the holy trinity is here intended of god; that in the one divine essence there are three divine persons, the father, the son and the holy spirit; so that the deity is not separated here, even in this case of action or agency. for all three persons here concur and speak unitedly when they say, "let us make." for neither does the father make any other man than the son makes; nor does the son make any other man than the holy ghost makes. but the father, the son and the holy ghost, the one same god, are the one same author of the one same work and are the one same creator. wherefore according to this scriptural argument and this holy statement of the truth, the deity or godhead cannot be separated objectively, as the object of divine worship, nor actively as the creative agent. for the father is not known, but in the son through the holy ghost. hence as actively, so objectively, there is but one adorable god; who nevertheless is in and within himself, substantially or essentially father, son and holy spirit; three distinct persons in one godhead or deity. these divine testimonies of this book of genesis ought to be dear and delightful to us. for although both jews and turks deride us, because we believe that there is one god, but three persons in the godhead, yet unless they are prepared impudently to deny the authority of the scriptures, they must be compelled by the present text as well as by the passages above cited to fall in with our doctrine. they may indeed attempt to elude and avoid these testimonies, nevertheless the sting of this passage still sticks fast in their hearts; they cannot get rid of the divine expression "let us make." they can assign no other reason for it than we have here given. nor can they otherwise explain why moses uses the plural noun elohim. the reflections and natural convictions arising from these divine expressions they cannot shut out from their hearts and consciences, notwithstanding all the various means which they adopt in order to do so. and if they deem it the height of their wisdom to elude and get rid of these testimonies, do they think that we are destitute of ability, and cannot find wisdom enough to defend them? but the authority of the scriptures on our side is far mightier than all wisdom on theirs; especially since the new testament reveals the whole divine matter more clearly still. for there the son which is in the bosom of the father teaches us all these things with a clearness far surpassing all other testimony; whom not to believe is the highest blasphemy and eternal death. wherefore, bid we farewell to all these blind corrupters of divine doctrines until we meet them at the day of judgment! but you will say perhaps that these testimonies are too obscure to be appealed to as proofs of so important an article of faith. i reply, these divine things were spoken at this time, thus obscurely, according to the counsel and purpose of god; and for this very reason, because they were all left to that great lord and teacher, who was to come; until whose advent the restitution of all things was reserved; even the restitution of all knowledge and of all revelations. those mysteries therefore which "in the beginning" were set before us thus obscurely, christ when he came revealed, made known and commanded to be preached. nevertheless the holy fathers were in possession of this knowledge by the holy spirit; though not so clearly as we possess it now, who hear in the new testament the names of the father, and of the son and of the holy ghost plainly declared. for when christ came it was necessary that all those seals should be unloosed, and all those things openly preached, which "in the beginning" had been purposely delivered to us in obscure words in reverence to the great teacher who was to come. and had not the holy spirit deferred this clear knowledge to the time of the new testament, arians would have existed long before the birth of christ. wherefore the holy spirit willed that this sun of knowledge should be opposed to the devil in these "last times," that his eyes might be the more intolerably dazzled, that he might the more virulently envy men such a brightness of knowledge, and be thus the more terribly tormented. thirdly. a whole sea of questions is here agitated as to what that "image" of god was in which moses here says man was formed. augustine has dwelt largely on the explanation of this passage in his book "on the trinity." those divines in general, who retain the division and definition of aristotle, follow augustine. they consider the image of god to be those powers of soul, memory, mind or intellect and will. they affirm that the image of god consists in these three qualities; which image, they say, is found in all men. and their argument is, that as in divine things the word is begotten of the substance of the father, and as the holy spirit is the complacency or good pleasure of the father, so in man from the memory proceeds the word of the heart, which is the mind of the man; which word being uttered there is developed the will, which will the mind beholds and with which it is delighted. these divines affirm moreover that "the similitude," after which man was formed, stands in gratuitous gifts. for as a similitude is a certain perfectness of an image, so, they say, the created nature of man is perfected by grace. according to their views therefore the "similitude" of god in man consists in his memory being adorned with hope, his intellect with faith and his will with love. it is in this manner, they assert, that man is created in the image of god; that man has a mind, a memory and a will. again they state the sacred matter thus: man is created after the "similitude" of god; that is, his intellect is illuminated by faith, his memory is confirmed by hope and constancy, and his will is adorned with love. fourthly. divines give other divisions and definitions of the qualities of this "image" of god, in which man was originally created. they hold that memory is the image of the power of god, mind the image of his wisdom and will the image of his justice. it was after this manner that augustine, and after him others, bent their minds on the discovery of certain trinities of natural qualities or endowments in man. for they thought that by this mode of explanation, the image of god in man would be the more clearly seen. these not unpleasing speculations do indeed argue faithful employment and great acuteness of mental ability, but they by no means aid the right explanation of this "image" of god. wherefore though i do not altogether condemn and reprobate this diligence and these deep thoughts, by which divines desire to reduce all things to a kind of sacred trinity, yet i doubt whether such attempts are very useful, especially seeing that others may push them too far. for it is on these grounds that some rest their disputes in favor of free-will; which, they say, naturally follows from this "image of god." they argue thus: god is free. since therefore man is created in the image of god, man also has a free memory, a free mind and a free will. out of this kind of reasoning therefore many things fall, which are either spoken untruly at first, or are afterwards wrongly understood or wickedly perverted. it is from this source that the dangerous doctrine has arisen, according to which men affirm, that god so rules and governs men that he permits them to use their own mind and movement. by this sentiment and teaching many most objectionable opinions have been generated. from this same source has originated that pernicious saying, "god who made thee without thyself will not save thee without thyself." such men conclude that free-will concurs with the grace and work of god, as a preceding and efficient cause of salvation. not unlike this is the saying of dionysius, which is more pernicious still: "although devils and man fell, yet all their natural faculties remained whole and entire; their mind, their memory, their will," etc. if this be true therefore it will follow, that man by his own natural powers can save himself. these perilous opinions of some of the fathers are agitated in all churches and schools, and i do not really see what the fathers wished to effect by them. therefore i advise that they be read with caution and judgment. they were often spoken in a mood and with a peculiar feeling, which we have not and cannot have, since we have not similar occasions. inexperienced persons therefore seize them all, without any judgment, in their own sense, and not in the meaning the fathers had at the time they were uttered. but i leave this and return to our theme. i fear however that since this "image of god" has been lost by sin, we can never fully attain to the knowledge of what it was. memory, mind and will we do most certainly possess, but wholly corrupted, most miserably weakened; nay, that i may speak with greater plainness, utterly leprous and unclean. if these natural endowments therefore constitute the image of god it will inevitably follow that satan also was created in the image of god; for he possesses all these natural qualities, and to an extent and strength far beyond our own. for he has a memory and an intellect the most powerful and a will the most obstinate. the image of god therefore is something far different from all this. it is a peculiar work of god. if there be those however who are yet disposed to contend that the above natural endowments and powers do constitute the image of god, they must of necessity confess that they are all leprous and unclean. even as we still call a leprous man a man, though all the parts of his leprous flesh be stupefied and dead, as it were, with disease, except that his whole nature is vehemently excited to lust. wherefore that image of god created in adam was a workmanship the most beautiful, the most excellent and the most noble, while as yet no leprosy of sin adhered either to his reason or to his will. then all his senses, both internal and external, were the most perfect and pure. his intellect was most clear, his memory most complete and his will the most sincere, accompanied with the most charming security, without any fear of death and without any care or anxiety whatever. to these internal perfections of adam was added a power of body and of all his limbs, so beautiful and so excellent that he surpassed all other animate natural creatures. for i fully believe that before his sin the eyes of adam were so clear and their sight so acute that his powers of vision exceeded those of the lynx. adam, i believe, being stronger than they, handled lions and bears, whose strength is so great, as we handle the young of any animal. i believe also that to adam the sweetness and the virtue of the fruits which he ate were far beyond our enjoyment of them now. after the fall however death crept in like leprosy over all the senses. so that now we cannot comprehend this image of god by our intellect. adam moreover in his innocency could not have known his wife eve, but with the most pure and confident mind towards god; with a will the most obedient to god and a soul the most free from all impurity of thought. but now since the sin of the fall all know how great is the excitement of the flesh, which is not only furious in concupiscence, but also in disgust after it has satisfied its desire. in neither case therefore is the reason or the will sound or whole. both are fallen and corrupt. and the fury of the desire is more brutish than human. is not this our leprosy then grievous and destructive? but of all this adam knew nothing before the sin of his fall. his only peculiarity then was that he had greater powers and more acute and exquisite senses than any other living creature. but now how far does the wild boar exceed man in the sense of hearing, the eagle in sight, and the lion in strength? no one therefore can now conceive, even in thought, how far the excellency of man when first created surpasses what he is now. wherefore i for my part understand the image of god to be this: that adam possessed it in its moral substance or nature; that he not only knew god and believed him to be good, but that he lived also a life truly divine; that is, free from the fear of death and of all dangers and happy in the favor of god. this is apparent in eve, who we find talks with the serpent, devoid of all fear; just as we do with a lamb or a dog. therefore god sets before adam and eve this, as a punishment, if they should transgress his command: "in the day that thou eatest of this tree thou shalt surely die the death." as if he had said, "adam and eve, ye now live in all security. ye neither see nor fear death. this is my image in which ye now live. ye live as god lives. but if ye sin ye shall lose this image; ye shall die." hence we see and feel the mighty perils in which we now live; how many forms and threatenings of death this miserable nature of ours is doomed to experience and endure, in addition to that unclean concupiscence and those other ragings of sin and those inordinate emotions and affections, which are engendered in the minds of all men. we are never confident and happy in god, fear and dread in the highest are perpetually trying us. these and like evils are the image of the devil, who has impressed that image upon us. but adam lived in the highest pleasure and in the most peaceful security. he feared not fire nor water, nor dreaded any of those other evils with which this life is filled and which we dread too much continually. let those who are disposed to do so therefore extenuate original sin. it plainly appears, and with awful certainty, both in sins and in the punishment of them that original sin is great and terrible indeed. look only at lust. is it not most mighty, both in concupiscence and in disgust? and what shall we further say of hatred toward god and blasphemies of all kinds? these are sad evidences of the fall, which do indeed prove that the image of god in us is lost. wherefore when we now attempt to speak of that image we speak of a thing unknown, an image which we not only have never experienced, but the contrary to which we have experienced all our lives and experience still. of this image therefore all we now possess are the mere terms, "the image of god!" these naked words are all we now hear and all we know. but there was in adam an illumined reason, a true knowledge of god, and a will the most upright to love both god and his neighbor. hence adam embraced his eve, and immediately knew his own flesh. to all these endowments were added others of less excellency, but surpassingly excellent if compared with our present weakness. adam had a perfect knowledge of all nature, of animals, of herbs, of trees, of fruits and of all other creatures. when all these endowments are put together they do not compose a man in whom you can at once behold the image of god shining forth, and more especially so when to all these endowments you add "dominion" over the whole creation. for as adam and eve acknowledged god to be lord, so afterwards they themselves held dominion over all creatures in the air, on the earth and in the sea. who can express in words the excellency and majesty of this "dominion?" for my belief is that adam could by one word command the lion as we command a favorite dog. he possessed a freedom of will and pleasure to cultivate the earth, that it might bring forth whatever he wished. for the following chapters of this book prove that there were at the time of which we are now speaking neither thorns nor thistles, chap. 3:18. neither do i believe that wild beasts were so savage and fierce as they are now. but all these thorns and thistles, and this ferocity of beasts, are the consequences of original sin, by which all the rest of the creation contracted a corruption and a loss of its original excellency. hence it is my belief also that before the sin of adam, the sun was more bright, the water more pure, the trees more fruitful and the earth more productive than since he fell. but through that dreadful sin and that horrible fall, not only are the soul and the body deformed by the leprosy of sin, but all things we use in this life are corrupted; as we shall more plainly show hereafter. now the very intent of the gospel is to restore this image of god. man's intellect and will have indeed remained, but wholly corrupted. the divine object of the gospel is that we might be restored to that original and indeed better and higher image; an image, in which we are born again unto eternal life, or rather unto the hope of eternal life by faith, in order that we might live in god and with god and might be "one" with him, as christ so beautifully and largely sets it forth in the seventeenth chapter of st. john. nor are we born again unto life only, but unto righteousness also, because faith lays hold of the merit of christ and sets us free through the death of christ. hence arises another righteousness in us; namely, that "newness of life," in which we study to obey god as taught by the word and helped by the holy spirit. this righteousness however begins only in this life and can never be perfected in the flesh. nevertheless this newness of righteousness pleases god, not as being perfect in itself nor as being any price for our sins, but because it proceedeth from the heart and rests on a confidence in the mercy of god through christ. and further, through the gospel comes unto us this other blessing also conferred upon us through the holy spirit, who resists in us unbelief, envy and other sins and corruptions, to the intent that we may solemnly desire to adorn the name of the lord and his holy word. in this manner does the image of god begin to be restored in us through the gospel by this new creation in this life. but in this life it is not perfected. when however it is perfected in the kingdom of the father, then will our will be truly free and good, our mind truly illuminated and our memory constant and perfect. then will it come to pass also that all creatures shall be more subject unto us than ever they were unto adam in paradise. until all this shall be fulfilled in us, we shall never be able fully to understand what that image of god was, which was lost by adam in paradise. this however which we now utter concerning it, faith and the word teach us, which discover unto us at a distance as it were the glory of this image of god. but as the heaven and the earth "in the beginning," were of rude unformed bodies, as we have shown before the created light was added to them; so the godly possess within themselves that unformed and imperfect image of god, which god will perfect at the last day in those who believe his word. in conclusion therefore that image of god, in which adam was created, was excellent above all things, in which was included eternal life, eternal security and all good. that image however is so marred and obscured by sin that we cannot even in thought reach the comprehension of it. for though we utter the words "the image of god," who is there that can possibly understand what it is for a man to live a life of security without fears and without perils, and to be wise, righteous, good and free from all calamities or distresses either of soul or of body? what was more than all this adam was made capable of life eternal. for he was so created that as long as he lived in this corporeal life he might cultivate the earth not as doing a work of trouble, nor as wearying his body with labor, but as enjoying an employment of the highest pleasure; not as "deceiving or killing time," as we say, but as performing a service to god and yielding an obedience to his will. this corporeal life was intended to be succeeded by a spiritual life, in which man was not designed to use corporeal food and aliments nor to perform any of those other things which he must necessarily do in this natural life. but he was designed to live a life spiritual and angelic. for such is the life eternal to come, described to us in the holy scriptures, a life in which we shall neither eat nor drink, nor exercise any other corporeal functions. hence paul says, "the first man adam became a living soul," that is, he lives an animal life which requires meat, drink, sleep, etc. but the apostle adds, "the last adam became a live-giving spirit," 1 cor. 15:45. that is, he shall be a spiritual man, in which state he shall return to the image of god; for he shall be like unto god in life, righteousness, holiness, wisdom, etc. it now follows in the sacred text: v. 26b. _and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,_ etc. to man, the most beautiful of god's creatures, who possesses the knowledge of god and is the image of god, in which image shines forth the similitude of the divine nature in an enlightened reason, in righteousness and in wisdom, is now assigned _"dominion."_ adam and eve are made rulers of the earth, of the sea and of the air. this dominion is not only committed to them by the design and counsel of god, but by his expressed command. we must in the first place consider this great matter in a negative and exclusive sense, that it is not said to any beast that it should have any dominion. and in the next place we must view the matter in an absolute sense, that all animals, nay, the earth itself with all created living things and all generated from them, are subjected to the dominion of adam, whom god by his vocal and expressed command constituted king over the whole animal creation. for these are the words which both adam and eve heard when god said, "and let them have dominion." here therefore a naked man without arms, without walls, nay, without any vestiture of his own body, but standing alone in his own naked flesh, finds himself lord over all birds, all wild beasts and all fishes, etc. this portion of the divine image also we have utterly lost, so that now we cannot even conceive in thought that fulness of joy and pleasure which adam must have felt at the sight of the whole animal creation before him and at the sense he was lord of them all! for now all things are full of leprosy and full of stupidity, and, as it were, of death. for who can now reach even in thought a conception of that portion of the divine image, which adam and eve possessed, by which they understood all the affections, the senses, the feelings and the powers of all the animals of the creation. and yet, what would have been their dominion over all created animals without this knowledge? there is indeed in this life a certain knowledge of god in the saints, derived from the word and the holy spirit. but that knowledge of all nature, that understanding of the qualities of all trees and the properties of all herbs, that clear discernment of the natures of all beasts, these are endowments of our nature now utterly lost and irreparable. if therefore we would talk about a philosopher, let us talk about adam! let us speak of our first parents, while they were as yet pure and unfallen through sin! for adam and eve had the most perfect knowledge of god. and how indeed could they be ignorant of him, whose very image they possessed and felt in themselves! moreover of the stars also and of the whole science and system of astronomy they had the most certain knowledge. moreover that all these endowments were enjoyed by eve, as well as by adam, is quite manifest from the speech of eve to the serpent, when she answered him concerning the tree in the midst of paradise. from this speech it appears evident that she knew the end for which she was created, and she shows also the author from whom she had received that knowledge, for her reply to the serpent was, "god hath said," gen. 3:3. eve therefore did not hear these things from adam only, but she was by nature so pure from sin and so full of the knowledge of god that she saw and understood the word of god for herself. as to us in our present state we still possess indeed some certain dull and as it were dead remnants of this knowledge. but all animals besides are altogether void of such understanding. they know not their creator nor their origin nor their end; nor whence nor why they were created. no other animals therefore possess anything whatever of this similitude of god. hence it is that the psalm contains this exhortation, "be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding," ps. 32:9. although therefore this image of god be almost wholly lost, there is nevertheless still remaining a mighty difference between man and all other animals of god's creation. but originally, before the sin of the fall, the difference was far greater and far more illustrious; while as yet adam and eve fully knew god and all his creatures, and were wholly absorbed in the goodness, righteousness and worship of god. hence also there was between adam and eve themselves a singular unity of minds and of wills. nor was there in the whole world an object sweeter to adam or more beautiful in his eyes than his eve! nor is a wife, as the heathen say, a necessary evil. and why call they a wife an evil? the reason is manifest. they know nothing of the cause of evil. it was satan. he it was who thus marred and corrupted woman's original nature. the influence however which we now have over beasts in this life, the use which we make of them, and the things we cause them to do are not effected by that dominion which adam possessed, but by industry and art. thus birds and fishes, as we see, are taken by deception and stratagem; and beasts are tamed in various degrees by art. for those animals which are the most domesticated as geese, fowls, etc., were of themselves and by their own particular nature wild. this leprous nature of ours therefore still retains, through the goodness of god, some appearance of dominion over the other creatures. this dominion however is very trifling indeed, and far, very far, beneath the original dominion. for under that there was no need of art or stratagem, to give man influence over the beast. every creature was put absolutely under a state of obedience to the voice of god when adam and eve were commanded by that voice to have dominion over them. we do retain therefore the name and the semblance and as it were the naked title of the original dominion, but the reality itself is almost wholly lost. still it is good for us to know and to think upon this state of things, that we may sigh after that day which shall come, in which shall be restored unto us all things we lost by the sin of adam in paradise. for we look for that life which adam also ever held in expectation. and well indeed may we wonder and render thanks unto god, as indeed we do, that we, so deformed by sin, so dull, so stupefied, and so dead by it, should be enabled through the merits and benefits of christ to look with assurance for that same glory of a spiritual life, which adam might also have looked for with all assurance, without the dying merits of christ if he had remained unfallen in that animal life which possessed the image of god. v. 27a. _and god created man in his own image, in the image of god created he him._ observe that the term likeness is not here used by moses, but "image" only. perhaps the sacred historian wished to avoid amphibology, too extensive circumlocution, and therefore he merely repeated the term image. i see no other cause for the repetition, unless we receive it as intended for emphasis, and as designed to signify the joy and triumph of the creator in this most beautiful work of his hands. the purpose of moses was probably to represent god as not so much delighted with any of, or with all, his other creatures as with man, whom he created in his own likeness. for other animals are termed traces of god, man alone is said to be the image of god. for in all the other creatures god is known as by his footsteps only, but in man, especially in adam, he is known truly and fully; for in adam is seen that wisdom, righteousness and knowledge of all things, that he may rightly be called a microcosm or little world in himself; for he understands the heaven, the earth and the whole creation. god therefore, as moses would here represent, is delighted in his having made so beautiful a creature. without doubt therefore, as god was so delighted with this his counsel and workmanship in the creation of man, so he is now delighted in the restoration of that his original glorious work, through his son our deliverer, jesus christ. it is always profitable to consider that god is always thinking thoughts of good, yea the best thoughts towards us, jer. 29:11, and that he is ever delighted with these his thoughts and this his counsel in our restoration to a spiritual life, by the resurrection from the dead of those who have believed in christ. v. 27b. _male and female created he them._ moses here mentions both sexes together. that woman might not appear to be excluded from all the glory of the life to come. for woman seems to be a creature somewhat different from man, in that she has dissimilar members, a varied form and a mind weaker than man. although eve was a most excellent and beautiful creature, like unto adam in reference to the image of god, that is with respect to righteousness, wisdom and salvation, yet she was a woman. for as the sun is more glorious than the moon, though the moon is a most glorious body, so woman, though she was a most beautiful work of god, yet she did not equal the glory of the male creature. however moses here joins the two sexes together and says that god created them male and female for a further reason that he might thereby signify that eve also being alike created of god, alike with adam became thereby a partaker of the divine image and similitude, and also of the dominion over all things. hence woman is still a partaker of the life divine to come, as peter says, "as being heirs together of the grace of life," 1 pet. 3:7. in all domestic life also the wife is a partaker in ruling the house and enjoys, in common with her husband, the possession of the offspring of the property. there is nevertheless a great difference between the sexes. the male is as the sun in the heaven, the female as the moon, while the other animals are the stars, over which the sun and the moon have influence and rule. the principal thing to be remarked therefore in the text before us, that it is thus written to show that the female sex is not excluded from all the glory of the human nature, although inferior to the male sex. of marriage we shall speak hereafter. in the second place this same text furnishes us with an argument against hilary and others, who wished to establish the doctrine that god created all things at once. for by the present passage of holy writ our interpretation is confirmed that the six days mentioned by moses were truly six natural days, because the divine historian here affirms that adam and eve were created on the sixth day. this text cannot be gainsaid. but concerning the order and manner of the creation of man, moses speaks in the following chapter, in which he informs us that eve was created a little after adam, and that she was not made from the dust of the ground, as adam was, but from one of the ribs of adam, which god took from his side while asleep. these therefore are temporal works; that is, works done at a certain time and not all wrought at one moment, as were also the sacred facts "that god brought every animal to adam," and "that for adam there was not found an helpmeet for him," chap. 2:19-20. many divines think also that it was on the sixth day that adam sinned. and therefore they hold the sixth day sacred on a twofold account, because, as adam sinned on the sixth day, so christ also suffered for sin on the sixth day. whether these things really be so, i leave it to them to settle as matters not fully known. moses does affirm as a certainty that man was created, and his wife also on the sixth day. my thoughts on the matter, as i will hereafter show, are that it is much more likely that adam sinned on the seventh day, that is on the sabbath; just as on the sabbath also satan the most bitterly annoys and torments the church while the word of god is being preached. but neither can adam's sin having been on the sabbath be clearly shown from moses. there are therefore, respecting both ways, "reasons against reasons," as cã¦sar maximilian used to say. i leave these doubtful things therefore to be settled by each one according to his own judgment. lyra relates a jewish fable, to which there is a reference in plato, that god originally created man in both sexes so that man and wife were together in one body, but were divided or cut apart by the divine power as the form of the back and spine seems to indicate. others have added more obscene trifles. but the second chapter overthrows and refutes such lies. for should that be true how could it be written that god took from adam one of his ribs and built a woman out of it? such lies are found in the talmud of the jews and reference must be made to them in order that we may see the maliciousness of satan, who suggests to men such absurd things. like this is the fable of aristotle who calls woman a ............ man, _virum occasionatum_, and others call her a monster. but they themselves are monsters and children of monsters, who calumniate and ridicule such a creature of god, in whom god himself had delight, as in the noblest of his works, and who as we saw was created by a special counsel of god. we cite such heathenish and unbecoming things to show that the human mind is unable to establish anything sure about god or the works of god, but advances reasons against reasons, "rationes contra rationes," neither does it teach anything perfectly or fundamentally on these themes. v. 28a. _and god blessed them; and god said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply,_ etc. god did not utter this command to the other animals but to man and woman only. doubtless however all other animals are included in the blessing: "be fruitful." this is the command of god to the creature added to his creation. but o! good god! what have we here also lost by sin! how happy was that state of man in which the generating of offspring was attended with the highest reverence of god, with the highest wisdom and with the purest knowledge of god! but the flesh is now so swallowed up with the leprosy of lust that the body in the commerce of generation becomes actually brute-like, and can by no means generate in the knowledge and worship of god! the progress of generation does indeed remain with human nature, but it is lowered and weakened beyond description; and it is so absorbed in lust that it differs little from the generation of the beast. to all this are added the perils of gestation and parturition, the difficulty of rearing children when born, and an infinity of other evils; all which tend to impress us with the awfulness and magnitude of original sin. the blessing of god on generation therefore which still remains with human nature is a humbled and an accursed blessing, if you compare it with that original blessing; and yet it is the blessing of god, instituted of god himself, which he still preserves. wherefore let us acknowledge with gratitude and praise this blessing of god which still remains, though thus deformed by sin. let us feel and confess that this inevitable leprosy of our flesh, which is all mere disobedience to the will of god is the punishment of sin, righteously inflicted of god. let us wait however in hope for the death of this leprous flesh, that we may be delivered from all this filthiness and be restored to a perfection and glory, even far exceeding the original creation of adam! v. 28b. _and have dominion over the fish of the sea,_ etc. what use there was of beasts-of-burden, of fishes and of many other animals in the primitive state of creation and of innocency, is impossible for us clearly to determine, sunk as we are in ignorance of god and of his creatures. what we now see is that we feed on various kinds of flesh, on pulse, etc. unless therefore these same things were in the same use then, we know not why they should have been created, but because we neither have nor see any other use for all these creatures now. but adam seems to have had no use, as we have now, for those creatures, in addition to all that food which he had in abundance from all the trees around him and from their fruits, which were far nobler and richer than any we now possess or know. nor could he need raiment or money, who had all things under his immediate dominion and power. nor did he need to regard any avarice or expectation in his posterity. adam and eve therefore being thus amply provided with food, needed only to use these creatures to excite their admiration and wonder of god, and to create in them that holiness of pleasure, which we never can know in this state of the corruption of our nature. but all things are quite the contrary now. for at the present time, all the creatures together scarcely suffice for the nourishment and gratification of man. and the case has been just the same in all ages. wherefore what this "dominion" of adam "over the fish of the sea" was, we cannot now conceive by any stretch of our thought. v. 29. _and god said, behold, i have given you every herb yielding seed,_ etc. here behold what anxious care god took of the man whom he had created. he first created the earth or his dwelling-place in which he was to live. he then ordained other things he judged to be necessary for his life and subsistence. and when at length he had created man, for whom he had made all these glorious preparations, he blesses him with the gift and power of generation. and now he gives him food, that nothing might be wanting for him to live most easily and most happily. but my belief is that if adam had continued in his original state of innocency, children from their very birth would have rushed forth to the enjoyment of those pleasures which the primitive creation furnished in infinite abundance. but it is perhaps vain in us to attempt to enumerate these utterly innumerable blessings, which are all irretrievably lost to us in our present state of life, and of which we cannot with all our thought form the least conception. v. 30. _and every green herb,_ etc. moses here seems to make a difference between "seeds" and the "green herb." perhaps it is because the herb is the food of beasts, and the seeds were designed to serve as food for man. for my belief is that without doubt the seeds we now use for food were far more excellent in paradise than they are at present. i have no doubt also that adam would have refused to taste those various kinds of flesh, than which we have no food which we deem more sweet and delicious, in comparison with the sweetness of the fruits of those trees, which grew naturally in paradise, from the eating of which there did not proceed that leprous fatness, which is the consequence of such food now, but a healthfulness and beauty of body and a wholesome temperature of all its humors. now all varieties of flesh do not satisfy man, nor all kinds of pulse nor all kinds of grain. we continually endanger the health of our bodies by a surfeit of food. i say nothing now of those worse than beast-like sins, which are daily committed among us by an excessive use of meat and drink. all this is evidently the curse of god, which has followed upon original sin and has continued until now. and i believe also that venomous and noxious beasts and reptiles first came out of the earth as accursed for the sin of man. but here a question may arise, how we are to reconcile the apparent discrepancy that all the trees in the field are given to adam to enjoy, and yet that afterwards a signal part of the earth, which the scriptures call paradise, is assigned to him to till? another question may be, whether the whole original earth may be called paradise? etc., etc. but these things we will leave to our meditations upon the second chapter. iii. v. 31. _and god saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. and there was evening and there was morning the sixth day._ after god had thus finished all his works, he here speaks after the manner of one fatigued, as if he had said, "behold i have now prepared all things for man with all perfectness. i have prepared for him the heaven as his canopy and the earth as his floor. his possessions and his wealth are the animals with all the productions of the earth, the sea and the air. the seeds, the roots and the herbs of the garden are his food. moreover i have made man the lord of all these things. and he possesses the knowledge of me his god, and the use of all the animals which i have created, all of which he can use as he will with the greatest security, righteousness and wisdom. nothing is wanting. all things are created in the greatest abundance for the sustaining of animal life. now therefore i will rest! i will enjoy a sabbath!" but these things are almost wholly lost by sin, and we are at this day like a carcass as it were of the first created man adam; and we retain but a shadow of the dominion which he possessed. shall we not say then that he has lost all things, who out of an immortal is become a mortal, and out of a righteous man, a sinner? out of one accepted of god and grateful to god, cast off and condemned of god? for now man is a sinner and mortal. if therefore these things do not, under divine teaching, stir us up to the hope and expectation of a better day and a better life to come, there is nothing that can stir us up to such hope and expectation. let these comments suffice for an explanation of this first chapter of the book of genesis. in the following chapter moses teaches us the nature of the work of this sixth day; how man was created. chapter ii. part i. god's rest, sanctification of the sabbath and creation of adam. i. v. 1. _and the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them._ our latin rendering of the text before us is "and all the adornment of them." in the original hebrew the expression is zebaam, the "host" or "army" of them. the prophets have retained this same form of speaking and of calling the stars and the planets, "the host or army of heaven," as jer. 19:13, where the jews are represented as having adored "all the host of heaven." and god says by the prophet zephaniah, "i will cut off them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops." in the same manner also stephen testifies concerning the children of israel in the wilderness that god "gave them up to worship the host of heaven," acts 7:42. the prophets borrowed these forms of speech from moses, who in this passage calls the stars and other luminaries of heaven by a military term, calling them the host or the warning army of heaven. after a similar mode of expression he calls men beasts and trees the host or army of the earth. perhaps this is in anticipation of the solemn realities that were to come. for god afterwards calls himself also the god of hosts or of armies; that is, not of angels and of spirits only, but of the whole creation also, which was for him and serves him. for ever since satan was cast off by god for sin he has been filled with such desperate hatred of god and of men that he would, if he could, in one moment empty the sea of all its fishes and the air of all its birds, strip the earth of all its fruits and utterly destroy all things. but god has created all these creatures that they may be a standing army as it were; that they might fight for us and our subsistence against the devil and against men also, and thus serve us and be to us an unceasing benefit. v. 2. _and on the seventh day god finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made._ here cavillers raise a question of this nature: moses says that god "rested on the seventh day from the work he had made;" that is, that he ceased on the seventh day to work: while christ says on the other hand, john 5:17, "my father worketh hitherto, or until now, and i work." the passage contained in heb. 4:3, helps to explain the present text, where it is written, "if they shall enter into my rest," not indeed into the land of promise, but into "my rest." my simple and plain reply to the above question is, that a solution of any difficulty that may be raised is furnished by the present text itself, when it says, "thus the heavens and the earth were finished." the sabbath or rest of the sabbath here signifies that god so rested, as not to have any further design of creating any other heaven and earth. it does not signify that god ceased to preserve and govern the heaven and the earth, which he had now created and finished. concerning the manner of the creation moses gives us the fullest information in the preceding chapter, that god created all things by the word! "let the sea bring forth fishes;" "let the earth bring forth the green herb, the beast," etc., etc. and by the same word, god also said, "be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth." now all these words of god remain unto this present day. and therefore it is that we see the multiplication of all these creatures go on without cessation or end. wherefore if the world were to last for a number of years endless and infinite, the power and efficacy of these words would never cease, but there would still be continued a multiplication of all these creatures perpetual and endless by the mere infinite power of this word of god; this word of the first creation and foundation of all things, if i may so express the original and originating word. the solution of the question now under consideration therefore is easy and plain. "god rested on the seventh day from the work which he had made;" that is, god was content with the earth and the heaven which he had created by the word. he created not nor intended to create new heavens or new earths, nor new stars nor new trees. god nevertheless still works. he "worketh hitherto," as christ says above. he forsakes not nature, which he once made "in the beginning;" but he preserves and governs it to this day, by the power of his word. he has ceased from his creation-work, but he has not ceased from his government-work. the human race began in adam. in the earth began by the word the animal race, if i may so speak; in the sea, the race of fishes; and in the air, the race of birds. but the human race did not cease in adam, nor did all other races cease in the first created animals of their kind. the word originally spoken upon the human race still remains in all its power and efficiency. the word, "be fruitful and multiply," ceases not nor ever will cease, nor the words, "let the sea bring forth fishes," nor "let the earth bring forth beasts and the air birds." the omnipotent power and efficacy of the original word still preserves and governs the whole creation. most clearly therefore has moses established the great truth, that "in the beginning was the word," john 1:1. and as all creatures still increase and multiply, and are preserved and governed, still in the same way as they were "in the beginning," it manifestly follows that the word still continues and lives, and that it is not dead! when moses says therefore, "and god rested on the seventh day from the work which he had made," his words are not to be considered as having reference to the general course and laws of nature nor to their continuous preservation and government, but simply to the "beginning;" that god ceased from creating, ordering and ordaining all things, as we generally speak, and from creating any new creatures or new kinds of animals, etc., etc. with respect to martin luther before you. if you look at my individual person i am a certain kind of new creature; because sixty years ago i had no existence. this is the common thought and judgment of the world. but the thought and judgment of god are far different. for in god's sight i was begotten and commenced, being multiplied immediately "from the beginning of the world." when god said, "let us make man," he then created me also. for whatever god willed to create that he did create when he spoke the word. all things did not then appear indeed on a sudden before our existing eyes. for as the arrow or the ball from the cannon, in which is the greatest velocity attached to the works of men is in one moment directed to its mark, and yet does not reach that mark without a certain interval and space between, so god rushes, as it were by his word, from "the beginning" to the end of the world. for with god there is no before nor afterwards; no swift nor slow; but all things to his eyes are at once present. for god is simply absolutely independent of and alone, and separate from all time! these words of god therefore, and god said, "let there be," "increase and multiply," etc., create, constitute and ordain all creatures, as they were, as they now are, and as they will be unto the end of the world. god has indeed ceased from creating new creatures. for he has created no new heaven, no new earth. but as he originally willed the sun and the moon to perform their courses, so have they continued to perform them to this day. as god then filled the sea with fishes, the heaven with fowls, and the earth with beasts and cattle, so have all these parts of his will been fulfilled to this day; and so have they all been preserved to this moment, as christ said, "my father worketh hitherto and i work." for the word, which god spoke in the beginning, remaineth unto this day; as it is said with great majesty in ps. 33:9, "he spake and they were made." but here sceptics and objectors will present a further question for reply. how can it be true, say they, that god made no new thing, when it is evident that the bow of heaven or the rainbow was created in the time of noah? and when also the lord threatened after the fall of adam, that it should come to pass that the earth should bring forth thorns and thistles? which thorns and thistles the earth would not have brought forth had adam not sinned. also concerning the serpent, the same cavillers say, that reptile ought to creep along almost upright with its head bending toward the earth; for when first created they say it was doubtless upright, as crows and peacocks move now. we readily acknowledge that this is indeed a new state of things, wrought also by the word. it is moreover true that if adam had not fallen by sin, there would not have been that ferocity in wolves, lions and bears, which now characterizes them. and most certainly also there would have been nothing in the whole creation noxious or annoying to man. for the text before us plainly declares that all things god had created were "very good." whereas now, how numberless are the annoyances by which we are surrounded? to how many and how great distresses, especially of diseases, is the body itself subject? i will say nothing about fleas, flies, gnats, spiders, mosquitoes, etc. what a host of dangers threaten us continually from the greater ferocious and venomous beasts? although there had been none of these new or altered things after the creation, our sceptic objectors can surely believe that there was one glorious and marvellous "new thing," is. 7:14, "that a virgin should bring forth a son, the son of god!" god therefore did not in the seventh day cease to work in every sense, but he works still, not only in preserving his whole creation, but also in altering and new-forming the creature; wherefore that which we said above, that god ceased on the seventh day from creating new orders of things is not to be understood as true absolutely and in every sense. but we further reply to our cavillers that moses is here speaking of nature in its yet uncorrupted state. if therefore man had stood unfallen in the innocency in which he was first created, no thorns nor thistles would have existed, no disease would have been known nor any violence of beasts feared. this is manifest from the case of eve; she talks with the serpent without any fear whatever, and as we should do with an innocent little bird or with a favorite little dog. nor have i any doubt that the serpent was an exquisitely beautiful creature and gifted with the peculiar excellency of having the highest praise for marvellous cunning, though then innocent cunning, even as foxes and weazels have that name among us now. wherefore when adam was as yet holy and innocent, all the animals of the creation dwelt and associated with him in the highest pleasure, being prepared to render him every kind of service gladly. nor would there have ever been known, if adam had thus continued sinless, any fear of a flood, nor would there consequently have ever existed a rainbow in the heavens. but sin caused god to alter many things and otherwise order them. and at the last day there will be an alteration and a renewal far greater still of that whole creation, which as paul says is now by reason of sin, "subject to vanity," rom. 8:20. finally therefore, when moses here says that "god rested on the seventh day," he is speaking with reference to the condition of the world, as originally created; meaning that while as yet there was no sin nothing new was created, that there were no thorns nor thistles, no serpents nor toads, and if there were such they possessed no venomous properties nor any inclination to harm. moses speaks in this manner concerning the creation of the world, while yet in its state of perfection, unpolluted and unmarred by sin. it was then a world innocent and pure, because man was innocent and pure. but now, as man is no longer the same being, so the world is no longer the same world. upon the fall of man followed corruption and upon this corruption the curse of the now corrupt creation. "cursed is the ground," said god to adam, "for thy sake! thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee!" gen. 3:17, 18. thus on account of one accursed cain--sin, is the whole earth accursed! so that now even when tilled it does not put forth its original virtue. after this upon the sins of the whole world is poured the flood over the whole earth, and the human race throughout the whole world is destroyed, a few righteous persons only being saved lest the promise concerning christ should fail of being fulfilled. and as it is manifest to us all that the earth is thus deformed by sin, so my belief is, as i have before said, that the light of the sun, when first created, and before the sin of adam, was far more pure and more bright than it is now. it is a common saying of divines in all theological schools, "clearly distinguish times and you will harmonize all the scriptures." wherefore we must speak far otherwise concerning the world, under its present wretched corruption, by which it has been marred through the sin of adam, than concerning the world when as yet it was in its state of original purity and perfection. let us take an example still in our sight and knowledge. those who have visited the "land of promise" in our day affirm, that there is nothing in it like unto that commendation of it which we have in the holy scriptures. in confirmation of these statements a citizen of stolberg, after having visited palestine and surveyed with all possible diligence of observation, declared that he considered his own field in germany a far more delightful spot. for on account of the sin, wickedness and ungodliness of men it is reduced to a positive pickle-tub, to "a salt land not inhabited;" so actually is the very essence of the curse of god upon it fulfilled, as it is said, gen. 3:17, 18; ps. 107:34. thus sodom also before it was destroyed by fire from heaven was a certain paradise, a garden of the lord, gen. 13:10. thus does the curse of god generally follow sin, and that curse so changes things, that from the best they become the worst. moses therefore, we repeat, is here speaking concerning the state of all creatures in their original perfection; as they were before the sin of man. for if man had not sinned, all beasts and every other creature would have remained in obedience to him until god should have translated him from paradise, or from earth to heaven. but after his sin, all things were changed for the worse. according to these expressions therefore the solution given by us above to all sceptics, cavillers and objectors stands good, that god in six days finished his work, and that on the "seventh day" he rested from all his work which he had made; that is, that he ceased from ordaining the certain orders of things, and that then, whatsoever he willed afterwards to work, he did work. but god did not say afterwards, "let there be a new earth;" "let there be a new sea," etc. with respect to that wonderful "new thing;" that, after the creation was finished, the virgin mary brought forth the son of god, it is indeed manifest that god made our calamity, into which we had fallen by sin, the cause of this marvellous blessing. but god so wrought even this mighty work that he showed beforehand that he would, by his word, do this glorious work also; even as he has also signified in his word, that he will by the same word do other marvelous things. thus have we replied then to these questions of all cavilling objectors concerning god's having finished the heavens and the earth and concerning his having made other things new afterwards. we must continue this explanation to learn what this sabbath or rest of god is, and also in what manner god sanctified the sabbath, as the sacred text declares. ii. v. 3. _and god blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it, because that in it he rested from all his work which god had created and made._ christ says, mark 2:27, that "the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." but moses says nothing here about man. he does not even say positively that any commandment concerning the sabbath was given to man. but what moses here says is that god blessed the sabbath and sanctified it to himself. it is moreover to be remarked that god did this to no other creature. god did not sanctify to himself the heaven nor the earth nor any other creature. but god did sanctify to himself the seventh day. this was especially designed of god, to cause us to understand that the "seventh day" is to be especially devoted to divine worship. for that which is appropriated to god and exclusively separated from all profane uses is sanctified or holy. hence the expression "to sanctify," "to choose for divine uses or for the worship of god," is often applied by moses to the sacred vessels of the sanctuary. it follows therefore from this passage, that if adam had stood in his innocence and had not fallen he would yet have observed the "seventh day" as sanctified, holy and sacred; that is, he would have taught his children and posterity on that day concerning the will and worship of god; he would have praised god, he would have given him thanks, and would have brought to him his offerings, etc., etc. on the other days he would have tilled his land and attended to his cattle. nay, even after the fall he held the "seventh day" sacred; that is, he taught on that day his own family. this is testified by the offerings made by his two sons, cain and abel. the sabbath therefore has, from the beginning of the world, been set apart for the worship of god. in this manner nature in its innocency, had it continued unfallen, would have proclaimed the glory and blessings of god. men would have talked together on the sabbath day concerning the goodness of their creator, would have prayed to him, and would have brought to him their offerings, etc. for all these things are implied and signified in the expression "sanctified." moreover in this same sanctification of the sabbath is included and implied the immortality of the human race. hence the epistle to the hebrews speaks most beautifully concerning the rest of god, from the 95th ps.: "if they shall enter into my rest." for the rest of god is an eternal rest. adam therefore, had he not fallen, would have lived a certain time in paradise, according to the length of time which god pleased; and afterwards he would have been carried away into that rest of god, which rest god willed not only to intimate unto man, but highly to commend unto him by this sanctification of the sabbath. thus had adam not fallen his life would have been both animal and happy, and spiritual and eternal. but now we miserable men have lost all this felicity of the animal life by sin; and while we do live, we live in the midst of death. yet since this command of god concerning the sabbath is left to the church, god signifies thereby that even that spiritual life shall be restored to us through christ. hence the prophets have all diligently searched into these passages, in which moses obscurely indicates also the resurrection of the flesh and the life immortal. further by this sanctification of the sabbath it is also plainly shown that man was especially created for the knowledge and worship of god. for the sabbath was not instituted on account of sheep or oxen, but for the sake of men, that the knowledge of god might be exercised and increased by them on that sacred day. although therefore man lost the knowledge of god by sin, yet god willed that his command concerning the sanctifying of the sabbath should remain. he willed that on the seventh day both the word should be preached, and also those other parts of his worship performed, which he himself instituted; to the end that by these appointed means we should first of all think solemnly on our condition in the world as men; that this nature of ours was created at first expressly for the knowledge and the glorifying of god; and also that by these same sacred means we might hold fast in our minds the sure hope of a future and eternal life. indeed all things which god willed to be done on the sabbath are evident signs of another life after this present life. for what need would there be of god's speaking to us by his word, if we were not designed to live another and eternal life after this life? and if no future life is to be hoped for by us, why do we not live as those other creatures with whom god talketh not and who have no knowledge of god? but as the divine majesty talketh with man alone, and he alone acknowledges and apprehends god, it necessarily follows that there is for us another life after this life, to which it is our great business to attain by the word and the knowledge of god. for as to this temporal and present life it is a mere animal life as all the beasts live, which know not god nor the word. this then is the meaning of the sabbath or the "rest" of god. it is a sanctified day of rest, on which god speaks to or talks with us, and we in turn speak to and talk with him in prayer and by faith. the beasts indeed learn to hear and also to understand the voice of man, as dogs, horses, sheep, oxen; and they are also preserved and fed by man. but our condition as men is far better and higher; for we both hear god and know his will, and are called to a sure hope of immortality. this is testified by those most manifest promises concerning the life eternal, which god has plainly revealed to us by his word, since he gave to the world the obscure significations contained in this divine book; such as this rest of god and this sanctification of the sabbath. however these indications concerning the sabbath are not obscure but evident and plain. for only suppose for a moment that there were no eternal life after this. would it not immediately follow that we should have no need either of god or his word? for that which we merely require or do in this life we can have and do without the word of god. even as beasts feed, live and grow fat without the word. for what need is there of the word to procure meat and drink, thus created for us beforehand? as god therefore thus giveth us the word, as he thus commands the preaching and exercising of the word, as he thus commands the sanctifying of the sabbath in the worship of himself, all these things prove that there remaineth another life after this life, and that man is created not to a corporeal life only, as the beasts are, but to a life eternal, even as god, who commands and institutes these things, is himself eternal. but here another inquiry may arise concerning the fall of adam itself, upon which indeed we have already touched: on what day adam fell, whether on the seventh or on some other day? although nothing indeed can be said as certain on this matter, my free and full opinion is that his fall was on the seventh day. it was on the sixth day that he was created. and eve was created about the evening or close of the sixth day, while adam was asleep. on the seventh day, which by the lord had been sanctified, god talks with adam, gives him commandment concerning his worship, and forbids him to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. for this indeed was the appropriate work or duty of the seventh day: the preaching and the hearing of the word of god. hence both from the scriptures and from universal practice, hath remained the custom of appointing the morning as the time for prayer and sermons; as we have it also in the psalms: "in the morning will i stand before thee, and will look up," ps. 5:3. on the seventh day therefore, in the morning, adam appears to have heard the lord giving commandment concerning his domestic and national duty, the private and public worship of god, together with the prohibition concerning the fruit of the tree. satan therefore unable to endure this most beautiful creation of man and this holy appointment of the sabbath, and envying him so much felicity, and moreover seeing all things so abundantly provided for him on earth, and finding him in the possession of the hope of enjoying, after so happy a corporeal life, an eternal life, which he himself had lost, satan seeing all this about the twelfth hour, perhaps after god's sermon to adam and eve, himself preaches to eve. just as he has always done to this day. wherever the word of god is, there he attempts also to sow lies and heresies. for it agonizes him that we by the word become as adam did in paradise, citizens of heaven. so satan on this occasion tempts eve to sin, and gains the victory over her. the sacred text before us moreover declares that when the heat of the day had subsided, the lord came into the garden and condemned adam with all his posterity to death. i am myself quite persuaded that all these things took place on the very day of the sabbath, which one day only, and that not for the whole day, adam lived in paradise, and enjoyed himself in eating its fruits. by sin therefore did man lose all this felicity. nor would adam, had he remained in paradise in all his original innocence, have lived a life of idleness. he would have taught his children on the sabbath day, he would have magnified god with worthy high-praises by public preaching, and he would have stirred up himself and others to offerings of thanks, by a contemplation of god's great and glorious works. on all other days he would have worked by tilling his ground and attending to his beasts, etc. but in a manner and from motives now wholly unknown to man. for all our labor is annoyance, but all adam's labor was the highest pleasure, a pleasure far exceeding all the ease that is now known. hence as all the other calamities of life remind us of sin and the wrath of god, so our labor and all our difficulty in procuring food ought to remind us of sin also and to drive us to repentance. moses now proceeds to describe man more particularly, repeating first of all what he had said concerning his creation in the first chapter. and though the recapitulations may seem superfluous, yet as the divine historian wishes to maintain a continuation of his history, with all due convenience and order, the repetition is by no means useless. v. 4, 5a. _these are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that jehovah god made earth and heaven. and no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up._ "in the day" is here to be taken for an indefinite time, as if moses had said, at that time the state of all things was most beautiful; but now i must describe a condition of things far different. we need not here inquire however in a superstitious manner, why moses chose to use these rustic forms of expression concerning "the plants of the field" and "herbs of the field." for his object now is to describe the creation of man in its more circumstantial particulars. v. 5b, 6. _for jehovah god had not caused it to rain upon the earth: and there was not a man to till the ground; but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground._ there was not as yet any rain, moses says, to water the earth; but a certain mist went up and watered the whole face of the earth, to cause it to bring forth more abundantly afterwards. now these things belong properly to the third day. iii. v. 7. _and jehovah god formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul._ moses here returns to the work of the sixth day and shows whence this cultivator of the earth came; namely, that god formed him out of the ground, as the potter forms in his hand the vessel out of clay. hence moses does not represent jehovah god as saying in this case as in that of all the other creatures, "let the earth bring forth man;" but "let us make man." he describes god as thus speaking in this case in order that he might set forth the excellency of the human race, and that he might make manifest that peculiar counsel to which god had recourse in creating or making man. however after his creation man grew and multiplied as all the other animals and beasts of the earth multiply. for the seed of all animals coagulates in the womb and is formed in the same manner in them all. in this case of generation there is no difference between the foetus formed in the cow and that formed in the woman. but with reference to their first creation moses testifies that there was the greatest possible difference. for he shows in this divine record that the human nature was created by a peculiarity of divine counsel and wisdom, and formed by the very finger of god. this difference, which god made in the original creation of man and of cattle, likewise manifests forth the immortality of the soul, of which we spoke above. and though all the other works of god are full of wonder and admiration and truly magnificent, yet that man is the most excellent and glorious creature of all is evident from the fact that god in creating him had recourse to deep counsel and to a mode entirely different from that which he adopted in creating all the other creatures. for god does not leave it to the earth, to form or bring forth man, as it brought forth beasts and trees. but god forms man himself, "in the image" of himself, as a participator of the divine nature and as one designed to enjoy the rest of god. hence adam before he is formed by jehovah, is a mere lifeless lump of earth, lying on the ground. god takes that lump of earth into his hand and forms out of it a most beautiful creature, a partaker of immortality. now if aristotle were to hear these things he would burst out into a loud laugh and would say, that the whole matter was a fable; a very pleasant one indeed but a very absurd one; that man, who was a lump of earth as to his original, is so formed by divine wisdom to be capable of immortality. for those ancient philosophers, as socrates and others, who taught the immortality of the soul, were laughed at and almost cast out by all their fellows. but is it not the very extremity of folly for reason to take this great offense, when it beholds the generation of man to this very day full of greatest wonder! for who would not judge it an absurdity to suppose that man, who is designed to live eternally, should be born from one single drop as it were of seed from the loins of the father? there is even a greater apparent absurdity in this than in moses saying, that man was formed from a lump of earth by the finger of god. but by all this folly reason plainly shows that she understands nothing of god, who, by the efficacy of a single thought, thus makes out of a lump of earth not only the seed of man, but man himself; and makes also, as moses afterwards says, the woman out of a single rib of the man. this then is the origin of man! man therefore having been thus created, male and female, from their blood under the divine blessing is generated the whole human race. and although this generation is common to man and beasts, that similarity by no means detracts from the glory of our original formation; that we are vessels of god, fashioned by his own hand; that he is our potter and we his clay; as isaiah speaks in his 64th chapter. nor does this solemn state of things pertain to our original only, but pervades our whole life, and even unto death and in the tomb we are still the clay of this potter! from this same creation of man also we may learn, what the real power of free will is, of which our adversaries boast so much. we have indeed in a certain sense a free will, in those things which are put under us. for we are by the command of god appointed lords of the fishes of the sea, of the fowls of heaven and of the beasts of the field. these we kill when we please. we enjoy the food, and other blessings they supply. but in the things pertaining unto god, which are above us and not put under us, man has no free-will at all. but he is in reality as clay in the hand of the potter. he is placed under the mere power of god, passively and not actively. in this our real position we choose nothing, we do nothing. on the contrary we are chosen, we are prepared, we are regenerated; we receive only; as the prophet isaiah saith, "thou art our potter; we are thy clay," is. 64:8. but here a lawful and holy inquiry of a new description may be made. as moses speaks of the creation of man here in a new phraseology, "and jehovah god formed man of the dust of the ground;" and as he did not use the same form of expression above, when the other living creatures were created, so he here mentions a further distinction in man which is not said of any other animate creature: "and god breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." this moses does not say in reference to any of the beasts, though all beasts, as well as man, have the breath of life in their nostrils. we may here therefore sacredly inquire first, why it is that moses is here led to speak thus. and secondly, why it is recorded in this place concerning man only, that god "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul," when all animals throughout the whole scripture are called "living creatures." the divine expressions recorded by moses above are, "let the earth bring forth every living creature after his kind." but here the phraseology is altogether changed, "and man became a living soul." these were the things that, doubtless, moved the patriarchs, the holy fathers and prophets of old, to examine diligently passages of this description in order to discover what these singular forms of speech might signify, being assured that the sacred historian intended by them something peculiar and great and especially worthy of knowledge. for if you look at the mere animal life of which moses is here speaking, there is no difference between the man and the ass. for the animal life in both stands in need of meat and drink. it needs sleep and rest. the bodies of both grow and are fattened alike by meat and drink. and from the want of meat and drink both waste and perish alike. in both the stomach receives the food and transmits it when digested to the belly, which generates the blood, by which all the members are refreshed and restored. when we consider these things in themselves, i say, there is no difference between the man and the beast. but moses in this place so exalts the life of man that he says of him alone of all animals, that he "became a living soul;" not a living creature or a living thing like all the beasts of the earth, but in a more exalted sense "a living soul;" and that, because he was created "in the image of god," which image there can be no doubt whatever, shone with a peculiar brightness in the countenances of adam and eve, while yet in their state of innocence. hence it is that even after the sin and fall, the heathen poets, etc., concluded from the position of his body, from his upright carriage and from the elevation of his eyes to heaven, that man was a creature far more excellent than any other creature in existence. it is to this surpassing excellency that st. paul refers when he recites the passage before us in 1 cor. 15:45. it is there written, "the first man adam became a living soul. the last adam became a life-giving spirit." by a living soul in this passage the apostle means the animal life, which consists in eating, drinking, growing, sleeping, generating, etc.; all which are found also in brutes. but by an antithesis he says that "the last adam was made a life-giving spirit." this is a life which needs not, and knows not, the conditions of the animal life. paul moreover here teaches us that adam, even if he had not sinned, would yet have lived a corporeal life; a life which would have needed meat, drink and rest; a life which would have grown, increased and generated, etc., until god should have translated him to that spiritual life, in which he would have lived without natural animality, if i may so express it; namely, a life from within, derived from god alone; and not a life from without as before, sustained by herbs and fruits. and yet he would have been a man with body and bones, etc., and not a pure spirit, as angels are. my reply therefore to the new inquiry, above admitted, is this: god by the mouth of moses speaking in the passage before us designed to set forth the hope of that future and eternal life which adam, if he had continued in his innocency, would have enjoyed after this present animal life. as if moses had said, man became a living soul; not merely in the sense of that life which beasts live, but in the sense of that life which god afterwards designed adam to live, even without any animal life at all. and this same hope of immortality or an immortal life, we now have through christ. although on account of sin we are subject to death and all kinds of calamity. but adam's natural life, when he became a living soul, was designed to be far exalted above that which we now live since the fall. he would have lived on earth sweetly, happily and with the highest pleasure; and then would have been translated at the time determined in the mind of god, out of the animal life into the spiritual and eternal life; and that translation would have been attended with no pain or trouble whatever. whereas we are not translated out of this animal life into the life spiritual and eternal, but by death; and that, after an infinity of evils, perils and crosses. it was after this manner that we ought, like the holy prophets, diligently to look into all these expressions of moses, and to inquire why it is that, with such depth of purpose and design, he speaks concerning man in terms so different from those he used when speaking of all other living creatures. the design evidently was that our faith and hope of immortality might be confirmed, and that we might be assured that although the life of man as to his animal life is like that of all other living creatures, even of brutes, yet that he possesses a hope of immortality unpossessed by, and wholly unknown to, any other living creature; that he possesses and bears the image and similitude of god, with no particle of which any other animal is dignified or favored. and thus by a most beautiful allegory, or rather by a most excellent figure, moses here intimates, though obscurely, that god would become incarnate. for with reference to man's differing in no respect from a sheep, as to his animal life, though created in the image and after the similitude of god; that assertion is in fact, a kind of statement by contraries, as they term it in the schools; or, according to another term of theirs, an addition by opposition. and yet as man was created in the image of the invisible god, by this sublime fact is signified in obscure figure, as we shall hereafter hear from moses, that god would reveal himself in this world in the _man_, _christ_. these seeds as it were of the greatest and most marvelous things, did the prophets diligently search out and gather from the divine historian moses. part ii. paradise. i. v. 8. _and jehovah god planted a garden eastward in eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed._ here rises before us a whole sea of questions concerning paradise. in the first place, the word itself, whether it be hebrew, chaldean or persian, for i do not think it is greek, though suidas endeavors to discover a greek origin, is rendered by the latins _hortus_, "a garden." this garden, moses says, was planted be eden, in eden. for this name of the place is not appellative or descriptive, as our translation renders it, "paradise of pleasure." eden does, indeed, signify pleasure or delight, and from this name of the garden is doubtless formed the greek word adona, but the preposition being here added to it plainly proves that eden is in this place to be taken for the proper name of a place; which is further proved by the particular description of the place, for the garden is said to have been to the eastward of it. our translation renders it _a principio_, "from the beginning," which is also a bad version of the expression. for the original term is mikkedem, which does not properly signify "from the beginning," but "in front," that is according to our mode of expression and meaning, "toward the east." for the original word is an adverb of place, not of time. hence there arises here another matter of dispute, as to where paradise is. commentators puzzle and rack themselves on this point in an extraordinary manner. some will have its situation to be under the equator between the two tropics. others say it must have been a more temperate atmosphere, to cause a place to be so richly and abundantly productive. but why should i proceed? opinions upon the subject are beyond number. my short and simple reply to them all is, that every question upon a place or thing which no longer exists, is idle and useless. for moses is here describing things which occurred before the flood and even before sin was in the world. whereas, we have to deal with things as they were and are since the sin of adam and since the deluge. my belief is therefore that this spot of earth was called eden, either by adam or in the time of adam, on account of that astonishing productiveness and that delightful pleasurableness, which adam experienced in it, and that the name of a place so delightful, remained with posterity long after the place itself was lost and gone. just as the names of rome, athens and carthage exist among us at this day, though scarcely any traces of those mighty states and kingdoms can now be discovered. for time and the curse which sins merit consume all things. when therefore the world with all the men and beasts upon it was destroyed by the flood, this noble and beautiful garden perished also, and all traces of it were washed away from the face of the earth. in vain therefore do origen and others enter upon their absurd disputations. the text moreover says that this garden was guarded by an angel, lest any one should enter it. even if this garden therefore had not perished by the curse which followed, as doubtless it did, yet man's entrance into it is thus absolutely and forever prevented, as is indicated by the guardian angel's flaming sword. its place can nowhere be found. this latter answer concerning the curse might be given to all questioners and disputers, though the former argument concerning the inevitable consequences of the deluge, i deem less imaginative and more conclusive. but what shall we say to that text of the new testament, "today shalt thou be with me in paradise," luke 23:43? and to that passage also, "he was caught up into paradise," 2 cor. 12:4? i have no hesitation whatever in affirming that christ did not go with the thief into any corporeal place. for that point is made quite plain from the case of paul, who says, "that he knew not whether he was in the body, or out of the body," verses 2 and 3. wherefore my opinion is that in each case by paradise is meant that condition or state in which adam was, when in paradise, full of peace and rest and safety, and full of all those gifts of blessedness, which are enjoyed where there is no sin and no death. as if christ had said, today shalt thou be with me in paradise, free from sin, and safe from death. just as adam in paradise was free from sin and from all death and from all curse. thus i believe paradise to be a paradise state. just as the scriptures, when speaking of the bosom of abraham, does not mean the very fold of the robe which covered the bosom of abraham, but descriptively that life or state of life in which the souls of the departed enjoy the heavenly life, and the peace and rest which "remain for the people of god," heb. 4:9. wherefore my testimony concerning this text is, that moses is here giving us an historical description and informing us that there was a certain place toward the east, in which there was a most beautiful and fruitful garden. for, as i have before said, the hebrew expression mikkedem properly signifies a place, not a time, as our version improperly renders it. hence it is usual with the hebrews to call the east wind kadim, a dry cold wind which parches the fields. in that region of the world therefore was paradise or a garden, in which there were no teil-trees, nor oaks, nor scarlet-oaks, nor any other trees that were barren, but the richest and noblest fruits of every kind and trees of the noblest description; such as we now deem those to be which bear cinnamon and the richest spices. and although all the rest of the earth was cultivated, for there were as yet no thistles nor thorns, yet this place had its far higher cultivation. this eden was a delightful garden, exceeding in cultivation and fecundity the whole earth besides. though all the rest of the earth, if compared with its present miserable condition, was itself a paradise. it was in this garden, which he himself had planted with such peculiar care, that the lord placed man. all these things, i say, are historical. it is idle for us therefore to inquire at the present day, where or what that garden was. the rivers, of which moses afterwards speaks, prove that the region of its situation comprehended syria, mesopotamia, damascus and egypt, and it is in the midst of these as it were that jerusalem is situated. and as this garden was destined for adam with his posterity, it is in vain for us to imagine it to have been a confined garden of a few miles extent. it was doubtless the greater and better part of the earth. and my judgment is, that this garden continued until the deluge; and that before the flood it was protected by god himself, according to the description of moses, by a guard of angels. so that i believe it to have been a place well known to the posterity of adam, though inaccessible to them. and my opinion is, that it continued thus known until the flood utterly destroyed it and left no traces of it remaining. such is my mind on this subject. and such is my reply to all questions which over curious men would move concerning a place, which after the sin and the deluge had no longer any existence or trace of former existence. origen however is dissatisfied with any view of the extent of the garden of eden, corresponding to that which i have taken. his opinion is that the distance of the rivers ought by no means to determine the dimensions of the garden. but he is thinking all the time about such gardens as we now generally cultivate. hence he has recourse in his usual way to an allegory. he makes paradise to represent heaven; the trees, angels; and the streams of rivers, wisdom. but these triflings are unworthy a divine. they may perhaps not be unbecoming an imaginative poet; but they are out of place in a theologian. origen bears not in mind that moses is here writing a history; and that, too, a record of things, now long ago passed away. after this same fashion do our adversaries absurdly dispute at the present day holding that the image and similitude of god still remain, even in a wicked man. they would, in my judgment speak much nearer the truth, if they were to say that the image of god in man has perished and disappeared; just as the original world and paradise have done. man in the beginning was righteous; the world in the beginning was most beautiful. eden was in truth a garden of delight and of pleasure. but all these things were deformed by sin and remain deformed still. all creatures, yea even the sun and the moon, have as it were put on sackcloth. they were all originally "good," but by sin and the curse they became defiled and noxious. at length came the greater curse of the flood, which destroyed paradise and the whole human race, and swept them from the face of the earth. for if at this day rivers, bursting their banks, inflict by their floods such mighty calamities on men, beasts and fields, what must we suppose to have been the awfulness and horror of the calamities brought upon the earth by the universal deluge! whenever therefore we would speak of paradise, since the flood, let us speak of that now historical paradise, which was once, but now has no longer existence in any trace. let us speak of it just as we are compelled to speak of the original innocence of man. in doing so our utmost effort can effect no more than to reflect with a sigh that it is lost, and that we never can repair or regain it in this life. but further, as moses had before distinguished man in various ways from the brutes, which nevertheless have the same origin as we have, brutes being formed like us from the earth; so the divine historian in this place distinguishes man from every other creature by giving a description of that peculiarly delightful garden, and that superb dwelling-place, which god had planted with great care and culture, and prepared with magnificent splendor, far beyond anything of the kind which he had bestowed on any other spot upon the face of the earth at that time. for the principal object of moses in his sacred record of the creation of man was to cause it to be clearly understood that man was by far the noblest and most excellent creature, which god had made. the brute animals had the earth, on the grass of which they might feed. but for man, god himself prepared a more noble dwelling-place, in the cultivation and adorning of which he might labor with extreme pleasure, and in which he might find his food, separated from the beasts indeed, but nevertheless holding all of them throughout the whole earth under his dominion. therefore origen, jerome and all the other allegorists are alike involved in the greatest folly, who because they can no longer find a paradise on the face of the earth think that some other sense than the natural one is to be given in its interpretation. but that there was a paradise and that there is a paradise are two very different subjects for consideration. moses, as is the general nature of all such narrations, merely records that there was a paradise. the case is the same in reference to adam's dominion over all the beasts. he could call the lion, and command and manage him, according to his will and pleasure; but it is not so now. all these glorious things are no more. they are simply and merely, though sacredly, recorded by moses as having been in the beginning. another question is here agitated, as to the spot of the earth where god created man. there are some who maintain with great warmth that he was created in or near damascus; because they find it recorded that the soil of damascus is red and fertile. but i pass by all idle and vain inquiries of this description. it is enough for us to know that man was formed out of the earth on the sixth day after all the other animals had been created, and that he was placed by god himself in the garden of eden. but as to the very spot on which he was created, what necessity is there for our knowing that? it is certain that he was created out of paradise. for the text before us declares that he was removed to or placed in paradise, before eve was created who, as moses here shows, was created in paradise. now let us proceed to that which follows: v. 9a. _and out of the ground made jehovah god to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food._ the contents of this verse properly belong to the description of paradise. for although the whole earth had been so created as naturally to bring forth trees and herbs, with their fruits and seeds, yet this garden of eden had its peculiar cultivation. a similitude illustrative of the case before us may be derived from things as they now are among us. woods and fields bring forth their trees. but when we select a place as a garden for special cultivation, the fruits of the garden are always more excellent than those of the field. so paradise, having been created for and devoted to peculiar cultivation, beyond that which was bestowed on any other part of the earth, was adorned with trees delightful to the sight, whose fruits were sweet to the taste and for use. when therefore god said, in the first chapter, verse 29, "behold i have given you every herb and every tree for food:" by that meat was meant necessary food. but paradise supplied food for pleasure and delight; fruits better, sweeter and more delicious than those which the trees of any other part of the earth produced. on these the beasts also fed. ii. v. 9b. _the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge (scientiae) of good and evil._ moses so describes paradise that he makes god himself as it were the cultivator of it; as a cultivator, who after he has planted a garden with the greatest care according to his pleasure, selects this and that tree from the rest, which he tills and loves as particular favorites. one of these trees was "the tree of life," a tree created to the end that man by feeding on it might be preserved with a sound body, free from diseases, and not subject to fatigue. here again we find the man, whom god first created, highly distinguished from the brutes; not only by the delightful spot in which god placed him, but also by the exalted privilege of a longer life, a life always continuing in the same state. whereas the bodies of all other living creatures grow in youth and increase in strength, but in old age decay and perish. but the original condition of man was intended to be far different. had he continued in his innocence he would have enjoyed his meat and his drink; a change of his meat and drink and a conversion of them into blood would have taken place in his body, but that commutation would not have been impure and foul as it is now. this tree of life moreover would have preserved him in perpetual youth, nor would he have experienced any of the afflictions or inconveniences of old age. his brow would have contracted no wrinkles, nor would his foot nor his hand nor any other part of his body have known weakness or languor. by the blessing of the fruit of this tree man's powers would have remained perfect for generation and for labor of every kind; until at length he should have been translated from this corporeal to his spiritual life. the other trees would have supplied him with food the most excellent and the most delicious; but this "tree of life" would have been as it were a general medicine which would have preserved his natural life and powers in perpetual and complete vigor. some may here interpose the question, how could this corporeal food or natural fruit effect such a conservation of the body as to prevent it from being weakened or debilitated by time? the reply is easy and divine. "he spake, and it was done!" ps. 33:9. for if god can make bread of a stone, why should he not be able to preserve the natural powers of man by a fruit? even since the sin of the fall we see what powerful properties the smallest herbs and seeds possess. look for a moment at our own bodies. whence comes that peculiar property of their nature that bread, eaten by them, is by their natural heat digested and converted into blood, by the circulation of which the whole body is strengthened and confirmed? now bring together all the fires and all the furnaces of the universe, you cannot produce by them all this one single effect, the conversion of bread into blood. but this mighty effect is produced by that small degree of heat, which our natural bodies contain. there is no room for wonder therefore that this tree should have become by the will of the lord, its planter and maker, "the tree of life!" adam possessed a natural and movable body, a body which generated, ate and labored. these exertions are considered to produce decay or at least some kind of change, by which at length man is naturally worn out and destroyed. but by this appointment of nature, "the tree of life," god provided a remedy, by the use of which man might have a long and sound life, without any diminution of his powers and in perpetual youth. thus all these things are historical facts. this is a point which i am repeatedly admonishing every hearer and reader to bear in mind, lest he should be stumbled by the authority of some of the fathers, who leaving pure and positive history turn aside to hunt allegories. it is on this ground that i am so partial to lyra and so willingly rank him with the best of commentators. he always carefully abides by and follows history. and although he sometimes permits himself to be swayed by the authority of the fathers, yet he never suffers himself to be turned aside by their authority from the plain and real sense of any portion of the scriptures to allegories. but much more wonderful is that which moses here speaks concerning "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." for here we have to inquire, what this tree was, why it was so called and what would have been the consequence, or result, if there had not been this tree in paradise. augustine and those who follow him rightly consider the matter, when they observe that the tree was so called from that which was shortly to take place and to be ordained concerning it; and from the solemn consequences which followed. for adam had been so created and the garden of eden so planted and constituted that if any inconvenience had occurred to his natural body and life, he had a protection against it and remedy for it in "the tree of life," which could preserve his powers and the perfection of his health at all times. wherefore if adam had thus remained in his innocency, wholly swallowed up in the goodness of his creator and in the bountiful provision which that goodness had made for him on every side and in every way, he might have acknowledged god his creator throughout that life of innocence and might have governed all the beasts according to his will, not only without the least painful toil or trouble, but also with the highest pleasure. for all things had been so created as to afford man the extreme of pleasure and delight without the least degree of evil or harm. after adam therefore had been so created and so surrounded with every blessing that he was intoxicated as it were with joy in god and with delight in all the other creatures around him, god then creates a new tree, a tree of knowledge and of distinction between good and evil, in order that adam by means of that tree might have a certain sign of worship and reverence of god. for after all things had been delivered into the hand of adam that he might enjoy them according to his will or according to his pleasure, god next requires of him that by means of this "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" he should show his reverence and obedience towards god as his creator; and that he should hold fast, as a sign of this exercise of his obedient worship of god, that he would not taste any of the fruit of this tree; thus refraining, as in obedience to god's prohibition. all therefore that moses has hitherto said have been things natural or domestic, or political, or judicial, or medicinal. the present however is theological. for here the word of god concerning this "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" is set before adam, in order that by means of this tree he might have a certain outward sign of the worship of god and of obedience to god, to be performed by him in his nature, as man, by the duty and service of an external work. even as the sabbath, of which we have spoken above, pertains more especially to the performance of the internal and spiritual worship of god; such as faith, love, calling upon god in prayer, etc. but alas! alas! the true institution of this external worship and obedience toward god has been attended with the most disgraceful results. for we find at the present day that the word of god, than which nothing is more holy, nothing more blessed, is an offense unto the wicked. baptism also was instituted of christ, as the washing of regeneration. but has not this divine institution become a great scandal and excitement of offense by means of various sects? has not the whole doctrine of baptism been distressingly corrupted? and yet, what was more necessary to us than this very institution of baptism? it was most necessary in order that the animal man should have some correspondingly animal or outward worship; that is, some outward sign of worship and reverence of god, by which he might exercise an obedience towards god even in his body. the present text therefore truly belongs to the church and to theology. after god had given to man a polity or national government, and also an economy or the principles of domestic government, and had constituted him king over all creatures, and had moreover appointed for him as a protective remedy the tree of life, for the conservation of his corporeal or natural life, god now erects for him a temple as it were, that he might worship his creator, and give thanks unto that god who had bestowed upon him all these rich and bountiful blessings. so at this day we have churches and an altar in them for the celebration of the holy communion or supper of our lord; we have pulpits also, or elevated chairs, for teaching the people. and all these things are thus prepared, not on account of necessity only, for the sake of solemnity also. but this tree of the knowledge of good and evil was itself to adam his church, his altar, his pulpit; near or under which, as the place appointed of god, he might perform his acts of obedience to god, might acknowledge the word and the will of god, might offer his thanks to god, and in which spot he might also call upon god in prayer against temptations. reason indeed vents its rage that this tree was ever created at all, because by means of it we have sinned and fallen under the wrath of god and into death. but why does not reason on the same ground betray its rage that the law was ever revealed by god at all, that the gospel was ever revealed afterwards by the son of god? for have not offenses of errors and heresies, infinite, arisen on account both of the law and of the gospel? let us therefore learn from this passage of scripture that it was necessary for man, being so created and constituted as to have all the rest of the living creatures in his hand and under his dominion, that he should not only privately, but publicly also, acknowledge his creator, should give thanks unto him, should offer him some public and external worship, and have a certain form and work of obedience. if therefore adam had not fallen, this tree would have been a common temple or church, a sure palace to which all might have flocked. thus it was afterwards, when nature was in her fallen and corrupt state, the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple at jerusalem were places appointed for divine worship. as therefore this "tree" eventually proved to be the cause of so awful a fall, it was rightly called by moses "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," on account of the horrible and miserable event which followed. two questions may here be raised as to whether this tree of life was one only or whether there were more; and whether the scripture which here speaks in the singular number should be considered as speaking in the plural; just as we, speaking collectively, use the expression "the pear," "the apple," whereby we mean pears and apples generally; either of those fruits as kinds; not individual species or specimens of them. to me it appears by no means absurd or out of the way that we should understand "the tree of life," as a certain space in the middle of paradise, or a certain grove, in which many "trees of life" of the same genus or kind grew, and were called by the same name, "trees of life." hence it is probable that a certain grove was called collectively "the tree of life," which was a kind of sacred retreat, in which grew a number of trees of the same kind; namely, "trees of the knowledge of good and evil," concerning which god pronounced his prohibition, that adam should not eat of any of them, and if he did he should surely die the death. not that there was anything in the nature of this tree, or of any one of these trees, to cause death; but such was the word of god pronounced concerning it or them, which word of god was ever attended with its efficacy to all creatures; and the efficacy of which word still preserves all creatures, that they degenerate not nor alter nor fail of their original form and intent; that all creatures may be preserved in their original form and nature by an infinite propagation! hence it was that by the word the rock in the desert gave forth its waters in all their abundance, ex. 17:6, and that by the same word the brazen serpent healed all those that looked unto it, num. 21:9. by this same efficacy of the word of god's prohibition, this one tree or this certain species of many trees in the middle of paradise killed adam by his disobedience to that word of god; not that the tree itself was deadly in its own nature but because it was appointed by the word of god to be so in its effects. in the same way also are we to understand the nature of the tree of life, of which god commanded adam to eat as often as he needed to restore his powers. it was by the word of god that the tree of life produced that restoration. to reason indeed it seems absurd, that one apple could have such deadly properties or produce such deadly effects as to destroy the whole human race throughout its almost infinite succession; and that too with a death eternal. but this was not the nature or the effect of the apple in itself. adam did indeed force his teeth into the apple, but his teeth struck in reality upon the sting in the apple, which sting was the prohibition of god, which made his bite to be disobedience to god. this was the real cause of the mighty evil. adam thus sinned against god, disregarded his commandment and obeyed satan. the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was in itself "good," the tree which bore the most noble fruits. but as the prohibition of god was attached to it and man disregarded that prohibition, the tree became the deadliest of all poisons. just in the same manner as god has said, "thou shalt not steal," ex. 20:15, the man who touches the property of another as his own sins against god. so in egypt when the jews were commanded of god to ask silver from their neighbors and to carry it away with them; that was no sin; they were justified by the command of god, to whom obedience is due, whatever be the issue or result. so also the suitor when he loves a virgin and has a strong desire of nature to possess her as his wife and marries her, committeth no adultery; though the law of god forbids coveting and concupiscence. and the great reason is this, matrimony is a divine institution and is a command of god to them who cannot live chastely without marriage. just the same also is the nature of these two trees. the tree of life gives life, by virtue of the word which promises and ordains that life. "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" produces death by virtue of the efficacy of the word which prohibits the eating of it on the penalty of death in case of disobedience. this latter tree however is called "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," augustine says, because after adam had sinned by eating of it he not only saw and experienced what good he had lost, but also into what evil and misery he had been hurled by his disobedience. the tree therefore was in itself "good," even as the divine commandment attached to it was "good;" that it should be to adam a tree of divine worship, by which he should prove his obedience to god, even by an external act of service to him. but by reason of the sin which followed, the same tree became the tree of the curse. moses now by digressing a little proceeds to give a more extensive description of the original "garden!" v. 10. _and a river went out of eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became four heads._ here again the latin version is in error, when it makes the proper name, eden, an appellative. and here origen and his followers are to be condemned who have recourse in their usual way to allegories. for the things here recorded by moses as history, are facts. there actually was a great river in eden, by which the whole garden was watered. that river rising from the east of the garden divided itself into four streams, that no part of the garden might remain unwatered. for, as i have before observed, we are here to have in mind a large space or portion of the earth; because this garden was so constituted that it might be, as to its original design, an appropriate and perpetual habitation for adam and his whole posterity, which was equally designed to be most extensive. vs. 11, 12. _the name of one is pishon; that is it which compasseth the whole land of havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium and the onyx stone._ this is one of the most difficult passages in the writings of moses, and one which has given rise to the greatest offense in unholy minds. for the real state of the facts recorded, as they are now before our eyes, cannot be denied. the description here given by the sacred historian applies properly to india, which he here calls "havilah," through which the river pishon, or the ganges, flows. the other three rivers gihon, hiddekel and phrath; that is, the nile, the tigris and the euphrates are also well known; and it is equally well known that the nile and the last two rivers have their sources very distant from each other. the great question therefore that naturally arises is, since the whole world well knows how far distant these rivers are from each other, how can the account of moses be reconciled with the facts, when he says that all these rivers issued from one fountain; that is, that they flowed from one source in the garden of eden toward the east? for with respect to the nile, although its source is unknown, yet the arguments and proofs are plain that it flows from a region in the south. whereas it is quite certain that the ganges and the tigris and the euphrates flow from the north; sources in the entirely opposite direction. the account of moses therefore militates against sense and fact as they now are. this state of things has given occasion to many to form conjectures that eden was the whole world. though such conjectures are certainly false, yet they would not of themselves, even if true, reconcile the statements of moses, nor make all plain when he here says that the source of all these rivers was one and the same. and although it is very probable that if adam had remained in his innocence and his posterity had greatly multiplied in that state of innocency, god would have enlarged this garden correspondently; yet even that consideration would not justify the supposition that eden was the whole earth originally; for the sacred text most plainly separates eden from all the rest of the earth. what shall we say therefore concerning this passage of moses, contrary as it is to sense and experience, as things now are, and on that account so liable to cause offense being taken; especially since origen and others have built upon it so many marvelous and absurd fables? some commentators pretend that there is no difficulty at all nor any liability to offense being taken; and therefore they walk dryshod as it were over this deep sea. such lack of candor however is also highly unbecoming a commentator. my opinion on the matter, which indeed i have already given, is that paradise, which was very soon closed against man on account of sin, and afterwards totally destroyed and swept from the earth by the flood, left not one trace or vestige of its original state remaining, which can now be discovered. i fully believe, as i have before stated, that paradise did exist after the fall of adam, and that it was known to his posterity; but that it was inaccessible to them on account of the protection of the angel, who as the text informs us guarded eden with a flaming sword. the awful deluge however destroyed all things. by which also, as it is written, "all the fountains of the great deep were broken up," gen. 7:11. who can doubt therefore that the fountains of these rivers were also broken up and confounded? as therefore since the flood mountains exist where fields and fruitful plains before flourished, so there can be no doubt that fountains and sources of rivers are now found where none existed before and where the state of nature had been quite the contrary. for the whole face of nature was changed by that mighty convulsion. nor do i entertain the least doubt that all those wonders of nature which are from time to time discovered, are the effects and relics of that same awful visitation, the deluge. in the metallic mines which are now explored are found large logs of wood, hardened into stone; and in masses of stone themselves are perceived various forms of fishes and other animals. with the same confidence i also believe that the mediterranean sea before the deluge was not within the land. my persuasion is that the position which it now occupies was formed by the effects of the terrible flood. so also the space now occupied by the red sea was doubtless before a fruitful field, and most probably some portion of this very garden. in like manner, those other large bays, the gulf of persia, the gulf of arabia, etc., as they now exist, are relic effects of the deluge. wherefore we are by no means to suppose that the original source of the rivers, of which we are now speaking, was the same as it is today. but as the earth still exists and brings forth trees and their fruits, etc., and yet these, if compared with those in their original and incorrupt state, are but miserable remnants as it were of those former riches which the earth produced when first created, so these rivers remain as relics only of those former noble streams; but certainly not in their primitive position; much less flowing from their original sources. in the same manner, how much excellency has perished from our bodies by sin! wherefore the sum of the matter under discussion is that we must speak of the whole nature since its corruption, as an entirely altered face of things; a face which nature has assumed, first by means of sin, and secondly by the awful effects of the universal deluge. nor has god ceased to act still in the same way. when he punishes sins he still curses at the same time the earth also. thus in the prophet zephaniah, god threatens that he will consume the fowls of the air and the fishes of the sea, zeph. 1:3. hence the fact is that many of our rivers have in this age a far less number of fishes than in the memory of our forefathers. the birds also are much fewer in number than they once were, etc. god threatens also, is. 13, that he will punish in this same way the sins of babylon. for when men are taken away by god's judgments the beasts of the earth also disappear and monsters and destroying wild beasts alone remain, is. 13:21, 22. for example canaan was one of the most fruitful lands; but now it is said to be as it were a mere pickle-tub of unfruitful saltness, according to the divine threatening in the 107th psalm. if then such calamities are inflicted of god as the punishments of the particular sins of nations, what destructions and desolations must we consider the universal punishment of the flood to have wrought? let no one be offended therefore at moses saying that four rivers, which are at this day widely distant from each other and have now different fountains, flowed from one source in the garden of eden. for as i have here repeatedly observed we are not to think that the form of the world now is the same as it was before the sin of adam. origen was indeed of this opinion himself, and yet he turned aside to the vainest allegories. the nile indeed exists to this day, so does the ganges. but as virgil says concerning the destruction of troy, "a cornfield now flourishes where troy once stood," so if any one had seen the nile and the other great rivers mentioned by moses in their primitive beauty and glory he would have beheld them to be far different from what they are now. for not only are their sources altered, but their qualities and their courses are also changed; just as all other creatures are also deformed and corrupted. hence it is that peter affirms "that the heaven must receive christ until the times of the restitution of all things," acts 3:21. for peter here intimates, that which paul also testifies, that the whole creation was subjected to vanity, rom. 8:20, and that the restitution of all things is to be hoped for; the restitution not of man only, but of the heaven and the earth, of the sun and of the moon, etc. my answer therefore to all questioners upon the passage before us is: there is the nile, there is the ganges and there are other rivers still in existence; but they are not now such as they once were; they are not only confounded with respect to their sources, but altered as to their qualities also. in the same manner also man has indeed feet, eyes and ears, just as they were created and formed in paradise; but all these same members are miserably corrupted and marred by sin. adam before his sin had eyes the most bright, a smell of body the most pure, refined, delicate and grateful; a body the most perfectly adapted to generation and to every purpose intended of god without the least let, hindrance or obstruction in the performance of those purposes as services in obedience to god. but how far removed from all this aptitude, this service and this natural vigor are all our members now! just the same is the present nature of these rivers and of the whole creation if compared with its original state and condition. let us look therefore in hope and faith for the "restitution of all things;" not of the soul only, but of the body also; believing that we shall have in that day a body better and more noble even than it was when first created in paradise. for we shall not then be placed in a state of animal life, subject by its nature to alteration and change; but in the state and enjoyment of a spiritual life; that life, into which adam would have been translated, if he had lived without sin. into the hope of this life christ brings us by the remission of sins; and thereby makes our condition better and higher than adam enjoyed, but lost in paradise. the hebrew verb sab, which moses here uses, has a very extensive meaning; it signifies "to go round," as watchmen go their round in a city. pishon, therefore, or the ganges is still in existence, if you speak of its mere name and stream; but if you consider its fertilizing and fructifying qualities, its various other properties and the course of its waters, even the remnants of the original noble river are not to be found. the land of havilah is india, situated towards the east. this country is celebrated both in the present passage and in other places in the scripture as most rich and abundant in every respect. so that at this day the gems and the gold of india are considered the most precious and most noble. i believe however, according to the phraseology here adopted by moses, that in "the land of havilah" is included arabia felix and other adjacent regions. when moses speaks of bdellium and the onyx stone, i take these specimens of gems for gems in general. for we find india to abound even at the present day, not only in jewels of the description mentioned, but in emeralds, sapphires, rubies, garnets, diamonds, etc.; for i retain their appellations as they are now used among us. but here again i would bring back your attention to that which i have before stated. seeing that this region is endowed from above with such a rich abundance of all things useful and precious; how much more rich, abundant, opulent and divinely favored must we conclude it to have been in its original state before the sin of the fall! its present productions and contents can scarcely be called even remnants of its former excellency. vs. 13, 14. _and the name of the second river is gihon; the same is it which compasseth the whole land of cush. and the name of the third river is hiddekel; that is it which goeth toward the east of assyria. and the fourth river is the euphrates._ moses mentions the three remaining rivers by name only, giving no particular descriptions in reference to them. gihon is the nile. this river, as it runs through all egypt, takes in its course, cush or ethiopia also, as well as egypt. hiddekel is the tigris (in armenia), the most rapid river of all. "the fourth is the river euphrates." as if he had added, the river near to us. in this passage therefore we have a description of paradise with its four rivers. but now it is utterly lost and unknown; and no traces of it exist except these four rivers. and even these, first rendered leprous as it were and corrupted and marred by sin; and then changed, altered and confounded in their sources and in their courses by the mighty deluge. moses now proceeds to describe how a law was given to adam before eve was created, so that he might have a mode or form of external worship, by which to show his obedience and express his gratitude to god. part iii. the introduction of man into the garden, the command god gave him and the threatening god attached to it. i. v. 15. _and jehovah god took the man, and put him into the garden of eden to dress it and keep it._ after god had created and variously adorned the universe of heaven and earth, he next prepared the garden of eden, which he willed to be the habitation and royal seat of man, to whom he had committed the government over all other living creatures of the earth, the heaven and the sea. and now god places man in that garden as in a citadel and a temple, from which he had liberty to go out and to walk abroad in any other part of the earth, which also was most fruitful and most delightful; and there to amuse and delight himself with the beasts and other animals when and as he wished. and god gives to adam a two-fold charge that he should work or till this garden, and also that he should guard and defend it. some faint vestiges of this original command yet remain in these miserable remnants of primitive things, which we still possess. for even to this day these two things must ever be joined together: not only that the earth should be tilled but also that the productions of that cultivation should be defended. but both these great principles are corrupted and marred in an infinite number of forms. for not the tillage of the earth itself only but the defense of it also are filled with every kind of misery and trouble. and what the cause of all this sorrow is will be fully clear to us shortly in the following chapter of this book. for we shall there see that this working or tillage of the earth is defiled and embarrassed by thorns, by thistles, by the sweat of the brow and by various and unending misery. for, to say nothing about the labor and sorrow of procuring necessary food, what difficulty, what labor attend even the bringing up a child from its birth! if adam therefore had remained in his innocency he would have cultivated the earth and planted his beds of spices, not only without toil or trouble but as an amusement, attended with exquisite pleasure. his children when born would not long have needed the breast of their mother, but in all probability would have started on their feet, as we now see chickens do by nature, and would have sought their own food from the fruits of the earth, without the helplessness or weakness and without any labor or sorrow of their parents! but now how great do we behold to be the pain and misery of our birth, our infancy and our growth! if we speak of food and the misery attending it, not only have beasts the same general produce of the earth, now no longer an eden, which we have; but men defraud men of the same and rob them of it by theft and plunder. hence hedges and walls and other strong defences are found necessary for the protection of property; and even by these the produce, we have obtained by the labor and sweat of cultivation, can scarcely be preserved in safety. thus we have indeed a remnant of the labor of cultivation, but very far different from the employ of the original tillage. not merely because it is attended with the greatest toil and distress, but because the ground itself, being as it were unwilling, yields sparingly; whereas to adam it yielded as it were with the greatest joy and with the richest abundance, whether he sowed his seed within eden itself or in any other part of the earth. there was then no danger from plunderers and murderers. all was in perfect peace and safety. in all these respects therefore we can form an idea of the mighty evil of sin; when we behold the thorns, the briers, the sweat of the brow, etc., which are before us. whichever way we turn the magnitude of that evil is ever present. hence man did not fall by sin in soul only, but in body also; and both participate in the punishment. for labor is a punishment, which in the state of innocence was an amusement and a pleasure. even as now, in the present state of the misery of nature, if any one has a productive garden, neither digging nor sowing nor planting is a labor, but a certain devoted employment and a delight. what then must have been this employment and delight in the garden of eden in the state of original innocence! how much more pleasurable and perfect! and here also we may reflect with profit that man was not created to idleness, but to labor; no, not even in the state of primitive innocence. wherefore every state of an idle or indolent life is condemnable; such for instance as the life of monks and nuns. as the original labor and employment of man were unattended with sorrow or distress, as we have shown, so also this guarding and protecting of that which he possessed was full of pleasure and delight; whereas now all such protection is full of labor and peril. adam could have stopped or driven away even bears and lions by one single word. we have now indeed our means of defense, but they are truly horrible; for we cannot do without swords and spears, and cannon, and walls, and ramparts, and castle-fosses, etc.; and even with all these we and our loved ones scarcely abide in safety. hence we have scarcely the feeblest traces remaining either of the original work or the original protection. others expound this passage differently, making it to mean, "that god might till and keep it." but the text speaks of human "tilling" and human "keeping" absolutely. so cain just below, gen. 4:2, is said to have been "a tiller of the ground." and in job and ecclesiastes kings are called tillers of the earth or husbandmen; not merely on account of their labor itself in tillage, but on account of their guardianship and protection. but as i have all along said, labor and protection are now hard and difficult terms? but originally they were terms denoting a certain delightful employment and exquisite pleasure. ii. ver. 16, 17a. _and jehovah god commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it._ here we have the institution of the church before there was any domestic government (_oeconomia_) or civil government (_politia_). for eve was not yet created. and the church is here instituted without any walls or any pomp; in a place all open and most delightful. after the church was instituted domestic government (_oeconomia_) is established, when eve is brought to adam as his life-companion. thus we have at god's hand a church before a private house; the former of which indeed is greater and better than the latter. and as to civil government (_politia_); before sin there was none; nor was it needed. for civil government is a necessary remedy for corrupt nature. because the lust of men must be curbed by the chains and penalties of the laws, that it transgress not all bounds. wherefore we may properly term polity, or civil government, the established "kingdom over sin," just as paul also calls moses the minister and the law the "ministration of sin and of death," 2 cor. 3:7, 8; rom. 8:2. for the one and special object of civil government is to prevent sin. hence paul says, "that the power beareth the sword" and is "the avenger of evil doings," rom. 13:4. if therefore, men had not become evil by sin there would have been no need of civil government; but adam would have lived with his posterity in the greatest joy, peace and safety, and would have done more by the motion of one of his fingers than can now be effected by all the magistrates, all the swords and all the gallows of a kingdom. there would then have been no ravisher, no murderer, no thief, no slanderer, no liar. and therefore what need would there have been of civil government, which is as it were the sword, the caustic and the terrible medicine, which are necessary to cut off and burn out noxious members of the state, that its other members may be saved and preserved. after the establishment of the church therefore in paradise is committed unto adam the government of his family. the church is thus first instituted by god, that he might show by this as a sign that man was created to another and a higher end than any of the other living creatures. and as the church is thus instituted by the word of god, it is certain that adam was created by an immortal and spiritual life to which he would assuredly have been translated and conveyed without death after he had lived in eden and the other parts of the earth to his full satiety of life, yet without trouble or distress. and in that life there would have been none of that impure lust which now prevails. the love of sex for sex would have been uncontaminated and pure. generation would have proceeded without any sin or impurity, in a holy obedience unto god. mothers would have brought forth children without pain, and children themselves would have been brought up without any of that misery and labor and distress with which they are now always reared. but who can find language capable of describing the glory of that state of innocency, which we have lost? there certainly still remains in nature a desire of the male for the female. there also proceed the fruits of generation. but the whole is attended with a horrible impurity of lust, and with overwhelming pains of parturition. to all this are added turpitude, shame and confusion even between man and wife when they would enjoy their lawful embrace. in a word, even here and in all things else, is present the unspeakable awfulness of original sin. creation indeed is "good." the blessing of fruitfulness upon creation is "good." but all these things are corrupted and spoiled, by sin. so that even man and wife cannot enjoy them without shame and confusion of face. whereas none of these things would have had existence if the innocency of adam had continued. but as husbands and wives eat and drink together without any shame; so there would have been a singular and heavenly purity without any shame or confusion of feeling, either in generation or in parturition. but i return to moses. the church was originally instituted, as i have observed, before there was any house or family or domestic government. for the lord, we here find, preaches to adam and sets before him the word. on that word, though so short, it highly becomes us here to pause awhile and dwell. for this sermon of god to adam would have been to him and to us all, his posterity, had we continued in the original innocence, a whole bible as it were. and did we, or could we, possess that sermon now we should have no need of paper, ink and pens, nor of that infinite multitude of books, which we now require to teach us knowledge and wisdom. the whole contents of these books put together, could we grasp them in our minds, would not put us in possession of one-thousandth part of that wisdom, which adam possessed in paradise. could we attain to the sum of all the wisdom in all the world, this short sermon would swallow up and overflow the whole. it would show us in all plainness and fullness, as if painted on a tablet, that infinite goodness of god which created this nature of ours pure, holy and perfect; and it would show us with equal plainness all those impurities, calamities and sorrows, which have since overwhelmed us by the inbursting of sin. since therefore, as the text shows, adam alone heard this sermon from god, it must have been preached to him on the sixth day, and adam must have afterwards communicated it to eve on the same day. and if they had not sinned adam would have set this remarkable sermon or precept before his whole posterity also; and by it they would have become the most profound divines, the most learned lawyers and the most experienced physicians. now there exists an infinite number of books by which men are trained to be theologians, lawyers and physicians. but all the knowledge we can obtain by the help of all these books together can scarcely be called the dregs of science, if compared with that fund of wisdom which adam drew from this one sermon of god. so utterly corrupted are all things by original sin. this "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," therefore, or this place in which a number of trees like unto it were planted, would have been, as we have said, a church, where adam and his posterity, had he and they continued in their innocency, would have assembled on the sabbath day; and adam, after refreshment derived from the "tree of life," would have preached god to those assembled, and would have praised him for the dominion which he had given them over all other creatures he had made. the 148th and 149th psalms set forth a certain form of such praise and thanksgiving, where the sun, the moon, the stars, the fishes and the dragons are called upon to praise the lord. but there is no one psalm so beautiful, but that any one of us might compose one far more excellent and more perfect, if we had been born of the seed of adam in his state of original innocence. adam would have preached that highest of all blessings, that he had been created in and that his posterity bore the image and the similitude of god. he would have exhorted them all to live a holy life without sin, to till the garden in which god had placed them with all industry, to keep it with all diligence, and to guard with all caution against tasting the fruit of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil." this external place, form, worship and preaching of the word, man would most certainly have observed on the sabbath. afterwards he would have returned to his duties of laboring and guarding until the time appointed of god had been fulfilled, in which he should be translated without any death and with all sweetness to heaven. we must now speak of all these blessings however as a lost treasure, and we are deservedly left to sigh for that day, when all these things shall be restored. it is nevertheless most profitable to remember the blessings we have lost, and to feel the evils we suffer and in the midst of which we live, in so much wretchedness that we may be thereby stirred to look for that redemption of our bodies, of which the apostle speaks, rom. 8:23. for as to our souls we are already freed and delivered by christ; and we hold that deliverance in faith until the "end of our faith" shall be revealed, 1 pet. 1:19. it is moreover very profitable to consider from this text that god gave unto adam a word, a worship and a religion, the most simple, most pure and most disencumbered of all laborious forms and sumptuous appearance. for god did not command the sacrificing of oxen, nor the burning of incense, nor long and loud prayers, nor any other afflictions or wearyings of the body. all that he willed was, that adam should praise him, should give him thanks, and should rejoice in him as the lord his god; obeying him in this one great thing that he ate not the fruit of the forbidden tree. of this worship we have indeed some remnants restored to us in a certain measure by christ, even amidst all this infirmity of our flesh. we also are enabled to praise god and to give him thanks for every blessing of the soul and of the body. but too true it is, that these are but very remnants of the original worship of eden. but when, after this miserable life, we shall come among the company of angels, we shall then offer unto god a purer and holier worship. and there are also other remnants of this original felicity still vouchsafed unto us; that by the blessing of marriage we avoid and prevent adulteries; that this corporeal life has not only food, though procured with infinite labor, but a protection and a defense of that which we possess, secured unto us against all the evils and dangers which surround us on every side. these are indeed merciful remnants, still they are but miserable remnants if compared with the original blessedness and security. moreover, brethren, ye are here to be admonished against false prophets, through whom satan endeavors by various means to corrupt sound doctrine. i will give you an example of this in my own case, and just show you how i was tormented by a fanatical spirit when i first began to preach this doctrine, which i am now setting forth in my comments on the passage before us. the text indeed uses a hebrew verb signifying "to command;" "and jehovah god commanded the man." yet this agent of satan argued, and drew his conclusion thus:--"the law is not made for a righteous man." adam was a righteous man; therefore, the law was not made for adam; because, he was a righteous man. upon this argument he immediately pinned another; that this sermon of god therefore was not a law but an admonition only; and that, consequently, "where there was no law there was, as paul affirms, no transgression." and from this argument, that "where there is no law there is no transgression," he crept on to the conclusion, therefore, there was no original sin; the truth of which doctrine he consequently denied. by thus connecting together these two passages of scripture he gained, as he considered, a marvelous victory, and he publicly displayed his triumph as if he had discovered a treasure hitherto unknown to the world. now it is profitable thus to mark the mighty attempts of satan, that we may learn to meet them with wisdom and skill. both the above passages, that the "law is not made for a righteous man;" and that "where there is no law there is no transgression" are found in the epistles of paul, 1 tim. 1:9, and rom. 4:15. and it is the business of a sound and skillful logician in divine things, to mark carefully the aims and the devices of the devil; because our sophistical reasoners, his miserable slaves, use them after him. they pretend indeed to found their arguments on scripture. for they know that it would appear perfectly ridiculous to thrust upon men's minds nothing but their own dreams. but they do not cite scripture wholly and honestly; they seize upon those parts of it only which seem at first to make for them; but those portions which stand against them, they either craftily pass over or corrupt by cunningly devised interpretations. thus when satan found that christ trusted in the mercy of god under his great hunger, he attempted to draw him into a forbidden confidence, math. 4:3, 4. and again, in the matter of his standing on the pinnacle of the temple, the devil tried to make him tempt god; by quoting to him a passage seemingly adopted for his purpose, ps. 91:11-12, "he shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." now that portion of the passage in the psalm, which was contrary to his purpose, satan craftily passed over, "to keep thee, in all thy ways." here lies the whole force of this scripture, that this guardianship of angels is promised to us "in all our ways" or "in our lawful calling" only. christ in all divine wisdom sets before satan this as the true meaning of the sacred text, when he replies to his face in this precept, "thou shalt not tempt the lord thy god." by this christ signifies that the "way" of man is not in the air, but that was the "way" of the flying fowls; but that the "way" of man was the steps which led from the roof of the temple to the ground; and which were made for the end that there might be a descent from the top of the temple to the bottom, easy and without peril. when therefore we are in our lawful calling and duty, whether that duty be commanded of god or of men, which latter have a right to prescribe the duty of our calling, while we are thus "in our ways," then we may assuredly believe the guardianship of angels will not fail us. the above example therefore will furnish a very useful rule to be observed in our disputations with these fanatical tools of satan. for those who are not on their guard are often deceived when crafty men transfer their arguments, after their own manner, from connected to unconnected portions of the scripture; or adopt dishonest connections or divisions of the sacred text; but adduce not passages in their integral state as they stand in the word. now this is the very method adopted in the present case by my adversary, when he argues as above from these two detached portions, "that law is not made for a righteous man," and "where there is no law, there is no transgression." he who is not on the watch-tower of wisdom and caution here is entangled before he is aware of it, and drawn into the horrible conclusion, that there was no real sin in eating the first apple; because, as our crafty opponents would argue, there was no law; and, as they further argue, which is indeed true in itself, because "where there is no law there is no transgression." and i am by no means certain that some even in our day have not been deceived by this very argument of the devil. for they so speak of original sin as to make it not a sin itself, but a punishment of sin only. hence erasmus, discussing this point with his famous eloquence, observes, "original sin is a punishment, inflicted on our first parents, which we their posterity are compelled to bear for another's fault, without any desert of our own. just as the son of an harlot is forced to endure the infamy, not by his own fault but by that of his mother. for what sin could any man commit who had as yet no existence?" these sentiments flatter human reason, but they are full of impiety and blasphemy. wherein then is the syllogism of our crafty adversary unsound? it is because, according to satan's common artifice, the text on which it is founded is not quoted entirely, but most perfidiously mutilated. for the whole text stands thus, "the law is not made for a righteous man, but for murderers, for adulterers," etc., etc. wherefore nothing can be more evident, nothing else can be concluded than that the apostle paul is here speaking of that law which god revealed unto man after sin was in the world; not of that law, which the lord gave unto adam in paradise, while he was yet righteous and innocent. the law, says paul, "was not made for a righteous man;" wherefore it insubvertibly follows, that the law of which paul speaks was given to nature, when not innocent, but sinning and liable to sin. is it not then the height of wickedness thus to confound passages of scripture in causes of such solemn moment? adam after his sin was not the same as he was before, when in his state of innocency. and yet these men make no difference between the law delivered to man before sin and the law delivered to man after sin. but what the apostle says concerning the law, which was delivered to the world after it was filled with sin, these instruments of satan, lyingly and with the greatest blasphemy, transfer and apply to the law, delivered to adam in paradise. whereas, if no sin had existed the law prohibiting sin would not have existed. for as i have said above, civil government and laws, or cauteries, and the sword, and the "schoolmaster," as paul terms "the law," would not have been needed in a state of innocent nature. but the boy because he is now bad needs the "schoolmaster" and the rod. so the prince, because he has disobedient citizens, equally needs the crown-officer and the executioner. it is of this law that paul is really speaking; the law which nature when corrupted by sin needed. with respect to the need which adam had of this commandment of god concerning the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," i have shown that need above. it was that adam might have a settled external worship of god and a work of external obedience towards him to perform statedly. thus the angel gabriel is without sin, a creature most pure and innocent, and yet he received a commandment from god to inform daniel concerning things of the utmost importance, and to announce to the virgin mary that she was to be the mother of christ promised to the fathers. these are positive commandments, given to a creature perfectly innocent. in the same manner there is here a commandment given of the lord to adam before his sin that he should not eat of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," which commandment adam would have fulfilled willingly and with the highest pleasure, had he not been deceived by the craft of satan. but paul is referring to quite another law; for he is plainly speaking of a law which was given, not to the righteous, but to the unrighteous. who is there, then, so stupid or so insane, who will after all conclude that a law was not given to adam because he hears us affirm that adam was a righteous man? for no other conclusion can follow than that the law, which was made for the unrighteous, was not the law that was given to the righteous adam; and on the converse it must follow that as a law was given to righteous adam, that law was not the same as the law which was afterwards made for the unrighteous. there is therefore in this syllogism or argument of our adversary, the two-fold unsoundness of unjust connection and unjust division. there is in it moreover a double equivocation. the first is in not making it plain that the law before sin is one thing, and the law after sin another. and in the second place, the equivocation lies in not making it equally plain, that the righteous man before sin and the righteous man after sin are each righteous, but in a different sense; that the one is righteous by nature the other by new-creation and justification. it is most useful to examine thus the arguments and reasonings of our adversaries, and in this manner to apply the science of sound logic to good purpose in these momentous discussions. for the arts of logic were not seriously intended to be used in the dead disputation of the school only; but that the gravest and most sacred subjects might by them be soundly explained and taught. and it is by the very false reasoning now in question, that satan does a great deal of business in denying original sin. whereas to deny original sin, is to deny virtually the passion and resurrection of christ. let the passage of the apostle paul therefore, 1 tim. 1:9, hinder us not from determining with moses in the text now before us, that a law was here commanded of god to adam though a righteous man, "that he should not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," in the same way as commandments were also given to angels. and because adam transgressed this commandment he sinned, and begat and propagated his children after him also sinners. iii. v. 17b. _for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die._ this penal threat also thus expressly added proves that it was a law, not an admonition, that was given to adam. and it moreover shows that adam was created in a state of innocence and righteousness. for as yet there was no sin in existence because god did not create sin. if adam therefore had obeyed this command he would never have died, for death entered into the world by sin. all the rest of the trees of paradise therefore were created to the end that they might aid and preserve unto man his animal life, sound and whole, and without the least evil or inconvenience. now it naturally appears wonderful to us at this day, that there should have been an animal life without any death and without any evils or accidental causes of death, which now abound, such as diseases, boils and fetid redundancies, in bodies, etc., etc. the reason is that no part of the body in the state of innocency was foul or impure. there was no unpleasantness in the evacuations or secretions. there were no impurities whatever. everything was most beautiful and delightful. there was no offense to any of the organs or senses. and yet the life was an animal life. adam ate, digested, performed the functions of, and managed and regulated, his body. and had he continued in his innocence he would have done all these and other things the animal life does and requires, until he had been translated to the spiritual and eternal life. for this deathless translation also we have lost by sin. and now, between this present and a future life, there exists that awful medium passage, death. that passage, in the state of innocence, would have been most delightful; and by it adam would have been translated to the spiritual life, or as christ calls it in the gospel, the life "as the angels in heaven," math. 12:25; in which state all animal actions cease. for in the resurrection we shall neither eat nor drink nor are given in marriage. so with respect to adam, all animality would have ceased and a spiritual life in glory would have followed; even as we also believe it will be with us "in the resurrection" through christ. so also adam would have put off his childhood glory of innocence, if i may so term his natural life of innocency, and would have put on his heavenly glory. he would have done with all inferior actions, which however, in that childhood glory of innocency, would have been pure and unattended with that sorrow which mars all things since the fall; and would have been translated from his infantine glory of created innocence, to that manhood of glorious innocence, which angels enjoy; and which we also who believe shall enjoy in the life to come. i call adam's primitive, creative innocence the childhood of glorious innocency, because adam, if i may so speak, was in a middle state, or a state of neutrality or liability; in a state where he could be deceived by satan; and could fall into that awful calamity into which he did fall. but such a peril of falling will not exist in that state of perfect manhood of glorified innocency, which we shall enjoy in the future and spiritual life. and this indeed is that which is signified in this threat of punishment. "for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." as if the lord had said, thou mayest remain indeed, if thou obey me, in this life, in which i have created thee; yet thou wilt not even then, be immortal, as the angels are. it is a life placed as it were in a middle, neutral or liable, state. thou mayest remain in it by obedience, and afterwards be translated into an immortality, which cannot be lost. on the other hand if thou shalt not obey me, thou shalt fall into death and shalt lose that immortality. there is a great difference therefore between the created spiritual state of angels and the created natural innocency of adam. angels as they now are cannot fall, but adam could fall; for adam was created in a state in which he might become immortal, that is, in which he might continue in his original innocency without death, for he was free from all sin and stood in a condition from which he might be translated out of the childhood glory of original innocency into the manhood glory of immortality, in which he could never sin afterwards. on the other hand, adam could fall out of this childhood glory of natural innocence into sin, the curse and death, as indeed it sadly happened. adam was in a state of natural immortality, or which might have been a natural immortality, because he had recourse to certain created trees, the virtue of whose fruits produced preservation of life. but this natural immortality was not so secured to him, as to render it impossible for him to fall into mortality. why god willed to create man in this middle, neutral or liable state is not for us to explain or curiously to inquire. equally impossible is it for us to say and unlawful to ask, why man was so created that all mankind should be propagated from one man by generation, while angels were not so created. for angels generate not nor are propagated, because they live a spiritual life; but the counsel of god in the creation of man is worthy the highest admiration, in that he created him to an animal life and to corporeal actions, which also the other animals have, and gave him also a power of intellect, which indeed the angels also possess. so that man is a compound being, in whom are united the brute and the angelic natures. moreover, as we have here come to consider the nature of angels, we must not keep back the written opinions of some of the fathers, that there is a certain similarity between the creation of man and that of angels. this similarity however cannot be extended to the properties of generation, which in the spiritual nature has no existence, but to the imperfection that subsisted in each nature as to liability to fall. for since man, as i have shown, was created in a kind of a middle, or liable or pendent state, so also angels when first created were not so confirmed in their natural standing that they could not fall. hence it is that christ says concerning the devil, that he "abode not in the truth," john 8:44. on these grounds the holy fathers supposed that a battle or sedition arose between the angels, some of those beings taking the part of some very beautiful angel, who exalted himself above all the rest on account of certain superior gifts bestowed upon him. these things are very probable nor are they at variance with that which christ here affirms by the evangelist john, that the devil "abode not in the truth;" nor are they inconsistent with that which jude also affirms in his epistle, that the angels "kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation," jude 6. in confirmation of these sentiments, the fathers adduce the passage, is. 14:12, 13. but with reference to isaiah, he is evidently speaking of the king of babylon, who wished to sit in the throne of god, that is, to rule over his holy people and his temple. whether, therefore, there really was this dissension and war among the angels, or whether, which is more agreeable to my views, certain proud angels, filled with envy and taking offense at the humility of the son of god, wished to exalt themselves above him, it is quite certain that the angels also like man were in such a state of innocence as could be altered. after the evil angels however had been judged and condemned, the good angels were so confirmed in their standing that they could not sin after that confirmation, for they were all elect angels, but the reprobate angels were cast out. so also, if the great dragon, or the evil angels, mentioned in revelations, had continued in their innocence, they also would afterwards have been confirmed therein and could never have fallen. the fathers, speaking on this subject, hold that the elect angels were created in righteousness and were afterwards confirmed therein; but that those who fell, "abode not in the truth," john 8:44. but we are not to think that the angels are few in number, for christ affirms, luke 11:18, that satan has a kingdom, and that he is as the chief one among robbers and governs all things in his kingdom by his authority and counsels; and it is also said, in the same chapter that the devils or evil angels have their prince beelzebub, who was at the head of this sedition in heaven. but there has arisen a question here, in the discussion of which the books of all the sophists are idly employed, and after all they explain nothing. the question to which i allude is, "what was original righteousness?" some make it a certain quality, others give different definitions. we however following moses, will define original righteousness to be so termed, because man was originally created righteous, true and upright; not in body only, but especially in soul, and because he acknowledged god; because he obeyed him with the utmost pleasure; because he understood the works of god without any instruction concerning them. this last faculty of adam is wonderfully exemplified by the fact, that when he had been in a profound sleep and god had formed eve out of one of his ribs, the moment he awoke he recognized eve as the work of god, saying "this is now bone of my bones." was not this a marvelous proof of intellect, thus at the first sight to know and comprehend the work of god? from this same original righteousness also it arose that adam loved god and his works with all purity of affection; that he lived among the creatures of god in peace without any fear of death or any dread of disease, and that he enjoyed a body also the most obedient to the will of god, without any evil desires and utterly free from that impure lust, which we continually feel. so that a most beautiful and most certain picture of original righteousness may be portrayed from its entire contrast to that deep corruption, which we now feel throughout our whole nature. when human reasoners speak of original sin, they consider only its wretched and unclean lust or concupiscence. but original sin is in truth the entire fall of the whole human nature. the intellect is so darkened that we can no longer understand god and his will, nor perceive nor acknowledge the works of god. moreover the will is so wonderfully depraved that we cannot trust in the mercy of god nor fear god, but living in security and unconcern, we disregard the word of god and his will and follow the concupiscence and violent lusts of the flesh. the conscience also is no longer at peace and in quiet, and when it thinks of the judgments of god it sinks into despair, and seeks and follows after unlawful supports and remedies. and all these sins are so deeply rooted in our nature that they cannot be entirely eradicated through our whole life. and yet these miserable sophistical reasoners do not touch upon these deep corruptions even in word. but by taking this true view of original sin, it clearly demonstrates, according to the nature of correlative proofs, what original sin really was by its awful contrariety to that original righteousness. thus it is evident that original sin is the essential and entire loss and deprivation and absence of original righteousness; just as blindness is the privation or absence of sight. yes! the divine matters of original sin and original righteousness extend much more widely and deeply than is imagined by the monks, who understand original righteousness only as it refers to sexual chastity. whereas they ought first to look at the soul of man as the seat of all sin and corruption and then turn to the body, and view it as deriving all its defilement and pollution from the soul. with reference to the soul the great proof of its fallen state under original sin is, that we have lost the knowledge of god; that we do not always and everywhere give thanks unto him; that we do not rejoice in the works of his hands and all his doings; that we do not wholly trust in him; that we begin to hate and blaspheme him whenever he visits our sins with deserved punishments; that in our dealings with our neighbor we follow our own interests, desires and objects, and are plunderers, thieves, adulterers, murderers, cruel, unkind, unmerciful. the ragings of lust are indeed a certain part of original sin, but those sins and corruptions of the soul, unbelief, ignorance of god, despair, hatred, blasphemy, of which calamities of the soul adam knew nothing in his state of innocence. and in addition to these reflections, the numberless punishments of original sin are to be contemplated. for whatever is now lost of those endowments with which adam was created and gifted, while his nature was yet unfallen, is rightly considered the consequence of original sin. adam for instance was of a most perfect and sagacious intellect. for the moment that eve was presented to him he understood that she was his own flesh. he had also the most minute knowledge of all the other creatures. he was not only just and upright, but of a most perfect and wonderful understanding in all things. he had moreover a most upright will, yet not a perfect will; for perfection itself was deferred from the state of the animal life to that of the spiritual and eternal life. let these comments suffice upon the sacred text before us, vs. 16 and 17, in which the church is constituted. moses now proceeds to marriage and domestic government (_oeconomia_). part iv. the creation of eve. v. 18. _and jehovah god said, it is not good that the man should be alone; i will make him an helpmeet for him (which may be before him)._ we have just seen how the church was constituted by the word and by the establishment of a certain day, place and order of worship. for civil government (_politia_) there was as yet no need, while nature was innocent and without sin. now domestic government (_oeconomia_) is instituted. for god now makes the solitary adam a husband by giving him a wife and uniting her to him of whom adam had need also for the generation and multiplication of the human race. and as we have observed above with reference to the creation of adam that god created him with deep purpose of mind and counsel, some here see that eve also was created with profound counsel and wisdom of design. by all this moses would show that man was a singularly excellent creature and that he partook both of the human and the divine natures, of divinity and immortality. man therefore is a more excellent creature than the heaven or the earth or any other creature which god made. and moses would also impress us with reference to the other part of human nature, namely, woman, that she also was created with a peculiar counsel and design of god. and the object of moses in this particular point of his divine instruction is, to show that this sex also had great concernment, in that state of animal but innocent life, in which adam was created, and in that state of a spiritual and eternal life also, which he expected. for the female sex was necessary for the generation and multiplication of the human race. hence it follows that if the woman had not been deceived by the serpent and had not sinned, she would have been in all respects equal to adam. for her now being subject to her husband is the punishment laid upon her of god since sin and on account of sin; as are also all her other troubles and perils, her labor and pain in bringing forth children, with an infinite number of other sorrows. woman therefore is not now what eve was at her creation. the condition of woman then was inconceivably better and more excellent than now; she was then in no respect whatever inferior to adam, whether you consider the endowments of her body or those of her mind. but we may here inquire when god says, "it is not good that the man should be alone," what is that "good" of which god is speaking, seeing that adam was righteous and had no need of the woman as we have, who bear about with us our flesh all leprous with sin? my reply is, that god is speaking of a common "good," or the good of the species; not of personal good. all personal good adam already possessed. he enjoyed perfect innocency. but the common good of which all other animals partook, he possessed not. he could not propagate his species by generation. adam was alone. nor had he as yet a companion for that wonderful work of generation and the preservation of his species. the "good" therefore here divinely expressed, signifies the multiplying of the human race. in the same manner also adam, although innocent and righteous, did not as yet possess that high good to which he was created; namely, a spiritual and glorious immortality, to which he would have been translated of god in his appointed time, if he had continued in his innocency. the meaning of "good" therefore in the text is, that adam being himself a most beautiful creature possessed, as far as his own person was concerned, everything he could require. but there was yet wanting to him one thing, the "good" of god's "blessing;" the generating and multiplying of his species; for he was alone. now, as nature is corrupted by sin, woman is necessary, not only for the multiplying of the human race but also for the companionship, help and protection of life. for domestic government needs the ministration of women. nay, such is our wretchedness by the fall of adam, that, to our shame and sorrow be it confessed, we have need of woman as a remedy against sin. wherefore, in contemplating woman, we must consider not only the place in domestic government which she fills, but the remedy for sin, which god has made her to supply; as the apostle paul says, "to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife," 1 cor. 7:2. and a certain master of divine sentiments also eloquently observes, "marriage was instituted in paradise as a duty and an obedience to god; but since the fall it is a remedy also for sin." wherefore we are obliged to adopt a union with this sex to avoid sin. this is indeed a sad and disgraceful confession to make; but it is the truth. for there are very few now who take unto themselves wives, purely as a duty of obedience to god; according to his original will in the creation of man as male and female! other animals however have no necessity of this kind. therefore they as a rule come together once in the year only, and are contented with that intercourse, as if by this fact they said, "we come together as a duty to god!" but it is far different with men. they are compelled to have recourse to their union with wives in matrimony to avoid sin. hence we generate and are born in the midst of sins on both sides. for our parents do not come together as a pure duty to god, but as a remedy also, for the sake of avoiding sin. and yet it is by means of this very remedy and by this very miserable state of things, that god fulfils his original blessing pronounced upon male and female when he created them. and thus men, though in sin and with sin, generate and are generated. but this would not have been the case in paradise, had man continued in the innocency of his original creation. generation in that state would have been a most holy yielding of obedience to god, utterly free from that impure lust which now exists. and children would have been born in original righteousness and rectitude. they would have known god immediately at their birth, without any instruction or admonition. they would have spoken of his holy name, praised him and given him thanks. but all these glorious things are now lost. yet it is profitable to us to think upon them deeply, that we may hold fast some sense of the real state in which we now are; namely, under all the effects of original sin; and that we may rightly contemplate also the original condition of adam, a state of perfect righteousness, which state we hope again to enjoy in all its blessedness at the "restitution of all things," acts 3:21. with respect to the divine expression, "let us make," i have already observed that eve was created, as well as adam, by a peculiar counsel of god, in order that it might be manifest that she was a partaker with him of a better and an immortal life; a hope not possessed by any of the other living creatures, who live a natural life only without any hope of an eternal life. that which the latin renders "like him" in this passage, is in the hebrew, "which may be before him." god, by this expression also, distinguishes the human female from the females of all other living creatures, which are not always "before" their mates. but woman was expressly created that she might be "before" her husband always and everywhere. even as the emperor also calls the life of married persons "an individual life." whereas the brute female requires her mate only once in the whole year, and after she has conceived she returns to her own kind and takes care of herself. of her young, which were brought forth at any previous time, she takes no care whatever. she does not cohabit with her mate always. the nature of marriage among mankind however is utterly different. there the woman is married by the man that she may be "before him" always and may cohabit with him as one flesh. and if adam had remained in his state of innocency, this individual life or cohabitation of man and wife would have been most sweet and delightful. the embrace itself also would have been most holy and reverential, and worshipful of god. there would have existed none of that impurity and shame arising from sin, which now exists. is not this fallen state of man most awful to contemplate! for in its holy reality there was nothing more excellent, nothing more admirable in all nature, than the fulfilment of the divine law of generation. it was an act of obedience to god, the highest which man could perform next to praising and lauding his glorious name, which obedience adam and eve rendered unto god in as much holiness and freedom from all sin as when they were engaged in acts of praise and adoration. the fulfilment of this law of nature and of god indeed still continues. but how wretched are these present remnants of the original innocency! how horribly deformed by sin, pollution and baseness of every description. all these things are deplorable evidences of nature's original sin. for the great and glorious ends of creation there was need of the woman as a helpmeet for man. for man alone could not generate; nor could the woman generate alone. as the apostle says, neither the man nor the woman "had power over their own bodies" for that high end. hence the loftiest praises of each sex are, that the male is the father and the woman the mother of the generation of mankind. the wife in this high sense also is that helpmeet of the husband. but, as we have repeatedly said, if we look at the state of originally-created innocency, the generation of man has lost all its excellency, its pure delight, its holiness and its worshipful obedience to god. moreover in this age and at this day, you may find many who wish that they had no children at all born to them. and this far more than barbarous inhumanity and enormity is found more particularly among princes and nobles, who frequently abstain from marriage for the sole reason that they may have no posterity. still more base is the practice found in those princes, who suffer themselves to be counselled and persuaded not to marry, lest their families should become too large for civil purposes. such men are indeed worthy of having their names blotted out from the land of the living, as the punishment of their contempt of the laws and intents of god. who is there that would not execrate such swine-like monsters as these? these inhuman beings however still further manifest in many base particulars the nature and depth of original sin. were it not for the consequences of this mighty sin, we should all admire the fulfilment of the law of god in generation, as one of the highest acts of the obedience and worship of god. and we should extol it as one of the greatest gifts of god with its due praise and admiration. from the above inhuman abuse and contempt of marriage have arisen those numerous reproaches of the female sex, which celibacy has greatly augmented. whereas it is one of the greatest of his blessings that god has preserved for us women, even against the wishes and the wills of such inhuman beings, both as a divine means of generation and as a remedy also against the sin of fornication. in paradise woman would have been indeed a helper in our duty and obedience to god, and in our fulfilment of his command "to be fruitful and to multiply and replenish the earth," gen. 1:28. but now woman is in a very great measure a medicine and remedy for sin. so that in truth we can now scarcely mention the name of woman without shame; most certainly we cannot unite ourselves to her without some sense and blush of that shame. the mighty cause of all this is original sin. for in paradise the union of man and woman would have been wholly free from the thought of shame or impurity. the whole union would have been looked upon and felt, as a duty of obedience to god, ordained by himself and sanctified by the blessings he pronounced upon it. the same calamitous state on account of sin rests upon us also, even in the midst of all our spiritual gifts. for although we may have faith and live in faith, yet we cannot be free from doubt, fear and the sensible awe of death. these just punishments of original sin, our holy fathers in the faith deeply saw and felt. that which now follows is as it were a repetition of what has preceded, concerning the creation of adam, by which repetition moses would more conveniently arrive at his intended description of the manner in which woman was created. in reading what follows, therefore, we must consider adam to have been already created. v. 19a. _and out of the ground jehovah god formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them._ as if moses had said, "god now willed by a certain deep and deliberate counsel to create woman. for he saw that every other living creature had a helpmeet for generation. adam alone had none. god therefore now brought all the living creatures of the earth and of the air to adam, to see what he would call them. and when adam had given to each one its appropriate name, he found no living creature like unto himself as an helpmeet for him." and here we are again struck with the wonderful knowledge and wisdom which adam possessed. created as he was in innocency, righteousness and knowledge, he beholds all living creatures stand before him; and without any new illumination for the purpose, but by the pure properties and excellency of his nature alone, he so discerns in a moment the characteristic nature of each creature, that he gives it a name exactly descriptive of its created peculiarities. well indeed might the "dominion" over all living creatures have been added of god to man, to whom he had given such intellectual light as this! and this "dominion" which god had conferred on adam, he now ratifies anew by bringing to him all creatures to be named according to his judgment. by all this it is further manifest that adam could by one single word compel lions, bears, boars, tigers and any other of the noble animals to do any thing he wishes, according to their natural properties and powers; all which properties he thoroughly understood at a moment's glance when he gave them their names. but all these original endowments of man are utterly lost by sin. no wonder therefore that we have no knowledge of the adorable god, when we know nothing as adam did of the natures, powers and properties even of the beasts of the earth. there exist indeed very many books, which describe the natures of the beasts and of plants. but what a length of time, what an extent of observation and of experience were necessary to collect the contents of all these volumes! in adam however there was a marvelously different illumination and intellect. he discovered by a moment's glance at each living creature its whole nature and all its separate faculties and created endowments; and that too with a perfection far above that to which we can ever attain by a whole life of devoted study and research in natural history. and as this knowledge in adam was a peculiar and eminent gift of god, so was it greatly pleasing and delightful to god. and on account of this pleasure god brought the living creatures to adam and commanded him to use the knowledge he had thus given him in assigning to each living creature its appropriate name. vs. 19b, 20. _and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof. and the man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the heavens, and to every beast of the field; but for man there was not found a helpmeet for him (to be before him)._ what an ocean of knowledge and wisdom there was in this one man! and although adam lost much of this knowledge by sin, yet my full belief is that the whole contents of the books of all the wise, which have ever been written throughout all ages since letters first had birth, have not to this day equalled that wisdom which adam possessed, even after his sin and fall. but all has become obscured by degrees in his posterity and is well nigh extinct altogether. but we must here again note that moses is still engaged describing the creation-work and the divine transactions of the sixth day. for that which he had briefly said in the divine expression, "_let us_ make man," gen. 1:26, he now more fully explains in this second chapter, in order that he might distinguish man from all other living creatures by more than one recorded testimony. wherefore he devotes this whole second chapter to a more particular explanation of the creation of man. with reference to the man moses has already said that he was made of the dust of the ground, and that the breath of life was breathed of god into his nostrils. he has also stated that the whole multitude of living creatures was brought before adam. when adam had seen among them all no helpmeet for him, woman was made to be his companion in the generation and preservation of the human species. for god did not will that the posterity of adam should be made out of the ground, as he himself was, but that it should be propagated as the other animals. as to our bodily life we eat and drink, generate and are generated just like all animals. however moses is greatly concerned in his thought to separate and distinguish man from all the animal creatures, because in this way the end is reached that after this earthly life man should become a partaker of the spiritual and eternal life. now all these things pertain, as we have just observed, unto the creation work of the sixth day. for as god had said, "be fruitful and multiply," the explanation of the manner in which the woman was created and brought to adam became a necessary part of the sacred narrative. all this is moreover intended to lead us into the firm belief and satisfaction of mind that six days were really occupied by god in his creation of all things, contrary to the opinion of augustine and hilary, who think that all things were created in a moment. to such an extent do they depart from the history of facts and follow allegories and indulge in i know not what kind of dreamy speculations. nor do i speak these things by way of reproach to the holy fathers, whose labors we ought to venerate. i make these statements for the confirmation of the truth and for our own consolation. the fathers were great men. yet they were men; men who had fallen and still liable to fall. so that we have no ground for exalting ourselves like the monks, who worship all things belonging to themselves as if they were not liable to fall. whereas for my part, it is rather a great consolation to me than otherwise, that the fathers are discovered to have erred and fallen at times also. because my thoughts run thus: if god pardoned sins and errors in them why should i despair of pardon from him? on the other hand, despair immediately comes on if you begin to think that the fathers did not experience the same things which you feel and suffer. it is at the same time quite certain that there was a mighty difference between the call of the apostles and the call of the fathers. on what grounds therefore can we esteem the writings of the fathers equal to the writings of the apostles? but with special reference to the sacred passage of moses before us, how, i pray you, is it possible that six days should be either a moment or an hour? neither faith, which rests wholly in the word, nor reason itself, can admit this. wherefore let us be assured, that there were between the divine acts of the creation certain intervals. thus, adam is first created alone. then there are brought unto him all the animals, not only that he might name them, but that he might be tried, by seeing whether he could find in all this collection of creatures a meet companion. after this, eve is created. lastly, these words are spoken by the lord, "of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat," etc., which words struck the ears of adam. all these things carry with them a proof that they occurred at certain intervals of time, unless indeed you would turn away like origen from such plain and positive historical facts to the most absurd allegories. for moses is not here giving us a record of god himself, in whose sight all things past, present, and future are ever present in the same moment; but he is recording a history of adam, a creature of time, who was made and who lived; and with whom as a creature there is a difference between the present and the future. i have deemed it right to bring these things to your recollection by this repetition. now let us proceed with moses. v. 21. _and jehovah god caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof._ here again not faith only, but reason and fact also, prove that the time of adam's being awake was one space of time and the time of his being asleep another. these spaces have evidently their intervals. as therefore adam was created in the sixth day, and all the animals were brought to him on that day; as he heard the command of god concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; as god sent upon him sleep, it is manifest beyond dispute; that all these facts have reference to time and to this animal life. and it is equally evident that the days mentioned in the sacred record must be understood to have been true and real days, contrary to the opinion of the holy fathers. whenever therefore we find the opinions of the fathers to disagree with the scriptures, we tolerate them with reverence and acknowledge them to be our elders in the church; but we do not for their sakes depart from the authority of the scriptures. elegant and true is that sentiment of aristotle, in the first book of his "ethics," "where both friends and truth are near to us, it is our sacred duty to give the higher honor to the truth." the philosopher of old here plainly affirms that it is better to stand by the truth than to show too much favor to those who may be our friends or even our relations. such a sentiment is nobly becoming a philosopher. if, therefore, a natural man and a heathen holds that such a principle should be maintained in moral, human and civil disputations, with how much greater firmness should it be held in the discussion of those things which stand on the manifest testimony of the scriptures! how jealous should we be of setting the authority of men above that of the word! men may be deceived, but the word of god itself is the wisdom of god and infallible truth. but with respect to this portion, namely, the divine history itself, what i pray you, could be recorded more fabulous in the estimation of human reason, if you wish to follow that? for could any one be found who would believe this fact concerning the creation of eve, if it were not thus openly declared? for here all the other creatures stand as plain examples to the contrary. every other living creature is generated from male and female, and is so generated that it is the female that brings it into the light. but here the female herself is created from the male; and that too with a no less wonderful creation than that by which adam himself was made a living soul, from the dust of the ground. these facts are mere monstrosities and outrageous absurdities, if you set aside the authority of the holy scriptures and follow the judgment of reason. hence it is that aristotle affirms that neither the first man nor the last man can be given as the foundation of an argument. and reason would force us to affirm the same of her naked self, without this text before us. for if it be received as a truth, a truth which the uniform law of the whole creation testifies, that nothing is born alive but from male and female, it is a true conclusion that the first man cannot be accounted for in that way. the same conclusion may also be declared to be correct by human reason concerning the creation of the world, which the philosophers of old therefore concluded to be eternal. for although reasons are put together by reason, by which is proved that the world is not eternal; yet reason herself, all the while, settles down with all her powers upon this basis of conclusion. for what beginning will reason find in nothing? and again, if you say that the world had a beginning and that there was a time in which the world had no existence it will immediately follow close upon your heels that, before the world there was nothing at all. other absurdities will follow in an infinite series; by the multitude of which philosophers being struck plunged at once into the conclusion that the world was eternal. but again if you affirm that the world was infinite, there immediately springs up before you another new infinity in the successive generation of mankind. but then philosophy will not admit a plurality of infinities; and yet it is compelled to admit them upon its own conclusions, because it knows neither the beginning of the world nor the beginning of mankind. this hostile contrariety and utter obscurity brought the epicureans into a state which compelled them to assert, that both the world and mankind existed without any reason at all; and that without any reason at all they would both perish; just as beasts, which after they are dead, are just as if they never had been. from premises like these other terrible conclusions naturally follow; either that there is positively no god at all, or that he cares not at all for human things. these are the labyrinths into which reason is brought, when without the word of god it follows its own judgment. therefore it is very profitable thus to behold how impossible it is that reason or our own wisdom should go beyond the above stated limits, in its judgments concerning the creature. for what, i pray you, does the philosopher with all his reasoning know of the heavens or the earth or the world; seeing that he understands not whence either of them came or in what end they all or either of them, are appointed to terminate. nay, what do we ourselves know concerning ourselves? we all see that we are men. but ought we not to believe also and know that we have this man for our father and that woman for our mother? but how or why this is so can never be learned from human reason. hence all our knowledge and our wisdom lie only in the comprehension of the material or formal cause; and even in these we often make the most wretched mistakes. but as to the efficient and final cause, we know nothing, nor can explain anything whatsoever. and the saddest part of our ignorance is, that our deficiency is at its worst when we come to dispute or to speculate concerning the world into which we are born and in which we live. is not this, i pray you, a poor and miserable pretension to wisdom? hence aristotle affirms, that man and the sun beget man. a noble doctrine of human philosophy, truly! follow this highest effort of natural reason and it will bring you at length to the inevitable conclusion, that both man and the sun are eternal and infinite, as the same philosopher concluded the world itself was. for you will never find a man who was or is in himself either the beginning or the end of himself or of his race. wherefore i myself am not able to discover by my own reason, either the beginning or the end of my martin luther, if i wish to understand either my beginning or my end, and not to believe it. for as to our possessing a formal knowledge or a knowledge of the forms of things, a cow possesses the same, which knows her own home, or, as the german proverb has it, "the cow sees and knows the gate." here again the awfulness of the original fall and sin is revealed. for we are thereby rendered so destitute of true knowledge that we cannot of ourselves discover either our beginning or our end. after all the disputations therefore of aristotle, plato, cicero and other philosophers of note, who have concluded from man's walking upright, while all other animals have their heads inclined downwards, looking towards the earth, and from his possessing the powers of intellect, that man is a singular animal and created to immortality according to all this argument and conclusion, what a poor, meagre and almost futile wisdom is this! the whole of it after all is derived from a contemplation of the form. and if you should still go on to argue upon the material of man, would not the same human reason compel you to conclude that this nature of ours is perishable, must be dissolved and cannot be immortal? what then is the conclusion of the whole matter? let us learn it. it is, that the only true wisdom is found in the holy scriptures and in the word of god. for the word teaches us not only concerning the material, not only concerning the form of the whole creation, but also concerning the efficient and the final cause of all things; and concerning the beginning and the end of all things; who created them, _what_ he created and for what end he created that which he did create. without the knowledge of the two causes, the efficient and the final, all our highest wisdom differs but little from that of the beasts, which use their eyes and their ears, but know nothing of the beginning or the end of what they see. the text before us therefore is very remarkable. and the more it seems to be contrary to all our experience and to reason, the more diligently should we ponder it and the more firmly should we believe it. by this text therefore we are taught the beginning of man, that the first man did not exist by generation, as aristotle and the other philosophers, deceiving themselves by human reasonings, have dreamed; that the propagation of the posterity of the first man is indeed effected by generation; but that the first man himself was created from the dust of the field and that the first woman was formed and fashioned out of a rib of the man, extracted from him while he was asleep. here therefore we have the true beginning of man which all the reason and philosophy of aristotle could not discover. the beginning then of man, as wrought of god, being thus established by the testimony of moses, there follows the propagation of man by means of the union of male and female; in no degree less wonderful than the original creation of each. the whole human race are procreated by a single drop of human blood. on this propagation of mankind it is that the apostle paul eloquently displays his philosophy, derived from this sacred portion of the scripture, before the philosophers of athens, "the god that made the world and all things therein," etc., "seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and he made of one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth; that they should seek god, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being," acts 17:24-28. here paul speaks before all the athenian philosophers of the propagation of mankind "by the blood of one," as he expresses it. if therefore the whole race of mankind have been generated from one small drop of blood of one man, and are still so generated, as the experience of all men throughout the whole world testifies, most certainly this miracle is no less wonderful and admirable than were those original wonders, namely, the creation of the first man from the dust of the ground, and that of the first woman from the rib of the man. but how is it that the original miracles of the creation of adam and eve seem to us so wonderful and so incredible; while the still standing miracle of the continuous propagation of man, which we all know and daily see, excites no wonder or admiration at all? it is because, as augustine says, "miracles become no miracles at all, by familiarity." hence we wonder not at the admirable light of the sun, because we see it every day. for the same reason we admire not other gifts and blessings of god's creation, but are blind and deaf to them all. on the same ground pythagoras well said, that a most sweet and marvelous concert of sounds was effected by the harmony and velocity of the motions and revolutions of the heavenly bodies, but that men became deaf to this celestial concert by hearing it continually; just as those who are accustomed to the roarings of the nile are not at all affected by the thunders of the water, while to others, who are not accustomed to them, they are awful and intolerable. there is no doubt that pythagoras received this idea from the fathers by tradition. not however that they really believed in any actual harmony of sounds, made by the motions of the heavenly bodies. their meaning was that the creation of these celestial bodies was truly delightful and marvelous; but that their beauty and their glory were not duly observed by us ungrateful and insensate beings; and that we did not render unto god the praises due to him, as the creator of such wonderful and admirable creatures. thus also it is a great miracle that a small seed placed in the ground should cause to spring forth a lofty and magnificent oak. but as this is so familiar as an everyday occurrence, it makes no impression upon us; just so little do we appreciate the nature and manner of our own propagation. for why is it not worthy of the highest admiration that a woman should receive human seed, which then grows, and as job 10:11 so beautifully says, "thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews;" that is, formed me and nourished me in my mother until i was matured to live in the air, separated from her. in this new state of existence i received no new nourishment, but it came from the same mother in a new way and manner, in that from both breasts of my mother as from fountains, her milk went forth by which her infant was nourished. all this is most wonderful and utterly incomprehensible, but lightly esteemed by us because we have truly become deaf to this most pleasant and lovely music of nature. whereas could all these marvelous realities be seen and estimated by the vision of true faith, they would be no more common things to the beholder, nor less miracles, than that which moses here records, when he testifies that one of adam's ribs was taken from his side while he was asleep, and that the woman eve was formed out of it by the hand of god. for if it had pleased the lord to form us as he did adam, from the dust of the ground, by this time that manner of forming man might have ceased also to be a miracle in our sight; and we might now perhaps be rather admiring the existing law of the generation of mankind by male and female. so true is that barbarously-composed perhaps, but by no means random-shot poetical line, _omne rarum carum: vilescit quotidianum._ "rare things will e'er delight our eyes, but common things are no surprise." thus if the stars did not rise every night and in all places, what crowds would gather where the light of one night's starry heaven might be witnessed! but now not one of us opens a single window to behold the sight. most justly condemnable, therefore, is our ingratitude. for if we believe god to be the efficient and final _cause_ of all things, ought we not to wonder at his works, to be delighted with them, and to proclaim them always and everywhere? but how few are there who do this in truth and from the heart? in vain therefore and absurd is the doctrine of aristotle, that man and the sun beget man. we learn from this book a far different cause of propagation, the commanding word of god which says to this and to that husband, thy drop of blood shall on this occasion become a male, and on that occasion a female. but of this word reason knows nothing. therefore reason can do nothing but invent trifles and absurdities concerning the causes of such mighty things. medical professors, following the philosophers, have given us their various opinions concerning the propagation of mankind; and though reason may not be able to deny the justness of many of them, yet all of them put together cannot reach the _great first cause_. the holy spirit leads us far deeper than all the opinions of men, when it sets before us the word of god, by which all things are created and conserved. hence the mighty reason why a man, and not an ox nor an ass, is generated by a drop of human blood, is the effectual power of the word which was spoken by god at the creation of all things, "in the beginning." it is in divine truth therefore that christ teaches us in the lord's prayer to call upon god as our _father_, and that the creed teaches us to confess god as our _creator_. when we look back therefore to this first cause, then can we speak of all these things with pureness, with holiness and with joy. but if we leave out the first cause, we cannot even think of them without baseness and obscenity. from this part of our sacred discussion we further behold the horrible nature of the fall and of original sin, in that the whole human race is sunk in ignorance of its very origin. we see male and female come together in marriage union. we see the female at her appointed time bring forth from a drop of masculine blood her infant into the light of heaven. these things, we repeat, are familiar to the sight and to the knowledge of all; and yet, if the word teach and instruct thee not, thou knowest nothing of the marvelous work which is wrought and which thine eyes behold. this ignorance is abundantly proved by the vain disputations of philosophers, which we have just been contemplating. is not this then a miserable ignorance and a horrible blindness? whereas, had adam continued in his innocency, he would have found no need of instructing his posterity in their origin, even as there was no need of being himself instructed in the creation of his wife eve, for the moment he saw her he knew that she was "bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh." and had the original innocence continued, the same knowledge of themselves would have existed in all the posterity of adam. they would all have understood the great final and efficient cause of which things we now know little or nothing more than the beasts of the field themselves. therefore to the ears of reason this is a most beautiful and pleasing fable which philosophers have with pleasure greatly misused, if they heard it and just as they heard it, especially those versed in the arts and wisdom of the egyptians. but for us it is an inexpressibly precious wisdom that makes known to us the fable the world judges ridiculous; namely, that the genesis of the generation of man was constituted by the word of god. for god takes the dust of the earth and says, "let us make man!" likewise afterwards he takes the rib of adam and says, "let us make a helpmeet for man." we will now consider the words themselves since we have referred sufficiently to the doctrine as it was necessary to do so. having thus discussed, as was necessary, the divine facts themselves, contained in the text before us, let us now consider the expressions used by the sacred historian in recording them. jehovah god, says moses, caused to glide or fall upon adam thardemah, "a slumber" or a "deep sleep;" for the verb radam signifies "to fall asleep as those do who become drowsy unaware and nod the head." for there are various kinds and degrees of sleep. some are heavy and profound, which are so deep as to be disturbed by no dreams. these are healthful, because they moisten the body, are beneficial to promote digestion, and are attended with no distress to the head. others again are light, mingled as it were with wakefulness. in these latter, dreams are more frequent. they also, more or less, distress the head and are proofs of a weakness of body. moses says therefore that adam was sunk into a profound sleep; so that stretched on the grassy earth, he breathed deeply, as those do who sleep well and sweetly. it was such a sleep that god, as moses informs us, caused to fall upon adam. and this is indeed a sleep truly divine, a most delightful gift of god, which comes down upon us like a dew from above, and softly pervades and irrorates the whole body. when adam therefore was thus fallen asleep, the lord took out one of his ribs. the hebrew word zela signifies, "the rib with the side." wherefore my view of the passage is, that the lord did not take the bare rib of adam, but the rib clothed with the flesh, according to that very expression of adam below, verse 23, "this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." and god, be it observed, did this by his word. so that we are not to suppose that god used any cutting, after the manner of a surgeon. god said, out of this bone thus clothed with flesh, "let there be woman!" and it was so. and god afterwards filled up the aperture in his side with flesh. here a discussion is raised by some marvelous triflers of commentators. they will have it that the male has more ribs on one side of the body than on the other. but surgeons, who are anatomists, know better than this. lyra disputes the point thus: "are we to consider that the extracted rib was a superfluous one in the body of adam? if it was so, it was a monstrosity. if it were not so, it must follow that adam after..."[text not printed] at length, lyra arrives at the conclusion that the extracted rib was superfluous in adam, as a solitary instance; and that therefore when it had been extracted, the body of adam was perfect. and yet, that the body of adam was deficient in this extracted superfluous rib, because of the creation of the woman out of it. but to all these things we give an answer by the words, "god said!" this divine word settles all arguments of this description. what need is there then of disputation as to whence god took any particular portion of created material, who by one word of his mouth can create and did create all things? all these idle questions however are used by philosophers and professors of medicine, who dispute about the works of god without the word of god; whereas by so doing, they sink out of sight both the glory of the holy scriptures and the glorious majesty of the creator. wherefore leaving all such questions as these, we will abide simply by the history of the facts, as they are recorded by moses; that eve was formed out of the rib of adam, and that the aperture made in that part of his body was closed up with flesh. thus adam was made out of the dust of the ground. i was made out of a drop of my father's blood. but how my mother conceived me, how i was formed in the womb, how my bones grew there, eccles. 11:5, all this i leave to the glory of my creator. it is indeed incredible that a man should be born from a drop of blood; yet it is a truth. if therefore this almighty power can produce a human being from a drop of blood, why not from a lump of earth also, why not from a rib! and as to adam's sleeping so profoundly, as not to feel what was done unto him; this soundness of sleep is as it were a sweet picture of that change which adam would have witnessed had he continued in his state of innocency. for a righteous nature could have experienced no pains of death. adam would have lived in the highest possible pleasure, in obedience to god and in admiration of his works until the time of his change, appointed of god, had come; and then he would have experienced a removal something like this sleep, which fell upon him so sweetly as he lay down amid the roses and beneath the richest foliage of trees. and in such a departing sleep would he have been changed and translated into the glorified spiritual life, feeling no more in death than he felt of his body being opened and of the extraction of the rib, with its flesh, from his side. but now this nature of ours must experience the pangs of death. that dissolution of the body however is followed in the saints by the sweetest of all sleep, until the day when we shall awake unto a newness of life and a life eternal. and as adam here in all the fulness of wonder exclaims this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, and yet was so sweetly and deeply sunk in sleep, that he knew not that his rib had been extracted from his side; so shall we in that day exclaim, behold, into what sudden glory does this body, lately gnawed by worms, arise, etc. thus far have we spoken with sufficient copiousness upon the creation of eve, which creation, although it seems to human reason perfectly fabulous, is yet most sure and true, because it is recorded in the word of god, which alone teacheth the truth concerning the two principal causes of philosophers, the efficient and the final; and concerning the great first cause of all causes. the knowledge of which two causes, where it can be obtained, is of the utmost moment even in natural things. for what doth it profit to know how beautiful a creature man is, if you know not the end for which he was created; namely, that he was created for the worship of god, and that he might live to all eternity with god. aristotle does indeed say something of note when he makes the end of man to be happiness, a happiness consisting in the action of virtue. but in all this weakness of our nature, who is there that ever yet attained unto that end, when even the very best of men are exposed to a multitude of evils, which the common trials of life or the depravity and malice of men are sure to bring upon them? that happiness of which aristotle speaks, requires tranquility of mind to make it perfect; but who can always hold fast that peace of mind, amid such tossings to and fro of human life? in vain therefore is such an end proposed by the philosopher, which no man can attain. the principal end of man's creation therefore, which the holy scriptures set before us is, that man was created in the likeness of god, with the divine intent that he should live forever with god, and that while here on earth he should praise and extol god, give him thanks and obey his word in all patience. and this end we do attain by some means or other, through grace, though with all infirmity in this life, and in the life to come we shall attain unto it perfectly. of these things philosophers know nothing. and therefore the world, in the height of all its wisdom, is yet sunk in the deepest ignorance, wherever it is found destitute of the word or of theology. for men without the word know nothing of their beginning or their end. i mention not any of the other living creatures, who are not created, as we have abundantly shown, to know any of these things, nor to partake of these high blessings. part v. the institution of marriage and the family. v. 22. _and the rib, which jehovah god had taken from the man, made (built) he a woman, and brought her unto the man._ a new expression is this again, unheard before. moses does not use the verb "to create," or "to make," as in gen. 1:26; but the verb "to build." this has caused all commentators to conclude that some great mystery lies under so singular a phraseology. lyra thinks, with his rabbi solomon, that the new form of the female body is intended to be intimated. for, as the form of buildings is broader at the base, but narrower at the upper part, so, he says, the bodies of women are broader in the middle, and more contracted in the upper parts, while men have wider chests and broader shoulders. but these are mere peculiarities of certain parts of the body; whereas the scripture is speaking of the body as a whole, and calling it a building; just as christ himself calls the body the house of a man, math. 12:29. others have recourse to an allegory, and say, that the woman is here called "a building," on account of her being spoken of in the scriptures as a similitude of the church. and as in a house there are various parts, walls, beams, rafters, roof, etc.; so in the church, which is represented by the holy spirit under the similitude of a body, on account of the diversity of its members, there are various offices and administrators. as to myself i am by no means displeased at anything that is appropriately advanced by those who would transfer what is here said respecting the building of the woman, to christ and his church. but as all these opinions amount only to an allegory after all, the historical and proper meaning of this passage must be diligently searched into and retained. for a woman, especially a married woman, is here sacredly termed "a building," not allegorically, but historically and really. and the scriptures universally use this form of expression. hence rachel says to jacob, "take my maid bilhah, that i may also be built up by her," gen. 30:3. the scriptures speak in the same manner also concerning sarah, gen. 16:2. and in exodus, it is said concerning the midwives, "that the lord built them a house," exod. 1:21; that is, that the lord repaid them for all the services which they had rendered unto his people israel, contrary to the command of the king, by blessing them with a household and family. so again, in the history of david, when he had it in his heart to build a house for the lord, he receives this answer from god by nathan, "furthermore, i tell thee, that the lord will build thee an house," 1 chron. 17:10. it is a form of expression therefore quite general in the scripture, to term a woman a domestic "building," on account of the fruits of generation and the bringing up of the offspring. but the real nature of this building up, which would have existed had adam not fallen, we have now lost by his sin; so that we cannot now reach it, as we have all along observed, even in thought. our present fallen condition in this life retains certain small miserable remnants of the original domestic life, cultivation of the earth, and defense of property; and also of dominion over the beasts. we have the rule over sheep, oxen, geese, fowls, etc.; though boars, bears, lions, etc., regard not this our dominion. so also there remains a certain hardly visible remnant of this female building. whoso taketh to himself a wife, hath as it were in her a certain nest and home. he dwells with her in a certain place, as birds nestle with their young in their little nest. but this dwelling together in the one nest they know not, who live unmarried like the impure papists. this living together of male and female, as man and wife, in the state of matrimony, their keeping house together, their being blessed together with offspring, their bringing up their children, is a faint picture and remnant of that blessed original married life, on account of the nature of which, moses here terms the woman a "building." the posterity of adam, had he continued in his innocency, would have taken to themselves wives, would have parted from adam their father, and would have chosen for themselves certain little garden spots of their own, and would have there dwelt with their wives, tilled the ground, and brought up their children. there would have been no need of splendid mansions built of hewn stone, nor of rich kitchens, nor cellars of wine, which now make up the luxuries of life. but as birds in their little nests, the married pairs would have dwelt together here and there, diligently laboring and calling upon god. and the women would have been the principal cause of their husbands living in certain dwelling places in paradise. whereas now, under our present fallen and calamitous state by sin, we absolutely need houses of wood and stone, to defend us from the injuries of the weather. and though we cannot form even a conception, as we have said, of the original felicity of man and woman in their marriage happiness, yet even these miserable remnants, we repeat, are excellent gifts of god; to live in the possession of which, without continual thanks, is wickedness in the extreme. with reference to the "dominion" which man received from the hand of god, we feel how much of that dominion is lost since our fall and defilement by sin. yet, what an infinite mercy still remains to us, that this "dominion" was given to man and not to the devil! for how should we possibly have been able to stand in this matter, against such an invisible enemy, especially if power to harm had been possessed by him equal to his will? we might all have been in danger of annihilation in an hour, yea, in a moment, if satan had determined to infuriate the wild beasts against us. although well nigh all the original "dominion" is lost, it is an infinite blessing that our present remnants of it are not possessed by the devil! it is an infinite mercy also that we possess our present remnants of generation. although, in the state of original innocency women, as we know, would have brought forth without pain; yet there would have been a much more extensive fruitfulness. whereas now the blessing of generation is impeded by numberless diseases. it often happens that the fruit of the womb does not arrive at maturity and birth and sometimes the woman is barren altogether. all these defects are the punishments of the horrible fall of adam and of original sin. just in the same manner, to this present day, is the woman the "building," and house, and home of the husband. to the woman the man devotes himself. with her he lives; and together with her, he undertakes the labor and care of bringing up the family; as it is written below, verse 24, "therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife," etc. but this living together as man and wife is not only attended with those other trials, which afflict the marriage state in great number and variety on account of sin, but is also astonishingly deformed and marred by perverse nature; seeing that there are not only those who consider it to be very wise and great to reproach the female sex and to despise marriage, but who even forsake the wives whom they have married, and cast off all paternal care of their children. such men destroy the building of god by their perverseness and wickedness. men of this description are a kind of monsters in nature. wherefore let us show our obedience to the word of god by acknowledging our wives to be the building of the lord; through whom not only our house is built up by generation, and by whom other necessary domestic duties are performed; but through whom we the husbands themselves are also built up, by our rising offspring around us. for wives are, as we have said, a certain nest and center of habitation to which the husbands resort, where they dwell and live in pleasure and happiness. when moses adds, "and he brought her unto the man," this is a certain divine description of espousals especially worthy our observation. for adam does not take hold of eve when created and draw her to himself, according to his own purpose and will, but he waits till god brings her to him; just according to the saying of christ, "what therefore god hath joined together, let not man put asunder," math. 19:6, for the joining of male and female is a lawful joining and ordinance, and an institution divine. wherefore moses here adopts his peculiar and appropriate phraseology, "and he brought her to the man." who brought her to the man? he, god, jehovah, elohim, the jehovah god, the whole divinity, the father, the son, and the holy ghost. these all unitedly say to adam, behold, this is thy bride with whom thou art to dwell and with whom thou art to generate and bring up children. and there is no doubt whatever that adam received eve with the utmost pleasure; for even now, in this corrupt state of nature, the mutual love between bride and bridegroom is peculiar, great and excellent. but apart from the epileptic and apoplectic lust in the marriage state today, it was a chaste and most pleasing love, and union itself was most honorable and most holy. now however sin pours itself in and expresses itself from the eyes and ears everywhere, and then in all the senses. this passage demands particular notice. for it stands as the revealed will of god, not only against all abuses of the sex and lusts of every kind, but also as a confirmation of marriage, and all those impious revilings and refusings by which the papacy has deformed and marred matrimony. is it not worthy of admiration that god instituted and ordained marriage even in the state of innocency? much more need then have we of this divine institution and ordination in our present state, wherein our flesh is weak and so corrupt through sin. this divine consolation therefore stands proof and invincible against all doctrines of devils, 1 tim. 4:1. by the scripture before us, we see that marriage is a state of life divine; that is, ordained of god himself. what was it therefore that came into the minds of those tools of satan and enemies of christ, who deny that there could be any holiness or chastity in marriage, and who affirmed that those only were adapted for ministers of churches who lived in celibacy, because the scriptures, they argued, said, be ye clean that bear the vessels of the lord, is. 52:11. are then those who are married unclean? if so, god himself is the author and institutor of uncleanness, who himself brought eve to adam. adam himself also did evil in suffering himself to be persuaded to enter into a state of uncleanness, when his nature in his state of innocency needed not marriage. but have not the impious papists suffered the righteous punishments of such blasphemies? they have not only polluted themselves with harlots in multitudes, but have indulged in other unmentionable wickednesses, even unto abomination, and are at this day just ripe for the punishments of sodom and gomorrah. when i was a boy, marriage was positively considered so infamous on account of all this impure and impious celibacy, that i used to believe i could not even think of the married life without sin. for the minds of men generally were filled with the persuasion that if any one wished to live a holy life, and a life acceptable to god, a man must never become a husband nor a woman a wife, but must take upon them the vow of celibacy; and hence many men who had married became on the death of their wives either monks or contemptible priests. all those worthy men therefore who have labored and endeavored to cause marriage to be honored as aforetime, according to the word of god, and to be held in all its due praise, have taken upon themselves a highly useful and necessary service to the church of christ. so that now, blessed be god, all men consider it to be good and holy to live in unanimity and tranquility with a wife, even though it should be the lot of any one, prov. 16:33, to have a wife that is barren, or laboring under any other affliction. i do not however deny that there are some men who can live chastely without marriage; but let these who have thus a gift greater than the most of mankind, sail in their own ship. but as for that chastity which the pope so highly lauds in his monks and nuns, and contemptible priests, it is in the first place polluted and contaminated by numberless horrible sins; and in addition to all this, celibacy is an institution of man without any warrant from the word of god. o, what triumphs would the papists celebrate could they but prove by the word of god their celibacy to be a divine institution, as we can abundantly prove marriage to be. with what mighty weight of the pope's authority would they compel all men to adopt their life of celibacy. whereas now the only commendation of celibacy, which they can discover, is a tradition of men, or rather as paul hath it, a doctrine of devils, col. 2:8; 1 tim. 4:1. v. 23a. _and the man said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh._ the sentence which immediately follows, "therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother," etc., is cited by our lord, math. 19:5, as the words of god himself, and not of adam. but in that particular point there is no difficulty whatever, because as adam was pure and holy the words of adam may rightly be said to be divine words or the voice of god, for god spoke through him. all the words and the works of adam in that state of innocency are divine, and therefore may truly be said to be the words and works of god. eve is presented to adam by god himself. and just in the same manner as the will of god is prepared to institute marriage, so adam is prepared to receive eve with all pleasure and holiness when brought unto him. so even now also the affection of the intended husband toward his betrothed spouse, is of a particular and elevated kind. it is, nevertheless, deeply contaminated with that leprous lust of the flesh which, in righteous adam, had no existence. it is worthy of our greatest wonder and admiration, that adam, the moment he glanced his eye on eve, knew her to be a building formed out of himself. he immediately said, "this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." these are not the words of an ignorant one, nor of one who was a sinner; nor of one who was ignorant of the works and of the creation of god. they are the words of one righteous and wise, and full of the holy spirit; of that holy spirit who reveals to the world, before ignorant of such high and holy wisdom, that god is the efficient cause of marriage and of man's taking to himself a wife, and that the final cause of marriage is that the wife might be unto her husband a civil, moral and domestic habitation, and cohabitation. this knowledge comes not from the five senses and reason merely. it is a revelation, as we here see, of the holy spirit. the expression hapaam, "now," "in this instance," or "at length," is by no means useless or superfluous as it may at first seem. that very word in this sentence, uttered by adam, most beautifully expresses the glad surprise and exulting joy of a noble spirit which had been seeking this delightful meet companion of life and of bed; a companionship full, not only of love, but of holiness. as if adam had said, i have seen all beasts; i have considered all the females among them given to them of god for the multiplication and preservation of their kind, but all these are nothing to me! this female however is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. she is at length what and all i want. with her i desire to live, and with her to obey the will of god in the propagation of a posterity. this is the kind of overflowing feeling of joy and love which this particular word "hapaam," used by adam, is intended to express. now however this true purity, innocence and holiness are lost. there still remains indeed a feeling of joy and affection in the intended husband toward his spouse; but it is impure and corrupt, on account of sin. the affection of adam however was most pure, most holy and most grateful to god, when under the excess of it, he said, "this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." she is not made of stone, nor of wood, nor of a lump of earth, as i was. she is nearer to me than all this, for she is made of my own very bones and very flesh. v. 23b. _she shall be called woman (man-formed), because she was taken out of man._ as adam knew by the holy spirit the things just mentioned, which he saw not before, and as he praises god and extols him for his having created for him a meet life-companion out of his own body; so now, by the same spirit, he prophesies of his eve's future, when he says that she ought to be called a man-formed or man-like female (_virago_). the truth is, that it is utterly impossible for any interpreter to convey through any other language the peculiar strength and beauty of the original hebrew expression. isch signifies a man,--and adam says concerning eve, "she shall be called ischa," as if we should say, she shall be called _vira_, from _vir_, a man. because a wife is an heroic or man-like woman; for she does man-like things, and performs man-like duties. this name adam gives to the woman contains in it a wonderful and sweet description of marriage, in which, as the lawyers express it, "the woman shines in the rays of her husband." for whatever the husband possesses, is possessed and held by the wife also. and not only is all their wealth possessed by them in common, but their children also, their food, their bed, and their habitation. their wishes are also equal. so that the husband differs from the wife in no other thing than in sex. in every other respect, the woman is really a man. for whatsoever the man possesses in their house, the woman possesses also; and what the man is, that also is the woman; she differs from the man in sex only. in a word the woman, as paul remarks in his instructions to timothy, is man-formed and man-like by her very origin; for, as the apostle says to timothy, adam was first formed, then eve from the man, and not the man from the woman, 1 tim. 2:13. of this communion of all things in marriage, we still possess some feeble remnants, though miserable indeed they be when compared with what they were in their original state. for even now the wife, if she be but an honorable, modest and godly woman, participates in all the cares, wishes, desires, pursuits, duties and actions of her husband. and it was for this end indeed that she was created "in the beginning;" and for this end was called _virago_, that she might differ in sex only from the father of the family, since she was taken from man. and though this name can apply in its strictest and fullest sense to eve only, who, alone of all women, was created thus out of man, yet our lord applies the whole sentence of adam to all wives when he says that man and wife are one flesh, math. 19:5, 6. although therefore thy wife be not made of thy flesh and thy bones; yet, because she is thy wife, she is as much the mistress of thy house, as thou art the master thereof, except that by the law of god, which was brought in after the fall the woman is made subject to the man. that is the woman's punishment, as are many other troubles also which come short of the glories of paradise, concerning which glories the sacred text before us gives us so much information. for moses is not here speaking of the miserable life which all married people now live; but concerning the life of innocency, in which, had that innocency continued, the government of the man and of the woman would have been equal and the same. hence it is that adam gave the name, "woman," ischa, or "man-formed female," _virago_ or _vira_, to eve, prophetically on account of the equal administration of all things with her husband in the house. but now the sweat of the brow rests upon the man. and to the wife it is commanded that she be in subjection to the man. there still remain however certain remnants or dregs as it were of the woman's dominion. so that the wife may still be called man-like female, on account of her common possession of all things with her husband. v. 24. _therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife._ christ in math. 19:5 and paul in 1 cor. 6:16, apply these words of adam, as a common rule or law for our marriages since the loss of original innocence. if therefore adam had remained in his original state of innocency, the children born unto him would have married; and leaving the table and dwelling place of their parents, and living no longer with them, would have had their own trees under which they would have lived separate from their parents. they would have come from time to time to their father adam, sung a hymn, spoken gloriously of god, called upon him, and then returned to their own houses. and even now, though all other things are changed, yet this close bond between married persons still remains firm. so that a man would leave his father and his mother much sooner than he would leave his wife. and where we find the contrary to this, for married persons are now sometimes found to leave and forsake each other, all this is not only contrary to the present divine command by the mouth of adam, but such things are awful signs of that horrible corruption, which has come upon man through sin; and such corruption and unfaithfulness are greatly increased by satan, the father of all dissensions. heathen nations also have discovered that there is nothing more appropriate for man nor beneficial for kingdoms than this oneness of the life of married persons. hence they affirm, that it is a conclusion drawn from the law of nature that a wife, who shall retain her individuality or oneness of life with her husband, even unto death, is necessary for man. hence also christ himself says, that moses suffered the jews to give their wives a bill of divorcement, because of the hardness of their hearts; but that in the beginning it was not so, mark 10:4, math. 19:8. these evils of divorcements have all arisen since the fall through sin; as have also adulteries, poisonings and such like, which are sometimes found among married persons. scarce a thousandth part of that primitive innocent, holy marriage is now left to us. and even to this day the husband and the wife have their home-nest, for the sake of mutual help and generation, according to the command of god, issued by the mouth of our first parent adam; by which this state of married life and this leaving father and mother is exaltedly and gloriously commended, as well as commanded of god himself; as christ also affirms in his reference to the words of adam, on which we are now dwelling. this "leaving father and mother" however is not to be understood as a command that the children of adam, when married, should have nothing more to do with their parents. the command reaches only to dwelling any longer with their father and mother. it enjoins the children when married to have their own home-nest. in the present state of sin, and all its various evils, we often find that children are compelled to support their parents, when worn down with age and necessities. but had paradise and all its innocency continued, the state of life would have been inconceivably more exalted and blessed than our present fallen and sinful condition. yet even then this same command of adam, or rather of god himself, would have been obeyed. the husband, through love of his wife, would have chosen his homestead and made his home-nest with her, as the little birds do, and would have left his father and his mother for that purpose. this sentence of adam is also prophetic. for as yet there was no father or mother; nor consequently were there any children. adam nevertheless through the holy spirit prophesies of that married life, which should be in the world, and predictively describes the separate dwelling of man and wife, and the separate domestic authorities and governments of the several families in all ages; that each family should have their own nest habitation, authority and rule. v. 25. _and they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed._ this short closing sentence of the present chapter might have been omitted without any loss, seeing that it mentions a circumstance for recording which there seems no great need. for what does it concern us to know whether those in paradise walked about naked or clothed in raiment? this little clause of the concluding sentence however is very striking and very necessary. it shows us in a matter apparently quite insignificant, how dreadful an amount of evil this nature of ours has suffered through original sin. all nations, more especially those of the north, hold nakedness of the body in great abhorrence. in like manner the more grave and modest characters among us, not only condemn short military jackets, as they are called, which are worn by our youth, but avoid public baths. and our uncomely parts, 1 cor. 12:23, are always most studiously covered. this among us is wisdom and a moral discipline worthy of all praise. but adam and eve, moses informs us, went about naked, and were not ashamed. for them therefore to go about naked was not only not disgraceful, but even laudable, delightful and glorious to god. but all this delight and glory we have now lost by sin. we alone, of all creatures, are born naked; and with an uncovered skin we enter into this world. whereas all the other animals bring into the world with them, as coverings of their own, skins, hairs, bristles, feathers or scales. we, on the other hand, continually need the shadow of buildings to protect us from the heat of the sun, and a multitude of garments to defend us from the rain, the hail, the frost and the snow. adam however, had he continued innocent, would have felt none of these injuries or inconveniences. but as the human eyes retain still that peculiarity of nature, that they are not evilly affected or distressed either by cold or by heat; so would the whole body of adam have been entirely free from the distresses of cold or heat, had he never fallen. had eve, our mother, sat among us naked the mere form of her breast and other members of her body would not have offended us. but now because of sin they awaken in us shame and inflame us with evil lust and passion. this brief clause therefore shows us the awfulness of the evil which has come upon us, as the consequence of the sin of ... [text not printed] ... would be considered a proof of utter insanity. that very state of body therefore which was in adam and eve their highest glory, would be in us, should we be seen in that state, our deepest shame. it was the very glory of man and would have continued to be so, had he remained in his original innocency, that while all the other animals had need of hairs, feathers, scales, etc., to cover their unsightliness, man alone was created with that dignity and beauty of body, that he could appear uncovered, in the glory of his created nakedness. but all this glory is lost. we are now compelled not only for necessary protection, but for the sake of avoiding the deepest turpitude, to cover our bodies with more study and care than any other animals of god's creation. for they all come into the world covered by nature. after this manner therefore does this second chapter of the book of genesis more clearly and fully describe the creative work of the sixth day. in what manner man was created by the wonderful counsel of god. in what manner the garden of eden was formed, in which man might have lived in the highest possible pleasure. in what manner, by means of the prohibition of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the external worship of the future church was instituted by divine authority. by what external worship and in which place, had the prohibition of the tree of knowledge not been violated by adam and eve, they would have testified their obedience to god, had they not been deceived and drawn aside by the snares of satan. some suppose that adam with his eve passed the night of the sixth day in paradise until the following seventh day, the sabbath. and what occurred on the sabbath day, the following chapter will inform us. chapter iii. part i. the temptation to fall. v. 1a. _now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which jehovah god had made._ in the preceding chapter, we were taught the manner in which man was created on the sixth day; that he was created in the image and after the likeness of god, that his will was good and perfect, and that his reason or intellect was also perfect, so that whatsoever god willed or said, that man also willed, believed and understood. and this knowledge was necessarily accompanied by the knowledge of all other creatures, etc. for wherever the perfect knowledge of god is, there must also be, of necessity, the perfect knowledge of other things, which are inferior to god. this original state of things shows how horrible the fall of adam and eve was, by which we have lost all that most beautifully and gloriously illumined reason, and all that will which was wholly conformed to the word and will of god. for by the same sin and ruin we have lost also all the original dignity of our bodies, so that now, it is the extreme of baseness to be seen "naked," whereas originally that nudity was the especial and most beautiful and dignified privilege of the human race, with which they were endowed of god above all the beasts of the creation. and the greatest loss of all these losses is, that not only is the will lost, but there has followed in its place a certain absolute aversion to the will of god. so that man neither wills nor does any one of those things which god wills and commands. nay, we know not what god is, what grace is, what righteousness is; nor in fact what sin itself is which has caused the loss of all. these are indeed horrible defects in our fallen nature, to which they, who see not and understand not, are more blind than moles. universal experience indeed shows us all these calamities; but we never feel the real magnitude of them until we look back to that unintelligible but real state of innocency, in which there existed the perfection of will, the perfection of reason and that glorious dignity of the nakedness of the human body. when we truly contemplate our loss of all these gifts and contrast that privation with the original possession of them, then do we, in some measure, estimate the mighty evil of original sin. great causes of gross error therefore are created by those who extenuate this mighty evil of original sin, who speak of our corrupt nature after the manner of philosophers, who would represent human nature as not thus corrupted. for such men maintain that there remain, not only in the nature of man, but in the nature of the devil also, certain natural qualities which are sound and whole. but this is utterly false. what and how little remains in us that is good and whole, we do indeed in some measure see and feel. but what and how much we have lost, they most certainly see not who dispute about certain remnants of good being still left in human nature. for most certainly a good and upright and perfect will, well-pleasing to god, obedient to god, confiding in the creator, and righteously using all his creatures with thanksgiving, is wholly lost. so that our fallen will makes out of god a devil and dreads the very mention of his name; especially when hard pressed under his judgments. are these things, i pray you, proofs that human nature is whole and uncorrupted? but consider the state of those inferior things to these that pertain unto god himself. the marriage union of male and female is an institution appointed of god. how is that union polluted by the fall and by sin! with what fury of lust is the flesh inflamed! by means of sin therefore this divinely appointed union has lost all its beauty and glory as a work of god, and is defiled with pollutions, corruptions and sins innumerable. in like manner also we have a body; but how miserable, how variously deformed by sin. it no longer retains the dignity of nakedness, but requires careful and perpetual coverings of its shame. so also we possess a will and a power of reason. but with what multiplied corruptions are they vitiated! for as our reason is beclouded with great and varied ignorance, so our will also is not only greatly warped by self-will, and not only averse to god, but the enemy of god! it rushes with pleasure into evil, when it ought to be doing quite the contrary. this multiform corruption of nature therefore ought not only not to be extenuated, but to be as much as possible magnified. it ought to be shown that man is not only fallen from the image of god, from the knowledge of god, from the knowledge of all other creatures, and from all the dignity and glory of his nakedness, into ignorance of god, into blasphemies against god, and into hatred and contempt of god; but that he is fallen even into enmity against god; to say nothing at the present time of that tyranny of satan to which our nature has by sin made itself the basest slave. these things, i say, are not to be extenuated, but to be magnified by every possible description of them; because if the magnitude of our disease be not fully known, we shall never know nor desire the remedy. moreover the more you extenuate sin, the less you make grace to be valued. and there is nothing which can tend to amplify and magnify the nature and extent of original sin more fully and appropriately than the words of moses himself, when he says, that adam and eve were both naked, and were not ashamed. no polluted lust was excited by the sight of each other's nakedness. but the one looking on the other saw and acknowledged the goodness of god. they both rejoiced in god, and both felt secure in the goodness of god. whereas now, we not only cannot feel ourselves free from sin; not only do not feel ourselves secure in the goodness of god, but labor under hatred of god and despair of his goodness and mercy. such a horrible state of the fall as this clearly proves how far nature is from being in any degree sound and whole. but with how much greater impudence still do our human reasoners make this their affirmation of there being still left something sound and whole, in the nature of the devil! for in the devil there is a greater enmity, hatred and rage against god than in man. but the devil was not created thus evil. he had a will conformed to the will of god. this will however he lost, and he lost also that most beautiful and most lucid intellect with which he was endowed, and he was converted into a horrible spirit, filled with rage against his creator. must not that have been then a most awful corruption, which transformed a friend of god into the most bitter and determined enemy of god? but here human reasoners bring forward that sentence of aristotle, "reason prays for the best." and they attempt to confirm it by passages from the scriptures and by the opinions of philosophers, who hold that right reason is the cause of all virtues. now i deny not that these sentiments are true, when they are applied to things subject to reason; such as the management of cattle, the building of a house, and the sowing of a field. but in the higher and divine things, they are not true. for how can that reason be said to be right, which hates god? how can that will be said to be good, which resists the will of god and refuses to obey god? when therefore men say with aristotle, "reason prays for the best," reply thou to them, yes! reason prays for the best, humanly; that is, in things in which reason has a judgment. in such things, reason dictates and leads to what is good and useful in a human, bodily or carnal sense. but since reason is filled with ignorance of god and aversion to the will of god, how can reason be called good in this sense? for it is a well known fact, that when the knowledge of god is preached with the intent that reason may be restored, then those who are the best men, if i may so speak, and men of the best kind of reason and will, are those who the most bitterly hate the gospel. in the sacred matter of divinity therefore let our sentiments be, that reason in all men stands as the greatest enemy against god; and also that the best will in men is most adverse to the will of god; seeing that from this very source arise hatred of the word and persecution of all godly ministers. wherefore, as i said, let us never extenuate, but rather magnify that mighty evil, which human nature has derived from the sin of our first parents; then will the effect be that we shall deplore this our fallen state and cry and sigh unto christ our great physician, who was sent unto us by the father for the very end that those evils, which satan has inflicted on us through sin, might by him be healed, and that we might be restored unto that eternal glory, which by sin we had lost. but with reference to the part of sacred history which moses describes in this chapter, i have already expressed my mind; namely, that this temptation took place on the sabbath day. for adam and eve were created on the sixth day; adam earlier in the day and eve in the evening. on the following day, the sabbath day, adam spoke to his wife eve concerning the will of god; informing her that the most gracious lord had created all paradise for the use and pleasure of men; that he had also created by his especial goodness the tree of life, by the use of which the powers of their bodies might be restored, and continued in perpetual youth; but that one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was prohibited; of which it was not lawful for them to eat; and that this obedience to their merciful creator they were solemnly bound to render. after adam had communicated this information to eve, he perhaps led her about in paradise and showed her the prohibited tree. thus did adam and eve in their original innocence and righteousness, full of safety and security through their confidence in their god so good and so merciful, walk about together in paradise; considering together the word and the command of god; and blessing their god on the sabbath day as they ought to do. but in the midst of all this happiness, oh! the grief! satan enters, and within a few hours destroys all, as we shall in this chapter hear. here again is poured forth a whole sea of questions. for curious men inquire, why god permitted so much to satan as to tempt eve? they ask also, why satan employed the serpent in his temptation of eve, rather than any other beast of the creation. but who shall render a reason for those things, which he sees the divine majesty to have permitted to be done? why do we not rather say with job, that god cannot be called to an account, and that none can compel him to render unto us his own reasons for all those things which he does or permits to be done. why do we not on the same ground expostulate with god, because the grass is not green and the trees are not in leaf all the year round now as in the beginning. for i fully believe, that in paradise, had the state of original innocency continued, there would have been a perpetual spring without any winter or frost or snow, as they now exist since the fall and its sin. all these things depend wholly on the will and power of god. this is enough for us to know. to inquire into these things farther than this is impious curiosity. wherefore let us, the clay of his hands, cease to inquire into and dispute about such things as these, which belong alone to the will of our potter! let us not judge our god, but rather leave ourselves to be judged by him. the answer therefore to all such questions and arguments ought to be this: it pleased god that adam should be put under peril and trial, that he might exercise his powers. just as now, when we are baptized and translated into the kingdom of christ, god will not have us to be at ease. he will have his word and his gifts to be exercised by us. therefore he permits us, weak creatures, to be put into the sieve of satan. hence it is that we see the church, when made clean by the word, to be put under perpetual peril and trial. the sacramentarians, the anabaptists and other fanatical teachers, who harass the church with various trials, are stirred up against her, to which great trials are also added internal vexations. all these things are permitted of god to take place, not however because it is his intention to forsake his church or to suffer her to perish. but as wisdom says, all these conflicts are brought upon the church and upon the godly, that they might overcome them; and thus learn by actual sight and experience that wisdom is more powerful than all things. another question is here raised, on which we may dispute perhaps with less peril and with greater profit: why the scripture speaks of this matter thus obscurely and does not openly say, that one of the fallen angels entered into the serpent and through the serpent spoke to eve and deceived her? but to this i reply, that all these things were involved in obscurity, that they might be reserved for christ and for his spirit, whose glory it is to shine throughout the whole world, as the mid-day sun, and to open all the mysteries of the scriptures. as this spirit of christ dwelt in the prophets, those holy prophets understood all such mysteries of the word. we have said above however that as the beasts of the creation had each different gifts, so the serpent excelled all other creatures in the gift of guile, and therefore it was the best adapted for this stratagem of satan. of this peculiarity in the serpent the present text of moses is an evident proof; for he says at the opening of this chapter, "now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which jehovah god had made." we marvel even now at the gift of insidious cunning in the fox, and also at its astonishing ingenuity in escaping danger. for sometimes when closely pursued by the dogs and quite worn out and ready to drop with exhaustion, it will hold up its tail; and while the dogs stop their course with the intent of rushing with all their force to seize it, the fox with marvelous celerity secures a little advantage ground and thus escapes their capture. there are also other beasts whose remarkable sagacity and industry surprise us; but subtilty was the peculiar natural property of the serpent, and therefore it seemed to satan to be the instrument best adapted for his deception of eve. v. 1b. _and he said unto the woman, yea, hath god said, ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?_ human reasoners dispute also concerning the nature of this temptation, as to what it really was; whether our first parents sinned by idolatry or by pride or by self-security or simply by eating the fruit. but if we consider these things a little more carefully, as we ought to do, we shall find that this temptation was the most awful and the most bitter of all temptations. because the serpent attacked the good will of god itself, and endeavored to prove by this very prohibition from the tree of life that the will of god toward man was not good. the serpent therefore attacks the image of god itself. he assails those highest and most perfect powers, which in the newly-created nature of adam and eve were as yet uncorrupted. he aims at overturning that highest worship of god, which god himself had just ordained. in vain therefore do we dispute about this sin or that. for eve is enticed unto all sins at once, when she is thus enticed to act contrary to the word and the will of god. moses therefore speaks here most considerately, when he uses the expression, "and the serpent said." here, word attacks _word_. the word which the lord had spoken to adam was, "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat." this word was to adam the gospel, and the law thus given was his worship. it was a service and an obedience which in this state of innocence adam was able to render unto god. these are the divine things satan attacks. these are the things he aims at overturning. nor does he merely intend, as those think who know nothing of the matter, to point out the tree to eve and to invite her to pluck the fruit. he does indeed point to the tree, but he does something far worse than this. he adds another and a new word, as it is his practice to do at the present day in the church. for wherever the gospel is purely preached, there men have a sure rule for their faith, and by that they are able to guard against idolatry. but there satan plies temptations of every kind, and he tries by what means he can the most effectually to draw men away from the word, or how he can most completely corrupt the word itself. thus in the greek church also, in the time of the apostles, heresies of every kind were stirred up. one heretic denies that christ is the son of god. another denies that he is the son of mary, just as the anabaptists of our day impiously deny that christ assumed anything of the flesh of mary. so again in the times of basil more particularly, men attempted to deny that the holy ghost is god. our own age in like manner has witnessed the same examples of heresies. for no sooner had a purer doctrine of the gospel shone upon us, than assailants of the works and word of god of every kind rose up on every side. not however that temptations of other kinds cease. for satan still tempts to whoredom, to adultery and to other like great sins. but this temptation, when satan attacks the word and the works of god, is by far the heaviest and most dangerous; and that temptation the most intimately concerns the church and the saints. it was in this manner therefore that satan attacked adam and eve on this solemn occasion. his aim was to tear away from them the word, in order that giving up the word and their confidence in god, they might believe a lie. when this takes place what wonder is it if a man afterwards becomes proud, a despiser of god, an adulterer or anything else? this temptation therefore is the head and chief of all temptations. it brings with it the breach and the violation of the whole ten commandments. for unbelief is the fountain-source of all sins. when satan has brought a man under this temptation and has wrested from him or corrupted in his heart the word, he may do anything with him. thus when eve had suffered the word to be beaten out of her heart by a lie, she found no difficulty whatever in approaching the tree and plucking from it the fruit. it is foolish therefore to think of this temptation, as the sophists and the monks think of it; that eve, when she had looked upon the tree, began to be inflamed by degrees with the desire of plucking the fruit; until at last, overcome with the longing for it, she plucked the fruit and put it to her mouth. the sum of the whole temptation and her fall by it was that she listened to another _word_ and departed from that word which god had spoken to her, which was that if she did eat of the tree she should surely die. but let us now contemplate the words of moses in the order in which we find them. in the first place satan here imitates god. for as god had preached to adam, so satan now also preaches to eve. for perfectly true is that saying of the proverb, "all evil begins in the name of god." just therefore as salvation comes from the pure word of god, so perdition comes from the corrupted word of god. what i term the corrupted word of god is not that only which is corrupted by the vocal ministry, but that which is corrupted by the internal persuasions of the heart or by opinions of the mind, disagreeing with the word. moses implies all this in his expression, "he said." for the object of satan was to draw away eve by his word or saying, from that which god had said; and thus by taking the word of god out of sight, he corrupted that perfection of will which man had before; so that man became a rebel. he corrupted also his understanding so that he doubted concerning the will of god. upon this immediately followed a rebellious hand, stretched forth to pluck the fruit contrary to the command of god. then followed a rebellious mouth and rebellious teeth; in a word all evils follow soon upon unbelief or doubt concerning the word and god. for what can be worse than for a man to disobey god, and obey satan! this very same craft and malice all heretics imitate. under the show of doing good, they wrest from men god and his word. they take the word away from before their eyes and set before them another, and a new word and a new god; a god which is nowhere, and no god at all. for if you examine the words of these men, nothing can be more holy, nothing more religious. they call god to witness that they seek with their whole heart the salvation of the church. they express their utter detestation of all who teach wicked things. they profess their great desire to spread the name and the glory of god. but why should i enlarge? they wish to appear to be anything but the devil's teachers or heretics. and yet, their one whole aim is to suppress the true doctrine and to obscure the knowledge of god. and when they have done this, the fall of their listeners is easily enough effected. for unwary men suffer themselves to be drawn away from the word to dangerous disputations, rom. 14:1. not content with the word, they begin to inquire why and for what reason these and those things were done. and just as eve, when she listened to the devil, calling the command of god into doubt fell; so it continually happens that we, by listening to him, are brought to doubt whether god is willing that we, when heavily oppressed with sin and death, should be saved by christ; and thus, being misled and deceived, we suffer ourselves to be induced to put on cowls and cloaks in order that we may be crowned of god with salvation on account of our works of perfection. thus before men are aware, another and a new god is set before them by satan; for he also sets a word before us; but not that word which is set before us of god, who declareth that repentance and remission of sins should be preached unto all men in the name of christ, luke 24:47. when the word of god is in this manner altered and corrupted, then, as moses says, in his song, "there are brought in among us new gods, newly come up whom our fathers knew not, and feared not," deut. 32:17. it is profitable to be well acquainted with these snares of satan. for if he were to teach men that they might commit murder and fornication, and might resist their parents, etc., who is there who would not immediately see that he was persuading them to do things forbidden by the lord? and thus it would be easy to guard against him. but in the case of which we are speaking, when he sets before us another word, when he disputes with us concerning the will and willingness of god, when he brings before our eyes the name of god, and of the church, and of the people of god, then we cannot so easily be on our guard against him. on the contrary there is need of the firmest judgment of the spirit to enable us to distinguish between the true god and the new god. it is such judgment as this that christ exercises, when satan attempts to persuade him to command that the stones be made bread, and to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. for satan's aim was to persuade christ to attempt something without the word. but the tempter could not deceive christ as he had deceived eve. for christ holds fast the word and does not suffer himself to be drawn away from the true god to the new and false god. hence unbelief and doubting, which follow a departure from the word, are the fountain and source of all sin. and it is because the world is full of these that it remains in idolatry, denies the truth of god and forms to itself new gods. the monk is an idolator. for his imaginations are that if he lives according to the rule of francis or dominic, he shall be in the way to the kingdom of god. but this is making a new god, and becoming an idolator. because the true god declares that the way to the kingdom of heaven is believing in christ. when this faith is lost therefore unbelief and idolatry immediately enter in, which transfer the glory of god to works. thus the anabaptists, the sacramentarians and the papists are all idolators! not because they worship stocks and stones, but because, leaving the word of god, they worship their own thoughts. the portion of the scripture therefore now before us is designed to teach us that the beginning of original sin was this effectual temptation of the devil, when he had drawn eve away from the word to idolatry, contrary to the first and second and third commandments. therefore the words stand here, "yea, hath god said?" it is horrible audacity for the devil to represent a new god and deny the former true and eternal god with the utmost self-confidence. it is as if the devil had said, "ye must be fools indeed if ye believe that god really gave you such a commandment. for god is by no means such a god as to be so greatly concerned whether ye eat the fruit or eat it not. for as the tree is 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil;' how, think ye, he can be so filled with envy as to be unwilling that ye should be wise!" moreover this inexpressible malice fully proves that, although moses makes mention of the serpent only and not of satan, satan was the real contriver of the whole transaction. and although these things had been thus involved in obscurity in this sacred history of them, yet the holy fathers and prophets, under the illumination of the holy spirit, at once saw that this temptation was not the work of the serpent, but that there was in the serpent that spirit, which was the enemy of adam's innocent nature; even the spirit, concerning whom christ plainly declares in the gospel, "that he abode not in the truth; and that he was a murderer and a liar from the beginning," luke 8:44. it was left however, as we have said, for the gospel to explain these things more clearly and to make manifest this enemy of god and of men. but the fathers saw all this by the following mode of reasoning: it is certain that at the time of the temptation all creatures stood in perfect obedience, according to the sentence of moses, "and god saw everything that he had made and, behold, it was very good." but here in the serpent, such a spirit manifests himself who proves to be the enemy of god and who corrupts the word of god, that he might draw away man into sin and death. it is manifest therefore that there was something, some spirit in the serpent, far worse than the serpent itself by nature; a spirit which might properly be called the enemy of god; a spirit that was a liar and a murderer; a spirit in whom there was the greatest and the most horrible and reckless unconcern; a spirit which trembled not to corrupt the commandment of god and to tempt man to idolatry; though he knew by that act of idolatry the whole human race must perish. these things are truly horrible when they are viewed by us aright. and we see even now examples of the same security and unconcern in papists and other sects; an unconcern by which they corrupt the word of god and seduce men. eve at first nobly resisted the tempter. for as yet she was guided by the illumination of that holy spirit, of whom we have spoken, and by whom she knew that man was created perfect and in the likeness of god. at length however she suffered herself to be persuaded and overcome. with respect to the fall of the angels, it is uncertain on which day the fall took place; whether on the second or on the third day. this only can be proved, and that is known from the gospel, namely, that satan fell from heaven, for christ himself testifies of the manner of the fall, where he says, "i beheld satan as lightning fall from heaven," luke 10:18. but whether the heavens were then "finished" or yet in their rude unformed state, we know not. the discussion of this point however belongs not to our present exposition of the passage before us. our present duty is to contemplate the extreme malice here disclosed, joined with the most horrible unconcern. for this spirit trembles not to call the commandment of the divine majesty into doubt; though he fully knew all the time, what an awful calamity must thereby fall upon the whole human race. in the second place the wonderful subtlety here exercised is especially to be considered, which is discovered first in this: that satan attacks the highest powers of man and assails the very image of god in him; namely, his will, which as yet thought and judged aright concerning god. "now the serpent was more subtle," says our text, "than any beast of the field, which jehovah god had made." but the subtlety manifested in this instance far exceeded all the natural subtlety of the serpent. for satan here disputes with man concerning the word and the will of god. this the serpent in his natural state and condition could not do; for in that, he was subject to the "dominion" of man. but the spirit which spoke in the serpent is so subtle that he overcomes man and persuades him to eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree. it is not therefore a creature of god, in his created good state, that here speaks; but it is a spirit, who is the bitterest enemy of god and of men; a spirit, who is indeed a creature of god, but not created thus evil by god. it is a creature, who abode not in the truth; as christ says, john 8:44. these facts are consequences, plainly resulting from the gospel and from the text of moses before us. the subtlety which we are contemplating is seen also from the stratagem of satan in attacking the weak part of human nature; namely eve, the woman; and not adam, the man. for although both of them were created equally righteous, yet adam excelled eve. for as in all the endowments of nature, the male strength exceeds that of the female sex, so in the state of the innocency and perfection of human nature, the male in some degree excelled the female. hence satan, seeing that adam was the more excellent creature, dared not attack him; for he had fears lest his attempts should fail. and my belief is that if he had attempted adam first, adam would have had the victory. he would more likely have crushed the serpent with his foot, and would have said to him, "hold your tongue. the lord hath commanded otherwise." satan therefore attacks eve as the weaker part, and tries her strength. for he sees that she has so much trust in, and dependence on, her husband, that she will not think it possible that she should be persuaded to do wrong after what her husband had told her. by this portion of the sacred record we are also instructed concerning the divine permission; that god sometimes permits the devil to enter into beasts, as he here entered into the serpent. for there can be no doubt that the serpent, in the assumption of whose form satan talked with eve was a real and natural serpent. but when men enter into discussions whether this serpent assumed on that occasion a human countenance, etc., all such discussions are absurd. the creature was doubtless a most beautiful serpent in its natural state; otherwise eve would not have conversed with it so securely. after the sin of the fall however that beauty of the serpent was changed. for god's rebuke to him declares that hereafter "he should go upon his belly on the ground." whereas before, he walked upright, as the male fowl. god also declares "that he should eat dust," whereas before, he fed upon better food, even upon the productions of the earth. nay, even the original security of man with the serpent is lost. we flee from serpents at the sight of them, as they also flee from us. these are all wounds, which have been inflicted on nature on account of sin; just in the same way we have lost the glory of our nakedness, the rectitude of our will and the soundness of our intellect and understanding. i believe also, that the serpent lost much of his subtlety, which moses here lauds, as a distinguishing gift of god. moreover, i believe that in the same proportion as the serpent is now an evil creature amidst the beasts, so it was then a good creature; and a blessed and lovely creature; a creature with which not man only, but all the other beasts also, lived in perfect freedom and with great pleasure. the serpent therefore was a creature, the best adapted of all the other living creatures for the purpose of satan. by it he could secure the most easy access to eve, and could the most effectually converse with her so as to draw her into sin. such is my opinion concerning the natural serpent, the beautiful nature of which satan planned thus to abuse. i believe it was originally a most beautiful creature, without any poison in its tail and without those filthy scales with which it is now covered. for these grew upon it after the sin of the fall. hence we find it a precept given by moses that any beast, which should kill any person, should itself immediately be killed, exod. 21:28; and for no other reason than because satan sinned by using a beast when he murdered man. hence also a serpent is killed wherever found, as a lasting memorial of this diabolical malice and this fall of man, wrought by his means. with reference to the grammatical expression here used, the latin interpreter renders the hebrew aphki by cur. though this rendering is not very wide of the real sense of the passage, yet it does not convey the true and proper meaning. for it is the highest and greatest of all temptations, when a dispute is entered upon, concerning the counsel of god, why god did this or that. but my judgment is, that the weight of the matter does not rest on this particle of expression why? or wherefore? but rather on the name god, elohim. it is this that constitutes the greatness and awfulness of the temptation. it is as if satan had said, "ye must be foolish indeed if ye suppose that god could possibly be unwilling that ye should eat of this tree when he had himself given you 'dominion' over all the trees of paradise; nay, when he had positively created all the trees for your sakes. how can he, who bestowed as a free favor all things upon you, possibly envy you these particular fruits, which are so sweet and so pleasant!" for satan's whole aim is to devise a means of drawing them away from the word and from the knowledge of god, and to bring them to conclude that what they had stated was not really the will of god, and that such was not really what god had commanded them. that this is the true sense of the whole divine passage, that which follows tends to prove; when satan says, "ye shall not surely die." for all the stratagems of satan centre in this one:--to draw men away from the word, and from faith unto a new and false god. and this same plan of satan all fanatical spirits follow. hence, arius reasons and inquires, do you really think that christ is god, when he himself says, "my father is greater than i?" in the same manner also the sacramentarians ask, do you really think that the bread is the body and the wine the blood of christ? christ most certainly had no thoughts so absurd. when men begin thus to indulge their own cogitations, they by degrees depart from the word and fall into error. since therefore, the whole force of the temptation was in leading eve to doubt whether god really did say so; it is a more correct rendering to leave the emphasis resting on the name of god. the leaving it to rest on the interrogative particle, why? takes away from the peculiar force of the meaning. in my judgment therefore the passage will be best rendered by making the emphasis to rest on the _not_. hath god said that ye shall _not_ eat of every tree of the garden? for satan's real aim is, not to set up an inquiry why god said this. his object is to bring eve to conclude that god had positively not so commanded, in order that by bringing her to this conclusion he might wrest from her the word. satan saw that the reasoning power of eve might in this way be the most effectually deceived, if he drew away from her sight and judgment the word of god, under the very name of god. and he thinks the same still. this question of satan is full of insidious deception. he does not speak particularly, but generally; he includes in his interrogation, all the trees of the garden together. as if he had said, "you have committed unto you an universal 'dominion' over all the beasts of the earth; and do you really suppose that god, who has thus given you 'dominion' over all the beasts of the earth, has not given you the same dominion over all the trees of the earth? why, you ought rather to think that as god has put under you the whole earth and all the beasts of the earth; so he has also granted you the use of all things which grow upon the earth." this is indeed the very height and depth of temptation. satan here endeavors to gain over the mind of eve to his purpose, by artfully drawing her into the conclusion that god is never unlike himself; and that therefore if god had given them universal dominion over all the other creatures, he had given them universal dominion over all the trees also. from this therefore it would naturally follow that the commandment not to eat of the tree of life, was not the commandment of god; or that if it were his commandment, it was not so to be understood that he really wished them not to eat of that tree. wherefore this temptation was a double temptation, by which as a twofold means satan aimed at the same end. the one part of the temptation is, "god hath not said this, therefore ye may eat of this tree." the second branch of this awful temptation is, "god hath given unto you all things; therefore all things are yours; and therefore this tree is not forbidden you, etc., etc." now, both branches of this temptation are directed to the same object; to draw eve away from the word and from faith. for this commandment concerning not eating of this tree of knowledge, which god gave to adam and to eve, proves that adam with his posterity, had they continued in their original innocency, would have lived in that perfection of nature by faith, until he and they had been translated from this corporeal life unto the life spiritual and eternal. for wherever the word is, there of necessity is faith also. for the word was this, "of the tree of the knowledge, etc., thou shalt not eat, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." adam and eve must therefore have believed that this tree involved in it something perilous to their salvation. therefore in this very word of commandment, faith also is included. we, who are designed to be transferred from this state of sin to a state of eternal righteousness, also live by faith. but we have a word, different from that which adam had in his state of nature's innocence and perfection. for he was designed to be transferred simply from a state of animal life to that of a spiritual and eternal life. wherefore this tree, as i have before observed, was intended of god to be a temple as it were in the midst of paradise, in which the word god spoke to adam might be preached. the substance of this word was, that all the other trees of paradise were healthful and to be eaten; but that this tree of knowledge, involved in it the danger of destruction; and that therefore they should learn to obey god and his word, and to render unto god his worship, by not eating of this tree, seeing that god had forbidden them to eat of this particular tree. in this manner therefore nature, in its uncorrupt and perfect state, even while it possessed the knowledge of god, had yet a word or precept of god, above the comprehension of adam, which he was called upon to believe. and this word or precept was delivered to man in his state of innocency, that adam might have a sign or form of worshipping god, of giving him thanks, and of instructing his children in this knowledge of god. now the devil, beholding this and knowing that this word or precept of god was above the understanding of man, plies eve with his temptation and draws her into thinking, whether this really was the commandment and will of god. and this is the very origin of all temptation; when the reason of man attempts to judge concerning the word and god without the word. now the will of god was that this his precept should be unto man an occasion of his obedience and of his external worship of god; and that this tree should be a sign, by means of which man should testify that he did obey god. but satan by setting on foot the doubtful disputation, whether god really did give such a commandment, endeavors to draw man away from this obedience into sin. here the salvation of eve consisted solely in her determinately urging the commandment of god, and not suffering herself to be drawn aside into other disputations, whether god really had given such a commandment. and whether as god had created all things for man's sake, it could be possible that this one tree only was created, containing something incomprehensible and dangerous to man's salvation. it seems indeed unto men, to be a show of wisdom, to inquire into these things more curiously than is lawful. but as soon as the mind begins to indulge in such disputations, man is lost. but now let us hear the answer eve makes to satan: vs. 2, 3. _and the woman said unto the serpent: of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, god hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest perchance ye die._ eve's beginnings are successful enough. she makes a distinction between all the other trees of the garden and this tree. she rehearses the commandment of god. but when she comes to relate also the punishment, she fails. she does not relate the punishment, as it had been declared by the lord. the lord had said, absolutely, "for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die," gen. 2:17. out of this absolute declaration, eve makes an expression, not absolute, "lest perchance ye should die." this defect in the statement of eve is very remarkable, and demands particular observation; for it proves that she had turned aside from faith to unbelief. for as the promise of god demands faith, so the threatening of god demands faith also. eve ought to have made her statement as a fact, and a certainty. "if i eat, i shall surely die." this faith however satan so assails, with his insidious speech, as to induce eve to add the expression, "perchance." for the devil had effectually persuaded her to think that god surely was not so cruel as to kill her for merely tasting a fruit. hence the heart of eve was now filled with the poison of satan. this text therefore is also by no means properly translated in our version. the meaning of the original hebrew is that eve speaks her own words; whereas she is ostensibly reciting the word of god; and that she adds to the word of god her own expression, "perchance." wherefore the artifice of the lying spirit has completely succeeded. for the object which he especially had in view; namely, to draw eve away from the word and from faith; he has now so far accomplished, as to cause eve to corrupt the word of god; or, to use the expression of paul, "he has turned her aside from the will of god, and caused her to go after satan", 1 tim. 5:15. and the beginning of certain ruin is to be turned aside from god, and to be turned after satan; that is, not to stand firmly in the word and in faith. when satan therefore sees this beginning in eve, he plies against her his whole power as against a bowing wall, until she falls prostrate on the ground. vs. 4, 5. _and the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die: for god doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil._ this is the satanic rhetoric adopted by the tempter to prostrate utterly a poor weak woman; when he sees her turning away from god and inclined to listen to another teacher. before, when he said in his satanic insidiousness, "hath god, indeed, thus commanded you?" he did not positively deny the word. he only attempted by speaking in the form of a question to draw eve aside into doubting. but now, having fully accomplished his first point, he begins with daring presumption to deny the word of god altogether, and to charge god himself with falsehood and cruelty. he is not now content with having caused eve to add her expression, "perchance." out of the "perchance," he now makes a plain and positive denial: "ye shall not surely die." we here witness therefore what a horrible thing it is when satan once begins to tempt a man. for then ruin causes ruin and that which was at first apparently a trifling offense against god, ends eventually in a mighty destruction. it was an awful step into sin for eve to turn from god and his word and to lend her ears to satan. but this her next step is more awful; for she now agrees with satan, while he charges god with falsehood, and as it were smites him in the face. eve therefore now is no longer the woman merely turned away from god, as in the first stage of her temptation. she now begins to join satan in his contempt of god and in his denial of the truth of his word. she now believes the father of lies, directly contrary to the word of god. let these things therefore be to us a solemn lesson and a terrible proof, to teach us what man is! for if these things occurred in nature, while it was yet in its state of perfection, what shall we think may become of us! we have proofs, even now, before our eyes. many, who at the commencement of our course gave thanks with us unto god for his revealed word, are not only fallen away from it, but are become our bitterest adversaries! thus it was also with the arians. no sooner had they begun to fall away from faith in the divinity of the son, than they quickly grew into a violent enmity against him. so that they became the bitter enemies of the true church and persecuted her with the greatest cruelty. precisely the same examples of ultimate rage against the truth have we witnessed also in the anabaptists. they were all led away from the word, and tempted to use the doubtful expression, "perchance." shortly after satan drove them to turn the doubting "perchance" into a positive "not," "god hath not said," etc. then from forsakers of god, they became the open persecutors of god, imitating in this their father, satan; who after he had fallen from heaven by sin became the most bitter enemy of christ and his church. nor are examples of the very same description few in our day. for we have no enemies more bitter against us than those who have fallen away from the doctrine they once professed with us. and from this very sin that awful description which david has given us of the "fool" arose, ps. 14:1: "the fool hath said in his heart there is no god." for those thus fallen are not satisfied with having turned away from god, unless they have become the assailants also of god himself and of his word. wherefore there is absolutely need that we abide by this rule, and moor ourselves to this sacred anchor as it were through life. since it is agreed for a certainty that the word, which we possess and confess, is the word of god, we should assent and cleave to it with all simplicity of faith and not dispute concerning it with curious inquiry. for all inquiring and curious disputation bring with them most certain ruin. thus for instance we have the plain and manifest word of christ concerning the lord's supper, when he says concerning the bread, "this is my body, which is given for you," luke 22:19. and concerning the cup, "this cup is the new covenant in my blood", 1 cor. 11:25. when therefore fanatics depart from faith in these plain words, and fall into disputing how these things can be, they by degrees stray so far, as positively to deny that these are the words of christ, and at length they fiercely fight against them. just as it befell eve, as recorded in the passage of moses now before us. exactly after the same manner, when arius began to think about god and to conclude by his own reason that god was a most positive and absolute unity, he at first fell upon this proposition, "perhaps christ is not god." then he carried the accumulation of his absurdities so far, as plainly to conclude, and to defend his conclusion, that "christ is not god." it moved him not at all, that john plainly declares, "the word was god," john 1:1; that christ commands men to be baptized "in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost," math. 28:19; and that we are called upon to believe in christ, to worship him and to pray unto him, acts 13:39; ps. 97:7. and yet, what absurdity can be greater than that we should take upon ourselves to judge god, since our condition is to be judged by him and by him alone? wherefore our duty is to stand by and persevere in this principle: that, when we hear god say anything, we believe it, and not dispute about it; but that on the contrary we bring our intellect and every thought into captivity unto christ. we may therefore appropriately cite the words of the prophet isaiah, "if ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established," is. 7:9. for if we should inquire and inquire until we burst with curiosity, yet we shall never understand how the eye sees, nor how the ear hears, nor what the soul is, etc. and yet, all these things are a part of us, and we use them every day and every moment in all our actions. how then shall we understand those things which exceed all our faculties and senses, and are found in the word of god alone? hence it is found in the word alone, that the ordained bread is the body of christ, and that the ordained wine is the blood of christ. these things it is our duty to believe, not to understand; for understand them we cannot. in like manner too the words of god in the present passage of moses were most simple and plain, "of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden ye shall not eat." but in those words reason did not understand the mind of god, why he willed these things so to be. when therefore eve, not content with the command of the lord which she had heard, began curiously to inquire into it, she perished. this temptation therefore is a true example of all those temptations, in which satan assaults the word and faith. before the desire of eating the fruit came to eve, she had let go the word which god spoke to adam. had she held fast this word, she would have stood in the reverence of god and in faith. on the other hand, no sooner had she let go the word, than contempt of god entered; and then followed obedience to the devil. it is profitable for us to learn these things and to know them. hence it is that peter admonishes us to stand fast under temptation, and to resist the tempter, keeping fast hold of the word by a firm faith, and keeping our ears shut, so as not to listen to anything contrary to the word, 1 pet. 5:9. for such "sufferings" and temptations of eve are most truly "lessons" to us; that we suffer not the same things, by being drawn aside from the word and faith, as she was. that which follows in our text, "for god doth know that your eyes shall be opened," may be taken in a twofold sense. we may either understand satan to have thus spoken, for the purpose of exciting an ill-will against god, for having forbidden man to eat of a fruit so good and useful by which means satan would create in eve the beginning of a hatred towards god for not being sufficiently indulgent. or again, i would rather understand the passage, satan speaks this, as in praise of god; that he may thereby the more easily entrap eve in his deception. as if he had said to her, "be assured that god is not such an one as to wish you and adam to live in darkness as it were without the knowledge of good and evil. he is good. he envies you nothing which can in any way conduce to your benefit or pleasure. he will be quite satisfied and content that you should be like himself, as to the knowledge of good and evil." when satan thus praises god he has the razor fairly in his hands, so that he can cut the throat of a man in a moment. for the fall of a man is thus rendered by satan the most easy, when the pretext of the word and the will of god is brought in upon the back of that which the lust of the heart desires. this is why i would rather understand the words now in question to be spoken by satan, as intended to persuade eve, rather than to excite in her any hatred toward god. i leave it however quite free to you, my hearers, to adopt the sense of the passage which pleases you best. the sum of the whole or the one aim of satan, is this: to draw eve away by all possible means from the word, and to persuade her to do that, which had been forbidden by the word. for satan is the most bitter enemy of the word of god; because he knows that our whole salvation lies in our obedience to that word. but here an inquiry by no means absurd is raised. how was it that eve did not yet feel her sin? for, although she had not yet swallowed the fruit, yet she had sinned against the word and against faith. she had turned away from the word unto a lie and from faith to disbelief; from god to satan and from the worship of god to idolatry. as this was the sum and substance of her sin, for plucking the apple was not the sum of her sin, how was it that death did not immediately follow? how was it that she did not feel so mighty a sin? nay further how was it, that after she had eaten the fruit, she did not feel the death which was the decreed punishment of it, before she persuaded adam to eat of it also? the schools dispute much and variously about the superior power, and the inferior power of reason. they hold, that adam possessed the superior power of reason, and eve the inferior. we will cast aside all such half-learned and scholastic arguments and seek the true meaning of the passage, which is as follows: in the first place the long-suffering of god is great. therefore he does not punish sin immediately. if he did we should soon perish. this long-suffering of god satan ever abuses. and it just suits his purpose that man should not immediately feel his sin. for because punishment is thus deferred, satan fills the mind with security and unconcern. so that a man is not only kept blind to the fact that he has sinned, but is caused to take delight and to glory in his sins. all this we behold in the popes and the papists. if they could see with their eyes and hearts the slaughter-house of conscience, yea, the perdition into which they bring men by their impious doctrine, they would without doubt change their doctrine. but now, satan so dazzles their eyes as it were with his delusions, that they cannot perceive their own judgment and the wrath of god which hangs over them. therefore in the very midst of these mighty sins, they live with the greatest security, even with gladness and rejoicing, displaying their magnificent triumphs as if they had performed the most noble achievements. this was exactly the case with eve. by her disbelief she rushed from the word into a lie. therefore in the eyes of god, she was now dead. but as satan still held under his power her heart and eyes, she not only did not see her death, but was gradually more and more inflamed with a longing for the fruit; and was positively delighted with this her idolatry and with her sin. now if eve had not departed from the word, thus to look upon the fruit with a desire to taste it, it would have been to her an abhorrence. but having thus departed, she turns over the sin in her mind with gratification. whereas had she before seen any other stretch forth the hand to touch this tree, she would have recoiled with horror. but now, she is impatient of delay. sin has burst forth from her heart, and has descended to the lower members of her body, her mouth and tongue. this desire and delightful longing therefore to eat the fruit are as it were the diseases gendered by the sin of her heart from which death follows; though eve, while sinning, feels it not. this is plain from the next portion of the context. part ii. the awful fall by sinning. v. 6. _and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat._ mark here the manner in which sin diffuses itself through all the five senses. for what did eve neglect that could be used in the service of sin when once she had believed satan contrary to the word of god, and had listened to his lies in telling her that she would not surely die, but that her eyes would be opened and that she would know both good and evil. her eyes could not be satisfied with seeing. it was nothing to her now that she possessed the knowledge of god, and that she had a sound and perfect mind. she was not content without the addition of the knowledge of evil also. and this was the very essence of satan's poison; her desire to be wise above that which god had spoken to her as his command. for such wisdom was death and the very enemy of that wisdom of god, which had been delivered to her in his word. for this wisdom caused her to consider that to be righteousness, which was really sin, and to look upon that as most desirable wisdom which was utter madness. the whole point therefore lies in this which the latin version has omitted to express: that the tree was a tree to be desired, because it made the eaters thereof wise. and this is the very aim of the devil, to cause a man to think his knowledge and wisdom the greater, the further he departs from the word. hence the sacramentarians think it the sum of all wisdom to assert that bread is bread, and that wine is wine; but that bread is not the body, nor wine the blood of christ. so arius considers that he has carried off the palm of all wisdom, when he asserts, from certain scriptures evilly distorted from their manifest sense, that the logos was indeed before all creatures; but that still he was created. in like manner the anabaptists imagine that they trumpet forth the very height of wisdom, when they declare aloud with full-swollen cheeks that water cannot reach the soul or the spirit, but that it washes the naked skin only, and that therefore baptism avails nothing to the remission of sins. hence we have known fanatical spirits to baptize here and there without any water at all, who nevertheless continued to boast that they never dissented from us or our doctrine. and truly, this is wisdom. but it is the wisdom of the devil; and directly contrary to the word and wisdom of god. and it is the peculiar and proper temptation of the devil thus to render us wise in our own conceits contrary to and above the word of god. just as he himself was once in heaven, and then fell. and this high wisdom is a temptation of his, far exceeding in destructive efficacy all the grosser temptations of lust, avarice, pride, etc. the verb hiskil signifies "to be prudent" or "wise." hence, maskil is "wise" or "prudent," as in psalm 14:2, "jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek after god." and again, is. 53:11, "by the knowledge of himself, jaskil, shall my righteous servant justify many." the word signifies properly that wisdom by which god is known and acknowledged. and eve had this light or rather this sun of knowledge in her heart before she fell; because she had the word. and she had moreover the knowledge of all the creatures. but not content with this wisdom, she wished to mount higher and to know god otherwise than he had revealed himself to her in his word. this was her fall. she let go the true wisdom, and that being lost, she rushed into utter blindness. just as satan acted in the garden of eden, so he acts now. god commands us to believe the gospel of his son, that we may thus be saved. this is true wisdom, as christ himself also affirms: "this is life eternal, that they should know thee, the only true god, and him whom thou didst send, even jesus christ," john 17:3. this wisdom the monk utterly disregards, and turns aside to other things. he puts on a cowl, girds himself with a rope and takes upon him the vow of celibacy; and he thinks that by such means he shall please god and be saved. and all this is that sublime wisdom which is exercised in the worship of god, and in a great religious observance toward him; all of which is the implantation of satan, engrafted on the original sin of our fallen nature; causing men to turn away from the word of god, which he has himself "set forth" as the way of salvation, and to turn aside to following their own cogitations. just like eve. she was created the wisest of all women that ever existed; but she longed for another wisdom contrary to and above the word; and on account of this newly desired wisdom she fell and sinned, in a multiplicity of forms, with all her senses, with her thoughts, with her sight, with her desire, with her touch, with her taste, with her whole act. they are not to be listened to, therefore, who argue it was cruelty that this nature of ours should be thus miserably corrupted, sunk under death, and involved in all the other calamities to which it is subject for the simple act of tasting a certain fruit. the epicureans, indeed, when they hear these things, laugh at them as a mere fable. but to a careful reader, who duly ponders these recorded facts, it will at once be manifest that the simple bite of the fruit was not the cause of these awful consequences. such an one will see that the sin committed was the cause of the whole calamity which followed, even the sin of eve, which she committed against both tables of the law, against god himself and against his word. for her sin was of that description that she cast aside the word of god and gave herself up wholly to satan, and to his teaching as his disciple. the greatness and awfulness of the sin of eve therefore can neither be lessened nor made too great. this greatness and awfulness of the sin of eve are the pregnant causes of all the calamitous punishments which we endure. so awful was the sin, and so awful the turning away from god! and this horrible turning away from god is the great solemn fact which our minds ought to contemplate. they ought not to dwell upon the mere plucking or swallowing the fruit; for those who look upon the act only, and not upon the sin of the heart, from which the act proceeded, must naturally be led to accuse god of cruelty for having inflicted upon the whole human race such terrible punishments for so small and insignificant a sin. such reasoners on the matter, therefore, hate god and despair; or like the epicureans they laugh at the whole matter as a fable. what we have to consider therefore is the word. for that, against which eve sinned, was the word of god. as great therefore as was the word, so great was the sin which eve committed against the word. it was under this sin that all nature fell, and under which it still lies. for, how can nature overcome that sin! it is of a magnitude infinite and inexhaustible. consequently, to overcome this sin there is need of him who brings with him an inexhaustible righteousness, even the son of god. that satan knew all this, his subtlety proves. for he does not immediately entice eve with the sweetness of the fruit; he attacks at once the chief strength of man, faith in the word! the root and source of all sin therefore is disbelief, and turning aside from god. even as, on the contrary, the root and source of all righteousness is faith. satan therefore first of all draws eve aside from faith to unbelief. when he had accomplished this and had brought eve not to believe the word of god's commandment spoken unto her, he had no trouble in accomplishing the rest, in causing her to rush up to the tree, to pluck the fruit and eat it. for when sin is ripened in the heart by unbelief, the external act of disobedience soon follows. this is the manner in which the nature of sin is to be considered, namely, according to its true magnitude, under which magnitude we are all ruined. next follows the description of sin, with its punishments. v. 7. _and the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons_ (girdles). i have remarked above that the form of all satan's temptations is the same. he first plies his temptation upon a man's faith, and then draws him away from the word. upon this follow various sins against the second table. this procedure of satan we may see plainly manifested in our own experience. that which follows therefore in the present chapter, is a particular description of sin, what it is in the act, and what it is afterwards, when the act is performed. for, while sin is in the act, it is not felt. if it were truly felt, we should return to the right way, warned by the sorrows which sin ever brings upon the sinner. but because these sorrows lie hidden, after we have departed from integrity of soul and from faith, we go on without concern into the act itself. just as eve sinned in eating the fruit, after she had been persuaded by satan, contrary to the word of god, "that she should not die" but that the only effects would be, "that her eyes would be opened," and that she would become wiser. after she had drunk in this poison of satan through her ears, she stretched forth her hand to the forbidden fruit, plucked it and ate it with her mouth; and thus she sinned with all the senses of her mind and of her body. and yet she did not even then feel her sin. she ate the fruit with pleasure and entreated her husband also to do the same. the essential principles are the same in all temptations and in all sins, whether of lust, of anger, or avarice, etc. while the sin is in the act, it is not felt; it terrifies not, it stings not, but it rather flatters the passions and delights. and no marvel that the case should be so with us when we are infected with this poison of original sin, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, and especially when we reflect that the sins of paradise took place in nature while it was yet sound and perfect. hence it is that we see in the cases of profane men, of fanatical spirits and of those who have no faith, or who have fallen from the faith, how secure and unconcerned they are, how vehement and pertinacious in defending their errors; so much so that they will not hesitate even to die in the defence of them. such is the nature of sin, while it remains unfelt. but afterwards when the sin is made manifest by the law, then it comes down upon the man with all its intolerable weight. so before this discovery of her sin, while it was inwardly preparing for the act, the eyes of eve were not opened. had they been she must have died before she could have touched the fruit; but because her eyes were not yet opened, and because her unbelief yet remained, there remained also the longing for the fruit prohibited, and there remained also the purpose and the desire to obtain the satan-promised knowledge, which was also forbidden. poor miserable eve, she is so wrapped up in disbelief, both in soul and in body, that she sees not the mighty evil she is committing! similar examples of the insensible security and unconcern of sin are furnished by our ecclesiastical histories. arius securely blesses himself, as long as he can find means of eluding the scripture testimonies concerning the divinity of the son. but this security lasts not very long. as soon as the eyes of eve were opened, she remembered the law of her god spoken to her, which before she had forgotten, "that she and adam should not eat of the forbidden tree." before she had this knowledge of god's law she was "without sin," as paul expresses it, rom. 7:9, "and i was alive apart from the law once." not because the law really did not exist, but because the apostle did not feel the threatenings and punishments of it; and hence he seemed to himself to be "without the law." "for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin," rom. 3:20. when therefore the law revived in his knowledge of it, his sin revived also with that knowledge, rom. 7:9. all this moses would indicate in his history of our first parents, when he says, "and the eyes of them both were opened," as if he had said, satan had closed, not the eyes only of eve, but her heart also by unbelief and by the disobedience of all the members of her body and of her soul without and within. but after her sin was committed and "finished," he willingly suffers the eyes of them both to be opened, that they might see what they had done. for this is satan's manner of cutting short the ruin of those who sin under his temptations; when they have sinned, he leaves them to perish in despair. this portion of sacred history therefore is like a complete exposition of the sentence of paul's words, "for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin," rom. 3:20. for the law does nothing but make known and cause to revive that sin, which before the knowledge of the law lay asleep as it were and dead. just as in the following chapter it is said to cain, "if thou doest evil, thy sin sleepeth until it be made known to thee," gen. 4:7. for it lieth asleep, while it is in the act. but when the law comes then the eyes are opened, so that the man then sees what god had commanded, and what punishment he had decreed for the transgressors of his command. when this takes place, so that the law fully rules in the conscience; then a man arrives at the true knowledge of his sin, which knowledge no human hearts can endure unless consolation be given them from above. what moses next adds, therefore, that after they had eaten the fruit, "they saw that they were naked," are words by no means superfluous nor without special import. for if duly considered, they contain a beautiful description of original righteousness. the schoolmen indeed argue that original righteousness was not connatural; that is, not a part of human nature as originally created; but a certain ornament, only additionally bestowed on man as a separate gift. just as if one should place a garland on the head of a beautiful maiden. a garland is certainly no part of the nature of a virgin, but something separate from her nature as such; something added from without, which might be taken away again without any violation of her nature. these schoolmen therefore argue, both concerning man and concerning devils, that, although they lost their original righteousness, yet their natural properties remained pure as they were originally created. this doctrine however detracts from the magnitude of original sin and is to be shunned as a deadly poison. we conclude therefore that original righteousness was not a superadded gift, which was bestowed from without, separate from the very nature of man; but a truly natural righteousness; so that it was the very nature of adam to know god, to love god, to believe in god, to acknowledge god and to worship god, etc. these things were as natural in adam, as it is natural to the eyes to see the light. when the eye is injured by the infliction of a wound, you may rightly affirm that nature is violated; so after man fell from his original righteousness, it is correctly maintained, that the properties of nature were no longer sound and whole, but defiled and corrupted by sin. for as it is the nature of the eye to see, so it was the original nature of the reason and of the will of adam to know god, to trust in god, and to fear god. since therefore it is evident that all these natural powers are lost, who is so mad as to assert that the faculties and properties of nature are still sound and whole? and yet, there was nothing more common nor more fully received in the schools than this doctrine. how much greater then must be the absurdity and the madness, to affirm this doctrine concerning devils to be true, especially since christ himself declares "that they abode not in the truth," and when we ourselves know them to be the most bitter enemies of christ and of his church! the natural faculties in man therefore created originally sound and whole, were the knowledge of god, faith in god, the fear of god, etc. all these satan corrupted by sin in the same manner as leprosy defiles the whole flesh. the will and reason of man therefore are so corrupted by sin, that he not only does no longer naturally love god, but flees from him and hates him and wishes to live without him, and to be without him altogether. therefore moses has exactly described in this portion of his sacred history that corruption which succeeded original righteousness and its glory. for it was the peculiar glory of adam and eve not to know that they were naked. what corruption then can be greater than that the nakedness, which was originally the glory of our first parents, should now be changed into the basest turpitude. thus no one blushes on account of his eyes, when sound and perfect. but when the eyes are distorted or partially blind, they cover us with a certain cloud of defect and with a feeling of shame. in like manner in their state of original innocency, it was entirely a matter of glory for adam and eve to walk in nakedness. but when, after their sin, "they saw that they were naked," they were overwhelmed with shame and looked about them for "girdles" wherewith to hide their turpitude. how much greater turpitude then is disclosed by the fact, that the slaughtered will, the corrupted understanding and the wholly defiled reason have changed man into an utterly altered being. are all these woeful things proofs, i pray you, that the qualities and faculties of man's original nature still remain sound and whole? but consider for a moment what will necessarily follow from the doctrine of making original righteousness, not to have been an essential part of created nature, but only a certain superfluous and superadded gift or ornament. if you lay it down as a fact, that original righteousness was not an essential quality of the nature of man, it must inevitably follow that the sin, which followed original righteousness, was also not an essential quality of the nature of man. and if so, was it not an utterly vain thing that christ should be sent into the world as the redeemer of man, if it was man's original righteousness only, which was merely a foreign and separate addition to his nature, that was lost; and if that loss still left the faculties and qualities of his original nature sound and perfect? but what doctrine can be worse than this? what doctrine more unworthy a divine to utter? flee therefore from such mad dreams as from a real pestilence and from corruption of the holy scriptures; and let us instead follow actual experience which teaches us that we are born of corrupt seed and that we derive from the very nature of that seed, ignorance of god, self-security, unbelief, hatred of god, disobedience, impatience and numberless other kindred evils; all which are so engendered and implanted in our very nature, and are a poison so wholly diffused throughout our flesh, body, soul, nerves and blood, yea, through all our bones and their very marrow; and so wholly poisoning our will, our understanding and our reason, that the poison not only can never be extracted, but that we cannot even acknowledge, or feel, or see that this is our state of sin! it is a well known sentiment of the old greek comedian, aristophanes, "that to visit harlots is no disgrace to a youth." pardon however may be extended to such a sentiment in a heathen poet. but it is most awful in such as call themselves christian men, and men professing a knowledge of the holy scriptures, to incline toward such a sentiment that whoredom is not positive sin. and yet, whole colleges of our canonicals actually approve the sentiment, with one consent by their lives and manners. when this is the case therefore with respect to actual outward sins, what must we conclude to be the state of men's minds, with respect to the uncleanness of the heart and the motions of sin in our very nature? these motions of nature, wicked men cannot of course understand to be sins. thus a wicked man cannot understand that the glory of nakedness was lost by sin. for the fact of adam and eve walking abroad naked was their highest adornment in the sight of god and before the whole creation. but now since the entrance of sin we not only recoil at the thought of walking naked before men for their sakes, but we are filled with shame for our own sakes; as moses here testifies, concerning the feelings of adam and eve. and this very shame witnesses that our confidence in god as well as in man is lost, whereas this confidence in both existed before sin entered by the fall. but after the entrance of sin, adam even though blinded would yet have been abashed to present himself naked before the eyes of god or of men; because by his disobedience, his former confidence in god, his glorious creator, was lost. all these things therefore abundantly testify that original righteousness was an essential quality of the nature of man, when first created; and as that original righteousness was lost by sin, it is manifest that no qualities or properties or powers of nature remain perfect and sound, as the schoolmen madly dream. for, as it was the original nature of man to go forth naked, full of innocent confidence and security toward god and with the knowledge that such nakedness pleased both god and men, so now since the entrance of sin man feels that this same nakedness of nature, originally so glorious, is displeasing to god, to man himself and to all rational creatures. and accordingly man prepares himself girdles, and carefully covers his "uncomely parts," 1 cor. 12:23. is this not an awful change in nature? nature does indeed remain, but corrupted in numerous forms. for all innocent confidence in god is lost, and the heart is full of distrust, fear and shame. so, also the members of nature all remain the same. but those members which were once beheld in all their nakedness with glory are now cautiously covered, as dishonorable and base, lest they should be seen, because of the great internal defects of nature; because nature has lost all confidence in god by sin. for if we possessed that confidence in innocency, as adam enjoyed it, we should know no shame, no blush in our nakedness. from this corruption, which immediately followed sin, arose another evil. adam and eve were not only ashamed on account of their nakedness, which before their sin was most honorable, and a most glorious adornment; but they even make for themselves coverings to hide from sight those parts of their body which, in their original nature, were thus so honorable and so glorious. for what in all nature is so wonderful, so noble and so glorious, as the fact of generation! and this fact, so noble, so glorious, is not assigned of god to the eyes or to the face, which we consider to be the more honorable and dignified parts of our body, but to those parts which thus, taught by our awful state of sin, we cover from sight with all possible carefulness lest they should be seen. and thus as the fact of generation in the innocent state of nature, had it continued, would have been most pure and most holy; so since the entrance of sin, even this fact is filled with the leprosy of lust, as are also all the parts of the body connected with it. those therefore who live without marriage, "burn" in lust, most impurely. and those also who live in marriage, unless they rightly moderate their feelings and affections, and carefully guard their "due benevolence," 1 cor. 7:3, are variously tempted and afflicted. do we not then, from all these considerations, feel how foul and horrible a thing sin is? for lust is the only thing that cannot be cured by any remedy! not even by marriage, which was expressly ordained from above to be a remedy for this infirmity of our nature. for the greater part of married persons still live in adultery, and thus sing practically the well-known song of the heathen poet of old:- _"nec tecum possum vivere sine te."_ (ovid) neither with thee, nor yet without thee, wife, can i by nature, live. such is the horrible turpitude which arises out of this most honorable and most excellent part of our natural body! i call it most excellent, on account of the noble and marvelous work of generation, which is indeed most excellent, and wonderful and glorious; because it preserves the continuation of the race of mankind! by reason of sin therefore the most excellent and effectual members of our body have become the most vile and base. but this would not have been the case with adam and eve, had they continued in their innocency. they were full of innocent confidence in their god. therefore whenever they wished to devote themselves to the procreation of children, they would have come together, not maddened with that lust which now reigns in our leprous flesh, but with an admiration of the ordinance of god, in obedience to god and in the worship of god; and also with the same holy quietness and solemnity of mind, as that in which we go to hear the word of god and to worship god. but all these things we have lost by sin, so that we can now only conceive of them and understand them negatively, not positively. for from the awful state of evil in which we now stand, we can only gather negatively an idea of the greatness of that good and that glory which we have lost. but we owe a deep debt of gratitude to god, even for the remnants of the original glory still left us, however corrupt the noble, wonderful and glorious work of generation now may be; of which both the church and the state have need for the perpetuation of saints and of citizens. and it is a marvelous fact that in all the writers, of all tongues not one iota is found which sets forth the glory of that original nakedness, which is now through sin so filled with turpitude and shame; but which before sin entered into the world was so honorable and glorious. here we have moses alone as our great teacher, who however sets forth the whole matter in but very few, and those very simple words, teaching us that man, having fallen from faith, was filled with confusion, and that the glory of his organs of generation was changed into utter turpitude and ignominy, so that he was compelled to make coverings to hide them from sight. the hebrew term hegorah, of which we here have the plural, properly signifies a girdle or apron-girt, so that we are to understand that these fig leaves covered the upper parts of the thighs all round in every part, in order that the part of the body which before sin was the most honorable, 1 cor. 12:23, might now be covered as being the most uncomely and base, and utterly unworthy the sight of men. o how horrible was the fall by sin! for after it the eyes of man were so opened that what was before the most honorable and glorious, he now looks upon as most dishonorable and base. and so it is to this day. as soon as the law has come, we then first discover what we have done. and sin thus made known seems to have in it such awful baseness that the enlightened minds of men cannot endure the sight, and therefore they endeavor to cover their turpitude. for no one ever, though he be a thief, an adulterer or a murderer, etc., is willing to appear to be such. so also heretics are never found to acknowledge their error in any degree, but defend it most pertinaciously and wish to appear to hold the catholic truth. and that they may secure this appearance, they sew together fig leaves as broad as possible; that is, they try all things which seem likely to color over and cloak their heresy. this same nature of sin is seen even in children, who frequently, though caught in the very fact of doing evil, yet busy themselves in discovering means whereby they can persuade their parents to the contrary; thus excusing themselves, speaking lies, ps. 58:3. in precisely the same manner do men also act. even when caught and held fast, they yet endeavor to slip away that they may not be confounded, but may still appear good and just. this portion of poison also has been infused into our very nature, as the present passage of moses likewise testifies. part iii. the judgment god held with our first parents after their fall and the account of their stewardship he required from them. v. 8. _and they heard the voice of jehovah god walking in the garden in the cool (breeze) of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of jehovah god amongst the trees of the garden._ this is now the third evil of original sin, bearing its additional proof, that original righteousness was lost. but here again lyra is entangled in the opinions of rabbins, some of whom interpret the expression in the breeze of the day, _ad auram diei_, as referring to place, or to the climate between the south and the west, while others explain the expression as referring to time, holding that this sacred circumstance occurred in the evening. when the heat begins to subside, the winds commence their breathing. my mind is however that we should receive breathing (_spiritum_) here, as simply signifying "the word," and understand the passage as meaning that after the conscience of adam and eve were convinced by the divine law, they were terrified at the sound of a leaf. just as we see to be the case with all fearstricken men, when they hear the creak of a beam, they dread the fall of the whole house. when they hear a mouse moving they are terrified lest satan should be at hand with an intent to destroy them. for by nature we are so wholly filled with alarm, that we really fear even those things which are perfectly safe. adam and eve therefore, as soon as their consciences are convinced by the law and they are brought to feel their turpitude in the sight of god, and of themselves having lost their faith and confidence in god, are so filled with fear and alarm that when they hear a breeze or breath of wind, immediately imagine that god is at hand as an avenger, and hide themselves from him. i believe therefore that by the voice of the lord walking in the garden, moses really means a breath or sound of wind which preceded the appearance of god before them. hence christ says in the gospel, when speaking of the wind, "thou hearest the sound or voice thereof," john 3:8. for when adam and eve heard the rustling of the leaves as if shaken by the wind, they thought on a sudden within themselves, hark! there is the lord coming to take vengeance upon us! when therefore moses adds "in the breeze of the day" to the words "the voice of the lord god walking in the garden," he seems to me to do so by way of particular explanation of the meaning he intended to convey. as if he had said by way of comment, this voice was like a breezy blast of the day; and as if he wished the emphasis of his expression to rest on the word day. for he does not speak concerning a wind in the night, in order to exaggerate the greatness of the terror which follows upon sin; as if he had said in further explanation they were so stricken with fear that they were alarmed at the sound of a leaf, even in the clear light of day. what therefore, he seems to intend to intimate, would have been the result if god had come to them in the night and in the solemn darkness? then the terror must have been more dreadful still. for as the light gives animation, so the darkness increases dread. this terror therefore, with which adam and eve after their sin were struck in the very broad light of day, is indeed a manifest proof that they had fallen utterly from the confidence of faith. this i believe to be the true sense of the present passage, and it fully agrees with that threatening of moses, lev. 26, where he is speaking of the punishments which should assuredly follow the commission of sin, that the sinners should be chased by the sound of a shaking leaf and that they should flee from it as from a sword, lev. 26:36. for when the conscience is truly alarmed on account of sin, the man is so oppressed by it that he not only cannot do anything, but cannot even direct his thought to any purpose. and just as they say is sometimes the case in an army when the soldiers, overpowered by fear, cannot move a hand, but give themselves up in entire helplessness to be slaughtered by the enemy; in the same manner so horrible is the punishment which follows sin that the conscience of the sinner is struck with alarm at the sound of a leaf. nay, that he cannot endure that all-beautiful creature, the light of day, by which all nature besides is enlivened and refreshed. here therefore you have another sight of the magnitude of that original sin which is born in us at our birth, and implanted in us by the sin of our first parents. and this sight, as i have said, enables us to understand negatively or by a comparison of contraries, what original righteousness was. it contained in it such a beautiful confidence in man toward his god, that he could not have feared even though he had seen the heavens falling in ruins upon his head! with what complete confidence did eve listen to the serpent? we do not talk to a little house-dog brought up in our family circle and to whom we have been accustomed for years, nor with a favorite chicken, more familiarly than eve did with that then beautiful creature. before their sin therefore adam and eve sought no hiding-places; but stood upright in all their created wisdom and righteousness, praising god with uplifted eyes. but now they are terrified at the sound of a shaking leaf. o! how awful a fall! to fall from the safest security and delight in god into fear and dread so horrible, that man can no longer endure the sight of his god, but flees from his presence as from the presence of the devil! for it is not the devil from whom adam and eve are now fleeing. they are rushing from the sight of god their creator, whose presence is now more dreadful and intolerable to them than that of satan; satan is now more congenial to their feelings than the adorable god; for from satan they flee not, nor are filled with his dread. this dread therefore, is actually a flight from and a hatred of god himself. it is instructive here to mark the gradual increase and progressive steps of sin, which goes on until it becomes, as paul is wont to express it, "exceeding sinful," rom. 7:13. for man first falls from his faith into unbelief and disobedience. upon unbelief follow the dread and hatred of god and fleeing from him; and these are soon succeeded by despair and impenitence. for whither shall the heart flee when thus dreading the presence of god? shall it flee unto the devil? that of course is vain, and is never expected to be the case; and yet to this it all comes. for this history shows that god created man and made him lord over all created things. and yet that same man now flees from him and considers nothing more hateful or intolerable than the presence of this same creator. were it not so he would not now thus turn away from his god nor flee from him in instant dread of the voice of his approach. for all this is not during the night, not under thunderings and lightnings as at the mount of sinai, but in the bright light of "day" while a gentle breeze is breathing and the leaves of the trees softly rustling by its touch! there is nothing therefore more intolerable to endure, nothing filled with greater misery than a conscience alarmed by the law of god and by the sight of sins committed. this it was that made adam and eve do the worst of all things they could do, namely, to shun their creator and their god, and to flee to the truly vain refuge of fig leaves, in order to cover themselves from his sight and to hide themselves among the trees! and what could be more indescribably horrible, than thus to flee from god and to hide themselves from his sight? wherefore this affords a further view of alterations of the rectitude of the will and of the understanding after the sin of the fall. the very facts show that the will was corrupted and depraved. for adam and eve long for those very things which god had prohibited, and they so long for them as to become disobedient to god and obedient to satan. nor can we entertain any doubt of the corruption of the understanding also, when we see the counsel of covering themselves which adam and eve adopted, and by which they thought they were safe. was it not, i pray you, the very extreme of folly, first to attempt impossibilities in trying to flee from god, whom no one can escape or avoid? and was it not in the next place greater folly still, to attempt that escape from the presence of god in so absurd a manner, as to believe themselves safe when hidden among the trees of the garden, when they must otherwise have known that no walls of iron nor mighty mountains of brass can save from the presence or the grasp of god? all confidence in god being thus lost by sin, there now follows a horrible dread upon the will. and all wisdom and understanding being lost, those most beautiful gifts of god, there follows in their place the extremity of folly; such folly that men attempt impossibilities by means the most absurd. so inexhaustibly deep is the evil of original sin! and even all these calamities are but the prelude to that which is yet to come. for we are not yet brought to the judgment of god. then follows: v. 9. _and jehovah god called unto the man, and said unto him, where art thou?_ here we have a description of the judgment of god. when adam, terrified by the consciousness of his sin, fled from the presence and sight of god he found not only paradise, but the whole world too narrow in which to find a corner where to hide himself from god in safety. but all his anxiety makes manifest the folly of his mind in seeking a remedy for his sin by fleeing from his god. but he had fled from him much too far already. for his very sin was, that he, departing from god at the first, needed not therefore to flee farther from him still. but so it is. that is the very nature of sin, the farther a man departs from god, the farther he wants to depart. and thus the man who has once departed and apostatized from god, goes on departing and departing to all eternity. hence it is truly said concerning the punishments of hell, that its greatest punishment is that the wicked there are always wishing to flee from god, but feel that flee they cannot. just in the same manner adam, though found out and apprehended of god, yet ceases not to attempt to flee out of his hands. when therefore moses here says, "jehovah god called unto adam," we are to understand that the lord called him to judgment. but a question is raised here concerning the person by means of whom adam was called of god, and it is by no means out of the way to suppose that all these things were carried on by the ministration of angels, and that an angel here acted in the place of god, as god spoke all these things to adam. just as magistrates when they say or do anything, say and do it not in their own person, but in the person of god, as his representatives. hence it is that the scriptures call those judgments, which are exercised and administered by appointed men, the judgment of god. it by no means displeases me therefore that it should be considered that adam was here called by an angel, and that it was shown him by that same angel that all flight was impossible. it is here especially to be noticed moreover that moses expressly tells us that it was adam who was called; seeing that it was to adam alone that the word of god was spoken on the sixth day, concerning that tree of which they were both forbidden to eat. as therefore adam alone heard the command, so he alone is first called to judgment. but as eve herself also had sinned and departed from god, she also hears the judgment at the same time and becomes a partaker of the punishment. the words, "where art thou?" are the words of the law, spoken by god and reaching unto the conscience of adam. for although all things are naked and open unto the eyes of god, as it is written, heb. 4:13, yet he speaks unto our sense, feeling and understanding; for he sees us aiming at the one thing of fleeing away from him and attempting our escape from his sight and presence. when therefore god says, "where art thou?" it is as if he had said, "thinkest thou that i see thee not?" for he will have adam to see and feel that though hidden he is not hidden from god! and that though he flees from god, from god he cannot flee. for this is the very nature of all sin; it causes us to attempt to flee from the wrath of god, from which wrath we find it impossible to flee. it is indeed the utmost folly to think that we shall find a remedy in fleeing from god, rather than in returning to him; yet it is the very nature of sin that the sinner cannot return to god. what then can we possibly conceive to have been the exceeding folly and state of mind in adam? he had heard the voice of jehovah, and yet he hoped that he could conceal himself from his presence; when lo! he was now standing before the tribunal of god and was demanded of god for punishment! v. 10. _and he said, i heard thy voice in the garden, and i was afraid, because i was naked; and i hid myself._ as it was the utmost folly that adam fled from god, so in the utmost folly he answers him, so utterly deprived by sin is he of all wisdom and counsel. he now really wishes to teach god that he is naked, who had himself created him naked. thus does he wholly confound himself, and betray and condemn himself out of his mouth. he confesses that he heard the voice of jehovah and was afraid. and had he not also heard the voice of jehovah before, when jehovah forbade him to eat the fruit of that tree? why did he not then fear also? why did he not then also hide himself? how was it that then he stood with uplifted countenance and with joy before him, rejoicing in his presence and delighting to hear him speak? now he trembles at the sound of a shaking leaf! it is at least evident that he is no longer the same adam he then was; he is totally changed, and become quite another man; he now looks about for a lie and a false cause for his defense. for how can it be true, that "the voice of jehovah is the real cause of his fear," when before he feared not that divine voice, but heard it as the voice of his god with happiness and joy? learn then from this solemn history that perverseness and folly ever accompany sin, that transgressors by all their excuses only accuse themselves, and that the more they defend the more they betray themselves, especially before god! thus adam here attempts to conceal his sin and to adorn himself as innocent, in that he alleges, as the cause of his fleeing, not his having sinned, but his having heard the voice of the lord; and he makes that to be the cause of his alarm and of his being ashamed because he was naked. poor wretched man! he never thinks that he had no such fear as this when he heard the same voice of god at first. he never recollects that he was not then ashamed because he was naked. for as that nakedness was the creation of god, why should he the creature be ashamed of that which god had made! he then walked in all his nakedness in the sight of god and of the whole creation in paradise, perfectly secure and happy that such was the will of god and delighting in god on that very account. but now he is covered with shame, because he is naked and flees from god and hides from him on that account. every one of these things is an argument by which adam condemns himself, and betrays his present state of sin. and just in the same manner will the wicked condemn themselves in the final judgment, when all the darkness shall be driven away from all the hearts of men and the sins of all men shall be read in the "book" when "opened"! god knew perfectly well that adam had sinned and was guilty of death. yet he calls him that he might be condemned by the testimony of his own mouth, as having sinned. for he flees from god when he calls him, which fact was itself the very essence of sin, even as it is the very essence of righteousness to flee unto god as a refuge. this fleeing from god therefore is the strongest possible testimony of adam against himself. yet even still he vainly hopes that his sin can be covered by a lie, for he alleges as the real causes of his flight the voice of god and his own nakedness. from this we learn therefore that such is the nature of sin, that unless god bring the medicine immediately after it is committed and call back the sinner to himself, he will flee from his god farther and farther, and by mendaciously excusing his sin he will add sin to sin until he runs at length into blasphemy and despair. thus sin draws after it by its own weight as it were sin upon sin, and causes eternal ruin, until the sinner finally will rather accuse god himself than acknowledge his own sin. adam ought to have said, lord, i have sinned! but this adam does not. he rather actually accuses god of sin; and in reality he says, thou, lord, hast sinned. for i should have remained wholly in paradise after my eating the fruit, if thou hadst remained perfectly quiet. for the words of adam bear all this import in truth, when he says in substance, i should not have fled if thy voice had not terrified me from thy presence. thus man, when accused of sin by his god, instead of acknowledging his sin, rather accuses god as being the cause of it and transfers his sin from himself and lays the blame of it on his creator. hence sin increases to infinity, unless god by his mercy come to succor the sinner. and yet adam all the while considers this excusing himself and blaming his creator, the highest wisdom. for he is so confounded by the terror of his conscience, that he knows not what he says nor what he does. although by thus excusing himself, he only accuses himself the more grievously and increases his sin to the utmost extent. let us however by no means think that all this happened to adam only. every one of us does the very same thing; nor will nature of herself ever permit us to do otherwise. for after having sinned we all rather accuse god than acknowledge our sin before him; just as adam here did, who asserted that the voice of god was the cause of his fleeing from him; thus actually making god himself to be the cause of his flight. and next, upon the back of this sin quickly follows another and further sin. for he that spares not his creator himself, how shall he be likely to spare the creature? therefore adam next charges god with his nakedness, thus making him the creator of a thing that was vile and base. for by his sin adam is so deprived of his senses that he turns the glory of his nakedness into a reproach to his creator. v. 11. _and he said, who told thee that thou wast naked? hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof i commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?_ here the conscience of adam is pierced with the true sting of the law. it is as if god had said, thou knowest that thou art naked, then and therefore thou hidest thyself from me. but nakedness is my creature. dost thou condemn that creature then as vile and base. it is not thy nakedness therefore that hath confounded thee, nor is it my voice that hath terrified thee. it is thy conscience that accuseth thee of sin, because thou hast eaten the fruit of the forbidden tree. this is the cause of thy flight from my presence. here adam being thus pressed by the law and by his conscience is in the midst of death; yea, in the midst of hell. for he is compelled to confess that there was no evil in his nakedness, because it was so created of god. but he was forced to acknowledge that the mighty evil was that he now had a guilty conscience concerning his nakedness, in which before he had gloried as in a beautiful adornment; and that he now dreaded that same voice of god, which before he had heard with supreme delight. it is to this state of mind, which the lord now perceives in adam, that the words of this passage expressly speak. as if jehovah had said, since thou hast an evil conscience and art filled with dread, most assuredly thou hast eaten of the forbidden tree. for thou receivedst no command from me that thou shouldst not commit murder nor that thou shouldst not commit adultery, but that thou shouldst not eat of the fruit of this tree. as therefore thou art filled with terror, thou thereby makest it manifest that thou hast sinned against that commandment. thus those very things which were adam's thoughts, those same things he now hears from the mouth of the lord. adam was thinking thus: i have eaten the fruit, but i will not say that i have fled from god on that account. i will say nothing about my sin. i will say that i was afraid, because i was naked, and that i was terrified into flight by his voice. but while he is saying these things to himself he is compelled to condemn himself, and he hears his conscience within convicting him of a lie and condemning his sin. in addition to this accusation of his own conscience, the lord himself now accuses him of his sin openly, and in the plainest words. but not even now can adam be brought to the honest acknowledgment of his sin. for now follows, v. 12. _and the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and i did eat._ only mark the true colors, the essential evil and real nature of sin. it is depicted in this excuse of adam. it shows that a man can in no way be brought to an open confession of his sin, but that he will deny his sin or excuse it as long as he can find that there is any hope or any probable ground of excuse left him. for it was not so wonderful that adam should at first hope that his sin could be covered, and that he should rather accuse god than acknowledge the sin he had committed. the great wonder was that after he was convicted in his own conscience, and after he had heard his sin declared from the mouth of god himself, he should still persist in excusing that sin. for he does not say, "lord, i have sinned; forgive me the debt of my sin; be merciful unto me;" for the very nature of sin is, that it will not suffer the mind to flee unto god, but instead compels it to flee from god. but he transfers all the fault from himself to the woman. it is a well known rule, taught in the schools of legal and civil orators, that when a charge of crime is brought against the defendant, the act should either be denied totally or defended as having been done rightly. adam here does both. he first of all denies his sin altogether and asserts that his terror arose, not from his sin, but from the voice of the lord. and then when so far convinced of his sin in what he has done he attempts to defend the act, as having been done rightly and unavoidably. "if," says he to the lord, "thou hadst not given me this woman, i should not have eaten the fruit." thus he further lays all the blame of what he had done on god himself, and positively accuses him as being after all the real cause of his sin. wherefore there is no end to a man's sinning, when he has once turned aside from the word. adam at first sinned by unbelief and disobedience, and now he heaps upon that sin reproaches of god and positive blasphemy, saying in effect, it was not i who listened to the serpent; it was not i who was captivated by looking on the fruit of that tree; it was not i who stretched forth my hand to pluck the forbidden fruit. the woman whom _thou_ gavest me did all this. in a word adam has no desire to acknowledge his sin. on the contrary he wishes to be considered pure and clean. this portion of the divine record contains a further description of sin and of the real nature of sin. for whenever the promise of the remission of sins or faith in that promise is not immediately at hand, the sinner cannot do otherwise than adam did. if god had said, adam, thou hast sinned, but i will pardon thy sin, then adam would have acknowledged his sin with all humility and candor and with the utmost detestation of what he had done. but because the hope of the remission of sin was not present to his mind on account of his having transgressed the commandment of god, he can see nothing, he can feel nothing but death, the certain punishment of such transgression. and because human nature cannot but be shocked at the sight of that certain death, therefore adam cannot be brought to the confession of his sin, but he tries all possible means by which he has the least hope of warding off the blame of his sin. and thus does every sinner hate the punishment of his transgressions; and because he hates that punishment, he also hates the justice of god, and god himself, and endeavors by all means in his power to persuade both god and men that he suffers innocently. just in this manner does adam here endeavor to lessen his sin by saying that it was not he who listened to the serpent, nor he who plucked the fruit. "the woman whom thou gavest me," says he, "offered me the fruit of this tree." in the same state of mind as adam are those who, when they have come to a knowledge of the sins they have committed, filled with despair, either cut short their life with a halter or curse god as the cause of their transgressions. the words of job are familiarly known: "let the day perish wherein i was born; why died i not from the womb?" job 3:3, 11. for such lay all the fault of their sin on god, and complain against god that they were ever created to destruction and damnation. nor can any sinner do otherwise, when the hope of pardon and the promise of grace are not present to his soul. because death is intolerable to human nature, therefore it produces desperation and blasphemies. it is an utterance full of pain and of wrath against god, when adam says, "the woman whom _thou_ gavest me." it is as if he had said, thou thyself has laid upon me the burden of this evil; if thou hadst given to the woman some separate garden to herself and hadst not burdened me with thy command that i should live with her, i might have continued without sin. as therefore i have sinned, the fault is thine in adding to me a wife. in the case of adam therefore is set before us an exact example of all those who sin and who despair under their sin. they cannot do otherwise than accuse god and excuse themselves, for seeing as they do that god is omnipotent they consider that he could have prevented these their sins. so horrible is sin, whenever the minds of sinners are not soon relieved and lifted up with the promise of the forgiveness of sins. and this is the true effect of the law, whenever the law is alone, without the gospel and the knowledge of its grace, it always leads to despair and to final impenitence. v. 13. _and jehovah god said unto the woman, what is this thou hast done? (why hast thou done this?) and the woman said, the serpent beguiled me and i did eat._ here the example of eve is also set before us, who being corrupted by sin is seen to be in no degree better than adam. adam wished to appear innocent, and laid the blame on god, because he had given him a wife. eve also attempts to excuse herself and accuses the serpent, which also was a creature of god. she confesses indeed that she had eaten the fruit, but she says, the serpent, which thou createdst and which thou permittedst to go about in paradise, imposed upon me. now is not this actually accusing her creator and removing the fault from herself? hence we see that sin is always and everywhere the same and works in the same way. it is never willing to be punished as sin, but ever wishes to appear to be righteousness. and as it cannot accomplish this it turns the blame from itself upon god; so that when god accuses a man of sin the man actually charges god with falsehood in that accusation. so that sin, from being a human sin, becomes positively a devilish sin; and the unbelief of the man is turned into blasphemy, and his disobedience into reproach against his creator! i term this a devilish and not a human sin; because the devil hates and accuses and condemns god, and justifies himself to all eternity; nor can he possibly from his heart say, "lord, i have sinned; pardon my sin." were it not so the devil would not eternally despair of pardon. but that pardon is impossible, as long as he acknowledges not his sin, but blasphemes god as exercising unjust cruelty against him as a creature without just cause. hence we see adam and eve so deeply fallen and sunk under sin, that they could not sink any lower. for upon their unbelief followed the disobedience of all the powers and all the members in man. upon this disobedience, immediately afterwards, followed the excuse and defense of their sin. this defense was next followed by an accusation and condemnation of their god. this is sin's last step, to reproach god himself and to make him the author of sin. this nature of ours can ascend no higher than this in its sin against god. and these are the onward steps of sin, unless the minds of fallen sinners are lifted up by a confidence in god's mercy. wherefore the state of the church under the pope, was most horrible; for in it was neither seen nor heard anything whatever which could lift up the mind of a sinner, laboring under his sin and guilt; except that once a year the history of the passion of our lord was slightly taught. and the statement of that history showed forth in some slight manner the source from which pardon was to be sought. but everything else on every side led men away from the promise of the remission of sins to their own righteousness. hence it was that we saw in many monasteries men alarmed by their sins through their whole life time, who were filled with despair as they walked about, and at length died in agony, worn out with sorrow and pains of spirit. and as to the rest of their brethren, this doctrine of pardon being wholly unknown, they did nothing but stand in their places and procure the protection of their saint by idolatrous prayers. thus were these miserable creatures worn out and consumed with the most terrible pains of soul, without hope, without counsel and without any help whatever. was not this then, i pray you, a horrible state of things? wherefore if the papacy and all the monasteries together could be overturned by the touch of one finger, it ought at once to be done on account of the whole papal church being this most wretched slaughter-house of consciences! for there is nothing more horrible than for a man to be under the weight of his sins, and yet never to hear or have the remission of sins and the promise of grace. now the pope was the very cause of the remission of sins being utterly kept out of men's sight. for no sound doctrine nor any true worship whatever was retained in the church. and if any were saved in these times they were saved by the bare annual recital of the sufferings of christ, apprehended by faith, contrary to the will of the pope and in defiance of his opposition. for through him men in the extreme perils of their souls were brought down to the necessity of imploring the intercession of mary and of the saints. for these sayings filled every place: that the mother mary showed her breasts to her son, and that the son showed his wounds to his father, and that the man was thus saved; not by the intercession of the son, but by the intercession of his mother. i earnestly entreat you therefore with all the persuasion in my power, to set the highest value possible upon the doctrine of the gospel. for what do we see in this history of moses that adam and eve suffered when their sin was before them, and this knowledge of the promise of grace and of pardon was out of their sight? the very same do we also see in the damnation of satan; for as he is destitute of the promise of grace he is not able to cease from his sins, nor from his hatred of god, nor from his blasphemies against him. hence it is that the condition of adam was so different from that of satan, and so much better and more blessed. for adam was called to judgment that he might acknowledge his sin, that being terrified by his sins he might afterwards be lifted up again and comforted by the promise of the remission of his sins; as we shall now further see in this most beautiful part of the sacred history of moses, in which we shall also find the preaching of christ. for as the issue of this whole transaction sets forth the very great goodness and mercy of god toward man, seeing that god calls him back to the remission of sins and to eternal life through the _seed_ that was to come; so also these very beginnings of this divine mercy, if we view them aright, are much better and greater than adam deserved at god's hand. for we have not here a display of that terrible majesty of god, which was witnessed on mount sinai, where there were thunderings and lightnings mingled with the loud soundings of trumpets. here god approaches with the soft sound of the gentle breeze, signifying that he came in this case to seize with the tender hand of an affectionate father. he does not drive adam from him on account of his sin, but calls him away from his sin to himself. this fatherly care however adam, overwhelmed with his sin and its terrors, does not at first understand or perceive; he does not consider how differently god deals with him than with the serpent. for he did not call the serpent to him. he did not ask the serpent why he had sinned, in order that he might call him from his sin unto repentance. he charges the serpent with his sin, and pronounces his doom. these things show us that christ our deliverer interposed himself even then, between god and man as a mediator. for it was the greatest display of grace, that even after the sin of adam god was not silent, but spoke; and that too in many and plain words, with the intent of showing forth evidences of his fatherly mind toward sinners. his carriage towards the serpent was altogether different. wherefore although the promise concerning christ was not yet given, it may be plainly discerned in the thoughts and counsel of god on this occasion. thus far therefore moses has set before us the judgment which god exercised after the sin of the fall of our first parents. he calls them to his tribunal, and convicts them, and interrogates them, and hears them. they, poor creatures, desire indeed to escape that judgment, but they cannot; nay, while they attempt to excuse themselves they doubly accuse and betray themselves. the woman acknowledges what she had done. adam attempts to conceal the fact, although according to the very nature of sin he does not wish it to appear to be really sin at all. for as long as grace is withheld from the sinner it is impossible for him to do otherwise than excuse himself, and try to make his sin appear to be righteousness. god therefore is always compelled thus to contend with us by his laws, until he extorts from us the confession of our sins and brings us to justify him; as it is written in ps. 51:4, where this confession is fully described. but as long as the law rules alone and galls the conscience, the conscience thus terrified cannot bring out this confession, as the examples of adam and eve here fully show. from this portion of the sacred record of moses the holy prophets drew many divine truths; for they studied this book of moses with far greater diligence and stronger faith than we do. from this source they derived the following holy sentences: "the wicked flee when no man pursueth," prov. 28:1. "the wicked are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest; there is no peace, saith my god, to the wicked," is. 57:20, 21. "he that believeth shall not be ashamed," is. 28:16. "the righteous are bold as a lion," prov. 28:1. "the just shall live by his faith," hab. 2:4. from this same place of moses christ also drew that memorable saying of his, which we find in the evangelist john, "for every one that doeth evil hateth the light," john 3:20. for it is the very nature of sin that whoso committeth sin desires to remain hidden in darkness, and not to be brought into the light, just as adam covered himself with fig-leaves and fled to conceal himself among the trees. and we must also here touch upon that passage of the apostle paul, 1 tim. 2:13, 14, "for adam was first formed, then eve; and adam was not beguiled but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression." this passage nearly all interpreters understand to mean that adam was not deceived, but that he sinned knowingly; not from yielding to the persuasion of the devil as eve had done, but from being unwilling to distress the delight of his life, that is, his wife; and thus preferring the love of his wife to the command of god. and they attempt to render this interpretation likely and probable by saying, that the serpent reverenced the male as his lord, but that he attacked the female, whom, although she was holy as the man, yet as being the weaker creature, he considered to be the better adapted to yield to his persuasion, and that therefore eve was deceived by the serpent, and not adam. adam, they maintain, was deceived both by himself and by the woman, but not by the serpent; by the woman when she presented to him the fruit to eat; by himself when, because he did not see eve die immediately when she had eaten the fruit, he was induced to believe that the punishment which god had threatened would not "surely" follow. just as a thief, when he has found his theft to have succeeded once or twice, goes on stealing in security. whereas had the law-officer or the gallows been kept before his eyes, he would have ceased to steal. wherefore i do not altogether condemn the above interpretation, for it makes both views to stand true, that adam was deceived and that he was not deceived. he was not indeed deceived by the serpent as eve was, but he was deceived both by his wife and by himself, when he persuaded himself that the punishment which god had said should follow would not really come. then follows the execution of judgment upon all the parties concerned. part iv. the serpent and satan cursed. the first promise. i. v. 14. _and jehovah god said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, cursed art thou above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life._ after judgment has been pronounced and the whole case completely gone through, follows the execution of judgment, in which, as we shall now hear, there is rendered to each party according to their work, but not one like the other. now this passage claims our thoughtful attention in the first place, because there is not found throughout the five books of moses so long a speech in the person of god. and in the next place, because this divine speech contains no law whatever as to what the serpent or man was required to do. the whole speech is occupied in promising that good or threatening that evil, which should come upon each party concerned. and it is worthy our particular observation here that, after the sin of the fall, no further law whatever was imposed on adam, though nature in its state of perfection had a divine law set before it. the reason of this was, because god saw that nature, being now fallen and corrupt, could not only derive no help or relief from any law given to it, but that, being thus corrupted and also disorganized and confused altogether, it could not bear any syllable of law whatsoever. wherefore god did not increasedly oppress nature, already thus oppressed by sin, with any further law of any kind. but on the contrary god mercifully applied unto sin as a terrible wound, a healing plaster, that is, the promise concerning christ, still using that caustic, the curse on sin, which the devil had caused to be inflicted. for as wholesome plasters, even while they heal, yet corrode and pain the flesh; so the healing promise is so set before adam that the threatened curse on sin should be added, to operate with it in curing the lust of the flesh. by the lust of the flesh i mean, not only that foul motion and itching of lust, but also "all manner of concupiscence" and uncleanness of soul, as paul terms them, rom. 7:8; eph. 4:19, through which we are by nature inclined to idolatry, unbelief, self-security and all other horrible sins against the first and second table. to curb and cure all this depravity of nature, we have need of the operation of this burning caustic, the curse of god on sin. i would that i could handle the text now before us in a manner becoming its depth and dignity, for it embraces all that is glorious in the whole scripture, containing in it the curse of god on satan and the destruction of the seed of the serpent by the seed of the woman. the former part of the text is wholly figurative. god speaks to the serpent, but it is manifest that the serpent alone is not here to be understood as addressed by god. for these are not the words of god as a creator, as were those words above, when he said unto the beasts of the earth, "be fruitful and multiply;" nor when he said to the earth itself, "let the earth bring forth grass, and herbs, and trees, yielding seed after their kind." they are words of divine threatening and a declaration of mind and will, such words as god never speaks to an irrational creature, but to an intelligent creature only. god does indeed address the "serpent" by name, but he is all the while especially speaking to satan, who ruled in the serpent, and by the serpent deceived the first parents of mankind. nevertheless as, on account of the sin of man, the lord of the whole creation, all animals and all trees perished in the flood, just as the subjects of a nation are often punished on account of the misdeeds of their prince, so it befell the serpent. that animal also was punished because of the sin of the devil, who had abused the serpent in making use of it to work so mighty an evil as the sin of the fall. god however intends, figuratively, to be represented under this punishment of the serpent, the deluging punishment of satan. the obscurity which lies in this figurative representation has been the reason why this text, which ought to be most clearly known and understood by all, has never to my knowledge been explained by any one with sufficient diligence and clearness. and i have often wondered what the fathers and the bishops could have been about, who, when occupied in the government of churches and in the condemnation of heretics, did not feel that they had a still more important duty to perform in devoting themselves with greater diligence to the explanation of such passages of the scriptures as these. such bishops and fathers possess nothing more than the name, for they may with more truth be called destroyers than watchmen or guardians of the churches. i am now speaking of those of our fathers and bishops who really excelled in holiness of life and doctrine. even among these not one is found to have explained the text before us in any manner becoming its great dignity. perhaps those various engagements which generally beset the rulers of churches too deeply involve them to leave them time for the purpose. the disgrace of our more recent divines is notorious. they have even shamefully corrupted this whole passage, and out of the neuter pronoun _ipsum_ they have made the feminine, _ipsa_, which, with the most open wickedness, they have thus wrested, and have applied it to the virgin mary, "_she_ shall bruise thy head," verse 15. i can pardon lyra, who was as it appears a good man, but he conceded too much to the authority of the fathers, and hence he suffered himself to be drawn aside by augustine, to the most weak and foolish allegorizings, which system gregory also follows in his "morals," maintaining that by the woman in this part of the sacred record ought to be understood the inferior power of reason, as by the man, the superior power of reason; and by her seed, the operation of good; but by the seed of the devil, his evil suggestions. but what need, i pray you, friendly reader, is there of all such darkness of the most absurd allegories in all this clear light of the truth? but grant that we might with any propriety divide reason into two qualities or powers, the superior and the inferior. with how much greater propriety may we term that the inferior power of reason which is adapted to the government of domestic and political affairs, and not that which is concerned in swine-like pleasure and gratification? calling that the superior power of reason by which we contemplate those things which are separate from economy or polity, and which pertain unto religion, the solemn things of the word, in which we do nothing operatively, but only contemplate and learn? although we thus speak upon these things what have they to do after all with the sacred text before us? do they not altogether encumber and keep out of sight its real sense, and substitute a spurious sense in its stead, a sense which is not only useless but pernicious? for what can reason do or what light can it give in the divine matter of religion? there is also a further absurdity in this mode of interpretation, by which eve is made to be the inferior power of reason. for it is perfectly evident that eve was not inferior to her husband adam in any sense whatever; that is, neither in body nor in soul. it is from this ridiculous mode of interpretation that all those profane disputations concerning free-will have arisen, and concerning the doctrine "that reason always prays for the best," etc., until all theology is lost in philosophy and sophistical absurdities. wherefore let us, casting away all such pernicious and absurd follies, enter upon a new road of interpretation, caring naught for having disregarded the footsteps of those who have gone before us. for we have the holy spirit as our guide, not setting before us in moses a heap of absurd allegories, but teaching us through him the mightiest truths and the mightiest things which took place between god the creator and man the sinner, and satan the author of sin. first of all then let us settle it as a fact that the serpent here spoken of by god was a natural and real serpent, but a serpent besieged and occupied by satan, who spoke through and by that serpent. let us next consider it to be a truth, that those things which god spoke to the serpent are not to be understood as having been spoken to the serpent abstractedly as a brute animal, but that the person immediately spoken to was satan, to whom god was all the while more expressly speaking. by this manner of interpretation, i am sure that i retain the plain and simple historical and literal meaning, and a meaning in accordance with the whole passage; by which meaning, as divinely intended, the serpent remains a serpent though occupied and possessed by satan, the woman remains a woman, and adam remains adam, all which is proved by what follows in the sacred narrative. for it is not an inferior power of reason and a superior power of reason, who begat cain and abel, as recorded in the following chapter, but adam and eve, that is, the first parents of mankind, who fell by sin into death and became subject to the dominion of satan. when therefore god says to the serpent, "thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go," the divine meaning is not that which augustine gives, and which his disciples follow. they understand that by "belly" is to be allegorically understood pride. but the divine mind in the passage is, that as satan abused the serpent in effecting the sin of the fall, so the serpent is compelled of god to bear a part of the punishment of that sin and therefore is thus cursed above all cattle, that it might be the most hateful of all the beasts of the field. at the beginning of the creation it was not so; but now through the divine curse, such a nature has been imparted to the serpent, that the creature which before the curse was the most delightful and the sweetest of all creatures, is now hated and dreaded above every other animal of the creation. hence we find by experience that we have a natural abhorrence of serpents, and that serpents as naturally dread and flee from us. thus the serpent is indeed made to bear this curse as part of the punishment of sin. these words however are not spoken unto the serpent only, god is dealing all the time with satan in the serpent. it is on satan that this sentence is pronounced, as his final judgment. it is satan that is here placed before god's tribunal. for god here speaks to the serpent in far different language from that which he used toward adam and eve, when he called them back in love from their sin. his language then was, "where art thou?" "who told thee that thou wast naked?" all these particulars indicate the love of god towards the whole human race; showing forth that god will seek after man and will call him back after he has sinned, that he may reason with him and hear what he has to say. all this was a sure announcement of grace. for although these words of god, spoken to adam and eve, were legal and judicial words; yet they set before them a hope by no means obscure, that they should not be condemned for ever. but with the serpent and satan god by no means dealt so mercifully. he did not call satan to him and say, "why hast thou done this?" he pronounced upon him at once the sentence of judgment; and that too, in the most awful words, "because thou hast done this." as if he had said, thou, satan, hadst sinned before this and hadst been condemned, when thou didst fall from heaven; and now to that sin thou hast added this one. thou hast by the abuse of the serpent hurled man into sin also. therefore in the first place the serpent shall bear this punishment; that whereas before it partook of that blessing which all other beasts also enjoyed; now it alone shall remain under my curse. from all these circumstances it must follow as a manifest consequence, that the serpent before the sin of the fall was the most beautiful creature among the beasts which god had made, and most delightful to man; as are at this day kids, and lambs, and kittens to us, and also that it moved with its head erect; and moreover that it now creeps upon the ground is not a property of its original nature, but the consequence of the divine curse. just in the same manner as they are the consequences of the curse, that the woman conceives in uncleanness, brings forth in sorrow, and nurses and trains her offspring with toils and griefs. were there no curse the whole process of creation would be most pure and holy; the giving birth to children most easy and delightful, and the training up of children the highest pleasure. sin therefore has not only utterly corrupted nature itself, but most basely defiled it. and yet the human reasoners even of our day dare to affirm that the original properties of nature have remained essentially sound and whole, even in devils. but if the serpent, which satan had abused to effect the sin of the fall, bore such a punishment on account of that sin; that whereas before it was the most beautiful of all creatures, it now on a sudden crawled on the ground upon its belly and drew after it its viperous tail before the eyes of adam, and thus all on a sudden became an object of hatred and of dread; how can we doubt that the same was the utterly changed case with the man, who was the very one who had committed the sin and had imbibed into his very nature the poison of satan? as therefore the egyptians beheld not without the greatest amazement the rod thrown down by moses suddenly changed into a serpent, just so in paradise, immediately upon god's uttering this word of the curse, the serpent was changed from a form the most beautiful into an object the most disgusting and revolting. and to this same curse pertains that which god moreover said, "and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life." the allegorists explain this, as meaning that satan would render men given up to the love of earthly things one with himself by deceiving them. but as i have said, god is here speaking to the serpent as such and cursing the serpent, causing it to bear its punishment of the sin of the fall. for there are other beasts which also feed upon the earth, but the serpent eats the earth as its curse; that whereas before it had a certain peculiar gift of subtlety and of beauty, and of food also, which it enjoyed in common with man, it now bore as its punishment that the nature of its food was changed. it is the glory of sheep, of oxen and of other beasts, that they feed on herbs and even on the fruits of trees, and also that they produce various things useful for the food of man, such as butter, milk, their own flesh, etc. the serpent also possessed this glory of his feeding in common with the other beasts. but now he is cast out from this society, and as it were from this common table and common feasting on account of the sin of the fall, so that he is not permitted to feed upon even the most useless herb; nor on apples, or pears, or nuts, on which even the mice feed. these he dare not taste. he eats the crude earth only. these are not my words, but the words of moses; and they teach us that the nature of the serpent is entirely changed and wholly different from what it originally was. and though i have said, and it is true, that it is to the serpent that god here speaks, and yet so speaks, that his words are directed all the time more expressly against satan, as the following part of the narrative will still more plainly show; yet i am by no means satisfied that those things spoken, which rightly apply to the nature of the serpent, should be transferred allegorically, as intended to be spoken to satan, like augustine transfers them and is followed by lyra. for the serpent and satan were intimately connected in the sin of the fall, though satan was the principal actor and the serpent only the instrument. and therefore it is that they are made alike partakers of the punishment. the serpent however bears a corporal punishment only. but for satan, the author and agent of the whole, a different judgment is prepared, even that judgment concerning which christ speaks, john 16:11, when he says, "because the prince of this world is judged." the description of this judgment will now shortly follow, as recorded by moses in the succeeding verses. wherefore when many say that the devil, like the serpent, no longer walks erect and that he has lost his original form and stature, the things they say are true; but they are quite inappropriate here and have nothing to do with the right interpretation of the passage now in question. and when i said above, that the serpent before the curse of god upon it moved in an erect posture, i do not wish to be understood to mean that it moved in an upright position as man, but with its neck and head erect, as a stag or a peacock. to crawl on its belly therefore after the curse, was the divine judgment on the serpent. that which now follows belongs expressly to satan only. and the things here recorded of him by moses paint forth his judgment in far more true colors than any of those foolish and out-of-place descriptions of the allegorists. they moreover set before us this strong consolation, that the devil is now so situated that he cannot attack and harm us at his liberty, as he wishes to do and would do, if the seed of the woman stood not directly in his way. ii. v. 15a. _and i will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed._ these are the things which are spoken expressly and properly to satan. and they contain his judgment. while in these same words of his judgment, there is set before the godly their strong consolation. the things above spoken are historical, as i have said, and apply to the serpent, which because through the abuse of satan it aided in effecting the sin of adam and eve, bears as his part of the punishment his ejection from the common life, as it were, and from the society of the other animals of the creation; being made so different from them that he dares not eat the same food nor live in any way like them. the present passage might also be allegorically interpreted. but the allegories used would be far less appropriate, and they would not stand firm in the defense of the truth. for the facts of the case are these: satan on account of his sin was cast out of heaven and condemned; and no longer goes about in his original form as an ox or a hind does, but creeps on the ground; which may signify that he does not attack the godly by open force, but uses wiles and devices for their harm and destruction; which devices nevertheless the godly when they look into the word see and understand; and by them they perceive how vast his deformity is, and hence dread and abhor him. and certainly his creeping on the ground, and not walking upright, may well indicate that his tyrannical power is broken and destroyed, so that he cannot do so much harm to the church as he otherwise would do. these allegories, we repeat, may be used in the interpretation of the present text; but they do not explain the meaning of moses, and therefore they are improper. wherefore, when we speak of satan, let us ever follow the other testimonies of scripture upon the subject; for they are proper, certain and sure; such for instance as the following: "the devil was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him;" and also, "when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own," john 8:44; and again, "your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour," 1 pet. 5:8; and also, where christ says, "the prince of this world is judged," john 16:11. in a word, who does not plainly see that the testimony of the present passage applies properly to satan; and that it is to him that the son of god is here opposed, expressly to prevent him from making any attack upon us with open violence, as if he had no certain antagonist! the church therefore, under this protection, is perfectly safe. and not only is satan deprived of the power of attacking the church with any open violence, but his power and desire of harming anything or person else are also destroyed. were it not so, he would not suffer a single tree to grow to maturity. he would impede and crush all things that spring forth in the earth; and would prevent, not the birth of men only, but the bringing forth of beasts; and would destroy the safety of everything. this insatiable desire to harm and to destroy is fully manifest from his inability to attack by open violence, and from his doing whatever he does by the means of craft, guile and snare. we should here moreover carefully observe that these things are not spoken by god for the devil's sake. for god does not deign to condemn satan on his own account, by these his words; but he deems it sufficient to leave satan to be condemned by his own conscience. all that god speaks to satan, he speaks for the sake of adam and eve; that they may hear this judgment of god upon him and may comfort themselves, by thus hearing and seeing that god is the adversary to the nature of him, who had inflicted such a wound on man. for out of these very words of god to satan, there begin to shine forth grace and mercy; yea, out of the very midst of that anger, which sin and disobedience had so righteously kindled. it is here in the very midst of the heaviest threatenings, that the mind of the father discloses itself; of a father, not so angry as to cast away his son, but holding out salvation, yea, promising victory over that enemy, who had thus deceived and conquered human nature. for though both had sinned in the fall, satan especially, and man through satan, yet the judgments now pronounced upon satan and upon man are widely different. god does not join them together in one and the same punishment, as he might righteously have done. he makes the widest distinction between them. for although he is angry with man also, who obeyed the enemy of god, disregarding god himself, yet the divine indignation against satan is by far the greater. satan god plainly convicts and condemns in the sight of adam and eve, so that adam and eve, from this very condemnation of their enemy, might have a little time to recover their breath; and might feel how much more blessed their condition was than that of satan. the first part of the great consolation here graciously given lies in this: that the serpent was accused and cursed and together with the serpent satan also, for adam and eve's sake. not so much for satan's judgment and damnation, as for adam and eve's comfort and salvation. wherefore, by this judgment of satan that sun of consolation, which had been just before hidden as it were behind the darkness of certain heavy clouds, now rises above those clouds and shines with its most heavenly light on the affrighted hearts of adam and eve. for they not only do not hear themselves cursed, as the serpent was, but they hear god declare, that he has put them into the ranks of a constituted army against their condemned foe; and that too with the hope of an almighty help, which the son of god the seed of the woman should bring unto them. by this therefore the remission of their sins and their full reception into grace were plainly revealed to adam and eve; who were thus perfectly freed from their sin and guilt, redeemed from death, and delivered from hell and from all those terrors under which they were utterly sinking in the sight of god. such is the great consolation which arises from the fact so carefully to be observed by the godly, that god did not curse adam and eve as he did the serpent. all that god did to adam and eve was to put them into an army of continual battle with this enemy, that they might not live a life of ease and indolence. this very thing therefore turned out for the good of man. but the chief part of the great consolation here vouchsafed was, that although this enemy should ever war by subtlety and snares, yet that a seed should be born, which should bruise the serpent's head. for hereby is set forth the final destruction of the tyranny of satan; although that tyranny will never come to its end without a most terrible conflict; a conflict which must be fought out by man. but only reflect how unequal the conflict is; it is the "heel" only of the man that is in danger; his head is safe and invincible. on the other hand, it is not the tail nor the belly, but the "head" itself of the serpent that is to be bruised and crushed under foot by the seed of the woman. and this victory is given also to us all; as christ plainly declares when he says, that after the strong man armed shall have been overcome the spoils shall be divided. for the christian is by faith at once made conqueror over sin, the law and death; so that the very gates of hell cannot prevail against him. this first great consolation therefore our first parents and their posterity searched into and learned with all diligence, as being the original fountain and the fountain head as it were of all the promises. for they saw, that had they been left without this promise the blessing of generation would have indeed remained with men, as with all other animals of the creation, but it would have been only a begetting and a being born unto death. that great blessing bestowed of god upon human nature is here highly increased, yea, consecrated; seeing that the hope hereby added to the blessing of generation, is such that through it the head of satan shall be utterly crushed; and that not only his tyranny shall be destroyed but that human nature itself, thus made subject to death through sin, shall attain unto eternal life. for moses is now no longer dealing in his narrative with the natural serpent; he is now speaking of the devil, whose "head" is formed of death and sin; as christ describes him when he says, john 8:44, that he was "a murderer from the beginning, and a liar, and the father of it." therefore, whenever and wherever his power is destroyed; that is, when sin and death are taken away by christ, what remains but that the children of god shall be saved! it was in this manner therefore that adam and eve understood this text and comforted themselves against sin and despair by the revealed hope of this future crushing of the serpent's head, by christ, the seed of the woman. and through this, their hope in the promise thus given unto them, they shall also rise again at the last day unto life eternal. v. 15b. _he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel._ who is not filled with wonder, yea, rather with execration, at the malicious design of satan in having attempted to transfer this divine text, so full and running over with consolation concerning the son of god, to the virgin mary! for in all the latin bibles, the pronoun _ipse_ is put in the feminine gender _ipsa_, "_she_ shall bruise." and lyra, who was by no means unacquainted with the hebrew language, was carried away by this error as by the violence of an overflowing and resistless stream into the same impious interpretation; so that in the face of its plain meaning, he interpreted the passage as applying to the blessed virgin; making her the person, by whom the power of satan should be broken through the mediation of her son. and he applies to the virgin also that passage in the song, "thou art terrible as an army with banners." and, although lyra professes to hold this interpretation of the present passage as received from others, yet his sin is great in not refuting it. many afterwards followed him. and all the more recent interpreters have perverted this most holy passage to serve idolatry, finding no one to stop or resist them. all this however has arisen either from the ignorance or negligence of the rulers in the church. because these did not set themselves against idolatry, sound doctrine was by degrees suppressed and became extinct. and since we have now by the blessing of god restored the sound doctrine, these disgraceful beasts, given to serve the belly, plainly show that they care not for religion, but for their own benefices only. and because such idolatry promotes the interests of these men, they even show their indignation at people being taught the truth. but these blind beings do not see that the gospel is a doctrine of the divine nature, that those who receive it lose nothing by it but their sins and eternal death; and that they gain in their stead deliverance from all idolatry and from the dominion of satan. wherefore let us render thanks to god that we have this passage also restored to its full integrity. not that thereby any honor due to mary might be taken from her, but that all idolatry might be shut out. for as to men saying that mary crushed all the power of satan by giving birth to christ; if that be the true state of the case does not that same honor belong equally to all the other women who preceded mary in the same line of genealogy? nay, a part of this same honor pertains to all the husbands also in mary's line and to all her ancestors. for had she not descended from all these as her forefathers, she herself could not have had existence. for she was born by marriage according to the common order of nature. if mary, by the act of giving birth to her son, bruised the head of satan, all the ancestors of mary must of necessity be ranked in the same degree of dignity and honor. the scripture however teaches us very differently, when it says that christ "died for our sins and rose again for our justification," rom. 4:25; and when it said, "behold the lamb of god, which taketh away the sin of the world!" john 1:29. wherefore let the blessed virgin hold her place of due honor, as the woman whom god adorned with that high privilege above all other women, that she as a virgin should bring forth the son of god. this honor however ought by no means so to be bestowed upon her, as in any way to take from her son, our lord, the glory of our redemption and of our deliverance from sin and death. moreover, the peculiar expression of the holy scripture in this passage is most carefully to be held and guarded by us, as affording a truly wonderful light which opens unto us the depth of the divine goodness, revealed to us in the present sacred text; where we are taught concerning that enmity which god put between the serpent and the woman; such an enmity that the seed of the woman should crush the serpent with all his powers. this crushing, satan perfectly understood at the time, and therefore it is that to this day he rages with so much hatred against our human nature. adam and eve on the contrary, raised up by the promise of this crushing, conceived the hope of their restoration in all its fulness. and being thus filled with faith they saw that their salvation would assuredly be god's peculiar care; seeing that god had expressly testified, that the male seed of the woman should utterly defeat and crush this their enemy. for the words are divinely put together with a wonderful emphasis. iii. the divine expression here is, "i will put enmity between thy seed and her seed." as if god had said, thou, satan, by means of the woman didst attack and seduce the man that thou mightest by means of sin be the head and lord over them. i therefore in like manner will execute my secret purposes against thee by means of the very same instrument. i will take hold of the woman, and by her i will produce a seed; and that seed shall bruise thy head. thou by means of sin didst corrupt and make subject to death the flesh of the human nature. i will produce from that same flesh such a man, who shall crush and utterly defeat both thee and all thy powers. by these divine words therefore both the promise and the threat were expressed with the most perfect plainness. and yet they were most obscure. for they left the devil in such a state of doubt and suspense that he held under suspicion all the women which brought forth from that time, fearing lest they should give birth to this seed; though one woman only was designed to be the mother of this blessed offspring. therefore as the divine threatening was expressed in a general term, "her seed," satan was so mocked thereby that he feared this seed from every woman who brought forth. in the same proportion, on the other hand, the faith of all mankind was confirmed. for, from the hour in which the divine promise was made, all men expected that promised seed, and comforted themselves against satan. hence it was that eve, when she brought forth her first-born, cain, hoped that she had now "gotten" that bruiser of the head of satan. and though she was deceived in that hope, yet she saw that the promised seed would assuredly at length be born at some time or other from her posterity. and thus, with respect to all mankind also, this promise was most clear and at the same time most obscure. isaiah threw some additional light upon this glorious promise when he said, "behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son," is. 7:14. for it was then made certain that this seed would not be born from the union of a man and a woman. but the prophet added certain other particulars, by which he still involved his prophecy in obscurity. in such obscurity therefore this most clear promise still remained until mary had brought forth her son. of this birth then angels themselves were witnesses; and after the angels the shepherds and the wise men; until this birth was proclaimed abroad by the apostles, throughout the whole world. this obscurity therefore tended to increase the concern and suspense of satan to the highest degree. as it had been said, "i will put enmity between thee and the woman;" so satan suspected and held as his enemy every woman alike, who gave birth to a child from the time that word was spoken until christ was revealed. on the other hand, with respect to man, this same obscurity increased and strengthened his faith. though each woman saw that she was not the mother who gave birth to this seed, yet they all believed and were fully assured that this seed would be born from some other woman. god having thus spoken individually or personally, if i may so express it, that very manner of expression tended most effectually to mock and rack satan, and to console the godly and to raise them to faith and hope. thus women continued to bring forth until the flood; and afterwards also, until the time of mary. but the seed of none of those women could truly be said to be the seed of the woman, but might rather be said to have been the seed of the man. but that which was born from mary was conceived of the holy ghost and was the true seed of mary, the appointed woman. this the other promises also testify, which were made to abraham and to david; according to which promises christ was called "the son of abraham" and "the son of david." the meaning of the original promise here given isaiah first revealed, when he prophesied "that a virgin should conceive and bear a son," is. 7:14. afterwards, a clearer explanation and confirmation of it was made by the angel in the new testament. wherefore i doubt not that there were many saints under the old testament, who did not understand this mystery, but who nevertheless fully expected that christ would be born into this world of a woman, and that he would be the deliverer of the human race; though they knew not what would be the particular manner and circumstances of his birth. with this general knowledge they were content and by this knowledge they were saved; even though they knew not the manner in which christ would be conceived and born. for this knowledge was reserved for the new testament to reveal, as by the clearer and brighter light. and it was set forth in the first age of the church with a greater obscurity, purposely on account of satan, whom god willed to be mocked and racked in this manner that he might thereby have less rest and be more filled with fear on every side. wherefore after this great original promise had been thus set forth generally in the beginning and had by degrees been more circumstantially particularized, and then confined to the seed of abraham; and further restricted by means of the patriarch jacob to a certain tribe, the tribe of judah; after this the devil became unconcerned about other peoples and tribes, and persecuted this one line of generation with marvelous cruelties and stratagems; until about the time of christ it had been reduced to the extremest poverty and had become a hopeless trunk-root, from which no one could hope for either fruit or leaves. and hence it is that the scriptures term that line of succession a "stem" or bare root as it were of jesse, is. 11:1, signifying thereby a decaying trunk from which nothing whatever could be expected. this hatred and this fury of satan are the effects produced on him, which the lord here predicts, when he warns the serpent of the enmity which he had put between his seed and the seed of the woman. for satan primarily sought this seed of the woman with hostile hatred, through all the peoples, families and lines throughout the whole world. when the promise was transferred to abraham and restricted to his posterity, we see from history by what various means satan attempted to hinder its fulfilment. and when this glorious promise was further transferred to the line of judah and restricted to that tribe, we behold with what horrible calamities it was oppressed and agitated, until at length it seemed to be wholly subverted and eradicated. so that at the time of the birth of christ poor mary was living at a long distance from jerusalem in the little and insignificant town of nazareth, and jerusalem itself was possessed and governed by wicked heathen. wherefore most correctly and beautifully was this tribe of judah compared to a dead and hopeless "stem" of jesse. but as god cannot lie, this "root," so much decayed and despaired of, at length blossomed forth. satan however did not even then cease from his cruelty, hatred and enmity against the seed of the woman. while he lay in the cradle satan sought him out by the instrumentality of herod. so that the new-born christ was compelled to live among the gentiles in egypt. after this also, satan adopted and tried all possible means to destroy him, until finding him and seizing him, he threw him into the hands of the jews and nailed him to the cross. no! nor could his inexhaustible hatred be satisfied even then. he feared him even as he lay in the tomb, so desperate was the enmity which was "put" between him and the son of god! nay, even now, when satan sees the seed of the woman sitting at the right hand of god, and, according to the old proverb, "out of gun-shot," he vents his fury in every possible way against his church and the poor helpless members of his body. of all these sufferings and perils the clauses of the divine passage now before us were prophecies. from these same words nevertheless, in meditating upon which we ought to employ our whole souls, we derive a confidence in the son of god, that he will bruise satan utterly. but to return to the text. this promise, as i have already said, is at the same time most clear and yet most obscure. for since god, as i have also observed, here uses the expression, "the seed of the woman" generally, he does it that he might cause all women alike to be suspected by satan, and that he might thus rack the serpent with perpetual suspense and dread. the expression therefore is a wonderful _synecdoche_, "condensation of instruction." it bears a general reference to all individual women, and yet contains a direct reference to one individual woman only, to mary and to her seed, who was to become a mother without any intercourse with the male sex. for god, i repeat, thus willed all women to be suspected by satan, while on the other hand he willed that a most sure hope should be left to the godly, which should lead them to expect this salvation from all parents until in the fullness of time the true mother should be revealed. as therefore the first clause of the passage, "i will put enmity between thee and the woman," refers to all women in general; so this second clause, "her seed" refers, with a special individually, if i may so express myself, to that seed which should be born of mary, of the tribe of judah, who was espoused unto joseph. this text therefore contains that glorious promise which revived adam and eve and raised them again from death unto that life, which they had lost by their sin; though the life to which they were thus raised again was rather a life hoped for than a life possessed; as paul also frequently speaks when he uses the language, "we die daily." for although we do not wish to call the life which we live here death, yet it is in truth nothing more or less than a continual living on to death. for as he who is infected with a pestilential and fatal disease begins to die from the moment of his infection; so from the moment this life of ours is infected by sin, it can no longer properly be called life on account of that sin and death, its sure punishment. for we begin to die even from our mother's womb. but by baptism we are restored to the life of hope, or rather to the hope of life. for this is the true life, which we live, before god, in our renewed state. before we come unto that life, we are in the midst of death. we are ever dying and rotting on the earth like other carcasses are; as if there were no life at all in us. but we who believe in christ possess a hope that we shall be raised again at the last day unto the life eternal. it was in this manner also that adam was raised again from his state of death by sin through this promise, thus spoken by the lord. not that he was raised to a perfect life; for he did not as yet regain that life which he had lost. but he conceived in his soul a hope of that perfect life, when he heard that the tyranny of satan was thus to be bruised and destroyed. under the divine mind and promise, declared in this text therefore, is included redemption from the law, from sin and from death. and by the same text is set forth the plain and certain hope of resurrection from the dead, and of being called into another life after the present. for if the "head" of the serpent is to be destroyed, most certainly death is to be destroyed also; and if death is to be destroyed, with equal certainty that which deserveth death, namely, sin, is also to be abolished. and if sin is to be abolished, so also is the law; and not only so, but that obedience which was lost is to be restored. and as all these things are promised through this seed of the woman, it is perfectly manifest, as a natural consequence, that human nature since the fall can neither take away sin by any powers of its own nor escape death, the just punishment of sin, nor regain the obedience to god, which it has lost by the sin of the fall. for all these things require a greater power, a mightier strength than is possessed by man. hence it was absolutely necessary that the son of god should become a victim or sacrifice for us, that by the offering of himself he might accomplish all these things for us; that he might take away sin, swallow up death and restore unto us the obedience which we had lost. all these treasures therefore we do possess in christ, but in hope. thus adam, and thus eve, lived and conquered by this hope. and in the same manner all believers live and conquer, by the same hope, and will so live and conquer until the last day. death is indeed a horrible and invincible tyrant; but the divine power thus makes that, which is in all things horrible, nothing; just as the same power of god made out of that which was nothing all things. for only behold adam and eve. they were filled with sins and with death. but as soon as they heard the divine promise concerning the seed of the woman, which should bruise the serpent's "head," they were comforted by the same hope which comforts us, that death shall be destroyed, and sin shall be abolished, and that righteousness and life and peace shall be restored. in this hope did our first parents live and die, and on account of that hope they were truly holy and righteous. in the same hope do we also live. and when we come to die, we hold fast this hope of eternal life for christ's sake, which hope the word always sets before us, while it commands us to trust in the merits of christ. but in vain do we expect to attain unto that perfection in this life, that we should be altogether righteous, that we should love god perfectly and that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. we do indeed begin and make progress, but sin which is in our members ever wars against us and is ever present; so that it ever mars or altogether prevents this our obedience. as therefore this life of ours, on account of the death within us and before us, may truly be called a death; so righteousness is altogether buried under our sins. it is in hope therefore alone that we hold fast life and righteousness, as things altogether hidden from our sight, but which will be revealed in their time. meanwhile our life is a life in the midst of death; and yet, in the midst of this death, we hold fast the hope of life by the teaching, commanding and promising spirit of god. this consolation is blessedly set forth in, ps. 68:2, "he that is our god is the god of salvation; and unto god the lord belong the issues from death." for we ascribe to our god the great glory that he not only helps us in this temporal life, as the devil sometimes stands by his worshippers, as is manifest from numberless examples among the heathen; but the glory which belongs to our god, is that "to the lord our god belong the issues from death;" that he delivers from death those who are oppressed thereby on account of their sins and translates them into eternal life, col. 1:13. and our god does this as moses here teaches us by crushing the "head" of the serpent. in this part of the divine history of moses therefore we have adam and eve restored, not indeed perfectly into that life which they had lost, but into the hope of that life, by which hope they have escaped, not indeed the first taste of that death, but the whole eternal substance of it. that is, although their flesh was sentenced to suffer and was compelled to suffer a temporal or momentary taste of death, yet, on account of the promised son of god, who should crush the head of the devil, they hoped for a resurrection of the flesh and a life eternal after the temporal death of the flesh, which hope we also have. next follows the other part of this divine speech, in which god first threatens her temporal punishment to the woman and then to the man his temporal punishment also. part v. the punishment inflicted on our first parents. i. v. 16. _unto the woman he said, i will greatly multiply thy pain and thy conception; in pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee._ this is the punishment which was inflicted on the woman; but a punishment full indeed of joy and gladness, because it varied not in the least from the sentence just before pronounced on satan. for seeing that the glorious promise still remained that the head of the serpent should be crushed, there was a sure hope of a resurrection from death. and whatever is imposed on man as the punishment of his sin is possible to be borne, because this hope remains to him firm and sure. and this is the reason the holy scriptures are so very careful not to say anything in the punishment of the woman, which should be contrary to or at all militate against the sentence just before pronounced against the serpent. god did indeed impose a punishment on the woman, but he still left her the hope of a resurrection and of a life eternal. the death which she had deserved by her sin god transferred on the other and less honorable part of man, namely, on the flesh; that the spirit might live, because of righteousness through faith as the apostle says, rom. 8:10, "the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness." the woman therefore is subject to death as to the flesh, but as to the hope set before her she is free from death. for that divine word, by which god threatens the devil with the "bruising of his head," remains ever sure to her. the animal life therefore hath, as here declared, its cross and its death; as paul also said, "the natural body dies, but is raised a spiritual body," 1 cor. 15:44. so also in this natural or animal life there remains marriage, and the woman experiences those punishments on account of her sin, which the lord here inflicts upon her; that from the time of her conception and at the time of giving birth and rearing children, she endures various pains and perils all that part of her life which she lives in a child-bearing state. all these evils and sorrows however pertain to the animal life or to the flesh itself only. but there remains to her all the while the hope here given her of a spiritual and eternal life after this present life. this punishment of the woman therefore, if we truly and rightly consider the whole matter, is in its holy reality a glad and joyful punishment. for although the righteous burdens imposed are painful to the flesh to bear, yet by means of these very burdens and punishment, her hope of a better and eternal life is actually strengthened. for eve on the present critical occasion hears in the first place that she was not cast off of god for her sin. and in the next place she is not by her punishment deprived of that blessing of generation and fruitfulness which was promised to her and freely given to her of god before her sin. she sees that she still retains her sex; that she is still a woman! she sees that she is not separated from her adam, to remain and live alone, separated from her husband. she sees that the glory of maternity is still left her; she may still be a mother! and all these blessings of this present natural life are left to her, in addition to that promised hope of life eternal. this multitude of mercies, which was still reserved for her, no doubt wonderfully revived and gladdened the mind of eve. nay, a greater and more real glory still awaited her; she not only retained the blessing of fruitfulness and of continuing in marriage union with her husband, but she possessed also the sure promise that from her should come that seed which should "bruise the head" of satan. eve therefore, without doubt, in this her most sad experience, for sad it must have appeared to her, had yet her bosom filled with joy. and it is very likely that she consoled her adam with words like these: "i have sinned. but only see how merciful a god we have! what large blessings, both temporal and spiritual, has he still left to us sinners. wherefore, we women will cheerfully bear this labor and this sorrow of conceiving and bringing forth children, and of obeying you, our husbands. this is indeed fatherly anger! for we have still remaining also the promise that the 'head' of our enemy shall be 'crushed;' and promise that we shall be raised again unto another life after the death of our flesh through our redeemer. the greatness of all these blessings and this infinite multitude of benefits far surpass whatever of curse or punishment our father has been pleased to lay upon us." these and like conversations adam and eve, no doubt, often held together to alleviate their temporal sorrows. in this same manner also, ought we to contemplate the unspeakable treasures we possess in our hope of the life to come and by such meditations ought we to lessen the troubles of the flesh. this is what we find the apostle paul doing, 2 cor. 4:17, 18, "for our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." now tell me if all the temporal afflictions which may be laid on them, will not be borne resignedly and patiently by those persons who are enabled to lay hold of the hope of future glory and to believe in god, here promising the "crushing of the serpent's head," and who can moreover look upon those temporal blessings which remain to us; that our lord hath given us this whole world to enjoy, and that he has given us wives, homes and children, and has preserved all things to us and increases them by his blessing? and will they not say, "that is not the anger of a judge nor a tyrant, but of a father!" on the other hand however, they will behold the anger of the judge falling upon the serpent. in his case there is not only no deliverance promised, but a certain "crushing of his head" foretold. and this anger of the judge satan felt at the time, and he feels it still. and it is on this very account that he rages with such great and unceasing fury against the church and the son of god, until the last day shall come. the divine threatening therefore in this passage where the lord threatens eve with the sure punishments of her sin, was indeed a heavy threatening. but out of the midst of those very punishments there beamed forth unspeakable mercy. and this mercy so revived and strengthened eve that she rejoiced with a heart full of gladness, even in the midst of her sorrows. and as to ourselves we feel how necessary these punishments are to crucify and keep under the flesh. for how could we be humbled if our nature were not pressed down to the earth with burdens like these? eve therefore experienced and every woman of her station and duty must experience these sure calamities. these sorrows must be multiplied unto all women. they must both conceive in sorrow and bring forth in sorrow. it is moreover worthy of observation, that the hebrew expression here used is rab, which signifies both a continuous and distinct quantity; conveying to us the thought that these great and many and various sorrows, thus righteously inflicted on eve, were such as she would not have had to endure, if she had not fallen by sin; and the expression also implies the sorrows and punishments inflicted particularly on conception and childbirth. this same expression signifies by its implied meaning the whole of that time, "conception," during which the child is borne in the womb, which time is afflicted with great and various weaknesses, pains and diseases. the head, the stomach, the general health and the appetites are variously and greatly affected. and after the child is matured and the birth is at hand, the greatest sorrow of all is endured; and the child is not born without great peril even of life. when the heathen and those who have no knowledge of god or of his works see these things, they take such offence at them that they form the conclusion that, on account of these various troubles, it is not becoming a wise man to marry at all. and true it is that the female sex is far more deeply humbled and afflicted, and bears a punishment far more heavy and severe than men. for what sufferings of the body, equal to those we just described, does man endure? but by marriage the husband does take upon himself as it were a part of these punishments of original sin; for the husband cannot see his wife endure all this pain and sorrow without much distress in himself. so that many wicked men prefer living a life of profligacy to a life of marriage. against such wicked sentiments as these the godly will arm and console themselves; and by true wisdom will set against these evils the certain and far greater blessings which attend the married life. hence the ancient heathen poet pindar, in his ode to hiero, king of syracuse, condemns this perverseness in ignorant men. though god, says he, is ever wont so to dispense his benefits as to leave some evil intermingled with them, yet none but the wise and good can carry themselves aright under them. for they adorn their prosperity; and under its bright colors they hide the adversity which they endure, setting their prosperity ever foremost to be seen of men: "to one good thing, two evil things, the gods appoint. fools know not how to adorn their ills. but wise men do: making the worst, to wear the best appearance." pind. _pyth. ode_ iii. 145-150. and this is what the godly ought ever to do in this their solemn case. the punishments, to which women are subject on account of the sin of the fall, are indeed great. but is there not in marriage a blessing which infinitely surpasses all the punishments of original sin with which it is afflicted? have not those who are married in the midst of their great troubles that sure hope of immortality and eternal life which comes to them through the seed of the woman! nay, the troubles and trials themselves of marriage are not without their benefit. they all tend to break down and humble our nature, which cannot be humbled without the cross. and in the third place there is left to be enjoyed in these great bodily afflictions the peculiar glory of motherhood: that high blessing of the womb! this was a blessing which even the wise among the heathen so greatly admired and so loudly lauded. and other good gifts of marriage also remain to us and are enjoyed by us. we are borne in the womb of our mothers, we suck their breasts, we are nursed, we are nourished, and by the devoted attention and care of our mothers we are preserved in infancy and childhood. to view the great and solemn matter of marriage thus, is "to set our blessings in their fairest light." this is not to look at our evils only, but to delight ourselves in the benefits and the great blessing of god in his holy ordinance of marriage; and under those benefits and that blessing, to sink out of sight the various punishments, corruptions, pains and afflictions by which it is compassed. but the godly alone understand these things and do them. they alone view marriage aright. they alone give honor unto women, as unto the weaker vessel; because they see them to be their companions of immortality as well as of mortality, and as being heirs together with them of the inheritance in heaven. the godly moreover behold them highly honored of the lord by the blessing and the glory of motherhood. by them we are conceived, from them we are born, by them we are nursed in infancy. and for myself i have often contemplated with wonder and delight the peculiar adaptation of the female body for nursing infants. how aptly, becomingly and gracefully, do even little girls carry infants in their bosom? and with what appropriate gestures do mothers dandle their infants, especially when the crying babe is to be pacified or quieted so as to be laid in the cradle? only tell a man to do these same things and he will set about it as an elephant would attempt to dance; so awkward are his motions, if he has only to touch a babe with his finger, to say nothing about all those other offices and attentions which a mother only can perform. whoever therefore rightly views and estimates the sacred matter of marriage will receive all these offices and services of the woman as signs and proofs of the blessing of the lord, by which god testifies that the female sex, though thus severely punished on account of their original sin, are very dear to him and his peculiar care. wherefore let these meditations suffice concerning the first part of the divine curse on the original sin of eve. the other part of the curse lies in the particulars of the marriage union. if eve had not sinned, her childbirth would not only have been without any pain, but even her union with her husband would have been most pure and utterly free from all shame. there would have been no more shame attached to those connubial circumstances than there is in a man's taking his meal with his wife and conversing with her at the dinner-table. the bringing up of children also would have been most easy and full of pleasure. but all these blessings were lost by the sin of the fall, and in their place are endured by the woman all those too well-known evils of pain and labor in carrying the child, bringing it forth and bringing it up. wherefore just as a graceful maiden weaves a beautiful chaplet from the flowers of the garden and bears it on her head, not only without any molestation but with the greatest pleasure and the greatest pride; so, if eve had not sinned, she would have borne her child in her womb not only free from distress or inconvenience, but with the utmost pleasure and pride. whereas now, in addition to all those pains of bearing the child and giving it birth, she has rendered herself subject to the power of her husband; while before she was wholly free and in no sense inferior to the man, and was an equal partaker of all the endowments bestowed by god on him. this then is the punishment of the woman, which righteously fell upon her as the consequence of original sin, which she bears quite as unwillingly as she does those pains and troubles, righteously imposed on her flesh in child-bearing. wherefore the rule and government of all things remain in the power of the husband whom the wife according to the command of god is bound to obey. the husband rules the house, governs the state politic, conducts wars, defends his own property, cultivates the earth, builds, plants, etc. the woman on the other hand as a nail driven into the wall sits at home. hence it is that the apostle paul calls women oikourous, "keepers at home," titus 2:5. for this same reason the ancients represented venus sitting on a shell; because as the shell-fish always carries its shell with it, so the woman ought always to be constantly at home attending to her domestic affairs; as one deprived of the right of governing outside of her house and in public, and as one whose duty is never to go beyond her own most private and domestic concerns in the matter of government. had eve therefore stood in the truth she would not only have been free from all subjection to the rule of the man, but she herself also would have been an equal partaker of government, which now belongs to men alone. women however are generally impatient of this burden and by nature aim at the assumption of that, which by their sin they have lost; and when they can do nothing more they at least show their unwillingness to bear the yoke by a murmur of discontent. whereas they are not competent to undertake the management of men's affairs, of teaching, ruling, etc. of bearing children, and of feeding, nursing and bringing up their offspring they are capable. in this manner therefore was eve punished; and all womankind endure the same curse. but, as i have before said, this very punishment is a joyful one, if you look at the hope of eternal life which springs from her seed, out of the midst of her child-bearing pains; and if you consider also the glory of maternity or motherhood left to her. ii. v. 17. _and unto adam he said, "because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which i commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life."_ the husband was last in the transgression, 1 tim. 2:14, and therefore the punishment is inflicted on him last. but the lord threatens no punishment to the man here in generation. god makes no mention of the pains of generation in his case. therefore the punishment of the husband lies in the fury of lust, inflamed by the poison of satan throughout his whole body, but without the pains of the woman. his duties as husband however are laden with punishment. for, as it belongs to the man to feed, to rule, to guide and to educate his family, those duties cannot be performed by him without great trouble and distress nor without the hardest labors. the duty laid of god upon the woman is to obey her husband; but with what difficulty is this very performance of her duty obtained! i say nothing about the rule of the man over others, who are not of his immediate family and household. hence it was that the philosophers of old were led to wonder from what cause in nature it could possibly arise that men could govern any wild beast more easily than rule their fellowmen. this is the ground of xenophon's complaint, when he says, "it is easier to manage any other animal than to rule man." the duties of a husband indeed are great and noble, which are to cultivate the earth and to perform any other work by which his wife and children may be supported to rule his house and family; to govern states and kingdoms; and to teach and instruct those of his own house and others also unto godliness and moral duties. all these noble duties however are always attended with their punishment of original sin. they cannot be performed without the greatest distress, of which we have examples before our eyes daily. first of all on account of the sin of adam himself the earth is cursed. for the expression the latin translation renders "in thy work," _in opere tuo_, is in the original hebrew baaburecha, "for thy sake," _propter te_. the latin interpreter was deceived by the similarity of the letters. he read the hebrew as being baabudecha. for abad signifies "to cultivate the earth" or "to till the ground." from this it appears how awful the calamity of sin is, seeing that even the earth, which is innocent in itself and committed no sin, is nevertheless compelled to bear sin's curse; and as the apostle paul expresses it, rom. 8:20, 21, is "made subject to vanity," from which however it shall be delivered in the last day and for which also it waits in earnest expectation, verse 19. for pliny calls the earth "a kind, gentle and indulgent mother and also a perpetual handmaid of service to mankind." and yet as the apostle paul here shows, this kind earth herself is compelled to bear her curse also. in the first place, because she does not bear those good things for man and beast which she would have borne had man not fallen; and in the next place, because she does bear many hurtful things, which but for man's sin she would not have borne, such as the destructive weeds, darnel, tares, nettles, thorns, thistles, etc., to which may be added, poison, noxious reptiles and other like hurtful things, brought into the creation by sin. for my own part i entertain no doubt that before the sin of the fall the air was more pure and healthful, the water more wholesome and fructifying, and the light of the sun more bright and beautiful. so that the whole creation as it now is reminds us in every part of the curse inflicted on it, on account of the sin of the fall. yet some remnants of the original blessing of god still rest upon it; in that being compelled as it were to do so by the hard labor of man, it still continues to produce things necessary for our use, although those very things are impeded and deformed by briers and thorns; that is, by useless and noxious trees, bushes and weeds, which the divine anger ceases not to sow among them. this original curse moreover was afterwards greatly increased by the deluge, when all the good trees were rooted up and destroyed, barren sands accumulated and both noxious herbs and beasts multiplied. in those very places where adam before his sin used to walk among the most fruitful trees, over most fertile meadows and in the midst of roses and flowers of every kind, there nettles and briers, and other annoying plants abound; and in such quantities that the good and useful plants are well nigh choked by them. only look at the field now just prepared by the plow for receiving the seed; no sooner is that seed sown than immediately there spring up the destructive darnel and the tares, which grow even faster than the fruits which are for the use and nourishment of life. and if the former were not plucked up by the constant care and toil of the husbandman, they would daily grow to such an extent that these very destructive weeds of the curse would choke the good seed altogether. the earth herself indeed is innocent and would of its own free nature bring forth all things which are the best and most excellent. but she is prevented from doing so by the curse inflicted on man for his sin. as therefore woman endures the punishment of sin in her body, a punishment she is mercifully enabled to bear, with which she is afflicted in the bringing forth of children; so the husband has to endure his punishment in the government of his household; while, with all kinds of difficulty, labor and distress, he rules his house and provides for his family. and justly so; for it was on his own account that the field was cursed. whereas before he sinned no part of the earth was either barren or corrupt, but all places in it were marvelously fertile and productive; but now, on the contrary, not only is it in many parts entirely barren, but even those parts, which are otherwise fruitful, are deformed and defiled with tares, weeds, briers and thorns. and this calamity is indeed great, and might well drive adam himself and us all to choose strangling rather than life. but the whole mighty evil is rendered endurable by the promise of the woman's "seed," by which the punishment of eternal death, which is infinitely greater than all this punishment of life, is wholly taken out of the way. that which next follows, "in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life," are words quite easy to understand. for who knows not how laborious the life of an husbandman is. it is not enough that he prepare the ground for receiving the seed, which is attended with great and various labor; but even when the corn is yet in the blade, each single day almost demands of him its necessary labor and toil; not to mention those almost infinite hindrances of weather, noxious vermin, etc., all which greatly augment his pain, labor and suffering. whereas before the sin of the fall, not only were there no such evils and hindrances in existence, but the earth, had adam not sinned, would have brought forth all things quicker than the hope or expectation of man, as it were, "unsown and unplowed." moreover this calamity, which sin brought into the creation, was in many respects lighter and more tolerable in their state before the flood than in the condition of the world which followed. in the antediluvian state of the curse no other mention is made than of thorns, and thistles, and labor, and sweat; but now we experience numberless other additional evils. how many diseases and pestilential injuries are inflicted on the standing corn, on the plants of pulse, on trees, and finally on all the productions of the earth? how many evils are wrought by destructive birds and noxious caterpillars? add to these evils, extremes of cold and frost, thunderings, lightnings, excessive wet, winds, rivers bursting their banks, fissures of the earth, earthquakes, etc. of none of these is any mention made in the state of things under the curse before the deluge. my firm belief is therefore that as the sins of men increased the punishments of those sins increased also; and that all such punishments and evils were added to the original curse of the earth. if however any one should think that moses embraced all these latter evils, in his expression of the divine curse, "cursed is the ground for thy sake," i certainly will not contend with him. but no one surely can deny that all these evils and punishments increased as the sins of men increased. in the same manner, as in the present day, we experience more frequent calamities befalling the fruits of the earth than in former times. for the world degenerates and grows worse and worse every day. most plainly therefore may we here trace the evidences that all these increased calamities were inflicted on adam as an instruction to him in the first age of the world that an increasedly severe discipline was necessary. but by degrees this discipline, down to the times of noah, gradually became loosened and men began to live more dissolutely and wickedly, until at length the earth was filled with violence, injustice and tyranny. and then it was necessary that either heavier or more frequent punishments should be inflicted; just as severer diseases require severer remedies. when therefore in the time of noah the whole earth had been deluged by the flood and every living creature except a few souls, had been utterly destroyed, the age which immediately succeeded that of noah lived without doubt in the fear of god. but as years rolled on even these men became depraved, being corrupted by satan. so that an example more terrible in its nature still was necessary to be made; as is shown in the awful destruction of sodom and its neighboring cities, gen. 19:24. hence it is that the scripture says that it was necessary that the amorites should "fill up the measure of their iniquities," gen. 15:16. so also the whole synagogue of the jews, when it had fallen away into heathenism and open ungodliness, was utterly destroyed. in like manner also rome herself, as long as her ancient discipline stood sound and unrelaxed, mightily increased her power on every side; but when the storms of vice pressed hard upon her it became necessary that her punishments also should draw upon her more closely. about the time when the gospel began to be known among us in germany the age became somewhat moral and tolerable. but now, when the fear of god can scarcely be found, and when vices of every description increase daily, false prophets rising among us, what else can be expected than that, when we have filled up the measure of our iniquities, either the consummation of all things will overtake us or that germany will suffer the due punishment of her sins; so universally true is it that when sins increase, the punishments of them increase also. according to that which i have said concerning the calamities which rest upon all the productions of the earth; so my full belief also is that even the bodies of men, in the primã¦val ages of the world, were far more healthful than they are now. this is proved by that longevity, so incredible to us, which was enjoyed by the men of the primitive ages of the world before the flood. accordingly we do not find the lord pronounced in the present passage any threats on adam concerning apoplexy, or leprosy, or the scrofula, or any other of the destructive diseases. when i was a child the small-pox was unknown in germany. it was first known among us when i was about fifteen years of age. now however even infants in the cradle are attacked by it. when this disease first made its appearance it filled every one with dread. but now there is so little concern about it that friends often say to each other in a pleasant joke, "the smallpox take you!" so also, even unto this present age, the sweating disease has been a prevalent malady, or as medical men term it, an epidemic. for it is universally seen that as each country of the earth has its peculiar blessings, the countries are visited and afflicted with sure and corresponding calamities. but the disease to which i have referred made its first general appearance in those midland parts of germany, which were the farthest distant from the sea. and what is abhorrent to relate, some persons have serpent-like worms in their bowels, and worms even in their brain. these last diseases were utterly unknown, i think, to the physicians of old, who nevertheless enumerate nearly four hundred different kinds of disease. now if all these various diseases had existed in the first age of the world, how could adam and his descendants, down to the times of noah, have lived to such extremely old ages? wherefore moses, as i have said, here makes mention only of the barrenness of the earth and of the difficulty of man's procuring his bread. indeed if any one wishes to assume the orator and to display the copiousness and eloquence of his language, let him in opening the contents of the passages before us, enumerate all the diseases and evils of the human race, which are the consequences of sin. were he to commence that task, he would find a sea of calamities of every kind so boundless, that filled with awe and dread, he would be inclined to beg of god this one thing, that he might not be permitted to live even one hour in the midst of so many and mighty perils! but why do we dwell so long on these diseases only? all the creatures of god together as one mighty army are against us, and all but armed for our destruction. how many are there, whom the fire and the water destroy? how much peril threatens men from ferocious and venomous beasts and other noxious creatures? nor do they infest our bodies only, but our food of every kind, intended for our nourishment. not to mention that we ourselves also rush upon each other in hostile slaughter and murder. just as if there were not pestilences and destructions enough besides, which threatened us on every hand. and if you look at the general pursuits and objects of men, what is this life of ours but a daily scene of contention, deception, snare, rapine and murder? and all this in addition to those evils and calamities which hang over our heads from the external things we have mentioned. my belief is that all these things did not exist before the deluge; or, if they did exist, were not so numerous or so heavy and severe as they now are found to be. but as the sins of men increased, so as we have said their punishments have increased also. the calamities inflicted on adam therefore were light in comparison to those inflicted on us. for the nearer the world approaches its end, with the heavier punishments and calamities is it visited. to all this evil is added that greater evil still, that the more the world is stricken, the more it hardens its forehead and becomes stupefied as it were and insensible of its punishment altogether, as it is written in the proverbs, "they have stricken me, shalt thou say, and i was not hurt; they have beaten me, and i felt it not: when shall i awake? i will seek it yet again," prov. 23:35. this blindness and obduracy exceed all the above calamities of the body. is not our state then, i ask, marvelous and miserable? the traces of the wrath of god, which our sin has deserved, are first of all bound up as it were in our bodies; and next the same wrath of god is beheld resting on the earth and on all creatures, and yet all these awful evils are disregarded by us, and our minds are filled with security and indolent unconcern. for what are the thorns, what the thistles, what the water, what the fire, what the caterpillars, what the flies, what the fleas, what the bugs, what the lice; what, i say, are all these together and separately, but so many messengers which continually preach to us of sin and of the wrath of god on its account? for before sin entered into the world those living evils had no existence; or if they were in existence, they harmed not nor annoyed. wherefore to our full knowledge and sight we are in, and live in, more than egyptian darkness. for though all things around us remind us of the wrath of god continually, and are all but so many pricks in our eyes of admonition, we not only do not regard that wrath, but embrace this life and enjoy it as our only delight. in the same proportion therefore as sins are multiplied, and self-security increases, and men grow callous and insensible under their punishments, so those punishments themselves are multiplied, not only in this life but in that which is to come. i am here speaking of the wicked in this world. for if it were possible that men, when in hell, could possibly endure their punishments and torments in sensation only, without the consciousness at the same time that the punishments which they endured were just, such ignorance would render their torments more easy to be endured. just in the same way as we on earth will not acknowledge our punishments, and thus we harden ourselves as it were against grief. but in hell that insensibility which now prevents us from seeing our real misery will be wholly taken away, and all the doors of our senses will be unlocked, so that we shall not only feel the pains of our punishment in our body, but our mind itself will be filled with a sense of the wrath of god and with the confession that we have deserved the whole of that wrath by our wickedness. these are the feelings that will sharpen, and in an inconceivable degree augment the future torments of the wicked. v. 18a. _"thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee."_ here we are again reminded that the earth of itself brought forth no such thing; but only on account of the sin of adam, as moses had before expressly said, "for thy sake." wherefore as often as we see thorns and thistles; as often as we behold tares and other noxious weeds growing in our fields and in our garden, so often are we reminded as by certain signs of sin and the wrath of god. wherefore it is not only in churches that we hear ourselves accused of sin; every garden, every field and almost the whole creation is filled with such preachers and such monitors of our sin and of the wrath of god, which is brought down upon us on account of that sin. wherefore all prayer to the lord is necessary that he would take away from our eyes and from our hearts this marvelous insensibility; that being thus perpetually reminded of our sin, we may at length put off our self-security and walk in the fear of god. for by these various evidences of the curse of god, we are continually met, cast down and overwhelmed. this moses will now still more extensively set before us. he next says: v. 18b. _and thou shalt eat the herb of the field._ this is a new calamity. for above god had given unto man the sweetest and most delightful gifts; even that he should eat of all the trees of paradise except two only. the lord had also given him dominion over all fishes and over all that the whole earth produced, whether of fruits or of animals. but now all these blessings are taken from him, on account of the eaten fruit and nothing is left him but the herb of the field. and from this passage i believe it can be fully proved, that adam did not feed upon butter, or milk, or eggs, or cheese, or flesh, or even on apples or pears, etc., but on pot herbs and the seeds of certain herbs and plants only; such as peas, beans, millet, rice, wheat, flour, etc. where then were the splendor and luxury of the banquet at which adam feasted his friends, when he gave a daughter in marriage, or when he himself was present at the marriage of any of his sons; seeing that nothing was granted them of god, on which to feed but "the herb of the field?" such then was the frugal fare of the primitive age of the world. it consisted of the most common and simple food with water. now however a horrible luxury has overrun the whole present generation of men. they are not satisfied with collecting together flesh of every kind for the gratification of their appetites; but flesh of every kind is mixed with fish of every kind; spices also of every kind are used in addition. nay, the dissatisfied perverseness of nature is indulged to such an extent, that those things by nature sweet are rendered by various condiments bitter; and those by nature bitter are by the same means rendered sweet. what varieties prevail in our drink also! who would not consider himself made a laughing-stock, if he should see his host set before him water as his drink? nor are we content with beer, which is brewed at our own homes, nor with wines, made on our paternal estates. we even fetch them from beyond the sea. if our first father adam could return on earth, think you not that he would laugh at, or rather wonder at, this madness of appetite in his sons? why, he would avoid as poison those very things which we eat and drink with avidity and delight; and he would prefer to all these our dainties even rapes or turnips in their natural undressed state. in this passage frugality of living is commended to us. for we are here taught that our first parents, being thus righteously deprived of all other kinds of food, had nothing left for food but the herb of the field. these facts therefore ought to lead us not only to frugality, but also to patience; whenever we see others abounding in delicacies and dainties of every kind, while we ourselves have nothing but bread, salt and water. for our thoughts ought to be these: this is the punishment justly inflicted on adam. when he might have enjoyed, by the will, and command, and gift of god, the delicious fruits of every kind which grew in paradise; he was compelled with all his posterity to live on the common pot herbs, because of his disobedience. v. 19a. _in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread._ with what variety of expression and repetition does moses dwell on this labor and trouble, when he is declaring the manner in which the husband must labor and toil in feeding his family, defending his property and governing his house! and all these toils and troubles are far more difficult in our age on account of the perverseness of men, than they were "in the beginning." for we universally witness, even where the expectation of food is certain, with what difficulty a family are kept to their duty. nor was adam himself without his experience of this great evil. for even while he was ruling his family with all possible holiness, he witnessed murder committed by his son cain. i say nothing now about all other sorrows which a long life compels a man to see and bear in his posterity. this anxiety and toil therefore await the husband. he must endure this labor, which is neither pleasant nor successful. nor ought any one to be found who does not endure this sweat. hence, much more perilous is the life of the papists; all of whom abuse their wealth, obtained by the labor of others, to their own gratifications and indolence. but here a question has been raised, whether all men ought not to be husbandmen, or at least whether they ought not to devote themselves to manual labor? some did indeed thus foolishly contend at the beginning of the gospel among us. for they so abused this and other like passages of scripture, which command the labor of the hands, that the youth throwing aside their literary studies gave themselves up to manual employments; and carlstadt, the leader of these misguided ones, leaving his proper station in life, purchased a farm, and dug and cultivated his own land. for myself indeed if i could with a good conscience forsake my calling as a minister of the word, it would be far more easy and pleasant employment for me to be employed in cultivating my garden, digging with my spade and breaking the clods with my shovel, than to endure this hard labor, which i now undergo. for the toil of country laborers bears no proportion whatever to this our ministerial "sweat." wherefore their interpretation of this passage, who contend that manual labor only is the sweat here spoken of, is to be altogether rejected. the declaration of christ is perfectly plain upon this point who commands that those who teach in the word should enjoy the labors of others "and into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, peace be to this house. and in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give for the laborer is worthy of his hire," luke 10:5, 7. here the lord takes bread from the table of those who hear the word of god, and gives it to the teachers of the word. in the same way also paul speaks, when he says, "even so hath the lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel," 1 cor. 9:14. and it is in confirmation of this same mind of god, that the apostle cites that word of the law, "thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn," verse 9. and indeed why is the commandment concerning the payment of tithes given to the husbandmen, who labors and cultivates his farm, if the ministers of the word are to procure their food by the labor of their own hands? these and like passages of scripture show that the "sweat of the face" is the common curse on all men. the first "sweat" is, that of husbandmen and householders; the second, the "sweat" of magistrates; the third, of teachers in the church. of all these orders of men the condition of husbandmen is the happiest. this the poet of old affirms: _felices nimium sua si bona norint, agricolae._ happy their lot; did they but know their good, who cultivate the earth for all.--virg. georg. 2, 458. for though they do "sweat" under great labor, yet that labor is seasoned with a peculiar pleasure, while the new and marvelous faces of all creatures directly meet their eyes daily. whereas in the political world and in the church infinite troubles and molestations present themselves, in addition to the daily perils which are incurred, if a minister of christ perform his duty faithfully. for we speak not now concerning those indolent mortals, who know not nor acknowledge these punishments of sin, but who are devoted only to the consideration of the manner in which they can best satisfy their lusts. let such epicureans be left to the indulgence of their own evil appetites and inclinations. we are here speaking of those who do perform seriously what they undertake to do, whether in the state or in the church. such men labor and sweat more in one day than a husbandman does in a whole month, if the magnitude and the various perils of their works be considered. it is for this very reason also that tributes and revenues, and other dues of the same description, are paid unto kings and princes. and who does not see that this is but a small return or reward after all to our rulers for the immense labor they undergo, where they really do their duty faithfully. and even if there be some who neglect their duty, this legitimate ordinance of god is not on their account to be disregarded. i have somewhere heard it said of the roman emperor, maximilian augustus, that he was so overwhelmed with his public duties that he never gave himself sufficient time for eating his meals. he was therefore sometimes compelled to withdraw from his state labors, and seclude himself in the woods to indulge in hunting. sometimes also he would change his raiment and mingle with private society so that he might enjoy greater freedom in conversation. and though this occupation of hunting was sometimes considered a vice in that emperor, yet those who really knew the extent of his labors and the reality of his daily life considered that this amusement was adopted by him of necessity and not for pleasure. what labors of the plow then, what labors of the spade, what other toils of a rustic life, will you bring into comparison with that "sweat" which the government of such a mighty empire as that of rome demanded? wherefore the palaces of kings and princes do indeed bear their names as such, while the kings and princes themselves are the hardest worked of all servants. hence monks and the whole confederacy of the pope are the only beings that really live a royal life, because they leave all labors, all business affairs and all the perils of them to others, while they themselves enjoy all the comforts of life in perfect indolence. these same observations apply equally to the pastoral charge in the church which charge is to be considered the heavier since the duties are more important which a pastor has to perform. for are we to suppose that augustine lived at ease and gave himself up to his pleasures only, surrounded as he was by so great a multitude of adversaries, against whom he had daily to contend to prevent them from wholly subverting as they would have done the doctrine of christ? for such were the pelagians, the donatists, the manicheans and other like disturbers of the churches. likewise i in this day by the grace of god so perform my duties as to leave no one, i believe, to envy such a laborious life of ease as i daily pass. it is the height of folly that fanatics urge on all persons the necessity of manual labors, which nevertheless are useful for the health of the body. whereas on the contrary, those great labors of the state and church, which we have just described, wear out the body and exhaust as it were all the moisture of the very bones and their inmost marrow. let us therefore duly and rightly distinguish this "sweat" as it ought to be distinguished. the household "sweat" is great, the civil or political "sweat" greater still, but the church "sweat" is the greatest of all. only look at the apostle paul and you will at once see the greatness of his sweat. for seeing that the church is in all ages infested with devils and harassed by heresies, scandals and great sins, by the unrighteous violence of tyrants and by evils of every description; will any man say that there are no labors and no sweats in the church? will any one affirm that those who rule in the church are not well deserving the provision which they receive? we may say this of the pope and the cardinals, and of all that congregation of the wicked who do no work at all, consult only their belly and their ease, spending the greatest wealth. these are they of whom we may rightly say with paul, "if any one will not work, neither shall he eat," 2 thess. 3:10. now the work of the church is to teach the word, to administer the sacraments, to war with fanatics, to remove scandals out of the way, to build up the godly in the faith, etc. of those who really do this christ says, "the laborer is worthy of his hire," luke 10:7. now the condition of adam, the first sinner, was if rightly considered worse than ours. for while we all sweat separately, each one in his own order and station, adam was compelled to endure at one and the same time the sweat of the household rule, the sweat of the political rule and the sweat of the church rule. he alone performed all these duties to his family and posterity as long as he lived. he provided for his family and ruled it. he trained them in piety and was at the same time their father, their king and their priest. and how full of pain and peril each one of these duties is, universal experience teaches. wherefore we need great consolation to support us against all these evils, and we should exercise our minds in much patience, seeing that we find these calamities to be laid even on the elect also, who possess the hope of a resurrection and of eternal life. as therefore this hope is thus left to us afflicted men, it becomes us to be of a courageous mind and to overcome our evils by means of this hope, because we are not destined to live here forever. just as men, who when traveling happen to find a miserable lodging and a covetous host, console themselves with the thought that though their food be bad and their bed hard, their misery will last for one night only. such ought our thoughts to be in the midst of our calamities on account of the sin of the fall. for what are our two or three years of life, almost the half of which we pass in insensible sleep, when compared with eternity! let afflictions and adversities come therefore as the lord shall be pleased to appoint them to each of us, whether they be the sweat of the home rule, of the state rule, or of the church rule; we will not suffer ourselves to be moved by them to impatience. we will not cast aside our home duty, or our state duty, or our church duty. such woman-like weakness as this becometh not brave soldiers. it is unworthy them to throw away their arms, and to flee at the first onset. and what of pleasures and of ease? we are not appointed unto them, but unto labor and active life. hence the poet of old says: _tu ne cede malis; sed contra audentior ito._ yield not to ills; but bolder grow, as these are seen t' increase.--virg. aen. 6, 96. and this shall we be able to do, if we set against these temporal afflictions the hope of a resurrection and of eternal life. as therefore no one would willingly lose this hope, so let all men consider that they are bound not to forsake that calling and station of life where they have been placed by god. let him who is called to teach the churches, do it with a magnanimous spirit, moved neither by his own perils nor by the lazy life of popes, who, when they ought to be preaching the gospel, ruling the churches, hearing sacred causes and judging controversies concerning doctrine and helping the churches that have need of help, cast off all these highest duties and leave them to the useless monks, while they themselves are occupied in accumulating monies and making provision for fulfiling their lusts, rom. 13:14. as these therefore escape the sweat, they shall not have the cooling refreshment. as they will not suffer with christ, they shall not reign with him, rom. 8:17. on the other hand let all of us who endure this sweat, each one in his station, always think that, although we may have a bitter burden to bear, these afflictions will have their certain end. hence moses now adds the following consolation under any affliction however hard: v. 19b. _till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return._ with respect to wicked men they endure an infinite number of calamities with the hope of enjoying a little morsel of pleasure. what perils by land and by sea does the merchant experience with the hope of gain? for what a small hire does the soldier sell his life. the harlot in the brothel is compelled to endure a thousand-fold greater evils than any wife in the honest home. hence the germans call them by a striking proverb, "the devil's martyrs;" because they of their own accord cast themselves into the greatest calamities, which they might never have experienced, if they had been willing to live a godly life. and again, what a host of evils do men, given to wine and to gluttony, bring upon themselves by their excesses, from all of which they might have lived free had they eaten and drunk more moderately. wherefore, well may men be lost in considering what remedy can possibly be found for the human race. since they are so hardened by satan that they not only do not feel their evils, but studiously follow after them and pursue them with all eagerness. for if they really did feel the evils of their ways would they not forsake them? but the fact is that such insensibility benumbs the minds of men, so that you may see them glorying in their very evils themselves. as, therefore, such wicked perverseness is found in the greatest part of mankind, that for the sake of a light and foolish pleasure they will involve themselves in sure calamities, it is wonderful that the godly do not consider these things for their good, and say within themselves, although i must live in the midst of all these various evils, yet they must all soon end and be recompensed by another and a better life. and this is the consolation which this sacred sentence is intended to afford. for it gives a promise that all these calamities shall have an end, and that, too, by the bruising and crushing of the "serpent's head," _till_, says moses, _thou return unto the ground_, elhaadama. for this original word signifies the ground or earth in general. but the hebrew word aphar signifies, properly, recently dug or ploughed earth, or a lump of newly turned up earth. our translation renders this original word by "dust;" that it may signify loosened or crumbled earth. for adam was made a living man out of a clod or lump of the earth. when therefore the bonds of this clod shall be loosened, it shall return, the lord says, to its former mould or dust. and here again we are reminded of the manner in which, as the sins of the world increased, their punishments increased also. the original usage of committing the bodies of the dead to the earth to be dissolved again to dust was certainly a milder and human-like custom; but afterwards it became the practice of almost all nations to burn the bodies of their dead. how often also does it happen that human beings are devoured alive by wild beasts, and have the bellies of those beasts for their tombs? hence we find enumerated among the four punishments declared by the prophet, "the teeth of wild beasts," jer. 15:3, and also by moses himself the poison of serpents and other venomous animals, deut. 32:24. for so it is ever that the more insensible we are to the divine punishment of our sins, the heavier the punishments god lays upon us, to break us down and to beat in pieces our obduracy; as it is written in the book of leviticus, "and if ye will not yet for these things hearken unto me, then i will chastise you seven times more for your sins. and i will break the pride of your power," levit. 26:18, 19. thus the fall of adam was a fall from life into death, and from soundness of body into diseases of every kind. still the age of adam was truly a golden age, if compared with ours. but all things degenerated by degrees, and that the great image of daniel also plainly shows, dan. 2:31, 35. for the nearer the world approaches its end the worse men become, and this is the reason heavier punishments are inflicted on us than on those who have lived before us. what a pertinacious war against the truth is carried on at this day by the papists! what cruelty do they exercise against those who confess the truth! i mention not now their well nigh satanic covetousness, perfidy and acts of violence without end. can the punishments of such then be very far off? thus far moses has been recording the punishments inflicted on adam and his posterity on account of the sin of the fall. and though these punishments are great, yet they were milder "in the beginning" than they are now. because those sins which were then of the positive, if i may so speak, are now increased to the superlative degree. but before we proceed with the remaining contents of this chapter, let us pursue a little further our discussion of that passage, on which we have briefly dwelt in its place before, where it is said to the woman, "i will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception or thy impregnation," verse 16, above. for the original word there found is heronechad, which interpreters generally explain as descriptive of all those troubles and straits of mind and body which women endure from the time of conception to childbirth. a question is here raised by some whether, as the wife is impregnated and gives birth to a child only once in a year, that one impregnation and parturition is itself a punishment? and it is also inquired, why if such be a punishment god here says, "i will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception?" with respect to the latter, i believe the original word to be rightly translated, "i will greatly multiply thy conception," that is, thy pains and sorrows consequent upon that conception. so that it is a punishment that a woman should conceive only once in the year, and yet that one conception in the year should be laden with such numberless pains and sorrows. for if man had continued in his innocence, no doubt the fruitfulness of women would have been altogether greater. we do now find certain instances where often two, sometimes three, and occasionally four, children are brought forth at a birth. there are universal laws of this fecundity in the brute creation. the fruitfulness of birds and of fishes is very great. dogs, cats and sows produce a great number at a parturition. the larger beasts however produce their offspring only once in a year generally. my full belief is however that women, had there been no sin, would have been productive of a far more numerous offspring. whereas now for the most part the most fruitful of them give birth to no more than one child in the year, to which diminished fruitfulness there is also added that unclean lust of fallen nature. all these things alike impress our minds with the magnitude of sin. but here again we find brought forward the jewish cavil concerning the serpent. they say if by the seed of the woman is to be understood here her natural seed, which is born from her womb, as we have interpreted the important passage, it would seem to be a natural consequence that the seed of the serpent mentioned in this same passage should also be that seed which proceeds from the belly of the serpent. otherwise, they say that opposition which moses sets forth cannot consist when he says, "i will put enmity between thy seed and her seed," verse 15. out of this cavil many consequences will follow. in the first place it will follow that god is here speaking with the natural serpent only and determining his punishment; and in the next place it will inevitably follow that christ has nothing at all to do with this passage, nor this passage with him; and it will equally follow that this text furnishes no proof whatever concerning christ! wherefore this cavilling objection of the jews has the appearance of containing something in it; but in fact it contains nothing at all. first, then, my reply to this cavil is "he that is ignorant, let him be ignorant still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still," rev. 22:11. for he that will not believe the openly revealed and manifest gospel is worthy of being left in ignorance of these more hidden passages of the scripture and in disbelief of them altogether. neither is our present object to confirm or illustrate the gospel by the passage now in question, but to hold up the brighter light of the gospel before it in order to illuminate its obscurities. and if any will not believe the shining light of the gospel, what marvel is it if they are left to disbelieve these more obscure words of the prophets and to produce their new and absurd opinions in opposition to them? the promise of the gospel is revealed from heaven; and moreover it is preserved in safety amidst the greatest tyrants and the most horrible punishments of our sins from god. if the jews pertinaciously fight against this promise and will not believe it, they must be left alone. we meanwhile will deal with those who believe, and who submit to the gospel. christ says, john 8:44, that satan is the "father of lies, and a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth." this is that light of the gospel by which the dark places of the old testament are illumined. now if satan was "a murderer from the beginning" tell me, whom or what persons did he murder? were they not adam and eve, whom he murdered by sin? where did he murder them? was it not in paradise? when did he murder them? was it not when he made nothing of the commandment of god and promised adam and eve that they would be like gods if they would eat of the forbidden tree? both propositions therefore are true. the natural serpent was in paradise; and by the natural serpent, the old serpent, the devil, deceived man and murdered him. the principal meaning of this passage therefore is to cause us to understand that the devil was the author of all this calamity; just as when any one commits murder, it may rightly be said of the sword of the murdered, "this sword killed the man." whereas in truth, it was not the sword alone nor of itself that killed the man, but the murderer who used the sword. indeed it is quite a common use of the figure synecdoche, the conveyance of two ideas by one expression, to understand the author of the act under the mention of the instrument made use of. wherefore we explode this jewish cavil utterly. secondly, it is also true that contraries are not necessarily consistent contrarieties in every respect. for the form of contrarieties is multiplex, as logicians teach. some things are opposed to others relatively, others privatively, and others by contradiction. thus the natural father by whom we are begotten and the father of lies are opposed to each other. although we should grant the jews their interpretation of this passage that moses is here speaking of the natural serpent, yet the text itself evidently contains a synecdoche when we compare it with the words of christ. the words of moses are, "and jehovah god said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle." what then did the serpent do? he deceived eve and thus murdered her. so the words of moses therefore only hold up the light of the gospel, "the devil was a murderer from the beginning," john 8:44. is it not by this light at once manifest that god so speaks with the natural serpent as recorded by moses, that his words are intended to apply to the devil, concealed under the form of the natural serpent, who having assumed that form under it hurled man into sin and death, and laid him under the wrath of god? wherefore by the seed of the serpent in this passage is not to be understood the natural seed of the natural serpent, but the seed of the devil; as christ also represents the same in the gospel, using the same appellation of "seed," where he says, "an enemy came and sowed among the wheat evil seed," math. 13:25. this evil seed is contrary to the spiritual seed, even as flesh and spirit are wholly contrary to each other. but it is not necessary as we have said, that contraries should contain that contrariety to each other throughout in all respects; just in the same manner as similarities do not respond to each other in every particular. thus for instance, adam is a figure of christ; which similarity consists in the great truth that as sin hath abounded towards all men by adam, so the righteousness of christ also abounds towards all those who believe in him. these particulars of adam and of christ agree with each other. in all other respects adam and christ do not agree. wherefore let this their error be left to the jews, to content themselves with it. we believers in christ know that the serpent, to whom god speaks in this text, is the devil. and this we know from the interpretation of christ himself. part vi. name adam gave his wife. god reminds man of the fall. the cherubim. i. v. 20. _and the man called his wife's name eve; because she is the mother of all living._ we have heard above that it was inflicted as a punishment upon the woman, that she should be under the power of the man. that power to which she is thus made subject is here described anew. it is not god who here gives to eve her name, but adam, her lord; just in the same manner as before he gave to all the animals their names, as creatures put under his dominion. no animal devised its name for itself. every one received its appellation, and the dignity and glory of its name, from its lord, adam. so to this day, when a woman marries a man, she loses the name of her own family and is called after the name of her husband. on the other hand it would be a thing quite monstrous, if the husband should wish to be called by the name of his wife. this therefore is a sign and further confirmation of that punishment of subjection which the woman procured by her sin. in the same manner also, if the husband changes his place of residence the woman is compelled to follow him as her lord. so various are the traces in nature which put us in mind of original sin and of our numerous calamities on its account. and the name which adam gave to his wife is a name full of joy and delight. for what is better, or more precious, or more delightful, than life? there is a well-known poetic line- _num tu bona cuncta_ _ut redimas vitam recuses?_ to save thy life, what wouldst thou not resign? the world, with all its wealth, if they were thine! for neither gold, nor gems nor the glory of the whole world can be compared with the preciousness of life. this christ intimates, math. 6:25; 16:26. hence the jews generally give their children names taken from roses, flowers, jewels, etc. the name of eve however was not taken from the preciousness of anything worldly, but from life itself, which in value exceeds all things. but adam adds also his reason for giving this name to his wife. "because she is the mother of all living." it is evident therefore from this passage that adam, by receiving the holy spirit, was wonderfully enlightened; and that he believed and understood the word spoken by god concerning the seed of the woman, which should bruise the head of the serpent; and that he therefore wished to signalize his faith, and to adorn it by the name which he gave his wife, the name the like of which he had not given to any other creature. it is equally evident also that he moreover wished, by this name given to his wife, to cherish his own hope of a future seed, to confirm his own faith and to comfort himself by the belief of a future and eternal life, even at the very time when all nature had been rendered subject to death. for if adam had not apprehended all this by the faith of the life to come, his mind could not have been raised to such an assurance of it, as to give his wife a name so full of joy. as therefore he did give such a name to his wife, it is perfectly evident that his mind was lifted up by the holy ghost to this confidence in the remission of sins by the seed of eve, whom he therefore named eve, in order that the name might be a memorial of that divine promise by which he himself was raised anew unto life and by which he left the hope of an eternal life to his posterity. this hope and this faith he imprinted as it were on the forehead of his wife in the brightest colors by the name eve which he gave her; just in the same manner as those who are delivered from their enemies erect trophies and other glad memorials to commemorate the victory which they have gained. but perhaps you will inquire, how adam called eve the mother of all living, when she was as yet a virgin and had never borne a child. adam, we here again see, did this to testify his faith in the divine promise; because he believed that the human race would not be cast away nor destroyed, but would be saved. this same name eve therefore embraces also a prophecy of the grace that should come; and it indicates that consolation, which is necessary under the perpetual trials of this human life and against all the temptations of satan. it is very possible also that the joyful giving of this name to eve, which as we have said is a most beautiful proof of the faith of adam and of the recreation of his spirit unto a new life, formed a reason why the holy fathers in after ages held that day, on which their children were circumcised and received their names as a more glad and joyful festival than the day they were born; to the intent that such festival might forever commemorate this giving of the first name by adam, when he called his wife eve. but now follows another kind of memorial quite the contrary to this; a memorial of sorrow, not of joy. v. 21. _and jehovah god made for adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed them._ this is by no means so joyful and delightful information as was that of adam giving to his wife the name of eve. for, although the lord had said, "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die;" yet adam consoled himself by this name which he gave to his wife that the life which he had lost should be restored by the promised seed of the woman, which should bruise the serpent's head and destroy the destroyer. ii. here adam and eve are clothed with garments by the lord god himself, in order that, being perpetually reminded by this clothing as a lasting memorial, they might reflect, as often as they looked at their garments, upon their awful and miserable fall from the highest felicity into the extremest calamity and wretchedness; to the intent that they might ever afterwards fear to sin and exercise continual repentance; yet looking for the remission of sins by the promised seed. and this is the reason no doubt the lord god did not cover them with leaves nor with that wool which grows on trees, but clothed them with the skins of slaughtered animals to remind them that they were now mortal and subject to certain death. as therefore the name eve contained in it the joyful hope of life, even of eternal life; so these skins were a memorial of sin passed and sin to come; but a memorial also of all those calamities present and future, which that sin deserved. and indeed our nature has need of such memorials and perpetual admonitions. for we easily forget both past evils and past blessings. hence it is that peter says, "for he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. wherefore i shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with you," 2 pet. 1:9, 12. for it is truly an awful expression of the apostle when he here intimates that some forget the remission of their sins, and after they have well believed draw back from their faith, and adorn not themselves with the most beautiful chain of christian virtues which he enumerates, but indulge in covetousness, pride, envy, lust, etc. we in our day also have great need of this admonition, who experience all these burdens of these calamities under the papacy, lest we become ungrateful to our merciful god, as, alas! the greater part of the world do. as a remedy therefore against this forgetfulness these skins were added as clothings for adam and eve, that they might be forever a sure sign, or memorial or admonition, whereby both they and all their posterity might be reminded of their most wretched condition. but in after ages, marvelous to say, the world began to grow mad in the matter of this very memorial of their calamity! for who can possibly describe the amount of study and expense men and women give to dress! indeed it is so great that it can no longer be properly termed pleasure nor luxury, but madness; because, like asses created for bearing burdens of gold they seem rather to consider with how much gold they can load themselves, than with how much they can best adorn themselves. a superior kind of dress may be justly commended in certain cases; especially in more illustrious persons. but that rage for dress in all classes, which now prevails, cannot but offend the eyes of all good men. and if adam himself could rise from his grave and behold this madness for raiment in all circles of society, i believe he would stand petrified with astonishment at the sight. for the clothing of skins, which adam daily wore, daily reminded him of his sin and his lost felicity. whereas we, on the contrary, clothe ourselves with splendid garments and indulge in luxury of dress, that we may testify to all men that we have not only forgotten the evils of the fall, from which we have been saved by the seed of the woman, but the blessings also which we have received through him. we next find that the admonition which the lord had given by the sign of the garments, he gave also in word. v. 22. _and jehovah god said, behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:_ these words contain sarcasm and most bitter derision. some inquire therefore why it is that god here deals so harshly with miserable adam? how it is that, after he had been robbed of all his glory and had fallen into sin and death, he is goaded in addition to all this by his maker with this most bitter reflection passed upon him. was it not enough, they ask, that he should wear this visible sign which should perpetually remind him of his lost glory and his present calamity, but he must hear also in addition this audible word of the lord god? to this i reply, adam had the promise of mercy given him, and with that he ought to have lived content. but in order that he might more deeply fear, and more carefully guard against all future sin, there is spoken to him this bitter memorial word also. for god foresaw what kind of men adam's posterity would be; and therefore he puts this word into his mouth that he might preach it to his posterity, and might teach them as a warning that by wishing to become like god, he became like unto the devil; in order that they also, being thus warned, might not add to that sin of their first parents their own sins, and so depart still farther from god. as before, by the clothing of skins, so now, by his word itself, god reminds our first parents both concerning their past and their future calamities. not that god is delighted with adam's sad case, for had it been so he would have given him no such admonition at all; but would have remained silent. but god willed that man should sigh after the restoration of that "image of god" which he had lost; and should therefore the more hate sin, which had been the cause of this awful calamity; and that adam should admonish his posterity of what had been the consequence of his sin; that when, having been plundered of his reason by satan, he thought he should become like god, he became like satan himself. on this passage also that great question is raised, why god, who is one, here speaks in the plural number? and whether there are more gods than one? and nicholas of lyra, with others, considers that these words are either spoken in the person of an angel or addressed to angels, "is become as one of us;" that is, "is become an angel." but this comment is too cold. for god does not here call himself an angel. nor does the force of the expression lie in the word "one;" but rather in the pronoun "us." wherefore we repudiate altogether this cold comment. for if these words are spoken in the person of an angel, it is certain that god did not speak them; but god did speak them. for the assertion of the text is, "and jehovah god said." wherefore here again let us have recourse to the light of the gospel. for this light as i have above observed illumines all these obscure passages of the old testament. and indeed if you will explain these words as having reference to the angels, such interpretations will not accord with that portion of the sacred narrative which precedes. for satan above said, verse 5, "and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." from this it is manifest that adam and eve really endeavored to become like god, not like an angel. wherefore this passage cannot rightly be understood in any other way than as meaning equality with god! this error of the jews therefore concerning the reference of the present passage to angels, which lyra also follows in his interpretation, is exploded; and from this text, according to the letter, the doctrine is established that there is a _plurality_ in the _godhead_, which doctrine was also determined above, gen. 1:26, where god said, "let _us_ make man in our image." all these passages argue, in the first place, for the unity of the divine essence. for the uniform expression in them all is, "and god said." and in the next place, they argue also for the plurality, or according to the general term used, a _trinity_ of persons in the godhead. all these mysteries however are more fully revealed in the new testament. as for instance, when christ commands believers to be baptized in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost. the three divine persons in the godhead therefore were thus at once shadowed forth at the very beginning of the world, and were afterwards clearly understood by the prophets, and at length fully revealed in the gospel. the meaning of this passage therefore stands perfectly plain, that the intent of adam and eve was to become like god or to secure his image. now the image of the invisible god is the son, "by whom all things consist," col. 1:17. wherefore adam by his sin dashed against the very person of christ, who is the true image of god. these great things are but briefly and obscurely set before us in this divine narrative. there is no doubt however that adam himself drew from them numberless sermons for his family and posterity; in the same way as the prophets after him evidently contain various allusions to these mysteries and wrap them up in marvelous indications, which the gospel finally reveals in open and bright manifestation. it makes also for our interpretation of the present passage that the name of god used is jehovah, which cannot signify any creature, being a name which is applied absolutely and only to the creator himself. and what does the creator here say? "adam is become as one of _us_." now here most assuredly neither our profession nor our faith will tolerate receiving these words as being spoken or as having reference to angels. for who will dare to say that god is one of the angels, or that an angel is one of the _us_, the elohim? the glorious god is above all angels and over all creatures! how therefore can god make himself only equal to the angels! we receive this passage therefore as a sure testimony of that article of our faith concerning the holy trinity; that there is one god, and three divine persons in the godhead. moses indeed seems here obscurely, but plainly and purposely, to intimate concerning the sin of adam that his aim was to become like, not unto angels, but unto god. for if he had sinned against angels only, he would not have been condemned to death for such a sin. but because his sin was directly against the majesty of the creator, by aiming to become like unto him and to do as that divine majesty did, therefore it was that so awful a punishment followed so awful a sin. and as when a man is delivered from crucifixion every one will naturally remind him of the danger in which he was placed and will exhort him to guard against a like danger ever afterward; so, after adam is restored to the hope of life through the divine promise, god admonishes him by the bitter irony contained in the text, not to forget his horrible fall nor ever again to attempt to equal god, in which he so awfully failed; but to humble himself before the divine majesty and ever afterwards to guard with all his posterity against such a sin. for these things were not spoken to adam only; they apply to us also, who, after being baptized and renewed by grace, ought to take heed with all watchfulness that we fall not back into our former ungodliness. in like manner there is equally bitter sarcasm in the words, when god says, "and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever." as if god could not by one mere nod prohibit adam from touching the tree and also prevent him ever doing so! moses next adds those terrible and terrifying words, vs. 23, 24. _therefore jehovah god sent him forth from the garden of eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. so he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of eden the cherubim, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life._ the contents of this text are intended also for our rebuke and admonition; as paul says, rom. 15:4, "for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our sakes also." for there is great peril, lest forgetting our former sins we should be plunged into them again; as christ also gives us warning, when he says, "behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee," john 5:14. peter also speaks in the spirit of warning, when he says, "it has happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire," 2 pet. 2:22. the same admonition and warning are given by the same apostle elsewhere, when he says, "having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins," 2 pet. 1:9. these and other passages of scripture are all admonitions concerning guarding against future sin; because, as in diseases so in sins, the relapse is more difficult of cure than the original. hence therefore adam and his whole posterity are warned in so many various forms by the present portion of the sacred record of moses! all is written in order that, after they have received the hope of eternal life by means of the promise given through the seed of the woman, they might beware that they lose not that hope by sinning again; according to that remarkable parable of the house which was swept and garnished after satan was cast out, which satan again occupied, taking with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself. it is to this end that the lord uses so much bitterness in his address to our first parents. it is as if, in explaining himself, he should say, "i before forbade adam and eve to touch the tree of death;" but such was their impudent self-will, that they would not abstain from doing so even to their own destruction. now, therefore, i must take all care that they approach not the "tree of life" also; for it may be they will not refrain from putting forth their hand on that also. therefore i will so effectually prevent them from eating of this tree, that i will prohibit them from the use of any of the trees of paradise whatsoever. wherefore i say unto them, "go ye forth from the garden altogether, and eat the herb of the field, and whatsoever else of the kind the earth produceth. ye shall hereafter not only eat no more of the tree of life, but ye shall not taste any other tree of paradise," etc. this passage further shows that the trees of paradise were in no manner like those which the other part of the earth brought forth. wherefore, even the food which adam and eve ate, after their ejection from paradise, reminded them, and still reminds their posterity, of their sin and of their most miserable condition, into which they have been hurled by their sin. in so many and various ways are our calamities depicted before our very eyes that even our clothing, independently of our destitution by nature of those spiritual gifts, the knowledge and worship of god, etc., perpetually remind us of those great calamities. here a question presents itself, whether, if god had permitted adam to eat of the tree of life, adam would by this food have overcome death in the same manner as by eating of the tree of death, he became subject to death; for the reasoning in each case seems to be parallel. the tree of death killed; and that by the word, which said, "in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." the tree of life, therefore, by the power also of the same word, gave life and preserved from death. lyra and others in their reply to this question say that this tree of life had indeed the power of preserving life for a length of time, but not forever; and therefore it could not have restored that life which was lost by sin. for adam was not created with the design of his remaining in this corporal life forever; but he was designed to be translated from this corporal life and from this corporal nourishing of it into that spiritual life, for which he was ultimately designed and into which he would have been translated, if he had not sinned. just in the same way as when a man is created a consul from his former private life, no death is taken into consideration in his being created to that office, but his glory and dignity alone are increased; so adam, had not death intervened by his sin, would have changed his mortality for an immortality without any death at all; being translated from the life corporal to the life spiritual and eternal. this "tree of life" however, according to the view of lyra, served only for the preservation of the corporal life. and therefore he interprets the present text, "lest he should live an age;" that is, a life of long duration. such is lyra's opinion. my understanding of the text however is different. my belief is, that if adam had been admitted to eat of the tree of life he would have been restored to that life which he lost; so that he would not have afterwards died, but would have been simply translated from the life corporal to the life spiritual and eternal; for the text contains both these statements most clearly; that adam was prohibited from eating of "the tree of life," that he might not be restored to the life which he had lost; and also, that if he had eaten of that tree he would have lived leolam; that is, for an age or a length of time. my rejection of the opinion of lyra, however, is especially on the ground that he attributes the power of giving life to the nature of the tree itself simply; whereas it is quite certain that the tree possessed not this property of its own nature, but from the power of the word absolutely. just in the same manner as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil had its peculiar property from the same word. it did not kill, because its fruits themselves were deadly, poisonous or pestiferous; but because the word, as a certain paper, was added to it; on which paper god had written, "in the day that thou eatest of this tree, thou shalt surely die," gen. 2:17. wherefore, in the first place, to this tree of death there was attached spiritual death or the death of the soul; that is, disobedience. for after adam and eve had violated this commandment of god by sin, which commandment had continued effectual in them up to that time, they began to think thus, "behold, god has forbidden us to eat of this tree; but what is that to us?" this contempt of the commandment was that poisoned hook, by which being firmly fixed in their throats adam and eve were utterly destroyed. for since the divine threatening was added to the commandment, therefore after eating it the fruit wrought in them death on account of their disobedience. the tree of death itself was not poisoned; but, as i have copiously explained before under the second chapter, it was the tree of divine worship, where man might testify, by his obedience in that worship, that he acknowledged, reverenced and feared his god. for god saw everything which he had made, and behold it was very good, gen. 1:31. wherefore, i have no doubt that this tree of life in the present passage derived its efficacy, as did the tree of death, from the word. therefore, since the word rested in its power on that tree, if adam had eaten of it, he would have been restored to the life which he possessed before his fall. it was just thus also with the serpent, which moses raised in the desert. it did not give or cause life by its own nature; for it was made of brass, as any other serpent might be made of the same metal to this day. but it was the word, added to that serpent, which made it effectual to give life; because god commanded that serpent to be lifted up, and because he added this word to it when lifted up, "every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live," num. 21:8. now, if thou shouldst make a serpent of brass at his day, thou couldst not have this word to add to it. moreover, the cause of the healing did not lie in the act of the looking, but that cause was contained in the word, by which god had commanded that those who were bitten should look to the serpent, to which commandment was also added the promise of healing to those who should look. but because the rabbins understand not the nature of the word, therefore they shamefully err and fail in their interpretation and declare the meaning to be, that the nature itself of these trees was death-giving or life-giving. for they understand not that all things therefore take place, _because_ god by his word either _promises_ or _threatens_ that they shall so take place. our sophistic human reasoners trifle in the same way, when they argue upon the manner in which baptism justifies. for thomas aquinas and bonaventura consider that there is a certain power of effecting justification infused by god into the water when the infant is baptized; so that the water of the baptism, by its own virtue thus communicated, creates justification. we, on the contrary, affirm that the water of baptism is water, nothing else or better than that water which the cow drinks. but we affirm, that to this water, natural and simple in itself, is added the word, "he that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved," mark 16:16. and again, "except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of god," john 3:5. now, if any one is inclined to call this word, or this promise, the power communicated to the water of baptism, i will not resist such a view of the sacred matter. but the mind of our sophists is quite different from this; for they will not assign this power to the word; they argue concerning the element only; and they affirm that the water itself contains a peculiar power communicated to it of god. scotus has expressed the matter more correctly in his definition of it, when he says that baptism is "a divine compact or covenant, resting on the element." the word therefore is in every case to be regarded and honored, that word by which god holds and endues his creatures with efficacy; and a difference is ever to be made between the creature and the word. in the sacrament of the lord's supper there are bread and wine; in baptism there is water. these are the mere creatures. but they are held in god's hand by the word, and as long as the creature is thus apprehended by the word, so long also doth it effect that which the word promises. and yet we would by no means be understood as favoring by these views the sacramentarians, when we thus join together baptism and the supper of the lord. baptism hath annexed to it the promise, that with the holy spirit it regenerates. in the supper of the lord, in addition to the promise of the remission of sins annexed to it, it has also this excellency: that with the bread and the wine there is also truly set forth the body and blood of christ, as christ himself says, "this is my body which is given for you;" and also, "this cup is the new testament in my blood," luke 22:19, 20. in the same manner it might also be said that the human nature itself in christ does not redeem us. but because the human nature was corporally held fast by the divine nature, and christ is both god and man in one person, therefore his redemption is all-availing; and therefore christ is called the "son of man" and the saviour. the pope has invented the "blessed water," "extreme unction" and numberless other like things, to which he has attributed the remission of sins. in all these cases ever think thus with thyself: has god ever added to these things his word of command and his word of promise? and if the promise and the precept of god are not attached to them, immediately judge that they are idolatry and profaning of the name of god. but they will tell you that the prayers of the pious are added to them and that there exist holy examples, in imitation of which these things were constituted. but do thou regard neither the pious prayers, nor the holy examples, nor the intentions of those who invented or established these things. look only at whether the precept and promise of god are attached to them; for the divine command and promise alone can endue creatures with a new power beyond that power which they of their own mere nature possess. thus "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" was of its own nature good as a creature; but by means of the word of god, added and attached to it, it became to man through his sin the poison not of his body only but of his soul. and in like manner, on the contrary, "the tree of life" had by means of the word of god attached to it the power of preserving life, and it would have restored and preserved the life of adam had god so permitted. but god being angry with adam did not permit him to return to eat of that tree after his fall. and this repulsion from "the tree of life" and from paradise was not only intended to keep adam under the continual memory of the sin which he had committed, but also because adam had now a better promise given him, that the seed of the woman should bruise the seed of the serpent; so that, although adam was subjected to corporeal death, he yet retained the hope of an immortality through the son of god. just as an angry father, though he does not deprive his son of the right of his inheritance, yet chastises him and turns him out of doors. it is thus the will of the lord god therefore that man should be content with the hope of a better life than that in which adam was first created. for even though adam had eaten of the tree of life and had been restored thereby to his former life, he would not even then have been safe from satan nor from the danger of falling again from that life by his temptation. god therefore hath prepared for man that state of hope in which we may live assured that through the blessed seed of the woman we never can die an eternal death, although this corporeal life thus appointed for us may be filled with various afflictions. the words of the passage are the words of god, spoken ironically and in anger to adam now justified, warning him to be more cautious of sin in the future and not to forget his past sins and calamities. moses moreover beautifully inverts the order of his words to the intent that he might more effectually admonish man of the things he had related before, where he said, "jehovah god placed man in the garden of eden that he might till it and guard it," gen. 2:15. here on the contrary, he says, "the lord god sent man forth from the garden of eden to till the ground from which he was taken." for god by moses would have man to reflect that he was formed of the ground and was stationed in a most delightful place; but that by means of his sin he was cast out of that most delightful place and carried back to the ground from which he was first created. by this striking inversion of the facts of his record, moses indicates the manner in which god not only warned adam and all his posterity against all future sin, but reminded them also of their great sins past. now therefore adam, whose appointed station before was in paradise, a place separate from all the beasts of the earth and in which peculiar food was prepared for him, is cast out into a place in common with the beasts and also has his general food in common with them. nor is adam cast out of paradise only, but a guard also is set at the entrance of the place that he might not by any means be able to enter it again. just as watches are set to guard citadels and armies. moses therefore by the copiousness and variety of speech he here uses would show, that this expulsion of adam from paradise was in the highest degree necessary unto our salvation; that, being warned thereby against sin, we might live in the fear of god, ever watching against temptations from satan, who worked so much evil to our nature by the sin of our first parents. concerning the original word, mikkedem, we have spoken above and have shown that it signifies "from the east" or "in the eastern quarter." the meaning of moses is, that paradise had a way or gate on the eastern side, by which there was an entrance into this garden. thus also, in the building of the temple described by ezekiel, mention is made of a gate of the sanctuary, which looked toward the east, so that we may conclude that this temple was a certain form of paradise; for paradise, had nature remained innocent, would have been as it were the temple of the whole world. at this entrance therefore toward the east, which alone led to paradise, cherubim were placed or angels which might guard this way, that neither adam nor any of his posterity might ever enter paradise again. the lord did these things after the manner of men as a terror, in order that there might thus exist a lasting memorial of so awful a fall. moreover these cherubim had not iron wherewith to drive back those who should approach, but lahat, that is, "the blaze," or "the flame" of a turning or brandished sword; a flame like the flash of lightning which is uncertain in its motion and dazzles the eyes. this flame or flash of fire has the form of a sword, continually waved or brandished. just, for instance, as we have it represented that cloven tongues like as of fire appeared resting upon each of the apostles on the day of pentecost, acts 2:3. the same appearance do flying dragons also exhibit. in this manner it was also that the angels here spoken of unceasingly emitted flames, which flashed in all directions so that no one might by any possibility approach. the absurdities of origen on this passage we utterly reject, nor are we at all more pleased with the triflings of lyra, who will have it, that by the "flaming sword" we are to understand the sinner, who for a sin unto death has ceased to be meritoriously, though not numerically one of the church militant. and he says, that the "flaming sword" being represented as "turning every way" signifies that if true repentance follow such sins a man is deservedly recalled into the church. for ourselves however, as we have all along maintained that paradise was a real and visible garden in a certain spot of the earth, so we explain the present text in a simple and historical sense; that this "sword" was a real and visible "flame" or "a flash of fire" in the form of a sword, by the turnings or brandishings of which every way the cherubim or angels terrified and drove away adam and his posterity, so that they dared not approach this garden. and paradise was kept closed by this guard of angels until the deluge, to the end that there might exist a sure memorial of this miserable and calamitous fall of adam to all his posterity; in the same manner as in after ages the lake of sodom and the pillar of salt remained as memorials throughout the posterity of those generations. and indeed our insensibility and unconcern need such monuments of the wrath of god. after the deluge however paradise, together with its angels and these brandishings of their sword, disappeared. for each rising generation had its monuments of the divine wrath, which were nearer to them and the better calculated to alarm the self-secure, although even this avails nothing with the wicked. iii. thus have we in our commentary on these first three chapters of the book of genesis gone through the history of the whole creation. in what manner the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, were created; in what manner paradise was created of god, that it might be the palace of man, the lord of the whole world, who had dominion over all things therein; in what manner god instituted a temple for man in paradise, which was appointed for acts of divine worship; namely, the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," by his conduct concerning which adam might testify his obedience to his god. we have also heard in these three chapters the history of those things which were done by man in paradise; how woefully he fell and sinned against god and lost all this glory of his innocence and natural immortality. all these subjects i have treated with plainness and simplicity, according to the measure of my gift; giving them their plain historical sense, which is the true and genuine meaning. for the principal thing we have to do in interpreting the holy scriptures is to gather from them, to some degree of certainty, their plain and simple sense; especially, surrounded as we are with such a variety of interpreters, latin, greek and hebrew. for nearly all these not only pay no regard to the plain historical sense of the scripture, but even confound it by foolish allegories and bury it under the confusion they themselves cause. the absurd system of origen and jerome, which these commentators have followed in these chapters of the book of genesis, is well known. they have throughout departed from the plain history, which they call "the mere letter that killeth," and "the flesh;" and have magnificently displayed the spiritual sense, as they term it, of which they know nothing. and jerome has followed origen as his great teacher. precisely the same thing also has taken place in our time. for as men gifted and eloquent, have bent their powers to persuade their hearers and readers that histories are mere dead facts, which profit nothing to the edification of the churches, it has thereby come to pass that we have all run headlong in our common study into allegories. and i myself also, when a youth, found wonderful success in this my attempt at allegorizing. for i found a license here to invent the greatest absurdities; seeing as i did that such great doctors of the churches as jerome and origen sometimes gave open field to their ingenuities. indeed, to such an extent was this indulgence in allegories carried, that he who was the greatest adept at inventing them was accounted the greatest theologian. augustine also, carried away by this false opinion, often disregards the historical sense of the scriptures, especially in the psalms, and has recourse to allegory. in fact, all were filled with the false persuasion that the allegorical meaning was the spiritual and true sense; especially with reference to the histories of the old testament; but that the historical or literal sense was the mere carnal interpretation. but is not this, i pray you, the positive profaning of sacred things? thus origen, out of paradise, makes heaven, and out of the trees, angels. if this be so, where is the article of the creed concerning creation? it is highly necessary therefore, especially in young students of the holy scriptures, that when they come to read the old divines they condemn, with good judgment or rather with fixed determination, all those things in their writings which they find at all improbable or unsound, lest they be led astray by the authority that lies in the name of the fathers and doctors of the church; for in this way was i deceived, as were all the schools of the professors of divinity. for myself, ever since i thus began to abide by the historical sense of the scriptures, i have cautiously shunned all allegorizing; nor have i ever adopted allegories unless the text itself evidently furnished them or the interpretations derivable from the new testament justified them. i found it very difficult however to give up entirely my long indulgence in allegorizing, although i saw that these allegories were vain speculations and the mere froth, as it were, of the holy scriptures. for it is the plain historical sense of scripture that truly and solidly teaches. after the plain sense of the word has been rightly understood and mastered, then allegories may be used as certain ornaments by which the plain historical sense may be illustrated and strikingly depicted. but naked allegories which respond not at all to the historical realities nor tend to paint them forth more impressively, are at once to be rejected as idle dreams; for instance, from what part of the scriptures can it be proved that paradise signifies heaven, and the trees of paradise the angels? are not these pure follies, and mere creatures of the brain without fruit or profit? let those therefore who would adopt allegories, seek the justification of them from the history itself in question; for it is history which, like sound logic, teaches true and indubitable realities. on the other hand allegory, like oratory, ought to adorn history only; but to prove facts, it avails nothing. allegory is useful in this way, as when we say that the heavens represent the church, and the earth the empires and the political government. thus christ himself calls the church "the kingdom of heaven" and the "kingdom of god." and the earth is called in the scriptures the "land of the living," where men live and kings and princes rule, job 28:13. the apostle paul uses the same kind of allegory, when he represents adam and eve, or marriage itself, to be a type of christ and his church. this is an allegory full of divine instruction and consolation indeed. for, what could be uttered more deep or sweet than that the church is the spouse and christ the bridegroom? for, by this figure is signified both that conjugal fellowship and that most joyful communication of all those gifts which the bridegroom has to bestow, and by which gifts are buried in oblivion both all the sins and all the calamities with which the spouse is loaded. wherefore that is a most delightful word where paul says, "for i have espoused you to one husband, that i might present you as a pure virgin to christ," 2 cor. 11:2. in like manner the same apostle says, rom. 5:14, that adam was "the figure of him that was to come." and how? the apostle himself gives the explanation: "for if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of god, and the gift by the grace of the one man, jesus christ, abound unto the many," v. 15. does not this allegory, used by the apostle, beautifully refer to the historical facts recorded by moses as its foundation? exactly after the same manner does the apostle make out the history of sarah and hagar, an allegory whereby to represent the two testaments, gal. 4:24. let all therefore, who are inclined to introduce allegories, seek their foundation of them and justifications for them from the divine history itself. moreover we have heard above the sacred record of "the seed of the woman" and "the seed of the serpent." and to this history christ refers in his parable or allegory concerning the enemy who sowed in the night the evil seed, that is, wicked doctrine and evil inventions, math. 13:28. who does not at once see that such allegories as these are more appropriate, more illustrative, more useful and far superior to those allegories which augustine, lyra and others have introduced concerning the inferior power and the superior power of reason, on which we have dwelt in their place? in like manner the closing of paradise and the stationing of a guard of cherubim, with brandished swords of fire to prevent any one from re-entering, evidently signify nothing more or less than that man while living in the world "without," and destitute of faith in christ, can endure neither the light of the law nor the light of the gospel. and hence it is that paul says concerning the jews, "that they could not steadfastly behold the face of moses, and that moses was obliged to put a veil over his face on that account," 2 cor. 3:7, 13. "the tree of death" in paradise represents the law, and "the tree of life" the gospel or christ. and to neither of these trees can any approach who have not faith in christ. for they are prevented by the sword of the angels on guard, who cannot endure hypocrisy or poisonous self-righteousness. but who so acknowledges his sin and believes in christ, to him the gate of paradise stands open, because he brings with him, not his own righteousness, but the righteousness of christ, which righteousness the gospel therefore preaches unto all men, in order that all might rest upon it and be saved. but there is no need that we should pursue this subject of allegories further. let it suffice that we have offered these admonitions, that we might thereby direct those who use allegories to adopt those allegories alone, which the apostles have indicated and justified, and which have their sure foundation in the very letter and in the historical facts of the scriptures. but we must offer a word concerning the cherubim. frequent mention is made of them throughout the holy scriptures. in the latin authors we find nothing stated concerning them. they merely observe that the term cherub signifies a plentitude of knowledge. among the greek authors dionysius speaks of the cherubim. there is a boasting report that dionysius was a disciple of the apostle paul, but that is not true. dionysius was a man full of the most vain absurdities, in which he abounds in his disputations concerning the heavenly and the ecclesiastical hierarchy. his imaginations make nine choirs, as so many ranks or spheres of heavenly beings. in the supreme hierarchy he places first the seraphim; next, the cherubim; next, thrones; next, dominions; next, powers; and lastly, principalities. and then in the lower or inferior hierarchy, he places first potentates; next, archangels; and last of all, angels. now, who does not see that all these representations are nothing more nor less than idle and futile human inventions? after all this he says there are in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, first bishops, then deacons, then sub-deacons, then readers, then exorcists. in such absurdities as these that great man, the disciple of the chief of the apostles, the great teacher of the gentiles, was exercised! and yet, such is the boasted authority of this supposed great man, that inflated hypocrites set down all these, his foolish inventions, as if handed down to them by oracles from heaven. whereas in all these follies there is not one word to be found concerning faith, nor one word of useful instruction in the holy scriptures. and who after all told him that there were nine choirs of heavenly beings and potentates? and why moreover did the franciscans afterward add a tenth sphere, as a sort of palace, in which the holy mother mary might dwell? in a word, these are follies and absurdities adapted only for papists to learn and admire, as a just punishment for their pertinacious war against all sound doctrine. with respect therefore to the _cherub_ i will offer my opinion as far as i have been enabled to form it from reading. the name cherub appears to me to signify that florid countenance which we see in girls and young men in the blossom of their age. for this reason angels are represented in pictures as infants. so that by cherubim you may understand angels, as heavenly beings, appearing with a blooming countenance, and with brow free from wrinkle or sign of sorrow, and smoothly extended with joy, wearing a face plump and full with gladness, whether it be a human face or any other. the name cherub therefore is a general appellation, a term which does not apply to any order of angels in particular, as dionysius dreams, but has reference only to their general appearance, because they present themselves to men with a juvenile and florid aspect. and this indeed is the opinion of the jews themselves, who assert that kerub is a chaldaic term and that the letter _kappa_ is a servile letter, and that rub signifies a beautiful youth, who has a full and florid face; and they affirm that the angels are called kerubim, as representing their florid and joyful and delightful countenance or appearance; and thus they are generally represented in paintings. in like manner the name seraphim is a general appellation of angels; a name derived from fire or burning on account of the quality of their form, as is shown in numbers 21:6, where moses says, "and the lord sent hannechaschim hasseraphim, 'fiery serpents' among the people;" or, "serpent seraphim" (_serpentes seraphim_); that is, "serpents burning or on fire." so that we may here understand _seraphim_ or fiery angels; that is, angels not only beautiful in their full and florid face, as are _cherubim_, but also fiery or shining as the angel is represented in the gospel to have been, which sat on the stone at the tomb of our lord, of whom matthew says, "his countenance was like lightning," math. 28:3; and as angels are also described by the psalmist, when he says, "who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire," ps. 104:4. and again, it is said, luke 2:9, "that when the angel of the lord came to the shepherds, the glory of the lord shone round about them." of the same description also was the countenance of christ at his transfiguration on mount tabor, of whom it is said, "and his face did shine as the sun," math. 17:2. the same also shall be our countenances, when we shall be raised again at the last day to enter into the glory christ hath prepared for us. with respect to what is written in the books of kings concerning "the cherubims overlaid with gold," _cherubici certini_, we are there to understand these full and blooming countenances of angels, together with their wings, 1 kings 6:28. not that angels really have wings, but because they cannot otherwise be described. hence it is that we find, is. 6:6, that the angel, who comes flying with a joyous and beautiful countenance, such as angels are described on pictures of tapestry, is called cherub. and if to this full and florid countenance there be added also brightness, such as was the shining countenance of stephen, full of joy and delight, so that nothing but rays of joy dart from the eyes, such angels are called _seraphim_. such as these shall we also be. our countenances shall shine as bright as the mid-day sun. there shall be no wrinkle, no contracted brow, no watery eyes; but as it is written, rev. 21:4, "and god shall wipe all tears from our eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." let us therefore hold fast this hope and live in the fear of god, until, being delivered from this life of affliction, we shall live that angelic and eternal life which is to come. amen! amen! chapter iv. part i. generation, marriage, birth and education of cain and abel. i. thus have we at length waded through that mighty sea of matter, in doing which, all who have made the attempt have so greatly sweated and toiled, and this sweat we also have fully experienced. to us however the whole way was much more direct and plain, because, throwing aside all allegories, we have followed throughout the historical and proper sense of every passage. whereas, the most commentators have not regarded that proper sense, but have made origen, dionysius and others their teachers, rather than moses himself; and so have deservedly wandered out of the way. the things which now follow in the divine record are plainer than the preceding and admit of less dispute; and therefore they tend more to support my view of the sacred narrative; because every one must plainly say that the intent of moses was not to put forth a host of allegories, but simply to write a history of the primitive world. v. 1a. _and the man knew eve his wife, and she conceived and bare cain._ when adam had fallen into death by sin, he had the promise given him, as we have heard, that from his flesh, thus made subject to death, there would surely arise unto him a _branch_ of life. he fully understood therefore that he must propagate his seed; and especially so, since the blessing pronounced on him and his wife, "be fruitful and multiply," was not only not taken away, but afterwards confirmed by the divine _promise_ concerning the _seed_ of the woman, which should bruise the serpent's head. therefore adam did not know his wife eve from the mere inclination of the flesh, as we generally judge; but it was the necessity of that salvation, which was to come unto him through the blessed seed of the woman that constrained him to do so. no one therefore ought to be offended with the relation of this circumstance by moses that adam "knew his wife." for although, on account of original sin, this divine act of generation is considered to be one of turpitude, by which we find pure ears to be generally offended; yet spiritual men ought always to distinguish between original sin and the creature or the appointment of god. the act of generation, as a creation-appointment of god, is good and holy, for it is the very blessing pronounced of god upon male and female when they were created. and if man had not fallen this act of generation would have been most pure, most holy and most honorable. for as no one blushes to converse, eat and drink with his wife, because all these things are honorable among all men, so, had it not been for the fall of adam, the act of generation would also have been most honorable and void of all "shame!" generation has indeed been left to us, even in this state of fallen and corrupted nature. but there has adhered to it that poison of the devil, an impure lust and prurient concupiscence, which is the cause of numberless sins and evils; from all of which, nature in its unfallen state was perfectly free. now however we find by experience that the flesh is filled with inordinate and unsatisfied desires; so much so that even marriage is not for many a sufficient remedy. if it were, there would be no adulteries nor fornications. whereas these, to our shame and pain, everywhere abound. nay, in how many and various ways does this infirmity of the flesh discover itself, even in married persons? these infinite evils are not the consequences of the creation nor of the blessing pronounced on male and female. these latter proceeded from god. but they are the consequences of sin and of the curse, which proceeded from the sin of adam. therefore, the creation-appointment of god ought to be separated from all these evils; for that is a good creature of god, concerning which even the holy spirit himself we see is not ashamed to speak. but further. not only is there no idea of impurity to be attached to this mention of the creation-command and "blessing" of god made by moses, when he says, "and adam knew eve his wife;" it was even necessary that moses should write and teach these things on account of the heresies which were in later times to arise; such as those of nicolaus, tatian, etc.; and, above all, on account of the papacy. for we see the papists were not the least moved by that which is written above, that the lord created man "male and female." they so live and so bind and fetter themselves by vows, that they seem to be utterly ignorant that there are any such beings as the male and female sexes. they are not at all moved by what is also above written, that jehovah god "brought eve unto adam." and that adam said "this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." they are not moved by the promise and blessing of god, "be fruitful and multiply." the decalogue touches them not, when it commandeth, "honor thy father and thy mother!" yea, they disregard their very origin; born as they are from the union of male and female, commanded and blessed of god. passing by, despising and casting away all these things, they compel their contemptible priests, monks and nuns to devote themselves to perpetual celibacy; as if the married life, of which moses here speaks, were a life reprobate and damnable! the holy ghost however hath a purer mouth and purer eyes than the pope! the holy spirit himself therefore blushes not to mention the act of generation, or the union of husband and wife; though these great saints condemn it as impure and base. nor does that holy spirit mention this marriage union in one place only of the sacred record. the whole scriptures are filled with such histories; so much so, that on that very account some popes have prohibited young monks and nuns from reading the holy bible. but i need not enlarge. suffice to say, that such has been the rage of the devil against this institution of god, holy matrimony, that the papists have compelled men to abjure marriage, to the very end that they might institute their orders of a celibate life; and they have condemned the commandment of god, married life, as polluted in comparison with the life of celibacy, which they themselves have set up! this wickedness however has not been left without its own just punishments. for there are continually before our own eyes examples of the fruits which impure celibacy brings forth, and there are extant in books, record of most horrible crimes, of which it has been the cause. that holy man udalric, an augustan bishop, testifies that after pope gregory had determined on establishing celibacy, and had forbidden even those to live with their wives, who had been married before the decree concerning celibacy had gone forth, the pope had a mind on one occasion to fish in a pond which he had in his park at rome; and that when he did so it led to the discovery, that the fish-pond contained more than six thousand heads of infants! the same udalric also writes that pope gregory, being struck with awe and consternation at such a sight, revoked his sanction of the impious decree concerning celibacy. the successors of gregory however easily swamped the foulness of this discovery, and the pious abolition of the decree by gregory also; for they also, like their predecessors, considered that celibacy was adapted not only to increase their wealth, but to support their dignity. a similar example presented itself also in my time, when some nuns at neumburg were compelled to leave the place, on account of their flagitious lives, and the monastery was given to the franciscans; and when these latter, for their convenience, caused some alterations to be made in the building; in laying these new foundations, there were discovered twelve pots, each one of which contained the dead body of an infant! an infinite number of similar instances have occurred at other places in every direction. rightly therefore did gregory act in revoking his decree, by which, as bishop udalric remarks, he made a very beautiful application of the word of the apostle paul, who says, "it is better to marry than to burn," to which, i also add, "it is better to marry, than to incur the peril of eternal death by sin." at rome itself also on account of the great numbers of infants who are exposed monasteries are erected, of whom the pope is nominated "the father!" and the near relatives of the infants, which have been so exposed, precede him in the public processions! i forbear to testify of an infinite number of other kindred enormities, which are too bad to mention. wherefore, it behooves us all to guard against such doctrines of devils as these, and to learn to hold marriage in all reverence; and with all reverence to speak of that holy life, which we see god himself has instituted; and which we hear is commended of him in the decalogue, where he says, "honor thy father and thy mother," to which holy matrimony, is also added the blessing, "be fruitful and multiply." and concerning this holy marriage it is, that the holy ghost is here speaking, whose mouth is holy and chaste. but all those sins and vices, and all that turpitude which have entered into the originally pure creation of god by sin, we ought not to agitate, or deride, or touch, when speaking of holy marriage, but rather carefully to cover them; just in the same way as we see that god covered the originally naked adam and eve with coats of skin after their sin. for marriage ought to be treated and spoken of by all as honorable, being the holy union from which we all are born; and which is, as it were, the seminary not only of each nation but of the church and kingdom of christ unto the end of the world. this high glory of marriage however the heathen and profane men do not understand. therefore, all they can do is to collect the vices which exist in the marriage life itself, and in the abandoned female sex. and thus, separating the unclean things from the clean, they retain the unclean only; and the clean they see not at all. hence also, certain profane lawyers so irreverently judge and speak of this book of genesis as to affirm that it contains nothing more than the marriage doings of the jews. are not then such men as these, i ask you, worthy of living to see marriage despised and unclean celibacy introduced, and themselves, subjected to its crimes and punishments, which exceed even those of sodom? the holy spirit however thought it not enough to say here "and adam knew eve;" but he also adds, "his wife!" for the holy spirit approves not wandering lusts and promiscuous intercourse! he wills that every man should live content with his own wife. and although, alas! even that union of married people itself is very far from being pure, as it would have been had man continued in his state of innocency; nevertheless even in the midst of the vices of lust and of all the other calamities of the fall of adam, the "blessing" of god on marriage still stands unaltered. for the fact of adam knowing eve his wife, which moses records, was not written for adam and eve's sake. when moses penned these words, adam and eve had long been reduced to their original dust. it was for our sakes therefore that this was written; "that those who cannot contain might marry," 1 cor. 7:9, "live content each with his eve, and not desire strange women." this expression, "knew his wife," is a phrase peculiar to the hebrews; for neither the latins nor the greeks so expressed themselves. it is a form of speech particularly beautiful; not only on account of the modesty and reverence it preserves, but on account of the peculiarity of signification it conveys. for the verb yada has a much more extensive meaning than the verb "to know" in our language. thus, when job says, concerning the wicked, "they shall know what it is to act against god" he means that they shall feel and experience the consequences of such actions. so, when david says, "for i acknowledge my sin," ps. 51:3, his meaning is, i feel and experience what it is to sin. again, when the angel of the lord says to abraham, "for now i know that thou fearest god," gen. 22:12, his meaning is, "i know by sense and experience." and again, when the virgin mary said unto the angel, "how shall this be, seeing i know not a man," luke 1:34, her meaning is the same as that of job, david, etc. for, it is evident that mary knew many men, but she had neither known nor experienced any man, as man or the male of god's creation. it was in this manner therefore that adam "knew eve his wife," as it is expressed in the present passage. adam did not know his eve as an object of sight or of a speculative knowledge, but he experienced in reality what she was as the "woman," whom god had created such. that which follows, "and eve conceived, and bare cain," is sure evidence that the human nature was more excellent and perfect then than it is now. for there were originally no unfruitful embraces, as there are now in this old age of the world. as soon as eve was known by her adam, she was immediately impregnated and conceived. ii. here a question may arise, why moses says, "and bare cain!" why he does not say, and bare a son, cain; as below, verse 25, where his expression is, "and she bare a son, and called his name seth." both cain and seth were sons. why, then, are they not both called "sons"? the answer to this question is, that these different expressions of moses were so ordered on account of the posterities. for, abel being murdered by his brother, perished corporally; but cain by his sin perished spiritually. and yet the generation or seed-bed of the church was not propagated from cain, though he was still alive corporally; for all his posterity perished in the flood. therefore neither the blessed abel, nor the accursed cain, has in the scriptures the name of "son." but seth was the one from whose posterity christ, that promised seed, was ordained to be born. seth therefore is the first of the children of adam and eve, who is counted worthy the name of "son." v. 1b. _and eve said, i have gotten a man with the help of (from) jehovah._ from this expression of eve there may be gathered another reason why she did not call cain a "son." it was the greatness of her joy and of her reverential awe, which prevented her from calling cain a "son." for she thought something greater concerning cain than a natural son. she considered cain would be that man who should bruise the serpent's head. and therefore she does not say simply, "a man;" but, "a man of jehovah," implying that he would be that man concerning whom the lord god had promised her that her seed should bruise the serpent's head. and although eve was deceived in this her hope, yet it plainly appears that she was a holy woman, and that she believed in the salvation that was to come by the blessed seed. and it was because she believed this, that she so greatly rejoiced in the son which she had borne, and that she spoke of him in the exalted terms contained in the text before us. it was as if she had said, "i have gotten a man of god, who will conduct himself more righteously and happily than i and my adam conducted ourselves in paradise. therefore i call him not my 'son.' he is a man of god, promised to me and shown to me of god." it might have been for this latter reason also, as well as for the former, that eve did not call cain "a son." with respect therefore to eve's adhering so closely to the divine promise and believing so firmly in the deliverance that should surely come through her seed, in all this she did rightly. for, by the same faith in the "seed" that was to come, all the saints of old were justified and sanctified. but with respect to the individual intended by the promise, she erred. she believed that it was cain who should put an end to all those calamities into which satan had hurled man by sin. this faith of eve however rested on a certain opinion of her own, without any sure sign and without the sure word. the promise indeed was true, and certain, and sure; but nothing was said or signified definitely, whether it was cain or abel who should be that great conqueror of the serpent. in the matter therefore of determining the individual, eve was deceived; and consequently her giving to her son so proud and joyous a name was all in vain. for the text shows that cain was so called from the verb kanah, which signifies "to possess," or "to acquire." so that by this name eve consoled herself against the evils she had brought upon herself, and set against them the acquisition of eternal life and salvation, which she should obtain by her seed, against that loss of life and salvation which she had incurred by sin and satan. it was as if she had said to her adam, "i remember with sorrow what we have lost by our sin; but now, let us speak of and hope for nothing but recovery and acquisition. i have gotten a man of god, who will acquire and recover for us that glory which we have lost." it was this certainty of the promise therefore and her sure faith in it, which drew eve into this haste and caused her to think that this her first son was the seed concerning whom the lord had made the promise. but eve, poor miserable woman, was deceived in this. she did not yet see the extent of her calamity. she did not yet know that from the flesh nothing but flesh can be born, or proceed, john 3:6, that sin and death cannot be overcome by flesh and blood. moreover she knew not as yet the point of time in which that blessed seed, concerning whom the promise spoke, should be conceived of the holy ghost and be born of a virgin into the world. just in the same manner the patriarch after eve knew not this point of time, although the promise of the seed to come was gradually made clearer and clearer by the revelation of the holy spirit. in the same manner also, we in our day know assuredly that there shall be a final judgment, but the day and the hour we know not. just as christ says, even unto his apostles, math. 24:36. v. 2a. _and again she bare his brother abel._ it cannot be known for a certainty whether cain and abel were twins or not, although it is very probable indeed that they were twins. but be that as it may, it is certain that our first parents had various thoughts concerning these two sons, and that they imagined that their redemption was at the door. cain was doubtless held in the highest honor and made the object of their chief delight; while abel on the other hand was not an object of so much pleasure nor of so much hope, as the names themselves of the two sons show. cain was so called, as we have said, because they considered that it was he who should acquire or restore all things. on the contrary abel signifies "vanity" or "that which is nothing or of no value or abject." some interpreters have rendered the name in our bible "mourning" or "sorrow;" but the hebrew term for sorrow is ebel not habel. moreover the expression hebel is of very frequent use in the sacred scriptures. how often is it repeated in ecclesiastes? "vanity of vanities, all is vanity," eccles. 1:2, and also in the psalm, "therefore their days did he consume in vanity," ps. 78:33; that is, they attained not the "promised land" of canaan. abel therefore was so called, as being considered one concerning whom there was no hope, or one respecting whom all hope was vain. but cain was so named, as one of whom all things were hoped. these very names given to these two sons therefore plainly manifest the thoughts and feelings of the parents concerning them; that, as the promise was made concerning the seed of the woman, adam and eve thought that the divine promise thus made was to be fulfilled through cain, their first son; but that abel would effect nothing, seeing that everything was to be successfully accomplished as they thought through cain. therefore they called him abel. and this hope which adam and eve entertained concerning cain was undoubtedly the reason why these two brothers were not brought up with the same care and concern. for to abel was committed the charge of the cattle; but cain was trained in the pursuits of his father, and to the cultivation of the earth, as being the superior and nobler employment. abel was a shepherd; cain was a king and a priest, being the first-born and destined by his birth to fulfil those high hopes and expectations of the recovery of all his parents entertained concerning him. but here ponder the wonderful counsel of god! from the beginning of the world, primogeniture has always held a very high privilege, not only among the people of god, with whom the right attached to primogeniture was an institution of god himself, and by him highly commended, but among the gentile nations also. and yet facts and experiences prove, especially among the holy people, that the first-born have often disappointed the hopes of their parents and that the after-born have often attained to the condition and dignity of the first-born. thus were not our first parents miserably deceived in their hopes concerning their first-born, cain, the murderer? so also abraham, the exalted, was not the first-born, but haran. so again esau was the first-born; but he had to yield his birth-right and its blessing to jacob. again, david was the youngest of all his brethren, and yet he was anointed king. and the same wonderful counsel of god may be seen in many other instances in the scriptures. for although the first-born had by divine right the prerogatives of the kingship and the priesthood, yet they frequently lost them, and the after-born were appointed to them in their stead. and whence in most instances arose this perversion of things? both from the fault of the parents and from the pride of the first-born themselves. the parents gave to their first-born greater liberty and indulgence; and then the first-born themselves thus corrupted by the indulgence of their parents despised and oppressed, through this pride in their birth-right, the rest of their brethren. but god is the god of the "humble." he "giveth grace to the humble, and resisteth the proud." those first-born therefore, who exalt themselves in pride god puts down from their right and their seat; not because such do not inherit the right of their primogeniture, but because they grow proud of their gifts and privileges, and carry themselves with insolence and oppression; and such god cannot endure. thus when the angels, who had been endowed with gifts the most noble and the most bright, above all other beings, began to grow proud in heaven and to despise the humility of the son of god, they were cast down into hell and became the most hideous devils. for god cannot endure pride and he will have his majesty preserved and held inviolate everywhere, as the prophet says, "and my glory will i not give to another," is. 42:8, 48:11. thus also, the people of israel were god's peculiar people, and the holy city of jerusalem was the habitation of god. but when they cast off the fear of god and grew proud, through a confidence in their high gifts and privileges, the whole people was cut off and their city laid waste by the gentile nations. and this indeed is the common pestilence of our nature. we rest not content with the gifts which god has bestowed upon us, but abuse them through pride and insult our bountiful creator and giver. god, for example, bestows empires, kingdoms, peace and other large blessings, that kings and princes might acknowledge him, worship him and give him thanks. but kings and princes so abuse these great gifts and favors, as if they were bestowed upon them for the very end that they might insult and trample under foot their creator, who has been to them so bountiful a giver. the very same evil of pride also is found in private and domestic life. god gives sound health, wife, children, and personal property; not that through these things we should offend him, but that in all such things we might acknowledge his mercy and render him continual thanks. and for this same end also, that we might always give him thanks, he has bestowed upon us the use of and the "dominion" over all his creatures. but how few are there who render unto god the thanks which are thus due to him! do not almost all of us live in the continual and most shameful abuse of the gifts of god? god therefore is compelled to use in our case the same remedy which the roman emperor vespasian adopted. he used to suffer his citizens to grow rich. for he was accustomed to say, that such rich ones were like a sponge, which when filled with water, if well squeezed, will give back the water in abundance. so when god has enriched certain ones with his bountiful gifts, if they grow ungrateful and abuse the bounty of their god, he squeezes them till they are empty again; as the blessed virgin says, "and the rich he hath sent empty away." it was for this reason that god did not spare the first-born, cain. he did not give the first birth-right to cain, that he might grow proud of it and despise his god; but that he might adorn it, and reverence and fear his god; and when he did not this, god cast him off. and in this matter the sin belonged even to the parents also. they fostered this pride in their first-born as the names they gave their two sons plainly prove. for adam and eve placed all their hope in their first-born only. they called him "their treasure," as his name indicates. but abel they looked upon as nothing and considered that he could do nothing; while they adorned cain as a king and held him to be the "blessed seed." from him therefore they promised to themselves great things, and of him they speak great things; and he on his part became filled with pride. but abel they despised all the time as a man of naught. god however in due time reverses all things. he casts away cain and makes abel an angel, and the "first of all the saints." for abel, when murdered by his brother, was the "first" who was delivered from his sin and from all the calamities of this world, and he shines throughout the whole church to the end of the world as a distinguished star, through that illustrious testimony of "righteousness," which the whole scriptures bear to his honor. in this manner therefore was abel, whom adam, eve and cain despised as a man of naught, made in the sight of god a lord of heaven and earth. for after death abel is placed in a higher state and condition than if he possessed a thousand earthly worlds with all their riches. such is the end of pride and presumption against god! cain trusted in his birth-right and despised his brother in comparison with himself, and believed not the promise concerning christ; abel on the contrary took fast hold by faith of the promise made unto adam concerning the seed of the woman. and this faith was also the reason he offered a more excellent sacrifice than cain, as the epistle to the hebrews expresses it, heb. 11:4. v. 2b. _and abel was a keeper of sheep, but cain was a tiller of the ground._ according therefore to the names given to the two sons by adam and eve, such was the condition of life to which each son was appointed by his parents; and the difference of these appointments manifests that exalted hope which the parents entertained concerning cain above his brother. for although each "calling" of life is honorable, yet that of abel is domestic only, while that of cain is rather political or public in the nation. as adam was himself a tiller of the ground, he trained cain, whom he more greatly loved, to his father's higher calling; while to abel is committed the more leisure care of the flock. so that it plainly appears that the one son was looked upon as the lord and the other as a servant by his parents. v. 3. _and in process of time after the end of days, it came to pass, that cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto jehovah._ "after the end of days," that is, after a certain number of years had been fulfilled or accomplished. it is here that we are first informed that the godly parents, adam and eve, preached to their children often and much concerning the will and the worship of god. for we here find that both the sons brought unto god their offering. but you will inquire perhaps what, and concerning what, did adam and eve preach unto their children. they certainly had most glorious subjects for all their sermons and conversations. they remembered well their original condition, and what paradise then was; and without doubt they frequently pointed out to their children the place, now guarded by the prohibiting angels, and warned their children to beware of sin, by which they had been deprived of so many blessings and shut out from them. on the other hand there is no doubt that they exhorted their children to live in the fear of god, that they might console themselves with the confidence of his goodness toward them; assuring them that if they did so, they would attain to a better state after this present life. and who could enumerate all the blessings of that former life, which they had originally enjoyed! to all their teaching was added that other branch of doctrine concerning the promise of the seed of the woman, and of the great deliverance from all calamities to come. and most probably these god-fearing parents preached all these things to their children in a certain place, and especially on the sabbath days. and it was doubtless by being stirred to do so by these sermons, that the children came to offer their sacrifices and to render unto god his worship. part ii. offerings in general, of our first parents, and of cain and abel. i. now this is the first passage of the scripture in which mention is made of mincha, _or_ "an offering," from which it plainly appears that the custom of sacrificing and offering victims is no recent thing, but a practice which has existed from the beginning of the world. it is no wonder therefore that the offering of sacrifices, which had been a custom handed down from adam to moses, as from hand to hand, should at length have been reduced by moses into its own peculiar forms and into a certain order; all those things being rejected and repudiated, doubtless many, which the vain superstition of men had added to the original manner of sacrificing. such additions are seen in the examples furnished by the heathen sacrifices, contained in homer and virgil, which sacrifices the heathen nations no doubt received from the primeval fathers, but which they multiplied and encumbered with many things through their superstition. and while i am dwelling on the present passage, let the reader first of all consider with me that adam and eve are not parents only, nor is it their sole care to feed their children and to rear them for this present life. they hold the offices and perform the duties of priests also. and because they are filled with the holy ghost and illuminated with the knowledge of christ who was to come, they set this great hope of their future deliverance before their children also, and exhort them to show forth their gratitude to the god of such infinite mercy. for it is to be received as a sure fact, that the end of all the sacrifices which have been handed down to us from the beginning was none other than to set forth this _great hope!_ and now consider with me next, what kind of hearers there were to listen to this good and holy doctrine from the lips of adam and eve. these hearers and scholars were two. cain, the first-born who appeared as a saint and was believed to be the lord of all, was a wicked man and believed not the divine promise. on the other hand, abel, whose authority was as nothing and was thrust aside to take care of the cattle, was a godly man and believed the promise. and yet the ungodly cain so concealed his ungodliness, that he heard his parents when teaching him and his brother, as if he solemnly reverenced the word; and he also brought his offering, as his godly brother did. here we have an example of the twofold church; the true church and the hypocritical church, as we shall more fully explain hereafter. for although, in the passage now before us, mention is made of the sacrifice offered only, and not of preaching also, yet we are to rest fully assured that cain and abel did not bring their offerings without the preaching of the word. for god is not worshipped with a mere dumb work. here must also be the word, sounding both in the hearts of men and in the ears of god. and in the same way also calling upon the name of the lord was added to this original sacrifice. some may here inquire, whether cain and abel had any word or command of god for offering their sacrifice. my answer is, as all sacred histories confirm, that the great and merciful god of his superabounding grace always appointed together with his word some certain and visible sign of his grace; in order that men being admonished and kept in remembrance by means of the certain signs or works of the sacraments may the more surely believe that god is favorable and merciful unto them. in the same manner after the flood, god set his bow in the heavens, that it might be a sure sign and proof that he would not again visit the world with a like punishment. after the same manner also, circumcision was given unto abraham, as we shall hear in order that he might hold fast the assurance that god would be to him a god, and that he would give him a seed in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed. to us under the new testament are given baptism and the supper of our lord, as ordained visible signs of grace, that we might be the more fully assured that our sins are all taken away by the suffering of christ for us and that we are redeemed by his death. hence the church was never left so destitute of external signs, that men were suffered to remain in ignorance as to where god might be found without fail. and although the world for the most part follows in the steps of cain and abuses those external signs of the grace of god, turning them into hypocrisy, it is nevertheless evidently an unspeakable mercy that god represents himself unto us in so many ways. and this very great gift of god is that which is intended to be lauded by those high commendations contained in proverbs, "i was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in his habitable earth," prov. 8:30, 31. but the hebrew word sachak is not translated into german, "to play;" for wisdom here declares that her regard was always directed toward men, to the intent that she might reveal herself to men. the meaning is, as if god had said, "i have always so walked before the eyes and in the hearing of men, that they may always understand me to be present in their sacrifices, in circumcision, in their offering of incense, in the cloud by day, in the red sea, in the manna, in the brazen serpent, in the tabernacle of moses, in the temple of solomon, and in the cloud over the mercy-seat, and all these things were my delight; that by means of them i might present myself before the eyes of the sons of men and reveal myself unto them." and it was also a great consolation to adam, that after paradise had been lost and the tree of life also, and those other blessings of paradise which had been outward signs of the grace of god, god gave unto him another sign of his grace; namely, that of offering sacrifices; in order that by this given sign he might understand that he was not cast off by god, but was still the care of his maker, and the concern of his creator. and this is what god intended to be understood by adam, when he had lighted his sacrifices and oblations with the heavenly fire, and when the flame which consumed them ascended to heaven; as we read concerning the sacrifices of moses and of elijah. for all these sacrifices were true symbols and representations of the divine mercy; of all these signs, miserable men had need, that they might not be without some continual light and indication of the grace of god. in the same manner also the word itself baptism and the lord's supper are our morning stars, upon which we look as sure indications and representations of the sun of grace. for we can definitely affirm, that where the lord's supper, baptism and the word are, there is christ, the remission of sins and eternal life. on the contrary, where these signs of grace are not, or where they are despised by men, there, not only is there not grace, but also foul errors abound: so much so that men make to themselves other signs and appoint other modes of worship. thus the greeks worshipped their apollo, and other heathen nations their demons. the egyptians worshipped their anubis, their serapis, and crocodiles, garlic, onions, etc., etc. the romans adored as their gods jupiter quirinus, and the abominable statues of priapus, venus, etc. the very same thing has occurred also in the papacy. for after those true signs of grace began to sink in men's esteem and to be despised, superstition could not remain quiet. it sought out for itself other signs, such as vows, orders of monks, pilgrimages to the tombs of the saints, intercessions of the saints, and other superstitions. all these things are full of errors, and joined with ungodliness; and yet miserable mortals embrace them as certain signs of divine grace. and amidst all this you hear of no bishop who condemns, no school which exclaims against such blasphemies as these, nor which teaches sounder things. for where the light of the word is lost and these signs of grace also, which god has given unto men, people necessarily run after the desires of their own hearts. so also the jews, when they had despised the tabernacle and the temple, sacrificed under trees and in groves, even until parents became so cruel as to sacrifice their own children. all this idolatry, so various and so widely wandering out of the way, plainly shows how great a gift of god it is to possess the word and those signs of divine grace, which god himself set forth and commanded. and if the gentiles had been willing to follow in the footsteps of the jews, they would never have fallen away into those monstrous idolatries under which they were sunk. and so also with respect to ourselves; had we held baptism and the holy supper of our lord in that esteem in which we ought to have held them, we should never have become monks. nothing concerning purgatory, nothing concerning the sacrifice of the mass, nothing about those other like iniquities, would ever have been taught and handed down to us in the church. but after the light of the word had been put out by the wicked popes, it was easy enough to thrust upon men all these abominations. unspeakable therefore is this gift, that god not only condescended to speak unto men by his word, but added also to the word these visible signs of his grace; as in the new testament, baptism and the supper of our lord. are not those therefore who use these signs in a manner beneath their dignity, or who treat them with contempt, worthy of being left as they are to purchase the pope's dung, as the richest balsam, and to worship it, and to pray to it? for why dared they despise such goodness of the divine majesty? they might have had, if they pleased, these sure signs of the grace of god at their own houses without any expense and without any labor. but despising these, they travel to rome and to compostella, etc.; and thus spend their money and afflict their bodies, and at length most justly lose their souls. god be blessed forevermore, that he has in this our day recalled us by his word from these mighty errors and idolatries, and has so enriched us with the signs of his divine grace, that we may have them before our doors and in our home and even on our beds. it was in this manner that god at first and from the very beginning of the world, in order to confirm his promise concerning our salvation, took this care that men might always have signs by which they might comfort themselves under their sins, and might lift up their heads by a confidence in the divine grace. for it is not the dignity of the work or act itself, but the mercy of god and the efficacy of the divine promise in the sacrifice, which are availing unto the worshipper. it is because god hath ordained these acts of worship, and because he hath promised that they shall be well-pleasing unto him, that baptism and the supper of our lord are to us, what the sacrifice and offering after the promise were to adam. for god in those sacrifices revealed his grace; and he approved those same sacrifices by himself igniting them and consuming them by fire from heaven. ii. and it was to these acts of worship that the first father brought up his sons; that they might in this manner render their thanks unto god, might bless god, and might conceive a sure hope in the mercy of god. but the wicked cain, inflated with the dignity of his first birth-right, despised all these most blessed preachings of his parent. he brought his offering indeed as his father had commanded him; but, puffed up with the high opinion of his own sanctity, he imagined that god would approve the act of the worship itself, because of the dignity of the person, the worshipper. and abel, who, according to the name given him, was nothing in his own eyes, also brought his offering; but he worships god thereby through faith in the divine promise; as it is written in the epistle to the hebrews, heb. 11:4. v. 4a. _and abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof._ here, if you look at the acts of their worship themselves, you can see no reason for preferring abel to cain. for the jews expose their absurdity by their dreams when they say that cain did not offer chosen wheat, but chaff only; and that was the reason why he was rejected of god. but the jews are self-righteous worshippers and cleave unto the works themselves. the judgment of the epistle to the hebrews however is quite different; the testimony of which is, that it was "by faith that abel offered unto god a more excellent sacrifice than cain," heb. 11:4. the fault of the offering therefore did not lie in the things which were offered, but in the person who offered them. and it was the faith of the person and its weight, which gave the value to the offering made by abel! but cain, by the state of his person, rendered the offering which he made of no avail. abel believed that god was good and merciful, and it was this faith that rendered his offering acceptable to god. cain on the contrary trusted in the dignity of his first birth-right and despised his brother as a man of naught in comparison with himself. what therefore in the end was proved to be the judgment of god? god made the first-born to be as the after-born, and the after-born to be as the first-born. for he had respect unto the offering of abel, and showed that the offering of this priest was acceptable unto himself; and, on the other hand, he declared that cain was not acceptable to him and that he was not a true priest in his sight. the hebrew expression, schaah, has a very wide signification; and i have carefully explained its full meaning in my paper against latomus; and also, its like signification, as found in the prophet isaiah. "in that day shall men look to their maker, and their eyes shall have respect to the holy one of israel; and they shall not look to the altars, the work of their hands," is. 17:7, 8, and likewise, is. 66:12, "and ye shall suck thereof; ye shall be borne upon the side, and shall be dandled upon the knees." the full meaning of the original expression therefore and its allusion are, that when a mother cherishes her babe in her bosom and looks upon it, she views it with a glad and delighted eye. this is the meaning, the allusion and the figure, which the original expression conveys. its signification therefore is much more extensive than that of the common verb, "to see," or "to behold." for when a mother looks at her babe, she smiles upon it with delight and carries in her countenance a peculiar expression of love. the modern expressions of our language do not contain a term by which the full import of this original word can be conveyed; nor does the latin language, as far as i know, contain any expression adequate to its satisfactory translation. quite similar is that which moses says in exodus 33:15, "if thy presence (_facies tuae_) go not with me, carry us not up hence," that is, grant that we may ever have thy signs with us in our midst, by which thou appearest always before us, and makest manifest thy presence with us and thy favor unto us. and these signs, as i have said, were the pillar of fire and the cloud, etc. and though moses does not, in this portion of the divine history explain what that sign was, by which god showed that the offerings of abel were acceptable unto him; yet it is very probable that his acceptance and pleasure were manifested by fire sent down from heaven, by which the offering and the victim were ignited and consumed before the eyes of all present, by which it was plainly shown that god was delighted with the sacrifice abel offered. for by this divine manifestation god showed that he judgeth the heart and the reins; because, in these two offerings, he "had not respect" unto the glory of the first birth-right of cain; but, on the other hand, he "had respect" unto the mind of the despised abel. and here the whole church first begins to be divided into that church, which is "the church" in name only, but which in reality is the church of hypocrisy and the church of blood; and into that other church, which is barren and desolate in appearance, and subject to sufferings and to the cross, and which, before the world and in the estimation of that church of hypocrisy, is really the abel; that is, vanity and nothing. but christ himself, who also makes this division and difference, calls abel the "righteous" one and makes him the beginning of the church of the godly, which shall continue even unto the end of the world. while cain is the beginning of that church of enmity and blood, which also shall continue unto the end of the world; as augustine also setteth forth this history in his book, "the city of god." a great doctrine therefore and a great consolation are set before us, while we trace both these churches to these their original fountains, as it were, and when we mark that wonderful counsel, with which god has ever ruled and overruled these things; ordaining that the true church should at one time be greater and at another time less; yet, so that the hypocritical and the bloody church should always have the glory before the world and should crucify the true church, which is the beloved of her god. for even thus at the beginning did commence the practical fulfilment of that divine prediction, that the seed of the serpent should bite the heel of the blessed seed. and this same enmity and biting we experience to this very day. therefore we ought not to be affrighted by this our appointed lot. it ought rather to be unto us a great consolation that we learn by our own experience to suffer those very things at the hands of our enemies, which the bloody cain inflicted on the "righteous" abel. for it is not now the first time that the name of the church is torn from us, and that we are called heretics, and that those who kill us glory that they are the only true church, and maintain that assumed name by fire and sword, and by every kind of cruelty. the same thing befell righteous abel. the same thing befell christ our lord, who was not a priest nor a king of jerusalem before the people; and yet he was dragged by the priests and by the kings to the cross! and we all, as the apostle says, must be made conformable to christ. and thus it is that the true church is ever hidden and unknown, and is cast out, and its members held as heretics, and slain; while cain alone has the glorious name and is held in estimation, and alone possesses the hope of doing great things; and therefore it is that he rushes on his brother with hostile enmity of mind and slays him. now these things were not political nor domestic, but truly ecclesiastical in the highest degree. abel was not slain on any political or domestic account, but alone on account of the worship of god. for it was not enough for cain that he was the lord of the family, he wishes to be the son of god; he will be the pope and father of the church. and therefore he takes upon himself the judgment of sacrifices, and condemns and slays his brother as a heretic. hence is the prophecy of christ that the church should be subject to various perils and that the time should come when those who should slay the godly should think that they were thereby worshipping god and doing him service. therefore those who will consider themselves the most righteous among us, these are the pestilences and the persecutors of the church. on the other hand, the true church is that church which is never judged to be "the church." but she is, according to her name, the abel who was not only a figure of the true church but the very beginning of it; that is, she is accounted as naught, so that when she is slain, her slayers think that god will care nothing about her, because cain, they think, as being lord of all and king, may do and is able to do anything. now this is the offense of the cross, against which we have ever to fight by faith. for we are not to think that we are not the church, because our adversaries condemn us and persecute us with every kind of cruelty thus securely. but, on the contrary, we are ever to consider that this cross and these judgments of the wicked are the sure and infallible signs of the true church, as the tenth psalm shows, also psalm 72:14, "and precious shall their blood be in his sight;" and psalm 116:15, "precious in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints." in these psalms therefore you hear that those who are slaughtered in this manner by the cainites are so far from being from the care of god that their death is precious in his sight. those therefore who are thus the care of god are the true people of god. wherefore, let us endure the cruelty of our adversaries and let us joyfully give thanks unto god that we are not in the number of those who are the slayers; and who, because of their name and title, persecute "the church," seize upon the property of others, and rush with cruelty and violence upon their bodies also. and indeed the histories of all ages and times testify that the true church was ever a suffering church, that the false church was ever an evil and violent church; and that the true church was ever condemned by the church of hypocrisy and blood. hence there can be no doubt among us of the present day that the church of the pope is the cainite church, and that we are the true, the abel church; and as abel harmed not cain, so we not only do no harm to the church of the pope, but suffer ourselves to be harassed, condemned and slaughtered by them. nor do we record these things falsely. it is well known to the whole world how often we are subjected to anathemas, distressed by subscriptions, and condemned by various denunciations. nor have there ever ceased to be found men in almost every corner or europe ready to offer themselves as the fierce executors of cruelest decrees. neither spain, nor france, nor england, nor belgium, nor bohemia, nor poland, nor hungary, nor austria, nor bavaria, has been free from witnessing this unjust cruelty and savage rage. and yet, what were they persecuting all the while? what, but godly doctrine, a doctrine perfectly agreeing with the writings of the apostles and prophets? can there be any doubt or obscurity then in forming a judgment concerning the true church? for can you possibly judge that to be the true church where nothing sound is taught, where unjust tyranny is practiced, and where the highest power is joined with the greatest wealth? is not that rather the true church where there is sound and holy doctrine, healing to afflicted consciences? and where, for the sake of that doctrine, there are endured the cross, contempt, poverty, ignominy, and all those things of the same kind which the poor little helpless flock of christ is recorded ever and everywhere to have suffered? it is not only most useful therefore, but also most consoling, to have ever before our eyes this most certain demonstration, which carries with it so plain a distinction between the two churches, that church which is filled with men of enmity and malignity, such as that purple harlot, bearing the name of the true church; and that other church, which is accounted as naught, which suffers, which hungers and thirsts, and lies prostrate under oppression. for christ records that he and his disciples both hunger and thirst in this world, math. 25:35-46. but the judgment shall one day come which shall judge between the full and the hungry, between the goats and the sheep, between cain and abel. at this judgment god shall declare that he approves this suffering and hungering church, and condemns the church of hypocrisy and blood. these are our consolations and this is that sugar as it were, by which our present calamities must be sweetened and overcome. such then is the theological part of this divine matter. now let us come to the political part of it, and consider the judgment of god concerning that. we doubtless may justly wonder why it was that god permitted the first son of adam, to whom the honor of the first birth-right was always due throughout the whole human race, to fall so horribly that his whole posterity should afterwards be destroyed. but the cause was the very same as that on account of which god spoke with such bitter derision to adam when he said, "lest he also become as one of us," gen. 3:22. the reason was the same as that for which the lord guarded the garden by the cherubim. for god will crush all presumption and pride, which are implanted as it were in the heart of man by original sin. and such is our nature that we can endure anything else better than this crushing of our pride. we see what insolence and pride there are in all our nobles of the court, on account of the vain nobility of their descent. for truly vain is that nobility, which real worth and illustrious services to his country have not procured for a man. it is said of plato, the philosopher, that he also was accustomed to give thanks to god for three things; first, that he was born a man and not a beast; secondly, that he was born a greek at athens, and not a barbarian; and thirdly, that he was born a man and not a woman. the fatuity of the jews is just like this. they glory that they were born men, and not beasts; jews, and not gentiles; males, and not females. but to what, i pray you, does all this glory of origin amount? what vanity is it to see a certain ass in a palace with his gold chains on, not only thinking himself better than every one of the people, but also growing proud and insolent against god himself. just so it was with the romans. they prided themselves in the course of years on the glory of their nation's mighty deeds, always carefully thrusting from them the degrading term "barbarian." in a word, the greater any nation has ever grown in its own eyes, the more proud and insolent it has ever become. and the same is the nature of us all by sin. but look at the judgment of god in this matter. cain could truly and justly boast in the highest of all nobility, for he was the first-born of all mankind. but the greater and more glorious his origin was, by so much the more horribly did he fall. hence general experience has also given place to the well-known proverb, which says, "the sons of the great are great evils." nor are these evils peculiar to private families only, mighty empires suffer the same. the nation of the greeks was most glorious. they excelled all other nations in their learning and in the greatness of their illustrious deeds. but into what extremes of turpitude did they fall? and how miserably was their nation destroyed at last? and you may see the very same things fulfilled in all nations. good therefore was god in permitting cain thus to fall, that he might be an example to the whole world, that no one might ever glory in the nobleness of his blood, as the jews boasted of their father abraham and as the greeks boasted of their wisdom. for god will have himself to be feared and us to be humbled. but this his will, though known to us, is for the most part known to us in vain. for we are not moved by all these terrible instances of his wrath nor by the perditions and destructions of the first men and the first nations. universal experience therefore testifies, that the sentiment of the virgin mary is true, "he hath put down the mighty from their seats," luke 1:52. for those things which are the first and the best become the most damnable, not from anything in themselves that is evil, but on account of the diabolical presumption and pride of men. this sad result the gentiles also saw, as the well-known saying of one of their philosophers testifies, who being asked what god was doing replied, "exalting the humble, and humbling the exalted." but the heathen philosophers saw not the cause of all these things. thus also the flesh judges it to be great glory to be born a male, and not a female. we see however that god has taken especial care that man, so great, should not be born of man, and so also christ would have himself to be called "the seed of the woman," not the "seed of the man." o what would have been the pride of men had god willed christ to be born of a man! no! all this glory is transferred from the men to the women, subject to the rule of the men. and all this was done that men might not glory in themselves, but be humbled. nay, since the woman cannot bring forth without the man, god has therefore especially ordained that the men also should not bring forth of themselves without the woman. for such is human nature, that man cannot rightly use his glory, but ever abuses it with pride and rises up against him from whom he receives such gifts. it was for this reason therefore that cain so awfully fell and lost the right of his first birthship, that we might be thereby taught to fear god and to give him thanks, and might be warned against abusing his gifts in arrogance and pride. vs. 4b, 5a. _and jehovah had respect unto abel and to his offering; but unto cain and his offering he had not respect._ this is an important portion of scripture, and therefore it is to be most carefully observed and most strongly enforced. for it would be sufficient for all doctrine if under the new testament trust in the mercy of god were set before men against all trust in works with so clear a testimony and in such plain words as it was thus set forth at the very beginning of the world. for when moses says that the lord had respect unto abel and to his offering, but unto cain and his offering he had not respect, does he not clearly show that god ever respects the person before the work, and that he first looks at the person who performs the work? and does not the sacred historian make it perfectly plain, that if the person be good, his work also pleaseth god; but that, if the person be evil, the work also of such an one does not please god? now this is the sum of our doctrine, which we profess and teach, that the person is accepted of god before the work! and that the person is not made righteous by the righteous work, but on the contrary that the work is rendered righteous and good by the good and righteous person, as the text now before us clearly proves. for because god, as here shown, had respect unto the person of abel, he had respect also unto his offering. but on the other hand, because god had not respect unto the person of cain, therefore unto his offering also he had not respect. this doctrine the text before us plainly proves, nor can our adversaries deny it. from the words of that text therefore follows this most clear and most evident consequence: that abel was "righteous" before the work of his "offering," and that his work pleased god, because of his person; not his person, because of his work. yet it is for the latter doctrine that our adversaries contend, who teach that the man is justified by his works, and not by his faith alone. and it is in this manner that the author of the epistle to the hebrews looks at this text with clear and pure eyes, when he says, "by faith abel offered unto god a more excellent sacrifice than cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, god testifying of his gifts; and by it, he being dead, yet speaketh," heb. 11:4. cain also offered, and also before abel brought his offering; but the former offered, inflated with the glory of his birth, expecting that his gift would please god, because it was offered by the first-born. cain therefore comes to offer without faith, without the confession of sin, without imploring the grace of god, without trust in the mercy of god, and without prayer for the remission of sins, having no other ground for his hope that he shall please god, than because he was the first-born; and this is what all self-justifiers do at this day. they look intently on their works alone and hope that they shall please god on account of their works. they trust not in the mercy of god only, nor hope in god that he will pardon their sins for christ's sake. and such was cain. but it would have been impossible for him to have displeased god, if he had possessed faith. abel, on the contrary, acknowledged himself to be an unworthy and miserable sinner; and therefore he fled unto the mercy of god and believed that god was favorable unto him, and that he was willing to have mercy upon him. god therefore who looks into the heart judged between the two brothers, who alike brought their offering. he condemned cain, not on account of the offerings themselves, as if they were less good than those of abel, for if he had offered even a nutshell in faith, it would have been accepted of god, but because his person was evil, without faith and filled with pride and arrogance. while, on the contrary, god had respect unto the offering of abel, because his person pleased him. hence it is that the text so clearly and particularly expresses it, that the lord had respect first to abel, and afterwards to his offering. for, when the person first pleases you, then also the things which that person does please you. but, on the contrary, all things are unpleasing to you, which that person does whom you hate. the passage before us therefore is remarkable and important; for it is thereby clearly proved that god regards neither the magnitude, nor the multitude, nor even the price of the works done; but simply and only the faith of the person who does them. and that god despises neither the fewness, nor the meanness, nor the worthlessness of the works done, but the absence of faith only, in the person who does them. of what avail is it therefore that the jews glory and exclaim, "the temple of the lord! the temple of the lord!" jer. 7:4. what avails it that the papists boast of their masses, their sackcloth, their horse-hair blankets, their hard labors, their sweats, and the magnitude, the multitude and even the price of their works? for god regardeth not works, not even those commanded by himself, when they are not done as the passage of jeremiah just mentioned shows. much less does god regard those works which are invented of men without his word. he regards faith alone; that is, a trust in his mercy through christ. it is by this faith and this trust that the persons begin to please god; then after this their works also please him. hence it was that the offering of cain did not please god, because cain having no faith did not please him. on the contrary, the offering of abel did please god and that because of his faith; because he trusted neither in his dignity, nor in his sacrifices themselves, nor in the work which he performed; but trusted alone in the promise given of god concerning the seed of the woman. the text before us therefore exactly applies to our doctrine concerning justification, that a man must be righteous before all works and be accepted of god without any works, through that grace alone which his faith believes and apprehends. nor does even faith justify, as a work, but because it apprehends the mercy shown forth in christ. it is in this trust in the mercy of god that the true church walks, with a humble confession of her sins and unworthiness, while she believes that god will pardon her through christ. and now the works which follow upon this trust in god's mercy are as it were evidences and testimonies of the man's faith; and they please god, not on account of themselves, but on account of the faith of the person who offers them; or because he believes in the mercy of god toward him. this faith the other church, the cainite church, not only has not, but ever persecutes it where she finds it. for she on the contrary, like cain, sets it down for a certainty that she shall please god on account of her works. but god hates this pride; for he can not endure such contempt of his grace and mercy, etc. this passage of scripture therefore is worthy our most careful consideration. part iii. cain's conduct upon the rejection of his offering and his punishment. i. v. 5b. _and cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell._ this and the few following clauses will give us a little grammatical trouble. but i hope we shall make our way out of the difficulty successfully. we have heard that cain was disappointed in his hope. he had despised his brother in comparison with himself, and had judged that on account of the right of his primogeniture he should hold the first place with god as he had done with his parents. the judgment of god however was quite different from that of men. he showed that he approved abel, but rejected cain. the result was therefore that cain was violently enraged against his brother. for he could not endure with any patience that he should be thus rejected and excommunicated, and deprived also at the same time of his rule and priesthood. just in the same manner also we see kings and princes to be utterly impatient of the judgment of the church. for they are not satisfied with being kings and princes, they want to be accounted also righteous and saints before god; and they will take to themselves the name of "the church." exactly like these, cain was filled with indignation when he saw that the honor of righteousness and grace before god was taken from him. for what else was this than being cast out of the church and excommunicated? and his indignation at this dishonor was the greater in proportion to the measure in which he judged himself degraded beneath his brother. for his thoughts were these: "my brother will assuredly aspire to the headship and rule, since he sees me thus despised and disregarded of god." and hence it is that moses uses the adverb "very wroth," by which form of expression he would signify that cain was vehemently offended because he was thus ignominiously confounded in public before his whole family; whereas he had always wished to appear the first among them. this cain-like wrath is just that rage which we see also in the cain-like church of the pope. for what is there which gives the pope, the cardinals, the kings and the princes greater offense than that i, a poor beggar, set the authority of god above the authority of them all, and that i condemn in the name of the lord all those things which are worthy such condemnation. they themselves also acknowledge that there are many things which need rigid reformation. but that i, a poor, obscure person, coming into public out of some obscure corner, should presume to do this, is a thing which they consider to be beyond all endurance. and therefore they put forth all their authority against me and by the weight of that authority they attempt to crush us. and most certainly there is not in the whole world a wrath more cruel than that of this church of hypocrisy and blood. for in all political or civil rage there is some degree of humanity still left. no assassin is led to execution, however savage his nature may be, with pity for whom men are not in some measure touched. but when that false and blood-thirsting church falls upon a poor son of the true church, she is not satisfied with shedding his blood; she loads him also with her curses and execrations, and devotes him to every ignominy and insult, and even vents her rage upon his miserable, breathless corpse. just like the jews, who were not content with having nailed christ to the cross, with the full purpose of not taking him down till he was dead, but even while he was breathing out the last breath of his soul they gave him in his thirst vinegar to drink mingled with gall. such fury as this is never found in political wrath! the wrath therefore and the pharasaic fury of the false church is a fury in its very nature diabolical. this wrath began in cain, and it continues in all cainites to this very day. and we can most truly glory that we also have to endure with godly abel, just such wrath as this in our day. for who entertains a doubt, that if our bishops and certain furious princes could do it, they would slaughter us all in one moment? who doubts that, if according to the prayers of the notorious roman emperor, we all together had but one neck, they would with the greatest delight rush upon us sword in hand and cut off our head? only look at the councils of these later years and their designs, and you will say that my testimony is true. that which moses adds, "and his countenance (_vultus_) 'appearances,' 'looks,' 'whole aspect,' fell," is a hebrew expression; an expression which not only represents the deed done, or the fact, but also implies that the mind also was in such a state of commotion that it could not rest; and that although cain could do no further harm, yet his wrathful will to do so was manifested by his countenance. he did not lift up his fallen brow nor speak in a friendly voice to his parents as before. and every answer he made them was rather a sullen murmur than a natural utterance. he was struck pale at the first sight of his brother after his offering, which god had accepted. and he showed by the threatening looks of his eyes that his mind was burning with the desire of revenge. moses expresses all this, when he says, "and his countenance fell;" for he does not mean his countenance or visage only, nor merely one part of his countenance; but he intends all his appearances, his whole appearance; his every look, gesture and motion; in the same manner as the apostle uses a hebrew expression, when he says concerning charity that it "doth not behave itself unseemly;" that is, doth not carry an unseemly countenance, doth not contract its brow, doth not look with anger or disdain, doth not wear a threatening aspect; but is of a free and open visage, expressing with its eyes kindness and affection. for the latter are becoming, but the former are unbecoming and indicative of vice within. this clause therefore, "and his countenance fell," contains a particular description of the anger and hypocrisy of cain. he could neither look at his brother abel, nor hear his voice, nor speak to him, nor eat nor drink with him in rest or quietude of mind. if any one desires to witness an example of this cain-like wrath, let him put himself in the presence of some papist, who is seeking distinguished praise for doctrine or piety in his day and generation; and he will find that such an one is the subject of a rage against the truth, perfectly diabolical; to which fury, if you compare the anger of a judge, the latter will appear in comparison to be the greatest kindness, mercy and open candor. for in the judge anger is merely a duty; he is not angry with the person of the prisoner, but with his crime. but the cainite wrath fires and distorts the eyes, scowls the brow, swells the cheeks with rage, and arms the hands. in a word, it is evident in every part of the body and in its every gesture, and that unceasingly. for it does not die away by time, as political or domestic wrath does. next follows the fatherly and most grave admonition of adam, who would willingly have healed and saved his son if he could have done so. but this wrath knows no medicine or cure. neither cain nor any cainite will hear either father or mother, or god himself! v. 6. _and jehovah said unto cain, why art thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen?_ all these circumstances plainly prove that the present was not the first time that cain had been confounded in this offering of his sacrifice; but that from the hour of this sacrifice he had gone in perturbation of mind, filled with sadness and gnashing his teeth; and looking neither upon his father nor upon his mother without an evil eye; affected just as we have already said that pharasaic rage affects the whole man, and changes the whole visage and gesture. for cain considered it to be a great indignity that at a public sacrifice, and in the midst of divine worship, and before the eyes of his father and his mother, abel whom he had always despised and whom even his parents themselves had accounted a child of naught, should be preferred of god to himself; and thus pronounced of god worthy the glory of the kingship and the priesthood. ii. as soon therefore as he had fully shown that he was of a hostile mind towards his brother, he receives from his father adam the admonition in our text. for my belief is, that these words are spoken by adam himself, and that moses says they were spoken "by the lord," because adam had now been justified and had been gifted with the holy spirit; and therefore those things which he now spoke by the holy spirit according to the word of god are rightly said by moses to have been spoken by god himself. just as at the present day those who preach the gospel are not in reality themselves the preachers and teachers, but christ, who speaks and teaches in them and by them. and most certainly these words are spoken by adam with peculiar gravity and intent; for he saw that his son could not patiently endure the indignity put upon him; he saw him grieve over his lost superiority; and he felt what havoc the tempter might make in the corrupt nature of his son, who had done such evil to himself and eve, when in a state of innocency and perfection. adam therefore was filled with deep anxiety and addressed his son with that solemn gravity of language, which moses records in the text. and although no one of the fathers has explained that speech of adam to his son cain in a manner worthy its gravity and importance; because perhaps none of them had sufficient leisure from their ecclesiastical engagements; yet i will attempt to move this stone of difficulty out of the way; and, as i hope and think, not without some advantage to the truth. v. 7a. _if thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up, (shall there not be a remission,) and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth (lieth) at the door._ i cannot sufficiently wonder how moses was able to condense so mighty a subject in so few words. our translation does not properly express the sense. and although augustine was not altogether unacquainted with the hebrew language, yet his knowledge of it was not thorough; for he renders this important text thus, "if thou offerest aright, and yet dost not rightly divide the offering, thou hast sinned. rest, and be quiet." what such sins are those well acquainted with the hebrew know. though the doctrine which augustine deduces from his rendering of the passage is theologically correct and good, the septuagint translators of the hebrew seem also not to have been duly qualified for the magnitude of the work they undertook. wherefore, leaving for the present both the translations and the opinions of all other commentators, we will now strictly follow the proper sense of the hebrew in the text before us. that sense is the following, "if thou doest well, there shall be remission, or alleviation; if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door," etc. moreover it is ordained by nature, as even the philosopher testifies, that words should be made to serve things, and not things made subservient to words. the sentiment of hilary is well known, which a certain master of sound opinions also thus cites: "words ought ever to be understood according to the matter contained in them, and intended to be expressed by them." in every exposition or explanation of the scriptures therefore the subject-matter is first to be considered; that is, we are first clearly to see the thing spoken of in each case. when this is strictly done, then the words are to be brought to a due application to the thing, if the grammatical laws of the language will permit; but the things are never to be made to bend to the words. and it is because the rabbins and those who follow them do not this, for they have lost the things, and so cleave hard to the words only, that they often fall into the most absurd sentiments and opinions. for, as they possess not thoughts worthy of those spiritual things, of which the sacred scriptures speak, they err from the subject-matter treated in each case by the word and draw the words after them into vain and carnal cogitations. but it is certain that the jews have lost christ; how then can they possibly understand aright either the things of the gospel or the things of the law? they know not what sin is, nor what grace is, nor what righteousness is. how then should they be able to explain successfully such passages of the scriptures? just so the jews are in general the "wise" or sophists of our day. for what sound knowledge have they of such divine and mighty things as these! being ignorant therefore of the thing itself, how is it possible that they should rightly understand the words of the scriptures in which it is expressed? and although a knowledge of the words is prior in order; yet the knowledge of the things is better and more important. for if you alter the things, the words also will be changed into another sense to correspond with the altered things, and a new grammatical construction altogether is the sure result. thus the great grammarian of gerunda possesses an excellent knowledge of the words, and indeed there are many in our day who far surpass me in a critical knowledge of the hebrew language, but because he understands not the divine theme, he miserably corrupts this passage; for he explains it thus: "if thou doest well thy offering shall be more acceptable than that of thy brother, because thou art the first-born." you here see that gerundensis understands what the names of the things are, but not the things themselves; what the term is, but not what the matter is. for the very design of god in this text is to show that he will have no regard to first birthship at all. how then could the offering of cain ever have been more acceptable to god than that of abel on account of his primogeniture? the author of the epistle to the hebrews knew what the thing was, and therefore he gives a very different statement of the sacred matter, namely, that it was "by faith that abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than cain." the rendering of jerome is much better than that of gerundensis. the version of the former is, "if thou doest well, thou shalt receive; if thou doest ill, sin (he adds the pronoun 'thine own sin') will lie at the door." yet, even thus jerome does not reach the true sense. for when he explains the verb seeth as meaning "to receive," which really signifies "to relieve," or "to alleviate," no one i think will approve his rendering. but all this jerome has from the jews, who have always been of the opinion that god would have rewarded cain if he had offered liberally. now therefore i will simply state what my view of this important passage is. first of all then it is necessary, as i have said, that we hold fast the divine matter in question. the divine matter then involved is that which cannot deceive, as being the foundation of the whole divine cause, that nothing pleases god unless it be done in faith, according to that universally applicable and well known sentence of the apostle paul, "whatsoever is not of faith is sin," rom. 14:23. and solomon also says, "the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the lord," prov. 15:8. the other great foundation of the cause of god is, that sin is so mighty that it can be put away by no sacrifices, nor by any works whatever, but by the mercy of god alone, which mercy must be apprehended and received by faith. and all this is manifested and shown to have been the good pleasure of god by the first promise concerning the seed of the woman, without which seed there is no redemption. now these foundations the rabbins possess not, for this knowledge comes by the spirit of christ alone, who like the mid-sun illumines all the darkness of nature and sin. whatsoever therefore militates against, or is contrary to, these foundations, we at once reject as false and impious. and although for myself i have no objection whether you understand "sin" here as referring to the past sin, or to the future sin of cain, yet it seems to me better to understand it as referring to sin in general. the force of the whole passage therefore lies in the hebrew verb seeth from nasa, "be alleviated," or "lifted up," or "relieved." and in this very case we have a remarkable example of the difference between the name or term of the thing and the thing itself. for if you apply the term to "lift up," or to "lift off," to a corporeal or solid substance, it signifies "to elevate" or "to lift up on high;" as in isaiah, "i saw also the lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up," is. 6:1. but this is a very different signification of the hebrew verb from that which it expresses in the psalm, "blessed is the man whose sins are 'lifted up' or 'lifted out,'" ps. 32:1, and yet the hebrew verb is the same in each instance. now, a common grammarian of the hebrew language understands the former meaning of the original verb, but he is ignorant of its latter signification. for, "to lift up a throne on high," is quite another thing from lifting up or lifting off, sin from the conscience; that is, remitting or taking away sin. wherefore, the meaning is, "if thou hadst done well or if thou hadst been good; that is, if thou hadst believed, thou wouldst have had god favorable and merciful toward thee, and there would have been a true alleviation to thee; that is, a remission of sin. but since i see that god had not respect unto thee, it evidently follows that thou wert not good in his sight; and that therefore thou wast not relieved from thy sin; wherefore, thy sin remaineth." however it is a most beautiful and striking similitude to make use of the verb "to lift up" or "to lift off" in order to compare sin to a heavy burden, under which cain was so oppressed and prostrated, so that unless it were taken off he could not draw his breath. and the epistle to the hebrews shows the manner in which we are released from this burden, when it says, "by faith abel offered unto god a more excellent sacrifice than cain," heb. 11:4. by this mode of interpreting this important passage the words or the grammatical construction perfectly agree with the matter contained in them, which is, that god has respect unto faith only, and judges those alone to be good who believe. and these words of adam contain also a most severe rebuke. their meaning is, as if adam had said to cain, "thy pride has destroyed thee. thou camest before god inflated with the glory of thy primogeniture, and thoughtest that god would accept thee on that account. but i clearly perceive by this judgment and reprobation of god that thou art destitute of faith, for god rejects none but the unbelieving." not one of the rabbins explains the passage before us in this manner. for they see not that adam is here inculcating in his son, after the manner of the apostle paul, that word of christ in the gospel, "he that believeth shall be saved," mark 16:16; and also that word of the apostle himself, "therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law," rom. 3:28. for what else does adam here say to cain, than that god is merciful to those who believe in the blessed seed, and who cast away all trust in their own works, and all ideas of their own merit? for his meaning is, "if thou shalt do this, thy sin shall not lie thus as a heavy burden upon thee. thou shalt be relieved of that load, nor shalt thou thus roar with rage; for god has promised that he will not impute sin to any one that believeth." if therefore you refer these words to the past sin of cain, they contain also a most grave fatherly admonition. their import is, as if adam had said, "hitherto thou hast not believed and therefore thou art thus rejected; and if thou shalt still go on thus, thou wilt be cast off utterly. but if thou shalt do well or become good, that is, if thou shalt believe in the promised seed, i take upon myself to assure thee that the result will be that thou shalt be relieved of thy burden of sin;" that is, as the psalm interprets this expression of adam, "sin shall not be imputed unto thee," ps. 32:2. the clause which follows, thy "sin lieth at the door," is a figurative description of sin, which for my part i should prefer understanding as being used as a proverb. for this figure exactly describes the real nature of sin, showing that, while in the act, it lies like a beast dead asleep; it does not bite, nor terrify, nor torment, but rather fawns and pleases. thus when eve first and afterwards adam ate the forbidden apple in paradise they did not think that god had seen it, much less did they think that both should be so bitterly punished for what they had done. so also ferocious beasts, when they are just satisfied with food, are more tractable and more inclined to sleep than to harm. in the same manner also sin, while it is in the act, is delightful, nor is its poison or pain felt; it rather lies down and goes to sleep. for whoever saw a miser to be racked with pain while an opportunity of great gain stood before him? whoever knew an adulterer to grieve at the opportunity given him of gratifying his wishes? if thou hadst at that moment torn his skin with a scourge, or beaten his head with a mallet, the temptation would have vanished. but while sin is asleep and its punishment unfelt and unseen, it is the height of pleasure to the miser to rush upon his gain, and to the adulterer to possess the object of his sinful desires; nor does there seem to be, nor does he wish for, any end or any bound to his pleasure. adam is speaking therefore in this passage not only of the sin of cain, but of sin in general; showing what the real nature of sin is. for that which was the state of cain is the state of all men. before he offered his sacrifice cain proudly boasted of the privileges of his primogeniture; he despised his brother and assumed to himself the first place in all things. sin was then lying still and asleep; but it was "lying at the door;" that is, in a place or state in which it was likely to be disturbed. for it is by "the door" that we go in and out, and therefore a place by no means adapted for a long sleep. and this is also the very nature of sin. although it does lie asleep, yet it lies in a place where it is not likely to sleep long, for christ says, "there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed," math. 10:26. the wicked man thinks indeed that his sin is asleep and hidden; but it lieth asleep at "the door," and at length it is awakened by conviction, brought to light, and made known: for "at the door," and rest and sleep are things directly opposed to each other. for as darkness is opposite to light, so is sleep to an unquiet place; they are things contradictory to each other in their very nature. in this manner therefore may the present passage be interpreted in its reference to cain's past sin. and if you explain these same words in their reference to the future sin of cain, their meaning is this, "if thou shalt harm thy brother, and indulge the wrath conceived in thy mind, i tell thee that thy sin will indeed lie asleep; but it will lie asleep at the door; that is, in a place where it will surely be disturbed; and therefore, it is impossible but that it must be awoke and roused up, when as a furious beast it will lay hold upon thee." and so the event proved. for after cain had committed the murder, while he was burying his brother alone, his sin was asleep. but how long? no longer than until the sound of that voice of god reached his ears, "where is abel, thy brother?" the present words of adam therefore are a true description of all sin. it always "lieth at the door." for such is the nature of the minds of men, that as long as they escape the eyes of men, they think their sin will lie hidden and unknown. but unless they do well; that is, unless they believe that god will pardon their sin through christ, it will surely be awakened and revealed to their torment and destruction. the figurative proverb therefore which lies in these words of adam contains the most solemn truth, that nothing remains hidden, but that all things are revealed and made known, as the apostle paul also says, "some men's sins are evident, going before unto judgment," 1 tim. 5:24. hence we see the judgment of god in an especial manner in the cases of criminals. how many persons are murdered in secret and yet the authors of those unnatural and horrible crimes are brought to light by means the most wonderful. the grave admonition therefore of adam to his son cain is that he would guard against indulging in sin, resting fully assured that it would not remain hidden, but that god would certainly bring it to light and punish it. the poets of old did not wander far from this great truth when they represented cupid, the god of lustful desire, naked but blind also. for as our sin seems to us to be hidden, we think that it is hidden from all others also. but god at length brings to light and reveals things the most deeply concealed. i believe therefore the meaning of these words of adam, which i have thus given, is their true and simple sense. by them the father is admonishing the son to believe in god and in the promised seed; assuring him that if he does so, god will show himself merciful unto him. but, says the father, if thou follow the lusts of thy heart, thy sin will indeed lie at rest in thy soul; that is, it will appear to thee to be concealed and hidden, but it will be lying all the time "at the door;" that is, in a place where it cannot lie long asleep or out of sight. for that which "lieth at the door" is beheld by all who enter in and by all who go out. let us not forget however, as i before observed, the grand and principal truth taught by this portion of the holy scriptures, that god from the very beginning of the world is one who judgeth between the flesh and the spirit, and who respecteth not the dignity of the person or his works. for god hath here respect unto abel, not moved by any work which he performed, but simply by his faith in which he offered his sacrifice. but unto cain god had not respect; not because the offering of cain was less splendid or sumptuous than that of abel, but because he had not faith, and therefore his primogeniture profited him nothing. and this is a very powerful argument against the jews, who, as john tells us, gloried in their race and descent, boasting that they were the children of abraham, john 8:33. if therefore the honor and prerogative were anything in god's sight, cain certainly had wherein to glory. and what avails also the glorying of the jews that god spoke unto them by moses? are we to conclude, think you, that adam, the first teacher, was a teacher less than moses? no! adam was greater than moses and superior to him in many respects. he did not teach like moses circumcision, nor the other legal ceremonies, which were necessary to a stiff-necked people to prevent them from superstition, but adam taught faith in the promised seed, which should bruise the serpent's head. all the primogeniture of cain therefore and all his other privileges and his works profited him nothing; for god had respect only to faith in the promised seed. hence it is that paul plainly says to the jews in the new testament, "know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are the children of abraham," gal. 3:7. and evangelist john says the same things concerning the jewish people, "but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of god, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of god," john 1:12, 13. i believe therefore that the above interpretation of the words of adam is their original and true meaning. for, first of all, it is in perfect accord with the fundamental truth of the holy scripture and with the sacred matter itself spoken of. and secondly, it does not violate any law of grammar, and it moreover tends to illustrate beautifully and variously by its figures the divine things contained in the words used by adam. but the rabbins, being ignorant of the things spoken of by adam, are not at all helped out of the difficulty by all their knowledge of the terms employed in the patriarch's speech. how absurd for instance is the opinion of some, who apply the expression, there shall be a "lifting up" to the "fallen countenance" of cain. as if adam had said, "then thou shalt be able again to lift up thy countenance, which is now wholly changed and fallen." these absurdities are indeed properly noticed by all our more recent commentators, to whom also our thanks are due, for their faithful labor in translating the original text grammatically. but true theology is indispensable, which alone can rightly judge of and rightly teach the things spoken of in the holy scripture. v. 7b. _and unto thee shall be its desire, but do thou rule over it._ some men have most absurdly wrested this passage to prove by it free will. but it is perfectly evident that adam does not here really affirm that cain could do what he advised him to do. he is only admonishing or entreating him to do it. for it by no means follows that we can do what we are commanded to do. "the desire of sin," adam here says to cain, "shall be toward thee;" that is, as paul expresses it, "sin is in thy members," rom. 7:5. again, "the flesh lusteth against the spirit," gal. 5:17. "but thou shalt not be eternally condemned, because thou feelest this motion of sin in thy members. if sin entice thee, do thou rule over it by faith. suffer it not to rule over thee, or thou shalt perish for ever." likewise paul commands in rom. 8:13, "by the spirit put to death the deeds of the body." this part of adam's speech therefore is intended to bring us to acknowledge what the life of the godly in the flesh is: namely, that it is a perpetual struggle of the spirit against sin. those therefore who sleep and snore, and prepare themselves not for this fight, are easily vanquished. adam however appears to wish, by this his speech not only to admonish his son to guard against sin in the future, but also to comfort and lift him up from his distress on account of the past; for he beholds his son both filled with anguish on account of the divine rejection and now also tempted to revenge. but says adam to his son, "rule over thy sin, and thou shalt find god merciful. believe in him, and he will pardon thy sin." the hebrew verb in this passage is maschal; the same as that which the lord used above when he said unto the woman, 3:16, "and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." in these words the meaning of the lord is, that the wife should obey the husband and listen to her husband, and that she should not take upon herself the judgment in all things; and that if she did so, the husband in his authority as the man, should rebuke and prevent her. it is in the same manner that adam here speaks to cain, saying to him, "sin will entice thee and prompt thee to revenge." this is the father's meaning, when he says, "and its desire shall be toward thee; but do thou say unto sin, i will not obey thee. refrain thyself and rule over it." these words of adam therefore contain an admonition full of consolation, showing that on account of the blessed seed we are no longer under sin, and that therefore we ought to rule over it. for adam's speech embraces both doctrines; the doctrine of the fear of the lord and the doctrine of faith. we ought to fear god, because "sin lieth at the door," and we ought to have faith in god because he is merciful. part iv. how cain murdered his brother and was required to give an account, and how he conducted himself. i. v. 8a. _and cain told (talked with) abel his brother._ our translation has it, "and cain said to abel, his brother," adding the words, "let us go out doors." but this is one of the inventions of the rabbins, to whom how much credit is to be given, i have fully shown. lyra, following the invention of eben ezra, relates that cain told his brother how severely he had been rebuked of the lord. but who would believe that for which there is no authority in the scriptures? we hold therefore to that meaning of the text which the scriptures plainly show to be its true sense, that cain, being reprobated or rejected of god, indulged his wrath, and that he now added to his former sins, contempt of his parents and of the word, thinking thus within himself, "the promised seed of the woman belongs to me as the first-born. but my brother, abel, that contemptible one and that one of naught, is evidently preferred to me by the divine authority itself, manifested by the fire from heaven consuming his sacrifice. what shall i do, therefore? i will dissemble my wrath until an opportunity of taking vengeance shall occur." the words therefore, "and cain spoke to abel his brother," i understand as meaning that cain, dissembling his anger, conducted himself toward abel as toward a brother, and that he spoke to him and conversed with him, as if he bore with a quiet mind the divine rejection he had just experienced, and the sentence of god thus pronounced against him. it was in this manner also that saul dissembled his wrath, who likewise pretended a benevolent mind and good-will toward david. "i know well," said saul, "that thou shalt surely be king," 1 sam. 24:20; and yet he was all the while thinking of the way in which, having killed david, he might prevent his being king. just in the same way did cain now converse in dissimulation with abel his brother, saying to him, i see that thou art chosen of the lord. i envy thee not this divine blessing, etc., etc. this is the very manner of hypocrites. they pretend friendship until an opportunity of doing the harm they intend presents itself. that such is the true sense of the passage all the circumstances clearly show. for if adam and eve could have gathered the least suspicion of the intended murder, think you not that they would either have restrained cain or removed abel, and placed the latter out of danger? but as cain had altered his countenance and his carriage toward his brother, and had talked with him in a brotherly manner they thought all was safe, and the son had bowed to and acquiesced in the admonition of his father. this outward appearance and carriage deceived abel also, who, if he had feared anything like murder from his brother, would doubtless have fled from him, as jacob fled from esau when he feared his brother's wrath. what therefore could possibly have come into the mind of jerome, when he believed the rabbins, who say that cain was here expostulating with his brother? wherefore cain is here the image and the picture of all hypocrites and murderers, who under the show of godliness slaughter the good. for cain thus being besieged by satan covers his wrath, waiting the opportunity to slay his brother abel; meanwhile he converses with him, as a brother beloved, that he might the sooner lay his hands upon him unawares. this passage therefore is intended for our instruction; that we may learn to understand the ways of murderers and hypocrites. for thus it truly always comes to pass that every cain talks with his brother, as cain of old talked brotherly with abel; and on the other hand also, every abel trusts in every cain, as a brother would trust a brother; and thus he is murdered, and the pious parents meanwhile are deceived. just so the pope and the bishops of this day talk and consult much concerning the peace and the concord of the church. but he is most assuredly deceived who does not understand all these councils directly the contrary. for true is that word of the psalm, "the workers of iniquity speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts," ps. 28:3. for the very nature of all hypocrites is, that they carry an appearance of goodness, speak friendly to you, pretend humility, patience, and charity, and give alms, etc.; and yet, they are all the while planning slaughter in their heart. let us learn therefore by this history to know a cain, and to guard best against him when he speaks the most friendly, and as a brother to a brother. for it is in this way that our adversaries, the bishops and the pope, talk with us in our day, while they pretend a desire for concord and peace, and seek reconciliation of doctrines; whereas if an opportunity of seizing us and executing their rage upon us should present itself, you would soon hear them speak in a very different tone. for all the time there is death in the pot, 2 kings 4:40; and under the best and sweetest words there lies concealed a deadly poison. v. 8b. _and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that cain rose up against abel his brother, and slew him._ here then you see the deceptiveness under the above dissembled conversation of cain with his brother. cain had been admonished by his father with divine authority to guard against sin in the future and to expect pardon for the past through the promised seed. but cain despises both admonitions and indulges in his sin, as all the wicked do. for true is the saying of solomon, "when the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, and with ignominy cometh reproach," prov. 18:3. just in the same manner our ministry of the word at the present day deserves no blame. we teach, we exhort, we rebuke, we turn ourselves every way, that we may recall the multitude from the security of sin to the fear of god. but the world, like an untamed beast, still goes on and follows not the word, but its own lusts, which it strives to palliate under the appearance of what is honest and right. the prophets and the apostles also stand before us as examples of the same labor in vain, and we also are taught the same by our own experience. our adversaries being so often admonished and convicted know they are doing wrong, and yet they lay not aside their murderous hatred against us. from the case of cain therefore learn what a hypocrite is; namely, one who pretends to the worship of god and charity, and yet at the very same time destroys the worship of god and slaughters his brother. and all this semblance of good-will is only intended to create the better opportunities of doing the harm designed. for if abel had foreseen the implacable wrath and the truly diabolical fury of his brother, he might have saved his life by flight. but as cain betrayed nothing of this kind while he talked with his brother in seeming affection and put on the appearance of his usual good-will, abel perished before he felt the fear of danger. there is no doubt that abel, when he saw his brother rising up against him, entreated and implored him not to pollute himself with this awful sin. but a mind thus beset by sin pays no regard to prayers, nor heeds uplifted hands. just as cain therefore had despised the admonition of his father; so now also he equally despises his brother, fallen on his knees before him. these things instruct us in that cruel tyranny of satan, under which our nature when involved in sins is bound. hence paul calls such, "the children of wrath," eph. 2:3; and declares that such are "taken captive by satan at his will," 2 tim. 2:26. for when we are mere men; that is, when we apprehend not the blessed seed by faith, we are all like cain, and nothing is wanting but an opportunity to murder our brother. for nature, destitute of the holy spirit, is driven by that same evil spirit by which cain was driven to murder. whereas if there were in any one those sufficient powers or that free-will of which men talk, by which a man might defend himself against the assaults of satan, these gifts of nature would most assuredly have existed in cain, to whom belonged the first birth-right and the promise of the blessed seed. but it was not so. and the condition of all men is the same. unless nature be helped by the spirit of god, it cannot uphold itself nor stand. then why do we vainly and absurdly boast of free-will? now follows another remarkable passage. ii. v. 9. _and jehovah said unto cain, where is abel thy brother? and he said, i know not: am i my brother's keeper?_ good god! into what depth of sin does our miserable nature fall, when driven onward by the devil. at last murder was committed on a brother. and perhaps murdered abel lay for days unburied. when therefore cain returned to his parents at the accustomed time, and abel returned not with him, the anxious parents said to him, cain, thou art here, but where is abel? thou art returned home, but abel is not returned. the flock is without their shepherd. tell us therefore where thy brother is? upon this, cain, growing indignant, makes answer to his parents, by no means with due reverence, "i know not: am i my brother's keeper?" but it happened to cain as to all the wicked, that by _ex_cusing he _ac_cused himself. agreeably also to the words of christ our lord, "from thine own mouth will i judge thee, thou wicked servant," math. 18:32. the heathen had also a striking proverb among them, "a liar ought to have a good memory." such was the judgment of heathen men, though they knew nothing of the judgment of god and of conscience, and were capable of judgment and giving admonition concerning natural and civil things only. and true it is that liars expose themselves to many dangers of detection, and betray many facts, by which they may be convicted and refuted. hence the germans have this proverb, "a lie is a very fruitful thing." for one lie begets seven other lies, which become necessary to establish the first lie, and to make it wear the face of truth. and yet it is impossible after all to prevent conscience from betraying itself at times, if not in words then in countenance and gesture. this will be proved by numberless examples hereafter. i will cite one example here. in thuringia there is a small town in the district of orla, called neustadt. in this town a harlot had murdered her infant, to which she had secretly given birth, and had thrown it, after the murder, into a neighboring fish-pond. by a singular occurrence a portion of the linen in which she had wrapped the infant brought the horrid deed to light, and the case was brought before the magistrate; and as the simple men of the place knew no better means of investigating the crime in order to discover its author, they called all the young women of the town into the town-hall and closely examined them all, one by one. the judgment concerning all the rest was quite manifest, and it was evident that they were all innocent. but when they came to her who was the real perpetrator of the deed she did not wait for the questions to be put to her, but immediately declared aloud that she was not the guilty person. this declaration at once caused the magistrate to suspect that she really was the author of the deed, because she was more anxious than all the rest to clear herself from any suspicion. therefore she was seized by the constables and forthwith suffered death. indeed examples of the same kind are infinite and occur daily, showing that where persons are most anxious to _ex_cuse themselves, they most effectually _ac_cuse and betray themselves. so true is that word which we have just before heard that sin does indeed lie asleep and concealed, but it lies "at the door." just so in the present case. cain thinks that he has made an effectual excuse for himself, by saying that he was not his brother's keeper; whereas, by the very mention of his brother's name, he at once confesses that he ought to have been his younger brother's keeper. and then again does he not, by the same admitted confession, that he ought to have been his brother's keeper, accuse himself of being of a hostile mind towards his brother? and does he not moreover strike into the mind of his parents a surmise of the murder committed? for abel nowhere appears and is not to be found. just so also adam excuses himself in paradise, and lays all the blame on eve. but this excuse of cain is far more idle and absurd; for while he excuses his sin he doubles it. whereas on the contrary, the free confession of sin finds mercy and appeases wrath. it is recorded in the history of st. martin that when he was pronouncing to some notorious sinners the pardon of their sins, he was rebuked by satan, who asked him why he did so; to whom st. martin is said to have replied, "why i would pronounce the pardon even of thy sins, if thou wouldst say from thy heart, i repent that i have sinned against the son of god, and i pray to god to pardon me for the same." but the devil never does this. for he persists in and defends his sin. all liars and hypocrites imitate cain their father in his lie, by either denying their sin, or excusing it. hence they cannot find pardon of their sins from god. and we see the same in domestic life. by the defense of wrong doing, anger is increased. for whenever the wife, or the children, or the servants have done wrong, and deny or excuse their wrong doing, the father of the family is the more moved to wrath; whereas, on the contrary, plain confession always meets pardon or a lighter punishment. but it is the very nature of hypocrites to excuse and palliate their sin, or to deny it altogether, and under the show of religion to slay the innocent. but here let us take a view of the manner in which sins follow each other and increase more and more. first of all cain sins by presumption and unbelief. when priding himself on the privilege of his first birth-right, he takes it for granted that he shall be accepted of god on the ground of his high merit as the eldest son. upon this pride and this glory of self-righteousness immediately follow the envy and hatred of his brother, whom he sees preferred before himself by a certain sign from heaven. upon this envy and hatred follow hypocrisy and lying. he talks with his brother in dissembled affection, whom he all the while designs to murder, and whom by his affectionate conversation he throws the more effectually off his guard. upon this hypocrisy follows murder. upon this murder follows a lying excuse to cover his awful sin. and the last stage of the whole sin is despair and desperation; and this last step is the fall from heaven to hell! and although adam and eve in paradise did not deny their sin, yet they confessed it quite coldly, and shifted it from the one to the other. adam laid it on eve, and eve laid it on the serpent. but cain went further than them both, for he not only did not confess the murder he had committed, but declared that he had nothing to do with the care of his brother. and did not this speech at once prove that his mind was in a state of hostility against his brother? though therefore adam and eve confessed their sin with only half their hearts, yet they had some claim to pardon, and they were punished with less severity accordingly. but cain, because he denied his sin determinately, was rejected, and fell into despair. and the same judgment awaits all our cainite popes, cardinals and bishops, who although they plan in their minds plots of murder against us, yet say like cain their father, "i know not: am i my brother's keeper?" there was a common proverb of old, "what is it to the romans that the greeks die?" so we think that our dangers and calamities only belong to ourselves. but how does this principle agree with the commandment of god? for his will is, that we should all live together, and be to each other as brethren? cain therefore by this very saying of his heavily accuses himself when he makes the excuse that the custody of his brother was no matter of his. whereas if he had said to his father, "alas, my father, i have slain abel, my brother. i repent of the deed i have done. return upon me what punishment thou wilt." had he thus spoken, there might have been room for a remedy; but as he denied his sin and contrary to the will of god cast off the charge of his brother altogether, there was no place left for mercy or favor. moreover moses has arranged all this narrative thus particularly and remarkably on purpose that it might be a testimony and memorial of all hypocrites, that he might, by his peculiar manner of recording the solemn facts, graphically paint forth what hypocrites really are, and that he might show how awfully they are seized upon by satan as his instruments, and inflamed by him against god and against his word and his church. it was not enough for his murderer that he had killed his brother contrary to the command of god, but he adds to that sin the further sin that, when god inquires of him concerning his brother, he becomes filled with indignation and rage. i say when god inquires of him, because, although it was adam who spoke these words to his son cain, yet he spoke them by the authority of god and by the holy spirit. in so awful a sin therefore was it not a most kind and gentle manner of expression to inquire, "where is abel thy brother?" and yet to this voice, which contained in it nothing severe, the hypocrite and the murderer grows so ferocious and proud that he replies, "i know not: am i my brother's keeper?" and he is fired with indignation that he should be called to an account concerning the matter at all. for the reply of cain is the reply of a spirit of resistance and indignation against god. but to this sin cain adds a worse sin still. for when he ought to have fallen under this accusation of having committed the murder, he himself at once turns round and accuses god and expostulates with him: "am i my brother's keeper?" he prefaces his reply with no expression of reverence or honor, though due both to god and to his father. he did not say, "lord, i know not." he did not say, "my father, didst thou make me the keeper of my brother?" such expressions as these would have indicated feeling of reverence towards god or towards his parent. but he answers as being lord himself and plainly manifests that he felt indignant at being called to account even by him who had the high right even to call him to that account. and this is a true picture of all hypocrites. when standing in the most manifest sins they grow full of insolence and pride, and aim all the while at appearing most righteous persons. they will not believe even god himself when rebuking them by his word. nay, they set themselves against god, contend with him and excuse their sin. thus david says, "that god is judged of men, but that at length he clears and justifies himself, and prevails," ps. 51:4. this is that insolence of hypocrites which moses here paints. but how does this attempt of cain succeed. thus while he uses every means to _ex_cuse himself, he most powerfully _ac_cuses himself. thus christ says, "out of thine own mouth will i judge thee, thou wicked servant," luke 19:22. now, this servant wished to appear without guilt, saying, "for i feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layest not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow: therefore i hid thy talent in a napkin," verses 20 and 21. now, what _ex_cuses more plausible than these could the wicked servant adopt? yet by what means more effectual could he _ac_cuse himself? for christ at once uses his own very words against this wicked servant, and condemns him out of his own mouth. and this is the very way and wisdom of the holy spirit. such examples are profitable to us that we may learn not to contend with god. on the contrary therefore when thou feelest in thine own conscience that thou art guilty, take heed with all thy soul that thou contend neither with god nor with men by defending or excusing thy sin. rather do this, when thou seest god points his spear at thee, flee not from him; but on the contrary flee to him with humble confession of thy sin, and with prayer for his pardon. then will god draw back his spear and spare thee. but when by the denial and excuse of thy sin thou fleest farther and farther from him, the nearer is god to thee as an enemy and the more closely and hotly does he pursue thee as such. nothing therefore is better or safer for thee than to come to him at once with the confession of thy fault. for thus it comes to pass that, when god conquers us, we also conquer by him. but cain and hypocrites do not this. god points his spear at them, but they do not humble themselves before him nor pray to him for pardon. nay, they even point their spear at god, just as cain did on this occasion. cain does not say, "lord, i confess that i have killed my brother; forgive me." on the contrary, though being the accused, he himself accuses god by replying, "am i my brother's keeper?" and what was the effect of his pride? by it he openly confessed that he cared naught for the divine laws, which say, "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," lev. 19:18. and again, "do not unto another that which you would not have another do unto you," math. 7:12. these laws were not first written, nor only written, in the decalogue, but they were inscribed in the minds of all men by nature. yet cain not only acted directly against these laws, but showed that he cared naught for them, nay, that he absolutely despised them. in this way therefore cain stands the picture, as we have said, not only of a wicked man, but of a man the most wicked, who, though a murderer, is yet a hypocrite wishing to appear a saint; being all the time one more prepared to accuse god than to appear worthy of accusation. and this is what all hypocrites do. they blaspheme god and crucify his son, and yet wish to appear righteous. for after their murders, blasphemies and all other sins their whole aim is to seek means whereby to excuse and palliate the great sins they have committed. but the result always is that they only betray themselves and are condemned out of their own mouths. while cain here studies to render himself quite pure in appearance, he most effectually and foully defiles himself. he thinks he has made a most plausible excuse, when he says, "am i my brother's keeper?" but this very excuse becomes his most effectual accusation. and thus according to the saying of hilary, "wickedness is ever closely accompanied by folly." and so it was in the case of cain. had he been as wise as he was wicked, he would have excused himself in quite a different manner. but since god has ordained that wickedness should thus be ever accompanied by folly, cain's excuse becomes his plain accusation. and for this very reason: the defense of truth against her adversaries is always easy. for cain thus testified, both by his words and by his gestures, that he cared not for his brother, but hated him; so all wicked men by various means ever betray their wickedness. by the example of cain therefore things the most important and the most instructive are set before us; all of them tending to show that god suffers not hypocrites to remain long undiscovered, but that he compels them to convict themselves by those very means by which they craftily strive to conceal their hypocrisy and their sin. moses does not in this description use a multitude of words, according to the practice of the world in general; for these in setting forth a subject embellish it with various striking ornaments of figure and speech. but we know by experience, that the real feelings of the mind cannot be fully described by the paintings of any human eloquence. and indeed an abundance of words only makes the affection of the mind described to appear less than it is in reality. moses therefore acts quite differently. by the use of a very few words he discloses a great abundance of subject-matter. the divine historian above used the expression, "and when they were in the field." here moses indicates that the murderer cain had watched his opportunity; that when alone he might attack his brother, when also alone. and all the connected circumstances plainly show that abel was not then unemployed, for he was in the field, where he had to do the things his father had given him to do. here moses moreover shows that abel's parents were free from all fear of danger. for although from the beginning they had feared that the wrath of cain would eventually break out into some still greater sin; yet, by his compliance and kindness, and by his pretended affection, he prevented all suspicion of evil from remaining in the minds of his parents. for had there been the least apprehension of evil still existing, they certainly would not have permitted abel to go from their presence with cain alone. they would have caused his sisters to go with him as companions, for some sisters he no doubt had. or his parents themselves would have prevented by their presence and authority the perpetration of so great a wickedness. and as i said, the mind of abel was perfectly free from all suspicion. for had he suspected evil at the hand of his brother in the least degree, he would doubtless have sought safety by flight. but after he had heard and seen, as he thought, that cain bore the judgment of god patiently and did not envy his brother the high honor which god had bestowed upon him, he pursued his work in the field with all security. what orator could describe with eloquence equal to its importance the real nature of that act of cain, which moses expresses in these few words? "and cain rose up against his brother." many descriptions of awful cruelty exist in books on every side, but no description of cruelty could paint it in a more atrocious and execrable light than the picture drawn by the few words of moses, when he simply says, cain "rose up against" his brother abel. as if he had said, cain rose up against abel, the only brother he had, with whom he had been brought up and with whom he had lived in the one only family upon earth up to that day; all which family communion he utterly forgot, and not only so, but he forgot their common parents also. the greatness of the grief which he would cause his parents by such a grave crime never entered his mind. he never thought that abel was a brother, from whom he had never received any offense whatever. for cain knew that the honor of the more acceptable sacrifice which abel had offered, proceeded not from any intent or ambition in him, but from the will and doing of god himself. in a word cain did not consider in what position he himself would be; that by this wicked deed, he who had hitherto stood in the highest favor with his parents would lose that favor altogether and would fall under their deepest indignation. it is recorded in history that when a painter, who was painting the story of iphigenia, on the point of being sacrificed to diana by her father, had given to each one of the surrounding spectators his appropriate countenance, with a latitude of art which might best express his pain and sorrow, he at length came to the father himself, who was also a spectator; but feeling convinced that no art of the painter could adequately represent his feelings and countenance, he covered his head with a mantle. moses i think does the same thing in the present passage, when he uses the verb yakam, "rose up against." what tragical pictures would the eloquence of cicero or livy have here drawn, while they were strikingly portraying the wrath of the one brother, and the dread, the cries, the prayers, the tears, the uplifted hands, and all the horrors of the other; applying to the description all the power of their mind and language? but such feelings cannot be fully described by all these powers of eloquence. moses therefore writes most appropriately, when he sets forth things so inexpressible by mere dots, as it were, in order that by his few words the feelings of the reader may be engaged to meditate on the facts the more closely and deeply for himself. for the vain attraction of words is like paint applied to natural beauty; it only mars and spoils the force of the reality. of the same expressive character are the few words which he next adds, "and slew him." he does not by those few words represent a common murder, such as we see committed by men in general; for they sometimes kindle quarrels from the most trifling causes and commit murders in the end. such murderers however immediately after the murder is committed are filled with distress; they grieve for the deed they have done and acknowledge those delusions of the devil by which he blinded their minds. but cain felt no distress; he expressed no grief, but denied the deed he had done. this satanic and insatiable hatred in hypocrites is described by christ by saying, "when they kill you, they will think that they do god service," john 16:2. so the priests and the kings filled jerusalem with the blood of the prophets and gloried in what they did, as if their deeds were great and successful exploits; for they considered such murders as proofs of their zeal for the law and the house of god. and the furious cruelty of the popes and the bishops in our day is just the same. they are not satisfied with having excommunicated us again and again, and with having shed our blood, but they wish to blot out our memory from the land of the living; according to the description of such hatred expressed in the words of the psalm, "rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof," ps. 137:7. these instances of hatred are satanic, not human; for all forms of human hatred grow into mildness by time; and after we have avenged the offense and pain given, the hatred at length ceases. but these instances of pharisaic hatred increase in virulence day by day; and for this very reason, because they are justified under the cloak of religion and godly zeal. cain therefore is the father of all murderers, who slaughter the saints and whose wrath knows no end, as long as there remains one saint for them to kill. all this is proved by the example even of the crucified christ himself. for as to cain, there is no doubt of his having hoped that by putting abel to death, he should still hold the high honor of his first birth-right. and in the same way the ungodly always think that their cruelty will profit them in some way. but when they find that their hope is vain they at once fall like cain into despair. now when the fact of this atrocious murder was made known to the parents, what do we think must have been the dreadful feelings which it excited? what the lamentation? what sighs and groans it caused? but i dwell not on these things; they are rather scenes for the eloquent and able orator to describe. i will only observe that it was a marvel that both parents were not struck lifeless with pain and grief. for the calamity was rendered the greater by the fact that their first-born, who had created in them such large hopes concerning himself, was the perpetrator of such a horrible murder. if therefore adam and eve had not been helped from above, they could never have surmounted this family calamity; for it was a catastrophe exceeding all catastrophes the world has ever known. and hence adam and eve were without that consolation which we may have under sudden and unexpected calamities, which consolation is that like evils have befallen others and have not come upon us alone. but our first parents had two sons only, though i believe that they had daughters also; and therefore they had not the many examples before them which are always before our eyes. who can doubt however that satan by this new kind of temptation in cain increased greatly the grief and trial of our first parents? for they no doubt thought, behold this is all our sin. we, when in paradise, wished to become like god; but by our sin we are become like the devil. the very same thing has befallen us, in the case of our son. we loved this son alone, and made everything of him. our other son abel was righteous before us, above this son; but of his righteousness we made nothing. this elder son we hoped would be he who should crush the serpent's head; but behold! he himself is crushed by the serpent! nay, he himself is become like the serpent, for he is now a murderer. and whence is this? is it not because he was born of us, and because we through our sin are what we are? therefore it is from our flesh, therefore it is from our sin, that this calamity has broken forth! it is very probable therefore, and the events of the series of years which followed confirm this probability, that the sorrowing parents, struck with the awfulness of this calamity, abstained for a long time from connubial intercourse. for it appears that when cain committed this murder he was about thirty years of age, more or less. during this period some daughters were born unto adam. for since it is said below, v. 17, that "cain knew his wife," there is no doubt that he married a sister. moreover since cain himself says, v. 14, "and it shall come to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me;" and as it is further said, v. 15, "and the lord set a mark upon cain, lest any finding him should kill him;" it appears most probable from all these circumstances that adam had many more children than cain and abel, but these two only are mentioned on account of the important and memorable history concerning them and because those two were their first and principal children. for it is my full belief that the marriage of our first parents, during the first thirty years of their union, was most fruitful. in some books the names calmana and dibora are found as being daughters of adam; but i know not whether such authors are worthy of any credit. as therefore seth is recorded as having been begotten a long time after this awful murder, it seems to me very probable that the parents, distressed beyond measure at this monstrous family crime, refrained for a long time from marriage communion. moses does not indeed touch upon all these things in his narrative; he intimates them only in order that he might excite, as we have said, the reader to a deep consideration of this memorable history, the circumstances of which he records in the fewest possible words, as if presenting them to be seen as through a lattice. but i return to the text now immediately before us. cain is an evil and a wicked man, and yet in the eyes of his parents he is a divine possession and a divine gift. abel on the contrary is in the eyes of his parents and in their estimation as nothing, according to the signification of his name; but in the eyes of god he is truly a righteous man; hence it is that christ himself honors him with this exalted appellation, when he calls him, "righteous abel!" math. 23:35. this was the divine judgment concerning abel, which cain could not endure, and therefore he thought that the only manner in which his hatred of his brother could be satisfied was by murder. and he moreover thought that by this awful means he could still retain the high honor of his primogeniture. but he was far from thinking that he committed a great sin by this murder; because as being the first-born he thought he had a right to do this. he killed him therefore as i think, not with a sword, for i conclude that there were, as yet, no iron weapons, but with a club or with some kind of stone. and after the murder, cain remained quiet and unconcerned, for he thought that the deed would be concealed by hiding the body, which he buried, or perhaps he cast it into a river, considering that by such means he could rest the more sure that the body could not be found by his parents. when abel therefore had been from home a longer time than he had been accustomed to be, the holy spirit inspires adam to utter the words of the text and to inquire of cain concerning abel saying, "where is abel thy brother?" here therefore the sermon and the prophecy of adam, of which we have heard before, begins to be fulfilled; where he had said, "if not, sin lieth at the door." for cain thought that he had concealed his sin and had laid it to rest, and that all would thus be hidden. and true it was that his sin did lie at rest; but it lay at rest "at the door." and who now openeth the door? none other than the lord himself. he rouses up and wakens the sleeping sin. he brings the hidden sin to light. and the same thing must be fulfilled in all sinners. for unless by repentance thou first come to god, and thyself confess thy sin to god, god will surely come to thee, awake thy sin and discover it to thee. for god cannot endure that any one should deny the sin that he has committed; as the psalmist also testifies, "when i kept silence, my bones wasted away through my roaring all the day long. for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me; my moisture was changed as with the drought of summer," ps. 32:3, 4. for although sin hath its sleep and its security; yet that sleep is "at the door," which cannot long remain unawakened or hidden. when moses here says, "and the lord said unto cain, where is abel thy brother?" i understand moses to mean, as above, that it was adam who spoke by the holy spirit in the person or place of god; and that god there assumed the person of a father speaking to his son. this sacred phraseology therefore, "and the lord said," etc., is intended as thus used by the holy spirit to commend the high authority of parents; whom when children dutifully hear and dutifully obey, they hear god and obey god. and i believe that adam knew by the revelation of the holy spirit, that abel had been slain by his brother; for he spoke at once concerning the murder, "what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground;" although cain all the time endeavored to conceal the deed. part v. how cain was punished for his murder. i. and if eve heard these words spoken to cain by his father; what do we think must have been the grief and horror of her mind! they must indeed have been beyond all description. but the calamity fell still nearer and heavier upon adam himself. for as he was the father, he was compelled as his duty thus to rebuke his son and to excommunicate him from his family and from the church of god for his sin. and although he did not slay him, for the law concerning punishing a murderer by death, which is pronounced hereafter in the ninth chapter, was given after the patriarchs saw murders becoming frequent; and though inspired by the holy spirit so to do, he even "set a mark upon his son, lest anyone finding him should kill him;" yet it was an awful punishment which was inflicted on cain and upon all his posterity. for in addition to the personal curse of bearing about this mark of a murderer he was excommunicated from his family, driven from the sight of his parents and from the society of his brothers and sisters, who still continued with their parents, as in the church of god. now adam could not have performed all this awful duty without the deepest pain; nor could eve have heard all that adam said without the same indescribable anguish. for a father is a father, and a son is a son. adam therefore would willingly have spared his son and would willingly have retained him at home. and we do now sometimes see murderers reconciled to the brothers of those whom they have murdered. but in this terrible case no place was left for reconciliation. cain is bidden at once to be a vagabond upon the face of the earth. the pain therefore of the parents was doubled. they see one of their sons slain by the other; and now they see the slayer excommunicated by the judgment of god and cut off forever from the society of the rest of his brethren. moreover when we here speak of excommunication from the church, you are not to have in mind our present churches, magnificent structures superbly built with carved stones. the temple or church of adam was a certain tree, as in paradise; or a certain little hill under the open heaven, at which they assembled together to hear the word of god and to offer their sacrifices, for which purpose they had altars erected, and god was present with them when they thus offered their sacrifices and heard his word, as is manifest from the divine presence at the offering of abel. and other portions of sacred history testify that altars were erected in the open air and that sacrifices were there offered. and indeed the same practice for many reasons would be useful even now; that we might assemble together in the open air, pray with bended knees, preach the word, give thanks to god and bless each other, etc. it was from a temple of this kind and from such a church, not a conspicuous and magnificent church in a certain place, that cain was ejected or excommunicated. he was thus doubly punished; first, by a corporal punishment, because he was cursed as a vagabond in the earth with the mark of a murderer set upon him; and secondly, by a spiritual punishment, because he was cast out by excommunication, as from another paradise, and ejected from the temple and church of god. lawyers also have made much use of this passage of the holy scriptures, and have treated it with becoming dignity, seeing, as they did, that the lord inquired into the matter before he passed condemnation upon the murderer. the scripture therefore the framers of laws have so applied, as to determine thereby, that no man should be condemned until his cause had been fully known; nor until he had first been called to the bar of judgment, had been convicted, and had confessed his guilt. we have seen the same also before in the case of adam. "and the lord god called unto adam, and said unto him, where art thou?" gen. 3:9. and again further on, "i will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, i will know," gen. 11:5; 18:21. let us however, leaving for the present all civil and political doctrine, look at the all-blessed theological or divine doctrine and consolation, contained in this, when it is recorded that the lord inquired for abel after his death. for in this fact we have made manifest unto us the resurrection of the dead. because god by this inquiry testified that he was the god of abel, though now dead; for he inquired after him though now slain and no more. from this passage therefore we may frame this most immovable argument; that if there were no one who had the care of us after this life, abel would not have been inquired for after he was slain. but god does here inquire after abel, even after he is taken away out of this life, he has not a will to forget him, he still retains the remembrance of him; he asks "where he is." god therefore we see is the god of the dead. my meaning is that even the dead, as we here see, still live in the memory of god and have a god who cares for them, and saves them in another life beyond and different from this corporal life in which saints are thus afflicted. this passage therefore we repeat is most worthy our observation, in which we see that god had great care of abel, even when dead; and that on account of abel though dead he excommunicated cain, and visited him with destruction even while living, though he was the first-born. this therefore is great and glorious indeed, that abel though dead was still alive and canonized, as we call it, in another life; a canonization far more blessed and more really divine than is the state of any of those whom the pope has ever canonized! the death of abel was indeed horrible; for he did not suffer death without excruciating torment nor without many agonies of tears. and yet his death was a goodly death; for now he lives a better and more blessed life than he did before. for this corporal life of ours is lived in sins and is ever in danger of death. but that life which is to come is eternal and perfectly free from all trials and troubles, both of the body and of the soul. no! god does not inquire after the sheep and the oxen that are slain, but he does inquire after the men who are slain. men therefore have the hope of a resurrection. they have a god who inquires after them, even after their death in the flesh, and who brings them back from that death unto eternal life, a god who inquires after their blood as most "precious" to him, as the psalmist also says, "precious in the sight of jehovah is the death of his saints," ps. 116:15. this inquiry for the saints after their death and this their resurrection, are the glory of the human race, obtained for it by the seed of the woman, which bruised the serpent's head. and the case of abel is the first example of this promise which was made to adam and eve; and by this example god showed that the serpent harmed not abel, although he caused him to be thus murdered by his brother. this was indeed an instance of the serpent's "bruising the heel" of the woman's seed. but when he attempted to bite his head, that is, his life, he himself was crushed. for god, in answer to abel's faith in the promised seed, required his blood after his death and proved himself thereby to be abel's god still. this is all proved by what follows. v. 10. _and he said, what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground._ cain's sin hath hitherto lain "at the door." and the preceding circumstances plainly show how hard he struggled to keep his sin asleep. for, being interrogated by his father concerning his brother abel, and his father having asked him where he was, he adds to his murder absolute falsehood. and this answer of cain moreover shows that the words of the inquiry were spoken by adam in his own person, and not in the person of the divine majesty. for cain considers that the deed was hidden from his father, of course as being mere man, but he could not have so thought concerning the divine majesty. therefore had it been god who had spoken to him in his own proper divine person, he would have returned a different answer. but as he thought that he was speaking to a man only he denied the deed he had done altogether, saying, "i know not." as if he had added, there are numerous perils by which a man may perish. he may be destroyed by wild beasts; he may be drowned in some river; or he may lose his life by some other death. and cain no doubt thought that his father would imagine any other death of abel than that his own brother had perpetrated such a deed as to murder him. but cain could not deceive the holy spirit in adam. adam therefore then speaks openly in the person of god and at once convicts him of the murder, saying, "what hast thou done?" as if he had said, "why dost thou persist in denying the deed; be assured that thou canst not deceive god, who hath revealed to me all. thou thinkest that the blood of thy brother is hidden by the earth with which thou hast concealed it. but it is not so absorbed by the earth and concealed by it as to prevent its crying aloud unto god." thus did adam by the spirit of god indeed wake in cain his sin lying asleep "at the door," and drag it forth to light. the text now before us therefore is full of consolation to the saints to support them against the enemies and murderers of the church; for it teaches us that our afflictions and sufferings, and the shedding of our blood, fill heaven and earth with their cries. i believe therefore that cain was so terror-struck in his mind by these words of his father and that he was so confused and astounded that he knew not what to say nor what to do. for no doubt his thoughts were, "if my father adam thus knows all the circumstances of the murder which i have committed, how can i any longer doubt that the whole is known unto god, unto angels, and unto heaven and earth. whither therefore can i flee? which way can i turn, wretched man that i am?" it is exactly the same with murderers to this day. they are so harassed with the stings of conscience, after the crime of murder has been committed, that they are always in a state of alarm. it seems to them that heaven and earth have put on a changed aspect toward them and they know not whither to flee, so awful a thing is this crying of blood that has been shed and so horrible an agony is an accusing conscience. but it is just the same also under all other atrocious sins. those who commit them experience the same distresses of mind, when sorrow of spirit lays hold of them for what they have done. the whole creation seems changed toward them, and even when they speak to persons with whom they have been familiar, and when they hear the answers which they make, the very sound of their voice appears to them altogether changed and their countenances seem to wear an altered aspect. whichever way they turn their eyes, all things are clothed as it were with mourning and horror. so fierce and destroying a monster is a guilty conscience. unless therefore such great sinners are succored and upheld from above, they must put an end to their existence from anguish and intolerable pain and despair. in this place also moses adopts his usual brevity, which however exceeds in force all words. in the first place, he makes use of a very striking figure of speech when he attributes to the shed blood of abel the cry of a voice which fills heaven and earth. for how can that voice be small or weak which is uttered from earth and fills the ears of god in heaven. abel therefore who when alive was patient under injuries, gentle and placid of spirit, now, when dead and buried in the earth, is utterly unable to endure the injury he has received. he who before dared not utter a syllable of complaint against his brother, now cries aloud and so engages the attention of god by his cry that god himself descends from heaven and charges the murderer with his crime. moses therefore here uses the strongest term. he does not say, "the voice of thy brother's blood speaketh unto me from the ground," but "the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me" etc., as heralds proclaim their intelligence aloud, when with exerted voice they call men together to a public assembly. and all these things are thus written, as i have observed, to cause us to see that our god is merciful and that he loves his saints, has a peculiar care of them, and inquires about them, and searches them out; and that on the contrary he is angry with the murderers of his saints, hates them and will assuredly punish them. and this consolation is most necessary for us; for, when we are oppressed by our enemies and murderers, we are apt to conclude that our god has forgotten us and has thrown off all care of us. for we think within ourselves that if god did care for us, he would not permit such things to come upon us. and abel might also have thought the same, saying to himself, god surely cares nothing for me; for if he did, he would not suffer me thus to be murdered by my brother. but only look at what follows, and see whether god had not all the while a greater care of abel than abel could possibly have had of himself. for how could abel, had it been possible for him to have survived the murder, have inflicted on his brother such vengeance as god here inflicts upon him, after his death, by his brother's hands? how could he, if alive, execute such awful judgment on his brother as god here executes? for now abel's blood cries aloud unto god, who while alive was of a spirit the most gentle and meek. abel, now dead, accuses his brother before god of being a murderer; whereas if alive he would bear all the injuries of his brother in silence, and would even conceal all his feelings under them. for who was it that betrayed cain and accused him of having slain his brother? does not the text here tell us that the accuser was the blood of the murdered abel? yes! that blood still fills the ears of god and of men with its cries which have not yet ceased. these things, i say, are all full of consolation; especially unto us who now suffer persecution from the popes and wicked princes on account of our doctrine. they have exercised toward us the utmost cruelty and have vented their rage against godly men, not in germany only, but in other parts of europe also. and all this sin is disregarded by the papacy, as if it were nothing but a joke. nay, the papists really consider it to be the "service" of god, john 16:2. all this sin therefore as yet "lieth at the door." but it will be awaked and made manifest in its time. for the blood of that best and most faithful of martyrs, leonard caizer, which was shed in bavaria, cries aloud still. nor has the cry of the blood of henry of zutphan, shed by his own countrymen, ceased; nor the blood of our brother anthony of england, poured out by his english enemies. not to mention a thousand others, who although their names are not so prominent and renowned were yet fellow-sufferers with confessors and martyrs. the blood of all these, i say, cries aloud still, and that cry will in its time cause god to descend from heaven and execute judgment in the earth, a judgment which will be awful and intolerable to the enemies of the gospel. let us not think therefore that our blood is disregarded of god. let us not imagine for a moment that god regardeth not our afflictions. no! he collects all our tears, and puts them into his bottle, ps. 56:8. the cry of the blood of all the godly who have thus been slain penetrates the clouds, enters the heavens, and comes even unto the throne of god, and moves him to come forth and vindicate the blood of the righteous that has been shed, ps. 79:10. and in the same manner as these things are written for our consolation, so are they also written for the terror of our adversaries. for what think you can be more awe-striking to our tyrants to hear than that the blood of all they have slain continually cries aloud and accuses them before god? god is indeed long-suffering, especially now toward the end of the world; and therefore sin lieth the longer "at the door." vengeance does not immediately follow. but it is sure and certain that god is most righteously offended with all this sin, and that he will never suffer it to pass away unpunished. such is the judgment of god on cain. but i believe that this judgment was not executed on the first day of the murder, but that some time intervened between the murder and this terror on cain. for god is in his nature long-suffering, because he waits for the returning of sinners to himself. but he does not on that account omit or forget to punish them. for he is the righteous judge both of the living and of the dead, as we confess in the creed of our faith. god therefore exercised this his judgment in the very beginning of the world, memorable in the case of these two brothers. he judged and condemned the living murderer, and justified the slain righteous abel. and he excommunicated cain and drove him into those agonies of soul that the space of the whole creation seemed too narrow to contain him. for from the moment he saw that god would be the avenger of his brother's "crying blood," he found safety nowhere. while to abel on the contrary the space both of earth and of heaven gives an unbounded latitude of security. why should we ever doubt therefore that god ponders and numbers in his heart the afflictions of his people, and that he measures our tears and inscribes them all on adamantine tablets? these tears the enemies of the church of christ can never erase by any device of theirs, but by their repentance alone for what they have done to his saints. manasses was a terrible tyrant and a most inhuman persecutor of the godly. and his banishment and captivity would never have sufficed to have blotted out these sins. but when he acknowledged his sin and repented in truth, then the lord showed him mercy. so paul had, and so the pope and the bishops have now only one way left them, to acknowledge their sin and to supplicate the forgiveness of god. but as they do not this god will surely require at their hands in his fury the blood of the godly. let no one be doubtful of this. so here abel is dead, but cain is still alive. but o! good god! what a life of misery does he live! for his wishes are that he had never been born. because he ever hears the voice of his excommunication and expects every moment death and the vengeance of god upon his sin. and the awful case of our adversaries and of the church's tyrants shall in its time be exactly the same. ii. v. 11. _and now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;_ thus far have we heard how the sin of cain was revealed by the crying blood of his brother abel; and that he was hereby convicted of the murder by his father adam, and that the judgment of god concerning the two brothers was, that the one should not only be justified but canonized, as we say, and declared to be a saint, and the first fruits as it were of this blessed seed of the righteous, but that the other brother the first-born should be condemned and excommunicated or cast out as the following sacred narrative now shows. for moses now proceeds to record the punishments which were inflicted of god on this fratricide. and here in the first place the carefulness and discrimination of the holy spirit, even "from the beginning," is most worthy of our observation. for above, when the punishment was inflicted on adam for his sin, the person of adam was not cursed, but the earth only. and even the earth was not cursed absolutely in itself, but a certain excuse, as it were, was made for it. for the curse was pronounced thus: "cursed is the ground for thy sake," gen. 3:17. hence it is that paul says, rom. 8:20, "for the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly," that is, not of its own will or fault. but because the earth instrumentally caused man to become a sinner; therefore also the earth was compelled to bear the curse as the instrument, in the same manner as gold, the sword, etc., are cursed, not in themselves, but because men sin by their means. this is a most beautiful reasoning as it were in the holy spirit, when he thus distinguishes between the earth and adam. he makes the curse fall on the earth, but preserves the person of adam. but in the instance before us the holy spirit speaks of cain otherwise. he curses the person of cain. and why is this? is it because the sin of cain, as a murderer, was greater than the sin of adam and eve? not so. but because adam was that root from whose flesh and loins christ, that blessed seed, should be born. this seed therefore is that which was spared. for the sake of this blessed seed, the fruit of the loins of adam, the curse is transferred from the person of adam to the earth, the very instrument. so that adam bears the curse of the earth, but his person is not cursed; because from his posterity christ was to be born. but because cain by his sin fell from this glory of being the root of the blessed seed; therefore his person is cursed. and the holy spirit says to him, "cursed art thou," that we might understand that he was cut off from the glory of the promised seed and was condemned never to have in his posterity such a seed as _that seed_, through which the blessing should come. this was cain's rejection from all that stupendous glory of the promised seed. for abel was now slain; therefore there could now be no posterity from him. but adam was appointed still to serve god by his generating children. in adam alone therefore, abel being slain, and cain being accursed and rejected, the hope of the blessed seed rested until seth was born unto him. the words of the holy spirit here are indeed few, when he says to cain, "cursed art thou." but they are words worthy the deepest and most diligent consideration. the words are in their import, as if the holy spirit had said to cain, "thou art no longer he from whom the blessed seed can be hoped for." by these few words therefore cain is rejected forever and is cut off as a branch from its stem; so that he can no longer hope for that glory which he so much strove to hold fast. for cain's great desire was that the glory of this future blessing should be propagated from his loins and proceed from his posterity. but the more he strove to secure this glory, the further he was from obtaining it. and just so it is with all the wicked; for the more they labor to accomplish their purposes, the more surely they fail and fall. and here begin, as we observed on the offerings of cain and abel, the two churches, which are ever at perfect enmity with each other; the church of adam and the godly which possesses the hope and promise of the blessed seed; and the church of cain, which lost this hope and promise by sin and never could recover it. for in the deluge the whole posterity of cain was utterly destroyed, so that no prophet nor saint, nor any head of a church of the posterity of cain was left in existence; so utterly were all things denied to cain and taken from him by this one word, when the holy spirit said to him, "cursed art _thou_." but the expression "from the earth" is added. this is as it were a tempering of the awful wrath of god upon cain. for if the holy spirit had said "from heaven," it would have taken away the hope of salvation from the whole posterity of cain forever. but since the expression is, "from the earth," the fall of cain's posterity from the promise and glory of the blessed seed is threatened and determined; and yet a door was left open by which it might come to pass that some private persons of the generation of cain might, by the inspiration of the holy spirit, join themselves to the posterity and church of adam, and be saved; as indeed in after ages it came to pass. for although the jews alone retained the glory of giving birth to this blessed seed and possessed the promise which was in him, according to the psalm, "he hath not dealt so with any nation, and as for his ordinances, they have not known them," ps. 147:20; yet the gentiles had the right of beggars, if i may so express it; and by begging they obtained the same blessing through the divine mercy, which the jews possessed through the true posterity of adam or the promise of god. in like manner also all rule in the church was absolutely denied to the moabites and amorites, and yet many private individuals among them embraced the religion of the jews. it was thus also that all right in the church was taken away from cain and his posterity absolutely. yet so that permission was left them to beg as it were for this grace. this right of being beggars was not taken from them. for cain, because of his sin, was cast out from the right of sitting at the family table of adam. but the right was left him in his posterity to beg and gather up as dogs the crumbs that fell from his father's table, math. 15:26, 27. this is signified by the hebrew expression, min haadama, "from the earth." i make these observations because there is a great probability that many of the posterity of cain, in the earliest ages of the world, joined themselves to the holy patriarchs. but they abode in the church as private persons only and without any office in it, as those who had utterly lost the promise of the blessed seed being born from their body and posterity. and the loss of this promise was a serious matter to them. and yet this great curse was so mitigated toward them, that there was granted to them, as we have said, the right of being beggars for it as it were. heaven was not absolutely denied them, provided they would join the true church; as it is written, and particularly described in is. 56:3-8. but this joining the true church among his posterity cain strove to hinder in various ways. for he set up new forms of worship and invented numerous ceremonies; that thereby he also might appear to be the church. those however who departed from him and joined the true church were saved; although they were compelled to despair of the glory of christ being born from their body or posterity. but let us now return to the sacred text. moses here uses a very striking personification. he represents the earth as being a dreaded beast, when he speaks of her as having opened her mouth and swallowed the innocent blood of abel. but why does he speak of the earth in terms so terrible, when all these horrid things were transacted without her will or knowledge? nay, since the earth is a good creature of god and these things were done against her will, and her struggle to prevent them? for paul, as we have just observed, says, "the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly," etc., rom. 8:20. my reply is, this was done, and the spirit thus spoke, according to moses, as a terror to adam and to all his posterity, that they might live in the fear of god and dread the sin of murder. for the words of adam mean and are as if he had said, "behold the earth hath opened her mouth and swallowed the blood of thy brother; but she ought to have swallowed thee, the murderer. the earth indeed is a good creature, and is good to the good and the godly; but to the wicked she is full of yawnings and loud cries." it is to this end that moses records the holy spirit as having used these terrible expressions in reference to the earth through the mouth of adam. it was to strike terror and confusion into murderers. nor is there any doubt that cain, after he heard these things from the mouth of his angry father, was terror-struck in his soul like judas and overwhelmed with confusion, so that he knew not which way to turn. the expressions, "which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand," are indeed full of terror; and they point out the awfulness of this murder, in deeper colors than any pictures could represent it. v. 12a. _when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength._ the lord above said unto adam, "thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee." but here the holy spirit speaks to cain otherwise. his words before us are as if he had said, "thou hast watered and manured the earth, not with enriching dung and reviving rain, but with thy brother's blood. therefore the earth shall be to thee less productive than to others. for the blood which thou hast shed shall hinder the strength and the fruitfulness of the earth to thee." and this is the second part of the punishment; namely, the bodily curse on cain: that, although the earth should be just alike cultivated by adam and by cain, yet it should be more fruitful to adam than to cain, and should yield its return to the former for his labors; but that to the labors of cain it should not yield any such returns of fruitfulness on account of the blood shed; which should hinder it, though by nature desirous to return her fruitfulness and strength for all labors of men. but here also we must offer a remark concerning the grammatical peculiarity of the original language. in the present passage, moses terms the earth, haadama. but in the passage which follows, "a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth," he uses the term arez. now adama signifies, according to grammatical interpreters, "that part of the earth which is cultivated," in which trees grow and other fruits of the earth which are adapted for food. but arez signifies "the whole earth," whether cultivated or uncultivated. this curse of god therefore properly has reference to that part of the earth which is cultivated for food. and the curse implies that where one ear of wheat should bring forth three hundred grains for adam, it should bring forth scarcely ten grains for cain the murderer; and for the end, that cain might behold on every side of him proofs that god hates and punishes the shedding of blood. v. 12b. _a fugitive and a wanderer (vagabond) shalt thou be in the earth._ and this was a third punishment contained in the divine curse on cain, which continues to rest on murderers to this day. for unless they find reconciliation they wander about, having no fixed abode or certain dwelling-place. we have here two original terms, no vanod, "a vagabond," and "a fugitive," but my manner is to distinguish them thus. i consider no to signify, "the uncertainty of the place in which you are or dwell;" that is, how long you can remain there. in the same manner as the jews at this day are "vagabonds" or wanderers; because they have no certain or fixed dwelling-place and are in hourly fear lest they should be compelled to go forth from where they may be dwelling. but nod signifies, the "uncertainty of the place to which you can go;" that is, the not knowing where to go; so that, while on the one hand you have no certain place in which to dwell, to that misery is added the further misery, that when you must leave your present uncertain place of abode, you know not whither to go. the original no vanod therefore contains in it a double punishment: the not being able to remain with any certainty in any place, and the not knowing whither to go, when you are driven from your present uncertain place of abode; as we find it also in psalm 109:10, "let his children be continually vagabonds." venoa ianuu banav, that is "let them, by wandering, wander;" or, "let them be wanderers indeed, or utter wanderers;" that is, let them never find a place in which they can dwell with certainty or safety. if they are this year in greece let them be compelled the next year to wander into italy; and so on perpetually. just such is evidently the miserable state of the jews at the present day. they can fix their dwelling-place nowhere permanently. and to this calamity of the jews of the present day god adds another misery in the case of cain that, when he is driven from one place of abode, he should not know where to find another, and thus should live suspended as it were between heaven and earth, not knowing where to stop nor where to find any continuing place of rest or refuge. and in this manner was the sin of cain visited with a threefold punishment. in the first place he is deprived of all spiritual or church glory, for the promise concerning the blessed seed being born from his posterity is taken away from him. in the second place the earth is cursed to him in her fruitfulness, which is a domestic punishment reaching to all his provision for this life. and thirdly the punishment of a political or civil calamity is inflicted on him, in his being made a vagabond and never able to find any certain place of abode or rest. but still a way of joining the true church is left him, but without the promise! for as i have said, if any of cain's posterity did join themselves to the true church and to the holy fathers they were saved. and thus there was left them the domestic privilege, but without the blessing. and so the political privilege was preserved to them that they might build a city and dwell there, but for how long was still left uncertain. cain therefore in his posterity is still a beggar as it were in the church, in the domestic household, and in the civil state. and moreover with these punishments of cain there was joined as an alleviation that he should not be slain immediately on account of the murder which he had committed; as also afterwards a like levitical law was ordained concerning man-slayers. but cain was preserved alive as an example to others that they might fear god and flee from the sins of murder. let these observations suffice therefore concerning the sin of cain and the judgment and vengeance of god on the same. but there are some who here reply and indeed the saints themselves often so argue to themselves that the godly also sometimes endure these same curses, while the wicked on the contrary are free from them. they look at the apostle paul as an instance, where he says that he also "wandered about and had no certain dwelling-place." and verily our own condition is precisely the same at the present day. we preach to the churches and have either no certain dwelling-places at all or are driven into banishment or are in fear of banishment every hour. and the same was the condition of christ, of his apostles and prophets, and of the patriarchs of old. in the same manner the scriptures say concerning jacob, "the elder shall serve the younger," gen. 25:23. but does not jacob become a servant when we see him a most distressed supplicant? does he not from fear of his brother haste away into exile? does he not on his return home supplicate his brother and fall on his knees before him? is not isaac also seen to be a most miserable beggar? gen. 6:1-35. abraham his father also goes into exile among the nations and possesses not in all the world a place to set his foot, as stephen says, acts 7:1-5. on the other hand, the mocking and wicked ishmael is a king and from him are born the dukes of the land of midian, gen. 25:16, before israel entered into the land of promise. in the same manner it will be seen in the 17th verse of the present chapter that cain first built the city enoch, and from him were born shepherds, workers in metals, and inventors of music. all these things seem to the world to prove that the curses of god are wrongly confined to cain and his posterity, seeing that these same curses frequently rest on the true church; while on the contrary it is well with the wicked, and they flourish. these things are often a stumbling block, not to the world only, but to the saints themselves as the psalms in many places testify. and the prophets also are frequently found to grow indignant, as does jeremiah, when they see the wicked possess freedom as it were from the evils of life, while they are oppressed and afflicted in various ways. men may therefore naturally inquire, where is the curse of the wicked? where is the blessing of the godly? is not rather the contrary the truth? cain is a vagabond and settled nowhere; and yet cain is the first man that builds a city and has a certain place to dwell in. but we will reply to these inquiries more fully hereafter. we will now proceed with the text of moses. part vi. cain's conduct upon being punished. v. 13. _and cain said unto jehovah, my punishment (iniquity) is greater than i can bear (than can be remitted)._ here moses seems to have fixed a cross for the grammarians and the rabbins. for they crucify this passage in various ways. lyra recites the opinions of some who explain this passage affirmatively, considering it to mean that cain said in his despair that his sin was greater than could be pardoned; and it is thus that we have rendered this expression of cain. augustine also retained this view of the passage, for he says, "thou liest, cain; for the mercy of god is greater than the misery of all the sinners of the whole world put together." the rabbins however expound the passage as being a negative interrogation, making cain to say, "is my iniquity greater than can be remitted?" but if this rendering be the true one, cain not only does not acknowledge his sin, but excuses it and moreover insults god for laying upon him a punishment greater than he deserved. but it is just in this way that the rabbins almost everywhere corrupt the sense of the scriptures. consequently i begin to hate them and i admonish all who read them, to read them with great caution and judgment. for although they did possess the knowledge of some things, by tradition as it were from the fathers, yet they corrupted them in various ways; and therefore they often deceived by those corruptions, even jerome himself. nor did the poets of old ever so fill the world with their fables as the wicked jews did the scriptures with their absurd opinions. a great labor therefore is thereby thrown in our way to get hold of the pure text and to clear it from their false opinions and comments. the cause of all this error is that some are grammarians only, but know nothing of the divine things concerned; that is, they are not divines also; therefore they are compelled to dream and to guess, and thereby to crucify both themselves and the scriptures. for how is it possible that such persons should be right judges of things which they do not understand? now, the divine subject matter in the present passage is that cain is accused in his own conscience. and no one, not only no wicked man, but not even the devil himself can endure this judgment of his own conscience; as james also witnesses, "the devils also believe and tremble before god," james 2:19. and peter also says, "whereas angels which are greater in power and might cannot endure that judgment which the lord will exercise upon blasphemers," 2 pet. 2:11. so also manasses in his prayer, vs. 4, 5, confesses that all men tremble before the face of the lord's anger. all these things therefore fully prove that there was not in cain under his judgment enough spirit left to enable him to set himself against god and to expostulate with him. for god is an almighty adversary to contend with, and he always makes his first attack upon the heart and fastens his grip on the conscience. now of this matter the rabbins know nothing, nor have any understanding of it whatever; and therefore they speak on this judgment of god as if it were a matter transacted before men, in judgment where a fact is either falsely denied or vainly excused before the judge. the judgment of god however is quite a different matter. for there, as christ says, "by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned," math. 12:37. cain therefore does acknowledge his sin in the present passage, but he does not grieve so much concerning his sin as concerning his punishment for it. cain's words therefore are here to be understood affirmatively, and they show the horribleness of his despair. a further proof of cain's entire despair is, that he does not utter one word of reverence. he never mentions the name of god or of his father. his conscience is so confused and so overwhelmed with terror and despondency that he is not able to think of any hope of pardon. so the epistle to the hebrews gives the same description of esau, saying, "who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. for ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for change of mind, though he sought it diligently with tears," heb. 12:16, 17. thus in the present instance cain feels his punishment, but he grieves more for his punishment than for his sin. and all persons in like despair do just the same. the two original words of this passage, minneso and avon, again form two crosses for grammarians. jerome translates the clause, "my iniquity is greater than can be pardoned." sanctes, the grammarian of pagnum, a man of no mean erudition and evidently a diligent scholar, renders the passage, "my punishment is greater than i can bear." but by such a rendering, we shall make of cain a martyr and of abel a sinner. and concerning the original word nosa, i have before observed, that when it is applied to sin, it signifies "to lift sin up, or off, on high;" that is, "to take it out of the way." just as we by the use of a common figure say, "to remit sin," or "the remission of sins," as we have in, ps. 32, aschre nesu pescha, which, when rendered literally, means, "being made happy by having been relieved from crime or sin." we render it, "blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven;" that is, whose sin is taken away. as we have it also again, "the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity," nesu avon, that is, "shall be relieved from their crime or sin," is. 33:24. the other original term avoni, grammarians derive from the verb anah, which signifies "to be afflicted," as in zacharia, "behold thy king cometh unto thee poor or afflicted," zach. 9:9. our translation renders it "meek," etc., as we find it also ps. 132:10, "lord remember david and all his meekness, or lowliness;" that is, "all his afflictions." from this same original root is derived the expression, "low estate," or "lowliness," of his handmaiden, used by the virgin mary in her song, luke 1:48. it is the meaning of the original word avoni which induced sanctes to render it, in the present passage, punishment. but here the original avoni signifies "iniquity," or "sin," as it does also in many other passages of the holy scriptures, which appears more plainly from the verb to "lift up" or "to lift off," which stands connected with it. hence it is that grammarians, who are nothing more than grammarians, and who know nothing of divine things, find their crosses in all such passages; and crucify, not only the scriptures, but themselves and their hearers. but in the interpretation of the holy scriptures the subject or divine matter and sense are first to be determined; and when that appears in all respects consistent with itself, then the grammatical propriety is to be explained. the rabbins however take a directly contrary course. and hence it grieves me much that divines and the holy fathers so frequently follow them. v. 14. _behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground; and from thy face shall i be hid; and i shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me._ from these words it still more plainly appears that the sentence and curse on cain were pronounced by jehovah through the mouth of adam. cain here acknowledges first that he is driven out from the domestic and political communion; and secondly that he was excommunicated from the church. of the difference of the meaning of the original words adamah and erez we spoke above. we have shown that erez signifies the whole earth generally; but that adamah means the cultivated part of the earth in particular. the meaning therefore of these words of cain is, "i am now compelled to flee from thy presence and from that place of the earth which i have cultivated. the whole world indeed lies before me, but i must be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth; that is, i shall have no certain dwelling place." in the same way murderers among us are punished with exile and become vagabonds in the earth. these words therefore afford a further evidence of the manner in which the words, which adam said above are to be understood, "cursed art thou upon earth." they refer to cain's being driven away into banishment. this part of cain's punishment therefore is a civil or political punishment, by which he is shut out from the whole civil community. but that which cain next adds, "and from thy face shall i be hid," is an ecclesiastical or church punishment. it is an excommunication from the true church of god. for as the priesthood and the kingdom rested with adam, and cain on account of his sin was excommunicated from adam, he was thereby also deprived of the glory both of the priesthood and of the kingdom. but why adam adopted this punishment of expelling his son from him and excommunicating him from his presence, is explained by the words which we just before heard from the father's mouth, "when thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength;" as if he had said, "thou art cursed and thy labors are cursed also. therefore if thou shalt remain with us upon earth it cannot be but that both thou and we also must perish with hunger. for thou hast stained the earth with thy brother's blood, and wherever thou art thou must bear about the blood of thy brother with thee, and even the earth herself will exact of thee the punishment of that blood by not yielding to thee her strength." there is a sentence almost the same as this pronounced on cain by adam in 1 kings 2:29-33, where solomon gives commandment to benaiah, son of jehoiada, saying, "slay joab, and thou shalt take away the innocent blood which was shed by joab from me and my father's house. and the lord shall return his blood upon his own head. but unto david, and unto his seed, and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever from jehovah." as if he had said, "if joab suffer not this punishment of his unjust murder, the whole kingdom must suffer that punishment and be shaken from one end to the other by wars." it is just thus adam speaks in the present passage. as if he had said, "if thou shalt remain on the earth here with us god will bring punishments upon us for thy sake, so that the earth will not yield to us her fruit." but now let us offer our reply to the question above raised concerning cain and his posterity not being the only persons subject to the curse of wandering and affliction, seeing that the saints also, it is argued, are subject to the same; and that cain though thus cursed was yet the first who built a city, etc. it was said to cain as his curse, "a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon earth." and yet cain is the first man who builds a city, and his posterity from that time so increased that they seduced, oppressed, and so utterly overthrew the church of god, as not to leave more than eight persons from the posterity of seth remaining. the whole of the other multitude of mankind, who perished in the flood, had followed cain as the sacred text plainly declares, "and it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose," gen. 6:1, 2. and it is also said that these sons of god, when they came unto the daughters of men, begat giants and mighty men, which were of old, men of renown, verse 4. as therefore cain had so great and mighty a posterity and as he built the first city, how can it be true, men ask, that he was a fugitive and vagabond upon earth, according to the curse pronounced upon him? we will reply therefore to the literal facts before us. for what we have said above in reference to the new testament, concerning paul and the apostles, and christ himself, and the prophets, that is altogether a different subject. when adam here says to cain, "a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be upon earth," he speaks these words to him to send him away; designedly joining no precept or direction therewith. he does not say to him, "go to the east;" he does not say, "go to the south;" he does not mention any one place to which he should go. he gives him no direction what to do. he simply sends him away, but as to whither he should go or what he should do, he expresses no concern. as to what the will and the way of his son may be hereafter, the father takes no care whatever. he adds no promise of protection. he does not say, "god will take care of thee;" nor, "god will defend thee." but as the whole wide heaven lies open to the bird, leaving him the liberty to fly where he will, but giving him a sight of no place in that heaven, to which he might flee in safety for protection from the attack of the other birds, so does adam dismiss cain. this cain fully feels; and therefore it is that he adds the utterance, "and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me." now the condition of adam in paradise was different from that of cain, and better. adam had sinned, and by his sin he had sunk under death. but when he was driven out of paradise god appointed to him by his command a certain employment, that he should till the earth in a fixed and certain place. god also clothed him with a covering of skins. this, as we have said above, was a sign that god would take care of him and defend him. and that which exceeded all things else, a glorious promise was made to the woman concerning her seed, which should "bruise the serpent's head." but no one thing like these mercies was left to cain. he was sent away absolutely without the mention of any certain place or any certain employment. no command was given him nor any promise made him. he was like a bird set loose in the wide heavens, as we have said, to wander in its flight where it may. such was the state and meaning of cain's being truly and properly "a vagabond," "a wanderer" without any fixed dwelling-place. and thus unsettled and wandering are all who have not the word and the command of god, by which a certain place of worship and a certain ministry are vouchsafed unto them. and just such were we under the papacy. there were plenty of ceremonies of worship, and of works and exercises. but all these were undertaken and done without any command of god. this was truly a cain-like trial, to have no word of god; not to know what to believe, nor what to hope, nor what to think; but to do all things and to undertake all things without any knowledge or hope concerning the event. for what monk ever existed who could affirm or know that he did any one thing rightly? for all things were mere human traditions and the inventions of mere human reason, without the word. and in the midst of these things we all wandered about, fluctuating in our minds, like the wandering cain; not knowing anything of what the judgment of god would be concerning us; whether he would look upon us with love or with hatred. and in this uncertainty were we all at that time taught and trained. and in this same way were the whole posterity of cain wanderers and unsettled. for they had no promise nor command of god and were without any certain rule either to live by or to die by. and if any of these did come to the knowledge of christ and joined the true church, this did not come to them through any promise of god, but through his pure mercy. but seth, who was born afterwards, had together with his posterity the certain promise, certain dwelling-places, a certain worship of god, and certain rites of worship. but cain on the contrary was always essentially "a vagabond." for although cain did build a city, yet he was ever in uncertainty how long he should retain it as a dwelling place; for he had no promise of god on which to depend. and whatever things we possess without the promise of god, how long we shall possess them is always an uncertainty. for satan can either disturb them or take them away in a moment. on the other hand, when we move, fortified on every side by the command and promise of god, satan's strivings against us are all in vain, for god fortifies and secures by his command all that we possess. although therefore cain was the great lord as it were of the whole world and possessed all the riches of the world; yet because he was without the promise of the help of god and was thereby deprived of the guardianship of angels, he had nothing else to depend on, but human counsel and human reason. he was therefore truly "a vagabond" and unsettled wanderer.