man, which seems to imply a kind of consultation upon the business, and is no slight proof of the holy Trinity, or a plurality of persons in the Godhead. Thus had mankind, the first human pair, some portion of the divine image impressed upon them; and to this was added the promise of a numerous posterity, who should in time people all parts of the earth: and as God appointed man to rule over the brute creation, so did he stamp such an awe upon his countenance, that the most savage beasts, unless they are strongly urged by hunger or persecution, generally fly from his approach. The food which God allotted to man at his first creation, consisted of the herbs and fruits which the earth produced, and probably he was not allowed to eat flesh, lest any of the beasts, which were created in pairs like man, should have been destroyed before they had time to increase. The beasts too and the other living creatures had the produce of the earth bestowed upon them for their food and support. The Almighty, having thus completed the great work of creation, surveyed every thing which he had made, and finding them to answer the end for which they were designed, he ceased from his work on the evening of the sixth day.

With what astonishment must our minds be filled, when we consider the subject of this chapter! For here we behold an Almighty Being, creating a whole world, and every thing therein, by the mere power of his own will: and what perhaps is equally astonishing, his providence has still continued to maintain all the parts of this vast machine, in the same order and regularity as when they were first created. The sun, the moon, and the stars never fail to perform their wonted course, every herb and plant continues to produce its proper seed, and cattle of various kinds still increase and multiply for the service of man.

How grateful ought we to feel for these

never-failing instances of God's bounty and kindness towards us! But let us particularly reflect upon the glorious privilege bestowed upon us, of being made in the image and likeness of God, endued with understandings to know our duty, and to discern good from evil. Let no consideration ever induce us to debase the dignity of human nature by giving way to habits of sin; but constantly keeping in mind our great original, let us endeavour to attain to such a degree of piety and virtue, as may entitle us to be considered as the children of God, and to partake hereafter of his heavenly glory.

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

Evening Service.

GENESIS II.

THE former chapter having given a short, general account of the six days work of creation, we have here a more circumstantial detail of several things, which before were only slightly touched upon, in order that the regularity of the narration might not be interrupted. We are first informed, that when this visible world and all the creatures in it were completely finished, it pleased God to institute a solemn ordinance, by setting apart every seventh day to a sacred rest, that all mankind might for ever remember the power and wisdom of God in the creation, and might worship Him alone. Moses, having referred to the great act of creation, makes particular mention of the herbs and plants, as attaining to their full perfection at once, without the aid of rain or cultivation, which are the usual causes of their fruitfulness; though, if any moisture had been wanted to effect this purpose, it might have been supplied by a mist which ascended from the earth.

The creation of man is again mentioned, as being formed out of the dust of the earth; and a circumstance is added, very different from what is said of any other creature, and which fully accounts for his superior nature, that God not only gave him animal life, but bestowed upon him a soul, distinct from, though united to, the body; and infused into him such an excellent spirit as produced thought, reason, and speech.

The next thing which claims our attention, is the particular spot where God first placed Adam and Eve: this is described as a delightful situation, filled with what might please the eye, and gratify the taste. In the midst of this delicious spot, here called a garden, which probably contained a country of some extent, there grew two trees in particular, the fruit of both which was endued with very peculiar properties. The tree of life seems to have been so called, from its power of preserving those who eat of it from any manner of decay, and of maintaining them in perpetual health and vigour. It does not appear improbable, that, if man had continued innocent, it might have had such effects upon him; and the latter part of the next chapter confirms that supposition. Undoubtedly, He, who created all the plants of the earth, and gave to each its peculiar properties, was capable of bestowing upon any one of them whatever qualities he thought proper, and might thus have prolonged the life of man to a very extended period. The tree of knowledge of good and evil seems to have received its name from that fatal trial which our first parents made of its fruit; from which they gained, by miserable experience, the knowledge of the great difference between the good of obeying, and the evil of disobeying, the commands of God. After this, there follows a particular description of the situation of the garden of Eden, and of the rivers which surrounded it; from which it appears that it was at no great distance from the

spot where Babylon was afterwards built, being watered by the two great rivers, Tigris and Euphrates. In this garden God placed Adam, and allotted him the pleasing employment of cultivating, and keeping it in order. He gave him also free permission to eat of all the fruit, excepting only what grew upon one of the trees before-mentioned: from tasting of that he was prohibited under a severe penalty; God having positively assured him, that death would be the unavoidable consequence.

The sacred historian, having hinted at Adam's solitary state without any suitable companion, informs us, that all living creatures had their names given them by Adam; probably not all at one time, but as opportunity and circumstances admitted. After this, there follows a particular description of the formation of woman, which had only been slightly mentioned in the former chapter. This, we are told, God thought proper to effect, by causing Adam to sleep, so that he might not feel the pain, and then forming a woman out of one of his ribs. The reason, perhaps, why God chose to create the woman in this manner rather than out of the ground like Adam, might be to produce a still stronger love and attachment between them, from their being formed of the very same material. Upon receiving her from the hand of God, Adam acknowledged that she was indeed a help meet for him, being a part of his very self; and therefore, that, in a union of so close a nature, the mutual affection between man and wife ought ever to be considered as superior to every other tie. And looking upon themselves merely as one person, such was their innocence and simplicity, that the want of clothing, which was unnecessary in so mild a climate, did not give them any sensation of shame.

When we look back upon the subject of this chapter, we cannot but be struck, in the first place, with Travell's Lectures,

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the extreme antiquity of the institution of the sabbath, which takes its date from the creation of the world. How highly then does it concern us to reverence this venerable institution, and duly to observe that sacred rest for which it was appointed; employing it in prayer and meditation, and in praising God for the blessings of creation, providence, and grace. Secondly, we may learn from hence how necessary it is that we should obey the whole will of God: if he has bestowed upon us, as he continually does, an infinite variety of blessings; if he gives us health and strength, food and raiment; if he freely allows us to eat of every tree in the garden, let us not think it a hardship if he withhold one fruit from us. But considering that the transgression of any of his laws will make us liable to death, even eternal death, if unrepented of, let us determine, as far as is possible, not to offend even in one point.

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.

Morning Service.

GENESIS III.

THE foregoing chapter left our first parents enjoying a state of complete happiness, in that paradise wherein God had placed them. The chapter before us presents a melancholy reverse; guilt and shame succeeding to conscious innocence, and misery and death entailed upon them and their posterity, by their disobedience to the positive command of God. The time when this deplorable event took place does not exactly appear; perhaps at no great distance from their creation; but it does not seem probable that it should happen immediately after, although the two subjects are so closely connected in