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An Exposition on the FIRST TEN CHAPTERS OF GENESIS, And Part of the EleventhAn unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among the author’s papers after his death, in hisown handwriting; and published in 1691, by Charles Doe, in a folio volume of the works of JohnBunyan.ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR Being in company with an enlightened society of Protestant dissenters of the Baptist denomination,I observed to a doctor of divinity, who was advancing towards his seventieth year, that my time had been delightfully engaged with John Bunyan’s commentary on Genesis. “What,” said the D.D.,with some appearance of incredulity, “Bunyan a commentator—upon Genesis!! Impossible! Well, Inever heard of that work of the good Bunyan before. Why, where is it to be found?” Yes, it is truethat he has commented on that portion of sacred scripture, containing the cosmogony of creation— the fall of man—the first murder—the deluge—and other facts which have puzzled the mostlearned men of every age; and he has proved to be more learned than all others in his spiritual perceptions. He graduated at a higher university—a university unshackled by human laws,conventional feelings, and preconceived opinions. His intense study of the Bible, guided by theteaching of the Holy Spirit, enabled him to throw a new and beautiful light upon objects which areotherwise obscure. Oh! that young ministers, while attaining valuable book learning, may see thenecessity of taking a high degree in, and of never forgetting this Bible university! Reader, is it notsurprizing, that such a treatise should have remained comparatively hidden for more than onehundred and fifty years. It has been reprinted in many editions of Bunyan’s works: but in all, exceptthe first, with the omission of the scripture references; and with errors of so serious a character as if it was not intended to be read. Even in printing the text of Genesis 7:7 Noah’s three sons do notenter the ark! although in 8:16 they are commanded to go forth out of the ark. It is now presented tothe public exactly as the author left it, with the addition of notes, which it is hoped will illustrateand not encumber the text.This exposition is evidently the result of long and earnest study of the holy scriptures. It is thehistory of the creation and of the flood explained and spiritualized, and had it been originally published in that form and under a proper title, it would most probably have become a very popular work. The author’s qualifications for writing this commentary were exclusively limited to hisknowledge of holy writ. To book learning he makes no pretensions. He tells us that in his youth“God put it into my parents” hearts to put me to school, to learn to read and write as other poor men’s children; though, to my shame, I confess, I did soon lose that little I learnt even almostutterly.” In after life, his time was occupied in obtaining a livelihood by labour. When enduringsevere mental conflicts, and while he maintained his family by the work of his hands, he was anacceptable pastor, and extensively useful in itinerant labours of love in the villages round Bedford.His humility, when he had used three common Latin words, prompted him to say in the margin,“The Latine I borrow.” And this unlettered mechanic, when he might have improved himself in book wisdom, was shut up within the walls of a prison for nearly thirteen years, for obeying God,only solaced with his Bible and Fox’s Book of Martyrs. Yet he made discoveries relative to thecreation, which have been very recently again published by a learned philosopher, who surprisedand puzzled the world with his vestiges of creation. Omitting the fanciful theories of the vestige philosopher, his two great facts, proved by geological discoveries, are— 
 
I. That when the world was created and set in motion, it was upon principles by which it is impelledon to perfection—a state of irresistible progress in improvement. This is the theory of Moses: andBunyan’s exposition is, that all was finished, even to the creation of all the souls which were toanimate the human race, and then God
rested 
from his work.II. The second geological discovery is that the world was far advanced towards perfection producing all that was needful for human life, before man was created. Upon this subject, Bunyan’swords are—“God shews his respect to this excellent creature, in that he first provideth for him before he giveth him his being. He bringeth him not to an empty house, but to one well furnishedwith all kind of necessaries, having beautified the heaven and the earth with glory, and all sorts of nourishment for his pleasure and sustenance.” But the most pious penetration is exhibited in thespiritualizing of the creation and of the flood—every step produces some type of that new creation,or regeneration, without which no soul can be fitted for heaven. The dim twilight before the naturalsun was made, is typical of the state of those who believed before Christ, the Sun of righteousness,arose and was manifested. The fixed stars are emblems of the church, whose members all shine, butwith different degrees of lustre—sometimes eclipsed, and at others mistaken for transient meteors.The whales and lions are figures of great persecutors. But the most singular idea of all is, that themoral degradation of human nature before the flood, was occasioned by hypocrisy and persecutionfor conscience sake, arising from governors interfering with matters of faith and worship; in fact,that a STATE CHURCH occasioned the deluge—and since that time has been the fruitful source of the miseries and wretchedness that has afflicted mankind. His prediction of the outpouring of theSpirit in the conversion of sinners, when the church shall be no longer enthralled and persecuted bythe state, is remarkable. “O thou church of God in England, which art now upon the waves of affliction and temptation, when thou comest out of the furnace, if thou come out at the bidding of God, there shall come out with thee, the fowl, the beast, and abundance of creeping things. OJudah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.” May this prediction soon be verified, and the temporal government no longer vex and torment the church byinterfering with spiritual things.It is remarkable that of the vast number of pious and enlightened mechanics who adorn this countryand feed its prosperity, so few read the extraordinary writings of John Bunyan, a brother mechanic;for with the exception of the Pilgrim’s Progress and Holy War, they are comparatively little known.His simple but illustrative commentary—his book of Antichrist—his solemn and striking treatise onthe resurrection and final judgment—in fact, all his works, are peculiarly calculated to inform theminds of the millions—to reform bad habits, and, under the divine blessing, to purify the soul withthat heavenly wisdom which has in it the promise of the life that now is as well as of that which isto come. It is also a fact which ought to be generally known, that those preachers who have editedBunyan’s works and have drunk into his spirit, have been most eminently blessed in their ministry;Wilson, Whitefield, and Ryland, can never be forgotten. If the thousands of godly preachers whoare scattered over our comparatively happy island were to take Bunyan’s mode of expoundingscripture as their pattern, it would increase their usefulness, and consequently their happiness, inthe great work of proclaiming and enforcing the doctrines of the gospel.GEO OFFOR.
 
AN EXPOSITION ON THE FIRST TEN CHAPTERS OF GENESIS, AND PART OF THEELEVENTHIn the first edition of this commentary, a series of numbers from 1 to 294 were placed in the margin,the use of which the editor could not discover; probably the work was written on as many scraps of  paper, thus numbered to direct the printer. They are omitted, lest, among divisions and subdivisions,they should puzzle the reader.CHAPTER II.
Of God 
.God
is
a Spirit (John 4:24), eternal (Deu 33:27), infinite (Rom 1:17-20), incomprehensible (Job11:7), perfect, and unspeakably glorious in his being, attributes, and works (Gen 17:51; Isa 6:3; Exo33:20). “The eternal God.” “Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord” (Jer 23:24). “Neither isthere any creature that is not manifest in his sight” (Heb 4:13; Pro 15:11).In his attributes of wisdom, power, justice, holiness, mercy, &c., he is also inconceivably perfectand infinite, not to be comprehended by things in earth, or things in heaven; known in the perfection of his being only to himself. The seraphims cannot behold him, but through a veil; noman can see him in his perfection and live.His attributes, though apart laid down in the word of God, that we, being weak, might the better conceive of his eternal power and godhead; yet in him they are without division; one glorious andeternal being. Again, though sometimes this, as of wisdom, or that, as of justice and mercy, is mostmanifest in his works and wonders before men; yet every such work is begun and completed by the joint concurrence of all his attributes. No act of justice is without his will, power, and wisdom; noact of mercy is against his justice, holiness and purity. Besides, no man must conceive of God, as if he consisted of these attributes, as our body doth of its members, one standing here, another there,for the completing personal subsistence. For though by the word we may distinguish, yet may wenot divide them, or presume to appoint them their places in the Godhead. Wisdom is in his justice,holiness is in his power, justice is in his mercy, holiness is in his love, power is in his goodness (1John 1:9, Num 14:17,18).Wherefore, he is in all his attributes almighty, all-wise, holy and powerful. Glory is in his wisdom,glory is in his holiness, glory is in his mercy, justice, and strength; and “God is love” (1 John4:16).
[1]
II.
Of the Persons or Subsistances in the Godhead 
.The Godhead is but one, yet in the Godhead there are three. “There are three that can bear record inheaven” (1 John 5:7-9). These three are called “the Father, the Son [Word], and the Holy Spirit”;each of which is really, naturally and eternally God: yet there is but one God. But again, becausethe Father is of himself, the Son by the Father, and the Spirit from them both, therefore to each, thescripture not only applieth, and that truly, the whole nature of the Deity, but again distinguisheth theFather from the Son, and the Spirit from them both; calling the Father HE, by himself; the Son HE, by himself; the Spirit HE, by himself. Yea, the Three of themselves, in their manifesting to thechurch what she should believe concerning this matter, hath thus expressed the thing: “Let us make
of 00

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