THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.
Being the first Chapter of Genesis.
The first Dayes Worke.
THE first Day (as Eternity decreed)▪
From Gods divine Idea did proceed▪
The matter of all things in Heaven and Earth,
From whence all other Creatures tooke their birth.
Nothing did yet the formelesse Earth adorne,
Yet Earth, was Earth, and Water had it's forme.
Th' Elements were inuolued each in other,
Darknesse the Visage of the deepe did cover,
On which was moved Gods Almighty Spirit,
At whose command the Ayre did light inherit.
Then from the Darknesse, he divides the Light,
And gives them their first names of Day and Night.
The second Dayes Worke.
THe second Day th'almighty Architect,
To rooffe the world did th'arched Heaven erect:
Commanding there should be a Firmament,
That might divide the Watry Element:
In midst of which was fram'd the fixed Sphere,
And Waters suddainly divided were.
Part of the Water still remain'd below,
And part above the Firmament did flow.
The Firmament the Maker called Heaven,
Concluding with the Morning and the Even.
The third Dayes Worke.
THe third Day by the word of Gods command,
His Will being to discover the dry Land,
Was turn'd with speed the watry Element
Into the VVomb of the Earths continent.
He gave them then their names of Earth and Seas,
Which worke was good, and did the Maker please.
The Earth conceiving from his quickning word,
The plenty of her Womb did straight afford.
Vnsowne Grasse, unset Hearbes, unplanted Trees,
All yeelding Seede, and Fruit, in their degrees:
Refresht by the yet Chaos of the Heaven,
Concluding with the Morning and the Even.
The fourth Dayes Worke.
THe fourth daies worke, because Earths fruitfull Bed,
Should not with darknes be enueloped:
That Creatures might enioy the fostering Light,
And for division of the Day and Night:
That might for Seasons period ou [...] the Yeare,
And Signes Phenominall to th'earth appeare.
Out of the substance which was late Aquatick,
God made the Spheres, Starres fixed and erratick.
The Sun with greater light to rule the Day,
And lesser Moone to have the Nightly sway.
The Starres as Rulers over Day and Night,
To divide darkenesse from the shining Light.
God placed in the Firmament of Heaven,
Concluding with the Morning and the Even.
The fifth Dayes Worke.
THis Day th' Almighty in his first Division,
Produc'd a grear part of the worlds Provision
All Flesh and Foule; which at his bounteous word
The pregnant Waters plentiously afford.
And now the great▪ Leviathan hegins,
To rouze himselfe, and shake his numerous Fines.
All living Creatures in abundance move,
Both in the Watry Mound and Ayre above.
Birds now begin to warble out their theames,
And Fish to dance Lavoltas on the streames.
God blessed them forthwith, and bad them bee,
All fruitfull in their kindes and Multiply:
To which he gave concurrence from the Heaven,
Concluding with the Morning and the Even.
The sixt Dayes Worke.
THe sixt Day God commanded to the Earth,
That living Creatures thence should issue forth.
At which the Kingly Lyon in his force,
The Camell, Elephant, and the usefull Horse:
Beasts, Cattell, all things to the creeping VVorme,
Came forth their Causes in their kind and forme.
Now let u [...] make Man, said th'almigh [...]y Maker,
And let him of our likenesse be Partaker:
And on him let Dominion be estated,
Over all Creatures that we have created.
Man suddenly with every Creature stood,
Before his Makers Face comp [...]eat and good,
From the low Center to the highest Heaven,
Concluding with the Morning and the Even.
The seventh Day.
THe seventh Day the Lord sanctified and blest,
Because it was the Sabbath of his Rest.
Commanding that nothing should be done,
On it, neither by Father nor the Sonne,
Seruant nor Stranger ought within our Gate,
No not our Cattell would it violate:
Contemplate here (O Man) wherefore the Lord,
In the six-fold division of his Word,
Would limit so his power omnipotent,
But onely to give thee a president:
That thou all idlenesse and slougth shouldst fly,
And earne thy Bread by honest industry.
Six Daies he made the full and utmost measure,
For thee to worke and dig thy worldly treasure;
By Land and Sea to triffick for thy soode,
Doe this, and see that all thou dost be good:
So neare as thou canst imitare thy Maker,
That of his Sabbath thou mayst be Partaker.
LONDON, Printed by John Hammond, 1646.