Chapter I.
the Seeds and Principles of all things were blended together. This is called, in the Pagan Language, by Epicharmus, (
Greek characters), the firſt of the Gods: Becauſe all things ſprang out of this; which was indeed the firſt of the Works of God, who, as Moſes ſhows in the ſequel, produced this beautiful World out of this CHAOS.
And darkneſs was upon the face of the deep.] Nothing was to be ſeen, for want of Light: Which lay buried, as all things elſe did, in that great Abyſs, or vaſt confuſed heap of Matter before-mentioned. So the Hebrew word Tehom ſignifies (which we tranſlate deep) tumult and turbid confuſion: The firſt Matter being very heterogeneous, as they ſpeak, i. e. of various ſorts and kinds, hudled together without diſtinction.
And the Spirit of God moved.] Men have been extreamly fanciful in the Expoſition of theſe plain Words: Some underſtanding by the Spirit of God, the Sun, which gives Spirit and Life to all things upon Earth; others the Air, or the Wind: When as yet there was no Sun in the Firmament, nor any Wind that could ſtir, without the Power of the Almighty to excite it. This therefore we are to underſtand to be here meant; The Infinite Wiſdom, and Power of God, which made a vehement Commotion, and mighty Fermentation (by raiſing, perhaps, a great Wind) upon the Face of the Waters: That is, on that fluid Matter before-mentioned, to ſeparate the parts of it one from the other.
Waters.] That which Moſes before called the Deep, he now calls the Waters: Which plainly ſhows that ſome Parts of the confuſed Maſs, were fluid and light; as other Parts were ſolid and heavy. The hea-