“O earth, earth, earth, hear” Jeremiah 22:29
“Let all the Earth fear the Lord,” Psalm 33:8
“And the earth helped the Woman,” Revelation 12:16
By Earth in these scriptures, we are to understand Men dwelling upon the Earth.
| Earth |
Parallel |
|---|---|
| The Earth is far from heaven; there is a vast difference between them. | All men, whilst they remain unconverted or abide in a state of nature, are said to be far from God; though not in respect of place, yet in respect of condition, Men being by reason of sin in a state of enmity: “Ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13 |
| The Earth is a heavy, lumpish and gross body | So man naturally is earth-like, a heavy and lumpish piece, being taken out of the Earth, and the offspring of red Earth: “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy” 1Corinthians 15:48 |
| The Earth hath its great dependency upon the heavens; did not the rain from above water it, and the sun shine upon it, how hard and barren would it soon be. | So Man hath all his dependency upon God; neither the spiritual man, nor the natural man can subsist, unless the heavens send down blessings upon them. All human, as well as divine growth and fruitfulness, comes from above. |
| Earth turns and cleaves to Earth, as its proper centre. Though a piece of it may by force be lifted up, or thrown upward, yet by an innate propensity to descend, it naturally | So man naturally cleaves to, and takes delight in earthly things: “they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh” Romans 8:5. He that is not born anew, born of the Spirit, but is wholly an earthly man, the Earth is his proper centre: though sometimes his heart may, in an artificial way as it were, be lifted upwards, yet down he falls again to his own centre. |
| What a dark dungeon would the earthly globe be, did not the heavens shine upon it! | So what a dark dungeon is man’s heart, and in what Egyptian darkness would all men and women be involved, were it not for the light of the God of heaven, His word, and blessed Spirit! |
| Those things that are fed and nourished by the Earth, are Earth, and , we see, go or return to Earth again. | So the body of man, which is fed from the Earth, which was taken out of the Earth, we daily see, goeth to the Earth again; and therefore man may be called “Earth, Earth, Earth;” that was his original, Jeremiah 22:29. Earth he was, and Earth he is, and to Earth he shall return again. |
| The sun every spring by its powerful influence, causeth all earthly plants and flowers to come forth, that seemed dead in winter. | So the Lord Jesus will cause all these earthly bodies of men to rise up from the dead at the last day. All that are in the graves shall hear his voice (John 5:28) |
Inference
This may inform mankind of their original, and may tend to keep them humble. Why should any mortals have such high towering thoughts of themselves, and vaunt in pride, and haughtiness of heart, spotting, trimming, and decking themselves, when, alas! their bodies are nothing but Earth, lumps of Earth? They dwell in houses of clay, and it is but a little while ere the Worms will feed upon them, Job 4:19. Though now they seem like curious vessels, or refined Earth, yet in a short space they will be part of the grossest and loathsome earth that eyes can behold, nothing but filth, and stinking putrefaction.
“O then be not proud of our bodies, nor of your beauty:* They who are now the fairest and goodliest to look upon, may quickly have a broken and loathsome skin. A disease, or one fit of sickness may spoil all thy beauty, deface and blemish thy excellent features; and if a disease doth it not, old age will: time will draw furrows in thy face, and make wrinkles in thy brow. Strength and beauty are no matches for time. All things were made in time, and time will mar all things: so long as generation continueth, corruption must.”
“The two externals which man is most subject to be proud of, are beauty and apparel. Clothes are a flag of vanity, and pride sits upon the skirts. But remember, how fine soever your clothing is this day, God can put you on another suit before to-morrow: he can put you on such clothing, as you shall have little cause to be proud of; he can make you wear worms, and clods of dust.”
“What are silks, satins, and velvets, but the issue of worms? And what is your gold and silver, what your pearls and precious stones? Are they any thing, if you will resolve them into their principal, but clods of Earth? They are indeed better concocted by the heat of the sun, refined and polished by the art of man; but if you search their pedigree, they are but clods of dust. And if you be proud of such clothing, God can clothe you with worms, not only of unrefined and unpolished, but of putrified and filthy dust.”
