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Its distinctive character presenting the great elementary principles of the relationships
of God with man
Genesis has a character of its own; and, as the beginning of the Holy Book, presents to
us all the great elementary principles which find their development in the history of the
relationships of God with man, which is recorded in the following books. The germ of each of
these principles will be found here, unless we except the law. There was however a law
given to Adam in his innocence; and Hagar, we know, prefigures at least Sinai. There
is scarce anything afterwards accomplished of which the expression is not found in this
book in one form or another. There is found also in it, though the sad history of man's
fall be there, a freshness in the relationship of men with God, which is scarce met with
afterwards in men accustomed to abuse it and to live in a society full of itself. But whether
it be the creation, man and his fall, sin, the power of Satan, the promises, the call
of God, His judgment of the world, redemption, the covenants, the separation of the people
of God, their condition of strangers on the earth, the resurrection, the establishment
of Israel in the land of Canaan, the blessing of the nations, the seed of promise, the exaltation
of a rejected Lord to the throne of the world, all are found here in fact or in figure -- in
figure, now that we have the key, even the church itself.