BE fruitfll and multiply] (As Chap. 1. vers. 28. & Chap. 8. vers. 17. & vers. 7. of this Chap.) Though we read not that Noah had any children after the flood, the blessing of fruitfulnesse in his issue was a blessing to him, Psalms 128:6. for grand-children are children in whom the grand-father lives, and whom he loves as well as those that are his by immediate descent, Genesis 31:28. & Chap. 48. vers. 15, 16. replenish the earth] These words as the former are in forme a command, in effect a blessing, wherein Gods word and his worke goe together, as Gen. 1. 5: 3. 7. 11. and though it be spoken expresly of man-kind alone, yet herein is implied also Gods blessing upon other creatures; for not onely mankind, but beasts and birds were to increase, and by their fruitfulness to replenish the earth and the aire. It is much doubted how all kind of creatures could be brought from the place where Noah landed his carriage in the Arke, all over the earth to overspread it, (as vers. 19.) especially into the remote parts, as America? Answ. 1. It is not necessary that all kind of creatures should breed in all parts of the earth, as in the Ilands, Cuba, Margarita & Dominica there be no Lions, Beares, nor Tygers, as many Countreys have no breed of Elephants or Camels. Secondly, they might goe very farre by land, and from one Land to another by some narrow passage of water which they might swimme over; or they might be carried in Ships from one Countrey to another, and by that time they were multiplied so as to be too many for that Continent on which they were first landed from Noahs Arke, the art of making Ships and of Navigation might be invented; for though we find no mention of Ships untill the benediction of dying Jacob, Genesis 49:13. which was sixe hundred years after this generall flood; yet there might be use of them long before: for it is not necessary nor usuall in the Scripture that all things be mentioned that are done, much lesse that their originall should be precisely noted; for in sixe short Chapters (the first sixe of the Book of Genesis) we have the compendium of the story of the world from the Creation to the Floud containing the terme of one thousand sixe hundred fifty sixe yeares, wherein it must needs be that many more matters are omitted then are mentioned.