Every moving thing] Or, creeping thing. That which creepeth moveth, but not contrariwise all that moveth creepeth; for man, and beasts, and birds do move but do not creep, therefore the originall word is well rendred moveth which is a word of a larger extent then the word creepeth, and so more meet to expresse the beneficence of God in this concession of sustenance to man. that liveth] That is, that dieth not of it selfe, Leviticus 22:8. but being alive is killed by your hand, and not found dead already, as that which is torne by beasts in the field, which is to be cast to dogs, Exodus 22:31. for many of the ceremoniall laws given to Moses from God, and by him to the Jews, were in use long before: See the Annot. on Genesis 7:2. Object. But many living things are not mans meate, as Lions, Beares, Tygers; and many birds, as Hawkes, or Kites; and many fishes, as the Whale, and others; but for creeping things many of them are not onely loathsome to man, but very unwholsome, and some of them no better then plaine poyson; as Toads, Scorpions, Spiders: for answer hereto see the next Note. shall be meat] As by bread in the Lords Prayer is meant not onely bread it selfe, but all necessary food and Physicke which is of use to preserve or recover the health of man, and to prolong his life; so here many of the creatures by way of ordinary diet, and some of them by a physicall vertue shall serve to sustaine the life of man, even Vipers, and Scorpions, and Lice, and the excrements both of men and beasts have their use in physicke for mans good, whereof see abundant instance in the Preface to the Sanctuary of a troubled soule:: Here is the first mention of mans feeding upon the living creatures, and the first grant of that libertie as divers learned Commentators conceive, which yet might be in use before, as corne, and bread, and drinke, though they be not spoken of before; and as the Raine-bow was from the beginning, though not mentioned untill after the floud. And here was especiall cause to mention the allowance of eating the living creatures, both because herbs and fruits were spoiled with the flood, and for that God would by this grant the more oblige them to forbearance of bloud, vers. 4. as he did the more binde Adam to abstinence from the fruit of one tree by his liberall beneficence and allowance to eat freely of all other fruits that grew in the Garden of Eden: and this not by command, for though it be given in a terme of command, Genesis 2:16. is in effect but a concession or permission, as Leviticus 11:3. See also and compare Matthew 19:7. with Mark 10:4. where what is called a commandment in the former Evangelist, is said to be a suffering or tolerating in the other; and of this permission the godly it is like made use as well as the wicked; for it is not probable that Abel being a keeper of sheepe kept them onely for the wooll, or milke, and left their flesh being as pleasant and as wholesome then as since, to be devoured of wild beasts, or to rot either above or under ground; and it is very probable that generally before the flood there was rather an excesse in the use of lawfull meats, because our Saviour, Matthew 24:38. noteth the old world for their eating and drinking, that is, for being too much addicted to delicacie, varietie, and plenty of provision for the flesh at the time when the overflowing scourge came upon them; yet a moderate use was then allowed and taken into practise, which might be put into an expresse permission or concession now, not onely with respect to the refreshing of man, but withall for a religious consideration referring to the glory of God, viz. for restraint of Idolatry, or worshipping, or honouring the creature more then the Creator, against which the killing and eating of them for ordinary diet was a practicall preservative; and it was not without need in respect of mans pronenesse to Idolatry; whereof see Psal. 106. 19, 20. Romans 1:23. nor without fruit; for though some did so abuse themselves and other creatures also as to make gods of such things as they did eate, yet to those who made use of their reason it was a great conviction of the vanitie of such Idols that they might be so devoured, and turned as well to excrement as to nourishment; and therefore did Moses enjoyne the drinking of the water wherein the powder of the golden Calfe was put as a potion for the peoples cure of that brutish Idolatry, Exodus 32:20. as the greene herbe] That is, as freely as the greene herbe, Chap. 1. vers. 29.