by which we are supported in the middest of our wants and weaknesse 4. To encrease our thankfulness when we feel any farther enlargement and growth in that grace which we have received and which vve find encreased in us in some measure at present and are assured will be perfected hereafter We have considered the Agent or Workman with the manner of his secret working the matter upon which he wrought followes it is called the Deep than which nothing could be more vile no not the dirt it self a rude unformed unprofitable masse or lump this was it which the Spirit overspread or fomented and left it not till he brought it into several forms and shapes of infinite variety Whence 9. Observe God is pleased to abase himself unto and to take care of and cherish the very meanest and basest of all his works Obs 9 HE must indeed abase himself to look unto and have respect to any creature Psal 113.6 but yet he is pleased to take care both of man and beast Psal 36.6 of Oxen 1 Cor. 9.9 of the young ravens Psal 147.9 yea of every living thing Psal 145.16 and that so far as to support and uphold them Heb. 1.3 to satisfie their desire Psal 145.16 to provide them food Job 38.41 to cloathe them Matth. 6.30 nay to observe and direct all their wayes Matth. 10.29 Reason 1. They could not otherwise subsist seeing in him all things live and move and have their being Act. 17.28 2. It magnifies his mercy the more Psal 113.5 6. Let none despair being in never so mean a Condition Job's breath may be strange to his Wife and his Maids might account him as a stranger Job 19.15 17. but God heareth the poor and despiseth not his prisoners Psal 69.33 gathereth the outcasts of his people Psal 147.2 looks upon the Church in her blood when no eye pitied her Ezek. 16.6 even upon men in sin Rom. 5.8 Nay even for such persons though more vile then the earth God gives his own Son bestowes upon them his own Spirit makes them up amongst his own Jewels Mal. 3.17 and reserves them to eternal glory Only the proud and such as rebel against him he knowes afar off Psal 138.6 VERSE 3. HItherto have been described the matter out of which all Creatures were to be framed the Workman that undertakes the work with the manner of his working In the rest of the Chapter we have laid before us the description of the severall Creatures which were made successively with the means whereby and manner how they were formed and took their being expressed with wonderfull brevity yet so that the Holy Ghost in this relation forgets not to shew us distinctly 1. The Order in which they were made successively 2. The Author of the Work which was God himself 3. The Means which he used in Creating them His Word 4. The time in which every Creature was made distinguished by severall dayes 5. The Effect or Work it self 6. The Approbation of every work in Particular and of the Whole in General by the Lord himself the most Able and most Impartiall Judge of his own VVork In the Order which God was pleased to observe in making the Creatures we are to take speciall notice that he first Creates those things that were either for General Use to all Creatures as the Light Air Heavens Seas and Earth or for more particular Use to the Creatures afterwards to be made as the Plants before the beasts which vvere to be nourished by them and not onely of them but of the beasts too before he Created the Man that was to make use of them all discovering therein both his Wisdome and Providence in taking care for the comfortable subsistence of the Creatures before he made them Whence 1. Observe The General good of the Creature is Gods First and Chief care Observ 1 AS appears by the largenesse of his bounty in making provisions for his Creatures in General that the desire of every living thing might be satisfied Psal 143.16 And by the strange course of his Providence by which he hath still upheld the kinds of the Creature in the middest of the continual decay of so many particulars and is farther evident by that principle that he hath planted in the hearts of all men that States and Societies of men must be supported even with the losse sometimes of particular persons Woe be then to those Monsters of men that take care and seek with all their endeavours themselves only and their own good without any respect at all to the Church or State A Common evil as appears by the Apostles complaint Phil. 2.21 and yet approved as a principle of great wisdome by too many Psal 49.18 A Sin against nature even in Heathen mens judgment A sottish sin as if any person could possibly subsist or any member continue in any comfortable condition without the preservation of the body And a sin that deservedly deprives a man of all love from men and reward from God Let all that are godly imitate God in caring for and with all their endeavours furthering the General more than their own private good according to the Apostles direction 1 Cor. 10.24 and example vers 33. As 1. More desireable in it self 2. Most tending to Gods honour 3. Most furthering our own good involved in and supported by the general welfare 4. And being that for which we were principally ordained by God 5. And which God will surely reward and men honour as they did Jehojadah 2 Chr. 24.6 which a man may warrantably challenge at Gods hand Neh. 5.19 We find but one efficient cause of all the Creatures God himself whom we may withall take notice of in every particular work as the Spirit of God points him out unto us The Meanes likewise used in the production of every Creature is only Gods VVord or Effectual decree For we may not conceive God speaking with an articulate voyce having none but himself at least no Creature that had eares and understanding to speak unto This Means which God made use of in Creating the VVorld if we take into consideration once for all we may warrantably from thence 2. Observe God needs no other Means to effect any thing but his own Word and Will Observ 2 AS of it self being mighty in operations in Natural effects To create Psal 33.6 to sustain and support Psal 119.89 91. to prevail upon and order all Creatures Psal 29.3 4. Upon the Sun to stay the course of it Josh 10.13 nay to bring it back â— King 20.10 Upon the Sea to remand and hasten it into the Channel prepared for it Psal 104.7 In the works of Grace the Word of God is quick and powerful Heb. 4.12 to cast down strong holds 2 Cor. 10.5 to renew quicken subdue and comfort the heart and to work in us both to will and to do according to Gods good pleasure Thus he doth whatsoever he pleaseth in Heaven and Earth Psal 135.6 so that his counsel standeth
do unto this day according to Gods Decree VVhence 1. Observe It is the Will of God that all Creatures shall depart from their own Private for a Common good Observ 1 THus we see he hath made the waters to leave their place that the Earth might be dry and habitable and causeth the Ayre to come down and fill up the hollow places of it for preventing of vacuity and emptinesse And that which he hath ordered and appointed concerning these baser and unsensible Creatures he hath commanded those which are reasonable voluntarily to yield unto The very Angels themselves the glory of all Gods works come down from heaven their habitation and are contented for a time to want the Vision of God that they may become Ministring Spirits for the good of the Elect Heb. 1.14 No marvail then if God require his Children to condescend to those of the lower sort Rom. 12.16 not seeking their own profit but the profit of many 1 Cor. 20.33 And though they be free yet becoming servants unto all 1 Cor. 19.19 after our Saviour Christ's example Phil. 2.4 Reason 1. No Creature hath any wrong by it seeing it enjoyes nothing in its own right but hath all by Gods free gift who therefore hath just right to appoint the employment of that which himself hath freely bestowed 2. All Creatures were ordained not for themselves but for Gods honour and for their mutuall support for the preservation of Community So that in forgoing their own for a common good they are carried on unto their proper end for which they were at the first Created 3. The applying of our selves to further a Common Good is our greatest Honour profit and safety and certainly recompenced with a large reward from God who failes not to make up our losses which we freely make for his service in furthering the common good with a larger proportion of gain usually at present but undoubtedly hereafter according to his own promise Matth. 19.29 Let no man have respect to his own Right or Honour or Profit in any ease wherein God requires any service for himself or for his Church after the example of Jothans Trees Judg. 9.9.11.13 VVhich 1. savours strongly of Self-love which is alwaies joyned with an unloving heart towards others 2. Argues great unthankfulnesse and disobedience unto God when a man denies himself or his estate or abilities to him that gave them and is still Lord of us and of whatsoever we have 3. And discovers a distrustful heart as questioning either Gods VVill or Ability to recompence his service wherein we wrong God in an high degree who will be no mans debter It was no sooner spoken but it was done and that with speed when God had spoken the waters fled they hasted away as the Psalmist represents unto us the effect of this Decree of God Psal 104.7 So his Word that had created the waters prevailed upon them to carry them speedily to their places and to settle them there Whence 2. Observe All the Creatures in the World obey the voice of God Observ 2 SEe Psal 148.6.8 That prevailed upon the waters to gather them together into their Channels Psal 104.7 8. and to shut them up there Job 37.8 as in Store-houses Psal 33.7 At it the earth melts Psal 46.6 And the foundation of it are discovered Psal 18.15 The Sunne staies its course and stands still Josh 10.13 Nay turnes back again 2 King 20.11 The winds cease and are still Matth. 8.27 Yea the hearts of the most rebellious stoop and are calmed and their rage is pacified Gen. 31.29 Reason 1. Why should not that voice command them which made them at first and limit their motions which gave them their being 2. Otherwise it were impossible for God to do all things according to the counsell of his own Heart and consequently to govern the world in righteousnesse if he had made Creatures which he could not rule Let all Creatures then tremble at his Power whom the very winds and Seas obey Matth. 8.27 Jer. 5.22 Whereof all the Monarchs on the Earth are not able to stay one wave or blast And let all his Saints trust in him even in the greatest extremities with the Church Psal 46.2 That God who can command the Earth the Seas Winds and Heavens can still the tumults and ragings of the people nay of the most bloody Tyrants Psal 65.7 and will not fail to do it for the good and safety of his Servants The end why the waters were thus gathered together and confined to their Channels was especially that the dry land might appear without which there could not have been either food or habitation for men or beasts nor place for any herb or plant to grow on which quickly appeared when God let loose the waters and overwhelmed the Earth by them in the general deluge So the appearing of the dry land and making it habitable by the gathering together of the waters was none of the least of Gods Mercies VVhence 3. Observe It is onely Gods Powerfull restraint of the Seas and Waters that makes the earth habitable for man and Beast Observ 3 THe Flood of Noah is a sufficient evidence of this Truth which is likewise often manifested by smaller inundations since which have deprived many people of their dwellings and not a few of their lives Let all men lay it to heart and blesse the Authour of this great Mercy when they look upon the firm foundation of their houses the fruites of their grounds the encrease of their cattell when they enjoy the Ayre to breath in the dry ground to walk on and the seas to trade in and do their businesse there And let men walk in fear before that Mighty God who more easily might let loose the Sea then keep it in within those weak bounds that he hath set it Jer. 5.22 and thereby choak all flesh in an instant But it may be questioned why God did not take away the waters as well as he gathered them into their Channels seeing the Earth had thereby been much inlarged And it cannot be doubted but he had so done if he had found it good either for his own Honour or for the benefit of the Creature VVhence 4. Observe Even the Huge and vast Seas are the Creatures of God and ordained for special use unto Man Observ 4 FIrst to fill the hearts of men with the fear of that great God by beholding so vast and mighty a Creature ruled and ordered by his power and kept within the bounds which he hath appointed for it 2. By observing that by it way is made to the discovering of the large Circuite of the Earth which God hath given to the sons of Men for their habitation with the variety of the Creature 's several kinds wherewith it is furnished discovered only by Navigation and unknown in a great part in former ages wherein that art was imperfect whereby the world being in a great part unknown was conceived to be much lesse
God although he thought it not fit to change the Sabbath unto another day till that work should be accomplished which should occasion the change of it yet took speciall care to pen the Fourth Commandement in such expressions that when the time of accomplishing that work should come the day might be changed without altering the letter of the Law Wherefore having occasion in the fourth Commandement to alledge the same reason for the Continuation of the Sabbath that he gives here for the Institution of it and that in the same form of words which he here useth yet in the conclusion inferred upon that reason he changeth the Particular term Seventh unto that which is more General Sabbath saying not as here Therefore the Lord Sanctified the Seventh Day but Therefore the Lord Sanctified the Sabbath Day Implying that the time which he required to be observed must be one Resting day of Seven leaving the Particularity of the day to be designed by the work upon which the observation of it was to be grounded so that both the Jews from that same Law might have warrant for the observation of the Last day of the Week and we that are Christians might have the like warrant for the observing of the First day of the Week Some there are that conceive these words not to contain in them the Narration of what God instituted at present but by way of Anticipation a manifestation of what he Ordained and Appointed to be observed in the Law afterward delivered to his people upon Mount Sinai Exod. 20. As if Moses had said here This Rest of God the Seventh day was the reason why God in the delivering his Law upon Mount Sinai appointed his People to keep that Seventh day for a day of an Holy Rest To whom we answer 1. What ground is there to be drawn out of any Circumstance of the text that enforceth us to admit such an Anticipation and without such a ground who dare suppose it If we may pervert the Order of the Scriptures at our pleasure without warrant from the Letter of the text it self no Man shall be able to draw any binding Argument out of Scripture to conclude any thing at all 2. Anticipations in Scripture are most Commonly if not Alwaies used that by representing before hand somewhat which was done afterwards the whole narration might be made more clear and perspicuous or at least that the Occasion or consequents of such other things as are related might be Considered and laid together that we might the more easily and distinctly observe the VVay of God in his VVork Now in this place to mention the occasion of that which was done more then two thousand years afterwards helps nothing to the understanding of any thing there related and consequently there is upon that ground no cause of supposing such an Anticipation 3. Such an Anticipation in this place must needs be acknowledged to be utterly superfluous seeing the very ground of Instituting the rest of the Sabbath which is mentioned here is expresly and wel-nigh in the same words set down in the very body of the Law given upon Mount Sinai Now it cannot be Imagined that the Holy Ghost in an History so succinctly penned as this is would insert any thing unnecessarily and superfluously 4. Such an Anticipation in this place necessarily supposeth that the Book of Genesis was written after the delivering of the Law upon Mount Sinai for if the Law were not given before the Book of Genesis was written how could this Anticipation here shew the reason of a Law which was not then in being Now that the Book of Genesis was written after the Law was given is impossible to be proved Nay if conjectures might be admitted it seems more probable that Genesis was written while Moses was yet in Midian before he undertook the bringing up of Israel out of Egypt for besides that he was then best at leisure that Book must needs be of singular use to encourage the Children of Israel to undertake their journey into Canaan for which their Fore-Fathers had forsaken their own native soil which God had so many waies made over unto them wherein they had been sojourners so long a time and wherein God had so wonderfully protected and prospered them even to admiration all of them being great encouragements to enter into the possession of so good a Land so freely bestowed upon them Others there are that conceive that those words contain only a narration of what God himself did not what he appointed or ordained Man to do or observe afterwards and will have the words in the first clause to expresse what God did He rested and in the later to expresse how he did it He Sanctified and Blessed his Rest or kept it as an Holy Rest To whom we answer 1. How can God be said to Sanctifie his Rest in this Sense seeing his Actions and Holines of them cannot be severed but whatsoever he doth is Holy because he doth it The actions of Men indeed and the Holinesse of them be two things and are many times too far asunder but God is holy in all his Works Psal 145.17 and in ceasing from his Works And therefore to say that God Rested and that he Sanctified his Rest is to speak Improperly and Superfluously 2. If that be the sense of the term Sanctified how shall we interpret the next word Blessed In what sense God by his own Act of Resting may be said to Blesse the day of his Rest cannot easily be imagined neither do we find any other place of Scripture wherein that phrase bears such a sense 3. The letter of the Text and Series of the Narration seem to oppose this sense wherein we have related unto us three distinct Actions of God First He made 2. He Rested 3. He Blessed and Sanctified the Rest And those three are laid down as succeeding one another at least in Nature if not in Time Yea and to be in a sort the ground one of another The full perfecting and finishing of the Creation was the ground of Gods Resting and his Resting was the Ground or Occasion at least of Blessing and Sanctifying the Day of Rest or appointing of it to be a day of Holy Rest So that as in the words of the second verse He rested from all the works which he had made imply the making of the works before the Rest so in this Verse He Sanctified the Rest because he had Rested must needs imply that the Rest went before the sanctifying of the Rest and to be distinct from it A third sort there are that think those words Sanctified and Blessed to imply Not what God then did but what he purposed and intended to do afterwards and parallel for the strengthening of that conjecture with these words that phrase Jer. 11.8 where God saith that he sanctified and Ordained Jeremy to be a Prophet in the womb which cannot be understood of the Actuall Sanctifying of Jeremy at present but
justifying of what he had spoken and offering it to be tried by experience and that out of hand One day he tells the woman would evidently by proofe make good all that he had affirmed By these weak suggestions having no ground to support them but only the credit of a liars word Satan having now engaged the womans affections easily removes from her heart the feare of Gods just indignation which the apprehension of that terrible curse threatened by the Lord himself with his own mouth had setled in her heart before Of Satans fourth practice to fasten mans heart to dependance upon the creature after he had drawn it away from God That it concerned Satan if he intended to hold on man in a resolved Apostasie from God to fasten him to a dependance upon the creature that he might have no cause to look back unto God any more hath in part been intimated heretofore That truth is founded upon this an unquestionable maxime that no creature nor consequently man hath sufficiency in and of it selfe and consequently being naturally carried on by a constant desire after its own good cannot possibly be at rest till it meet with some meanes from which it may receive a supply of that which it wants in it selfe Man therefore being a reasonable creature and consequently by the benefit of his understanding sensible of his inability to subsist of himselfe by a principle which God hath planted in nature must of necessity put forth his desires after something out of himself to lean unto from which he may have his wants supplied and when he hath found it to adhere unto and depend upon it Now then Satan having already perswaded the woman that God did but delude her and meant her no good and therefore was not any further to be depended on especially for that good which she now wanted and which was most proper to her nature the knowledge of good and evil the meanes of attaining whereof he had interdicted her under a fearful curse In the next place takes upon him to discover to the woman another and that a more easie and certain meanes of furnishing her selfe with that which God held and kept from her and thereby raising her selfe to a more excellent condition then that which God had bestowed upon her This saith he the fruit of that tree which you are forbidden to touch as you say will furnish you withal Thus Satan deales with Eve as subtile men use to do when they intend to break off a treaty of marriage they set another match on foot rather as those that endeavour to draw away a mans heart from his own wife they entangle him in the love of a strange woman Withal Satan well knew that mans dependance upon God necessarily drew on these two things First an absolute subjection to his Will in all things Secondly the referring and carrying on of all things to his glory Here again Satan takes hold of another advantage To be guided wholly by the Will of another and to lay aside his own will and desires and to refer all to the honour and glory of another might seem to be an heavy yoke such as in all probability man would be very willing to shake off if he might wherefore Satan offers unto man to take his own will for his rule to guide himselfe and to make his own good the end and scope of all his actions If this were hearkened unto as it was very probable it would then was mans Apostasie from God unto the creature as it is described to be total and absolute to himself being a creature as his own end and to other creatures as the meanes on which he might depend to supply him in what he needed Satans first taske namely to take off mans heart from subjecting it selfe and all the desires thereof to the Will of God and aiming at and carrying on all his actions and endeavours to his glory supposing his heart to be already fallen off from God and any dependance on him seemes to be an easie work Indeed if the motion had been to propose unto him another Lord it would have sounded very harshly As good or better continue his service under his old Master then subject himself and stoop to a new But to be subject to no Lord at all and to be every way absolute of himself and free altogether was an offer not only faire and plausible but at the first view seemes to carry with it some shew of justice and equity For supposing God to be removed out of the way then was man the most eminent of all visible creatures and consequently fit to govern himself according to his own will and to be the scope of his own endeavours in seeking his own good Besides that natural self-love which God had planted in all mens hearts by which he is stirred up to use all meanes for the attaining to his own chiefest good and is not only allowable but a duty too if it be done within due bounds and limitations taken from our subordination to God and respect to community when those respects unto God were removed must necessarily carry on man to a total and absolute self-seeking without any limitation or further respect at all Now that this was Satans policy to move man to take it on him to be his owne Lord appears evidently partly by his advice to eat of that tree though it were forbidden which was in effect to guide himselfe by his own Appetite and not by his Makers Will and partly by the inducement upon which he endeavours to perswade him to embrace that counsel because it would make him a God as if his own advancement were the main end to which he should bend all his endeavours And how easily he prevailed upon our first Parents by this policy the lamentable event which immediately followed sufficiently discovered the advice being embraced and assented unto as soon as it was tendered and well nigh as soon put in execution as it was embraced Satan having prevailed upon our first Parents by this suggestion had now gained what he desired For first God was as much as lay in the creature put out of his Soveraignty over the chief work of his hands Secondly Satan himself in effect possessed that Soveraignty of which God was deprived For we shall finde that howsoever the devil tenders unto Adam the title of becoming his own lord yet in effect it was himself that bore all the sway whose counsel and advice wholly ruled man from thence forward who was now over-ruled by such vile lusts as Satan stirred up and raised and continually cherished in his heart as to this day we know wicked men in giving up themselves to their own lusts are said to walk after him Eph. 2.2 to do his lusts or his will John 8.44 and so to be carried and held and led captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 The devil then having prevailed upon man so far as to renounce his
the winde In one thing the woman doth well whatsoever her meaning was or whatsoever moved her the reunto that she mentions the Sanction together with the interdiction whereof only the divel had enquired expressing not only what God had forbidden but withal under how severe a penalty he had forbidden it and may give us occasion to 2. OBSERVE When we remember any Law of God we ought withal to set before us the Sanction an nexed thereunto Observe 2 UNto this God himselfe seems to direct us who hath annexed the Sanctions to some of the Lawes of the Decalogue as namely to the second third and fifth Commandments notwithstanding the great brevity which he useth in penning that Law unto which also after the full delivery of the whole Law are annexed divers others more at large Lev. 26. and Deut. 28. And we know that not only the Law was appointed to be published in the eares of all the people after their coming into the Land of Canaan but the Sanctions both of blessings and curses were to be denounced withal Deut. 28.12 13. This course that God takes in the delivery of the Law both directs Ministers in preaching and applying it to follow that example and private persons in their meditations and examination of their wayes and actions not to sever those things which God himself hath joyned together And that 1. For Gods honour that all our obedience may be tendred to him both in faith and feare wherein we acknowledge both his infinite goodnesse in rewarding even those duties that we owe unto him as his servants and his holinesse and justice in executing justice upon such as wickedly transgresse 2. For our own necessity whose dead hearts need such effectual meanes to quicken us Thus we see God every where stirs up his own people to obedience by the promises of large rewards as the Apostle doth likewise stir us up to be abundant always in the Work of the Lord because we know our labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 On the other side Job makes use of the terrour of Gods wrath to restrain himself from evil Job 31.23 as likewise doth the Prophet David Psal 119.120 The next thing observable in this part of the womans answer is that she prefixeth the Name of God both to the interdiction and to the judgement threatened which though she seem to do with some repining or rising of her heart against the strictnesse of Gods dealing with her notwithstanding howsoever she may make an ill use of it yet she doth no more then she ought to have done and may give us occasion to 3 OBSERVE When we lay the Law of God before us we must withal fixe our thoughts upon him that gives it Observ 3 FOr this purpose in delivering the Decalogue the Lord before the Law himself prefixeth his own Name And thus all the Prophets in urging and applying the Law in all their reproofes exhortations threatenings or promises still prefixeth before them or annexeth unto them The Lord hath spoken or The Word of the Lord. And indeed the remembring of Gods Name upon such occasions is of singular use sundry wayes 1. Together with Gods Name is represented unto us his Authority and withal both his Wisdome and Goodnesse which will be an effectual meanes to stay and silence all carnal reasonings which otherwise will very hardly be answered considering how hard a matter it is for the wisdom of the flesh to submit to the Law Rom. 8.7 But against God himselfe who dare dispute with the Apostle Rom. 9.20 2. By the same meanes we are quickened to obedience with chearfulnesse when we consider that they are the Commandments of that God who gave us our being and in whom we subsist to whom we owe our selves and all we have and from whom we expect glory and immortality and eternal life See Davids answer to his scoffing wife 2 Sam. 6.21 3. Only this looking upon God in all his Commandments makes our services duties of obedience when they are performed at the Command and in submission to the Will of him whose we are whereby we acknowledge both his Authority and besides his Will to be the rule of Righteousnesse Lastly it wonderfully stirs us up to watchfulnesse diligence and sincerity in all our carriage when we behold the Presence Majesty and Holinesse of him to whom we performe our duties serving him with reverence and feare and with a single heart as being the God who sees in secret and whose eyes are purer then to behold evil But all circumstances duly weighed and the whole frame of the womans answer duly considered it seems more then probable that her prefixing of Gods Name to this interdiction proceedes meerly from an humour of discontent and the rising of her spirit against the restraint from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and by consequent against God himselfe who had laid this restraint upon her So easie a matter it was for Satan to work her heart even in this state of innocency to impatience and discontent at any restraint at all how much more easily doth he set our heart against it in this state of corruption So that we may from hence 4 OBSERVE It is an hard matter to bring mans heart to submit unto and beare with patience and chearfulnesse any yoke of restraint Observe 4 THe evidence of this truth appears not only in the sonnes of Belial as the Scripture termes them who refuse to beare any yoke but break all bands and cast away the cords from them Psal 2.3 but even in those that pretend to submit to the Law and yet when it crosseth their humour cast it aside as did Johanan and his companions Jer. 43.4 5. or at least submit to it with murmuring like Zipporah Exod. 4.25 Nay the best and dearest of Gods servants though they have really and cordially taken upon them Christs yoke so far that they consent to the Law that it is good and holy Rom. 7.16 and righteous in all things Psal 119.128 and delight in it Rom. 7.22 Psal 119.24 and engage themselves in their purposes and resolutions to observe it constantly in all things Psal 119.106 yet they finde a law in their members that is strong lusts in their fleshly part rebelling and rising up against that Law that their minde approves and submits unto Rom. 7.23 and striving to shake off that yoke that they may be at liberty And this comes to passe because the best are but renewed in part and have sin dwelling in them still although it reigne not in them so that they are partly carnal still and therefore there is still something in them that neither is nor can be subject to Gods Law Rom. 8.7 but growes more rebellious by restraint Rom. 7.8 9. as waters swell the higher by the dam that stops their course This condition of his children the Lord himself hath thus disposed in wisdome 1. That we might be the more
him unto sin Observe 4 THus Job makes a covenant with his eyes not to look upon a maid that he might not have occasion to think on her Job 31.1 And Solomon adviseth us not to come neere the doore of a lewd womans house if we would avoid adultery Prov. 5.8 not to look upon the wine in the cup if we would avoid drunkennesse Proverbs 23 31. Reason 1. The pronenesse of our corrupt nature to evil which like gun-powder takes fire by every spark 2. The aptnesse of outward objects to work upon sense which quickly kindle affections by which our judgement is corrupted so that we are suddenly overtaken before we can arme our selves to resist the temptation Let us betimes remove from us all outward provocations to sin-alluring objects wicked company c. as being conscious to our selves of the weaknesse of our own hearts and having no assurance to be assisted by God if we cast our selves upon needlesse dangers as our Saviour answers Satan Mat. 4.7 especially to be watchful over our selves in those sins to which nature or custome most inclines us But it were needlesse to prevent a danger where is no likelihood of falling into danger wherefore we must needs acknowledge that God in his wisdome foresaw a pronenesse in Adam to fall into that sin which he so carefully prevents namely that Adam would be apt to take of that Tree of Life which now could not profit him at all So that we hence upon good ground 5. OBSERVE Men are naturally apt to think themselves safe in the performance of outward acts of holy duties Observe 5 FOr God discovers a pronenesse in Adam not only to eat of that Tree of Life but withal to perswade himself that by eating of it he should live for ever Thus the Jews rest upon the outward act of fasting Isa 58.3 4. and think themselves wronged because that was not accepted and conceive that the very standing in Gods house shall deliver them Jer. 7.10 And the Pharisee pleads his fasting twice in the week c. for his justification Luke 18.12 Reason 1. Carnal men embrace this common principle that God will accept and reward those that serve him 2. And know no other service but the performance of the outward work as being uttenly unacquainted with the inward operations of the spirit which they never felt in themselves 3. And finde the outward act approved by men 4. Lastly have their eyes blinded by Satan lest by drawing neere unto God in sincerity of heart they should escape out of his snare 1. It justly taxeth all that blinde their own eyes to their destruction without Gods infinite mercy by resting upon outward performances like the Jewes Isa 1.15 In praying hearing fasting alms-giving receiving the Sacrament as is manifest First when they undertake them without preparation not stirring up themselves to take hold of God Isa 64.7 Secondly by remaining without life both in and after such performances Thirdly and think themselves wronged if in such formes of godlinesse they be not approved by God and men Wherein 1. They wrong God in conceiving him to be like themselves Psal 50.20 and in offering him the basest part only of his service when their hearts are far from him Esay 29.13 whereas God loveth truth in the inward parts Psalme 51.6 and being a Spirit will be worshipped in Spirit and truth John 4.24 2. And beguile themselves deading their own hearts and losing all their reward 2. Let it be our care to performe all our services with life and affection to hear with feare and trembling Esay 66.2 to poure out our soules in prayer Psal 62.8 to afflict them in fasting Levit. 23.32 and to performe acts of obedience with joy and cheerfulnesse Deut. 28.47 To which end let us have still before us 1. The Majesty 2. Holinesse 3. Spiritual nature 4. All piercing eye of that God to whom we addresse our selves First in our services Secondly our great obligation to him to whom we owe more then our selves and therefore our best abilities to serve him withal Thirdly the weight of the duties themselves which require our whole strength in the performance of them that we may 1. Wash our hands in innocency when we compass Gods Altar Psal 26.6 2. Draw in and unite all our thoughts when we go about those duties 3. Wait upon God for strength from above Psal 51.15 119.18 We see how careful God is to prevent Adams eating of that Tree to which he had now no right at all the Covenant being broken which it sealed Whence 6 OBSERVE God cannot endure the defiling of his Ordinances by such as have no right to them Observe 6 NOt his word Psal 50.16 17. Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.27 Baptisme to other then Beleevers Acts 8.36 37 Mark 16.16 see what became of the guest that thrust in to the feast without a wedding garment Mat. 22.12 13. and how sharply God reproves the Priests for bringing uncircumcised persons into his Sanctuary Ezek. 44.7 Reason 1. It is an high dishonour to God who by wicked mens drawing neer unto him may seeme to be their patron Jer. 7.11 2. Holy things are thereby prophaned Mat. 7.6 and brought into contempt 1 Sam. 2.17 3. It is a great meanes to harden wicked mens hearts who enjoying these priviledges which of right belong only unto the godly flatter themselves with a vaine conceit that they are accepted and approved of God as well as his own children an evil to which mens hearts are very prone as hath been shewed in the last point First how dare men then so boldly thrust in themselves without warrant into the use of Gods Ordinances in prayer hearing partaking of the Sacrament being 1. Ignorant of the nature of those duties and consequently unable to perform them as they ought 2. Having no interest in the Covenant as having never in their hearts consented to live unto God not unto themselves to deny themselves and the world which Christ requires of all his followers Mat. 16.24 3. And manifesting by walking after their lusts that they take themselves to be their own Lords Psal 12.4 Whereby they 1. Beguile themselves accounting themselves amongst Gods children interessed in all their priviledges to which they have no title 2. And beguile others who living as they do are apt likewise to think well of themselves as well as they 3. Offend others 1 Sam. 2.17 4. And encrease their own judgement 1 Cor. 11.29 Secondly let us examine our selves not only in receiving the Sacrament as we are directed 1 Cor. 11.28 but in prayer and in other religious duties what right we have to the use of them 1. What faith and dependance upon God such as Saint Paul expresseth 2 Tim. 1.12 grounded upon experimental knowledge 2. What conformity we finde in our hearts to the minde and will of God upon which David grounds his petition in prayer Ps 143.9 10. 3. What abasement of our selves we finde in our own hearts with Job
finde the wowan allured by the view of the fruit forbidden and to fall to the eating of it assoon as she had consented to the sinne we may upon good ground conclude that the place was not only Paradise but the very midst of Paradise where it is most likely the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil stood not far from the Tree of Life The devil as it may be guessed forbearing to presse the temptation till it might be strengthened by the view of that pleasant fruit to the eating whereof he intended to allure our first Parents The rather because all his hope of prevailing stood in the suddennesse of the assault by which the woman being surprised unawares and at an instant overlaid with all the Art and Power which Satan could use before she could recollect her selfe might be overtaken and conquered unto which how much the view of that pleasant object conduced appears by the ensuing Narration Verse 1. Now or But as some others render it for although that particle Va very frequently signifies And yet in this place it seemes rather to be if not an Adversitive yet at least a Discretive then a Conjunctive particle as it is also taken in the first verse of the former Chapter As if Moses had said Thus we see how God had every way manifested his Goodnesse and Bounty towards man not ceasing to heap upon him blessings upon blessings till he had made him perfectly happy And thus man continued in a blessed condition till he was perverted by Satan to his own destruction But how he fell away from God to the utter ruine of himself and his posterity unlesse the Lord out of his abundant mercy and compassion had restored him again will appear in the ensuing Narration Thus when the Holy Ghost had represented God acting his part in Holinesse Mercy and Truth he brings in the Divel on the Stage walking contrary to God in a course of malice subtilty and falshood to overthrow and pervert the order of all that God had made The Serpent The Hebrew name coming from a word which signifies to observe subtilly or wittily might be applied indifferently either to the beast it selfe or to Satan that spake by it But the comparing of the Serpent with other beasts of the field in this place and the kinde of the curse which was laid upon him afterwards discover him to be a true Serpent indeed of which creature why the Devil made choice above the rest we shall see anon For the present it may justly be enquired why Moses names only the Serpent and makes no mention of the Devil at all who was the principal Agent and made use of the Serpent only as the Instrument in this designe The reason hereof we may guesse to be twofold First because there had been hitherto no mention made of the Creation of those invisible spirits or of their Fall the intention of Moses being as it seemes to relate only the History of the Visible World the name of the Divel is not mentioned here because nothing had been spoken of him before and the rather because though he be not named yet he must necessarily be supposed to be the Author of this whole Discourse between the Serpent and the Woman which could not possibly be framed by an irrational creature And seeing Satan is called in other places as namely Rev. 12.15 and 20.2 by the name of a Serpent we may in this place under that name Serpent understand both the Beast and the Devil who used him as his Instrument seeing both are called in Scripture by the same name Secondly Moses his intention being principally to clear God of having any hand in Adams sinne thinkes it fittest to lay before us only the visible passages of the temptation as namely what was uttered and by whom as being most manifest in themselves and consequently the strongest evidences for the clearing of that truth leaving the secret passages which could not so easily be discovered by sense to our guesse as the invisible Author of the temptation the motions of the womans heart against God and the several thoughts which affected her minde which being not subject to outward observation might be easily affirmed but hardly proved More subtile The Serpents subtilty is mentioned elsewhere both in Scripture and in other Authors which some conceive might have been greater before Adams fall then now it is supposing that besides the general decay which came upon all creatures thereby God might justly take away or at least impaire the natural abilities of this creature above the rest being employed by Satan for mans destruction But suppose the Serpents subtilty to be never so great yet seeing it could not be a reasoning or discoursing subtilty which way could Satan make use of that for the perswading of a reasonable creature If there were any Authour of such an opinion or if the word in the Original did any way favour it a man might probably guesse that the Serpents subtilty here mentioned was only his aptnesse to slide and convey himselfe closely into Paradise unespied of Adam or his wife till a fit opportunity presented it selfe to give the onset for we call them subtile men who walk secretly and unseen in all their wayes But that we leave unto the Readers consideration rather proposing this as a guesse then prescribing it to be embraced as a certain truth And he said That is Satan by him if under the name Serpent we understand both the Agent and the Instrument seeing it is out of question that the Devil framed both the voice and the discourse as God did afterwards when he spake to Balaam by his Asse Notwithstanding the voice is ascribed to the Serpent because no other Authour of it appeared to the woman But why doth the Devil make use of a creatures voice when he might have suggested all that the Serpent speakes without a voice as he did to David 1 Chron. 21.1 and doth ordinarily to Gods children as well as to wicked men and by that meanes hath been lesse discovered Whatsoever Satans policy was therein we may probably conceive that God purposely over-ruled him in his way to the end that the whole course of the temptation being carried on openly and made subject to sense it might be made manifest to the world that this suggestion came neither from God nor from any evil disposition of minde that God created in man but only from the malice and subtilty of Satan who having fallen away from God himselfe desired to draw in man to be a party with him in his rebellion partly out of envie against God and partly out of malice to man Withal it cannot be denied but that the weaknesse of so contemptible an instrument must needs discover mans infirmity who was mastered by so base an enemy and withal aggravate his sinne in obeying the voice and believing the word of one of the meanest of his own vassals against the peremptory Command and faithful Promise of
his own Lord. To the woman Alone as it is most probable that he might the more easily prevaile against her whereas two might have withstood him Eccl. 4.12 And to the woman rather then to the man as conceiving her to be the weaker vessel Now if besides we should imagine as some do that this Interdiction of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was delivered by God himself only to Adam and by him to the woman then had Satan yet another advantage against the woman in gain-saying that which she had received only upon her husbands report and not immediately from Gods own mouth But it seemes more probable that the Interdiction was delivered unto them both by God himself Yea Or is it true indeed or is it possible so that it may be a speech either of doubting or of indignation or of admiration tempting the woman to question either the truth or at least the equity of that Interdiction Withal that expression seems to have relation to some precedent Conference that had passed between the Serpent and Woman not mentioned in this History wherein Moses contenting himself only with the discovery of the point of that fiery dart which wounded our first Parents to death omits both the entrance into and other passages that passed between the Woman and the Serpent before the temptation Hath God said It is not without some special aime that Satan questions whether this Interdiction were given by God or no. Seeming to imply from the very Name of God either the improbability that God so good and kinde in himself as having planted this pleasant Garden of purpose for man and bestowed it freely on him should deny him the use of any fruit therein Or if it were true that he had so done the indignity that God should deal so unkindly with man as to plant trees of purpose to anger him that he might have that continually in his eye which he might not enjoy yea and so far to envie mans good as to deny him the use of the fruit which only had the vertue to make him truly happy and which he might as easily have given him as he had made it And beyond this to deal so deceitfully with him as to make shew of giving him much when in the mean time he had denied him that fruit by which only he might receive that true good which was proper to a man to make him wise as he tells him afterwards and that also wittingly as well knowing the great vertue of that fruit to that end Ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden Every is a word of ambiguous signification and may indifferently denote either One or Some or All the trees so that we may understand them thus Is any tree forbidden you Or thus are there some trees denied unto you Or thus is every that is are all trees of the Garden withheld from you Thus begins Satan to treat warily and cunningly with the Woman discovering neither his malice against God nor his mischievous intention to man at the first but keeps himself aloof off In the first place not so much affirming as enquiring and next proposing the termes of this enquiry so ambiguously that if he were challenged for dealing maliciously with God in questioning why he had forbidden man the eating of some or of all the trees whereas he had forbidden but one he might answer that by every tree he meant no more but any one tree and yet the expression might be such as might point either at more or at all that thereby Satan might further his end the better in amplifying the restraint as much as might be as if God had withheld much or in effect All from man that so the womans spirit might rise the more against it as if that which God had granted were inconsiderable in comparison of that which was withheld Verse 2. And the woman said That she feared not the Serpent we need not wonder seeing there was at that present no enmity amongst the creatures and therefore there could be no cause of feare where was no appearance of danger But seeing the woman knew that the Serpent could not be the Authour either of the voice or discourse how is it that she suspects not some fraud for that this could not be the voice of God must needs be evident unto her because the whole scope and frame of the discourse discovers the contrary The Serpents voice she must needs conclude it could not be because she being created perfect in wisdome like her husband must needs understand at least so much of the creatures as to know that beasts of themselves were not capable of speech or reason If she guessed it to be Satan and knew him to be an enemy why doth she hazard her self upon a manifest danger to entertain conference with one that hated her If she knew nothing of him or his disposition how is it that she opens her selfe so freely to a person unknown The woman certainly discovers some unadvisednesse in entertaining conference with the Serpent in matters of so great importance in so familiar a manner We eate of the Trees The woman seems to be shaken and to give ground at the first encounter as we may probably guesse Partly by Satans bold reply to this answer of hers wherein he chargeth God with falshood in expresse termes which in all likelihood he durst not have done if the womans own words had not given him some encouragement thereunto considering how warily he speaks of God in his first question Besides we may discover it yet more apparently in the very forme of the answer it self in these particulars First when she mentions Gods grant unto them to eat of the trees of the Garden there she passeth over Gods Name as if she had no great minde to take notice of his liberality in bestowing on her so large a gift But when she mentions the restraint there she remembers his name expresly as if she meant to take no more notice of God in his mercies but only to quarrel at his restraint and interdiction Secondly when she recounts the grant of eating the rest of the fruits she speaks of it coldly and without affection For whereas God gave man liberty to eat of all the trees of the Garden and that freely and fully as the expression in the Original Eating thou mayest eate implies she leaves out both those clauses and in a very sparing manner only affirmes that they did eat of the trees and addes no more But when she comes to mention the restraint that she layes down in the strictest termes that she can think on which supposeth some rising of her spirit against it if it be true that mens expressions are any indications of the affections within for that the Holy Ghost relates things partially it were blasphemy to imagine Wherefore seeing she sleights the grant and sets out the restraint in so full a manner in her words we have reason to conclude