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
Himself taking on him the Form of a man as he did sometimes after the Fall or any other way and with what Ceremony since the Holy Ghost hath not expressed it we must not enquire This only we must acknowledge that this bringing of the Woman to the Man implyes the full bestowing of her upon him that they should live together as Man and Wife by Gods appointment So then in this description of the Womans Creation we have laid before us all the Causes of that work The Efficient God The Material A Ribb taken from the Man The Formal to be made a Woman And the Final that she might be a VVife and Helper to the Man Of the VVomans Soul we hear nothing in this place Moses had said enough before in the Creation of the Man leaving us to conceive that since there is nothing more mentioned concerning the womans soul than we had heard before in the inspiring of Adams that she also had her soul inspired in the like manner This new wonder of multiplying one Bone into so many of making so many parts and members of One and of enlarging one small Ribb into the full measure of a Womans body fully grown ministers much matter of Philosophical Disputes to men that forget that the Holy Ghost presents unto them a work above nature and therefore not to be examined by Natural reason and by expressing what was done without the Manner how leads them to Admiration rather than into a Curious inquisition of that which we cannot understand Only it gives us occasion from hence to 1. Observe God can change any thing into what Form he pleaseth Observ 1 THis he manifests in the whole course of nature Out of a small seed he produceth the Root the Stalk the Ear of the Corn all these and the flower and fruits of every herb The Trunck Bark Leaves Branches Blossoms and Ripe Fruits of every Tree Out of the Similar parts of the seed of Man and Beasts the several Members and Dissimilar parts of the bodies of all living Creatures and out of the same food the matter that nourisheth them all diversified according to the nature of every part And no marvel seeing all these things are from God Himself and not from the Matter out of which they are produced who can therefore easily turn any matter into what form he will seeing he gave them that form in which they are See Chap. 1. Ver. 21. Observ 4. This phrase of Building here used pointing at the Exactnesse and perfection of the work of the Art used in framing it may warrant us to 2. Observe God is Exact and Perfect in all the Works that he undertakes Observ 2 HIs Work is Perfect Deut. 32.4 in a Respective Perfection to the proportion of the work it self and to the End whereat it aimes See Chap. 1. Ver. 4. Observ 3. and Chap. 2. Ver. 1. Observ 3. God built the Ribb into a Woman the Text saith expresly That he therein used the Ministery of Angels as some have imagined is a groundlesse fantasie so that we may warrantably 3. Observe Women as well as men are Gods own Workmanship Observ 3 HE made Male and Female Matth. 19.4 made one woman Mal. 2.15 this unquestionable Truth needs no proof at all Let it be the Comfort of that Sexe That which is Gods work shall be his Care His Son Christ hath honoured them in taking flesh of a Woman and not of a Man God Himself hath honoured them so far sometimes as to put the government of the State into their Hands Judg. 4.4 To make use of them extraordinarily for the revealing of his Will by way of Prophecy to his Church But above all both redeemed them as well as men by the Blood of his Own Son Sanctified them by his Spirit And made them heires together with Men of the Grace of Life 1 Pet. 3.7 The more to blame are they that so far undervalew them that they Judge them unworthy of the knowledge of his Truth 〈◊〉 And by consequence of Life and Salvation whereas in Christ there is neither Male nor Female as the Apostle tells us Gal. 3.28 It is worthy our Observing that God having abundance of Spirit as the Prophet speaks Mal. 2.15 and there being more cause of giving Adam many Wives for the speedy Peopling of the Earth than there could be to any of his Posterity yet in the begining would make Adam but one Wife Whence 4. Observe God hath allowell but one Wife to one Man Observ 4 GOds Act in Creating but one Man and One Woman and His Law given Adam thereupon that those two should be one flesh as they had been One our Saviour alleadgeth Matth. 19.4 Proposeth as a Law binding all Adams Posterity and therefore not to be dispensed with by Moses much more doth it make void all arguments taken up from the acts though of the Patriarchs themselves whose Polygamies are rather not reproved then allowed much lesse set before us for Precedents for imitation but may be justly conceived to be recorded amongst their blemishes the successe whereof turned either to their vexation as the Contentions between Leab and Rachel did to Jacob or became their snares as Solomons many VVives did unto him or were a Judgment and Plague unto them as Davids Concubines when they were defiled by his Son Absolom Indeed single matches are the best meanes of preserving love between the married Persons and their Posterity Chastity Order and Government in the Family all which cannot but be much hazarded if not quite overthrown by Polygamie as is manifest both by Reason and Experience God had now made the VVoman and that too to be an help to the man but all this while Adam had no interest in her till God had brought Her to Him and bestowed Her on Him as his VVife VVhence 5. Observe Though all things be made for Man yet he can have no interest in any thing Untill God Himself bestow it on him Observ 5 HE had no right to the Lordship over the Creatures till God had put them under his feet nor to dwell in Paradise till God gave him the possession of it nor to eat of the Trees therein till God gave him leave to do it Yea when God hath put mens estates into their hands yet our Saviour directs us to beg our allowance out of them from God for the portion of every day 1. Because all that we have or Use is Gods who only Sends them to us for our use reserving the Propriety of all to himself 2. That we may use all according to his Direction and not according to our own Lusts 3. That we may upon the better grounds expect his blessing upon that which we use without which it cannot profit us Let every man then be carefull to get a Grant from God of all that he hath of the Land that he possesseth of the House that he dwells in of the Cloaths that he weares of the Food that he eats
Ghost He laid up food in the Cities expressing that phrase Indefinitely which in strict signification should be rendred In the Middest of the Citties Notwithstanding seeing in the Hebrew tongue the Middest is the most proper signification of this Phrase we may warrantably render it in the middest and interpret it as we render it to design the particular place in the Garden where this Tree stood Which we may conceive to have been purposely placed in the middest of the Garden that it might be the more often in Adams view which should be alwaies in his thoughts as it must needs be when he must so often passe by it either to take his food or to busie himself in his appointed employment And the Tree of the knowledge of good and Evil Which Adam being forbidden to eat of not for any evill in the Tree or in the Fruit of it but onely because it was the Will of God to forbid it his abstinence from it meerly upon Gods prohibition might signifie unto him that the true bounds of good and evill was onely the manifestation of Gods Will which makes that good and lawful which he allowes and Evill which he forbids So that this Tree which was forbidden amongst all the fruits which were allowed man for his food was as it were a mark by which Good might be known from Evill as one mans land is known from another by the bounds set between them in the fields where they lye The particular place where the Tree stood is not here mentioned but when the Woman Chap. 3.3 names it The tree in the middest of the Garden we must conceive that those two trees stood not far assunder as alwaies the Sanctions of the law in promises and threatnings are either expressed or must be understood to go together By these two Trees then there seems to be represented and figured out unto us the summe of the Covenant between God and Man of which the promise on Gods part was the bestowing of all blessings upon man implyed in the figure of the Tree of Life External Internal and Eternal the life both of Nature and Grace and that in the perfection of both and on mans part the Covenant was Faith by which he was to depend on Gods All-sufficiency and Truth And Obedience by which he wholy submitted to the Will of God to be guided by it in all his waies Both these parts of the Covenant God thought fit to represent unto man by those outward and visible signs of the Two Trees This full description of Paradise being the place which God had prepared for man and assigned unto him for his dwelling and employment with such a particular recounting of the variety of the fruites wherewith he had furnished it and which he allowed man for the comfort of his life gives us occasion to 1. Observe As God gives us all things freely so withall he takes special Notice of all that he bestowes upon us Observ 1 NOt to cast it in our teeth for he giveth liberally and upbraideth no man Jam. 1.5 Unlesse it be in case of Unthankfulnesse and disobedience either to wicked men to aggravate their rebellions and thereby to justifie himself in his Judgments upon them as he doth unto Saul 1 Sam. 15.17 Or to his Children to affect their hearts the more with the sense of their own failings as he doth to David 2 Sam. 12.7 8. But partly for our sakes that we may know that he who takes notice of all that he gives us will withall take account of us how we imploy it as our Saviour represents in the Parable of the Talents Matth. 25.19 that we may possesse his blessings with fear and trembling And partly for himself that he may rejoyce in his own bounty and goodnesse Psal 104.31 which is not the least part of his happinesse Let us much more take particular notice of such blessings as we receive from Gods hands laying up in our hearts and upon all occasions setting before our eyes the number weight and measure of them as far as we are able to comprehend them as the godly do not only of general and Common mercies as Psal 8.7 8. But besides of particular favours as Psal 18. and 116. As well to the filling of our hearts with the apprehension of Gods mercy towards us to raise them up to an holy rejoycing in him and Dependance upon him as also to quicken us to all chearfulnesse in duties of obedience unto which we are tied by as many obligations as we have received blessings from him and for which we may rest assured of our reward hereafter upon that experience that we have of Gods bounty in that which we have received already Those pleasant trees wherewith Paradise was so plentifully furnished God made to grow not onely out of the Earrh but besides in that particular place yea we may add farther in that very Order and Manner wherein they grew So that we may hence 2. Observ Every plant on the face of the Earth growes where and in what Manner and Order God appoints it Observ 1 NOt onely the Gourd which sprang up over Jonah's head Jonah 4.6 which was an extraordinary and miraculous work of God but even the trees and herbs which spring ordinarily out of the Ground God makes to grow Where and How he pleaseth This must needs be so seeing it is onely God that gives them their body and in whom they as well as all things else consist whence it is that we see that many of them cannot be made to grow where man will but where God hath fitted them with a soil and temper of aire agreeable to their natures This leads again to the consideration of Gods Providence and Mercy to us in those things which nature produceth It is not the Earth or the Heavens much lesse humane culture but Gods Blessing by them that makes the grasse to grow in our pastures the Herbs in our Gardens and the Trees in our Woods of which though all the Earth were full yet our grounds might be empty without Gods speciall blessing The Trees and Plants that God furnished Paradise withall were both delightfull every way both to the eye and taste and usefull too and good for food and the variety of them such as no kind of desirable fruit was wanting but was to be found in Paradise so that Gods bounty unto man overflowes to admiration Whence 3. Observe Gods Bounty abounds unto men not onely to the Supplying of their Necessities but also for their Delight Observ 2 HE gives wine to chear mans heart and oyl to make the face to shine as well as bread to strengthen his heart Psal 104.15 So that he bestowes all things abundantly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6.17 And this he doth partly to set out his All-sufficiency and kindnesse to man the more when it is apprehended so many waies by every sense whereunto every different object brings in as it were a new evidence and Testimony of his overflowing
be a snare unto them and that which might have been for their prosperity a trap Psal 69.22 Casting justly upon them the fury of his wrath while they are about to fill their bellies Job 20.23 Secondly to such as wholly sequester holy meditations from the ordinary imployments in their outward affaires confining them to the Church and the Sabbath or to the hours of their weakly and unconstantly performed devotions as if our Particular and Generall callings were things distinct and not Subordinate whereas a Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Negotiation ought to be still in heaven Phil. 3.20 even while he is busie about the things here below Now if we conceive these Trees to have been planted in the middest of the Garden which as hath been said this relation must necessarily imply we cannot but conceive that the reason why they were there placed was that they might be the more often in the view of our first parents which way soever they went either to take their food or to go about their imployment Whence 7. Observe Gods Commandements ought to be still in the view and before the face of his Children Observ 7 TO this end God appointed his Children to put blew Ribands upon the fringes of their garments that they might put them in mind of Gods Commandements Numb 15.38 39. And for the same end to write the law upon the posts of their Houses and on their Gates Deut. 6.9 That it might be unto them as a signer on their hands and a fronlet between their eyes Thus the Prophet David professeth that Gods Judgments were alwaies before him Psal 18.22 his meditation all the day long Psal 119.97 As it is a mark of a wicked man that His commandements are behind his back Psal 50 27. where he may never see nor think of them This careful observance and casting our eye upon Gods Commandements is first unto us of absolute necessity as well because they are our Counsellers to advise with upon all occasions Psalme 119.24 and our light to walk by verse 105. As also because our waies are full of turnings aside and therefore we may easily erre yea and dangerously unlesse we have that to guide us and besides our corrupt lusts are still at hand to pervert us which cannot be checked by any other bridle but the Law Secondly it much advanceth the Honour of the Law when we so carefully take heed to it and of God Himself when we make his directions our continuall care and observation Those Trees which God ordained to this Spirituall use to mind our Parents of their dutie and to strengthen their Faith were of the same Nature if not of the same kinde with the rest of the Trees of the Garden as the Sacramentall Elements with us appointed by our Saviours Institution are such Water and Bread and such Wine as we do or may employ to ordinary or common use Whence 8. Observe It is usuall with God to teach his Children by things of ordinary and common use Observ 8 THus our Saviour in teaching Nicodemus speaks unto him Earthly things John 3.12 From which in preaching he takes most of his Similitudes as from Sowing Planting Building Cloathing Food and the like And this he doth 1. In compassion of our weaknesse stooping low unto us because we cannot ascend up unto him nor easily raise up our earthly minds to comprehend and behold Spirituall things in their own nature unlesse they be shaddowed unto us by things that are Earthly 2. That by resembling those Spirituall things by Earthly he might acquaint us with the right use of those things which are subject to sense which is to raise up our hearts to the contemplation of things that are above sense 3. That we might have Monitors and Teachers in every place in every Object of sense in every imployment that we take in hand 4. To affect us the more with Spirituall things by representing them unto us by the objects of sense which are most apt to work upon our affections Let us make use then of those things which are of ordinary use to raise up our hearts to heaven by meditations and by them teach and instruct our Brethren as a way most easy both to the Speaker and Hearer and most profitable and lastly ordained by God Himself who hath not onely imprinted some resembances of Spirituall things upon those which are Naturall but hath set us this taske to study Spiritual things in the Book of Nature and to ascend up to Heaven by these things on Earth Neither is it any more disparagement to Gods Wisdom to be shaddowed out by common and ordinary things then it was to our Saviour to be cloathed with our flesh the Glory of both easily shining out through so grosse a Vaile to all that have eyes to behold it It had been enough for God to give Adam Life but He is pleased to ingage Himself by his promise to continue it unto him and to confirm his Promise by his Seal in this Sacramental Tree of Life Thus is he pleased to abase Himself to be obliged to his own Creature Whence 9. Observe God is contented not onely to do us good but besides to engage himself thereunto by his Word ratified by his own Seal Observ 9 THis Truth He hath manifested to His Church in all ages still multiplying his Promises to his People confirming his Promises by his Oath and ratifying both by the Sacraments which are his Seales This indeed God may well do seeing his Purposes Word and Seal are all alike certain and infallible in him Seeing his Will to do us good flowing from his Love and aiming at his glory bindes him as firmely as any promise can do and in respect of our weaknesse it is Convenient that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation Heb. 6.18 Then must mans unbelief be utterly inexcusable as being 1. Causelesse as having such infallible grounds of assurance and 2. Joyned with much contempt of God and Unthankfulnesse in sleighting His free offer of Himself and his Love unto us and manifesting his Unfained desire of our good and for that end abasing himself out of compassion to our weaknesse so low as to engage Himself to his own Creatures 3. And in effect it implyes the denying of his Truth when we refuse to give Credit to His Word The Tree of Life as hath been intimated was unto Adam the Seal of Gods Promise of the continuance of his Life both Present and Future under the Condition of Obedience to his Will in taking that for his rule in directing him what to choose and what to forbear Whence 10. Observe Both the continuance of Present and hope of future Life as they are Gods Gift so they are assured by his Promise Observ 10 THat Life as it is onely in him Originally so from him is communicated to his Creatures is unquestionable so that mens Life and Breath is truly said
Whence 17 OBSERVE Satans preferments are in true estimation abasements and base slaveries Observ 17 SOme of his servants do indeed talk of liberty but are in truth the servants of corruptions 2 Pet. 2.19 He promiseth Christ to bestow on him all the Kingdomes of the world but it is under the condition that he must first worship him and thereby stoop unto the basest of all his vassals Mat. 4.9 Thus he deals with us continually alluring us to be independent upon God and to wait on him no longer and in the mean time endeavouring to bring us to place our dependance upon the meanest of his creatures So likewise in the duties of our service he perswades us to cast off the yoke of Gods Law and subjection to his will and in the mean time provokes us to the service of our own base lusts so that we take on us instead of one God as many lords as we have vile and inordinate affections in our own hearts and which is worst of all himself too after whom we walk in sulfilling them and are led captive by him according to his will 2 Tim. 2.26 exercising us in baser services and exacting them with greater rigour and rewarding with nothing at the last but with shame and sorrow at present and everlasting destruction hereafter Satan well knew that if the woman had taken some longer time to commune either with her own heart or with her husband there would have been discovered so many strong evidences for the justifying of God in his exceeding large bounty to the man and woman by the undeniable experiments of those real favours which they had received from him that the scandalous and blasphemous imputation of Gods ill affection to them would soon have vanished as a mist before the Sunne Wherefore we shall finde that Satan labours all that he can to thrust forward the woman to a speedy resolution and execution thereupon to fall presently to the eating of the forbidden fruit that she might instantly be advanced to the honour of God How destructive that proved unto her will appear in the event that followed So that we may hence 18 OBSERVE Hasty resolutions prove commonly dangerous in the issue Observe 18 WIthout counsel the People and State fall but in the multitude of Counsellours there is safety saith the wise man Prov. 11.14 and he that hasteth with his foot sinneth chap. 19.2 and without counsel as ill wayes are usually resolved on so that which is purposed is overthrown Prov. 15.22 The reason is 1. Because in the oughts of our heart natural motions which are full of errour come first to hand upon which if we settle our resolutions we must needs be mistaken and erre dangerously ere we be aware 2. Because our understanding being weak in it selfe is not able at once to take in and lay before it all things upon which a well-grounded judgement should be setled so that we need some time to search out and lay together all those circumstances and evidences which must guide us in all that we take in hand Now to draw on the woman to this speedy resolution Satan sets before her eyes the speedy and present effect of that fruit that it had such a vertue as to open their eyes that very day that they should eate of it Whence 19 OBSERVE The nearer things are to be enjoyed the more strongly the heart is affected towards them Observe 19 HOpe deferred makes the heart sick saith the wise man Prov. 13.12 as on the other side judgement deferred maketh the heart secure and fearlesse Eccl. 8.11 Mat. 24.48 on the contrary side present judgement fills the heart with terrour as we see in the judgement on Dathan and Abiram did the children of Israel though otherwise a senselesse people Numb 16.34 as likewise when the desire comes it is a tree of life the meanes of reviving the soule whence our Saviour to affect the spirit of the poor thief upon the crosse tells him that he should be with him in Paradise that very day Luke 23.43 The reason is the affections of the heart are most strongly moved by sense which apprehends only things that are present whence it must needs follow that the nearer things are unto us in our apprehension the more strongly the heart must be moved by them If then we desire to have our hearts moved either by mercies or judgements let us labour to bring them as near as we can Thus God represents unto Cain sinne he means the punishment of sinne as lying at the door Gen. 4.7 To morrow the Lord will be angry if we sinne to day say the messengers sent from the children of Israel to the Reubenites and the Gadites Josh 22.18 and Ahijah to Jeroboams wife tells her that the judgment upon Jeroboams house is coming even now 1 Kings 14.14 so in mercies Abrahams rejoycing at Christs day was that he saw it that is apprehended it as present John 8.56 To this purpose 1. Let us be careful to fixe our eyes upon the present examples of mercies or judgements upon our selves or others especially upon those which are inward and spiritual laying hold of eternal life upon the sense of Gods present favours as the Prophet David seems to do Psal 73.24 and beholding and trembling at the very face of hell in present judgments 2. Labour to work those experiments upon our hearts till they awaken faith by which only those things which are to come are made present Heb. 11.1 so that they affect men with joy as if they were possessed already 1 Pet. 1.8 and with like feare on the other side 3. Let us often recount with our selves the shortnesse of this present life Meditation may and will shew a mans life unto him but a span long and may make a thousand yeares seem unto him as God accounts them but as one day VERSE 6. ANd when the woman saw That is when she partly beheld with her eyes and was as fully perswaded in her heart as if she had seen it For although the outward beauty of the fruit might be seen with the eye yet the goodnesse of it for food which nothing could discover but the taste and much more the vertue of it to make one wise were things not to be seen with the eye so that seeing in this place must necessarily withal include believing That the tree That is the fruit of the tree for that only could be eaten Was good for food and therefore as she might be perswaded more apt to preserve life then to bring death as God had threatened Now that the fruit of this tree was good for food she might easily be induced to believe because she had by experience found it so in other fruits of the Garden that those which delighted the eye were likewise grateful to the taste and questionlesse in this the woman was not deceived for the fruit doubtlesse had no evil in the nature of it only the use of it was made evil unto man