and were one Flesh at first They shall be one flesh i. e. They two shall be one see Matt. 19.5 as they were at the first Creation And here is a good Argument against Polygamy and Divorces 25. Were not ashamed viz. Because they were innocent and had done nothing as yet to be ashamed of CHAP. III. The ARGUMENT The Woman is beguiled by the Serpent and eats the forbidden fruit the Man also did eat it They are thereupon charged by God and together with the Serpent subjected to misery The Messias is promised The first cloathing of Mankind and their casting out of Paradise 1. NOW the Serpent was more subtil then any beast of the field which the LORD God had made and he said unto the woman Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden 2. And the woman said unto the Serpent We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden 3. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die 4. And the Serpent said unto the woman Ye shall not surely die 5. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil 6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat 7. And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons 8. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden 9. And the LORD God called unto Adam and said unto him Where art thou 10. And he said I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid my self 11. And he said Who told thee that thou wast naked hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat 12. And the man said The woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eat 13. And the LORD God said unto the woman What is this that thou hast done And the woman said The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat 14. And the LORD God said unto the Serpent Because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all cattel and above every beast of the field upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel 16. Vnto the woman he said I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee 17. And unto Adam he said Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eat of it cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life 18. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shalt eat the herb of the field 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return 20. And Adam called his wife's name Eve because she was the mother of all living 21. Vnto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins and cloathed them 22. And the LORD God said Behold the man is become as one of us to know good and evil And now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever 23. Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken 24. So he drove out the man and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life 1. THE Serpent was more subtil That is the Serpent was naturally a more subtil creature than the other beasts Gen. 49.17 Matt. 10.16 And therefore a fitter instrument for the Devil who made use of him see the Note on v. 15. and also a more perfect resemblance of his Craft and Wiliness 2 Cor. 2.11.11.14 Rev. 12.9 Yea hath God said c. The Devil in these words seems to question the kindness of God in that he did not permit unto Man the eating of every Tree in the Garden 2 3. And the Woman c. The Woman assures him of the great indulgence of God who permitted unto Man the free use of all the Trees of the Garden and had onely forbidden them to eat of the fruit of that Tree in the midst of the Garden called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil chap. 2. v. 17. and to touch it under pain of death Touch it The bare touching it was not expresly forbid nor is there any just cause to think That the importance of the word Touch here It may rather import the same with Eat which goes before or the free use which was allowed of the fruit of the other Trees v. 2. The Hebrew word is not restrained to bare touching Gen. 26.11 Jer. 12.14 4. Ye shall not surely die As before he called in question God's kindness to Man so he does here deny his Veracity or Truth and deserve the character which our Saviour gives him of a Liar Joh. 8.44 5. Your eyes shall be opened c. As the Devil tempted her before with the hope of indemnity so he doeth here with a promise of a greater degree of knowledge and an advancement to the Divine likeness For by opening the Eyes is meant the obtaining a greater degree of knowledge And 't is but a Metaphorical expression taken from the body and applied to the mind See Isai 42.7 As Gods c. Or as Angels who are God's Ministers and greatly excell in knowledge and this sence is confirmed by what follows knowing good and evil which expression comprehends all knowledge as all things knowable are in some sence good or evil Thus the Woman of Tekoah says unto David As an Angel of God so is my Lord the King to discern good and bad 2 Sam. 14.17 i. e. To discern all things For thus she expresseth her self v. 20. My Lord is wise according to the wisdom of an Angel of God to know all things that are in the
Earth On the other hand not to know Good or Evil is to know nothing Deut. 1.39 And not to speak Good or Evil is the same as to be silent and to speak nothing Gen. 31.29 2 Sam. 13.22 6. Good for food And consequently agreeable to the lust of the flesh Pleasant to the eyes And therefore suiting to the lust of the eyes To be desired to make one wise And therefore agreeable to the pride of life under which three St. John compriseth all that is in the World 1 Joh. 2.16 Did eat Her Sin was great and various being guilty of ambition incredulity ingratitude curiosity inordinate desire open rebellion against God and drawing aside her Husband and involving him in Sin and their posterity in misery also Rom. 5.12 15 16. 1 Cor. 15.22 7. And the eyes of them both c. That is they were now sensible of their nakedness and asham'd which in their innocence they were not chap. 2.25 Their Sin was followed with shame Compare Exod. 32.25 Rom. 6.21 Sewâ—â— i. e. applied or put on as the Hebrew word signifies Job 16.15 Ezek. 13.18 Fig-leaves Or Fig-tree branches aâ— the Hebrew word signifies Prov. 11.28 Nehem. 8.15 8. Voice A Thunder which is called the voice of the Lord Psalm 29. at least those words to Adam Where art thou v. 9. See Job 38.1 In the cool of the day That is toward Evening Cantic 2.17 9. Where art thou These words do not imply that God did not know but are an introduction to what follows and in them the guilty person is summoned to appear before his Judge who here examines him before he pronounceth Sentence upon him and by doing so those who are Judges may learn not to condemn before they have duly heard the accused 11. Who c. q. d. How comest thou to this sense of thy being naked does not this shame proceed from thy disobedience Compare chap. 2.25 12. The Woman c. Adam excuseth himself and blames the Woman whom God had given him as a meet-help when yet he was guilty in disobeying his Creator 13. The Serpent c. The Woman throws the blame upon the Serpent whose guile could not excuse her wilfull transgression 1 Tim. 2.14 14. Serpent What follows hath a reference to the Serpent the instrument and to Satan who made use of that creature As an argument of the detestableness of the sin and a constant memorial of it the abused beast is cursed Compare Exod. 21.28 32.32.20 Levit. 20.15 16. and Gen. 9.5 The Curse upon the Serpent consisted I. In bringing down the Serpent's stature which 't is likely was in great measure erect before this time Vpon thy belly shalt thou go Or upon thy breast c. as some Versions have it II. In the meanness of his provision And dust shalt thou eat Compare Isa 65.25 Micah 7.17 Psal 72.9 III. In that enmity which hereupon ensued between this creature and mankind 15. I will put enmity c. The last particular above-named doth more peculiarly referr to the Devil or Satan who made use of the Serpent as an instrument and is called a Serpent Rev. 12.9.20.2 10. Rom. 16.20 Wisd 2.24 Thy seed i. e. The Apostate Spirits and all those that in wickedness resemble their Father the Devil Joh. 6.70.8.44 Act. 13.10 Her seed That is the Messias or Christ who is peculiarly the seed of the Woman Isa 7.14 Gal. 3.16.4.4 and his members Eph. 6.11 12. Rev. 12.13 It shall bruise thy head That is the seed of the Woman shall destroy thy power 1 Joh. 3.8 Joh. 12.31 Rev. 12.7 8 10. 1 Joh. 5.4 Heb. 2.14 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. Thou shalt bruise his heel That is thou shalt persecute the Woman's seed like a Serpent coming behind Gen. 49.17 but not be able to destroy Gal. 4.29 16. Vnto the Woman he said c. The Sentence upon Woman-kind consists I. In her sorrow and pain in conceiving and bringing forth Children II. In her more helpless condition by reason of which she would need to have recourse to her Husband and be more subject to him and his corrupt Will for whom she was designed at first for a meet-help Compare 1 Cor. 14.34 1 Tim. 2.11 12 14. 1 Pet. 3.6 17. And unto Adam he said c. For Adam's transgression I. The ground is cursed v. 17 18. And II. Mankind is condemned to labour for bread i. e. for necessary food compare Gen. 18.5 and chap. 28.20 v. 19. 20. Because she was the mother c. Thus much is implied in the Hebrew word Chavah which we render Eve it imports life and with reference to this first Woman speaks her what she was indeed the parent of the rest of her kind 21. Coats of skins viz. To cover their nakedness withall they were probably made of the Skins of beasts killed for Sacrifice Gen. 4.4 And were Monitors of their own Mortality and their fall into the brutish life Psal 49.20 22. As one of us i. e. Wise as a Divine Person this being the thing he fondly aimed at v. 6. and designed These words are ironical Compare 1 King 18.27 Eccles 11.9 And live for ever Or that he may live for ever as the Hebrew Particle which is rendred And sometime signifies as Gen. 30.38 And then the words denote the End why Adam would be induced to Eat 24. Cherubims They were Angels 't is supposed 'T is certain they were God's Ministers to keep the way of the Tree of life that man who had lost his right to it by his fall might not come at it and fondly expect life from thence Flaming sword This might perhaps be some fire kindled by an Angel to hinder the passage to the Tree of life CHAP. IV. The ARGUMENT The Birth of Cain and Abel Their several Employments and Oblations to the Lord. That of Cain not respected He Murthers his Brother Abel for which he is called to account by God and doomed to a Curse The Birth of Enoch A City built after his Name The Posterity of Enoch to Lamech Of Lamech and his two Wives and their Posterity The Birth of Seth and Enos 1. AND Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bare Cain and said I have gotten a man from the LORD 2. And she again bare his brother Abel and Abel was a keeper of sheep but Cain was a tiller of the ground 3. And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD 4. And Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering 5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect and Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell 6. And the LORD said unto Cain Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen 7. If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well sin lieth at the door and unto thee shall
alive and greatly advanced in Egypt chap. 39 40 41 42 43 44 45. Jacob comes to Beersheba and is encouraged to go into Egypt and takes his Journey to it The Number of his Family that went with him Joseph meets his Father and instructs his Brethren what they should say to Pharaoh chap. 46. Joseph presents his Father and five of his Brethren to Pharaoh His Father and Brethren are placed in a good part of the Land The great encrease of the Famine in Egypt and what followed thereupon Jacob's Age He takes an Oath of Joseph to bury him with his Fathers Jacob blesseth Ephraim and Manasseh the two Sons of Joseph preferring the younger He fore-tells the Return of his Posterity into Canaan He blesseth his Children and predicts very particularly what shou'd befall the several Tribes in After-times and among many other things he Prophecies of the Messiah Jacob dies The Mourning for Jacob and his Burial Joseph dieth chap. 47 48 49 50. If what hath been said be reflected upon here is enough to be found in this excellent Book to recommend it to the Reader And it must needs be acceptable to all sorts of Readers that have a disposition to Knowledge or true Piety I. Here 's the best account of prime Antiquity Of the Original of the World and the Order in which the several Parts of it were framed Here 's the clearest account of the Destruction of the living Creatures by the Floud and of the Peopling the New World by the Sons of Noah Here we may find the most ancient Account of the several People who were the Heads of Families and Nations There 's nothing extant in the World that can vye with this Book in this respect Here we have also the most ancient Account of the true Worship of God and the first Formation of a Church and of the first Original of the Jewish Nation who were God's peculiar People and in Covenant with him II. Here we have also the best Account of our selves and are led to that knowledge of our selves wherein we are highly concerned We may learn hence whence our Bodies were framed and whence our immortal Souls came The happy condition in which Man was at first made and the great Misery into which Man plunged himself and his Posterity by his Disobedience and the Remedy which God provided for our restitution and recovery by the Promise of the Messiah under the Character of the Seed of the Woman who should break the Serpent's head The knowledge of these things is of vast moment to our Souls and tends to commend to us the necessity of a Saviour and Redeemer and leads us to him III. We have also in this Book very pregnant Proofs of God's Care and good Providence over Mankind and of his special Care of his Servants and Worshippers A firm belief of this is of great moment to us and a mighty support under the Miseries we feel and against those we fear The History of Cain and Abel does teach us this and so does the Account of the Ages and the Death of the Anti-diluvian Patriarchs We may learn it from the History of the Floud and Preservation of Righteous Noah and his Family We may learn it also from the Account we have of Abraham's Life and Peregrinations from that of Isaac and Jacob And especially from the Account we have of Joseph This History of Joseph is a mighty Proof of God's special care of his Servants and how vain those Men are who attempt to defeat the Counsel and Purpose of God who knows how to turn the Wickedness of Men to a good End and the Sufferings of his faithfull Servants to their good and advantage IV. We have also in this Book laid before us very great Examples of Piety and Vertue and these Examples are the more conspicuous as they lived before the giving of the Law where these things were required and encouraged and enforced by Rewards and Punishments The Divine Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews puts into his List among those who obtained a good report by Faith a considerable number of excellent Persons mentioned in this Book Heb. 11. I shall mention some of them and insist upon a few Abel was one of them who obtained a Divine Testimony that he was Righteous Heb. 11.4 Enoch was another who pleased God v. 5. being an example of repentance to all generations Ecclus 44.16 Noah was also a Man of singular Piety an heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Heb. 11.7 A just Man and perfect in his Generations Gen. 6.9 A Man for his eximious Piety placed by the Prophet with Daniel and Job Ezek. 14.14 One who was taken in exchange for the World Ecclus 44.17 But not to insist upon others I add Abraham a Person most conspicuous for his Faith and Piety Hospitality and great Humaâ—ity and singular Justice and Meekness and care to instruct his Domesticks in the true Religioâ— and Worship of the great Creator of Heaven and Earth He was the Friend of God and for his Piety the Favourite of Heaven He was bred among Idolaters but he forsook his Country on God's Command Believed the Divine Promises how unlikely soever to come to pass to humane Reason He submitted to Circumcision when God commanded it how painfull soever it were to him And was ready to Sacrifice his Son the Son whom he loved and the Son of his Hopes and of his Old Age the Son of all the Promises and that was to inherit his Substance when God required him to do it Here is a Mirror of true Religion indeed one who deservedly bears the Name of the Father of the Faithfull In glory there was none like unto him and when he was proved he was found faithfull Ecclus 44.19 20. He propagated true Religion by his Example and Care It continued in his Family Isaac and Jacob are in that List of the Faithfull Heb. 11. Job is famous in the Old and New Testament and he is reckoned among his Descendants His Cousin Lot is also reckoned among the Righteous But let us consider how Exemplary his Wife and Servant were Sarah is reckoned among the Worthies Heb. 11. She is propounded as a great Pattern to married Women by St. Peter Whose daughters ye are says he as long as ye do well 1 Pet. 3.6 His Servant is a most conspicuous Example to all Servants Let Servants read Gen. 24. and they will soon see the truth of this matter He used in his Master's business all diligence shewed the greatest care and fidelity made the utmost dispatch preferred his Master's affair before his own ease and refreshment expressed his Trust in God for his success One Example more I will name and that is that of Joseph His Story is very wonderfull and his Life a great Pattern He shewed great Piety towards his Father Mercy and Forgiveness towards his Brethren He was a Man of singular Wisdom and dexterity in Business Of great Probity and inflexible Integrity