The Pattern of Perfection Exhibited in Gods Image on Adam, Part 1 · Section 12
§. 12.
Gen. 2.9.
And God ſet two trees in the garden.
NOw we come to the ſeals of this Covenant,Of the Sacraments of life to Adam. and thoſe were two trees, the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evill.Trees, types by Gods appointmēt. They were not bare trees; but ſet apart by Gods appointment: As water in Baptiſme is ſet apart to be ſignificant to typifie ſpirituall Baptiſme; ſo did the Lord appoint theſe for a ſignificant end. They were naturall trees, but had a kinde of inſtitution by God touching the termes of agreement betweene him and Adam.
Concerning theſe trees wee muſt enquire foure things.
1. The reaſon why God appointed them.
2. The nature of them.
3. The reaſon of their diverſity.
Why appointed of God.4. The uſe of the whole.
For the firſt of theſe; Why they were appointed. I anſwer: God did appoint them for a double end.
1. To perſwade Adam of his faithfulneſſe; that hee would put it out of queſtion, that hee purpoſed ſeriouſly to doe what hee promiſed. Not that God needed this for any weakneſſe on his part, but to condeſcend to the infirmity of Adam. When a man hath ſealed to a covenant, hee cannot fly off: therefore the Lord did it to make all ſure, and to fence them againſt the policy of Sathan, who told the woman, ſhee ſhould not dye, Gen. 3.5. As if he ſhould ſay, God grudges at your happineſſe, hee knowes, if you eate, you ſhall live. Therefore the Lord ſets his ſeale to certifie Adam, hee ſeriouſly meant what hee had promiſed.
2. They were as monitors to ſtirre up Adam to watchfulneſſe over his courſes; and therefore theſe trees were in the midſt of the garden, Gen. 3.9. and any thing that is in the midſt, wee eaſilieſt diſcerne. A man that lookes upon the ſeale, is thereby put in mind of the covenant: ſo did theſe daily put Adam in minde of the covenant.
2. Qu. What was the nature of this ſeale?
Anſ. The tree of life implyed two things.
Tree of life, why.1. It put him in mind of the covenant of life; and this is done by way of ſignification.
2. The eating of this (Adam having firſt obeyed) would have been a mean… to conveigh to him immutable aſſiſtance to eternall life. There bee divers opinions of Divines touching this; but ſurely it did mainely ſeale the covenant; and the reaſon is, becauſe life, which was in the covenant, was communicated by this tree: but life ſpirituall only was intended in the covenant; therefore the ſeales ſeale life ſpirituall onelyonly. It is a weake opinion of ſome, that thinke the tree would make Adam immortall, though it were after his fall. They prove it out of Gen. 3.22. elſe why ſhould God thruſt him out of Paradiſe leſt he ſhould eate of the tree of life? I anſwer: This word (leſt) implyes, not what followed, but what they conceived would follow.
Tree of knowledge of good and evill.Touching the tree of knowledge of good and evill, wee are to know three things.
1. What is meant by knowledge.
2. What by good and evill.
3. Why it is called ſo.
For the firſt: Knowledge in Scripture hath a double ſenſe. Sometimes it ſignifies, to bee able to pierce into the nature of things; as it is Epheſ. 1.17. This ſpirituall knowledge was not here meant, for it was not here ratified, but taken away.
2. It ſignifieth ſenſe and experience. We uſe to ſay, I never knew what poverty meant. Such a man may talk of it, but never had experience of the pinching of it: ſo wee ſay alſo, I now know what a priſon meanes. Perhaps hee knew what it was before, but that was but a bare notion; now he hath taſted of it by experience, and can read the nature of it by proofe. So, 2 Cor. 6. ult. it is ſaid, Our Saviour knew no ſinne: hee had knowledge humane, and ſpirituall, and therefore knew the loathſomneſſe of it: the meaning of it is, he knew not what it was by his own experience. Exod. 4.4. The Lord ſaith, Pharaoh ſhall know, that I am God; that is, hee ſhall know by experience, that I am a juſt God, and feele it to his coſt. So, Iſa. 26.10. The wicked will not learne righteouſneſſe; and in this ſenſe it is here taken, to wit, for experimentall knowledge.
2. Qu. What is meant by good and evill?
Anſw. Good implies two things. 1. A performance of duty to God, and pleaſing him. Micah 6.8. Hee hath ſhewed thee what is good. So David ſaith, I love the thing that is good in thine eyes. 2. It implies the happineſſe and bleſſing that flowes from cloſing with God. As a man by chewing meate receives nouriſhment, ſo doth a man by doing good. Pſalm. 125.4. Doe good to thoſe that are good.
Evill is a diſobedience, and vengeance commeth therefrom by a juſt recompence of reward.
3. Qu. Why is it called the tree of knowledge of good and evill?
Anſ. Not becauſe in it ſelfe it had any vertue to cauſe the knowledge of good and evill; for in its owne nature it was as other trees: Gen. 1. ult. God ſaw that all things were good, and this among the reſt: But becauſe God did hedge in this tree, and forbid Adam to eate of it, it was therefore unlawfull, becauſe God forbad it.
It was called thus in two regards.
1. It did ſignifie to Adam, that if hee did eat hee ſhould die; and ſo have experience of good and evill.
2. If Adam did eat, then through his owne ſinne it was made a means to make Adam know, by experimental proof, what it was to pleaſe God, and what to diſpleaſe him; as you may ſee, Gen. 3.7. They ſaw by the eye of their conſcience their luſts oveſpreading them, and ſhame following them, and that they were deprived of happineſſe.
Q. But why did God give theſe two contrary ſeales?
Anſ. 1. That Adam might ſee and know his changeable eſtate, that hee might goe in the right way, and be bleſſed; that hee might not goe in the wrong way and bee curſed. Our Sacraments are to one thing; by Baptiſme God entertaines us into his family, by the Lords Supper hee nouriſheth us in his family.
2. That hee might make ful proviſion for Adam, that ſo hee ſhould not ſay, If I had had this, I might have ſtood. For, like as it is ſaid, Exod. 33. I have ſet life and death before you, God ſet the tree of life to encourage Adam, and the tree of knowledge to affright him. Thus the Lord would bee wanting to him in nothing.
Uſe. Hear curſes to affright frō ſin, aſwell as mercies.The Uſe that will follow from the diverſity of the ſeales, is this: Hence we learn as well to heare curſes to terrifie us from ſinnes, as mercies to encourage us. If Adam had need of this in his innocencie, that had no ſinne, how much more need have wee, when the flood gates of ſinne are within, abundance of bad examples without! If a man in a good and healthfull conſtitution need opening diet, then much more, a body that is corrupt, hath need of ſtrong phyſick. If Adam, that was in an wholeſome condition, had need of a threatning, how much more need have wee, that have hearts overcharged with ſtrong diſtempers, and clogged with venome and malice. This cheks the conceit of carnall perſons, that think Miniſters ought not to ſpeak ſuch terrible things; either they muſt bee wiſer then God, or wee muſt bee better then Adam. Therefore wee ſhould deale with our hearts as men do with the creature; though it be ſomewhat tame, it muſt have an ordinary fence; and if it be unruly, wee ſhackle it: So Adam had a well tempered diſpoſition, yet he had a prohibition: but alas, our natures are like an untamed heifer, as they, Jer. 2. that ſnuffe up the wind like the wild aſſe, & are carried on violently into corruptions. What ſhall we ſay of theſe wild aſſe colts, as Job ſpeaks? Ch. 11.15. for if Adam had need of a chek, a thouſand threatnings are too little for ſuch wretches as we are.