Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 25
VERSE 25.
ANd they were both naked] Without any covering on their bodies, whereof they had no need, either to hide any uncomely part, (ſeeing the Image of God appearing even in the bodies of our firſt Parents in ſome meaſure, graced and beautified every part of them) or to keep off the injury of the VVeather, wherewith, by reaſon of the firmneſſe of their Conſtitutions, and the perfect temper of the ayr, they could not be annoyed; ſeeing the diſtempers of Heat and Cold, &c. occaſioned both by the weakneſſe of our bodies, and by the indiſpoſition of the Ayr, are (as many other evils which we ſuffer by the Creature) the Confequents and Effects of Sin.
And were not aſhamed] As they had no cauſe, when as yet they had not ſinned, or found any inordinate motions ſtirring in their minds. For, Shame ariſing from a fear of blame, or diſreputation for ſome uncomely thing diſcovered in him that is aſhamed, whereof he is conſcious, there could be no ſhame unto a man but by ſome inordinate motion of the thoughts within, ſeeing God made nothing uncomely in it ſelf, or in the uſe of it, and therefore could not be uncomely but by abuſe. So then, thoſe parts of the body whereof we are now aſhamed, become ſhameful, if not by the remembrance of ſin, which we are defiled withall in our propagation from our Parents, yet certainly by the fear of ſinfull thoughts, or inordinate motions apt to be ſtirred up by the beholding of thoſe objects: from which our firſt Parents in this ſtate of Innocency were free. It was therefore no defect in Adam and Eve (ſeeing ſhamefaſtneſſe is not properly any vertue, but only a Commendable paſſion; nor that neither, but where there is juſt cauſe of ſhame) ſo that by conſequent the want of ſhame in Adam and Eve manifeſts their Perfection, that they had in them nothing ſhameful, and not any defect at all.
This Circumſtance we may conceive to be added by the Holy Ghoſt, partly, to diſcover more fully the Perfect and Bleſſed eſtate of our firſt Parents, who were ſo comely, that they needed no ornament, being glorious by that beauty which God had put upon them, and ſo ſtrong by the perfect conſtitution of their bodies, that they needed no defence: And partly, to make it evident by what means their Glory was turned into ſhame, and their Strength into Weakneſſe, namely, by their Rebellion againſt God through the Suggeſtion and ſubtlety of Satan. Whence;
1. Obſerve, Nakedneſſe of mans body was Glorious and Safe, untill Sin ma… it Shameful and Dangerous.
GLorious, becauſe it preſented unto us the Bounty wherewith God had adorned man, which a garment hides from our eyes, and inſtead thereof ſets before us the borrowed Ornaments of Art taken from the Creatures: and Safe by the perfect temper of their bodies, not eaſily capable of any annoyance, and by the Propitiouſneſſe of the Creatures, which Cheriſhed but did not Hurt them. Therefore when man ſhall be reſtored to his full perfection, Nakedneſſe ſhall be an Ornament to him, and the ſhadow of the Almighty his defence.
They were not Aſhamed, and thereby Witneſſed their Own Glory and Perfection both Outward and Inward, having neither any Outward deformity in their Bodies, nor any Inordinate motion in their Minds that might cauſe them to bluſh. So that though they had in their view thoſe parts from which we turn away, and at the ſight whereof uſually inordinate luſts kindle in our hearts; yet it wrought no ſuch effect in their hearts, nor had any appearance of deformity to them at all. Whence,
2. Obſerve, Inordinate Motions to evil thoughts ariſe not ſo much from Outward Objects or Occaſions, as from the Corruption of the heart within.
IT may be that ſome others, as well as Achan, faw the Wedge of Gold, and the Babyloniſh garment, but he only took them, becauſe he coveted them. St. James tells us, that it is not God (nor conſequently any thing Created by Him) but our Own Luſts within, that draw us away, and entice us, Jam. 1.14. And the Prophet tells Idolaters, it is a deceived heart that turns them aſide, Iſa. 44.20. And our Saviour diſcovers the Spring of all thoſe Luſts that defile a man, to a riſe out of his own heart, Mark 7.21. To ſpeak properly, Outward Objects are rather the Fewel that nouriſheth them, then the fire that kindles them.
Let no man then complain, that when he is drawn away, he is tempted of God, but lay the blame upon his Own heart, when either Objects or any other Allurements draw him into any ſin, which could work no effect that way, (as appears in the Temptations of our Saviour Chriſt) unleſſe they found ſome matter within to work upon them, ſo that they may well be the Midwife, but can never be the Parent of any ſin.
To look back and conſider the Scope of the Holy Ghoſt in this Relation of Mans Condition in his ſtate of Innocency, we ſhall find therein deſcribed unto us,
1. The large proviſion which God made for him, and freely beſtowed upon him, for the needful ſupport and comfort of his Life every way.
2. The Rules and Lawes which God gave him for the right ordering of his wayes, in all ſervices, both towards himſelf, and to wards the Creatures which he had put under his feet.
The end of both we may conceive to be, to diſcover unto us Gods Abundant Goodneſſe, and Perfect Righteouſneſſe, and Holineſſe, that we might learn to Love, Fear, and depend upon Him alone. Now concerning Gods bounty to Man, the Spirit of God ſo repreſents it, that we cannot but behold it with wonderful admiration, ſet out at full in three reſpects, that it was, 1. Free every way. 2. Large above meaſure. 3. Sufficient to ſupply all mans neceſſities.
1. That His bounty was Free, as proceeding meerly out of his own Abundant Goodneſſe, is evident in two things. Firſt, that the Proviſions that God ordained, not only for all the reſt of the Creatures that were to do him ſervice, but for himſelf eſpecially, even that Garden of pleaſures, which he aſſigned him for the place of his dwelling, were prepared before man had any being at all. Secondly, that they were beſtowed without any kind of ſollicitation, or requeſt: Even the woman which God created to be his helper, and the Comfort of his life, God foreſaw in his wiſdom that man had need of; and out of his meer love reſolved to provide for him, before man himſelf found his own want of her, much more before he could bethink himſelf how he might procure that which he needed ſo much.
2. The Largeneſſe of Gods bounty is ſet out, in the Pleaſantneſs of the Garden provided and given man for his habitation; In the infinite variety of all ſorts of Fruits wherewith it was ſtored, both for Neceſſity and Delight, all of them planted by Gods own hand. And in allowing man the free uſe of them all, excepting only One Tree, reſerved by God as an acknowledgment of his Soveraignty, and as a Remembrance to man of his duty; In the Inveſtiture of man into his Soveraignty over all the Creatures deſigned unto him in the former Chapter; And laſtly, in Creating and beſtowing the Woman upon him in marriage, a greater help unto him and comfort for his life, then all the creatures beſides could have been.
3. The Sufficiency of the Proviſion, which God made for Man, appears in this, that he had all his wants ſupplied. He wanted no poſſeſſions, for the Earth was his Inheritance: No ſervants, for the work which he had to do, was little more then to pluck and eat his own food from the Trees, and to overſee and keep in order the Garden ready planted to his hand: No food, for all thoſe delicate fruits were ready prepared, and allowed him for his diet. Houſes and Apparel there was no need of, when there was no deformity that needed covering, no Injury by the weather from which he needed to be defended. OnelyOnly there wanted a VVife, both for Propagation, and Society, and that alſo God provides for him, and that ſuch a one, as he acknowledgeth to be every way meet for him, and accordingly rejoyceth in her: So that God ceaſed not, till he had furniſhed man every way, with all that his Heart could wiſh, or his needfull Occaſions required.
Now for the Lawes and Rules which God gave man to guide himſelf by in this ſtate of Innocency: we muſt take notice, that ſuch of them as are meerly branches of the law of Nature, are here omitted. VVe call them properly Lawes of Nature, which being Rules diſcovered by the conſideration of the Nature of the Creatures are eaſily found out by the ſtrength of right Reaſon: As if there be a God, Reaſon teacheth that he muſt be worſhipped; and if he be a Spirit, that he muſt be worſhipped in Spirit and Truth. If we have our Being and Education from our Parents, that they muſt be honoured and ſerved. If Words muſt be manifeſtations unto others of our Thoughts, that then they muſt be anſwerable unto them, ſo that we muſt ſpeak what we think, even the truth from our hearts, and the like. Theſe being written in all mens hearts by Nature, that is manifeſt to all men by Natural reaſon, are not mentioned in this brief hiſtory, as being ſufficiently known without relation. The Lawes here recorded are onelyonly ſuch as were added to the Law of Nature by Inſtitution, which the rule of Equity doth not neceſſarily enforce of it ſelf, without Gods command to have it thus or otherwiſe. As though it were of the Law of Nature, that if God muſt be worſhipped, that there muſt be a ſet time, and a time of reſt from other employments appointed for that worſhip; yet what portion of time this ſhould be, and on what day it ſhould be fixed, as that it ſhould be one day in Seven, and the laſt of ſeven; no man could by Natural Reaſon conclude, till God commanded that it ſhould be ſo. That man ſhould take care of the Creatures, and endeavour to preſerve them, eſpecially being appointed for his ſervice, reaſon would preſcribe; but that Adam ſhould take charge of Paradiſe to keep and dreſſe it, was meerly by Gods Inſtitution, and Command, who might as well have diſpoſed of him in ſome other place, as there, if he had ſo pleaſed. That Gods Will ſhould be mans Rule, and that his Obedience and Faith ſhould be profeſſed and ſhewed forth to others, is a branch of the Law of Nature; but that Adam ſhould manifeſt his Faith in God, by eating of the tree of Life, and his ſubjection to his Will, by abſtaining from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was only by Gods own appointment, having no other ground but the motion of his own will. That Man and Woman ſhould be joyned together for propagation, and that too in Marriage, may be conceived to be of the Law of Nature: But that a man ſhould be bound to one Wife, and that for term of Life, although Natural Reaſon muſt needs acknowledge it to be moſt convenient; yet, becauſe it is not neceſſary, God might have ordered it otherwiſe, if he had been ſo pleaſed.
Whatſoever the Reaſon may be conceived to be, why the Holy Ghoſt mentions only theſe Poſitive Lawes, whereas he paſſeth over in ſilence the Laws of Nature, it muſt needs be acknowledged that theſe Laws, which being only Poſitive, have no other foundation but the meer Will of God, are notwithſtanding ſo Equal, and Good every way, that being once made known, natural reaſon it ſelf cannot but approve them; and conſequently the Righteouſneſſe, Holineſſe, and Goodneſſe of God appears more clearly in them, than in thoſe Lawes that being branches of the Law of Nature are in a ſort more Neceſſary; ſeeing nothing diſcovers the man more evidently, then thoſe things wherein he is moſt free to do, or approve what he will. And indeed it may be probably conceived, that the Holy Ghoſt had this ſcope, to manifeſt the Righteouſneſſe of God in giving theſe Lawes, becauſe they are ſo recorded, that the Equity of them is withall manifeſted by ſome Circumſtance or other, inſerted into the Relation. The Equity of appointing the Sabbath unto the laſt day of the week, appears in manifeſting, that That day, being honoured above the reſt, by putting an end to, and declaring the perfecting of the Works of Creation, was the fitteſt day to be obſerved in remembrance of ſo glorious a work. And the Law of appointing man to labour in Paradiſe, is manifeſted to be equal, by this, that God gave him the uſe of all the fruits in Paradiſe, ſo that he did but labour for himſelf. That the Interdiction of the Tree of Knowledge might appear to be equall, it is recorded withall, that God gave Man all the reſt of the fruits to make uſe of, freely. The ſame is as clearly manifeſted, in ſetting down at large the Law of Marriage.
2. The Holineſſe of theſe Lawes appears as well as their Equity. The Sabbath, Sacrament of the Tree of Life, and reſtraint from the Eating of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, tending only to the furthering of Faith, and Obedience, and the raiſing up of mens hearts to an holy delight in God, and enjoying an holy Communion with him. Mans labour, tending to the exerciſing of Love and Mercy towards the Creatures, and Marriage to further mutual edification in Piety, and Godlineſſe, and the propagation of an holy ſeed, as it is plainly expreſſed, Mal. 2.15.
3. The Goodneſſe of theſe Lawes to Man is as Evident as all the reſt. What can be imagined more Comfortable to man, then the refreſhing both of his Body and Mind, by ceaſing from his labour, and enjoying an holy Communion with God in his Ordinances, in the Religious obſervation of the Sabbath day? more Neceſſary and Uſefull to the ſupporting of his heart by Faith, by the help of that Sacramental Tree of Life? and minding him of his Duty of Obedience by the Interdicted fruit, whereby he might continually be ſtirred up to thoſe holy Duties, by Outward Senſible Objects, ſet alwayes before him, even in his ordinary and daily employments? What more profitable to him then to labour for his own food? What more Comfortable and Neceſſary to him then Marriage, affording ſo many fit helps unto him for the Support and Comfort of his Life?
In General, We cannot otherwiſe conceive, but that the recording of all Gods Lawes given to man, as well as all his Works both of Creation, and Adminiſtration of the Creatures, aime at the main end wherefore all things were made, and man eſpecially endued with Wiſdom and Underſtanding, that he might take notice of, and be a witneſſe of the All-ſufficiency, and Eminent Perfections of God, and the Baſeneſſe and Emptineſſe of the Creatures, yea, even of Man himſelf the moſt Excellent of all his Viſible Works.
We may therefore obſerve in this Record of Moſes, of the Lawes given to Man, not onelyonly both the Goodneſſe, Equity, and Holineſs of God, together with his Abſolute Soveraignty, and Authority, in preſcribing, and giving Rules to man meerly according to his own Will, beſtowing on him, and detaining from him what he pleaſed, and appointing him to be where he appointed, and to do what he Commanded; but withall, the whole Relation layes before us the Vanity, Subjection, and Emptineſſe of all the Creatures, and man eſpecially; that God might be honoured alone, and all things elſe abaſed before Him.
Wherefore we muſt obſerve, That as all other Creatures, ſo Man himſelf was nothing at the firſt, and after that a piece of baſe dead earth, till God breathed the breath of Life into him; which he is directed to acknowledge, in the remembrance of his Creation, in obſerving the Sabbath, and Eating of the Tree of Life, teſtifying his dependance on God for his life both preſent and future. 2. His Subjection unto Gods Will, by which he was wholly to be guided, was manifeſted in his Abſtinence from the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, meerly upon Gods Command; implying, that he had no power to order his own wayes, no not in the ſmalleſt things, wherein he was to guide himſelf only by that rule which God laid before him. 3. His Weakneſſe and Vanity was in a lively manner repreſented to him, in making uſe even of the baſeſt Creatures for the ſupporting of his Life, which he had alſo by Gods allowance; And in his finding of the uncomfortableneſſe of his life, by the want of a fit Companion, till God Created the Woman, and gave her unto him; ſo that he had nothing of his own but what was freely beſtowed on him by God Himſelf. So that the advancing of Gods Honour, and Self-denial, we may diſcover to be the main end of giving man theſe lawes, as well as they are of all the reſt of Gods Works.
Now ſeeing man was confined unto this preſent world but only for a time, as being at preſent in ſome ſort ſhut out from the immediate fruition of God, who communicated himſelf unto him moſt by the Creatures, and by ſecond means, ſo that man, in his moſt perfect Condition in this world, remained in a ſtate of Baſeneſſe, in compariſon of that Glory which he was to enjoy at full, after the end of this time of his pilgrimage; We may obſerve, both in the courſe of Gods providence, and eſpecially in the Laws which he gave the man, that God ſo ordered all things, that man might be ſenſible of his preſent mean condition, repreſented to him ſo many wayes, and thereby have his thoughts raiſed up to the Expectation and Longing after that more glorious eſtate, which was to come, ſealed unto him in the Sacrament of the Tree of Life, and ſhadowed out in ſome ſort in the enjoying of God in his Ordinances, and ſequeſtring himſelf from the world, in the obſervation of the holy reſt of the Sabbath.
In effect, the Scope of this and the former Chapter are in a manner all one; as we may eaſily obſerve by that which hath been ſpoken already, namely, the Advancement of God alone, with the Abaſement of all the Creatures before him: which God hath appointed to be our chief ſtudy in this Life, as it ſhall be our greateſt happineſſe to diſcover and rejoyce in it fully, in the Life to come.
FINIS.