Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Book 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 24
VERSE 24.
SO he drove out the man] Out of Paradiſe, driving out implies a removing, if not by force, yet at leaſt in diſpleaſure; which is mentioned the ſecond time, that we might take the more notice of that judgement of God upon our firſt Parents, in caſting them out of this pleaſant Garden, which he had planted for them.
And he placed at the East of the Garden of Eden] Which in all likelihood was the only way of entring into it; otherwiſe it had been in vaine to ſtop up one paſſage, and to leave the reſt open.
Cherubims] Angels the formes whereof, (reſembling young men, having wings, to note their incorruptible nature and agility in ſervice,) were by Gods appointment Exod. 25.18. placed over the Mercy-Seat, and being well known by that name unto the Jewes, Moſes here, and other Authors of Holy Scripture, uſe to ſignifie Angels.
And a flaming ſword] By this outward viſible ſigne, deterring Adam and his poſterity from attempting the entrance again into Paradiſe, which they ſaw they could not endeavour without running upon their own deſtruction.
Turning every way] In what manner is not here expreſſed, and therefore not to be curiouſly enquired into; the Holy Ghoſt being pleaſed, only to intimate, that God ſo caſt our firſt Parents out of Paradiſe, that there ſhould be no poſſibility for them to returne thither again for ever.
To keep the way of the tree of life] The Seale of the Covenant of works; the condition whereof, man being now corrupted and weakened by his fall, being utterly diſabled to performe, was for ever to be taken away. But by the infinite mercy of God, the way unto the celeſtial Paradiſe, (whereof this earthly was but a figure,) was opened by Chriſt by the Covenant of grace.
The double expreſſion of the driving of man out of Paradiſe, ſeemes to imply, that God would have ſpecial notice taken of that judgement of his upon him. So that we may thence
1 OBSERVE, Gods judgements are not to be paſſed over ſleightly, but to be conſidered ſeriouſly, and obſerved and remembred carefully.
Obſerve. 1 PSal. 64.9. they made a deep impreſſion on Davids heart, Pſal. 119.120. and wicked men are taxed, that they obſerve them not, Pſal. 10.5. Iſa. 26.11. Reaſon
1. They are a great deep, Pſal. 36.6. and therefore not underſtood without careful obſerving and ſearching into them.
2. They are inſtructions to us, Iſa. 26.6.
1. Diſcovering Gods righteouſneſſe, as Pſal. 58.11. and 9.16.
2. Appertaining unto us, Luke 13.3, 5. 1 Cor. 10.6, 7, 11.
3. Who are all of us warned by ſuch precedents, as being ſubject, not only to the ſame God, but beſides, to the ſame Law of Righteouſneſſe, according to which God diſpenſeth to all men, Mercy or Judgement, according to their wayes or works, without reſpect of perſons.
Let every one of us, 1. Search into Gods judgements, comparing them with the rule, according to which they are acted, with the Prophet, Dan. 9.12, 13. and enquiring into the cauſe of them, Deut. 29.24, 25. that we may juſtifie God in them, Pſal. 119.137.
2. Let us be careful to lay them up in our memories, as being performed, as all the reſt of his eminent works are, for that end, Pſal. 111.4.
3. Be as careful to apply them to our ſelves upon all occaſions, Joſh. 22.16, 17. till our hearts tremble at them, Pſal. 119.126.
But why did not God deſtroy Paradiſe, out of which he had now excluded man for ever ſo that it could now be of no farther uſe? Certainly, it could be for no other end, but that it might be a monument of Gods bounty, to make him the more ſenſible of what he had loſt by his rebellion. So that we may thence
2 OBSERVE. God loves to leave monuments, both of his Mercies and Judgements, for the juſtifying of himſelf, and the convincing of men, of their unworthy carriage towards him.
Obſerve. 2 THe pot of Mannah, Exod. 16.33. the brazen Serpent, till Hezekiah brake it in pieces, 2 Kings 18.4. the ſong made by Moſes at Gods Command, conteining the ſumme of Gods wonderful mercies to his people, and their manifold rebellions againſt him, Deut. 31.19, 21. Reaſons
1. The tender reſpect which He hath to his own glory.
2. And mans proneneſſe to forget Gods adminiſtrations towards his people, Pſal. 106.21.
3. And the great uſe that might & ought to be made of both, Pſ. 78.7, 8.
Let us carefully keep by us records of both, as to juſtifie God, and ſhame our ſelves, ſo to bring our hearts to an holy dependance on him, Pſal. 78.7. and a care to walk before him with reverence and feare all our dayes.
But withal, the particle So, in the beginning of this verſe, may not be paſſed over, as pointing us back to all that went before; the ſinne of Adam, the diſcovery of it, with the conviction of the offendors, the ſentence pronounced againſt them, and the danger of their falling into a farther ſin; circumſtances all, manifeſting the juſtice and equity of God, in caſting man out of Paradiſe. Whence we may
3. OBSERVE, In ſearching into Gods judgements, our ſpecial care muſt be to obſerve the precedents and cauſe of them.
Obſerve. 3 JUdg. 5.8. Deut. 29.24, 25. Thus God himſelf ſets out the ſins of Sodom, before he pronounces or executes his judgments on them; and that they may be the more clearly manifeſted, he oftentimes over-takes men in the very act of ſin, as in the caſe of Corah, Dathan and Abiram, Numb. …6.31, 35. and the peoples murmuring againſt Moſes and Aaron, ver. 41.46, 49. Sometimes in the very judgement he points at the cauſe of it, in the Kinde, Inſtrument, Time, Place, or ſome other circumſtance, or more clearly by the mouth of his Miniſters. Reaſon
1. This makes moſt for his honour, in clearing his juſtice, which he eſpecially aimes at, ſee Pſal. 58.11. Deut. 32.4.
2. This is the only way to direct and inſtruct us, See Neh. 13.18.
Now Adam, having ſo lately found by experience his own folly, in hearkning to Satans counſels, and having been called to account by God himſelfe, and ſo ſharply cenſured by him, and withal, having the Covenant of grace propoſed unto him in Chriſt; one would conceive might be ſufficiently ſerved againſt any temptation of Satan, that might have drawn him on to a ſecond ſin. Yet we ſee God thinks fit to ſet before him this terrour of the flaming ſword, to deter him from attempting to eate of the tree of life. So that we may
4 OBSERVE, The beſt of Gods ſervants have need of the terrours of his judgements to reſtraine them from ſinne.
Obſerve. 4 THe Pſalmiſt profeſſeth, that he made ſpecial uſe of them, Pſal. 119.120. and Joſhuah thinks it needful, to lay the conſideration of Gods jealouſie and revenging hand before his people, even then when he findes their hearts moſt pliable, Joſh. 24, 19, 20. Reaſon
1. Becauſe the beſt, having ſome remainders of fleſh in them, need that bridle to hold in the inordinate motions thereof, ſeeing though the ſpirit be willing, yet the fleſh is weak, Mat. 26.41. and rebellious. Rom 7.23.
2. It is Gods honour, as well to be feared for his judgements, as to be loved for his mercies.
3. Becauſe the deareſt of Gods ſervants, although they be delivered from the wrath to come, yet may ſmart by his rods, and by laying his judgements before their eyes, may be made more ſenſible of the benefit of Chriſts ſufferings, when they take notice of the fearfulneſſe of thoſe judgements, from which they are delivered thereby.
Who are they that deny the uſe of that meanes, which God found ſo needful to our firſt Parents, annexed to his Law, as a bridle to reſtraine his people from rebellion, and which experience both taught godly men to be ſo uſeful to themſelves? It is true, that love is a ſtrong band to tie men to obedience, and might be ſufficient if it were perfect; but ſeeing we know but in part, 1 Cor. 13.9. and conſequently, can believe but in part, it muſt needs follow, that there muſt be the ſame defect in our love that we finde in our faith and knowledge, upon which that is grounded, and conſequently there needs ſome other help by the terrour of judgement, to keep down the motions of the fleſh, that the weakneſſe of our love may not be hindred, in carrying us on with life and conſtancy, to the acting of thoſe duties of ſervice, that God requires at our hands.
It is further to be obſerved, that the Lord thinks it fit to repreſent the terrour of his wrath by ſome viſible object: for if it might be doubted, whether the Cherubims that were placed at the entrance of Paradiſe were diſcernable by the eye; it muſt needs be granted, that the flaming ſword which they held was viſible. So that we may
5 OBSERVE, It is a great help to be informed by ſenſe, of thoſe things that are to work effectually upon our hearts.
Obſerve 5 NOt only the Jewes, who lived as it were in the twilight, God was pleaſed to inſtruct by ſenſe in ſacrifices, waſhings, circumciſion, &c. but even unto Chriſtians he hath ordained Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, for the affecting of our hearts the more feelingly, with the ſenſe of that precious mercy, the redemption of our ſoules, and waſhing and ſtrengthening of them by the vertue of Chriſts Death and Paſſion. Reaſon
1. We are moſt eaſily, clearly and ſpeedily moved by ſenſible objects, which have a ſtrong influence upon the affections; and the Lord who knowes our frame, Pſal. 103.14. is pleaſed to condeſcend unto our weakneſſe, to teach us by thoſe means of which we are moſt capable, repreſenting to earthly men heavenly things in an earthly manner, John 3.12.
Let us make uſe of thoſe meanes which the Lord hath left unto us for this end, not deſpiſing them, but abaſing our ſelves, and admiring Gods infinite goodneſſe and patience, who is pleaſed to ſtoop ſo low, in compaſſion of our weakneſſe.
And long for heaven, wherein when our bodies are made ſpiritual, 1 Cor. 15.44. we ſhall behold God with theſe eyes, Job 19.27. and ſeeing him as he is, 1 John 3.2. ſhall be ſatisfied with his likeneſſe, Pſal. 17.15. filled with his love, and tranſported with the ſight of his glory
The Cherubims that held out this flaming ſword, muſt needs be acknowledged to be Angels, as we have ſeen already, to ſtrike the deeper impreſſion of terrour into Adams heart, if they were viſible, ſeeing we finde their preſence ſo terrible to the godly, Dan. 8.17. So that we may hence
6. OBSERVE, The Angls themſelves are miniſtring ſpirits for the good of the Saints.
Obſerve 6 GOds Miniſters, Pſal. 104.4. ſent at his Command, not only for Chriſts ſervice, Mat. 4.11. Luke 22.43. but his childrens too, to keep them in their wayes, Pſal. 91.11. to deſtroy their enemies, 2 Kings 19.35. to inſtruct them, Dan. 8.16, 19. to chaſtiſe them for their ſins, 2 Sam. 24.16. and to gather the Elect to judgement, and ſeparate the wicked to be deſtroyed, Mat. 24.31. and 13.39, 41, 42. Reaſon
1. They are Gods creatures, and therefore at his Command.
2. And employed by him for the good of thoſe that ſhall be companions with them in the ſame glory, to encreaſe love amongſt all the Elect, as being fellow-members of one body.
1. See how deare Gods children are unto him, who is contented to employ his own guard to do them ſervice.
2. Learne from them, nay, from Chriſt himſelf, John 13.14, 15. to ſtoop to the ſervice of our brethren at Gods Command, Gal. 5.13. even Kings themſelvs with David, who ſerved his own generation, Act. 13.36.
The ſword which thoſe Cherubims held turned every way, that which way ſoever the man ſhould attempt the entrance into Paradiſe, it might meet with them, ſo that there was no poſſibility of eſcaping Gods hand, the man ſhould attempt the returning into Paradiſe, from which God had excluded him. Whence we may
7. OBSERVE, There is no meanes to eſcape the hand of Gods Juſtice, if men walk on in a courſe of rebellion againſt him.
Obſerve 7 THere is no flying from Gods Preſence, Pſal. 139.7. nor conſequently from his revenging hand, Job 20.25.16.22.23. ſo that there is no peace nor ſafety to the wicked, Iſa. 57.21. Reaſon
1. Gods Preſence is every where, and as many creatures as are in heaven and earth, ſo many inſtruments he hath to execute his judgments, for all are his ſervants, Pſal. 119.91. to fulfil his Word and Will, Pſal. 148.6.
2. Elſe God could not governe the word in righteouſneſſe, if men walking in rebellious courſes, might find any means to eſcape his revenging hand.
Let it move us to forbear all rebellious practices, as being aſſured therein to run upon inevitable deſtruction, and to lay hold of Gods ſtrength, that we may make peace with him, Iſa. 27.3. whoſe vengeance we can neither avoid nor endure, ver. 4.
FINIS.