Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Book 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 10
VERSE 10
I Heard thy voice in the Garden] In both Adams anſwers, we may by his ſhifting, eaſily diſcover his unwillingneſſe to confeſſe any more, then needs he muſt, which is a great evidence, that what he ſpeaks is truth, not only becauſe it is againſt himſelf, but beſides, becauſe he ſhewes his unwillingneſſe to acknowledge any more then he is preſſed unto, and convinced of to his face… In this firſt clauſe of his anſwer, he acknowledgeth his feare to be the cauſe of his flight; but when he alledgeth the voice of God to be the cauſe of his feare, he by implication chargeth God himſelf, as if the terrour of his voice, which he could not endure, had driven him away.
And I was afraid] The feare of reverence had not been blame worthy, but commendable, but that would not have driven him to his beeles; and yet this is the feare he ſeemes to alledge in his defence, when he addes in the next clauſe, that his nakedneſſe made him feare, when he heard Gods voice. But yet he anſwers not the queſtion fully, alledging that the hearing of Gods voice made him to feare and flie, but why the voice of God, which he heard without feare before, made him feare now (which was the chief thing enquired after) he gives no reaſon at all.
Becauſe I was naked] Which was not altogether true, for he had ſome covering (though it were but of fig-leaves) to hide his nakedneſſe. In the mean time he ſeems to juſtifie himſelf, when he pretends, that it was only modeſty, and not the conſcience of any evil, or feare of puniſhment, that made him to hide out of the way. Nay, further then that, he implies at leaſt, that if there were any thing blame-worthy in his flight, the fault was Gods, who had made him naked, and conſequently unfit to be looked upon, and not his. So that in this anſwer he layes the blame upon God, though covertly, which in his next anſwer he doth plainly and in expreſſe termes.
And I hid my ſelfe] Why, had not God made him naked, and was he now aſhamed to look upon his own workmanſhip? Again, was he not naked before, when God put him into the poſſeſſion of the Garden, and when he brought all the creatures before him, that he might give them names, and when he took a rib out of his ſide, and framed the woman of it, and brought her to him. Why was he now more aſhamed of his nakedneſſe then he was then? But Adams excuſes will not abide the truth. Something he ſayes, but his anſwers like his fig-leaves are no fit covering, neither the one for the nakedneſſe of his body, nor the other for his ſin.
This is Adams firſt anſwer upon his examination, wherein he ſeems wholly to clear and excuſe himſelfe from any evil in his flight, and hiding himſelf, affirming in effect, that if he were afraid, it was God that put him into that feare.
Secondly, he alledgeth, that it was only modeſty, and not the conſcience of any ſin that cauſed him to hide himſelf out of Gods Preſence, In both implying, that if any thing were to be blamed in his flight, and hiding, it muſt be charged not ſo much upon him, as upon God himſelf, who had both terrified him with his voice, and had made him ſuch a creature as was not fit to appear in his ſight. This ſeemes more probable to be Adams meaning in this anſwer, (when he alledgeth his nakedneſſe, as an excuſe for his hiding out of the way) then to conceive, that he points at the nakedneſſe of his ſoule, of which it ſeems he had very little feeling hitherto, ſeeing that, in his laſt anſwer, wherein God comes cloſer to him, in charging him home with the very fact, which he laboured to conceal, to excuſe himſelf, he forbears not to charge God with giving him a ſnare to entrap him, in ſtead of a wife to be a meet help for him. We may therefore probably conceive, that he, who in his laſt anſwer, when his ſin, in matter of fact, is ſo fully charged upon him, ſtands ſo ſtiffely upon his juſtification, was farre enough at preſent from acknowledging the …akedneſſe of his ſoule, whereof hitherto he ſeemes to have no ſenſe at all.
Adam, we ſee, when God calls him, muſt come out of his lurking hole, where he had hid himſelf, and not only appear before the Preſence of God, but when he queſtions him, muſt make anſwer, whether he will or no to that which God demands of him. Whence
1 OBSERVE All men muſt appear before God, and anſwer all that they are charged withal, when he comes to judgement.
Obſerve 1 ALl muſt appear before the Judgment Seat of Chriſt at the laſt day. 2 Cor. 5.10. all Nations, Mat. 25.31. thoſe that are ſwallowed up by the ſea, which muſt give up her dead, or are buried in their graves, Rev. 20.13. and ſuch as ſhall be then found living, 1 Theſ. 4.17. and all muſt be judged, and every man muſt give an accompt of himſelf unto God, Rom. 14.12.
1. That God by his power can enforce and draw all men before him, and to confeſſe him too, Rom. 14.11. no man can deny.
2. Beſides, it is fit that God ſhould do it, for the clearing of his Juſtice, both in rewarding his own, and puniſhing the wicked and ungodly, when every mans work is manifeſt, and it appears, that every man receives according to his deeds, Rom. 2.8. of this truth there can be no clearer evidence, then the obſervation of that judgement which paſſeth upon every man in the private Conſiſtory of his own Conſcience, from which none can flie, nor ſilence his own thoughts, bearing witneſſe for him, or againſt him, no, not thoſe which have no knowledge of God or his Law, Rom. 2.15.
Now though Adam muſt appear when God calls him, and muſt give an anſwer to the queſtion propoſed unto him, yet in his anſwer we ſee, he diſcovers a deſire to conceal all that he can, at leaſt as long as he can. Whence
2 OBSERVE. All men by nature are apt to colour and conceal all that they can, and that even from God himſelf.
Obſerve 2 NOt only ſuch as are groſſely wicked, as Cain, Gehazi, Saul, Ananias, yea, the whole body of Gods people, Pſal. 78.36. even when he truſted them, Iſa 63.8, 10. but even godly men are ſometimes apt to ſlip into the ſame evil, as Sarah doth. Gen. 18.15. at leaſt when the fact cannot be denied, yet to conceal any circumſtances of the evil committed, or to colour it over with ſome faire excuſes. That which made Moſes ſo unwilling to accept the employment, unto which God called him, was certainly the feare of his own life, upon which he had fled out of Egypt before, as appears by this, that the Lord, for his encouragement, after he had accepted the charge, to bring up Iſrael out of Egypt, aſſures him that they were all dead that had ſought his life, Exod: 4.9. This Moſes conceales, and pretends other excuſes, as we ſee. The reaſon is,
1. Becauſe all men deſire to juſtifie themſelves, and are by nature liars, Rom. 3.4. and therefore eaſily fall into that evil, to which their nature inclines them.
2. The want of the full apprehenſion of Gods Providence, Truth and Majeſty, emboldens them to take this liberty to halt even with God himſelf.
Let no man then truſt his own heart, in the cenſure of his own ſins, as being a partial Judge in his own caſe, and therefore apt to deceive him.
1. Through want of the obſervation of divers circumſtances in his actions, whereof notwithſtanding God takes ſpecial notice.
2. Through his partial affection towards himſelfe which cannot but eaſily pervert and blinde his judgement, in thoſe things that concern himſelf.
Adam had firſt highly offended in breaking Gods Commandment: now to colour that evil he falls into a ſecond, the concealing and hiding of his ſin, and for the clearing of himſelf, the caſting of an imputation upon God, or at leaſt implying as much, as if he had been the occaſion of his ſin. Whence
3 OBSERVE, One ſin commonly drawes on another.
Obſerve 3 WHen Sarah had laughed at Gods Promiſe of giving her a childe, ſhe preſently colours it with a groſſe lie, Gen. 18.15. When David had committed adultery with Urijahs wife, he labours to cloak it over with a fouler ſin, the contriving of her husbands death. Now theſe are the infirmities of good men; no marvel then if wicked men adde drunkenneſſe to thirſt, Deut. 29.19. and draw iniquity with cart-ropes, Iſa. 5.18. Reaſon.
1. Any ſin committed weakens the heart, and conſequently leaves it the more unable to withſtand a ſecond aſſault: As a Caſtle is the more eaſily taken, when the breach is once made.
2. And ſins are uſually faſtened one to another, like the linkes of a chain; ſo that he who takes hold of one of them, neceſſarily drawes on all the reſt. As when Jeroboam had ſet up Altars in Dan and Bethel, expreſly againſt Gods Command; he was in a ſort enforced to take in other Prieſts then God had allowed.
3. And God in juſtice may puniſh one ſin with another, and to that end both withdraw his reſtraining grace from wicked men, that being delivered over to the luſt of their own hearts, they may run on to all exceſſe of riot, that they may fill up the meaſure of their ſin, that Gods wrath may come upon them to the uttermoſt, and many times for a while withholds the power of his ſanctifying grace from his own children.
1. That they beholding the progreſſe of ſin to be ſo dangerous, may abhor it the more throughly for time to come, and avoid it the more carefully.
2. That they may be the more ſenſible of Gods mercy, in recovering them out of ſo dangerous a quick-ſand of evil, into which otherwiſe, when they were once entred, they muſt of neceſſity have ſunk in farther and farther, to their own utter deſtruction at the laſt.
Adam acknowledgeth, that it was the voice of God that made him hide himſelf, although he conceals the true ground of that terrour, which was indeed the guiltineſſe of his own conſcience within. Whence
4 OBSERVE, Gods Word is terrible to a guilty conſcience.
Obſerve 4 AS it was to Cain, Gen. 4.13, 14. and to St. Paul, Acts 9.6. Not only when it is delivered immediately by himſelfe, as when he delivered the Law upon Mount Sinai to the children of Iſrael, Exod. 20.18, 19. and ſent the hand-writing to Belſhazzar, Dan. 5.6. but when it is delivered by the mouth of his Miniſters, as Elijahs meſſage from God affrighted Ahab, 1 Kings 21.27. and Pauls Sermon made Felix tremble, Acts 24.25. and Saint Peters Sermon pricked the hearts of three thouſand hearers at once, Acts 2.37. and a Sermon makes an unbeliever, that comes in caſually, fall down on his face, 1 Cor. 14.25. and howſoever this effect be not wrought alwayes upon wicked men, of dead and unſenſible hearts, who ſometimes ſcoffe at the Word which they heare, Jſa. 28.14, 15. and otherwhiles oppoſe and deſperately reject it, Jer. 44.16. nor alwayes in the godly, (though they uſually do, and alwayes ſhould tremble at the Word, Iſa. 66.2.) who too often heare it with dead hearts, when God withholds from them the power of his Spirit, through which only it is mighty. Notwithſtanding, at the laſt day the Power of it ſhall appear at full, when it ſhall pierce the hearts of the moſt deſperate with unſupportable terrours. The reaſon,
1. The very letter of the Word repreſents unto us, both Gods Authority, Power and Holineſſe, and withal, our own ſinfulneſſe, which cannot but affect our hearts with terrours and aſtoniſhment, 1 Cor. 14.25.
2. It comes accompanied with the Power of the Spirit, by which in Gods children it is mighty to caſt down ſtrong holds, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. for their converſion, or farther reformation, and to the wicked, it is the execution upon them of the judgement that is written. Pſal. 149.8, 9. and is as chaines and fetters, binding them over to the great and general Aſſize of the laſt day.
Let it move all that are godly to heare that Word with feare and trembling, which God expects and delights in, Iſa. 66.2. (as having a ſenſe of their own guiltineſſe in themſelves, though by Chriſt it be taken away) ſubmitting where it commandeth, ſtooping where it reproves, 2 Chron. 12.6. and trembling where it threatens. And withal, admiring the goodneſſe of God to us, who makes that Word, which is ſo terrible to the wicked, unto his children the rejoycing of their hearts, Pſal. 119.111, 162. the deſire and longing of their ſoules, ver. 131. the quickening of their ſpirits, ver. 50. eſpecially when they conſider that there is in them the ſame guiltineſſe by ſin, which is in the wicked, though it be not imputed, which only melts and humbles them, when it overwhelmes others with terrours.
Adam could not deny his flight, for God took him in the manner; but yet we ſee, he conceales what he can, and hides the cauſe of his flight, which is the ſpecial thing after which God enquires. Whence
5 OBSERVE, It is an hard matter, to bring men to confeſſe any more, then is evident in it ſelf.
Obſerve 5 ONe example of Saul may, in this caſe, be unto us in ſtead of many. Firſt he juſtifies himſelf, that he had fulfilled the Commandment of the Lord, 1 Sam. 15, 13. when he is therein convinced of a lie, by the bleating of the ſheep, and lowing of the oxen, ver. 14. then he excuſeth himſelf, that they had indeed brought away a few cattel, which were reſerved only for a ſacrifice, ver. 15. when that was manifeſted to be a lie too, and that it was done only out of a greedy humour, to enrich himſelf only with the ſpoile, ver. 19. then he pretends, that if that were a fault, it was not to be charged upon him, but upon the people, that would needs have it ſo, ver. 21. ſo hardly is he brought, at laſt, with much ado (till Samuel told him in plain termes that if all were true that he pretended for his own excuſe, yet God abhorred it) to acknowledge it to be a ſin, ver. 24.
In conſidering Adams anſwer unto God it is obſervable, that Adam confeſſeth indeed both his hiding from Gods Preſence, and his nakedneſſe; but his ſin, which was the true cauſe, both of his flight, and of the ſhame of his nakedneſſe, that he mentions and conceales not at all. Whence
6. OBSERVE, Men may be brought more eaſily to acknowledge any thing then their ſinne.
Obſerve 6 WE have ſeen it in the example of Saul mentioned before, who although he could not deny the fact, yet by all means labours to juſtifie his innocency by his own good intentions, and by his yielding by compulſion to the violence of the people: the whore, when ſhe had committed adultery, yet by no meanes will be known of it, but wipes her mouth, and ſtands to it, that ſhe hath committed none iniquity, Prov. 30.20. neither had the people (if they might be believed,) deſpiſed Gods Name, Mal. 1.6, 7. nor robbed him of his tithes and offerings. There can be no other reaſon hereof, then the conſcience of the baſeneſſe and filthineſſe of ſin, which, though men will not avoid, yet for their credits ſake they are afraid to own.
Let this endeavour, even of the vileſt amongſt men, in hiding and covering their ſin, ſhew us more clearly the foulneſſe and hatefulneſſe of it, which is ſuch, that thoſe that love and delight in it moſt, yet dare not juſtifie, as appears by their endeavours to hide it every way, as is manifeſt,
1. By their acting in the dark, Job 24.15, 16.
2. Covering it over with the faire vaile of ſome vertue near unto it, as covetouſneſſe with the name of thrift and good husbandry.
3. Sometimes denying.
4. Blanching it over with ignorance, good intentions, and the like: all arguments that they condemne the ſin, which who can approve when the beſt friends of it diſclaim it, and labour to cover it from the eyes of the world.
Let all that are godly, labour to bring their hearts to that which nature ſo much abhors, that is, in all ſinful actions, to finde out eſpecially the ſinfulneſſe of them in themſelves, and our ſinfulneſſe in acting them.
Firſt, to bring our hearts to acknowledge, that ſin is out of meaſure ſinful in it ſelf, and we hereby,
1. As having the ſpring of it in our own hearts, as David doth, Pſal. 51.4.
2. The motions of it being carried on by our own affections, which luſt againſt the Spirit, Gal. 5.17.
3. The injury to God thereby unvaluable, wherein we deſpiſe his Authority, Holineſſe and Righteouſneſſe, and forget his mercies and bleſſings, Deut. 32.6.
4. The folly of it more then brutiſh, Jer. 2.12, 13.
5. The ſcandal of it infinitely diſhonourable to God and Religion.
Secondly, our ſelves being defiled thereby, let us
1. Cover our faces with ſhame.
2. Fly unto the blood of Chriſt, that it may waſh from all our filthineſſe.
This confeſſion of Adam, that it was the feare of Gods Preſence, which made him flie and hide himſelf out of the way, might, if it had been improved, have wrought further upon his heart, and have cauſed him to bethink himſelf, how he might make his peace with that God whom he feared. But we ſee it works no ſuch effect in him. Whence
7 OBSERVE, No meanes can work any farther then they are acted and caried on by God himſelf.
Obſerve 7 GOds great and aſtoniſhing wonders, which he wrought in Egypt, when he delivered his people thence, wrought nothing to purpoſe upon their hearts, Pſal. 78.11, 17, 32. becauſe God wrought not with them, Deut. 29.4. though ſometimes they drew them to a formal, but not a true and hearty ſubmiſſion, Pſal. 78 36. no more did Chriſts miracles upon the Jewes, John 37.38. for the ſame cauſe. So happens it in the diſpenſation of the Word; all the powerful effects of it, in caſting down ſtrong holds, are thorough God, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. therefore we finde that in ſome it works nothing at all, in others ſome ſhew of fruit which is never brought to perfection, in a few it hath an effectual and powerful work, Mat. 13. It muſt needs be ſo, ſeeing all the quickening power is in the Spirit, John 6.63. without which neither Paul nor Apollos are any thing, 1 Cor. 9.7. 2. And it is fit it ſhould be ſo, that when all the efficacy is from God, the honour and praiſe for all that is wrought, might be returned to him alone, 1 Cor. 1.31.
Let every man acknowledge God, in the efficacy of all meanes that we uſe, even in outward things. In our labours, in our food, and the like, eſpecially in the meanes of grace, the Word and Sacraments, depending upon him, and asking at his hand the efficacy of all that we do, and aſcribing the praiſe of all that we obtain by the uſe of any meanes unto him alone. Obſerving how unequally the ſame meanes work at the ſame time, or ſeveral perſons, and at ſeveral times on the ſame perſons.