Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Book 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 11
VERSE 11.
WHo hath told that thou waſt naked?] A convincing reply; as if he had ſaid, How durſt thou ſee thy nakedneſſe now, which thou didſt not ſee before? or rather, how art thou aſhamed now of that, whereof thou waſt not aſhamed before: whence proceeds this change? either in thy ſelf, or in the apprehenſion of thine own condition? Thus God takes advantage of Adams own words, and out of his own mouth convinceth him, that his nakedneſſe was not the cauſe of his hiding from Gods Preſence, but ſomething elſe, which he had hitherto concealed, which God diſcovers and layes plainly before him in the words immediately following.
Haſt thou eaten of the tree?] It became not the Majeſty of God to trifle with him any longer: wherefore, without any further enquiry, God points out his ſin to him in expreſſe termes, and in effect tells him, that it was his ſin in breaking the Commandment which he gave him, which cauſed both his ſhame, and feare of his Preſence, and his flight thereupon. The manner of Gods expreſſion is by way of enquiry, and implies as much as if he had ſaid, Is it true indeed, or is it poſſible? that it might make the deeper impreſſion on Adams heart.
Whereof I commanded thee that thou ſhouldeſt not eate] How durſt thou do that which was ſo preciſely and expreſly forbidden? If the fruit it ſelfe were of ſmall value, how durſt thou tranſgreſſe thy Makers Commandment for a trifle? Thus God here at once both points at that in which the ſin principally conſiſted, which was diſobedience, in tranſgreſſing the Law given him, and aggravates it by that circumſtance, that it was he himſelf that had forbidden it, ſo it was the breach of the Commandment of his own Lord. God might have charged Adam with Infidelity, Pride Unthankfulneſſe, and the like. But he, having only this ſcope before him, to bring Adam to the ſenſe of his own guiltineſſe, contents himſelf to charge him only with the outward act of ſin, which could not with any colour be denied.
It is worth our obſervation, to conſider, that God, out of tender compaſſion to Adam, that he might not lie under an everlaſting curſe, coming now of purpoſe to convince him of his ſin, and to offer him termes of reconciliation, notwithſtanding, finding him ſtill to adde ſin unto ſin, and (as if it had been a light thing in his eyes, that he had denied Gods truth, contemned his curſe, and broken his Commandment) to blanch over ſo foule a fact with ſuch frivolous excuſes, deluding God (as it were) to his face: and more then that by implication to lay the blame of his flight upon God himſelf, patiently bears with all thoſe provocations, replying unto him in milde and gentle termes, without any bitterneſſe at all, holding on ſtill his reſolution to do him good at laſt, when he might juſtly at that inſtant have thrown him into hell. Whence
1 OBSERVE. Mans frowardneſſe cannot overcome Gods Love and Patience.
Obſerve 1 THis obſervation, ariſing more clearly out of the conſideration of Gods compaſſion upon Adam manifeſted in his cenſure, but more fully in the Promiſe of giving his Sonne Chriſt promiſed, ver. 15. may more fitly be handled in that place. For the preſent, we may take notice, that God out of Adams own words takes advantage, to convince him of diſſembling with him in this excuſe. Whence
2 OBSERVE. God can eaſtly, without any other evidence, convince men by themſelves.
Obſerve 2 HE can judge them out of their own mouth, Luke 19.22. produce evidences againſt them out of their own thoughts, and pronounce ſentence againſt them out of their own conſciences, Rom. 2.15. and make mens own tongues to fall upon them, Pſal. 64.8. He can indeed make uſe of us, and of all that is in us for his own glory, as having power to do with us what he will, ſeeing in him we move and have our being, Acts 17. and it makes much for his honour in the manifeſting of his juſtice, when he makes us witneſſes againſt our ſelves.
We ſee how clearly and fully God diſcovers Adams fact, as eaſily he might do, being as far privy to all that was done, as the Actors themſelves were, ſo that his excuſe and endeavour thereby to hide his ſin from Gods eyes, ſerved him to little purpoſe. Whence
3 OBSERVE, God ſees us even when we ſee not him, and takes notice of all our wayes, and obſerves them.
Obſerve 3 IT is true, that we ſee not him, Job 33.9, 10. but he ſees our ways, and numbers our ſteps, Job 31.4. ſeeing his eyes are in every place beholding the evil and the good, Prov. 15.3. and conſidering all their works, Pſal. 53.15. nay, diſcovering their very thoughts afar off, Pſal. 139.2. as Chriſt often anſwers the very thoughts of the Scribes and Phariſees, Mat. 19.4. and 12.25. much more could he ſee Sarah laugh behinde the tent-door, Gen. 18.13, and Eliſha, by his Spirit, be preſent, when Gehazi took the bribe of Naaman, 2 Kings 5.26, The reaſon of this truth. See Obſ. 3. on ver. 9.
Let all men walk as in Gods Preſence, alwayes beholding him that is inviſible, Heb. 11.27. as ſitting in his Throne of Majeſty and Power, and obſerving the wayes of men with thoſe eyes, which are purer then to behold evil. This is indeed the only way,
1. To give unto God the honour due to his glorious attributes.
2. To keep our hearts low, that we may walk humbly with our God, as we are required, Mic. 6.8.
3. To make us watchful in all our wayes, that we may do nothing that may provoke the eyes of his glory. See Exod. 23.21.
4. To encourage us in well-doing, when we know we walk in the ſight of our Maſter, who both approves us, and will reward us, when our wayes pleaſe him, Pſal. 18.24. and takes notice of a cup of cold water beſtowed in his Name, upon any of his children, Mat. 10.42. or the leaſt faithful ſervice, performed by a ſervant to his Maſter, Eph. 6.6. and will defend and ſtand by us while we do him ſervice, Exod 23.22, 23. as he promiſed to defend his childrens dwellings, while all the males went to Jeruſalem to worſhip, as he had commanded, Exod. 34.24.
Adam had acknowledged his ſhame and his feare: this ſatisfies not God, he muſt bring him to ſee his ſin and acknowledge it, and that too as it is a ſin, wherefore God eſpecially inſiſts upon that, and layes before him his rebellion in breaking his Commandment. Whence
4 OBSERVE, God accepts of no confeſſion, till men ſee and acknowledge the ſin of their actions, and that too as it is ſin.
Obſerve 4 THat they have treſpaſſed againſt, and walked contrary to him, Lev. 26.40. that they have perverted righteouſneſſe, Job 33.27. ſuch an acknowledgement David makes, when Nathan deales with him, 2 Sam. 12.13. Pſal. 51.4. and God accepts it, and pardons him. And ſuch an acknowledgement the Lord preſcribes unto his own people, and encourageth them thereunto, by promiſing them pardon, Hoſ. 14.2. The reaſon is,
1. Becauſe without ſuch a confeſſion, God hath neither the honour of his juſtice, in puniſhing ſin, (wherefore Joſhuah requires Achan to confeſſe his ſin, that he might give glory to God, Joſh. 7.19. as David doth, Pſal. 51.4.) nor of his mercy in pardoning it. For by mens acknowledging of their guiltineſſe, men are known to eat the fruit of their own wayes, when they are chaſtened by God. See Nchem. 9.33. and to be pardoned out of free mercy and grace, when their tranſgreſſions are paſſed by, upon mens humbling themſelves before him, though the treſpaſſe be committed againſt himſelf, which makes the ſin hainous above meaſure. Hence it is, that the Lord takes it to be his great honour, that he blots out our tranſgreſſions, meerly for his own ſake, Iſa. 43.25.
2. We cannot otherwiſe be in any ſtate of ſecurity after we have ſinned, but by ſuing out our pardon; which if he ſhould grant, without our condemning and abhorring of our own evil wayes, it would neither further our own reformation, nor juſtifie God in pardoning ſuch ſinnes, as we have neither acknowledged, nor grieved for at all.
God had before, in the examination of Adam kept aloof off, but that we ſee wrought not upon his heart to any purpoſe; he will acknowledge no more then he findes God is able to charge him with in particular: wherefore God is forced to lay his act before him in expreſſe termes, and to make it appear to be an act of rebellion. Whence
5 OBSERVE, Men muſt be dealt withal in plain termes, before they will be brought to acknowledge, and be made ſenſible of their ſins.
Obſerve 5 God muſt let Cain know, that he had ſpilt the blood of his owne brother, Gen. 4.10. and by the mouth of Nathan tells David, that he had contrived Urijahs death, and ſlain him by the ſword of the children of Ammon, 2 Sam. 12.9. Hence it is, that God gives ſpecial charge to his Miniſters, to lift up their voices like trumpets, and to ſhew, (that is, to ſet out to the life) before the houſe of Jacob their ſinnes, Iſa. 58.1. In that manner deaſt John Baptiſt with Herod, and in plaine termes taxeth him of inceſt, in having his brothers wife, Mark 6.18. and our Saviour himſelf ſets openly before the Scribes and Phariſees, their pride, hypocriſie, covetouſneſſe, ſeducing of the people, and the like, Mat. 23. and Luke 11. And thus muſt men be dealt withal,
1. Becauſe the heart is never affected with ſin, till it be repreſented unto them in full proportion, but it may appeare ſhameful and odious.
2. Becauſe all men being by nature lovers of themſelves, do all that they may to maintain their own innocency, and therefore endeavour what they can to hide ſin from their own eyes, as well as from other men, as being unwilling to look upon their own ſhame.
God might juſtly have charged Adam with pride, infidelity, unthankfulneſſe; but thoſe, being ſecret evils, would not eaſily have been acknowledged, therefore God makes choice of that manifeſt act, of eating the fruit forbidden, and layes that to his charge which could not be denied. Whence
6 OBSERVE, Whoſoever will convince a man of ſinne, muſt charge him particulaerly, with the very act in which he hath ſinned.
Obſerve 6 THus Nathan points at Davids particular act, when he names the ſword of the children of Ammon, wherewith Urijah was ſlain. And Eliſha ſets before Gehazi, not only the bare act of receiving a bribe of Naaman, but the whole manner of it, how he ran after the man, and how he turned back from his chariot to meet him, 2 Kings 5.26. And ſo doth Samuel mention to Saul, the bleating of the ſheep, and lowing of the oxen, which he had reſerved of the ſpoile of the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 15.14. and indeed ſuch is the ſhameleſneſſe of moſt, that unleſſe they be convinced by ſome outward act, which is ſubject to ſenſe, nothing moves them, becauſe things that are not manifeſt to ſenſe, may as eaſily be believed as they are objected, and then becauſe they ſtop the mouth of the reprover, who cannot prove by any act what they deny, they withal ſtop the mouth of their own conſcience, and traduce the accuſer as a ſlanderer. And this is the manner of all obedurate ſinners. Although thoſe perſons that are godly, having more tender hearts, exerciſed in ſearching out their own corruptions, are eaſily ſmitten by the pointing out a ſin afar off.
God knew well enough all the paſſages in this rebellious act, and who, and how far every one was an Actor therein; Adam was ſeduced by Eve, as ſhe had been beguiled by Satan, but after that he enquires not, as ſuiting not with his purpoſe, which was to make Adam ſenſible of his own act, it mattered not by whoſe ſolicitation he was drawen into it; And demands of him only, whether he had not eaten of the fruit, as being that alone which he would have Adans take notice of, whereby he directs us what to take notice of in ſinful actions. Whence
7 OBSERVE, In ſinful acts our hearts ought only to be ſixed upon our own actions, and not upon other mens ſolicitations and provocations thereunto.
Obſerve 7 THus Saint James in our ſins, wills us to look no farther, then the luſts and corrupt inclinations of our own hearts, which drew us thereunto, Jam. 1.14. as David, in remembring his adultery and murther, Pſal, 51.5. mentioneth nothing but his own acts, and the corruption of his own heart which drew him thereunto. And that this ſhould be our chiefeſt care, is agreeable to all reaſon,
1. Becauſe of the proneneſſe of our own hearts, to ſhift off the evil of our actions from our ſelves, if poſſibly we can.
2, And while we do this, we harden our own hearts, and make them inſenſible of our ſins, which affect us not, when we think the evil proceeds not from our ſelves, but charge it upon other men that provoke us.
3. Other mens provocations cannot excuſe us, ſeeing it is the conſent of our own hearts, and nothing elſe that makes it a ſin.
Now God in charging Adam with this ſin, aggravates it by this circumſtance, that it was a direct tranſgreſſion of Gods Commandment, wherein indeed the nature of ſin conſiſts. Whence
8 OBSERVE, The breach of Gods Commandment, is that which makes any act of ours a ſinne.
Obſerve 8 SAint John indeed makes that to be the deſcription of ſin, that is, the tranſgreſſion of the Law, 1 John 3.4. and St. James tells us, that if a man commit no adultery; yet if he kill, he is a ſinner, becauſe he is a tranſgreſſour of the Law, Jam. 2.11. and that is it wherewith Samuel chargeth Saul, 1 Sam. 15.19. that he had not obeyed the voice of the Lord, but gone directly againſt his Commandment, which diſobedience of his he equals to the ſin of witchcraft, ver. 23. wherefore when Saul is at laſt by Samuels reproof brought to acknowledge and confeſſe his ſin, he hath this expreſſion, that he had ſinned, becauſe he had tranſgreſſed the Commandment of the Lord, ver. 24. we finde therefore, that this was it, for which God eſpecially took ſo ſharp vengeance on his own people, that they hearkened not to Gods Commandment, Nehem. 9.16, 29. on the contrary, that is accepted for our tighteouſneſſe, if we conforme our ſelves in all things to the Law and Commandments that God hath given us, Deut. 6.25. Reaſon
1. Diſobedience is not only an injury to God, but an injury to him in the higheſt degree, wherein his Authority is rejected, his Wiſdom ſleighted, his Holineſſe deſpiſed, and his Providence, and Power, and Juſtice, both in rewarding and puniſhing not regarded.
2. Diſobedience knows no bounds, no more then waters do, that have broken down their banks. A man that once treads under foot Gods Law, caſts away withal all regard of duty both to God and man.