Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Book 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 13
VERSE 13.
AND the Lord ſaid to the woman] How is it that he leaves the man, before he had drawn him to a more and full acknowledgement of his ſin? He acknowledgeth the fact indeed, but ecxcuſeth it withal, and there remaine many weighty circumſtances, by which the ſinne was much aggravated, which are paſſed over in ſilence, neither acknowledged by Adam, nor enquired after by God himſelf. But we muſt conſider, that God had time and means ſufficient to perform that work upon Adams conſcience, afterward in private. At preſent his maine ſcope is to make it appeare, that he had no hand in drawing the man into this ſinne, by drawing the delinquents both to the confeſſion of the fact, and a diſcovery of the firſt mover thereunto, and the unwillingneſſe of the delinquents acknowledgement (who though they ſpeak no more then is drawn from them, yet utter enough to cleare God of having hand in the ſinne) makes much for the credit of their teſtimony on Gods behalf, as we have ſeen already. From Adam God turnes next to the woman, that ſhe might likewiſe be convinced of her fact, by her own confeſſion, and thereby both juſtifie the equity of the judgement pronounced againſt her afterwards, and beſides be drawn to appeach the Serpent, as the firſt Solicitor, and enticer to the ſinne, which was the principal thing that God laboured to diſcover for the preſent.
What is this which thou haſt done?] by tranſgreſſing thy ſelf, & ſeducing thy husband. The queſtion is propounded & demanded with ſome kind of admiration, as if God had ſaid, How? is it poſſible that thou ſhouldſt be ſo deſperately wicked and ſottiſh, as not only to ruine thy ſelf, but to be the deſtruction of thy husband alſo, for whoſe help and comfort thou waſt created? The wiſdom of God, in this examination of the man and woman, is not unworthy our obſervation. The maine thing which God ſought after, was the author and firſt mover to this ſin: But of this, he mentions not a word to the man before, or to the woman now, leſt he might ſeem by his queſtion to direct them what to anſwer. But God who knew the evidence of truth, and the deſire of juſtifying themſelves, muſt needs draw from the delinquents as much as he expected, leaves it to flow from themſelves freely without any enquiry at all, that it might the more evidently appear to ſpring meerly from a fountaine of truth.
The Serpent beguiled me] But that on her part, was no fit anſwer to the queſtion propoſed (howſoever it ſerve fully to the end that God aimed at) or at leaſt the main thing that ſhe ſhould have acknowledged, is omitted, or coldly ſatisfied in her anſwer; for God demands not of her, who put that motiō into her heart, but how ſhe could be ſo wicked, as to commit ſo foul a ſin, in ſlighting his Authority, denying his truth, forgetting his mercies, contemning his power, and wronging her husband, and conſequently deſtroying him for whoſe help and comfort ſhe was ordained. God calls on her to ſet all thoſe things before her eyes, and to conſider what ſhe had done; ſhe on the other ſide paſſing by that weighty conſideration propoſed by God, falls, as her husband had done before, to excuſe and leſſen the ſin what ſhe can, pretending that it was no voluntary act, proceeding from any evil diſpoſition of her own heart, but ſhe was enveigled by the cunning and policy of the Serpent, who under faire colours, and pretences beguiled her. Now if God had replied unto her, and demanded what thoſe faire colours and pretences were, which thus drew away her heart, her own anſwer muſt needs have ſtopped her mouth for ever: For ſhe knew that her heart filled with Gods love, ſhould have been wholly carried after the advancement of his glory. Now the Devil never ſo much as lays before her any ſuch thing, if he had, the womans error had been the more pardonable, if her end had been right, and ſhe had only been miſguided in the way that led thereunto, whereas ſhe cloſeth with Satan in taking up a falſe end, and ſeeking her own advancement in ſtead of Gods glory, wherein ſhe was wilfully perverted by the conſent of her own heart.
And I did eat] Thus then we have a full confeſſion of the fact, by both the delinquents, and by the woman the diſcovery of the plotter, and contriver of all the miſchief, that all the world may juſtifie God in the righteouſneſſe of his judgements, in the puniſhment of the offendors, who by ſeeking new tricks, or inventions (as the wiſe man calls them) to advance them beyond their conditions, were juſtly filled with their own inventions, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, Pſalme 106.39.
Thus we ſee God will not give over the examination, till he have diſcovered the whole plot of this fowle ſin and every agent in it, firſt Adam, then his wife, and at laſt the Devil the deceiver and ſeducer of them both. Whence
1 OBSERVE. No actor in any ſin can eſcape Gods diſcovery.
Obſerve 1 NOt the ſecret Contrivers and Counſellors, as Jonadab to Amnon, Achitophel to Abſalom, Jezabel to Ahab. Not the Actors and Executioners, as the Elders of Iſrael, and by their procurement the two ſonnes of Belial employed by Jezabel in the murther of Naboth. Not the abettors and aſſiſtants, as Joab and Abiathar in Adonijahs treaſon. Not the very frame or contrivance of the ſinne, or means to colour it. As Davids murther of Urijah to colour his adultery with his wife, and his cunning conveighance with Joab, to conceale his murther, which he not only diſcovered himſelf, but hath left upon record to poſterity.
1. It cannot be denied or queſtioned, but that he is able to ſearch into the deepeſt ſecrets, ſeeing all things are naked in his ſight, Heb. 4.13.
2. It concernes him to do it, that the Judge of all the world may appeare and be known to do right, to which purpoſe he muſt neceſſarily have a diſtinct knowledge, both of the offendors, and of the quality and meaſure of their offences, that every ones judgement may be proportioned in number, weight, and meaſure according to their deeds.
Let no man then embolden himſelf to have his hand in any ſinne, in hope to hide his counſel deep from the Lord, and his works in the dark, Iſa. 29.15. It is true, that mens eyes diſcover many times nothing but the outward acts of ſin, or the Agents that work, yea even they many times are hidden from mans eyes, but God that ſearcheth the heart and knoweth the thoughts of it afar of, Pſal. 139.2. takes notice of every motion of the heart by which the ſinne was begotten, of every ſecret word by which it was whiſpered into the Actors eares, of every affection of the ſpectators who behold it with delight. He knew what the King of Syria ſpake in his ſecret chamber, 2 King. 6.12. He underſtood the very ſecret thoughts of Herods heart, which it is probable he never uttered to his neareſt friends concerning the murthering of Chriſt, Mat. 2.13. much more was he able to diſcover the King of Iſraels commiſſion for the taking of Eliſha, 2 King. 6.32. and fourty mens ſecret conſpiracy to kill Paul. Thoſe ſecrets if he diſcover not to the world at preſent openly, yet he both knows, and can, and often doth prevent them: ſo that no man hath cauſe to hearten himſelf in hope of ſucceſſe in wicked counſels, or fear to be ſurprized by them.
We have already intimated, that God, who might have manifeſted every thought of Adams heart, and left upon record every circumſtance of the ſinne committed by him, notwithſtanding contents himſelf to bring to light only ſo much thereof as might manifeſt the delinquents deſart of that puniſhment, that he afterwards lays upon them, with ſuch a mixture of mercy withal, as exceeds belief, as we ſhall ſee anon, that he might be juſtified in all his wayes, and admired in his free grace. Whence
2 OBSERVE, Mens ſinnes muſt and ſhall be ſo farre manifeſted as may conduce to the advancing of Gods glory.
Obſerve 2 THus Joſhuah exhorts Achan to confeſſe his ſinne, that he might give glory to God, Joſh. 7.19. and David freely acknowledgeth his ſin, that God might be juſtified, Pſal. 51.4. And Saint Paul witneſſeth, the Law convinceth all men of ſinne, in ſuch ſort, that the whole world may be guilty before God, and that his righteouſneſſe may be made manifeſt for the remiſſion of ſinnes, Rom. 3.19, 23, 25. And good reaſon, ſeeing
1. It is the principal end wherefore we, and all things are, that our ſelves and all our actions, and all events that befal us, of good or evil, in all Gods diſpenſations towards us, may be referred to the manifeſting of Gods glory, who therefore permits with patience the veſſels of wrath, ordeined to deſtruction, for the magnifying of his Juſtice, in their deſerved puniſhment at the laſt, and graciouſly pardons his choſen ones, that he may ſet out the riches of his free mercy and grace, Rom. 9.22, 23. which end of his we ought to further in all our actions, and take notice of in all our obſervations.
2. That is the chief good that can come out of this evil, when the wrath of man, and all the reſt of his ſins turn to Gods praiſe, and a duty that we are obliged to performe unto God, to repaire his honour by a free acknowledgement, and confeſſion of ſinne, which we have, as much as lies in us, empaired by the acting of it.
Let it be our care,
1. To take heed of diſhonouring God by committing of any ſinne.
2. If by humane infirmity we fall into any ſin, by which the name of God may be blaſphemed, or the honour of it empaired, let us endeavour to take off the diſhonour done to him, by laying all the ſhame upon our ſelves.
1. In our private confeſſions before him, acknowledging his holineſſe, and the righteouſneſſe of his laws, and our wickedneſſe in tranſgreſſing them, after the examples, Ezra. 9.6.15. Neh. 9.33. Dan. 9.8. and that meerly out of the rebellious diſpoſition of our own hearts.
Firſt, without any provocation on his part.
Secondly, after ſo many and ſo large experiments of his mercies.
Thirdly, to the defiling of our own ſoules, evil example to our brethren, and as much as lies in us to the diſhonouring of that name by which we are called.
Fourthly, for which we might periſh for ever by Gods juſtice, and cannot be pardoned, but out of his free mercy and grace.
2. Upon occaſion of any ſcandal given by us, acknowledging as much before men, either openly in the face of the Congregation, or more privately before our brethren, as the nature and quality of the fact, or the offence given thereby, ſhall require, thereby clearing God, juſtifying his Law, and acknowledging his righteouſneſs, if we ſmart by his hand according to our deſarts.
In Gods queſtioning with Eve there is wonderful force in the expreſſion that he uſeth, as if there wanted words to expreſſe the foulneſs of the fact: What is this that thou haſt done? as if he had ſaid, canſt thou conceive the foulneſſe, the danger, and conſequently the folly and wickedneſs of this abominable fact: thus he ſpeaks to make the deeper impreſſion of the ſin upon her heart. Whence
3 OBSERVE, A good mans heart ought to be deeply and tenderly affected with the ſenſe of his own ſinne.
Obſerve 3 TO be manifeſted inwardly in ſhame, Jer. 3.25. and expreſſed outwardly by ſmiting on the thigh, Jer. 31.19. caſting down the countenance with the Publicane, Luke 18.13. bitter mourning, Zach. 12.10. with Peter, Luke 22.62. proceeding from the very breaking of the heart within, Pſal. 51.8. the contrary diſpoſition is juſtly taxed, Jer. 8.6. as diſcovering a dead and ſenſeleſſe heart within. Such a manner of the affecting of the heart by the ſenſe of ſin,
1. Brings much honour to God.
2. Proclaimes our own innocency, 2 Cor. 7.11.
3. Moves God to compaſſion towards us, Joel 2.17.
4. Furthers our reformation.
5. And makes us more watchful over our wayes for time to come, that we fall not again into that ſin which hath ſo much afflicted our ſouls, and which we have looked on with ſo much ſhame and deteſtation. To this end hath God erected a Conſiſtory in every mans breaſt, his own conſcience which is the Candle of the Lord, ſearching the inward parts of the belly, Prov. 20.27. which diſcovers the ſin, with all the aggravating circumſtances thereof, in full proportion, if we do not ſmother it.
But why doth not God ſpeak as affectionately to Adam, as he doth unto Eve? The cauſe muſt needs be this, She was not only firſt in the tranſgreſſion, but beſides, ſhe was employed by Satan to be an inſtrument, to beguile and ſeduce her own husband. Whence
4 OBSERVE, The ſeducing, eſpecially of ones neareſt friends, is a foule, and ſhould be an heart-breaking ſinne.
Obſerve 4 A Sinne for which God will not ſuffer a man to ſpare his owne brother, Deut. 13.8, 9. and therefore the judgments of God threatened againſt the ſeducing prophets, are fearful, Jer. 23. Ezek. 13. and for that, above all other ſins, the falſe prophet is caſt into the lake burning with fire and brimſtone, Rev. 19.20. See verſe 12. Obſ. 4.
The phraſe in which the woman expreſſeth her ſelf, when ſhe excuſeth her ſelfe, that ſhe was ſeduced by Satan, may not be paſſed by: ſhe ſaith, when Satan allured her to the committing of this ſin, that he beguiled her, as indeed he did. Whence
5 OBSERVE, Sinne, and the enticements thereunto, are dangerous deceits, and ſo will prove to be at the laſt.
Obſerve 5 SO Saint Paul tells us, that ſin deceived him, Rom. 7.11. wherefore he calls it the deceitfulneſſe of ſin, Heb. 3.13. and ſo are inordinate luſts termed deceitful luſts, Eph. 4.22. and the allurements that draw us thereunto, are juſtly called deceits, as riches are termed deceitful riches, Mark 4.19, dainty fare deceitful meat, Prov. 23.3. wine a mocker, the beauty of women deceitful, Prov. 31.30. no marvel then, if wicked men be called deceivers, and their work a deceitful work, Prov. 11.18. Now this deceit of ſin is twofold.
Firſt, in propoſing evil under the Name of good calling light darkneſſe, and darkneſſe light, Iſa. 5.20. or at leaſt the ſhadowes of good, inſtead of that which is really and truly good, like the paſſing of guilded braſſe for perfect gold.
Secondly, in propoſing unto us a reward in an evil way, which we ſhall never finde. See Prov. 1.13, 18. as they are juſtly accounted deceivers, who promiſe men largely, that which they never make good in performance.