Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Book 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 17
VERSE 17.
ANd unto Adam he ſaid] The laſt cenſure is upon the man; the laſt in the tranſgreſſion, and the leaſt guilty of all the offendors, as being ſeduced by his wife; but ſeeing his hand was in the ſinne, good reaſon be ſhould alſo have his ſhare in the puniſhment.
Becauſe thou haſt hearkened to the voice of thy wife] And not reſpected my Commandment, who had expreſſely forbidden thee the eating of that fruit, and therein preferred her counſel before my direction. Now what perſwaſions his wife uſed when ſhe gave that fruit, is not expreſſed: probably they were ſuch as Satan had ſuggeſted unto her.
Curſed is the ground for thy ſake] The earth in general, in which Adam was now to live, being to be caſt out of Paradiſe: this curſe upon the earth, was the weakening of the fructifying power thereof (as it is afterwards expreſſed) and that for his ſake, that is, both for his ſin, which made him unworthy of any bleſſing by any creature, and for his puniſhment, who was to be ſuſtained by the fruits which the earth was to bring forth.
In ſorrow ſhalt thou eate of it] That is, an hard labour, cauſing wearineſſe and grief thereby. We ſee ſtill a mixture of mercy with the judgement, a curſe with a promiſe annexed to it. His labour ſhould be hard, but yet it ſhould produce him meanes for the ſuſteining of his life; he ſhould eat by his labour.
All the dayes of thy life] To put thee in minde continually of thy ſin, and my juſtice: yet even in this clauſe there is ſome comfort, that thoſe labours and ſorrowes thereby ſhall determine with this …ort life.
The firſt circumſtance to be taken notice of in this cenſure, is the Author of this curſe, upon the earth: it proceeds, as we ſee, from the Decree of God himſelf. Whence
1 OBSERVE, The curſe, as well as the bleſſing upon all creatures, proceeds from the Will and Decree of God alone.
Obſerve. 1 THerefore he denounceth the one, and promiſeth the other, Deut. 28. Lev. 26. he makes barren lands fruitful, and fruitful lands barren, Pſal. 107.33, 34. Bozrah ſhall be a deſolation if God ſwear it, Jer. 49.13. Nay, according to his will, both the bodies and ſoules of men, are either barren or fruitful, Numb. 5.27. Iſa. 29.14. Reaſon,
1. It can be no otherwiſe, ſeeing in him all things conſiſt, Col. 1.17. and have their being, Act. 17.28.
2. And it is fit it ſhould be ſo, that all men might feare before him, Jerem. 5.24. depend on him. Jer. 14.22. and praiſe him alone, Pſal. 107.32, 33, 34.
3. And it is every way beſt for us, who know that God judgeth righteouſly, Pſal. 67.4. and that thoſe that feare him ſhall want no good thing. Pſal. 84.1.
Firſt, let us learne, when we want any needful bleſſing, or feare any curſe upon the earth or other creatures, upon our own perſons, our bodies, or ſouls; to look up unto him, who worketh all things according to the counſel of his own will. And
1. Walk uprightly before him, which intereſts us in all his bleſſings, Pſal. 84.11.
2. Pray to him upon all occaſions, Phil. 4.6.
Secondly, if we enjoy any good by any creature, if our grounds be fruitful, our flocks, our wives; if we our ſelves be fruitful in holineſſe; let us acknowledge all to him with thankfulneſſe, that beſtowes all out of his own bounty.
This curſe of God upon the earth, is for Adams ſake, that is, both for his ſinne, and for his puniſhment; ſo that we ſee, not only from whom, but for what the curſe comes upon the creatures. Whence
2 OBSERVE, It is our own ſinne that brings the curſe of God upon all that we enjoy.
Obſerve 2 FOr ſin a fruitful land is turned into barrenneſſe, Pſal. 107.24. Lev. 26. D…ut. 28. and by ſin only we keep off good things from us, Jer. 5.25. Reaſon
1. Gods mercies are over all his works, Pſal. 145.9. and his hand in it ſelf is not ſhortened, Iſa. 59.1. neither is there any thing that he hates but ſin, or for ſin, Pſal. 5.4, 5.
2. And it is fit that God ſhould ſo ſhew his deteſtation of ſin, by manifeſting his wrath every way, againſt ſuch as provoke him thereby, as he did in the deſtruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and upon his own land: ſee Deut. 29.23, 25.
3. Thoſe things which wicked men enjoy, are uſually defiled by them, being made inſtruments to the fulfilling of their luſts, and conſequently are fit to be partakers of the plague, as they are defiled with the ſinne.
Let it work our hearts to the deteſtation and abhorring of ſinne, with which we ſee God to be ſo highly diſpleaſed, even God the faithful Creator, 1 Pet. 4.14. that ha…eth nothing that he hath made, but as out of his overflowing bounty he created all things, and delighted in them, when he had made them, Gen. 1.31. ſo he cheriſheth them ſtill, who conſequently muſt needs be provoked in a very high degree, when he turnes to hate his own works, and to curſe what he …ath bleſſed, as he dealt with the whole old world, Gen. 6.6, 7. and with his owne people, Jer. 11.17. and out of that deteſtation of ſin, let it be our care and endeavour, to break off all ſinful courſes, to avoid any famillarity with thoſe that are defiled in them, yea, to hate the very garment ſpotted with the fleſh: and if we have any delight in the fruitfulneſſe of our grounds, encreaſe of our flocks, towardlineſſe of our children, and deſire the proſpering of any thing that we have; let us be careful to remove ſin far from our dwellings, leſt it bring in ſuch a curſe upon all that we have, as is deſcribed Zech. 5.4.
The curſe that God layes, is upon the whole earth, that vaſt body, that man can hardly meaſure, much leſſe can command; upon this whole earth God exerciſeth his Authority. Whence
3 OBSERVE, The greateſt of all creatures are under Gods command.
Obſerve. 3 THe Earth and Heavens are his ſervants, Pſal. 119.91. the ſea, Prov. 8.29. Job. 38.10, 11. how much more the greateſt amongſt the ſons of men, even Kings themſelves whom he commands, Pſal. 105.15. yea, rules their very hearts, Prov. 21.1. Reaſon
1. They are all creatures, Jer. 14.22. even the work of his hand, Job 34.19.
2. He could not otherwiſe be an abſolute Lord over all, Pſal. 103.19. if any creature were out of his command.
Let no man feare any creature, Pſal. 46.2, 3. Iſa. 51.12, 13. but God alone, Jer. 5.22. and truſt in him alone, Pſal. 146.3, 6. and obey his voice, whom the windes and ſea obey.
This curſe which God here layes upon the earth, as it was occaſioned by Adams ſinne, ſo it was not the leaſt part of his puniſhment; for whoſe relief and comfort that fruitfulneſſe was beſtowed on the earth, at the firſt, by Gods bleſſing upon it. Whence
4. OBSERVE. The curſe of God upon the creatures is a part of mans puniſhment.
Obſerve. 4 THus God threatens it ſhal be, Lev. 26.18, 19, 20. all Pharaohs houſe is ſmitten for Pharaohs ſake, Gen. 12.17. The plagues upon the waters of Egypt, deſtroying of the corn, vines and other fruits, murrain amongſt their cattel, and death of all their firſt-born, we know, were the plagues that God brought on Pharaoh and his people, for hardning their hearts againſt him. The reaſons
1. We have intereſt in them, ſo that their deſtruction is our loſſe.
2. Our ſubſiſtence is by them; ſo that to loſe them, is to loſe the meanes, by which our lives ſhould be ſupported.
Let ſuch chaſtiſements as light upon us in the fruits of the earth, the murrain amongſt our cattel, the deſtroying of our houſes by fire, or any other way, be a meanes to awaken our hearts, and to humble us under Gods hand, leſt he come nearer to us, and ſeize upon our perſons.
The expreſſion whereof the Lord makes uſe, in laying this curſe upon Adam, is not to be paſſed by without obſervation, In ſorrow (ſaith he) ſhalt thou cate of it, that is, in hard labour, which cauſeth weariſome, painfulneſſe, and griefe thereby, which make the life bitter. Whence
5 OBSERVE, Mans life in this world, is a life of pain and ſorrow.
Obſerve 5 SO Solomon found it by his own experience, Eccl. 2.17. and obſerved it in others, ver. 23. not only by our immoderate cares about the things of this life, which cauſe ſome to eate in darkneſſe all their dayes with much ſorrow, Eccl. 5.17. called therefore the bread of ſorrowes, Pſal. 127.2. but beſides, by our painful labours about them, as Jacob profeſſeth of the dayes of his life, that they had been few and evil, Gen 47.9. unto which we may adde many troubles from without, with which men are diverſly encumbered, Pſal. 71.20. and that not only ſome, but men in general, Pſal. 90.10. Reaſon
1. To make us the more ſenſible of ſinne by our daily taſting the bitter fruits of it.
2. To move to an holy delight, and earneſt ſeeking after things that are ſpiritual, the wayes whereof are pleaſant, and the pathes peace, Prov. 3.17. Pſal. 119.165.
Let no man be in love with this preſent condition, ſo far as to be unwilling to change it, when God ſhall call him thereunto, but nouriſh in his heart, a longing deſire after heaven, with the Apoſtle and all the godly, Rom. 8.23. 2 Cor. 5.2.
1. Waiting alwayes with patience, till his change come, Job 14.14. with holy Job, unleſſe he be a perſon implied in ſome ſpecial ſervice for the Church: in which caſe, though Saint Paul deſired to be diſſolved, that he might be with Chriſt; yet he moderated his longing, Phil. 1.23.
2. Only in the mean time, while God is pleaſed to continue us here, let it be our care to improve our time to the beſt advantage, both to the Church of God for the ſervice thereof, and for the furthering of our own account againſt the laſt day; that when we depart hence, we may have our hearts reviving, with Saint Pauls comfortable expectation, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. and our Saviour Chriſts, John 17.4, 5.
3. In the mean time, we may in a great meaſure temper the bitterneſſe of our preſent condition, with the ſweetneſſe of our communion with God, as David doth, Pſal. 73.23, 28.
In the next place, take notice of the terme of the continuance of this curſe, that God here layes upon Adam: we ſee it endures and lies upon him for terme of his life. Whence
6 OBSERVE, The ſhort pleaſure of ſinne, draws after it a long, and laſting puniſhment.
Obſerve 6 HEreafter an everlaſting puniſhment, by the juſt deſart of it, Iſa. 66.24. Mat. 25.41, 46. and plagues of long continuance in this life, Jer. 23.40. reaching oftentimes to poſterity, for many generations, as did that curſe which God pronounceth againſt Amalek, Exod. 17.16. Such laſting chaſtiſements light ſometimes upon the godly themſelves, as upon David, 2 Sam. 12.10. Reaſon,
1. That God, who lives for ever, to plague thoſe that hate him, as well as to reward thoſe that love him, is able to lay ſuch puniſhments, it is evident.
2. And that he may do it, in a courſe of juſtice, is as clear, ſeeing ſin againſt an infinite Majeſty, deſerves no leſſe then an infinite, that is, an everlaſting puniſhment.
3. And 'tis fit the puniſhment it ſelf ſhould be laſting, leſt it ſhould be forgotten, Pſal. 59.11. and conſequently become fruitleſs both unto our ſelves and others.
Let us ſeriouſly conſider this, when we are tempted to any act of ſinne.
1. That the pleaſure in thoſe actions is indeed no true, but only a ſeeming pleaſure, delightful indeed unto the ſenſual part for the preſent, but in the end it bites like a Serpent, as Solomon ſpeaks of wine, Prov. 23.32, and women, Prov. 6.33.
2. And brings after it an everlaſting reproach, Jer. 23.40.
3. And leaves no fruit behinde it, Rom. 6.21. Let men therefore be wiſe in the beginning, leſt they mourn at the later end, when there is no remedy.
That for which Adam muſt ſweat and take ſo much pains, when all is done, is but to get himſelf bread, and proviſions for his life, out of the earth. Whence we may remember what hath been formerly obſerved, that
7 OBSERVE, Mans food is out of the earth.
Obſerve 7 PSal. 104.14, 15. and as is our food, ſo is our cloathing and houſes, Job 4.19. Reaſon,
1. Such proviſions are fitteſt to ſupport our earthly Tabernacles.
2. God hath ordered it ſo, to humble us, that we might be every way put in minde how vile we are, which we are loath to acknowledge.
Let us then learne to abaſe our ſelves, having ſo many lively repreſentations of our own vileneſſe, and not wax proud of our dainty fare, rich cloathing, ſumptuous dwelling, which is but to glory in our ſhame, as we are too apt to do, Phil. 3.19. which is both folly and impiety.