Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Book 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 2
VERSE II.
THe woman, without any adviſed deliberation in her ſelfe, or ſo much as conſulting with her husband, or conſideration of the party that propoſed the queſtion, or of the nature of the queſtion propoſed, or of the ſcope at which it aimed, gives a preſent anſwer, not only to that which was demanded, but to more then the queſtion required, and thereby opening her minde ſo freely unto Satan, gives him the greater advantage and encouragement, to ſet upon her with a freſh and more violent aſſault, as we ſhall ſee. This errour of hers in opening her ſelfe ſo raſhly, to one that ſhe knew not, gives warrant to
1 OBSERVE It is dangerous to lay open our ſelves freely to perſons unknown, or ſuch of whom we have no aſſurance.
Obſerve 1 SOlomon notes it to be a great folly to utter all a mans minde, and a point of wiſdome to keep it in till afterwards, Prov. 29.11. Peter endangered himſelfe very farre, by converſing with ſtrangers in the High-Prieſts Hall, Mat. 26.69, 70. Nay, David himſelf (we ſee) enſnared himſelf, by opening himſelf, though to a familiar acquaintance, yet to one whoſe heart he had not throughly ſounded, Pſal. 55.13. And Gedaliah, by truſting Iſhmael too far, ruined both himſelf and his followers, Jer. 41.1.
This was Eves firſt overſight: a ſecond, and no leſſe is, that ſhe is contented to have a manifeſt truth queſtioned, though delivered by Gods own mouth, namely, his interdiction of taſting the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which the event diſcovered to be a great folly in her, and may warrant us to
2 OBSERVE It is a dangerous thing to question or debate evident and knowen truthes.
Obſerv. 2 PRinciples in all Sciences are exempted from diſpute, much more ſhould they be in Divinity. Amongſt which we may account
1. The dictates of Nature, written by the finger of God in all mens hearts, as, that there is a God, Rom. 1.19, 20. that he judgeth the world, Pſal. 58.11. and that in righteouſneſſe, which is a principle that Jeremy will not diſpute, Jer. 12.1. and that conſequently it ſhall be well with the good, and ill with the wicked at laſt, Eccl. 12.13. as being truthes, which every mans conſcience within his own breaſt gives teſtimony unto.
2. Such truthes as are delivered by God himſelfe, either recorded in his Word, (as the Creation of the world, and that great myſtery of mans Redemption by Jeſus Chriſt, &c.) or made known unto us by any ſpecial meſſage from God, as Zachary is both blamed and puniſhed, for diſputing againſt the meſſage ſent from God by the Angel, Luke 1.20. much more did that Prince deſervedly periſh, by the juſt decree of God, that denied the truth of Eliſhahs Prophecie, 2 Kings 7.2. Only believing and acknowledging the truthes themſelves, we may be warranted to enquire more thoroughly into the Manner, Meanes, Order, and other circumſtances of thoſe things, which we fully aſſent unto and believe, (as Jeremy doth, Jer. 12.1. and the bleſſed Virgin, Luke 1.34. and the Prophets ſearched into what, and what time the coming of Chriſt ſhould be, whereof they propheſied, 1 Pet. 1.10, 11.) thereby to informe our ſelves of thoſe ſecrets more fully, as well to quicken our affections, which are moſt effectually moved, by the full diſcovery of things in particular, and to ſtrengthen our faith the more thereby, as alſo to enable us, by the full underſtanding of the truthes which we embrace, to ſatisfie others, and to maintain them againſt, and ſtop the mouthes of ſuch as oppoſe and contradict the truth. And by this aſſenting unto the truthes of God, without queſtioning or admitting them into debate,
1. We ſeale unto his truth, John 3.33. and give him the honour of a God, to be believed upon his own teſtimony; whereas we believe not men upon their word, without ſome further evidence.
2. And by the ſame meanes we provide for our own ſafety, who having our mindes full of ignorance, and by their corrupt diſpoſition, more inclinable to embrace lies rather then truth, might be endangered by admitting known truth to debate, to be miſlead by the miſts of humane reaſonings, into errour, to the endangering or overthrowing of our faith.
Theſe were Eves groſſe overſights, in entertaining conference with Satan, a perſon unknown, and that about ſuch a manifeſt and evident truth. In the ſubſtance of her anſwer, and the forme of it ſhe failes many wayes. And firſt in this, that (if ſhe conſented not unto) yet ſhe entertaines ſuch a dangerous ſuggeſtion, as the divels queſtion implies, with ſo much coldneſſe of ſpirit, which ſhe ought to have oppoſed, with a zealous deteſtation, and vehement indignation. This errour of hers may give juſt occaſion to
3 OBSERVE Blaſphemous and foule ſuggeſtions ought not to be heard, without indignation and deteſtation.
Obſerve 3 THus Job anſwers his wives damnable counſel, to curſe God and die, Job 2.10. And our Saviour Chriſt, Peters carnal advice to favour himſelf, and not to yield himſelf to death, Mat. 16.23. as he had done before Satans curſed motion, to fall down and worſhip him, Mat. 4.10. In like manner doth St. Paul thoſe blaſphemous exceptions, Rom. 3 4, 6. And thus we ought to do
1. To manifeſt our zeale for Gods honour and for his truth.
2. By it we ſecure our ſelves from a farther aſſault, which we eaſily invite, when we bear ſuch blaſphemies, with too much ſoftneſſe of ſpirit and patience.
3. And harden our own hearts againſt ſuch wicked ſuggeſtions, by abhorring the very mention of them.
4. And oftentimes terrifie the ſuggeſters themſelves, or at leaſt put them to ſhame.
The ſecond failing of Eve in her anſwer is, that when ſhe mentions that large grant of God, in beſtowing on them the free uſe of all the trees in the Garden, ſhe doth not ſo much as mention Gods Name, that had beſtowed that large favour ſo freely, not without manifeſt injury to him, who ought to be known and proclaimed to be the Author of his own gift, as having beſtowed them eſpecially for that end. Whence,
4 OBSERVE When Gods mercies are mentioned, we muſt withal be careful to remember his Name that beſtows them.
Obſerve 4 ANd this muſt be done, not only in ſuch ſolemn thankſgivings as we have, Iſa. 63.7. Pſal. 68.19, 20. but even in ordinary conferences, after Jacobs example, Gen. 33.5. and that of Moſes, Exod. 18.8, 9. And this we muſt do
1. That by entituling God unto, and prefixing his own Name before his works of mercy, wherewith mens hearts are moſt affected, he may be highly advanced above all things, and held out and proclaimed to the world, as the fountain of all goodneſſe, when all the good things which we enjoy, and in which we rejoyce, are ſtill laid down at his foot. See, Rev. 4.10, 11. whereby, withal the heart is filled with his love, and with an holy rejoycing in him with thankfulneſſe, and encouraged by ſuch enlargements to all cheerfulneſſe in his ſervice, with the Prophet, Pſal. 116.12, 13, 14. which are the main ends that God aims at, in lading us with his bleſſings.
2. There is an evil diſpoſition in mens hearts, to forget God in his mercies, Deut. 32.18. Pſal. 106.21. and to aſcribe them to themſelves with Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4.30. Hab. 1.16. or if not, to their idols, Hoſ. 2.5. yet at leaſt to ſome ſecond cauſes or meanes, by which thoſe bleſſings which they enjoy are conveighed unto them, never looking up to the fountain from whence they flow: ſo that there cannot be too much care uſed to ſet God before men, in all the diſpenſations of his mercies, ſince they are ſo apt of themſelves to forget him.
The womans laſt failing in this firſt part of her anſwer, is manifeſted in the manner of her expreſſion, which ſhe uſeth when ſhe mentions Gods grant, of the free uſe of the fruits of the Garden, of which ſhe ſpeaks in ſo bare and cold a manner, that ſhe clearly diſcovers at how low a rate ſhe valued it in her heart. For whereas God in his grant expreſly mentions every tree of the Garden, of which he gives them liberty to eate freely, as we render that ſignificant phraſe in the Hebrew, (eating thou ſhalt eate) ſhe minceth it in her relation to Satan, affirming barely and coldly that they did eat of the trees of the Garden, concealing thoſe two circumſtances that ſet out the largeneſſe of the gift. This failing of hers gives occaſion to
5. OBSERVE Gods mercies ought not when they are ſpoken of, to be repreſented in cold and weak expreſſions.
Obſerv. 5 THus indeed we finde godly men, when they have occaſion to ſpeak of any mercy, to mention and ſet them out in ſuch a manner, as if they poured out the very affections of their ſoules with their words, as David doth, Pſal. 103.3, 4. ſometimes calling upon, and ſtirring up others to do the like, Pſal. 145.7. ſometimes expreſſing and ſetting out the bleſſings themſelves, with all the varietie of words and phraſes that they can deviſe, as we may ſee in Moſes his Song, Exod. 15. and Deborahs, Judges 5. otherwhiles by occaſion of remembring one mercy, gathering together heaps of other mercies of like kinde, as Hannah doth in her prayer, 1 Sam. 2.1. and the bleſſed Virgin in her thankſgiving, Luke 1.46. At other times diſcovering the fountain whence thoſe bleſſings flow, Gods free Mercy, great Goodneſſe, &c. Pſal. 145.7. and to enlarge the mercies the more, ſetting out the unworthineſſe of them that receive them, as David doth, 2 Sam. 7.18. and Saint Paul, 1 Tim, 1.13. And this they do
1. Becauſe, they having their hearts enlarged in the apprehenſion of them inwardly, cannot but ſpeak as they think of them.
2. It is our duty to advance the Lord by all the meanes we can, that his Name alone may be excellent, Pſal. 148.13. and great, Mal. 1.11. now nothing advanceth his Name more then his mercies, which therfore muſt be ſet out as the mercies of God, high, and without compariſon.
3. When all is done, and we have made uſe of all our Art and abilities, to ſet out Gods mercies in the largeſt manner that we can deviſe, all our words come infinitely ſhort of the full extent of thoſe things which we deſire to repreſent.
4. In the mean time, while we ſtrive to ſet out things in the fulleſt meaſure, we warme our own hearts, and quicken our affections the more, and fill our hearts with the greater admiration of thoſe things, which exceed all our expreſſions.