Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Book 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 4
VERSE 4.
BY this anſwer of the woman, Satan had now ſufficiently diſcovered the temper of her ſpirit. He findes her heart impatient of her reſtraint, and ready to repine againſt God that had laid it on her, and thereupon the proneneſſe of her will and affections, to break out into actual rebellion, if the terrour of the curſe, threatened in caſe of tranſgreſſion of the Commandment, could be wholly removed, which alſo held but by a weak thread, as we have ſeen, The woman, having diſcovered in her anſwer, her ſleighting of it, either as uncertain or unconſiderable. Wherefore he thinks it beſt to dally with her no longer, but comes up cloſe to her, and putting on a bold face,
Firſt, he peremptorily denies the terrour of the curſe, as if that were only laid before her as a ſcar-crow, ſeeing God well knew that no ſuch evil would follow the eating of that fruit, as he had threatened.
Secondly, with like impudence and confidence, in ſtead of that curſe he aſſures the woman of a ſingular benefit, which the eating of the fruit of that tree would bring her, the knowledge of good and evil; for the truth whereof he appeales to God himſelfe, who, as he affirmes, knew well enough, that this tree had ſuch an extraordinary vertue. This dangerous aſſault the woman drew on by her weak and cold anſwer. Whence
1 OBSERVE A little yielding to Satan in his temptations, invites and encourageth him to a ſtronger and more violent aſſault.
Obſerv. 1 IF a man yield ſo farre, as to ſtand in ſinners councels, Satan will not leave till he have brought him to walk in ſinners wayes, till at laſt he ſit down in the ſeat of ſcorners. If he can prevaile with David, to dr…w him to commit adultery with Bathſheba, he will not leave till he have brought him to murther her husband. If Herod will be won to impriſon John Baptiſt, he ſhall not ſtick at laſt to cut off his head, Mark 6.17, 27. and if Peter go ſo far as to deny his Maſter, he ſhall at laſt forſwear him too, Mat. 26.74.
The firſt reaſon hereof may be taken from Satans diligence and vigilancie, to make the beſt of, and purſue to the utter moſt all advantages, (like Benhadads meſſengers, 1 Kings 20.33.) as waters, where the bank begins to yield, lie upon it with the greater weight, eſpecially if we joyne with his diligence his malice, which ſets him on, and is never ſatisfied, till he have brought men to deſtruction, 1 Pet. 5.8.
Secondly, it is juſt with God to puniſh mens haltings, and want of zeale, with more dangerous errours and backſlidings.
Let us then be careful to reſiſt Satan ſtrongly in his firſt encounters, as we are adviſed. 1 Pet. 5.9. with reſolute denials, and vehement deteſtations of every ſinful motion, that it get not the leaſt footing in our hearts, which it doth when it findes allowance, or (which is ſome degree of allowance) cold reſiſtance. This reſolute oppoſing of ſinful motions,
1. Keeps our hearts free from all defilement by ſin.
2. Moves God to ſtrengthen us with a greater meaſure of grace, as he did Saint Paul, 2 Cor. 12 9.
3. And daunts the devil, and makes him flie from us, when he is readily oppoſed and reſiſted, Jam 4.7.
Now comparing Satans warineſſe in his firſt encounter with the woman, wherein he ſeemes ſomewhat modeſt, as propoſing things only by way of enquiry, but affirming nothing poſitively, eſpecially forbearing to charge God at all, unleſſe it were by a ſecret inſinuation, with this bold and ſhameleſſe charge of diſſembling and dealing falſely with man, againſt his own knowledge, we may take notice of the deceitfulneſſe of ſin, and
2 OBSERVE Even thoſe which ſeem modeſt in ſinne at the firſt, grow bold and ſhameleſſe in it at the laſt.
Obſerve 2 ABſalom, in the beginning of his treaſonable practices, makes no ſhew of any thing but courteſie, and zeale for juſtice, but when he had won the hearts of the people, he grows ſhameleſſe, and breakes out into open rebellion, and inceſtuouſly defiles his fathers Concubines: and wicked men being paſt ſenſe and ſhame, give themſelves over to all laſciviouſneſſe, Eph. 4.19. glorying at laſt in their own ſhame, Phil. 3.19. and acting things not comely, Rom. 1.28. not fit to be named by modeſt men, Epheſ. 5.12. The reaſon whereof is,
1. Becauſe uſe and cuſtome makes ſin ſo familiar unto men, that it takes away, firſt the ſenſe, and then the ſhame that follows it, which as they feele not in themſelves, ſo they feare it not from others.
2. By this means God brings all evils to light, that the committers of them may be abhorred of all men, and his juſtice may be the more clearly manifeſted in their deſerved puniſhment.
But we cannot but with admiration take ſpecial notice of Satans impudency, who preſumes to give God the lie, and flatly to contradict ſo evident a truth, ſo lately and expreſſely delivered from his owne mouth, and that alſo, as it is moſt probable in the womans own hearing. Whence
3 OBSERVE There is no truth of God ſo clear and manifeſt, which Satan and his Agents dare not to contradict.
Obſerve. 3 THere can be nothing more clear then the goodneſſe of God, in his rewarding thoſe that ſerve him, which all experience makes manifeſt, and yet the impes of Satan flatly deny it, Job 21.15. as they do in like manner his Providence, Job 22.13, 14. and his Juſtice; Ezech. 18. nay, even God Himſelf, Pſal. 53.1. The leſſe are we to marvel, if they queſtion and deny the firmeſt grounds of faith, ſeeing they are things not ſeen, as they have done in all Ages, as Chriſts Deity, Humanity, the value of his ſatisfactions, the Deity of the Holy Ghoſt, the Immortality of the ſoule, the Reſurrection of the body, and the like. And no marvel,
1. Seeing Satan is both a liar, and the father of lies, John 8.44. ſo that by his own nature he muſt needs be oppoſite to the truth.
A d 2. Beſides, it concernes him above all things to contradict fundamental truthes, upon which Gods honour and mans ſalvation moſt depend, both which Satan labours to overthrow with all his power.
3. And laſtly, he well underſtands by experience, the corruption of mans nature, which inclines him to embrace darkneſſe rather then light, to believe lies rather then to love the truth, which gives him great hope of prevailing, even in ſuggeſting the fouleſt untruthes to ſuch favourable hearers.
The end at which Satan aimed, in contradicting this intermination of death to be inflicted upon man, if he ſhould preſume to eate of the forbidden fruit, was to embolden the woman to rebellion, by freeing her from the terrour of Gods wrath, which might be a meanes, by the feare of the danger, to withhold her from committing the ſinne. But the obſervation to be drawen from thence we have handled already.
That which we are to take notice of in the next place is, that Satan in ſpeaking of this intermination, takes up the phraſe it ſelfe in which God had delivered it, Gen 2.17. which the woman in her anſwer had altered, and expreſſed it in more gentle and uncertain termes, which queſtionleſſe he did, not to help the womans memory, nor much leſſe to taxe her for faultering in her anſwer: But rather, that when he had laid the curſe before her in the ſtricteſt termes, he might elude it, in a way of ſcorne, telling the woman in effect, that this terrible threatning was no other then a meer ſcar-crow, whereas God knew well enough that no ſuch effect would follow, as he had threatened. Whence
4. OBSERVE Satan and his Agents never make uſe of Gods Word, but for miſchief:
Obſerve 4 EIther to ſcoffe at it, Iſa. 5.19. 1 Cor. 15.32. or tempt others to ſinne, as we ſee Satan makes uſe even of the Word it ſelfe, to perſwade our Saviour to tempt God, Mat. 4.6. Or elſe to contradict it, as thoſe proud men do Jeremies anſwer from God, Jer. 43.2. or to lull men aſleep in carnal ſecurity, which was the cuſtome of the falſe prophets, Jer. 23.17. by which meanes they ſtrengthened the hands of evil doers, that none returned from his wickedneſſe, ver. 14. Neither indeed can it be otherwiſe,
1. Becauſe they being themſelves defiled, even their very conſciences, they muſt neceſſarily defile all that they handle, Tit. 1.15.
2. Becauſe they hate the Word it ſelfe, and therefore cannot either think or ſpeak of it, unleſſe it be to abuſe or diſcredit it ſome way or other. See, Prov. 1.29.
3. And laſtly, becauſe Satan that guides them, delights in nothing more then to pollute the moſt holy things of God, and to fight againſt him with his own weapons.
Let us then be alwayes jealous and wary of the taking up of Gods Name or Word, by wicked men in their ſpeeches and conferences, alwayes fearing ſome evil practice in hand. Seeing we know them to be haters, both of the Word it ſelfe, and of God that gave it, and of all the truths therein delivered, and beſides of all godly men; and therefore in all their words or actions, can neither aime at Gods honour, nor intend any good unto us, but muſt, even in uſing Gods Word, endeavour, either by it to uphold ſome dangerous errours and hereſies, to the corrupting of the ſound doctrine contained in the Word, or to countenance wicked mens own corrupt practices, and to diſgrace other mens ſincerity, and thereby to encourage their companions by making their hearts glad, and diſhearten the godly by making their hearts ſad, as the falſe prophets were wont to do, Ezech. 13.22.