Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 9 · Part 4
EXERCITAT. IIII. Of Adams knowledge before his fall.
Gen. 2.19. Whatſoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name of it.
FIrſt, conſider in Adams knowledge, the manner how he got this knowledge, and ſecondly the meaſure of his knowledge.
His knowledge was inbred knowledge and not acquired; for as ſoone as he did behold the creatures,Of the manner how Adam got his knowledge. never having ſeene them before, he gave them all names according to their nature. This knowledge being inbred it could not be acquired alſo; nam duplex ejuſdem ſcientiae in vno ſubjecto, non datur cauſa, there cannot be two cauſes given of one, & the ſelfe ſame knowledge in one ſubject, although one and the ſelfe ſame knowledge cannot be ſaid both to be acquired and inbred,Adams inbred knowledge, and our acquired knowledge, are not diverſe ſorts of knowledge. yet Adam might have had experimentall knowledge, afterward of his inbred knowledge: His inbred knowledge and our acquired knowledge, are not divers ſorts of knowledge, for as the ſight reſtored to the blind although it was miraculous, yet when he ſaw, it was one ſort of ſight with our ſight: ſo theſe inbred habites and acquired habites, are but one ſort of habits; but theſe inbred habits in Adam, and infuſed habits, were more excellent than acquired habits; for theſe things which God doth, are ſuch that nature cannot produce the like, or ſo perfect: as that wine which Chriſt made miraculouſly at the marriage of Cana in Galilee, Things done miraculouſly, are more excellent than nature can produce them.Iob. 2. was more excellent wine than other naturall wine: ſo when Chriſt cured the blind, their ſight was more perfect than our naturall ſight; ſo when he made the lame to goe Act. 3.16. So the habites of inbred knowledge in Adam, were more perfect than any other ſinfull man could ever attaine unto, after him.
Of the meaſure of Adams knowledge.The creatures are leſſe than the knowledge of God; they were equall with the knowledge of Adam before his fall, but they exceed our knowledge now. When the eye looketh upon the white colour,Simile. it ſcattereth the ſight, and the white colour exceedeth it; but when it looketh upon the greene colour, exaequat viſum, and it is a proportionable object for the eye: but when it looketh upon a taunie colour, it is leſſe than the ſight. So the creatures are leſſe than Gods ſight; they were equall with Adams ſight before his fall, like the greene colour, and they exceed our ſight ſince the fall, as the white colour doth exceede our ſight; and becauſe the heart ſince the fall is not ſo capable and ſo large to comprehend the knowledge of theſe creatures as it was before the fal, therefore it is ſaid, 1 King. 4.29. that the Lord gave Salomon a wiſe heart as the ſand of the Sea ſhoare, that is, to know an innumerable kind of things like the ſand of the ſea.Simile. When a man is to infuſe liquor into a narrow mouthed veſſell, that none if it runne by, hee enlargeth the mouth of the veſſell: So did the Lord enlarge the heart of Salomon that hee might conceive this heavenly wiſedome, and the knowledge of all things; but the minde of Adam before his fall needed not this extention to receive theſe gifts.
Secondly, the great meaſure of this knowledge which Adam had before his fall, may be taken up this wayes. The Hebrewes write that there were foure gates by the which Adam entred to ſee the Lord:Porta creaturarū viſibiliū Porta intelligentiarum. Porta majeſtatis. Porta gloriae. the firſt was the gate of the viſible creatures, the ſecond was by the gate of the Angels, the third was by the gate of majeſtie, and the fourth was by the gate of glory; and they ſay that Adam entred three of theſe gates, but the fourth was ſhut that hee entred not in at it in this life.
The firſt gate was opened unto him, for in the creatures below, here he ſaw the majeſty and glory of God. The Scriptures when they expreſs any great thing,foreign est epitheton omnis rei admirandae & magnae. foreign they joyne the name of God with it, as Ezek. 13.9. great haile is called Gods haile or ſent by God, el gabbiſh. So 1 Sam. 26. cecidit ſopor domini ſuper eos, that is, a great ſleepe fell upon them. So a ſtrong Lyon is called ariel, the Lyon of God, 2 Sam. 23.10. So Moyſes is ſaid to be faire to God, that is, very faire, Act. 7.20. So Ninive was great to God, that is, very great. The beauty and greatneſſe in the creatures led Adam to take up how great the Lord was. Iacob when he ſaw Eſau reconciled unto him, ſayd, I have ſeene thy face, as though I had ſeene the face of God, Gen. 33.10. This glimpſe of goodneſſe in the face of Eſau, made Iacob take up, how good God was unto him.
The ſecond gate was porta intelligentiarum, the knowledge of the Angels, they reſembled God more than any viſible creature doth, therefore they are called Gods Sonnes, Iob. 1. Chapt. and 38. Chapter, 7. verſe, and they ſee his face continually. Mathew 18. verſe 10. As the Kings courtiours are ſayd to ſee his face continually, 2 King. 25.25. and the Angels converſing with him, made him to come nearer to the knowledge of God.
The third gate was porta Majeſtatis, he ſaw the majeſty of God more clearely than any other did. Moyſes is ſayd to ſee the face of God, and yet it was but the ſight of his backe parts, compared with Adams; and we ſee him but through a grate, Cant. 2.11. Heb. 11.26.
The fourth gate was porta gloriae. That gate was reſerved to bee opened for him in the heavens.
Let us compare the moſt excellent men with Adam, and ſee which of them came neareſt unto him; in ſome things Moyſes came neareſt to him, in ſomes things Salomon came neareſt unto him, and in ſome things Daniel, in ſome things Ioſeph, but Chriſt the ſecond Adam excelled them in all.
A compariſon betwixt Moſes and Adam.In the knowledge and ſight of God and his attributes, Moyſes came neareſt to him Exod. 33.13. Teach mee thy wayes, that is, thy attributes. So Pſal. 103.7. He made knowne to Moyſes his wayes, that is, his attributes, for hee ſubjoyneth, the Lord is mercifull and gracious, ſlow to anger, and full of compaſſion, and he chideth not for ever; here his wayes are his attributes, Moyſes came neareſt to Adam in this knowledge.
A compariſon betwixt Salomon and Adam.Salomon in the knowledge of the politickes came nearer to Adams knowledge than Moyſes did; Moyſes ſate all the day long to judge the people, Exod. 18. and hee ſtoode in need of Iethro's counſell to make choyſe of helpers; but Salomon could have found out all theſe things by himſelfe without the helpe of another. Salomon begged wiſedome of God, and it was granted unto him,foreign he deſired wiſedome to be his foreign, to be preſident of his counſell, and to be his aſſiſter or foreign, & to be his foreign, to rule happily, Wiſedom. 9.4. Salomon came neareſt to the knowledge of Adam in the Politickes, and he is preferred to the wiſeſt within the Church, as to Heman and Dedan, 1 King. 4.3. and to the wiſeſt without the Church, as to the Egyptians.
As he came neareſt to Adams knowledge in the Politickes, ſo likewiſe in the knowledge of naturall things,Salomon came neereſt to Adams knowledge in the Politicks. for as he wrote from the Cedar of Lebanus to the Hyſſope that grew out of the Wall, 2 King. 4.33. that is, as Ioſephus explaineth it; he wrote parables and ſimilitudes taken from every one of theſe kinds: and Tertullian ſaith well, Familiare eſt ſacris ſcriptoribus ut ſublimiores veritates explicent per ſenſibilia; nam idem qui eſt author naturae, eſt author gratiae: It is an uſuall thing to the holy writers to illuſtrate heavenly things by earthly compariſons, for he that is the God of nature is alſo the God of grace. Salomon wrote from the tall Cedar to the ſmall Hyſſope that groweth out of the wall, that is, from the greateſt to the ſmalleſt, then he paſſeth by none of them:The Hebrews marke the two extreames and leave the midſt for brevity. for it is the manner of the Hebrews to marke the two extreames, and to leave the midſt for brevities cauſe, as Num. 6, 4, from the kernell to the huske, here the Scripture omitteth the wine which is the midſt betwixt the kernell and the huske. Another example, Exod. 11.5. And all the firſt borne of the land of Egypt ſhall dye, from the firſt borne of Pharoah that ſitteth upon the throne, unto the firſt borne of the maidſervant that ſitteth behind the Mill. The Scripture omitteth the midſt here, the reſt of the people for ſhortneſſe, and expreſſeth onelyonly the two extreames, the higheſt and the loweſt. A third example, Iob 24.20. The wombe ſhall forget him, and the wormes ſhall feede ſweetly upon him, the birth, and the grave, the two extreames include the whole life. So Pſal. 121.8. The Lord ſhall keepe thy going in, and going out, that is, all thy wayes: So Salomon writing of the two extreames, the talleſt and the leaſt, includeth all the reſt. Now if Salomon had ſuch knowledge of theſe naturall things, much more had Adam.
Adam gave fit names to the creatures, knowing their qualities and nature.Adam had ſuch knowledge of the creatures that he gave them fit names in the Hebrew expreſſing their natures, he was a good nomenclator to give every thing the right name. Plato in Cratillo ſheweth that he who giveth the right name to a thing, muſt know the nature of it very well; but ſince the fall men impoſe wrong names to things, as they call light darkneſſe, and darkneſſe light.
To what things Adam gave names and to what he gave no names.When hee gave names to the creatures, hee gave not names to theſe creatures in particular that had not principium individuationis in ſe, and which differed not ſomething in ſubſiſtence from others, as all hearbes of the ſame kind, and trees and ſtones of the ſame kind; he gave not a name to every one of them in particular, but gave one name to them all of the ſame kind: but theſe who differed not in eſſence but in the manner of their ſubſiſting, to theſe he gave diverſe names, as hee called himſelfe Adam and his wife Eve. Adam gave names to many things which are not found now in the Scripture.And wee are to obſerve that there are many names which Adam gave to the creatures in the firſt impoſition, which are not found in the Scriptures now: the Elephant the greateſt beaſt upon the earth, yet it hath no proper name given to it,foreign dens eboris compoſitum ex foreign dens & foreign ebur. in the Scripture it is called Behemoth, Iob 40.15. and the teeth of the Elephant are called Shenhabbim, the teeth of Ivorie, but not the teeth of the Elephant; and uſually the Scripture expreſſeth onelyonly the word teeth, as 1 King. 10.18. he made a Throne of teeth, but not of the teeth of the Elephant, becauſe the Elephant was not ſo knowne to the Iewes;foreign cornua dentis. Ezek. 27. therefore the Scripture doth onelyonly circumſcribe this beaſt and the hornes of it; but Adam gave the greateſt beaſt a proper name when he impoſed names to the beaſts.
Adam gave proper namer to the creatures.When Adam impoſed names to the beaſts, he impoſed proper names to them, not circumſcribing them as the Scripture doth now for our capacity; example, Shemamith with the hands of it takes hold on kings houſes, foreign Seemeth to be Simia, and Solomon ſent for ſuch, 1 King. 10.22. foreign.becauſe this word is a hard word to be underſtood, and may ſignifie eyther a Spyder weaving with her hands; or elſe foreign a Monkie with a long tayle (for kings are delighted in their palaces with ſuch when they ſee them hung by the hands) becauſe wee cannot take up the nature of this beaſt by the name alone, therefore the Scriptures by the effects and properties of it, deſcribeth it more at large for our capacity; but Adam at the firſt impoſed the ſimple name.Names which Adam gave were perfect names.
Theſe names which Adam gave to the beaſts at the firſt were moſt perfect names, therefore yee ſhall ſee other languages to keepe ſome footeſteppe ſtill of the firſt impoſition, as 1 King. 10.22.foreign Tukkijm are called Peacoks, the Talmud calleth it Tabhas, the Arabick called it Taus, and the Latine Pavo.
David came neareſt to Adam in prudencie,A compariſon betwixt David and Adam. for although he was not ſo wiſe as Salomon, yet erat prudentior Salomone he was more prudent than Salomon; therefore the woman of Tekoah ſayd to him, Thou art wiſe as an Angell of God, 2 Sam. 14.20.
The Lord asked the king of Tyrus if he could march Daniel in wiſedome, Ezek. 28.3.A compariſon betwixt Adam and Daniel. Behold thou art wiſer than Daniel, there is no ſecret that they can hide from thee. Daniel exceeded all the Chaldeans in wiſedome, and the Chaldeans exceeded the Tyrians, therefore Daniel farre exceeded all the Tyrians: but yet if we will compare Daniels wiſedome with the wiſedome of Salomon, it will come farre ſhort; for Salomon exceeded all the children of the Eaſt in wiſedome, and came neareſt to Adams knowledge, no ſort of wiſedome was hid from Salomon, Daniel onelyonly exceeded in interpreting of ſecrets and heavenly viſions.
Ioſeph came neareſt to him in oeconomie, Pſal. 105.22.A compariſon betwixt Ioſeph and Adam. he exceeded the Princes of Egypt in wiſedome, & taught their ſenators.
A companion betwixt the firſt Adam, and the ſecond Adam Chriſt.Ieſus Chriſt the ſecond Adam, the perſonall wiſedome of God his Father, farre excelled Salomon; here is a greater than Salomon. Ieſus Chriſt the ſecond Adam as he excelled Salomon farre; ſo did he the firſt Adam in wiſedome, Pſal. 45.2. Thou art fairer than the Children of men, in the originall it is Iophjaphitha, which the Hebrews doubling,foreign expreſſe the great beauty that was in him; and ſometimes it is put in two words, as Ier. 46. gnegla jephe pija, foreignthat is, very faire. Chriſt the ſecond Adam in outward beauty exceeded not, Non erat decor in facie ejus, He had no forme nor comelineſſe: and when we ſhall ſee him, there is no beauty that we ſhould deſire him. Eſay. 53.2. but in inward wiſedome and grace he was fairer than the Sonnes of men, and excelled the firſt Adam.
Concluſion. The concluſion of this is, Adam having ſuch meaſure of knowledge before his fall, what great preſumption was it in him to preſume above that which was revealed unto him. Let us be content not to be wiſe above that which is written, 1 Cor. 4.6. and let us remember that ſaying of Auguſtine, Multi propter arborem ſcientiae amittunt arborem vitae.