the same is it that compasseth the whole land | of the air; and Pbrought them unto Adam to of Ethiopia. see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. R 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. 15 And the LORD God took the man, and fput him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD. God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17h But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; m I will make an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl a Heb. Cush.-b Dan. 10. 4.-c Or, eastward, to Assyria. Ch. 10. 22-d Deut. 1. 7. & 11. 24. Rev. 9. 14-e Or, Adam.-f Ver. S.-g Heb. eating thou shalt eat. h Ver. 9-iCh. 3. 1, 3, 11, 17.-k Ch. 3. 3, 19. Rom. 6. 23. 1 Cor. 15. 56. James 1. 15. 1 John 5. 16.-1 Heb. dying thou shalt die-m Ch. 3. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 9. 1 Tim. 2 13-n Heb. as before him-o Ch. 1. 20, 24.-p Ps. 8. 6. See Ch. 6. 20.—q Or, his conduct, is an absurdity; this would destroy, at once, the idea of his dependency and accountableness. Man must ever feel God as his sovereign, and act under his authority, which he cannot do, unless he have a rule of conduct. This rule God gives; and it is no matter of what kind it is, as long as obedience to it is not beyond the powers of the creature who is to obey. God says, there is a certain fruit-bearing tree; thou shalt not eat of its fruit; but of all the other fruits, and they are all that are necessary for thee, thou mayest freely, liberally eat. Had he not an absolute right to say so? And was not man bound to obey? Thou shall surely die.] non no moth tamuth, literally a death thou shall die; or, dying thou shalt die. From that moment thou shalt become mortal, and shalt continue in a dying state till thou die. This we find literally accomplished: every moment of his life, man may be considered as dying, till soul and body are separated. Other meanings have been given of this passage, but they are in general either fanciful or incorrect. Verse 18. It is not good that the man should be alone] lebaddo, only himself. I will make him a HELP MEET for him; y êzer kenegedo, a help, a counterpart of himself, one formed from him, and a perfect resemblance of his person. If the word be rendered scrupulously literal, it signifies one like, or as himself, standing opposite to, or before him. And this implies, that the woman was to be a perfect resemblance of the man, possessing neither inferiority nor superiority, but being in all things like and equal to himself. As man was made a social creature, it was not proper that he should be alone; for to be alone, i. e. without a matrimonial companion, was not good. Hence we find, that celibacy is a thing that is not good, whether it be on the side of the man or the woman. Men may, in opposition to the declaration of God, call this a state of excellence, and a state of perfection; but let them remember, that the word of God says the reverse. Verse 19. Out of the ground, &c.] Concerning the formation of the different kinds of animals, see the preceding chapter. Verse 20. And Adam gave names to all cattle] Two things God appears to have in view by causing man to name all the cattle, &c. 1. To show him with what comprehensive powers of mind his Maker had endued him; and 2. To show him that no creature, yet formed, could make him a suitable companion. And that this twofold purpose was answered, we shall shortly see: for, 1. Adam gave names, but how? From an intimate knowledge of the nature and properties of each creature. Here we see the perfection of his knowledge; for it is well-known, that the names affixed to the different animals in Scripture always express some prominent feature and essential characteristic of the creatures to which they are applied. Had he not possessed an intuitive knowledge of the grand and distinguishing properties of those animals, he never could have given them such names. This one circumstance is a strong proof of the original perfection and excellence of man, while in a state of innocence; nor need we wonder at the account. Adam was the work of an infinitely wise and perfect Being, and the effect must resemble the cause that produced it. 2. Adam was convinced, that none of these creatures could be a suitable companion for him; and that, there r 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and "brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father W 2 the man.-r Heb. called. Ch. 15. 12. 1 Sam. 26. 12-t Heb. bilded-u Prov. 18. 22. Hebr. 13. 4. Ch. 29. 14. Jndg. 9. 2. 2 Sam. 5. 1. & 19. 13. Eph. 5. 30.w Heb. Isha.-x 1 Cor. 11. 8.-y Heb. Ish-z Ch. 31. 15. Pa. 45. 10. Matt 19 5 Mark 10. 7. 1 Cor. 6. 16. Eph. 5. 31. fore, he must continue in the state that was not good, or be a farther debtor to the bounty of his Maker; for, among all the animals which he had named, there was not found a help meet for him. Hence we read, Verse 21. The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, &c.] This was neither swoon nor ecstacy, but what our translation very properly terms a deep sleep. And he took one of his ribs] It is immaterial whether we render y tselâ a rib, or a part of his side: for it may mean either: some part of man was to be used on the occasion, whether bone or flesh, it matters not, though it is likely, from verse 23, that a part of both was taken; for Adam, knowing how the woman was formed, said, This is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bones. God could have formed the woman out of the dust of the earth, as he had formed the man; but had he done so, she must have appeared in his eyes as a distinct being, to whom he had no natural relation. But as God formed her out of a part of himself, he saw she was of the same nature, the same identical flesh and blood, and of the same constitution in all respects, and consequently having equal powers, faculties, and rights.-This at once ensured his affection, and excited his esteem. Verse 23. Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, &c.] There is a very delicate and expressive meaning in the original, which does not appear in our version. When the different genera of creatures were brought to Adam, that he might assign them their proper names, it is probable that they passed in pairs before him, and as they passed, received their names. To this circumstance the words in this place seem to refer. Instead of this now is, DYN zot happaâm, we should render more literally this turn, this creature which now passes, or appears before me, flesh of my flesh, &c. The creatures that had passed already before him, were not suitable to him, and therefore it was said, For Adam there was not a help meet found, verse 20; but when the woman came, formed out of himself, he felt all that attraction which consanguinity could produce, and at the same time saw that she was, in her person and in her mind, every way suitable to be his companion. She shall be called woman] A literal version of the Hebrew would appear strange, and yet a literal version is the only proper one. Ish, signifies man; and the word used to express what we term woman, is the same, with a feminine termination, ne ishah, and literally means she-man. Most of the ancient versions have felt the force of the term, and have endeavoured to express it as literally as possible. The intelligent reader will not regret to see them here. The Vulgate Latin renders the Hebrew virago, which is a feminine form of vir, a man. Symmachus uses avspis, andris, a female form of avnp, aner, a man. The Arabic imrat, she-man, from imree, man. Our own term is equally proper, when understood. Woman has been defined by many as compounded of wo and man, as if called man's wo, because she tempted him to eat the forbidden fruit: but this is no meaning of the original word, nor could it be intended, as the transgression was not then committed. The truth is, our term is a proper and literal translation of the original; and we may thank the discernment of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors for giving it. Wombman, of which woman is a contraction, means the man with the womb. A very appropriate version of the Hebrew new ishah, rendered by terms which signify and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. CHAPTER III. Satan, by means of a creature here called the Serpent, deceives Eve, 1-5. Both she and Adain transgress the Diviae command, and fall into sin and misery, 6, 7. They are summoned before Gol, and judge, 5-13. The creature called the Serpent is degrade and punished, 14. The promise of redemption by the incar nation of Christ, 15. Eve sentenced, 16. Adam sentenced, 17. The ground cursed, and death threatened, 15, 19. Why the woman was called Eve, 20. Adam and Eve clothed with the skins of beasts, 21. The wretched state of our first parents after their fall, and their expulsion from the garden of paradise, 22–24. OW the serpent was more subtil than Now any beast of the field which the LORD God a Ch. 3. 7, 10, 11.-b Exod. 32 25. Isai. 47. 3-c Rev. 12. 9. & 20. 2-d Matt. 10. 16. 2. Cor. 11. 3. she-man in the versions already specified. Hence we see the propriety of Adam's observation: This creature is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone; therefore shall she be called wOMBMAN, or female-man, because she was taken out of man.-VERSTEGAN. Verse 24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother] There shall be, by the order of God, a more intimate connexion formed between the man and woman, than can subsist even between parents and children. And they shall be one flesh] These words may be understood in a twofold sense. 1. These two shall be one flesh, shall be considered as one body, having no separate or independent rights, privileges, cares, concerns, &c. each being equally interested in all things that concern the marriage state. 2. These two shall be for the production of one flesh; from their union a posterity shall spring, as exactly resembling themselves as they do each other. Our Lord quotes these words, Matt. xix. 5. with some variation from the text: they TWAIN shall be one flesh. So in Mark x. 8. St. Paul quotes it in the same way, 1 Cor. vi. 16. and in Eph. v. 31. The Vulgate Latin, the Septuagint, the Syriac, the Arabic, and the Samaritan, all read the word TWO. That this is the genuine reading, I have no doubt. The word w sheneyhem, they two, or both of them, was, I suppose, omitted at first from the Hebrew text, by mistake, because it occurs three words after in the following verse; or more probably it originally occurred in the 24th verse, and not in the 25th; and a copyist having found that he had written it twice, in correcting his copy, struck out the word in the 24th verse instead of the 25th. But of what consequence is it? In the controversy concerning polygamy, it has been made of very great consequence. Without the word, some have contended, a man may have as many wives as he chooses, as the terms are indefinite, THEY shall be, &c. but with the word, marriage is restricted. A man can have in legal wedlock but ONE wife at the same time. We have here the first institution of marriage, and we see in it several particulars worthy of our most serious regard. 1. God pronounces the state of celibacy to be a bad state; or, if the reader please, not a good one; and the Lord God said, It is not good for man to be alone. This is God's judgment. Councils, and fathers, and doctors, and synods, have given a different judgment; but on such a subject they are worthy of no attention. The word of God abideth for ever. 2. God made the woman for the man; and thus he has shown us that every son of Adam should be united to a daughter of Eve to the end of the world. See on 1 Cor. vii. 3. God made the woman out of the man, to intimate, that the closest union, and the most affectionate attachment, should subsist in the matrimonial connexion, so that the man should ever consider and treat the woman as a part of himself; and as no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and supports it, so should a man deal with his wife: and, on the other hand, the woman should consider, that the man was not made for her, but that she was made for the man, and derived, under God, her being from him; therefore the wife should see that she reverence her husband. Eph. v. 33. The 23d and 24th verses contain the very words of the marriage ceremony-This is flesh of my fleshtherefore shall a man leave father and mother. How happy must such a state be, where God's institution is properly regarded; where the parties are married, as the apostle expresses it, in the Lord; where each, by acts of the tenderest kindness, lives only to prevent the wishes, and contribute in every possible way to the comfort and happiness of the other! Marriage might still be what it was in its original institution, pure and suitable; and in its first exercise, affectionate and happy: but how few such marriages are there to be found? Passion, turbulent and irregular, not Religion; Custom, founded by these irregularities, not Reason; Worldly prospects, originating | e had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3f But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: h 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. e Heb. Yea, because, &c.—f Ch. 2. 17-g Ver. 13. 2 Cor. 11. 3. 1 Tim. 2. 14.-h Ver. 7. Acts 26. 18. and ending in selfishness and earthly affections, not in Spiritual ends, are the grand producing causes of the great majority of matrimonial alliances. How then can such turbid and bitter fountains send forth pure and sweet waters? See the ancient allegory of Cupid and Psyche, by which marriage is so happily illustrated, explained in the notes on Matt. xix. 4-6. Verse 25. They were both naked, &c.] The weather was perfectly temperate, and therefore they had no need of clothing, the circumambient air being of the same temperature with their bodies. And as sin had not yet entered into the world, and no part of the human body had been put to any improper use, therefore there was no shame, for shame can only arise from a consciousness of sinful or irregular conduct. EVEN in a state of innocence, when all was perfection and excellence, when God was clearly discovered in all his works, every place being his temple, every moment a time of worship, and every object an incitement to religious reverence and adoration-even then, God chose to consecrate a seventh part of time to his more especial worship, and to hallow it unto his own service by a perpetual decree. Who then shall dare to reverse this order of God? Had the religious observance of the sabbath been_never proclaimed till the proclamation of the law on Mount Sinai, then, it might have been conjectured, this, like several other ordinances, was a shadow which must pass away with that dispensation; neither extending to future ages, nor binding on any other people. But this was not God gave the sabbath his first ordinance to man, (see the first precept, v. 17.) while all the nations of the world were seminally included in him, and while he stood the father and representative of the whole human race: therefore the sabbath is not for one nation, for one time, or for one place. It is the fair type of heaven's eternal dayof the state of endless blessedness and glory, where human souls, having fully regained the divine image, and become united to the Centre and Source of all perfection and excellence, shall rest in God unutterably happy through the immeasurable progress of duration! Of this consummation, every returning sabbath should at once be a type, a remembrancer, and a foretaste to every pious mind; and these it must be to all who are taught of God. 80. Of this rest, the garden of Eden, that Paradise of God, formed for man, appears also to have been a type and pledge; and the institution of marriage, the cause, bond, and cement of the social state, was probably designed to prefigure that harmony, order, and blessedness, which must reign in the kingdom of God, of which the condition of our first parents in the garden of paradise is justly supposed to have been an expressive emblem. What a pity, that this heavenly institution should have ever been perverted! that, instead of becoming a sovereign help to all, it is now, through its prostitution to animal and secular purposes, become the destroyer of millions!-Reader, every connexion thou formest in life, will have a strong and sovereign influence on thy future destiny. Beware! an unholy cause, which from its peculiar nature must be ceaselessly active in every muscle, nerve, and passion, cannot fail to produce incessant effects of sin, misery, death, and perdition. Remember that thy earthly connexions, no matter of what kind, are not formed merely for time, whatsoever thou mayest intend, but also for eternity. With what caution, therefore, shouldest thou take every step in the path of life! On this ground, the observations made in the preceding notes are seriously recommended to thy consideration. NOTES ON CHAPTER III. Verse 1. Now the serpent was more subtle] We have here one of the most difficult, as well as the most important narratives in the whole book of God. The last chapter ended with a short but striking account of the perfection and felicity of the first human beings; and this 6 T And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one a Heb. a desire. opens with an account of their transgression, degradation, and ruin. That man is in a fallen state, certainly needs no arguments to prove it: the history of the world, with that of the life and miseries of every human being, establish this point beyond successful contradiction. But how, and by what agency was this brought about? Here is a great mistery; and I may appeal to all persons who have read the various comments that have been written on the Mosaic account, whether they have ever yet been satisfied on this part of the subject, though convinced of the fact itself. Who was the serpent? Of what kind, in what way did he seduce the first happy pair? These are questions which remain yet to be answered. The whole account is either a simple narration of facts, or it is an allegory. If it be a historical relation, its literal meaning should be sought out: if it be an allegory, no attempt should be made to explain it, as it would require a direct revelation to ascertain the sense in which it should be understood; for fanciful illustrations are endless. Believing it to be a simple relation of facts, capable of a satisfactory explanation, I shall take it up on this ground, and by a careful examination of the original text, endeavour to fix the meaning, and show the propriety and consistency of the Mosaic account of the Fall of Man. The chief difficulty in the account is found in the question, Who was the agent employed in the seduction of our first parents? The word in the text, which we, following the Septuagint, translate serpent, is n nachash, and according to Buxtorf and others, has three meanings in Scripture. 1. It signifies, to view, or observe attentively, to divine or use enchantments, because in them the augurs viewed attentively the flight of birds, the entrails of beasts, the course of the clouds, &c. and under this head it signifies to acquire knowledge by experience. 2. It signifies brass, brazen, and is translated in our Bible not only brass, but chains, fetters, fetters of brass, and in several places steel: see 2 Sam. xxii. 35. Job xx. 24. Psal. xviii. 34. and in one place, at least, filthiness or fornication, Ezek. xvi. 36. 3. It signifies a serpent, but of what kind is not determined. In Job xxvi. 13. it seems to mean the whale or hippopotamus. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens, his hand hath formed the crooked serpent, nachash bariach; as a barach, signifies to pass on, or pass through, and beriach, is used for a bar of a gate or door that passed through rings, &c. the idea of straightness, rather than crookedness, should be attached to it here; and it is likely that the sea-horse is intended by it. In Eccles. x. 2. the creature called nachash, of whatsoever sort, is compared to the babbler; surely the serpent wy nachash, will bite without enchantment, and a babbler is no better. Let the reader keep this in mind. as frequently used by them, as serpent, its supposed literal meaning, is used in our version. And the New Testament writers, who scarcely ever quote the Old Testament, but from the Septuagint translation, and scarcely ever change a word in their quotations, copy this version in the use of this word. From the Septuagint therefore, we can expect no light, nor indeed from any other of the ancient versions, which are all subsequent to the Septuagint, and some of them actually made from it. In all this uncertainty, it is natural for a serious inquirer after truth, to look every where for information. And in such an inquiry, the Arabic may be expected to afford some help from its great similarity to the Hebrew. A root in this language, very nearly similar to that in the text, seems to cast considerable light on the subject. i chanas, or khanasa, signifies he departed, drew off, lay hid, seduced, slunk away: from this root come Jakhnas, (wi khanasa, and i khanoos, which all signify an ape, or satyrus, or any creature of the simia or ape genus. It is very remarkable also that from the same root comes wlis khanâs, the DEVIL, which appellative he bears from that meaning of Lui khanasa, he drew off, seduced, &c. because he draws men off from righteousness, seduces them from their obedience to God, &c. &c. Is it not strange that the devil and the ape should have the same name, derived from the same root, and that root so very similar to the word in the text? But let us return and consider what is said of the creature in question. Now the nachash was more subtle, Dy ârum, more wise or prudent than all the beasts of the field which the Lord God had made. In this account we find, 1. That whatever this nachash was, he stood at the head of all inferior animals for wisdom and understanding. 2. That he walked erect, for this is necessarily implied in his punishment,-on thy belly (i. e. on all fours) shalt thou go. 3. That he was endued with the gift of speech, for a conversation is here related between him and the woman. 4. That he was also endued with the gift of reason, for we find him reasoning and disputing with Eve. 5. That these things were common to this creature, the woman no doubt having often seen him walk erect, talk, and reason, and therefore she testifies no kind of surprise when he accosts her in the language related in the text; and indeed from the manner in which this is introduced, it appears to be only a part of a conversation that had passed between them on the occasion. Yea, hath God said, &c. Had this creature never been known to speak before his addressing the woman at this time, and on this subject, it could not have failed to excite her surprise, and to have filled her with caution, though from the purity and innocence of her nature, she might have been incapable of being affected with fear. Now I apprehend that none of these things can be spoken of a serpent of any species. 1. None of them ever did or ever can walk erect. The tales we In Isai. xxvii. 1. the crocodile or alligator seems particu- have had of two-footed and four-footed serpents, are justly larly meant by the original. In that day the Lord shall exploded by every judicious naturalist, and are utterly punish Leviathan, the piercing serpent, &c. And in Isai. unworthy of credit. The very name serpent comes from lxv. 25. the same creature is meant as in Gen. iii. 1. for in serpo, to creep, and therefore, to such it could be neither the words, And dust shall be the serpent's meat, there is an curse nor punishment to go on their bellies, i. e. to creep evident allusion to the text of Moses. In Amos ix. 3. the on, as they had done from their creation, and must do while crocodile is evidently intended. Though they be hid in their race endures. 2. They have no organs for speech, the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent or any kind of articulate sound; they can only hiss. It is ha-nachash, and he shall bite them. No person can true, that an ass, by miraculous influence, may speak; but suppose that any of the snake or serpent kind can be in- it is not to be supposed that there was any miraculous tended here; and we see from the various acceptations of interference here. Gop did not qualify this creature with the word, and the different senses which it bears in various speech for the occasion, and it is not intimated that there places in the Sacred Writings, that it appears to be a sort was any other agent, that did it: on the contrary, the text of general term, confined to no one sense. Hence it will intimates, that speech and reason were natural to the be necessary to examine the root accurately, to see if its nachash; and is it not in reference to this, the inspired ideal meaning will enable us to ascertain the animal in- penman says? The nachash was more wise or intelligent tended in the text. We have already seen, that than all the beasts of the field that the Lord God had nachash signifies to view attentively, to acquire knowledge made! Nor can I find, that the serpentine genus are or experience by attentive observation; sonn nachashti, remarkable for intelligence. It is true, the wisdom of the Gen. xxx. 27. I have learnt by experience and this serpent, has passed into a proverb, but I cannot see on seems to be its most general meaning in the Bible. The what it is founded, except in reference to the passage in original word is, by the Septuagint, translated 's, a ser. question, where the nachash, which we translate serpent, pent, not because this was its fired determinate meaning following the Septuagint, shows so much intelligence and in the Sacred Writings, but because it was the best that cunning and it is very probable, that our Lord alludes to occurred to the translators; and they do not seem to have this very place, when he exhorts his disciples to be wise, given themselves much trouble to understand the meaning prudent or intelligent, as serpents, poviμci o opis; and of the original; for they have rendered the word as vari- it is worthy of remark, that he uses the same term ously as our translators have done; or rather our translators employed by the Septuagint, in the text in question, 'S MY have followed them, as they give nearly the same significa-povμTATOS, the serpent was more prudent or intelligent tions found in the Septuagint: hence we find that oes is than all the beasts, &c. All these things considered, we A. M. 1. B. C. 4004. CHAP. III. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, | and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves-together, and made themselves aprons. d 8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God cool of the day: walking in the garden in the and Adam and his wife hid themselves from a Ver. 5-6 Ch. 2 25-c Or, things to gird about-d Job 38. 1-e Heb. wind. Job 31 21, 22 Psa. 139. 1-12- Job 31. 33 Prov. 5. 3. Jer. 23. 24. Amos 9.3. are obliged to seek for some other word to designate the Should any person who may read this note, object against my conclusions, because apparently derived from an Arabic word, which is not exactly similar to the Hebrew, though to those who understand both languages the similarity will be striking: yet, as I do not insist on the identity of the terms, though important consequences have been derived from less likely etymologies, he is welcome to throw the whole of this out of the account. He may then take up the Hebrew root only, which signifies to gaze, to view altentively, pry into, inquire narrowly, &c. and consider the passage that appears to compare the nachash to the babbler, Eccles. x. 11. and he will soon find, if he have any acquaintance with creatures of this genus, that for earnest, attentive, watching, looking, &c. and for chattering or babbling, they have no fellows in the animal world. Indeed, the ability and propensity to chatter is all they have left of their original gift of speech, of which they appear to have been deprived at the fall, as a part of their punishment. I have spent the longer time on this subject, 1. Because it is exceedingly obscure; 2. Because no interpretation hitherto given of it has afforded me the smallest satisfaction; 3. Because I think the above mode of accounting for every part of the whole transaction is consistent and satisfactory; and in my opinion, removes all embarrassment, and solves every difficulty. It can be no solid objection to the above mode of solution, that Satan in different parts of the New Testament is called the serpent, the serpent that deceived Eve by his subtlety, the old serpent, &c. for we have already seen that the New Testament writers have borrowed the word from the Septuagint, and that the Septuagint themselves use it in a vast variety and latitude of meaning; and surely the ouran outang is as likely to be the animal in question,as na nachash, and ophis, are likely to mean at once a snake, a crocodile, a hippopotamus, fornication, a chain, a pair of fetters, a piece of brass, a piece of steel, and a conjurer; for we have seen above, that all these are acceptations of the original word. the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees 9 T And the LORD God called unto Adam, and 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the gar- Jonah 1. 3, 10. Heb. 4. 13. Ch. 4. 9. Josh. 7. 17-19. Rev. 20. 12, 13.-g Ch. 2. 25. Exod. 3. 6. Besides, the New Testament writers seem to lose sight Verse 1. Yea, hath God said] This seems to be the continuation of a discourse, of which the preceding part is not given, and a proof that the creature in question was endued with the gift of reason and speech, for no surprise is testified on the part of Eve. Verse 3. Neither shall ye touch it.] Did not the woman add this to what God had before spoken? Some of the. Jewish writers, who are only serious on comparative trifles, state, that as soon as the woman had asserted this, the serpent pushed her against the tree, and said, "See, thou hast touched it, and art still alive; thou mayest therefore safely eat of the fruit, for surely thou shalt not die." Verse 4. Ye shall not surely die.] Here the father of lies at once appears; and appears too, in flatly contradicting the assertion of God. The tempter, through the nachash, insinuates the impossibility of her dying, as if he had said; God has created thee immortal; thy death, therefore, is impossible; and God knows this, for as thou livest by the tree of life, so shalt thou get increase of wisdom by the tree of knowledge. Verse 5. Your eyes shall be opened] Your understanding shall be greatly enlightened and improved, and ye shall be as gods, > ke elohim, like God, so the word should be translated; for what idea could our first parents have of gods, before idolatry could have had any being, because sin had not yet entered into the world? The Syriac has the word in the singular number, and is the only one of all the versions, which has hit on the true meaning. As the original word is the same which is used to point out the Supreme Being, ch. i. 1. so it has here the same signification: and the object of the tempter appears to have been this; to persuade our first parents that they should, by eating of this fruit, become wise and powerful as God, (for knowledge is power,) and be able to exist for ever, independently of him. God Verse 6. The tree was good for food] The fruit apAnd it was peared to be wholesome and nutritive." And it was to be desired to make pleasant to the eyes. The beauty of the fruit tended to whet and increase appetite. one wise, which was an additional motive to please the palate. From these three sources, all natural and moralevil sprung; they are exactly what the apostle calls the desire of the flesh! the tree was good for food; the desire of the eye, it was pleasant to the sight; and the pride of life, it was a tree to be desired to make one wise. had undoubtedly created our first parents not only very wise and intelligent, but also with a vast capacity and suitable propensity to increase in knowledge. Those who think that Adam was created so perfect as to preclude the possibility of his increase in knowledge, have taken a very false view of the subject. We shall certainly be convinced that our first parents were in a state of sufficient perfection, when we consider, 1. That they were endowed with a vast capacity to obtain knowledge. 2. That all the means of information were within their reach. 3. That there was no hinderance to the most direct conception of occurring truth. 4. That all the objects of knowledge, whether natural or moral, were ever at hand. 5. That they had the strongest propensity to know, and, 6. The greatest pleasure in knowing. To have God and nature continually open to the view of the soul; and to have a soul capable of viewing both, and fathoming endlessly their unbounded glories and excellencies, without hinderance or of bliss! This was undoubtedly the state and condition difficulty, what a state of perfection! what a consummation 41 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? 12 And the man said, a The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. a Ch. 2. 18, 20. Job 31. 33. Prov. 23. 13. Luke 10. 29. James 1. 13-15. of our first parents-even the present ruins of the state are incontestable evidences of its primitive excellence. We see at once how transgression came: it was natural for them to desire to be increasingly wise. God had implanted this desire in their minds; but he showed them that this desire should be gratified in a certain way: that prudence and judgment should always regulate it: that they should carefully examine what God opened to their view; and should not pry into what he chose to conceal. He alone, who knows all things, knows how much knowledge the soul needs to its perfection and increasing happiness; in what subjects this may be legitimately sought, and where the mind may make excursions and discoveries to its prejudice and ruin. There are doubtless many subjects which angels are capable of knowing, and which God chooses to conceal even from them, because that knowledge would tend neither to their perfection nor happiness. Of every attainment and object of pursuit, it may be said, in the words of an ancient poet, who conceived correctly on the subject, and expressed his thoughts with perspicuity and energy: Est modus in rebus: sunt certi denique fines, Quos ultra citraque nequit consistere rectum-Hor. Sat. 1. "There is a rule for all things; there are, in fine, fixed and stated limits, on either le of which righteousness eannot be found." Such limits God certainly assigned from the beginning, Thou shalt come up to this; thou shalt not pass it. And as he assigned the limits, so he assigned the means. It is lawful for thee to acquire knowledge in this way; it is unlawful to seek it in that. And had he not a right to do so? And would his creation have been perfect without it? Verse 7. The eyes of them both were opened] They now had a sufficient discovery of their sin and folly in disobeying the command of God; they could discern between good and evil: and what was the consequence? Confusion and shame were engendered, because innocence was lost and guilt contracted. Let us review the whole of this melancholy business, the fall, and its effects. 1. From the New Testament we learn, that Satan associated himself with the creature which we term the serpent, and the original, the nachash, in order to seduce and ruin mankind, 2 Cor. xi. 3. Rev. xii. 9. xx. 2. 2. That this creature was the most suitable to his purpose, as being the most subtle, the most intelligent of all the beasts of the field, endued with the gift of speech and reason, and consequently, one in which he could best conceal himself. 3. As he knew that while they depended on God, they could not be ruined, he therefore endeavoured to seduce them from this dependence. 4. He does this by working on that propensity of the mind to desire an increase of knowledge, with which God, for the most gracious purposes, had endued it. 5. In order to succeed, he insinuates, that God, through motives of envy, had given the prohibition—God doth know, that in the day ye eat of it, ye shall be like himself, &c. 6. As their present state of blessedness must be inexpressibly dear to them, he endeavours to persuade them that they could not fall from this state: ye shall not surely die; ye shall not only retain your present blessedness, but it shall be greatly increased; a temptation by which he has ever since fatally succeeded in the ruin of multitudes of souls, whom he persuaded, that being once right they could never finally go wrong. 7. As he kept the unlawfulness of the means proposed out of sight, persuaded them that they could not fall from their steadfastness, assured them that they should resemble God himself, and consequently be self-sufficient, and totally independent of him: they listened, and fixing their eye only on the promised good, neglecting the positive command, and determining to become wise and independent at all events, they took of the fruit and did eat. Let us now examine the effects. 1. Their eyes were opened, and they saw they were naked. They saw what they never saw before, that they were stripped of their excellence; that they had lost their innocence; and that they had fallen into a state of indigence and danger. 2. Though their eyes were opened to see their nakedness, yet their mind was clouded, and their judgment confused. They seem to have lost all just notions of honour and dishonour; of what was shameful b Ver. 4. 2 Cor. 11. 3. 1 Tim. 2 14.- Exod. 21. 29, 32. and what was praiseworthy. It was dishonourable and shameful to break the commandment of God; but it was neither to go naked, when clothing was not necessary. 3. They seem in a moment not only to have lost sound judgment, but also reflection: a short time before, Adam was so wise that he could name all the creatures brought before him, according to their respective natures and qualities: now he does not know that first principle concerning the Divine Nature, that it knows all things; and that it is omnipresent; therefore he endeavours to hide himself among the trees, from the eye of the all-seeing God! How astonishing is this! When the creatures were brought to him, he could name them, because he could discern their respective natures and properties: when Eve was brought to him he could immediately tell what she was, who she was, and for what end made, though he was in a deep sleep when God formed her: and this seems to be particularly noted, merely to show the depth of his wisdom and the perfection of his discernment. But alas! how are the mighty fallen! Compare his present with his past state; his state before the transgression with his state after it; and say, is this the same creature? The creature of whom God said, as he said of all his works, He is very good-just what he should be, a living image of the Living God; but now lower than the beasts of the field: 4. This account could never have been credited, had not the indisputable proofs and evidences of it been continued by uninterrupted succession to the present time. All the descendants of this first guilty pair resemble their degenerate ancestors, and copy their conduct. The original mode of transgression is still continued, and the original sin in consequence. Here are the proofs. 1. Every human being is endeavouring to obtain knowledge by unlawful means, even while the lawful means and every available help are at hand. 2. They are endeavouring to be inde pendent, and to live without God in the world: hence prayer, the language of dependence on God's providence and grace, is neglected, I might say detested, by the great majority of men. Had I no other proof than this that man is a fallen creature, my soul would bow to this evidence. 3. Being destitute of the true knowledge of God, they seek privacy for their crimes, not considering that the eye of God is upon them, and being only solicitous to hide them from the eye of man. These are all proofs in point; but we shall soon meet with additional ones. See ver. 12. Verse 8. The voice of the Lord] The voice is properly used here, for as God is an infinite spirit, and cannot be confined to any form, so he can have no personal appearance. It is very likely that God used to converse with them in the garden, and that the usual time was the decline of the day, ma be ruach haiyom, in the evening breeze; and probably this was the time that our first parents employed in the more solemn acts of their religious worship, at which God was ever present. The time for this solemn worship is again come, and God is in his place; but Adam and Eve have sinned, and therefore, instead of being found in the place of worship, are hidden among the trees! Reader, how often has this been thy case? Verse 10. I was afraid, because I was naked] See the immediate consequences of sin. 1. SHAME, because of the ingratitude marked in the rebellion; and because, that in aiming to be like God, they were now sunk into a state of the greatest wretchedness. 2. FEAR, because they saw they had been deceived by Satan, and were exposed to that death and punishment from which he had promised them an exemption. How worthy is it of remark, that this cause continues to produce the very same effects! Shame and fear were the first fruits of sin, and fruits which it has invariably produced from the first transgression to the present time. Verse 12. And the man said, &c.] We have here some farther proofs of the fallen state of man, and that the consequences of that state extend to his remotest posterity. 1. On the question, Hast thou eaten of the tree? Adam is obliged to acknowledge his transgression; but he does this in such a way, as to shift off the blame from himself, and lay it upon God and upon the woman! This woman whom THOυ didst give to be with me by îmmadi, to be my companion, (for so the word is repeatedly used) she gave me and I did eat. I have no farther blame in this |