not eat of every tree of the garden? What! hath God planted a garden, and placed you in the midst of it only to teaze and perplex you? hath he planted a garden, and yet forbid you making use of any of the fruits of it at all?" It was impossible for him to ask a more ensnaring question in order to gain his end For Eve was here seemingly obliged to answer, and vindicate God's goodness. And therefore,

Ver. 2, 3. The woman said unto the serpent. We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 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.

The former part of the answer was good, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, God has not forbid us eating of every tree of the garden. No, we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, (and it should seem even of the tree of life, which was as a sacrament to man in a state of innocence ;) there is only one tree in the midst of the garden, of which God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Here she begins to warp, and sin begins to conceive in her heart. Already she has contracted some of the serpent's poison, by talking with him, which she ought not to have done at all. For she might easily suppose, that it could be no good being, that could put such a question unto her, and insinuate such dishonorable thoughts of God. She should therefore have fled from him, and not stood to have parleyed with him at all. Immediately the ill effects of it appear, she begins to soften the divine threatening. God had said, the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die: or, dying thou shalt die: But Eve says, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. We may be assured we are fallen into, and begin to fall by temptation, when we begin to think God will not be as good as his word, in respect to the execution of his threatenings denounced against sin. Satan knew this, and therefore artfully said unto the woman, (ver. 4,) Ye shall not surely die, in an insinuating manner, "Ye shall not surely die. "Surely God will not be so cruel as to damn you only for eating an apple it cannot be." Alas! how many does Satan lead captive at his will, by flattering them, they shall not surely die? that hell torments will not be eternal; that God is all mercy; that he therefore will not punish a few years, sin with an eternity of misery. But Eve found God as good as his word, and so will all they that go on in sin, under a false hope that they shall not surely die.

We may also understand the words spoken positively, and this is agreeable to what follows; you shall not surely die; "it is all a delusion, a mere bugbear to keep you in a servile subjection."

For, ver. 5. 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.

What child of God can expect to escape slander, when God himself was thus slandered even in paradise? Surely the understanding of Eve must have been, in some measure, blinded, or she would not have suffered the tempter to speak such perverse things. In what odious colors is God here represented! "God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, ye shall be as gods," (equal with God.) So that the grand temptation was, that they should be hereafter under no control, equal, if not superior to God that made them, knowing good and evil. Eve could not tell what Satan meant by this; but to be sure, she understood it of some great privilege which they were to enjoy. And thus Satan now points out a way, which seems right to sinners, but does not tell them the end of that way is death.

To give strength and force to this temptation, in all probability, Satan, or the serpent, at this time, plucked an apple from the tree, and ate it before Eve, by which Eve might be induced to think, that the sagacity and power of speech, which the serpent had above the other beasts, must be owing in a great measure, to his eating that fruit; and therefore, if he received so much improvement, she might also expect a like benefit from it. All this, I think, is clear; for, otherwise, I do not see with what propriety it could be said, When the woman saw that it was good for food. How could she know it was good for food, unless she had seen the serpent feed upon it?

Satan now begins to get ground apace. Lust had conceived in her heart; shortly it will bring forth sin. Sin being conceived, brings forth death. Ver. 6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eye, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband, and he did eat.

Our senses are the landing ports of our spiritual enemies. How needful is that resolution of holy Job, I have made a covenant with mine eyes. When Eve began to gaze on the forbidden fruit with her eyes, she soon began to long after it with her heart. When she saw that it was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes, (here was the lust of the flesh, and lust of the eye) but, above all, a tree to be desired to make one wise, wiser than God would have her be, nay, as wise as God himself: she took of the fruit thereof, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. As soon as ever she sinned herself, she turned tempter to her husband. It is dreadful

when those, who should be helpmates for each other in the great work of their salvation, are only promoters of each others damnation but thus it is. If we ourselves are good, we shall excite others to goodness; if we do evil, we shall entice others to do evil also. There is a close connection between doing and teaching. How needful then is it for us all to take heed that we do not sin any way ourselves, lest we should become factors for the devil, and ensnare, perhaps, your nearest and dearest relations? She gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.

Alas! what a complication of crimes was there in this one single act of sin! Here is an utter disbelief of God's threatening; the utmost ingratitude to their Maker, who had so lately planted this garden and placed them in it, with such a glorious and comprehensive charter. Here is the utmost neglect of their posterity, who they knew were to stand or fall with them; here was the pride of the heart; they wanted to be equal with God; here is the utmost contempt put upon his threatening and his law; the devil is credited and obeyed before him, and all this only to satisfy their sensual appetite. Never was a crime of such a complicated nature committed by any here below. Nothing but the devil's apostacy and rebellion could equal it.

And what are the consequences of their disobedience? Are their eyes opened? Yes, their eyes are opened; but, alas! it is only to see their own nakedness. For, we are told, ver. 7. That the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked: Naked of God, naked of every thing that was holy and good; and destitute of the divine image, which they before enjoyed. They might rightly now be termed Ichabod; for the glory of the Lord departed from them. O! how low did these sons of the morning then fall; out of God into themselves; from being partakers of the divine nature, into the nature of the devil and the beast. Well, therefore, might they know that they were naked not only in body but in soul.

And how do they behave now they are naked? Do they flee to God for pardon! Do they go to him for a robe to cover their nakedness? No. They were now dead to God, earthly, sensual, devilish; and therefore, instead of applying to God for mercy, they sewed or platted fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons, or things to gird about them. This is a lively representation of all natural men: We see that we are naked: We, in some measure, confess it; but, instead of looking up to God for succor, we patch up a righteousness of our own (as our first parents platted fig-leaves together) hoping to cover our nakedness by that. But our righteousness will not

stand the severity of God's judgment; It will do us no more service than the fig-leaves did Adam and Eve, that is none at all.

For, verse 8. They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the trees of the garden, in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife (notwithstanding their fig-leaves) hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God, among the trees of the garden.

They heard the voice of the Lord God, or the Word of the Lord God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Word that was with God, and the Word that was God. They heard him walking in the trees of the garden, in the cool of the day. A season, perhaps, when Adam and Eve used to go, in an especial manner, and offer up an evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. The cool of the day. Perhaps, the sin was committed in the morning, or at noon: but God would not come upon them immediately, he staid till the cool of the day. For if we would effectually reprove others, we should not do it, when they are warmed with passion, but wait till the cool of the day.

But what an alteration is here! Instead of rejoicing at the voice of their Beloved, instead of answering the voice of their God, with songs of praise and thanksgiving; having now broken his only law, and divested themselves, by their disobedience, of their perfect innocence, they, who had so openly braved the Almighty, by the violation of his single and easy command, now, stung by conscience and dreading the consequences of such a deliberate crime, slunk abashed behind the shadowy trees; thus attempting to elude the search of him who is all-seeing. Is not this then what has disrobed our souls, and thus, contaminating the source, renders us impure by nature? Assuredly it is. We labor to cover our nakedness with the fig-leaves of our own righteousness: we hide ourselves from God as long as we can; and will not come, and never should come, did not the Father prevent, draw, and sweetly constrain us by his grace, as he here prevented Adam.

Ver. 9. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Adam, where art thou?

"The Lord God called unto Adam," (for otherwise Adam would never have called unto the Lord God) and said, Adam, where art thou? "How is it that thou comest not to pay thy devotions as usual." Christians, remember the Lord keeps an account when you fail coming to worship. Whenever, therefore, you are tempted to withhold your attendance, let each of you fancy you hear the Lord God calling upon you, and saying, "O man, O woman, where art thou?" It may be under

stood in another and better sense: Adam, where art thou? What a condition is thy poor soul in? This is the first thing the Lord asks, and convinces a sinner of, when he prevents, and calls him effectually by his grace. He also calls him by name: for unless God speaks to us in particular, and we know where we are, how poor, how miserable, how blind, how naked, we shall never value the redemption wrought out for us by the death and obedience of the dear Lord Jesus. Adam, where art thou?

Ver. 10. And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid. See what cowards sin makes us. If we knew no sin, we should know no fear. Because I was naked, and I hid myself. Ver. 11. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I (thy maker and Lawgiver) commanded thee, that thou shoudst not eat?

God knew very well that Adam was naked, and that he had eaten of the forbidden fruit: but God would know it from Adam's own mouth. Thus God knows all our necessities before we ask, but yet insists upon our asking for his grace, and confessing our sins. For, by such acts, we acknowledge our dependence upon God, take shame to ourselves, and thereby give glory to his great name.

Ver. 12. And the man said, the woman which thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Never was nature more vividly delineated. See what pride Adam contracted by the fall! How unwilling he is to lay the blame upon, or take shame to himself. This answer is full of insolence towards God, enmity against his wife, and disingenuousness in respect to himself. For herein he tacitly reflects upon God. The woman that THOU gavest to be with me. As much as to say, If THOU hadst not given me THAT WOMAN, I had not eaten the forbidden fruit. Thus when men sin, they lay the fault upon their passions; then blame and reflect upon God for giving them those passions. Their language is, "The appetites that THOU gavest us, they deceived us, and therefore we sinned against thee." But, as God, notwithstanding, punished Adam for hearkening to the voice of his wife, so he will punish those who hearken to the dictates of their corrupt inclinations. For God compels no man to sin. Adam might have withstood the solicitations of his wife, if he would; and so, if we look up to God, we should find grace to help in time of need. The devil and our own hearts tempt, but they cannot force us to consent, without the concurrence of our own wills. So that our damnation is of ourselves, as it will evidently appear at the great day, notwithstanding all men's present impudent replies against