Genesis 3

Genesis 3:1

THe Serpent] Moses in all this historie under corporeall and sensible things, doth comprehend the spirituall and invisible. And by the Serpent naturally crafty, and gliding: Genesis 49:17. Psalms 58:4. Math. 10. 16. is meant the Divell, most cunning in seducing Ephes. 6. 12. Revelation 12:9. who took this as an instrument, working and speaking through him, by Gods marvellous dispensation and providence Yea hath] The Divell feigneth that he believeth God had wholly forbidden them the use of the fruits of the garden, to make way to talke with the woman; and to induce her to give care unto him.

Genesis 3:5

God doth know] he doth wrest into a wrong sence the name of that tree, as if it had power to conferre divine knowledge, and the understanding of every thing: accusing God of envie: and provoking the woman to pride, and curiosity.

Genesis 3:7

The eyes] that is, their conscience presently awaked, and made them see the good which they had lost, and the evill which they had purchased, according to the sence of the name of the tree: which appeared by the shame which they were touched with.

Genesis 3:8

In the coole] that is early in the morning, when a pleasant little wind useth to rise, in stead of which they heard the terrible signes of Gods presence, see Cant: 2. 15. Walking] it hath been thought by many, that the Son of God did appeare in his proper person, in all those actions, in a bodily shape, taken at times.

Genesis 3:12

Which thou] or the which thou hast given me.

Genesis 3:14

Because] the Divell, as sufficiently convinced, is not examined by God asAdam and Eve were. And also as having sinned through his own proper malice, and seduced man is absolutely accursed without any moderation, or hope of being restored, wheras the sentence against man, hath all circumstances contrary Thou art cursed] this is pronounced against the Serpent in a corporall sence, and against the Devill in a spirituall. The Serpent is condemned as a common enemy to all creatures, that he shal no more move with a body and head erected, nor walk openly and securely, as he did before; nor enjoy the good fruits of the earth, but shall hide himself in holes & caves, and lick the dust, and filth. The Devill receiveth either his first condemnation, or the confirmation of it: to be banished from heaven, driven under the earth, and into hell Luke 10:18. Revelation 12:9. deprived of all good, delight, and trust, loaden with confusion and despaire, and subject to have no other food, pastime, nor entertainment, but in filthy, and wicked things, and actions.

Genesis 3:15

I will put] that is to say, whereas thou by thine allurements hast drawn the woman into fellowship of sin; I will cause thee, O Serpent, to be an abomination to all mankind, especially to the female sex; and shalt by it be mortally persecuted: as thou on thy part shalt seek all wayes, & means to hurt him. And thou, O Devill, with all thy partie, in whom thou shalt have imprinted thy malice, shalt have a deadly and continuall war with my Church: which in its due time, shall by a Virgin, without work of man bring forth into the world, Christ, her head in this war; wherein the fight, and issue will be very unequall, for all thine endeavours shall not be able to reach Christ Ioh. 14. 30. Revelation 12:5. and those which thou shalt be suffered to use against his elect, which shall be his body, and the new progeny of my Church, whose bridegroome he shall become, Revelation 12:17. shall not be mortall, nor able to take away from them the gift of the Spirit; but shall end with some prickings troublesome to the flesh, in things concerning this earthly life, or in wounding of the spirit of the new man, by the remainder of the old, which he shall draw along with him here on earth, see Ioh. 13, 10. 2. Cor. 12. 7. But as for thee, Christ of himself, and his elect through his Spirit, shall destroy all thy Kingdom, power, and works, by a compleat and everlasting victory. So that by the woman may be understood the Church, and the Virgin: and by her seed, Christ the head, and the faithfull, who are his mysticall body; as in prophecies we often finde diverse sences joyned, and put together one within another.

Genesis 3:16

Multiplie] The paines of travaile have indeed naturall causes; but before sin God would have eased the woman through grace, and supernaturall power, but after that, they have been increased by God, through his judgement. Now God leaving the first sentence of death in force, for which he had granted a remedy to the elect, through the Redeemer: he addeth thereunto the sufferings of this life, common to believers and unbelievers: but for a correction to the first, and a punishment to the latter. And within these paines, is comprehended the curse of the bringing forth of man, see upon 1 Timothy 2:15. Shall be] that is to say, thou shalt moreover be especially punished, in so much that having abused the equall society, wherein I had placed thee with thy husband by enticing of him to sin; thou shalt be in great part degraded from it: and that sweet direction which he had of thee, shall be turned into domination, as o¦ver a subject much unequall in wisdom, capacitistrength, and other gifts: And also seeing your will, are no more united in true and plaine goodnesse as they were before sin: there shall, in your commos manner of living, strifes arise amongst you, wherein thou shalt be faine to yeeld to thy husband in humility and silence; or by force and violence which peradventure he shall use, and shalt not be able to free thy self, from the power he hath over thee. In conclusion if he have obeyed thee in sinning, thou shalt be subject to him in punishment.

Genesis 3:17

Cursed] that is to say, it shall not have power to bring forth all sorts of needfull plants, of it self, or with small labour, but contrary wise it shall abound in noisome stocks In sorrow] because that the pleasant and easy manuring, which was before sin, is changed into a toilesome labour, as well through the growing weak of mans body, as through the malignancy of the earth, and the disorder of nature.

Genesis 3:18

Herbe] that kind which God hath ordained for the use of man, Genesis 1:29. and no more of the fruit of Paradice.

Genesis 3:19

For] not because that the terrestriall matter, or elementall composition of the body of man is the true, and immediate cause of death; but sin: Rom. 5. 12. and 6. 23. but to shew that the body being destroyed, resolveth it self into its first principles, of which the most eminent is the earth.

Genesis 3:20

Eve] that is; living, she through whom mankinde having been condemned to death, should also be preserved alive, by the meanes of a new off-spring.

Genesis 3:21

Make] in some divine manner, not set down. Now God who had left it to mans wit to provide for those things he wanted, by many inventions and as, would notwithstanding cloath himself with beasts skins; not only to shew him the use of them, and to give him the reason of it; but also to impose a necessitie upon him of covering his nakednesse: and to teach him, that it belongeth only to God, to cover sin with the clothing of righteousnesse, and the Redeemers satisfaction.〈◊〉.

Genesis 3:22

Behold] a biter mock of mans boldnesse Of us] see above, Genesis 1:26. And now lest.] since that through sin he is fallen from the life of the soule, he hath no more part in the immortalitie of the body, nor the tree of life which is the meanes to it: and ought not to profane the Sacrament of eternall life, which no more belongeth to him, for the aforesaid reason; and it is fitting for him to seek his life, and the causes thereof in his Redeemer, who is therefore called the tree of life:Rev. 2. 7. and 22. 14. 〈◊〉.

Genesis 3:24

And he placed] as it were to watch Cherubins] a name of Angels appearing in a bodily shape, and particularly in the shape of an oxe Ezekiel 10:14. according to the proper signification of the Hebrew word, though it do often extend it self to any other shape: And a] it was a corporall vision to affright Adam,that he might not come neere to the earthly Paradice: whereby is figured the wickeds exclusion out of the heavenly Paradice.