See how restless Satan is in his malicious designs; if one way will not do, he'll try another. Two things he further urges for the strengthening of the temptation:

1. He promises impunity; ye shall not surely die. "Can infinite goodness kill his creatures as soon as he hath made them, for eating one apple? I know you cannot think so." The same with this, is his saying to the children of Adam now, in his temptations; "you shall not surely die; God is merciful, and cannot find in his heart to do it." This is the devil's language,-though he himself knows to his cost that sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death; that God spared not the angels that sinned. 2 Pet. ii. 4. And yet how many go on in sin, upon that presumption! If people did but seriously believe that death was at the heels of sin, surely they would be more cautious.

2. He urges the benefit of the sin. Your condition is good now, but then it will be better; ye shall be as gods. Eve and Adam were already like God, and it was their unspeakable happiness; but the devil put it into their heads that eating the forbidden fruit would make them more like him. Instead however of being like God, they became like the beasts that perish. Such arguments the devil stili uses to allure people to sin; he tells them of this,

and that, and the other, to be got by sin; tell a lie, and here's money to be got by it; go and be drunk, and you'll have the pleasure; submity t your conscience to the impositions of others, and here's preferment for you. Whereas, in the upshot, the sinner may put all his gains by sin in his eye, and see never the worse for it.

6 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 wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

The woman had not strength to resist the temptation, and so was overcome by it. The method and order of the sin, (for there is an order even in disorders,) is very observable. She proceeded by four steps, each worse than the other:

1. She saw, the sin began in the eye. Not that there was any harm in looking in itself, but as looking was an occasion of lusting. She pleased herself with the sight of that curious apple; and the fiery dart which the devil shot in at her eye, soon pierced and poisoned her heart. 'Tis Solomon's advice, and

it is very wholesome advice, look not at the wine when it is red. Prov. xxiii. 31. A great deal of sin begins in the eye. What need have we then, with Job, to make a covenant with our eyes; Job xxxi, 1; and to pray with David, turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. Ps. cxix. 31. In this tree the woman saw three things that tempted her: (1) That it was good for food; there's the lust of the flesh. There was provision enough elsewhere, but she could not but think this better food than any other, and therefore this she must have. How many are betrayed to sin by the desires of their fleshly appetite! (2) It was pleasant to the eyes; there's the lust of the eye. 'Twas said of all the trees of the garden that they were pleasant to the sight, and good for food. Chap. ii. 9. Why could she not turn her eyes upon some other tree, and reason thus?"What a fool am I to desire this which I am forbidden to eat of, when here's a tree as good as that, which I may eat of?" But the desire of that which is forbidden, is natural to us. (3) And a tree to be desired to make one wise; there's the pride of life. She perceived, by what the devil said, that it would make them like gods; not for holiness and purity, (that was not pretended,) but for wisdom and knowledge. So divine a thing is wisdom, and so excellent is knowledge, (how much soever it be des

pised by carnal hearts,) that innocency itself was so ambitious of it, as to choose rather to incur the highest displeasure of an offended God than want it; nay, than want greater degrees of it.

How many hath the irregular and inordinate desire of unnecessary knowledge been the ruin of! How many with all their learning, have yet to learn that great lesson, secret things belong not to us. Deut. xxix. 29.

The Lord Jesus Christ is indeed a tree (the tree of life) to be desired to make one wise; and how well would it be if people would but see their own folly, and come to him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col. ii. 3. That which our first parents promised themselves to have by sin, and missed of, we may promise ourselves to have by faith, and be assured of,

2. She took, The devil did not take it and put it into her mouth, whether she would or not. Though he be a powerful enemy, yet he cannot force any man to sin: sin is not to be laid wholly at his door, bad as he is. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself. Hos. xiii. 9.

3. She did eat. The way of sin is down hill; a man cannot stop himself when he would. Perhaps when Eve took, she did not think to eat.

4. She gave also to her husband. Those that

have fallen into sin themselves are very prone to entice others to it. As was the devil, so was Eve; no sooner a sinner but a tempter.

Or perhaps she did this out of kindness to her husband. Having tasted how good it was, she must needs have him to taste too. 'Tis thus with those that have tasted of the love of Christ: they are very desirous that others should taste of it likewise. True grace hates monopoly, and he that hath it, doth not use to eat his spiritual morsel alone.

To her husband with her. It was, no doubt, the devil's design in tempting the woman, to make her a temptation to her husband. It is the policy of Satan to send temptations to us by the hands of our near relations. If he would have Job to curse God, he doth not come himself, but sends his wife to persuade him. Job ii. 9. What need then have we to watch; and heed not so much who speaks, as what is spoken.

This sin of Adam in eating the forbidden fruit, was a complicated sin. Some reckon it no less than, (1.) An evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God; (2.) A hearkening to the counsel of the devil, rather than to the command of his Maker; (3.) Pride and ambition, in desiring to become like God; (4.) Discontent with his own condition, though it was a happy condition; (5.) Hard thoughts entertained of God, as too strict and severe a Master; (6.)