nerations, in what had been revealed to them; but, in general, the principle of doing what seemed right in their own eyes, appears to have so greatly prevailed, that Lamech, a descendant from Cain, some centuries before Adam died, thought so differently from what God had most expressly commanded, concerning man and wife," that he introduced polygamy. And the world in ge neral, in little more than the then age, and half an age of man, was become so corrupt, in man's departing from God and his laws, to follow the imaginations of their own hearts; that to preserve right and truth from perishing from off the face of the earth, it became the wis dom of God, eight persons only excepted, to destroy the world. y Gen. v. Ecclus. xliv. Heb. xi. Lamech was grandson of Cain: than Enos, the son of Seth: and, if so perhaps not born later early, was born almost See the tables of the seven hundred years before Adam died. a Gen. ii. 24. years. The life of man, at this time, was about nine hundred See Gen. v. Gen. v. 5. Job xxii. 17. CHAP. XI. The immediate consequences of our first Parents' eating of the forbidden tree: and the sentence which God passed upon the Serpent, on account of their transgression. NO sooner had our first parents eaten of the tree forbidden them, but we are told their eyes were opened, and they knew they were naked. We must here ask, what sentiments could our first parents receive from what they had done, to affect them in this manner? And it is amazing how many writers have most absurdly trifled upon this topic. b If we would know truly what Moses here intended, we must carefully attend to what he himself has expressed. And here let us observe, that Moses does not say, that what the serpent had promised our first parents was fulfilled to them; they understood the serpent as telling them that some great advantage of sight would be given them; but the event certainly did not answer their expectations. The serpent had said unto them, your eyes a Gen. iii. 7. Videtur ingenerâsse, nescio quo succo, vel quâ alià virtute, novos sensus pudoris et modestiæ, vel nuditatis ut dicitur; quasi nullum pudorem habuissent in rebus venereis ante lapsum, hodie tamen in rebus istiusmodi innocuos maximè comitatur pudor. Burnet. Archæol. p. 292. • Vide quæ sup. ent from what they had conceived would have befallen them. What Moses here intended to say was the real event which happened to our first parents, must be gathered from the use he makes elsewhere of the expression, eyes being opened. We find it remarkably used in the case of Hagar, in the wilderness of Beersheba ; who had wandered there with her son Ishmael. The water she had brought with her in a bottle was all spent, and both she and her child,,with her, were in danger of perishing for want of a supply. But Moses tells us, the Lord opened her eyes, and she saw a well. We are not to suppose a miracle here done; the well is not said to have been created at this time; for, undoubtedly, it was in the same place before she saw it, as it was afterwards; and her eyes might be, in reality, as open, before she saw the well, as when she espied it. But she now turned her eyes to the place where the well was, and saw what before she had not observed; and this, in Moses' expression, was having her eyes opened. In this sense, likewise, Moses writes it of our first parents; after eating of the tree, their eyes were opened; they saw a circuinstance of their condition, which, before, they had not remarked, and which led them to a thought, as new to them, they knew that they were naked." The question now is, in what sense did they know themselves to be naked? And here, both later commentators, and many ancient and grave writers, have, as I • Gen. xxi. f Ver. 14. A Gen. iii. 7. above hinted, immodestly trifled. It is generally thought, that nakedness now first became a shame; but Moses in no wise gives any such intimation: he tells us of a very different passion here raised by it; it gave them fear. Adam was not ashamed, but afraid, because he was naked, and therefore hid himself; and it is obvious to see the just reason he had for this sense of his condition. The word, which we render naked, has, indeed, in general, this, its most obvious signification; but it is used in other senses, by a sort of metaphor, in many places of scripture; and, in the place before us particularly, we ought to take it, as it is used in the Book of Job. Hell, says that writer, is (aarom) naked before him, and destruction has no covering: i. e. hell and destruction lie open, not concealed from the eye, nor in any way covered from the vengeance of God. This sense of 'the place is just and elegant, free from the shameful fooleries, which writers, not carefully considering, have ingrafted upon it. Adam and Eve had taken upon them, not to rest satisfied in what God had commanded; but to begin to think for themselves, contrary to what He had said to them. And their thoughts taking this turn, one sentiment brought on another; they were now to be wise for themselves, without, nay against, their Maker. Now, how natural was it for them, going in the paths of this theory, to be reminded, and consider how to guard against Him, who had severely threatened what they had committed? Alas! their eyes now told them they had no covering; neither could they think i Gen. iii. 7. VOL. IV. k Job xxvi. 6. |