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1. THe divine Authour begins the fol∣lowing History, saying, Moreover, the Serpent was more crafty then all the living Creatures of the Earth: the word which corresponds to Serpent, in the originall, is deriv'd from a Verb which signifies to ob∣serve or to pry into secrets; wherefore, à pri∣ori, it signifies, an Observer, a lier in wait and what in the Gospell, the Tempter: and
where the Latine Interpreter puts all living Creatures, the sacred Authour uses a very large word which comprehends Man too: So that the sense may be, the Tempter was craftier even then Man himself; as, also, it appear'd by the event.
2. He came, therefore, to the Woman and said, Why has God commanded you, &c. in the originall letter, even that God has said: as if it should say, was it not enough for God to have oblig'd you to keep his Garden, but even must he not-permit you to eat? To whom the Woman answer'd, Yes, we do eat of the rest, but should we eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, we should die. 'Tis evident, therefore, this command was given by God, not as out of power and prerogative, but for the good of those to whom 'twas gi∣ven, and Man is govern'd by God alwaies for the good of Man himself.
3. The Tempter therefore reply's again, You shall not die, but you shall be like Gods: the Analogy of the two Temptations is to be no∣ted, Say that these stones be made bread, and, He forbids you to Eat: He has commanded his Angels concerning thee, and, Ye shall not die: lastly, All these will I give thee, and, Ye shall be like Gods.
4. 'Tis added, The woman, therefore, saw
that the Tree was good to eat, and fair and delightfull to behold, &c. The Tree is put for the Apple; or, certainly, in respect of the Apple, these things agreed to it. And whereas 'tis said, she saw the apple to be sweet to the tast, or good for food, as the ori∣ginall reading has it; it argues that the Woman, too, to some degree, from the sight of Plants, especially the earnest look∣ing on them, knew their natures. And the Authour, instead of this, delightfull to be∣hold, has, desir'd to look earnestly upon, or, to understand; and the sense is, that the Wo∣man saw her Appetite so to have encreas'd, that she could not turn away her Eyes: Or else the word saw signifies consider'd; and the sense will be, She consider'd that the Apple was desirable for the Knowledge that would follow it, upon the Tempter's words.
5. The Woman, therefore, eat, and gave, too, to the Man; who was not deceiv'd, that is, did not eat upon a false perswasion, but, as 'tis subjoyn'd, obey'd the voice of his wife: For, alas! he was effeminate, and durst not, through excesse of love, oppose his Wife.
6. 'Tis collected out of the circumstan∣ces, that the Tempter or lier-in-wait had ob∣serv'd
the Woman absent from her Hus∣band, near the forbidden Tree, at the hour when her Appetite to eat made way for his treacheries.
7. But, let us see the effect. The sacred Text, therefore, saies, that the eyes of them both were opened and they knew they were na∣ked. But 'tis plain that, not presently upon their eating, but after some time (suppose, when, by concoction, the poison of the Ap∣ple was digested into their bowells,) this ef∣fect happened: for, if, immediately as soon as the Woman had eaten, her eyes had been opened, she would have blusht and not dar'd to appear before her Husband; or, at least, being sollicitous and troubled about the change she felt, she would have told it him.
8. But, how their eyes were opened and how they knew themselves to be naked, appears by the following action, that they made themselves aprons or girdles, to cover with them the parts destin'd for generati∣on. Evident, therefore, 'tis that, by their eating the Apple, their flesh rose and was mov'd without their consent. The effect, therefore, of the Apple was immediately to provoke Lust; &, through the intoxicati∣on, as it were, of luxury, to shake off the use or command of Reason.
9. The very description, too, of the Fruit insinuates it to have this vertue. For, Physicians say that sweet is primely nutri∣tive, as consisting of hot and moist conna∣turall to the Animal; and that, whatever nourishes does it, in as much as 'tis sweet: Good, therefore, for food (when 'tis spoken by way of eminency) is, what is very nutri∣tive: but Seed is made of the superfluity of the nourishment: Good, therefore, to the tast, or, for food, shews it was provokative of lust. The splendour, too, of colour, since it proceeds out of a good commixtion of subtle and oily parts, is apt to follow the sweetnesse.