tual health of the body, and another tree for a test and exercise of devout obedience in the soul; this was the condition of our first parents this was the provision for their well being upon earth, this together with the enjoyment of God's presence, help, and counsel, might have made earth almost like to heaven.

The names of the rivers mentioned, and the description of the countries through which they flowed, make it probable that this spot of earth, thus first inhabited, was not far from the very place, on which the race of man began once more after the flood to multiply and replenish the earth. And this would be likely to be a subject of great interest, at the time when Moses wrote, and amongst a people who were to dwell not far from that neighbourhood. To us it matters little where that Eden was, compared with the deep concern we ought to feel, in ascertaining the state of life in which Adam was there placed. For this must be the state for which God originally designed us, the state to which our nature was at first best adapted, and the state to which in our renewed nature we do well to approach continually.

It was evidently a state of happiness. God would have man take pleasure in all the works of his Maker. God furnished man with senses to enjoy pleasure, and He supplied man's home with pleasurable objects. A garden, a river, trees pleasant to the sight and good for food, gold, good gold, and precious stones so abundant, as to be washed down into the neighbouring land of Havilah, these things, mentioned in connexion with the garden in Eden, shew us that God made them for our enjoyment, as well as for his own glory. Again, the state in which Adam was established was evidently not a state of idleness, but of pleasurable employment. He had work to do, though not such as to produce weariness. His work was to dress a garden and to keep it, before the ground had been cursed, and bidden to bring forth thorns and thistles. See ch. 3. 17, 18. It is then good also for us to be always well employed. It is good to work diligently, as well as to enjoy thankfully. The tree of life in the midst of the garden was probably a provision against decay and death; so that man as first created might have lived for ever. See ch. 3. 22..

4

And whether this were the case or not, we learn from the other tree here mentioned, that his state was also a state of trial, or rather a state of willing subjection to the will of God. He whose will rules over all, thought fit to impart to man a will of his own. And for the perpetual subjection of that will to the will of his Maker, the fruit of one tree was forbidden food, and the eating of it was certain death. It is then good for us to be subject unto God. is better to be bound to obey Him, than free to please ourselves. May He incline us ever to subject our will to his; nay rather, to have his will for our own!

It

Woman created.

18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam,

Marriage ordained.

and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

LECTURE 7.

The spiritual marriage and union between Christ and his saints.

. Here let us observe the further provision made by God for the happiness of man on earth. How little can they know of God and his designs, who suppose that He is pleased to see men miserable, or that He wishes them to inflict misery on themselves or others! How much light is thrown on the happiness here provided for mankind, by considering the misery which ensues, where men hold that a single life is in itself meritorious, and bind themselves by vows to abstain from marriage! Discontent with their lot, dissatisfaction with themselves, envy of their neighbours' liberty, ill temper, sadness, selfishness, these besides other nameless enormities usually attend on the prevalence of this much abused doctrine. And no doubt it was owing to the risk of evils like to these, that God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him an help meet for him." Society instead of solitude, and the tenderness of conjugal affections, these promote our happiness, by softening our hearts.

And the want of such meet help must have been more felt by the man himself, after that survey of the several creatures subject to his dominion, which took place under the direction of the Almighty. Then it was that Adam exercised the gift of speech, probably communicated to him by God, in giving names to the beasts of the earth, and to the fowls of the air. But when the names were given, there was no one with whom to hold dis

See

course on these and the other marvels of creation; no one with whom Adam could interchange his thoughts of wonder, love, and praise. Then it was that "the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam," and during the sleep "took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman." Well may we trust God to take from us what He pleases, seeing He knows how to make us ample amends. Truly did Adam say, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh;" and justly did the apostle hereupon conclude, that as no man ever yet hated his own flesh, so ought every one to love his wife even as himself. Eph. 5. 28, 29. And most profitably does he hence direct our attention to that spiritual marriage and union, which is betwixt Christ and his church, whereof marriage between man and woman is a type or figure. Taken as it were out of the side of Jesus, in the sleep of his most precious death, his beloved saints are dear to Him as Himself. For their sakes He left the glory of the Father, that He might be one with them, and they one with Him. And though they know that all things are naked before Him with whom they have to do, yet such is his innocency, such the purity they derive from their union with Him, that they appear without shame in the presence of God, nay, dwell therein with joy for

ever.

Adam discerned, or was enlightened to understand, that the woman was of his own flesh and bones. God joined them together in marriage, saying, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." For our Lord tells us, that these words were spoken by Him "which made them at the beginning." Matt. 19. 4. This then was the institution of marriage. And it was by these means that God contrived to make of one blood all the nations upon earth. See Acts 17. 26. Let us remember that all men are of the same family with ourselves; that we are all children of the first man, Adam, all brethren of the second Adam, which is Christ. From the one we inherit shame. Through the other we have boldness even in the day of judgment. See 1 John 4. 17. The shame of nakedness we may conceal by covering. The shame of sin is what no skill can hide, no force suppress; no force, no skill, of ours; but only the might and wisdom, the righteousness, and love, and death, of Christ. Therefore ought we to love neither father nor mother more than Him. Therefore ought we to leave father, and mother, if it be needful, in order for us to cleave to Him.

Lord, grant that we may be one with Thee, and be with us! Lord, it is not good for us to be alone. dwell with Thee, where Thou art, for ever.

Thou one
Oh let us

The fall of man.

LECTURE 8.

How we must behave when convinced of sin.

From the book of Revelation we learn what serpent is here meant, "that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan." Rev. 12. 9. And in the Epistle to the Corinthians, we are taught how great is our risk, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so our minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. See 2 Cor. 11. 3. Here we see what are the means which our adversary uses, what are the arts against which we have need to be on our guard. He first entices the woman into conversation, expressing a doubt, as to whether God had forbidden them to eat the fruit of any one tree in the garden. To such a question Eve ought to have refused to answer. Let us never parley with sin. Let us have ready our Lord's words of firm refusal, "Get thee behind me, Satan."

Luke 4. 8. Next he states a direct falsehood, "Ye shall not surely die." Whensoever it is whispered to us that our sin will not find us out, see Numb. 32. 23, that we may sin safely, that God is too merciful to punish, and the death of Christ too powerful to admit of our perishing for ever; let us be assured that Satan is suggesting this fatal security, let us remember that he is, as our Lord calls him, "a liar, and the father of it." John 8. 44. Next, he ventures openly to find fault with God Himself, as if He were jealous of the wisdom and happiness of his creatures. Whenever we find hard thoughts of God occur to us, whenever we feel inclined to murmur at his dealings, or to count his commandments grievous, let us beware, it is Satan standing at our right hand; let us resist, and he will flee; or if we yield, we are lost for ever. Eve was tempted by the sense, seeing "the tree was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes." Eve was told by Satan that it was "a tree to be desired to make one wise." Eve had allowed herself to listen to imputations against the lovingkindness of the Lord her God. And she "took of the fruit." Oh amazing hardihood of the gentler sex, to be the first that dared to disobey her Maker! Eve took of the fruit, and "did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Oh miserable fall of both our parents, for one to entice the other to transgress the will of God! This single circumstance makes every sin enormous. Whether we eat, or drink, or whatsoever we do opposite to what we know to be the will of God, we deserve no less at God's hands than death and hell.

With sin came shame, and fear, and selfishness; shame of nakedness, fear of God's judgments, and selfishness prompting one party to lay the blame on the other. When under the con

sciousness of our sins we feel the shame of our nakedness in the sight of God, let us take counsel of the faithful and true Witness, and buy "without price," Is. 55. 1, what He offers, "white raiment," "the righteousness of saints." Rev. 3. 18. 19.

8.

When arrested in our career of hardened or heedless disobedience, by the voice of God demanding of us, "Where art thou?" let us not in the spirit of fear endeavour to cover our transgressions as Adam, by hiding our iniquity in our bosom. See Job 31. 33. But remembering that the darkness is no darkness with Him, let us come forward with faith through Christ to make full and free confession, not doubting of God's free and full forgiveness. And least of all let us lay the blame on one another. Least of all let us add this to our other sin, unkind imputations on our brethren. Each has enough to do to bear his own burden. Let us help to lighten, rather than to aggravate, our neighbour's load. Let us help each other by prayer and by admonition, by kind counsel and earnest intercession, let us help to convert each other from the ways of death, and so to hide not in ourselves, but in our brethren, the multitude of sins. See James 5. 20.

0. T. VOL. I. PART I.

C