,,the ,,precious ,,and ,,sacred ,,writings ,,of ,,martin ,,luther ,the ,hero of the ,reformation1 the ,greatest of the ,teuton ,church ,fathers1 and the ,father of ,protestant ,church ,literature ,,based ,,on ,,the ,,kaiser ,,chronological ,,edition ,,with ,,reference ,,to ,,the ,,erlangen ,,and ,,walch ,,editions ,,edited ,,by ,,john ,,nicholas ,,lenker1 ,d4,d4 ,,in ,,connection ,,with ,,leading ,,scholars ,,of ,,all ,,parts ,,of ,,the ,,church ,,lutherans ,,in ,,all ,,lands ,,co41 ,,minneapolis1 ,,minn41 ,u4,s4,a4 #aijd ,,luther ,,on ,,the ,,creation ,a ,,critical ,,and ,,devotional ,,commentary ,,on ,,genesis ,,based ,,on ,,dr4 ,,henry ,,cole',s ,,translation ,,from ,,the ,,original ,,latin4 ,,revised1 ,,enlarged1 ,,parts ,,retranslated ,,and ,,edited ,,in ,,complete ,,form ,,by ,,john ,,nicholas ,,lenker1 ,d4,d4 ,,professor ,,of ,,old ,,testament ,,exegesis1 ,,author ,,of ,,lutherans ,,in ,,all ,,lands ,,and ,,president ,,of ,,the ,,national ,,lutheran ,,library ,,association ,,vol4 ,i4 ,,lutherans ,,in ,,all ,,lands ,,co41 ,,minneapolis1 ,,minn41 ,u4,s4,a4 #aijd ,,copyright1 #aijd1 ,,by ,,prof4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,lenker1 ,d4,d4 ,,second ,,introduction --to-- ,,luther',s ,,works ,,in ,,english4 ,this introduction or prospectus is supplementary to that in the first volume on the ,psalms1 in that it likewise emphasizes1 though from different view-points1 the history and fruits1 as well as the present need and future mission of the ,protestant ,classics of the greatest of all reformers in their relation to the development of the human race4 ,let us in this introduction briefly notice the following3 ,the progress of the movement to translate and circulate ,luther's works in ,english1 and then emphasize the need of developing an interest to read them2 first1 because of the relation of ,luther and his writings to the public library2 and secondly1 because as the chief of the ,teuton ,protestant ,church ,fathers1 we need to understand ,luther in his relation to the ,greek and ,latin ,church ,fathers1 and our true historic relations to them all4 ,,the ,,progress ,,of ,,the ,,movement4 ,with profound gratitude to ,almighty ,god for his rich blessing bestowed upon the publication and quick sale of the first volume1 ,luther's ,commentary on the ,psalms1 a book the mourning soul cannot well be without1 we now send forth the first volume of his ,commentary on ,genesis1 with the confidence that those1 who think with ,melanchthon that a single page of ,luther contains more sound divinity than many whole volumes1 will not change their opinion by studying this volume4 ,having purchased all the copies of ,luther on ,galatians and his ,notes on the ,gospels by ,dr4 ,p4 ,anstadt1 and the right to reprint them1 with two other volumes about ready for the press1 one by ,prof4 ,e4 ,f4 ,bartholomew1 ,d4,d41 and another by ,dr4 ,bernhard ,pick1 our progress is encouraging1 especially since the movement has taken an intersynodical character with colaborers from every branch of our polyglot communion4 ,,luther ,,on ,,the ,,old ,,testament ,,needed ,,first4 ,this volume on ,genesis follows the first volume on the ,psalms because the volumes ought to be published first that are needed most and will do the most good4 ,as ,professor of ,old ,testament ,exegesis ,i found that like ,luther on the ,psalms so ,luther on ,genesis was not accessible to the ,english1 ,swedish1 ,norwegian and ,danish students of theology1 ,prof4 ,bugge's ,norwegian translation of extracts from it being out of print4 ,therefore we believe this volume also will be welcomed by all ,old ,testament professors and students4 ,while both these volumes will be a healthy corrective to the ,old ,testament critics1 their contribution to the biblical knowledge and the devotional life of ,protestantism cannot be exaggerated4 ,though first delivered to critical students they have also been extensively read in family worship4 ,luther began and closed his blessed ministry in the church of ,god not by fighting the ,pope1 but by expounding the ,word of ,god4 ,he began by explaining the whole ,psalter from #aeac to #aeaf 7before #aeag7 forming volumes ,,iii and ,,iv of the ,kaiser ,chronological ,edition and closed his life's labors by expounding the first book of the ,bible1 ,genesis1 which composes volumes ,i and ,,ii of the ,st4 ,louis ,walch edition4 ,he commenced with the penitential ,psalms of ,david and ended with ,moses1 the earliest writings of the ,old ,testament4 ,the reason so many preachers and congregations neglect the ,old ,testament is because it is neglected in the seminaries4 ,god willing a volume of ,luther on the ,prophetical ,books will be issued and then in all three years at the seminary the students may have something of ,luther on the ,pentateuch1 ,psalms and ,prophets4 ,,luther',s ,,words ,,on ,,public ,,libraries4 ,in the recent marvelous development of public libraries it is held if it is the duty of the state to teach the child to read for the welfare of the child and of the state1 it is also the duty of the state to offer the child something to read4 ,hence the library is being supported by taxation like the public school1 and the library buildings are being erected near the high schools4 ,it is as ,president ,roosevelt said while west recently1 our civilization rests on the church1 the school and the library4 ,the library is the child of the church and school and will in turn greatly influence both4 ,luther1 the founder of the ,protestant ,church1 and the founder of the ,public ,school1 is also the founder of the ,protestant ,library4 ,yea1 more1 nearly four hundred years ago he united the school and the library as is proved by the following3 ,it is noteworthy that ,luther closes his ,address to the ,mayors and ,aldermen of all the ,cities of ,germany in behalf of ,christian ,schools1 which is considered by educators for its pioneer character and statements of principles the most important educational treatise ever written1 by a powerful appeal in behalf of public libraries which ,i give in full from ,luther on ,education by ,prof4 ,painter4 ,luther concludes that great educational treatise thus3 ,finally1 this must be taken into consideration by all who earnestly desire to see such schools established and the study of the languages preserved in the ,german states2 that no cost nor pains should be spared to procure good libraries in suitable buildings1 especially in the large cities that are able to afford it4 ,for if a knowledge of the ,gospel and of every kind of learning is to be preserved1 it must be embodied in books1 as the prophets and apostles did1 as ,i have already shown4 ,this should be done1 not only that our spiritual and civil leaders may have something to read and study1 but also that good books may not be lost1 and that the arts and languages may be preserved1 with which ,god has graciously favored us4 ,st4 ,paul was diligent in this matter1 since he lays the injunction upon ,timothy1 ',give heed to reading1' ,i ,tim4 #d3ac1 and directs him to bring the books1 but especially the parchments left at ,troas1 #b ,tim4 #d3ac4 ,all the kingdoms that have been distinguished in the world have bestowed care upon this matter1 and particularly the ,israelites1 among whom ,moses was the first to begin the work1 who commanded them to preserve the book of the law in the ark of ,god1 and put it under the care of ,levites1 that any one might procure copies from them4 ,he even commanded the king to make a copy of this book in the hands of the ,levites4 ,among other duties1 ,god directed the ,levitical priesthood to preserve and attend to the books4 ,afterwards ,joshua increased and improved this library1 as did subsequently ,samuel1 ,david1 ,solomon1 ,isaiah1 and many kings and prophets4 ,hence have come to us the ,holy ,scriptures of the ,old ,testament1 which would not otherwise have been collected and preserved1 if ,god had not required such diligence in regard to it4 ,after this example collegiate churches and convents formerly founded libraries1 although with few good books4 ,and the injury from the neglect to procure books and good libraries1 when there were men and books enough for that purpose1 was afterwards perceived in the decline of every kind of knowledge2 and instead of good books1 the senseless1 useless1 and hurtful books of the monks1 the ,catholicon1 ,florista1 ,graecista1 ,labyrinthus1 ,dormi ,secure 7names of ,latin grammars and collections of sermons71 and the like1 were introduced by ,satan1 so that the ,latin language was corrupted1 and neither good schools1 good instruction1 nor good methods of study remained4 ,and as we see1 the language and arts are1 in an imperfect manner1 recovered from fragments of old books rescued from the worms and dust2 and every day men are seeking these literary remains1 as people dig in the ashes of a ruined city after treasures and jewels4 ,therein we have received our just due1 and ,god has well recompensed our ingratitude1 in that we did not consider his benefits1 and lay up a supply of good literature when we had time and opportunity1 but neglected it1 as if we were not concerned4 ,he in turn1 instead of the ,holy ,scriptures and good books1 suffered ,aristotle and numberless pernicious books to come into use1 which only lead us further from the ,bible4 ,to these were added the progeny of ,satan1 the monks and the phantoms of the universities1 which we founded at incredible cost1 and many doctors1 preachers1 teachers1 priests and monks1 that is to say1 great1 coarse1 fat fellows1 adorned with red and brown caps1 like swine led with a golden chain and decorated with pearls2 and we have burdened ourselves with them1 who have taught us nothing useful1 but have made us more and more blind and stupid1 and as a reward have consumed all our property1 and filled all the cloisters1 and indeed every corner with dregs and filth of their unclean and noxious books1 of which we cannot think without horror4 ,has it not been a grievous misfortune that a boy has hitherto been obliged to study twenty years or longer1 in order to learn enough miserable ,latin to become a priest and to read the mass8 ,and whosoever has succeeded in this has been called blessed1 and blessed the mother that has borne such a child6 ,and yet he has remained a poor ignorant man all through life1 and has been of no real service whatever4 ,everywhere we have had such teachers and masters1 who have known nothing themselves1 who have been able to teach nothing useful1 and who have been ignorant even of the right methods of learning and teaching4 ,how has it come about8 ,no books have been accessible but the senseless trash of the monks and sophists4 ,how could the pupils and teacher differ from the books they studied8 ,a crow does not hatch a dove1 nor a fool make a man wise4 ,that is the recompense of our ingratitude1 in that we did not use diligence in the formation of libraries1 but allowed good books to perish1 and bad ones to survive4 ,but my advice is not to collect all sorts of books indiscriminately thinking only of getting a vast number together4 ,i would have discrimination used1 because it is not necessary to collect the commentaries of the jurists1 the productions of all the theologians1 the discussions of all the philosophers1 and the sermons of all the monks4 ,such trash ,i would reject altogether1 and provide my library only with useful books2 and in making the selection ,i would advise with learned men4 ,in the first place1 a library should contain the ,holy ,scriptures in ,latin1 ,greek1 ,hebrew1 ,german and other languages4 ,then the best and most ancient commentators in ,greek1 ,hebrew and ,latin4 ,secondly1 such books as are useful in acquiring the languages1 as the poets and orators1 without considering whether they are heathen or ,christian1 ,greek or ,latin4 ,for it is from such works that grammar must be learned4 ,thirdly1 books treating of all the arts and sciences4 ,lastly1 books on jurisprudence and medicine1 though here discrimination is necessary4 ,a prominent place should be given to chronicles and histories1 in whatever language they may be obtained2 for they are wonderfully useful in understanding and regulating the course of the world1 and in disclosing the marvelous works of ,god4 ,o1 how many noble deeds and wise maxims produced on ,german soil have been forgotten and lost1 because no one at the time wrote them down2 or if they were written1 no one preserved the books2 hence we ,germans are unknown in other lands1 and are called brutes that know only how to fight1 eat and drink4 ,but the ,greeks and ,romans1 and even the ,hebrews have recorded their history with such particularity1 that even if a woman or child did anything noteworthy1 all the world was obliged to read and know it2 but we ,germans are always ,germans and will remain ,germans4 ,since ,god has so graciously and abundantly provided us with art1 scholars and books1 it is time for us to reap the harvest and gather for future use the treasures of these golden years4 ,for it is to be feared 7and even now it is beginning to take place7 that new and different books will be produced1 until at last1 through the agency of the devil1 the good books which are being printed will be crowded out by the multitude of ill-considered1 senseless and noxious works4 ,for ,satan certainly designs that we should torture ourselves again with ,catholicons1 ,florists1 ,modernists and other trash of the accursed monks and sophists1 always learning1 yet never acquiring knowledge4 ,therefore1 my dear sirs1 ,i beg you to let my labor bear fruit with you4 ,and though there be some who think me too insignificant to follow my advice1 or who look down upon me as one condemned by tyrants2 still let them consider that ,i am not seeking my own interest1 but that of all ,germany4 ,and even if ,i were a fool1 and yet should hit upon something good1 no wise man should think it a disgrace to follow me4 ,and if ,i were a ,turk and heathen1 and it should yet appear that my advice was advantageous1 not for myself1 but for ,christianity1 no reasonable person would despise my counsel4 ,sometimes a fool has given better advice than a whole company of wise men4 ,moses received instruction from ,jethro4 ,herewith ,i commend you all to the grace of ,god4 ,may he soften your hearts1 and kindle therein a deep interest in behalf of the poor1 wretched and neglected youth2 and through the blessing of ,god may you so counsel and aid them as to attain to a happy ,christian social order in respect to both body and soul1 with all fullness and abounding plenty1 to the praise and honor of ,god the ,father1 through ,jesus ,christ our ,saviour4 ,amen4 ,wittenberg1 #aebd4 ,in his ,table ,talk ,luther continues thus3 ,the multitude of books is a great evil4 ,there is no measure or limit to this fever for writing2 every one must be an author2 some out of vanity1 to acquire celebrity and make a name2 others for the sake of lucre and gain4 ,the ,bible is now buried under so many commentaries1 that the text is not regarded4 ,i could wish that all my books were buried nine ells deep in the ground1 by reason of the ill example they will give1 every one seeking to imitate me in writing many books1 with the hope of procuring fame4 ,but ,christ died not to favor our ambition and vain-glory1 but that his name might be glorified4 ,the aggregation of large libraries tends to direct men's thoughts from the one great book1 the ,bible1 which ought1 day and night1 to be in every man's hand4 ,my object1 my hope1 in translating the ,scriptures1 was to check the so prevalent production of new works1 and so to direct men's study and thoughts more closely to the divine ,word4 ,never will the writings of mortal man in any respect equal the sentences inspired by ,god4 ,we must yield the place of honor to the prophets and apostles1 keeping ourselves prostrate at their feet as we listen to their teaching4 ,i would not have those who read my books1 in these stormy times1 devote one moment to them which they would otherwise have consecrated to the ,bible4 ,,luther ,,the ,,father ,,of ,,modern ,,libraries4 ,the foregoing literal quotations on the library2 its divine origin and its biblical and ecclesiastical development from the time of ,moses2 its interlingual and international importance2 its satanic and anti-,christ-like dangers2 its true mission and relation to the church1 school1 family and state2 the comprehensive sample catalogue of a model library2 and the words that when libraries tend to direct men's thoughts from or against the one great ,book they are complete failures2 these and other like thoughts of ,luther1 who was born only #ae years after the death of ,guthenburg1 his countryman1 the inventor of printing2 these words so warm1 clear and wise of the hero of the ,reformation1 uttered nearly #djj years ago1 prove that ,luther and not ,franklin was the father or founder of modern libraries of printed books and documents4 ,in ,w4 ,t4 ,fletcher's ,public ,libraries ,in ,america1 of the ,columbian ,knowledge ,series1 published in ,boston1 #ahii1 we read on page #aj1 ,but when did the public library movement begin8 ,not even the ,reformation1 with its tremendous assertion of the right of man to spiritual freedom1 brought about the change so designated4 ,franklin more than any other originated this movement4 ,it is strange that in all the recent and growing bibliography on the library there is little or no tendency to trace the origin of the ,protestant library to the ,protestant ,reformation4 ,yet ,mr4 ,fletcher says on p4 #cg1 ,it is a significant fact that everywhere the clergy are found foremost in advancing the library movement4 ,he certainly does not mean the ,catholic clergy4 ,if you examine the libraries of our day and judge from their contents and spirit1 the conclusion irresistibly comes to one that they do not know their own father or founder4 ,their walls often are decorated with fine pictures of illustrious men1 ,carnegie and other liberal donors2 but in no public library1 not even in districts of our country where the ,german and ,scandinavian taxpayers are in the majority do we find a picture on their walls1 ,martin ,luther1 the ,founder of the ,library ,among the ,protestant ,teutonic ,nations4 ,though ,carnegie should expend all his fortune on libraries alone1 his donation to the library idea would be unworthy to be compared with that of ,luther4 ,besides what ,luther wrote urging the ,teutonic nations accepting his teachings to erect libraries or book houses as he called them1 and besides what he did in other ways to encourage the collection of the writings of the ,germanic nations1 this ,teuton of the ,teutons1 their child and father1 born1 as ,i said1 only fifteen years after the inventor of printing died1 wrote a library of #aac volumes in the infancy of printing1 which is still today the leading classic library of ,protestantism1 which has been translated and retranslated in part into every language of the globe and influenced every ,protestant and many ,catholic authors1 and is or should be the foundation and center of every library that is not anti-,protestant4 ,alas6 ,alas6 ,it is not so in our own ,protestant land1 the ,united ,states4 ,he seems to be feared more as a leader of a sect1 which he never was1 than loved and honored as the hero of the ,reformation and the very soul of the ,protestant ,teutonic literary activity and its treasures4 ,however ,i am not so greatly concerned to have ,luther honored as the father of the modern library by hanging his picture on their walls4 ,there is a better way for the ,protestant library to honor their father and that is to purchase his writings complete in the ,german1 ,scandinavian and ,english languages and then interest their ,german1 ,scandinavian and ,english citizens to read them4 ,true some libraries have a dozen or more books written about ,luther1 his life1 etc41 but not a single book written by him4 ,all the books that others have or may write about him are as nothing compared to what he himself wrote in explaining the ,holy ,scriptures and the fundamental principles of our modern aggressive ,protestant civilization4 ,if they are the happy possessors of a few books translated from our great ,teuton church father1 the books are often in such poor and antiquated ,english that no one can nor will read them with any comfort4 ,librarians and pastors and ,protestant laymen1 what have you up-to-date in your library from the heart and pen of the father of ,protestant literature8 ,look now and see1 and make a note of what you find and write us1 and we may be of some help to you in completing your collection4 ,but what is the use for libraries to purchase ,luther's works in ,german1 ,scandinavian or ,english when the people do not call for the books and read them4 ,therefore we have given emphasis to their cry that is going abroad in the land4 ,,read ,,luther6 ,,read ,,luther66 ,,read ,,luther666 ,why8 ,because as a true intelligent ,protestant you cannot read any thing better4 ,millions of people have said and millions more will say next to the ,bible they received more from ,luther's writings than from all other books combined4 ,and if you take the ,protestant professors of our land1 and for that matter of all lands1 they all together would come far short of making a ,luther4 ,he was not only ahead of his times1 but on many subjects he is far ahead of our age4 ,yes1 when we keep company with ,luther we feel we are behind the times1 on subjects like ,romanism1 ,protestantism1 ,christian schools1 ,christian libraries1 the ,christian family1 the ,christian state1 and many ,christian social problems4 ,it is possible to go backwards as well as forwards4 ,how can ,i read ,luther when ,i have not his books and ,i cannot afford to purchase them8 ,our cry is not ,buy ,luther6 ,buy ,luther66 ,buy ,luther666 ,but ,read ,luther6 ,read ,luther66 ,read ,luther666 ,many buy ,luther's works and do not read them4 ,they can afford to purchase them all and as they have a beautiful book-case with glass doors1 perhaps the finest piece of furniture in their homes1 as the style now is 7for what is a home without an up-to-date book-case871 they subscribe for all ,luther's works for a show in their book-case1 and we ask can you name a set of books that makes a better show in any public or private library than ,luther's works1 especially in a ,protestant library8 ,they are also really a far better investment than these large1 thick1 cheap but dear1 subscription books1 which are nice only while they are new and then they fade and the outside becomes as bad as the inside4 ,when you look at the libraries of many ,protestant homes1 you pity them1 first because of what they have not and then because of what they have4 ,but ,luther's writings should go into the home library not for a show nor for an investment1 but to be read4 ,perhaps there is no passage of ,scripture that our homes should take to heart just now more than the advice of ,father ,paul to his spiritual son1 ,timothy3 ,give heed to reading1 to exhortation1 to teaching4 ,neglect not the gift that is in thee4 #a ,tim4 #d3ac-ad4 ,give heed that you read something1 that you read the best1 and give heed how you read1 that the gifts in you may not be neglected4 ,then the right1 sound exhortation and pure teaching will follow4 ,notice the order is first1 give heed to reading4 ,many have never read any writings of ,luther except perhaps his small catechism4 ,they have not built very well on the foundation laid4 ,when one thinks of the solid ,christian books our ,german and ,scandinavian parents read and what the children read now-a-days1 you must sigh4 ,again many say ,i have now more books than ,i can read and if ,i buy more ,i will not read them4 ,well1 you will not lose much if you do not read many books you have1 but if you would sell these and buy a few of the classic writings of ,protestantism and read and read them again and again1 you would be blessed1 and just such a work is ,luther on ,genesis4 ,,no ,,one ,,is ,,too ,,poor ,,to ,,be ,a ,,luther ,,reader4 ,i have spoken of those who can afford to buy ,luther's works and do buy them1 and yet they do not read them4 ,there is another class much smaller but much better2 namely1 those who enjoyed the study of their catechism and the little they have read here and there in extracts from ,luther and they long to read more1 but do not know where to get the books or have not the money to buy them4 ,to all such let our pastors1 parochial and ,sunday school teachers and all others say on every occasion possible that such works can be had in the public library4 ,if you do not find them there make application on the little blank slips the library furnishes for the public to request the library to secure the books desired4 ,if they do not do so at once have your neighbors repeat and repeat the same request4 ,this is the way the latest trashy novels are introduced in public libraries1 for they buy only what the public asks for4 ,these libraries are supported as a rule by taxation and the ,germans and ,scandinavians are heavy taxpayers and their requests for good standard books in their own language or in ,english will be favorably considered4 ,we ourselves are to blame if public libraries have not the standard classics of their ,protestant father and founder4 ,it if therefore in harmony with historic development and with the spirit of ,luther that in ,chicago1 ,june #bi1 #aijc1 an adjourned meeting of the convention1 which assembled in the same city in ,september of the previous year1 was held and effected an organization known as the ,,national ,,lutheran ,,library ,,association one aim of which as specified in its constitution1 is ,to aid in duplicating as far as practicable the ',luther' literature in the ,british ,museum ,library in all the larger ,american ,public ,libraries4 7,see the constitution for further details47 ,the public libraries of ,great ,britain are far ahead of the ,american public libraries in their ,luther literature1 and we as free loyal ,americans cannot afford to let it continue so4 ,the question arises1 what nations1 what culture should characterize the libraries of the world8 ,shall the ,greeks1 or the ,latins or the ,teutons8 ,to aid in answering this question ,i will add another heading ,,the ,,greek1 ,,latin ,,and ,,teuton ,,church ,,fathers4 ,in the ,introduction of ,vol4 ,i in the ,psalms1 to which the reader is referred1 it was stated that the key-note of all of the sacred books of the ,east is ,salvation by ,works4 ,and yet in the face of this ,protestants are asked to believe that they are sacred books1 when their main teachings are directly contrary to what we have been taught to esteem as most sacred1 namely1 our ,christian faith in the grace of ,christ for salvation4 ,to ,protestants they are not sacred books but the very opposite4 ,i would far rather call the writings of ,luther sacred1 which teach and defend the doctrine of salvation by grace as taught by the one great ,book1 although it stands alone and protests against the false teachings of the so-called sacred books of the east4 ,however let us now look more closely at the west4 ,here we find that ,protestants have shown commendable zeal and enterprise in translating1 publishing and circulating the large libraries of the ,greek and ,latin church fathers4 ,every pastor continuously receives circulars with the almost irresistible temptation to purchase the patristic writings of both ,catholic churches4 ,this is all well1 but we should not forget that the ,anglo-,saxon people are neither ,greeks nor ,latins1 but ,teutons1 and that our ,teuton church fathers are ,protestants and they also should be translated1 published1 circulated and read and taught4 ,little ,wittenberg dare not fall behind ,constantinople and ,rome4 ,it ought not4 ,for ,saxon and ,norman and ,dane are ,we4 ,true the ,teutons can and do learn from the ,greek and ,latin church fathers1 but we also believe that the children of the old ,greeks and ,latins can learn much from our ,teuton fathers1 and that they have as good reasons to welcome our classic church literature as we have theirs2 and we hope the day may soon come when they will translate and read ours as faithfully and impartially as we do theirs4 ,what a blessing that would bring to ,christendom6 ,in some quarters however ,english ,protestants have been in danger of appreciating the fathers of the ,greeks and ,latins to the extent of neglecting to give due honor to their own4 ,many ,protestant ministers' libraries contain all classics except the ,protestant classics4 ,let the whole world have the ,greek and the ,latin fathers as it has1 but let ,protestants awake and give the world theirs4 ,is it not a shame and a pity that while all the writings of the ,greek and ,latin fathers have been translated into many languages1 yet the complete works of ,luther1 the first and chief of the ,protestant fathers1 have never been translated into any language1 though his loyal disciples are numbered by the hundreds of thousands in different tongues1 as the fruits of those writings8 ,for of the #gj1afi1jjj ,lutherans in the world1 #dc1gca1jjj speak ,german1 #g1cjj1jjj ,swedish1 #c1ejj1jjj ,norwegian1 #c1bjj1jjj ,danish1 #c1jjj1jjj ,finnish1 #a1ajj1jjj ,esthnish1 #djj1jjj ,hungarian 7or #d1ejj1jjj of the ,finnish or ,magyarian race71 #d1jjj1jjj ,english1 #b1jjj1jjj ,lettish1 #ejj1jjj ,slovakian1 #cjj1jjj ,polish1 #bjj1jjj ,french1 #ajj1jjj ,dutch1 #ajj1jjj ,russian1 #hb1jjj ,icelandic1 #ej1jjj ,bohemian1 #fc1jjj ,wendish1 #aac1jjj ,lithuanian1 #bej1jjj the heathen dialects of ,asia and #bhj1jjj the heathen dialects of ,africa4 ,and further as all ,german speaking ,reformed churches use ,luther's version of the ,scriptures1 so they welcome his writings also4 ,true in all these #ag or more languages some of ,luther's writings have appeared4 ,but it is distressing to learn how few they are1 and how out of date and imperfect some of these are4 ,luther is the common property of all ,protestants1 and so are his writings4 ,they would be helpful in all time to the #ba1jjj1jjj ,episcopalians1 the #ag1jjj1jjj ,methodists1 the #aa1jjj1jjj ,baptists1 the #i1jjj1jjj ,presbyterians1 the #d1ejj1jjj ,congregationalists1 and all other ,protestants2 and not only to the #adj1jjj1jjj ,protestants1 but also to the #hj1jjj1jjj ,greek ,catholics and #bjj1jjj1jjj ,latin ,catholics and to the heathen1 to the infidel1 to the state as well as to the church4 ,the first thing for ,protestants to do is to give all nations the ,bible2 and the second1 to give them the best ,protestant classics4 ,we can4 ,will we8 ,no nation or race is greater than its greatest men1 and those greatest men are not greater than their best writings4 ,hence little is of more value in literature than the honest critique by these greatest men of the best writings of the most civilized and cultured nations before their time4 ,therefore of the greatest interest are the following ,,criticisms ,,of ,,the ,,greatest ,,teuton ,,church ,,father ,,on ,,the ,,greek ,,and ,,latin ,,church ,,fathers4 ,they are taken literally from his ,table ,talk and read thus3 ,i will not presume to criticise too closely the writings of the fathers1 seeing they are received of the church1 and have great applause1 for then ,i should be held an apostate2 but whoever reads ,chrysostom1 will find he digresses from the chief points1 and proceeds to other matters1 saying nothing1 or very little1 of that which pertains to the subject4 ,when ,i was expounding the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 and turned to what ,chrysostom had written upon it1 ,i found nothing to the purpose2 yet ,i believe that he at that time1 being the chief rhetorician1 had many hearers1 though he taught without profit2 for the chief office of a preacher is to teach uprightly1 and diligently to look to the main points and foundation on which he stands1 and so instruct and teach the hearers that they understand aright and may be able to say3 ,this is well taught4 ,when this is done1 he may avail himself of rhetoric to adorn his subject and admonish the people4 ,behold what great darkness is in the books of the fathers concerning faith2 yet if the article of justification be darkened1 it is impossible to smother the grossest errors of mankind4 ,st4 ,jerome1 indeed1 wrote upon ,matthew1 upon the ,epistles to the ,galatians and to ,titus2 but1 alas1 very coldly4 ,ambrose wrote six books on ,genesis1 but they are very poor4 ,augustine wrote nothing to the purpose concerning faith2 for he was first roused up and made a man by the ,pelagians1 in striving against them4 ,i can find no exposition upon the ,epistles to the ,romans and ,galatians1 in which anything is taught pure and right4 ,what a happy time have we now as to the purity of the doctrine2 but alas1 we little esteem it4 ,we must read the fathers cautiously1 and lay them in the gold balance1 for they often stumbled and went astray1 and introduced into their books many monkish things4 ,augustine had more work and labor to wind himself out of the writings of the fathers1 than he had with the heretics4 ,gregory expounds the five pounds mentioned in the ,gospel1 which the husbandman gave to his servants to put to use1 to be the five senses1 which the beasts also possess4 ,the two pounds he construes to be the reason and understanding4 ,the more ,i read the books of the fathers1 the more ,i find myself offended2 for they were but men1 and1 to speak the truth with all their repute and authority1 undervalued the books and writings of the sacred apostles of ,christ4 ,the ,papists were not ashamed to say1 ,what are the ,scriptures8 ,we must read the holy fathers and teachers1 for they drew and sucked the honey out of the ,scriptures4 ,as if ,god's ,word were to be understood and conceived by none but themselves1 whereas the heavenly ,father says3 ,him shall ye hear1 who in the ,gospel taught most plainly in parables and similitudes4 ,augustine was the ablest and purest of all the doctors1 but he could not of himself bring things back to their original condition1 and he often complains that the bishops1 with their traditions and ordinances1 trouble the church more than did the ,jews with their laws4 ,i am persuaded that if at this time1 ,st4 ,peter1 in person1 should preach all the articles of the ,holy ,scriptures1 and only deny the pope's authority1 power and primacy1 and say that the pope is not the head of all ,christendom1 they would cause him to be hanged4 ,jerome should not be numbered among the teachers of the church1 for he was a heretic2 yet ,i believe he was saved through faith in ,christ4 ,he speaks not of ,christ1 but merely carries his name in his mouth4 ,again he says1 ,jerome may be consulted for the purpose of historical study4 ,as to faith1 and good true religion and doctrine1 there is not a word about them in his writings4 ,he writes only respecting fasts1 sorts of food1 virginity1 etc4 ,i have already proscribed ,origin4 ,chrysostom possesses no authority in my estimation4 ,basil is but a monk1 for whom ,i would not give the value of a hair4 ,the ,apology of ,philip ,melanchthon is worth all the writings of all the doctors of the church put together1 not excepting those of ,st4 ,augustine4 ,tertullian is a thorough ,carlstad2 ,cyprian the martyr is a feeble theologian4 ,the fathers said nothing decisive during their lives1 respecting justification by grace2 but at their death they believed in it4 ,this was the more prudent course for them to follow1 in order neither to encourage mysticism1 nor discourage good works4 ,these worthy fathers lived better than they wrote4 ,since ,i became1 by the grace of ,god1 capable of understanding ,st4 ,paul1 ,i have been unable to esteem any of these doctors2 they have shrunk into insignificance in my estimation4 ,,prefaces ,,and ,,dedications --of-- ,,luther',s ,,dear ,,genesis4 ,,his ,,swan ,,song ,,and ,,his ,,it ,,is ,,finished4 ,we certainly will be pardoned for issuing here and at this time the ,prefaces3 of ,veit ,dietrich1 who published the first of these lectures in ,latin2 of ,basil ,faber1 who was the first to translate parts from ,latin into ,german2 of ,dr4 ,walch1 who issued one of the best editions of ,luther's complete works2 and of ,dr4 ,cole1 who was the first to translate a small part from ,latin into ,english4 ,the words of these four men are a stronger appeal than we can write for the extensive circulation among ,english ,protestants of this the last and the greatest of ,luther's writings4 ,it is as ,mathesius says3 ,surely the last thoughts are the best when they at the time refer to the ,word of ,god and spring from it4 ,the sermons and books of aged men are worthy of consideration and preservation4 ,hence1 ,jerome ,weller called this commentary ,luther's ,swan ,song1 and ,morlin calls it the ,consummatum ,est1 ,it ,is ,finished1 of ,luther4 ,a new interest will be taken in the lines of this book when it is remembered how dear they were to the ,reformer himself4 ,he frequently expresses his love for his dear ,genesis1 and had the prophetic impression that his labors in ,genesis and his earthly life would terminate together4 ,and so they did4 ,this was the last public work of ,luther's forty years of professorial1 ministerial and reformatory labors4 ,this saint of ,god1 who was a lion before men1 but a lamb before ,god1 concludes his commentary thus3 ,this is now the dear ,book of ,genesis4 ,may our ,lord grant that others may do it better than ,i have done4 ,i can no more2 ,i am so weak4 ,pray to ,god for me1 that he may grant me a good holy hour at death6 ,a friend1 one of the collectors of these comments1 records these remarkable coincidences at the foot of the ,commentary3 ,the man of ,god1 ,doctor ,martin ,luther1 finished his ,commentaries on the ,book of ,genesis in the year of our ,lord #aede1 on the #agth day of ,november2 having commenced them in the year #aece4 ,in his opening remarks he had said1 ',this exposition ,i shall pore over and die over 7immorabor et immoriar74' ,according to this prophecy concerning himself he died at ,eisleben1 ,feb4 #ahth1 #aedf1 piously and continually calling upon the ,son of ,god4 ,,dedication ,,of ,,veit ,,dietrich4 ,to the ,most ,illustrious1 ,high-,born ,prince and ,lord1 ,john ,ernest1 ,duke of ,saxony1 ,landgrave of ,thuringia1 ,margrave of ,misnia4 ,it is this glorious and beautiful architectural building1 the world2 that is1 the heavens and earth with all that in them is1 as the stars1 the elements1 the trees1 the plants1 and all kinds of animals1 etc41 created so admirably for it and wisely ordered by ,god in their relations to one another1 that teaches us to know ,god as the one eternal and almighty ,creator and the right ,master-builder1 and to understand that he created us for this life1 body and soul1 and gave us reason and a spirit in order that he might thereby be worshipped4 ,and such knowledge would have remained pure and beautiful in the hearts of all men without doubt and error of any kind had human nature not fallen through disobedience into such miserable darkness and other innumerable calamities4 ,for what blindness and ignorance of ,god1 his nature and will1 his providence and government1 there is in the hearts of all men in their corrupt and infirm nature1 is evident from the doubts which stick in the hearts of everyone1 concerning which ,plato was right when he wisely said1 ,that the minds of men are so overpowered with conviction by the laws of the motion of the heavenly bodies and other testimonies of nature1 that they are compelled to confess that the world had for its ,creator an eternal and almighty divine ,mind4 ,and yet we find that this knowledge and this conviction are darkened and deranged when we consider how enormous and confused all things are in the world and in this life1 and when we find ourselves so often plunged into such great misery and need without help or rescue as if there were no ,god left to his creatures4 ,from such doubts all those mad-brained opinions of philosophers have arisen4 ,some1 as the ,epicureans1 denied the existence of ,god altogether2 others1 as ,aristotle and the ,stoics1 believed ,god was an eternal mind1 yet bound and confined him to second causes2 just in the same way as the poets fable that ,saturn was bound by ,jupiter4 ,thus they ascribe to him no action1 but that which the general concurrence of second causes produces4 ,hence having their minds infatuated with this delirium1 they can neither ask any good thing of ,god1 nor expect any good thing from him1 because1 with them events are necessarily only consequents which responsively follow upon their natural first causes4 ,therefore1 while these men thus reasoned1 they did not bring forth their own private and personal opinions only1 but the common errors which lie concealed naturally in the minds of the whole human race4 ,the greatest part of mankind fix their eyes upon second causes2 but these never raise them so high as the great ,over-ruler of all2 so as to wait for the government or pressing forth of second causes from and by him1 as ,elijah did1 when he prayed for rain in the midst of a drought1 and as ,isaiah did1 when he drove back an army of the enemy by prayer4 ,when this darkness in the mind of man had followed upon the fall of our first parents1 ,god came forth anew out of his secret habitation1 and immediately made himself known again1 with a distinct voice and with fresh testimonies2 that the human race might not appear to be created in vain nor without a mighty purpose1 nor for destruction only4 ,the creation indeed was a great benefit and blessing from ,god4 ,but much more so was his revelation of himself to the human race from the very beginning1 by certain testimonies and evidences2 delivering with a distinct voice the promise of eternal life and salvation1 and making a declaration concerning a judgment to come1 in which after this life he would separate the righteous from the wicked4 ,the ,law also1 though known to nature at first1 he renewed1 and showed what was his true worship4 ,he caused it moreover to be attended with signs1 which could be wrought by no power less than infinite4 ,he recalled the dead to life1 he stopped the motions of the heavens and the course of the sun1 and he even turned the sun back in his course to refute a human delirium1 which pretended to suspend ,god by second causes as by the golden chain of ,homer4 ,and lastly1 the ,son of ,god himself assumed human nature and lived openly with us1 taught us and became a sacrifice and offering for our sins2 and after having overcome death rose and lived again1 and discoursed with many in an open and familiar manner2 and moreover preached to a great multitude of hearers4 ,and although these things1 on account of their greatness1 seem to human judgment to be mere fictions1 yet they are attested and sealed by sure and certain evidences and miracles2 so that they are as surely true as that it is mid-day when the sun has mounted in his course to the mid-heaven4 ,to these blessings we are also to add this1 that ,god was pleased that there should be a history of the human race from the very beginning1 and a record of all those testimonies1 by which he revealed himself1 committed to writing and engraven on biblical monuments1 which should remain forever4 ,nor will ,god be known in any other way than by these testimonies2 nor will he consider any assembly of men1 who are ignorant of these testimonies1 to be his ,church1 nor will he receive the prayer of those1 who do not call upon him as the same ,god1 who does thus make himself known by these his testimonies4 ,the ,mohammedans and ,turks call upon ,god as the ,creator of universal nature1 but they set themselves against his ,son and his ,son's doctrine4 ,they say1 that he who can approve such doctrine cannot be ,god4 ,and as to his ,son1 in whom ,god more especially reveals himself1 and concerning whom he says himself1 ,this is my beloved ,son in whom ,i am well pleased1 hear ye him1 on him they spit with infuriated madness6 ,and what says ,plato here8 ,although ,plato does raise his mind above the common opinions of the vulgar1 and does not ascribe divinity to statues of wood and stone1 but really does inquire after ,god with very wise reasoning2 and although he defines him to be an eternal mind and the great ,cause of all good in nature1 yet he still errs very widely from the true ,god4 ,but how is that1 some one may say8 ,what description of ,god will you find more appropriate than ,plato's8 ,i acknowledge that he thought most learnedly and wisely concerning the nature of ,god2 but concerning his will1 he hangs in doubt himself and leaves all his readers and disciples in doubt also2 and to use his own expression bestormed and shipwrecked in their reasoning4 ,neither ,plato nor ,mohammed knew whether ,god heard and received the unworthy2 nor how1 nor why1 he received them4 ,plato ought however to have inquired not only how ,god manifested himself in the creation of things1 and what traces of himself he impressed upon the face of nature1 but also whether or not he had uttered any voice by any certain signs or testimonies1 and how that voice was spread abroad and made known4 ,he might have heard these things when studying mathematics in ,egypt1 and might easily have learned all particulars from their neighbors the ,jews4 ,but the greater part of men always despise the voice and the ,church of ,god4 ,but to what purpose is all this far-fetched ,introduction8 ,it is for this end1 that we may know the true ,church of ,god is nowhere but among those1 who have and who embrace the writings of the prophets and the apostles2 that ,god is nowhere rightly called upon1 but where the doctrine contained in these books truly shines forth4 ,and here again we have to consider another singular blessing of ,god3 ,that he was pleased to cause a whole connected history of all ages1 from the beginning1 to be recorded in these books1 and has preserved them by his own peculiar care4 ,nay1 the whole ,mosaic ,economy was ordained for this very preservation of them4 ,for what was the whole of that ,economy1 but a school and library of these books8 ,and the fountain of all is the first book of ,moses1 called ,genesis1 which profane men may perhaps laugh at and consider that it does not differ from the ,timon of ,plato1 in which also the creation of the world is described4 ,but the godly reader knows that there is a wide difference between profane descriptions and this description given us from above4 ,for the latter not only informs us of the beginnings and nature of created bodies1 but gives us a description of ,god himself4 ,and it contains also an account of the beginnings of the ,church2 for the sake of which all other things were created and made1 all which things we must know before we can understand whence the doctrine of the church proceeded and how the knowledge of it was spread abroad in the world4 ,all heathen superstitions crept into the assemblies of men without any certain authors1 and were afterwards accumulated by fanatical persons on various occasions4 ,but from the book of ,genesis we learn that the doctrine of the church was delivered to our first parents by the voice of ,god1 and that thence the knowledge of it was preserved and spread abroad in the world by a continued series of persons and events1 and not without manifest evidences and testimonies4 ,enoch was taken up into heaven2 ,noah truly preached of the ,flood and was afterwards preserved in the ,flood2 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 ,joseph1 etc41 for there are many signs and evidences that they were teachers and priests1 truly called of ,god1 were most certain witnesses1 that the doctrine which they embraced and preached was from heaven4 ,symmachus objects against ,christians1 that all agree that the oldest doctrine must be the true one2 but that the apostolic doctrine is a recent fiction4 ,but ,symmachus is here in a very great error2 for it can be most manifestly proved that the doctrine now held by the ,church is the first doctrine that was ever delivered to the world4 ,and that is plainly shown in this ,book of ,genesis1 where both the doctrine is recorded as having been delivered of ,god2 and also the increasing nations are described1 which departed from the purity of that doctrine and formed for themselves new opinions concerning ,god and set up idols1 instead of worshipping him4 ,therefore1 we must come to this ,book for a description of the beginnings of the ,church1 and for testimonies of its propagation2 and it is to this ,book that all doctrines must be referred in order to discover their origin or antiquity4 ,philosophers knew nothing of the cause of sin1 of the cause of death1 nor of the cause of the great calamities to which the human race are subject2 nor did they know anything of the restitution of all things1 nor of eternal life4 ,they were continually inquiring1 how there is so much misery in the nature of the human race1 which is so exalted and excellent4 ,how often do they exclaim against and lament man's violent and impetuous inclinations to vice6 ,they see that his virtues are weak and that they are only faint attempts which soon vanish and end in nothing2 as we see in ,pausanius1 who was the great general of the ,greeks against ,mardonius2 and in ,alexander2 also in ,themistocles and many others4 ,aristotle seeks for the cause of the death of the human race and of all other living creatures in their material nature2 and to make good his hypotheses1 he enumerates privation among the principles of natural things2 that he might in some way or other make out a continual lapse of matter1 decaying and perishing1 in order to assume other forms4 ,but the ,book now under consideration sets before us a far different cause of the death of the human race and of the corruptions which defile it2 it shows that the cause was a turning away from ,god in our human nature at the beginning2 which human nature1 casting away the light and knowledge of ,god and of life1 procured to itself a confusion in its powers and a subjection to the tyranny of the devil and of death4 ,the greatness and enormity of these evils appeared in our first parents1 in the murder of ,cain and in other horrible wickednesses1 seen in those first flowers of the human race1 which excelled all others in purity and excellence4 ,then again we have a beautiful view and proof of this in the propagation and continual renewing of the ,church2 where it appears that the ,church is not a kingdom or body politic1 belonging to this world1 enclosed and guarded by armed garrisons2 but a body formed of widely dispersed assemblies1 though not hidden and obscure2 bearing about with them the divine voice and the ,word1 and dispensing it in public congregations of honest men1 to kings1 rulers and cities2 and calling and drawing many everywhere to prayer and to the true worship of ,god2 though they are all the while derided1 cast out1 and driven away by tyrants and by the great part of mankind4 ,melchizedek1 whom the old divines supposed was ,shem1 the son of ,noah1 surpassed all the men of that time in wisdom1 righteousness and age2 and he preached for a long time to the people of ,sodom and the neighboring places1 for his dwelling was not more than eight ,english miles from ,sodom4 ,therefore no doubt he had a congregation1 by no means insignificant1 which contained the families of ,abraham1 ,lot and many others4 ,for although the ,church was small1 yet there was always some ,church existing2 and that no obscure nor inconsiderable assemblage4 ,and these little schools or congregations of hearers were protected and defended from on high4 ,for all the neighboring cities1 ,sodom the chief in power1 with infuriated madness despised the heavenly doctrine1 and railed at and hated its preachers4 ,in meditating on this book of ,genesis the picture ,moses gives us of the ,church at that time is to be continually and diligently considered4 ,and indeed in reading these histories1 the following six particulars are to be carefully borne in mind4 ,first1 the doctrine of our primitive fathers is to be considered1 and that the prophets and apostles drew many things from these fountains4 ,for our forefathers and the prophets learned the benefits of ,christ1 both out of the promise given to ,abraham and from other parts of those histories4 ,how eruditely and learnedly does ,paul draw up the article of righteousness by faith out of that word of ,genesis1 ,abraham believed in ,god1 and it was counted unto him for righteousness4 ,and ,david ascribes unto ,christ a priesthood like that of ,melchizedek2 marking particularly his office of blessing2 when he blessed ,abraham and promised him in the sweetest words1 the favor and help of ,god2 which was different from the office of the ,levitical priesthood4 ,this is a most rich part of the ,scripture of ,genesis as the following commentary frequently points out1 and as the godly reader at once perceives in this very history itself2 for he knows that these histories are to be read in a far different spirit and with a widely different intent1 than all profane and heathen histories4 ,heathen histories merely set before us examples of civil manners1 and show that the events attending honest designs are for the most part good1 and pleasant1 and successful2 but that the most fatal calamities await atrocious wickedness4 ,and this is nearly all that we learn from profane and heathen histories4 ,but these prophetic writings contain things of much higher moment2 the doctrine of ,god1 the divine testimonies concerning eternal things and the government of the ,church4 ,secondly4 ,we must observe and consider these miracles4 ,not merely to feast our wondering curiosity on their singularity or novelty1 but hold them fast as testimonies and evidences2 intended to show what kind of doctrine and what kind of teachers ,god approves4 ,all those marvelous and signal acts of ,god are above nature1 and wrought as seals of the doctrine4 ,for we are not to imagine that ,god was in jest1 when he forewarned the antediluvian world of the ,flood1 and when he saved the family of ,noah alone from that mighty ,deluge4 ,all these his mighty acts were testimonials of his providence and of his doctrine1 which the aged ,noah preached4 ,thirdly4 ,let the government1 defense and protection of the ,church be diligently observed2 which1 although it seems to be neglected of ,god1 yet exhibits most illustrious proofs of the presence of ,god and of his providence4 ,the ,emperor ,augustus ruled the world by sure and established laws2 he had his armies1 to whose care he entrusted the safety of his provinces1 and he had also his wealth and other resources1 wherewith to support his armies4 ,thus a political government is fortified and protected by human laws1 counsels and power4 ,but the government of the ,church is far different from this4 ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob wander about like private men and strangers in the land without any human resources for protection2 and they collect together a ,church by the ,word or ,voice of ,god1 and by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and though they are unceasingly exercised with various sorrows and distresses1 they still find themselves delivered from all evils1 protected and defended from above6 ,so also ,jacob1 when about to take his journey with all his family through the territories of his angry and embittered brother1 is filled with fears and hesitations1 and the difficulties seem insurmountable by all human counsel1 but in the night he wrestles with the ,lord and is encouraged1 confirmed and protected4 ,and many like examples are contained in this little but momentous book of ,record1 which shows us that ,god is ever with his ,church4 ,it commands and encourages us also to seek and hope for help and defense from him4 ,for these things were recorded and handed down to posterity that we might be encouraged by such examples and might know that ,god in the same manner is ever willing to protect and defend us4 ,fourthly4 ,we must bear in mind the continual succession of the ,church4 ,men magnify the ordinary succession of all human things2 the titles and honors and decorations of parents and the magnificence of houses and places4 ,cain1 ,ishmael and ,esau arrogated to themselves dominion and superiority in the ,church1 because they had the advantage of their brethren in age4 ,the ancient ,babylonians maintained that their opinions concerning ,god were the most true1 because that was the most ancient dwelling place of our fathers1 and because it was the capital and citadel of their empire2 just as bishops and colleges now on account of an ordinary succession assume to themselves this peculiar honor1 that they cannot err2 and that they are the habitation and the pillars of the truth4 ,but ,paul shows us in ,romans #i3f1 etc41 that all such judgments and opinions are refuted in ,genesis1 where the apostle shows in the most forcible manner that the ,church is not propagated and continued by any prerogatives or privileges of birth or place1 but by the calling and ,word of ,god4 ,the family of ,jacob was the ,church2 because it retained the doctrine of the ,word from heaven2 but ,esau did not retain it4 ,thus the ,church which fell away and declined in ,palestine was restored by the calling of the great teacher ,abraham1 and by the renewal of the promise to him with additional evidences and testimonies1 and this history shows that the ,church is the care of ,god1 and is regenerated and revived by him2 as ,paul says1 ,and he gave gifts unto men1 prophets and apostles1 and pastors1 and teachers4 ,let us not then be moved by honors of dignity1 or places1 or an orderly succession1 so as to be made to believe that the church is that assembly of men who oppose the ,gospel and who would kill and exterminate all honest men on account of their profession of the doctrine of godliness1 as ,cain did4 ,fifthly4 ,we must bear in mind while reading this ,book of ,genesis1 the lives1 manners and actions of the persons recorded in it4 ,we have before been speaking of the doctrine and government of the ,church1 and they who despise these will never truly value or prize this book4 ,for such men seek in these histories as in all others1 and are interested only in the various commotions and changes of states and kingdoms1 and the examples and lives of the leaders of armies and the wonderful events of wars4 ,but here they read also the conversations and lives of shepherds2 which are like real pastorals1 better than ,virgil's ,bucolica4 ,and they here read also the marriages and quarrels of women1 which they despise as altogether without interest4 ,all such readers and proud men err1 and do not understand that it is the ,church which is here portrayed by ,moses1 which is poor and humble in external appearance and unlike mighty empires2 yet1 as the members of that ,church lived a civil life1 its history consists in domestic and political actions2 according to the vocation of those members of the ,church of ,god and the various occurrences which took place in their lives4 ,thus ,abraham taught his guests concerning ,god1 and with such effect that they themselves said1 that he was an angel from ,god2 for it is indeed a great work1 verily the greatest of all works to teach rightly concerning ,god4 ,this same man carries on war when circumstances require it and defeats a huge army of the ,chaldeans with a very small number1 showing thereby that true courage is a divine motion in the soul from ,god4 ,this same man is also a master of a family1 is full of pure affection1 and loves his wives and his children4 ,he is also a diligent man in all his domestic affairs4 ,he defends his fountains and his cattle4 ,in buying he evinces peculiar care1 justice and equity2 things which he knows ,god requires in all the dealings of men with each other4 ,and in all this tenor of domestic and political life ,abraham's great aim is this1 that thereby his confession and profession might be made manifest by his actions4 ,in all the common calamities moreover which attend this life of trouble1 he exercises the fear of ,god1 patience and calling upon ,god in prayer2 and he experiences at the hand of ,god many and great deliverances4 ,all these things in the lives of the holy patriarchs are committed to letters and recorded in this ,holy ,book2 to the end that superstitions of every kind might be refuted4 ,for in all ages superstitious men have imagined and sought out various ceremonies and modes of religious action1 which are not consistent even with common sense1 and these superstitious ceremonies they have pompously commended to the people under the title of great acts of religion4 ,all the laws of celibacy1 of particular meats and drinks1 of afflicting and torturing the body1 to make a feigned outside show of religion1 are as ancient as the world itself4 ,but let us oppose to all these mad inventions the domestic and political lives and conversations of the patriarchal fathers1 which were full of examples of faith1 full of the most honorable and kind duties toward their fellow men1 and full of the tenderest affection4 ,nevertheless1 these holy characters were not without ceremonies4 ,there were sacrifices2 there were certain explanations of the ,word and will of ,god2 there were certain holy exercises4 ,the possession of letters and of learning also rested with these men especially4 ,from them it is that we received theology1 history and medicine4 ,therefore they must doubtless have been engaged in various domestic duties and exercises2 that those of the less experienced ages might be instructed by them and trained to virtue4 ,sixthly4 ,even the faults and falls of the great men1 recorded in this ,book must be particularly considered4 ,they took the greatest care not to rush into anything against their consciences4 ,but some offenses will arise in the best of men even against their wills4 ,and sometimes offenses occur of which men are wholly ignorant and unconscious before they take place4 ,lot1 when in the great grief of his mind he had drunk to excess1 was defiled by an incestuous commerce with his own daughters4 ,but in these slips and falls we are to observe a distinctive difference4 ,these holy men who feared ,god1 as ,i said1 were on their guard not to rush into anything against their consciences2 and when they happened to fall they deplored the weakness of human nature and learned to see the value of the promise of deliverance through the ,saviour1 who was to come4 ,and they at length knew that ,god had received them again in mere mercy1 for the sake of the great ,deliverer promised2 and by that confidence and trust in the promised mercy they returned to ,god2 and therefore they obtained pardon and were delivered from their sins and the punishment of them4 ,hence ,jacob preaches and proclaims the angel1 the ,son of ,god1 by whom he said he was delivered from all evil2 namely1 from sin and eternal punishment4 ,but the wicked1 as ,cain1 the giants1 and the people of ,sodom1 defiled themselves with various sins and iniquities in an open contempt of ,god1 and rushed into eternal destruction4 ,therefore the wide difference between the falls and punishments of these two characters is to be diligently observed in reading this book of ,genesis4 ,these observations ,i have made by way of ,introduction for the benefit of the inexperienced1 that being thus forewarned they might know that the doctrine contained in these sacred histories is concerning the most momentous things1 and is most copious and extensive1 which indeed the following commentary will most learnedly and blessedly open up and explain4 ,let those therefore who read it bear in mind that the six particular admonitions which ,i have here mentioned2 and let their aim in reading be this1 that by meditating on the lives of the holy men here recorded1 they may become accustomed to the fear of ,god and to faith in him2 and to call upon him in prayer and supplication4 ,and as there is no old commentary of the book of ,genesis existing1 and as it is well known to all that this book is calculated to be of the utmost benefit and profit1 thanks are due to the ,reverend ,doctor ,luther1 our teacher1 both from myself and from all who fear ,god1 for having undertaken this exposition1 by doing which he has rendered a most essential service2 not only to us1 but to all posterity2 because he has here opened up and explained the most important things2 and has also so commented upon those most excellent men and lights of the ,church1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob and ,joseph1 that their virtues because of this commentary shine forth with much renewed brightness4 ,before this1 when the people heard the names of these luminaries of the ,church1 they had no particular thoughts upon their spiritual excellencies or their heroism2 nor did they consider them to be above the common rank of shepherds2 but now1 they learn to acknowledge the peculiar presence of ,god with them1 and to render thanks unto ,god that they were called of him and that they so wonderfully governed and revived the ,church4 ,from these also they have borrowed eminent examples of the fear of ,god1 of faith1 of confession1 of patience1 and of many other holy virtues4 ,on these they fix their eyes as on leaders and lights of the ,church1 and inquire of their doctrine for the confirmation of their faith4 ,in a word they venerate them as their fathers2 that is1 as teachers of all who call upon ,jesus ,christ2 and they understand also that these same patriarchs are the fathers in the flesh of those murderers1 the ,jews1 and of others who1 like the ,jews of old1 hold up ,christ for a laughing-stock and crucify him afresh day by day4 ,indeed1 it is no small step toward godliness to know the doctrines of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob and ,joseph2 and to exalt these eminent men in our esteem4 ,and that this commentary might be a benefit to more1 and might be handed down to posterity1 as ,doctor ,luther had not leisure enough to commit it to writing1 with the help of my friends1 ,caspar ,cruciger and ,george ,rorary1 ,i collected it with the greatest diligence and speed1 as we received it from the mouth of our venerable teacher ,luther2 and faithfully committed it to paper2 and ,i hope our services will be acceptable to all our readers who fear the ,lord4 ,this useful and valuable monument of divine knowledge and experience therefore ,i dedicate to you1 most ,illustrious ,prince1 ,john ,ernest2 which1 ,i doubt not1 you will prize more than any monuments of marble or of brass4 ,for ,i know it is your desire that this noble work of ,martin ,luther should be preserved for the ,church's sake2 and ,i am equally assured that you love and cherish it with a pious regard1 and after the example of your father2 and ,i am also persuaded that you love the author of it2 which also you do after the example of your reverend father1 that most upright prince1 ,elector ,john1 ,duke of ,saxony1 whose worth we thus deservedly record2 who1 although he was far inferior to our most eminent leaders1 whom ,i have before mentioned1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob and ,joseph2 yet ,i may justly rank him with that ,pharaoh1 ,king of ,egypt1 whom ,joseph instructed in the true knowledge of ,god2 and who gave a quiet dwelling to the family of ,jacob4 ,for thus your father also learned the ,gospel with a holy desire that he might worship ,god4 ,and he cherished and adorned the churches1 and devoted all his counsels with the greatest moderation1 to the common peace and tranquility of ,germany4 ,receive therefore1 ,illustrious ,prince1 this great work1 which is now dedicated to you2 that by reading these wonderful histories of the government1 the perils1 and the defense of the ,church of ,god1 you may learn to govern and strengthen your own exalted mind4 ,the reason why this commentary did not appear all at once1 but in separate volumes1 was because the labor of collecting and committing it to paper was very great2 and we have not much idle time at our disposal1 from the duties of our calling1 as many dream we have2 nor as those have1 who only vaunt and talk of their great and numerous good works4 ,i hope however that this my candid confession will be accepted by the reader1 if ,i shall put into his hands a part of our labors first2 though it is not a small part2 and ,i promise that the remainder shall be added to it in a short time4 ,for as one of old says1 ,a godly mind surmounts the hardest toil4 ,we who are engaged in church work have not only the labor of commenting and teaching1 but we have also to endure many other burdens2 and that1 too1 with much courage and firm determination of mind4 ,nor am ,i deterred from my purpose even by the opinions of those1 who say that nothing which our adversaries advance1 who reproach this kind of doctrine 7which1 through the goodness and mercy of ,god1 sounds forth in our ,church71 ought to be published to the world4 ,for ,god's will is that he should be proclaimed aloud1 both by the living voice and by the writings of his ,church4 ,hence it is said concerning the ,church's living voice1 ,out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise4 ,and concerning her writings1 ,these things shall be written for the generation to come4 ,god's will is1 that the doctrine revealed by him should be delivered faithfully and purely to posterity4 ,and his will also is that we should inculcate it by speaking1 by discoursing1 by commenting1 and by writing2 that it might become familiarly known to us4 ,and this continual meditation and application of the pen are of essential service to the promotion of godliness4 ,in a word1 on what subjects can we meditate and what things can we commit to paper more useful and important than these8 ,i approve of the labors of all1 who devote themselves to the useful arts4 ,i praise those who describe the nature and properties of plants and adorn any of the arts given us from above4 ,but it is not more the duty of men to philosophize upon plants or upon the anatomy of the human body1 than to collect with a godly intent those things which were delivered to us of ,god1 attended with sure and certain testimonies4 ,and as to our adversaries1 who reproach the doctrine of our ,church1 all such are refuted in this very book of ,genesis by those sure witnesses1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob and ,joseph4 ,since1 therefore1 we have such eminent men as these1 as witnesses on our side2 nay1 as our teachers1 too2 let us not be moved by the calumnies and reproaches of the wicked4 ,reader1 farewell4 ,to ,god ,i commend you4 ,christmas1 #aedd4 ,,dedication ,,of ,,basil ,,faber4 ,to the ,worthy1 ,honorable and ,illustrious ,christopher von ,steinberg1 my ,gracious ,lord3 ,how one should read the books of ,moses and what one should chiefly learn from them are fully set forth by our beloved and highly honored father1 ,doctor ,luther1 in many places of his writings2 namely1 one should first of all and above all concentrate his attention upon the very loving and comforting promises concerning our ,lord and ,saviour1 some of which are very clear and plain in the sacred writings of ,moses1 as ,gen4 #c3ae1 ,and ,i will put enmity between thee and the woman1 and between thy seed and her seed2 he shall bruise thy head1 and thou shalt bruise his heel4 ,also1 ,gen4 #bb3ah1 ,and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed4 ,likewise ,deut4 #ah3ae1 ,jehovah thy ,god will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee1 of thy brethren1 like unto me2 unto him shall ye hearken4 ,in the second place attention should be given to the glorious and beautiful examples of faith1 of love1 of suffering1 of patience1 of prayer and other spiritual characteristics and traits in the saints1 as in ,adam1 ,abel1 ,noah1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob and others4 ,how ,god was disposed toward them1 governed1 protected and heard them4 ,and thirdly1 study the examples of unbelief among the ungodly and of the divine wrath and judgment1 in ,cain1 ,ishmael1 ,esau1 in the ,flood and in the destruction of ,sodom and ,gomorrah4 ,for all these are nowhere described more truly and fully than in the writings of ,moses2 and such examples illustrate1 if they are rightly studied1 how the entire ,old ,testament is to be used with profit2 namely1 that we learn to trust and believe in ,god from the examples of the saints set before us1 how ,god received them1 ruled and led them and wonderfully protected them4 ,but from the examples of the wrath and judgment of ,god learn to fear him4 ,such passages are not only here and there in all the books of ,moses1 but in his first book he treats also the following important themes3 ,whence all creatures1 especially man1 have their origin2 also what sin and death are and how man may be delivered from them and become truly pious1 which every man seeks and desires2 for these are the most important subjects of all the sacred ,scriptures4 ,likewise1 how the ,church originated and grew1 often came in need and danger1 and was wonderfully preserved by ,god4 ,the foregoing one should know1 if he would read ,moses1 and especially his first book1 ,genesis4 ,but so much is in these sound and useful lessons and explanations of ,genesis by our honored father1 ,doctor ,martin ,luther1 of blessed memory1 that ,i will give a short account of it4 ,and first it is true that this dear and great man1 our beloved father and prophet1 ,doctor ,martin ,luther1 served the ,church to his last days in many and various labors4 ,in his exposition of the prophetical and apostolical writings1 he has most faithfully explained1 enforced and defended the doctrines concerning the forgiveness of sins1 righteousness before ,god1 and eternal salvation4 ,however his expositions of his beloved ,genesis1 as he delighted to call it1 are a key or paragon to all his other writings and books1 and a very rich treasure in which an excellent theology is gathered and formulated1 as every diligent reader will find for himself4 ,for what is now and then treated in many writings of ,doctor ,luther1 flow together here in one work1 which might rightly be called ,dr4 ,luther's ,theology4 ,further you find here for the first time many useful reports of all kinds of spiritual and theological discussions1 as they spring up continuously1 and especially critical and special instruction almost on every article of ,christian doctrine1 of ,god1 of the three ,persons in the divine ,essence1 of the creation1 of sin1 of faith and the forgiveness of sin2 of the ,law and the ,gospel1 and how both doctrines are to be distinguished from one another1 which have never been treated better and more fully than in this book4 ,also1 of the true ,church1 of the papacy of ,rome1 against which you will find here very powerful storms1 almost on every page4 ,against the ,jews and all their lies1 dreams and phantasies2 also some powerful discussions and strong refutations of their prejudices1 comments1 corruptions and misunderstandings4 ,in addition also the correct exegesis or explanations of many difficult passages of the ,scriptures1 and strong consolation in all kinds of spiritual need and temptations1 as against doubt and unbelief1 the fear and the crisis of death1 and the like4 ,also1 the refutation of many false teachings and heresies both old and new4 ,in addition some fine and useful histories illustrating the course of the ,gospel in our day4 ,likewise prophecies concerning ,germany as to its sad future because it lightly esteems the ,word and is so very unthankful1 some of which have already been realized and others are about to be4 ,finally you find at times1 according to the drift and occasion of the expositions1 good counsels and reports also about external and worldly affairs1 to know which fully is necessary1 useful and pleasant4 ,therefore then1 as ,i considered it a sin that such a treasure should remain only in the ,latin language and that others1 who were unacquainted with it1 should be robbed of it1 especially since ,dr4 ,martin ,luther was the teacher and prophet of ,germany2 and in order that everybody1 especially the fathers of homes and the people at large1 might enjoy this treasure to their profit1 advancement and consolation1 have ,i in my weak ability translated the first two parts of the ,exposition into ,german in the plainest and most faithful manner1 and dedicated the same to your high honor and to other ,christians of the nobility1 who have been admonished to love and further such ,christian works1 for a testimony and praise that your highness was disposed in a ,christian and praiseworthy manner to further such useful church works1 and heartily inclined to do them4 ,may our beloved ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ grant that it may be helpful to many pious ,christians6 ,herewith ,i commend your highness and the benevolent ,christians of the worthy nobility to the care and protection of ,almighty ,god4 ,your humble1 willing servant1 ,,basil ,,faber4 ,dated ,magdeburg1 ,st4 ,michael1 ,a4,d4 #aeeg4 ,,preface ,,of ,,dr4 ,,john ,,george ,,walch4 ,among the illustrious gifts of grace with which ,god endowed our beloved and blessed ,dr4 ,martin ,luther1 as the chosen agent for the reformation of the ,church1 one of the greatest was that he did not only love the divine ,word from his heart and held it indeed1 dearer than thousands of gold and silver2 but also that he possessed a deep insight into and was mighty in explaining the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments4 ,both were united in a high degree in him by the wisdom and goodness of ,god4 ,he was indeed a great lover of the divine ,word and found in it his greatest pleasure1 when he studied it to be established in his faith by learning from it the way he should walk4 ,in the many and various trials he had to experience he could draw from it the one consolation1 of which he gave many proofs and at the same time left behind him a testimony that can not be gainsaid1 which confirms that for which he is in this respect honored4 ,for his love and high appreciation of the sacred ,scriptures he makes apparent upon every occasion4 ,from the beginning of his academic career to its close he lectured constantly and untiringly on the ,scriptures and sought to make his hearers acquainted with them4 ,he founded his teachings on them and was therefore firm and unmovable in the same4 ,he used them against his opponents as the sword of the spirit1 put them to flight and refuted all their errors1 so that they could not do anything against him1 especially the ,papists4 ,he praised the ,scriptures most highly and admonished all to read them and pray to ,god for true light if they desired the true knowledge and wished to further their salvation4 ,as great as was his love to the divine ,books so well was he experienced in them and ,god gave him great talents to understand and explain them4 ,he did not hang to the outward shell nor did he seek to apply in his expositions an extensive human knowledge2 but he came to the right foundation and the true and real purpose of the ,spirit of ,god1 whether he had before him the legal or the evangelical ,word1 and knew a clear and impressive way to give the true meaning and will of ,god in the respective passages1 especially concerning the universal sinful and deep ruin of mankind1 the grace and merciful love of ,god1 ,christ the kernel of all the holy ,scriptures1 righteousness by faith1 the active and working character of faith1 as also other points of life and doctrine1 which he did not do the least in the historical parts of the ,scriptures4 ,such gifts ,luther received from ,god because he was chosen as the agent of the ,reformation1 and they were by all means necessary to that end4 ,for by means of the ,scriptures the light penetrated the darkness covering the world1 and revealed the abominations of the papacy4 ,hence he translated the ,scriptures into ,german from the original texts4 ,he placed the ,bible in the hands of the people4 ,then in his sermons1 academic lectures and everywhere he diligently explained in many excellent expositions the divine ,books1 where he showed how one is to understand the ,word of ,god and apply it fruitfully to his edification4 ,these expository and exegetical writings of the sainted ,luther are written with a talent especially adapted for the work1 and they have also at all times brought special blessings1 although we deny not that some are to be preferred to others4 ,and among ,luther's very best writings all agree1 and rightly so1 is his ,commentary on ,genesis1 a short historical account of which ,i will now give4 ,luther began this work at ,wittenberg in his lectures to the university students in #aecf1 and ended it after ten years of labor1 ,nov4 #ag1 #aede1 only a few months before his death4 ,so ,john ,mathesius reports in his ,sermons on the ,life of ,luther1 and then adds1 ,luther because of worry left ,wittenberg for a time to visit the ,prince of ,anhalt1 at ,merseburg1 and wrote1 ,upon his return home1 he finished his ,genesis1 ,nov4 #ag1 #aede1 on which he had labored ten years4 ,ludwig von ,seckendorf's ,history of ,lutheranism is the authority that he began this work in #aecf1 while in the margin of the ,latin edition is printed that he entered upon the exposition of the twenty-second chapter1 ,oct4 #bg1 #aeci4 ,in the meantime the wisdom of ,god directed that this glorious treasure should not lie buried1 but should be brought to light for the quickening of many souls1 and issued periodically in parts4 ,the beginning was made while ,luther was still living1 and the first part1 the ,creation and the ,flood1 appeared in #aede1 containing his lectures on the first eleven chapters of ,genesis1 edited by ,veit ,dietrich1 who heard ,luther deliver the lectures while a student at ,wittenberg1 to which he wrote a dedication1 and ,luther added a short but precious ,address to the ,christian ,reader both of which we print in full4 ,luther died in #aedf1 and ,veit ,dietrich in #aedi1 but ,jerome ,besoldus1 pastor at ,nuremberg1 continued the work and issued the three other parts or volumes at ,nuremberg4 ,the second volume1 ,the ,history of ,abraham1 with a preface by ,michael ,roting1 professor at ,nuremberg1 from the twelfth chapter to verse #aj of the twenty-fifth chapter1 was published in #aeej4 ,the third volume1 to the thirty-sixth chapter1 appeared in #aeeb1 with a preface by ,philip ,melanchthon1 and the fourth volume to the end of ,genesis1 in #aeed1 prefaced by ,besoldus himself4 ,jerome ,baumgartner1 a councilman of ,nuremberg1 and a great lover of ,luther's writings1 appointed ,besoldus to this work upon the death of ,veit ,dietrich1 ,melanchthon and ,rorary approving4 ,jerome ,besoldus studied at ,wittenberg1 heard these lectures from ,luther's mouth1 and diligently wrote a large part of them as they were delivered4 ,he stayed in the home of ,luther and ate at his table4 ,he made use1 also1 of what ,dietrich1 ,cruciger1 ,rorary and ,stoltz had written from ,luther's mouth4 ,he says when ,veit ,dietrich died while preparing the second volume1 the enemies of the ,gospel sought to prevent its publication1 and there was little hope that it should appear in print complete4 ,but ,god graciously heard the prayers of the godly in these dark and distressing days1 who longed for the last and best writings of their beloved ,luther1 when ,councilman ,baumgartner resolved that at least what ,veit ,dietrich had prepared for the second volume should appear1 and the result was the work complete was printed4 ,this commentary was delivered to the students in ,latin and first published in that language4 ,but soon arrangements were perfected to issue it in ,german4 ,basil ,faber1 who died while rector in ,erfurt1 a celebrated educator1 translated the first two volumes1 whose dedication we give in full2 and ,john ,guden1 senior pastor at ,brunswick1 translated volumes three and four1 and his dedication was to the same person and written on ,epiphany of the same year1 #aeeg1 a little before ,faber's dedication4 ,other editions of the commentary1 both in ,latin and ,german1 followed1 and then it was incorporated in the editions of the complete works of ,luther2 in the ,wittenberg edition1 in ,latin and ,german1 and in the ,altenburg and the ,leipsic collections in ,german1 and all subsequent editions4 ,that ,luther himself did not make much of this work is a proof of his humility and that he ascribed nothing to himself1 but all to the grace of ,god4 ,nevertheless the commentary is worthy of all the praise it has received4 ,in the ,formula of ,concord our forefathers referred to it as a ,commentarius praeclarus1 or an excellent commentary and the ,leipsic and ,wittenberg theologians in their final report and explanation1 especially against ,flacius1 mention ,the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,postils1 and other sermons of ,luther which are full of the precious teachings and strong consolation of the ,holy ,ghost1 and all his other books on doctrine1 especially those written after the ,diet of ,augsburg1 in #aecj1 among the best of which are his explanations of certain ,prophets and the ,psalms1 the ,epistle to the ,galatians2 and in this select list is classified the ,commentary on ,genesis4 ,they designate it as a rich exposition1 with which he closed his calling1 his ministerial office and his life in a blessed way4 ,because of this we justly esteem it highly4 ,for in the same commentary he gave full and free expression to his last convictions and confession on most of the articles of the ,christian faith and bequeathed them to the world4 ,in like manner have other divines of our ,church judged of this commentary and held that we should esteem it highly and that it proves ,luther was truly a great expounder of the ,scriptures4 7,basil ,faber's dedication is quoted at length here1 also ,veit ,dietrich at other places1 but we refer the reader to their documents1 which we give in full47 ,john ,guden says3 ,luther has left us in this ,commentary a rich treasury as a legacy1 and what a valuable treasure it is1 they will truly learn1 who diligently read it4 ,as a summary1 one finds here the true kernel of the doctrine our ,god has revealed to us through ,dr4 ,luther1 as ,melanchthon1 ,jonas and other spiritual men have also rightly judged4 ,mathesius with good spiritual taste says3 ,he who learns to know ,christ in ,genesis has instruction in the power of the divine ,word and knows what sin and righteousness are1 which avail before ,god4 ,my testimony concerning this blessed ,commentary ,i wish to leave behind me that my natural and spiritual children may not forget it1 but esteem it highly all their lives4 ,my ,genesis1 for the sake of instruction and consolation1 ,i have frequently read through1 underscored and described4 ,remember this commentary explained to me the ,word and will of ,christ1 and from it ,god gave comfort1 rest and life to my troubled soul4 ,for when our case is like the suffering of the patriarchs and the exposition suits one's heart as if the ,doctor really speaks with us1 then the ,commentary is incorporated in us and lives in us1 and refreshes and quickens one's heart4 ,joachim ,morlin1 in ,how to ,read ,with ,profit the ,writings and ,books of the ,beloved and ,blessed ,man of ,god1 ,dr4 ,martin ,luther1 praises above all others this ,commentary and says3 ,read the following ',consummatum ,est1' ',it ,is ,finished1' of this holy man1 ',the ,beloved ,genesis1' in which as in a new world he brings forth and opens up not only certain parts but all the treasures and riches of the wisdom of the divine ,word1 so that there is not another book like it on earth since the times of the apostles4 ,luther's ,genesis makes all theologians scholars4 ,jerome ,weller says3 ,luther's ,commentary on ,genesis is his ,swan ,song4 ,for although all ,luther's writings are full of manifold doctrines and consolations1 yet his ,commentary on ,genesis excels all others4 ,there is hardly a temptation for which he has not given in this ,commentary a sure remedy2 yes1 ,luther has excelled himself in this ,commentary4 ,therefore ,i continually admonish all theological students again and again that they read this commentary diligently and assiduously and never lay it out of their hands1 but seek to be wedded to it4 ,for ,i can assure you ,i received more benefit from this commentary than from almost all the other writings of ,luther4 ,therefore ,i will never be satisfied nor tired of reading it4 ,if all that has been written since the apostles were gathered in one heap1 they would not be worthy to be compared with this ,commentary4 ,i know that ,i speak the truth1 and all who have experienced the truth and learned theologians share my convictions4 ,not that the work does not praise itself but that we may better know that not only a few but that the teachers of our ,church generally1 have at all times justly emphasized its praise1 ,i add a few more testimonies4 ,timothy ,kirchner1 in the preface to his ,thesaurus ,dr4 ,lutheri 7#aefe71 says3 ,in this book all theologians must go to school1 and no one will graduate in it4 ,luther1 the man of ,god1 has so clearly and richly treated in it nearly all the greatest and most important articles of our ,christian faith1 that the like1 the holy ,bible alone excepted1 has not appeared in the world and indeed will not4 ,it will be and remain indeed a ',thesaurus thesaurorum1' a treasury of treasuries1 and a perennial fountain of all consolation1 along with the ,bible4 ,david ,chytraeus 7#aeeg7 also does not know how to praise this work enough1 he says3 ,it is a ,swan ,song and at the same time a complete work in every respect4 ,not only is it a rich treasure of spiritual wisdom and learning1 clothed in fine1 rich language1 and an accurate explanation of all the difficult passages and questions1 but it has also developed in its language a special and characteristic power1 which moves the soul of the reader and inspires him to true piety1 fear of ,god1 faith and other virtues4 ,he admonishes all the godly attentively and diligently to read this last work of ,luther1 and advertise it in preference to other writings1 which are indeed learned1 but are not as awakening as this one4 ,daniel ,cramer agrees with ,chytraeus and says in his ,isagogics1 in #afcj3 ,whoever has not read this ,commentary is not worthy of the name of a theologian4 ,abraham ,calov in his preface to his ,commentary on ,genesis 7#afga71 calls this ,a golden book1 and ,thomas ,crenius 7#agjd71 ,a work that can not be praised enough4 ,christian ,gerber expresses his conviction thus3 ,the writings of ,luther are worthy to be esteemed more highly and used more diligently4 ,his ,commentary on ,genesis is a remarkable book1 not only awakening but useful and edifying to read4 ,he has so beautifully described the virtues and piety of the holy patriarchs that one can hardly read them enough when he once begins4 ,one could draw from this ,commentary an excellent patriarchal and ,christian system of ethics1 and it is to be hoped that some theologian will do it1 which would indeed be a useful and excellent book4 ,again ,john ,heinreich von ,seelen writes3 ,it is a treasure more precious that gold1 containing inestimable riches of holy thoughts1 so that some have rightly judged that this is the best of all ,luther's books4 ,von ,seckendorf writes3 ,one is really amazed at the almost incredible gifts of ,luther to explain the holy ,scriptures so critically and clearly without any great effort4 ,he studied the greatest expounders of the ,bible4 ,he was little concerned about his words and style and dictated nothing1 and the same thoughts he uttered on other occasions in different words1 for he was never in want of words4 ,many more like testimonies could be quoted4 ,the foregoing words of praise are well grounded1 as every one who has thoughtfully and diligently read this book must confess4 ,what ,richard ,simon1 the ,jewish critic1 and ,pallavicinus1 ,maimburg and other enemies of the ,protestant faith have said against it only prove their own ignorance and darkness in spiritual knowledge and makes ,luther shine forth all the brighter4 ,when von ,seckendorf wished to make extracts from this ,commentary1 so many important subjects and passages were found that he did not know which to select4 ,there is a glorious work for this book of the sainted ,luther to accomplish4 ,from it the learned and the unlearned may be taught the true meaning of ,genesis1 gain a critical insight into many theological subjects and reap much for their private devotions4 ,therefore it is well that new editions of it are constantly being issued and an opportunity is given to a larger number to read it4 ,this edition will be found more correct and accurate than the others1 and also more serviceable and convenient4 ,this is due to the publisher1 ,mr4 ,john ,gottgetreu ,mueller1 who has chosen not only good paper and print1 but also a convenient form 7a quarto instead of a folio form74 ,may the ,lord of lords make this labor of the sainted ,luther to be a greater blessing1 so that his most holy name may further be glorified and many souls be established in the saving knowledge of the ,gospel1 or encouraged to that end1 for the sake of his merciful love4 ,amen4 ,,john ,,george ,,walch4 ,jena1 ,april #fth1 #agci4 ,,from ,,the ,,preface ,,by ,,dr4 ,,henry ,,cole4 ,a ,,tribute ,,of ,a ,,theologian ,,of ,,england4 ,this invaluable and last production of the loved and revered reformer is a rich and precious mine of sacred wisdom2 a vast treasury of deep research1 of varied scriptural knowledge and of extensive ,christian experience2 in a word1 it is a profound and comprehensive body of biblical1 sacred-historical1 doctrinal1 spiritual and experimental divinity4 ,so that a ,christian who procures ',luther on ,galatians' and ',luther on ,genesis' possesses a complete treasury of rich1 solid and saving theology4 ,indeed it is impossible to convey by any command of description an idea of the extent1 depth and richness of the mine of ,christian knowledge and experience1 which ,luther's long hidden and unknown exposition of ,genesis contains4 ,the sins1 trials1 afflictions1 faith1 hope1 deliverances1 joys and duties of kings1 princes1 magistrates1 husbands1 wives1 parents1 children1 masters and servants1 rich and poor1 are treated1 as they occur in the lives of the patriarchs and prominent characters of the divine ,record4 ,i hesitate not a moment to express my fullest persuasion that the ,church of ,christ will consider ,luther's commentary on ,genesis the deepest and most spiritual exposition of any book or portion of the holy ,scriptures in existence2 entering the most deeply and clearly into ,god's mind1 and furnishing the most profound1 varied and blessed edification for the family of heaven2 and also the most useful1 truthful1 valuable and divine instruction for the world at large4 ,as an expositor of the holy ,scriptures ,luther's comments contain a depth of investigation unpenetrated1 a width of meditation unspanned1 an extent of research unoccupied1 a scriptural knowledge unpossessed1 a variety of reflections unevinced1 a multitude of wonders unrevealed1 a number of beauties undiscovered1 a value of instruction uncommunicated1 a spirit of holiness unbreathed1 a height of praise unascended1 a depth of worship unfathomed1 and a magnification of the ,scriptures as the ,word of ,god1 unsurpassed and unequalled by any commentator1 before or since his day4 ,this divine and educator of the ,church of ,england says ,luther's ,commentary on ,genesis is ,doubtless the masterpiece of the greatest of the extra ,bible saints and servants of the ,most ,high4 ,what an ox-like labor1 or as the reformer expresses it1 'what a ministerial sweat6' ,this greatest of all commentaries4 ,space will not permit more4 ,in the second volume on ,genesis we hope to say more on the place this commentary has held and ought to hold in ,english ,protestantism4 ,a ,,tribute ,,of ,a ,,christian ,,lady ,,in ,,scotland4 ,dr4 ,cole in his preface1 dated ,london1 ,feb4 #bnd1 #aheg1 records to the praise of ,god that1 ,it came in a most remarkable and wholly unexpected way to the knowledge of a noble lady of ,scotland1 ,lady ,m----1 that the ',creation1' the first part of ,luther's great commentary on ,genesis1 was translated2 and that the translator was at a loss for ways and means whereby to print and publish it2 and1 after two letters of favored communication and explanation between the translator and her ladyship1 this 'noble' disciple of the ,redeemer1 #a ,cor4 #a3bf1 in her second letter at once with divine nobleness of mind purchased the manuscript at its full fixed price1 without one word about abatement2 and she also as nobly undertook to print and publish it at her own expense4 ,from her ladyship's communications it appeared that she herself was 'brought to the knowledge of the truth' by reading translations of ,luther's writings4 ,her present holy acts of service to the cause of truth were therefore those of gratitude to ,god1 of love and honor to the name of ,luther1 and of encouragement to his humble translators4 ,years before1 this lady read of ,dr4 ,cole's intention to translate ,luther on ,genesis1 but it did not appear4 ,thinking that the translator had no doubt gone the way of all the earth1 she made an effort to have it translated and published1 in order to be benefited still more by reading ,luther in ,english4 ,hence her great surprise after many years to receive a letter from ,dr4 ,cole1 stating the manuscript was finally ready4 ,she replied thus3 ,my ,dear ,sir3-- ,your letter was the cause of much interest and surprise to me2 for about the time that you completed your translation of ',the ,creation' by ,luther1 ,i was anxiously inquiring from every one ,i could think of1 to know if there was any one who could and would translate it2 and ,i bought the work on ,genesis in the original in hope to find some one to translate it2 but upon inquiring of ,messrs4 ---- and others1 ,i found that the translation and publication would be so expensive that ,i was obliged to abandon the thought of it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it thus pleased all-wise ,god to choose not a rich son of his1 but a daughter to execute his blessed work4 ,may ,god grant that this interest so general and promising in ,england and ,scotland half a century ago in translating ,luther may be revived by all the sons and daughters who have been benefited by his writings6 ,minneapolis1 ,minn41 ,nov4 #bhth1 #aijc4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,lenker4 ,,dr4 ,,martin ,,luther ,,to ,,the ,,christian ,,reader4 ,my lectures on ,genesis ,i did not undertake with the intention that they be published and advertised2 but in order that ,i might serve for a time our ,university as it is at present1 and that ,i might exercise my audience and myself in the ,word of ,god2 lest ,i should finish the death of this body in an old age indolent and entirely useless4 ,to this end ,ps4 #adf3b awakened and encouraged me3 ,while ,i live will ,i praise ,jehovah2 ,i will sing praises unto my ,god while ,i have any being4 ,moreover1 ,i undertook the work in order that ,i might be found at death among that little flock and of those babes1 out of whose mouth ,god perfects praise or establishes strength1 by which he destroys the enemy and the avenger1 ,ps4 #h3b4 ,for the world always has enough monsters and devils1 who blaspheme1 corrupt and pervert the ,word of ,god1 so that ,god be not adorned with his glory1 but ,satan instead is adored4 ,it however so happened that these lectures fell into the hands of two good and pious men who collected them4 ,dr4 ,casper ,cruciger1 whose books sufficiently testify how he was led by the spirit of ,god and by the study of his ,word2 and ,mr4 ,george ,rorary1 the ministers of our church here at ,wittenberg4 ,their work was followed by that of ,master ,veit ,dietrich1 the pastor at ,nuremberg1 who contributed his share4 ,all of these men are truly faithful1 scholarly and zealous ministers of the ,word of ,god1 and their judgment is that these lectures should by all means be published4 ,for my part ,i leave them to act according to their own conviction1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 ,let each man be fully assured in his own mind1 ,rom4 #ad3e1 and as ,i see that they are moved by a holy zeal to serve the congregations of the ,church of ,christ1 ,i therefore strongly approve of their intention and ,i pray that the benediction of ,god may rest upon them6 ,however ,i would prefer that their ,christian labors and valuable time were spent on a better book and a better author4 ,for ,i am not one of whom it can be said1 ,he did a good work2 neither one of whom you can say1 ,he tried to do a good work2 ,i belong to the last order of authors1 who dare scarcely say1 ,i desired to do a good work4 ,oh1 that ,i might be worthy of being the last in this last order4 ,for all these lectures were delivered in an extemporaneous and popular form1 just as the expressions came into my mouth1 following in quick succession and also mixed with ,german1 and surely more verbose than ,i wished4 ,not however that ,i am conscious of having spoken anything contrary to the truth4 ,my chief aim has been1 as far as possible1 to avoid obscurity and present as perspicuous as my talent and ability could the things which ,i wished to have understood4 ,for ,i feel keenly that these weighty matters of which ,moses wrote have been treated by me in a manner far beneath their dignity and importance4 ,but ,i console myself with the old proverb1 ,let him fail who attempts to do a thing better than he is able2 and with this ,scripture1 ,god requires nothing of a man beyond the ability he has given him4 #b ,cor4 #h3ab4 ,but why multiply words8 ,that of which we treat are the ,scriptures2 the ,scriptures1 ,i say1 of the ,holy ,spirit1 and for these things1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 who is sufficient8 #b ,cor4 #c3e4 ,they are a river1 says ,gregory1 in which a lamb may walk or touch bottom and an elephant must swim4 ,they are the wisdom of ,god which makes the wise of this world and the prince of it fools2 which makes babes eloquent1 and the eloquent men babes4 ,in a word he is not the best1 who comprehends all things and never fails1 for such a one never has been1 is not now and never will be2 but he is the best here who loves the most1 as ,ps4 #a3b says1 ,blessed is the man that loveth the law of ,jehovah and meditateth on it4 ,abundantly sufficient is it for us1 if we delight in this divine wisdom1 love it and meditate on it day and night4 ,we examine the commentaries of the fathers and find that the good will was certainly not lacking among them1 but to do it they were not able4 ,and how ridiculous are all of our day1 who attempt to explain the great things1 the ,scriptures by a beautiful1 as they term it1 by a pure ,latinity or by paraphrases1 being themselves utterly destitute of the spirit and of understanding1 and no more competent to treat such holy things than1 as the proverb runs1 ,asses are to play upon a harp4 ,jerome correctly said1 ,every one brings the offering to the tabernacle he can afford4 ,one brings gold1 another silver1 another precious stones and the skins or the hair of goats4 ,for the ,lord has need of all these things4 ,the wills of all were equally pleasing to him1 though their offerings were not equal4 ,therefore ,i permit these few goat hairs of mine to be published1 as my offering and sacrifice unto ,god1 whom ,i beseech in ,christ ,jesus1 our ,lord1 that he would1 through my labors1 give occasion to others to do better or at least to exert themselves to explain these things better than ,i have done4 ,as to my adversaries and their god1 the devil1 ,i believe with holy pride and exultation in the ,lord1 that ,i have given occasions enough to them to cavil and calumniate1 for this ,i have continually and liberally done from the beginning of my ministry4 ,this is the only service they are worthy to perform1 for they neither can do nor desire to do anything that is good2 being1 as ,paul says1 men of corrupt minds2 and unto every good work reprobate1 ,tit4 #a3ae1 #af4 ,may our ,lord ,jesus ,christ perfect his work1 which he hath begun in us and hasten that day of our redemption1 for which we long with uplifted heads1 and for which we sigh and wait in pure faith and a good conscience1 in which we have also served an ungrateful world1 a world that is the incorrigible enemy even of its own1 to say nothing of our1 salvation4 ,come1 ,lord ,jesus6 and let every one that loves thee1 say1 ,come1 ,lord ,jesus6 ,amen4 ,,commentary ,,on ,,genesis4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,i4 ,,introduction4 ,this first chapter of our ,holy ,bible is written in the simplest and plainest language1 and yet it contains the greatest and at the same time the most difficult themes4 ,therefore the ,jews1 as ,jerome testifies1 were forbidden to read it or hear it read before they were thirty years of age4 ,the ,jews required that all the other ,scriptures be well known by every one before they were permitted to approach this chapter4 ,their ,rabbins however accomplished little good by this1 for even many of the ,rabbins themselves1 whose years were more than twice thirty1 give in their commentaries and ,talmuds the most childish and foolish explanations of these1 the greatest of all subjects4 ,nor has any one yet in the church to the present day explained all these momentous things correctly and satisfactorily in every respect4 ,for interpreters have confused and entangled every thing with such a variety1 diversity and infinity of questions that it is very clear that ,god reserved to himself the majesty of this wisdom1 and the correct understanding of this chapter1 leaving to us only the general ideas that the world had a beginning and was created by ,god out of nothing4 ,this general knowledge may clearly be taken from the text4 ,but with respect to the particulars1 there is so much that one cannot be clear about and hence innumerable questions have continually been raised in commentaries4 ,from ,moses however we know that #fjjj years ago the world did not exist4 ,but of this no philosopher can in any way be persuaded2 because1 according to ,aristotle the first and the last man cannot in any way be determined1 although however ,aristotle leaves the problem in doubt whether or not the world is eternal1 yet he is inclined to the opinion that it is eternal4 ,for human reason cannot ascend higher than to declare that the world is eternal1 and an infinite generation preceded us and will follow us4 ,here human reason is forced to stand still4 ,however from this belief follows as a consequence the perilous opinion that the soul is mortal1 because philosophy knows no plurality of infinities4 ,for it cannot be1 but that human reason must be overwhelmed and shipwrecked in the sea of the majesty of these themes4 ,plato collected1 perhaps in ,egypt1 some traditional sparks as it were from the sermons of the fathers and prophets1 and therefore he came nearer the truth than others4 ,he holds that matter and mind are eternal2 but he says that the world had a beginning and that it was made out of matter4 ,but ,i cease to mention the opinions of philosophers1 for ,lyra cites these although he does not explain them4 ,thus neither among the ,hebrews1 ,greeks nor ,latins is there a leading teacher whom we can follow here with safety4 ,therefore ,i shall be pardoned if ,i shall see what ,i can say on the subject4 ,for except the one general opinion that the world was created out of nothing there is scarcely another thing connected with the subject on which there is entire agreement among all theologians4 ,hilary and ,augustine1 two great lights in the church1 believed that the world was made on a sudden and all at once1 not successively during the space of six days4 ,augustine plays upon these six days in a marvelous manner in explaining them4 ,he considers them to be mystical days of knowledge in the angels1 and not natural days4 ,hence have arisen those continual discussions in the schools and in churches concerning the evening and morning knowledge1 which ,augustine was the cause of being introduced4 ,these are all diligently collected and particularly mentioned by ,lyra4 ,let those therefore who wish to know more about them consult ,lyra4 ,but all these disputations1 though subtle and clever1 are not to the point in question4 ,for what need is there to make a two-fold knowledge4 ,equally useless is it to consider ,moses in the beginning of his history as speaking mystically or allegorically4 ,for as he is not instructing us concerning allegorical creatures and an allegorical world1 but concerning essential creatures and a world visible and apprehensive by the senses1 he calls1 as we say in our trite proverb1 a post1 a post2 that is1 when he says morning or day or evening1 his meaning is the same as ours when we use those terms1 without any allegory whatever4 ,thus the ,evangelist ,matthew1 in his last chapter1 uses the same manner of expression when he says that ,christ arose on the evening of the ,sabbath2 that is1 at that time of one of the ,sabbath days which was formed by the evening light4 ,but if we cannot fully comprehend the days here mentioned nor understand why ,god chose to use these intervals of time1 let us rather confess our ignorance in the matter than wrest the words of ,moses from the circumstances which he is recording to a meaning1 which has nothing to do with those circumstances4 ,with respect therefore to this opinion of ,augustine1 we conclude that ,moses spoke literally and plainly and neither allegorically nor figuratively2 that is1 he means that the world with all creatures was created in six days as he himself expresses it4 ,if we cannot attain unto a comprehension of the reason why it was so1 let us still remain scholars and leave all the preceptorship to the ,holy ,spirit6 ,these days were distinguished thus4 ,on the first day the unformed mass of heaven and earth was created to which light was then added4 ,on the second day the firmament4 ,on the third day the earth was produced out of the waters and its fruits created4 ,on the fourth day the heavens were adorned by the creation of the sun1 moon and stars4 ,on the fifth day the fishes of the sea and the fowls of the air4 ,on the sixth day the beasts of the earth were created1 and ,man was made4 ,i say nothing of the other views which divide these sacred matters into the work of creation1 of distinction1 and of ornation1 because ,i do not think such divisions of the subject can be made to harmonize in all respects with each other4 ,if any one admire such views let him consult ,lyra4 ,as to ,lyra thinking that a knowledge of the opinion of philosophers concerning matter is necessary1 and that on such knowledge must depend a man's understanding the six days' work of creation1 ,i question whether ,lyra himself really understood what ,aristotle calls matter4 ,for ,aristotle does not1 like ,ovid1 call the original unformed chaotic mass matter4 ,wherefore omitting these unnecessary subjects altogether1 let us come at once to ,moses as a far better teacher1 whom we may more safely follow than we may philosophers1 who dispute without the ,word about things they do not understand4 ,,ii4 ,,god',s ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,six ,,days ,,in ,,particular4 ,,part ,i4 ,,god',s ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,first ,,day4 ,i4 ,v4 #a4 ,in the beginning ,god created the heavens and the earth4 ,a necessary and a very difficult question arises here1 in that ,moses speaks of the creation of the heavens and the earth1 and yet does not mention the day on which nor the ,word by which they were created4 ,for one naturally inquires why ,moses did not rather use the same form of words here1 as he did subsequently1 where mention is made of the ,word thus3 ,in the beginning1 ,god said1 ,let there be the heavens and the earth8 ,for ,moses mentions the heavens and the earth before ,god had spoken anything1 whereas both the ,decalogue and the whole ,scripture testify that ,god made the heavens and the earth1 and all that in them is1 in six days4 ,but as ,i said before1 we enter on this path without a guide4 ,we leave therefore to others to follow their own judgment here1 while we will expound it according to our views4 ,not those elements which now are1 but the original rude and unformed substances ,moses calls the heavens and earth4 ,the water was dark1 and because it was by nature the lighter element it surrounded the earth1 itself also as yet unformed was a kind of mud4 ,god formed this first material1 if ,i may so call it1 of his future work1 not before or apart from the six days1 but1 according to the express words of the ,decalogue1 in the beginning of the first day4 ,as ,i view the matter therefore ,moses does not mention here the first day1 because these confused substances of the hitherto rude heavens and earth were afterwards formed1 and as it were fully adorned and distinguished4 ,for what he immediately calls the deep and the waters2 that is1 the rude and unformed water which was not yet distributed nor adorned with its proper form1 he here calls the heavens2 whereas1 had ,moses spoken otherwise and had said1 ,in the beginning ,god said1 ,let there be the heavens and the earth2 there would have been no need of afterwards saying1 ,god said2 seeing that these unformed waters would have been already illuminated and the light would have been already created4 ,the meaning of ,moses therefore in all simplicity is that all things which now exist were created by ,god and that in the beginning of the first day were created the mass of mud or of earth1 and of dark mist or of water2 on which afterwards1 in the after part of the first day1 ,god shed the light and caused the day to appear1 which might discover this rude mass of the heavens and the earth2 which was in all respects like undeveloped seed1 and yet adapted to produce whatever ,god should require4 ,v4 #b;a4 ,and the earth was waste and void4 ,in the ,hebrew words ,,tohu and ,,bohu there is no more meaning than can be expressed in any other language1 yet these terms are frequently used in the sacred ,scriptures4 ,,tohu means nothing1 so that a ,,tohu earth means1 in its simple reality1 that which is in itself empty or waste2 where there is no way1 no distinction of places1 no hill1 no vale1 no grass1 no herbs1 no animals1 no men4 ,and such was the first appearance of the waste and untilled earth1 for while the water was mixed with the earth no distinctions of those various objects could be discerned1 which are clearly seen since the earth's formation and cultivation4 ,thus ,isaiah1 #cd3aa1 when threatening destruction to the whole earth says ,there shall be stretched upon it the line of ,,tohu1 confusion2 and the plummet of ,,bohu1 emptiness2 that is1 it shall be made so desolate that neither men nor beasts shall be left upon it2 all houses shall he devastated and all things hurled into chaos and confusion4 ,just as ,jerusalem was afterwards laid waste by the ,romans and ,rome by the ,goths1 so that no vestige of the ancient city as it once was could be pointed out4 ,you now behold the earth standing out of the waters1 the heavens adorned with stars1 the fields with trees1 and cities with houses2 but should all these things be taken away and hurled into confusion and into one chaotic heap1 the state of things thus produced would be what ,moses calls ,,tohu and ,,bohu4 ,as the earth was surrounded with darkness or with waters over which darkness brooded1 so also the heaven was unformed4 ,it was not only ,,tohu because it was destitute of the garnishing of the stars1 and ,,bohu because it was not yet separated and distinguished from the earth1 but because it was as yet altogether destitute of light and a dark and deep abyss which like a dense cloud enveloped the earth1 or that mass of mud2 for the division of the waters from the waters follows later4 ,here then we have the first thing which ,moses teaches3 that the heavens and the earth were created on the first day2 but1 that the heaven was as yet unformed1 not separated from the waters1 destitute of its luminaries1 and not elevated to its position2 and the earth in like manner was as yet without its animals1 its rivers and its mountains4 ,as to ,lyra's argument that this original matter was mere power and was afterward rendered substance by its own power1 or as to what ,augustine says in his book of ,confessions1 that matter is as it were nothing1 and that no medium matter can be thought of between the ,creator and the thing created2 such subtle disquisitions ,i by no means approve4 ,for how could that be a mere nothing which was already of such material and substance that ,moses calls it the heavens and the earth8 ,unless indeed you would call it artificially the same kind of matter which you call wood1 which is not yet wrought into a chest or a bench4 ,but this latter substance is what true philosophers would call matter in a secondary state4 ,we should rather consider the whole subject1 as ,peter considers it1 #b ,pet4 #c3e1 where speaking of the wicked1 he says ,for this they wilfully forget1 that there were heavens from of old1 and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water1 by the word of ,god2 by which means the world that then was1 being overflowed with water1 perished4 ,for ,peter seems to intimate that the earth consists of water1 and was made out of water1 and that after it was produced out of water and placed as it were in the light1 it swam as it now seems to do in the water4 ,this1 says he1 the wicked knew1 and therefore being confident of this condition of things1 they feared no peril from water1 which they knew to be the fundamental substance of the earth4 ,yet the water destroyed that earth which it preserved1 buoyed up and bore2 just as at the last it shall be destroyed by fire4 ,from this intimation of ,peter1 it would appear1 that the earth was made to stand in the water1 and out of the water4 ,but let this suffice concerning the original matter or material4 ,if any one should discuss the subject with greater subtlety of argument1 ,i do not think he would do so1 with any profit4 ,v4 #b;b4 ,and darkness was upon the face of the deep4 ,the water1 the deep1 and the heavens1 are here put for the same thing2 namely1 for that dark unformed substance which afterwards was divided by the ,word4 ,for it was the office of the second ,person of the ,trinity1 namely ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 to divide and adorn that chaotic mass produced from nothing4 ,and this may have been the very design of ,moses in not mentioning the ,word in the first place2 that is1 in not saying at first1 ,and ,god said4 ,for some maintain that this was done by ,moses purposely4 ,v4 #b;c4 ,and the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters4 ,some consider the ,spirit of ,god here to mean merely the wind4 ,but if anything material is here to be understood by ,spirit1 ,i should rather refer it to the first moving of the original unformed mass of heaven and earth1 which is called the deep1 which is always in motion to this day2 for water is never still1 its surface is always in motion4 ,but ,i prefer here to understand the ,holy ,spirit4 ,for the wind is a creature which did not exist1 while as yet the heavens and the earth lay in that confused chaotic mass4 ,there is moreover an universal agreement of the ,christian ,church concerning a revelation of the mystery of the ,holy ,trinity in this first creative work4 ,the ,father through the ,son1 whom ,moses here calls the ,word1 creates the heavens and the earth out of nothing4 ,over these the ,holy ,spirit broods4 ,and as a hen sits upon her eggs that she may hatch her young1 thus warming her eggs and as it were infusing into them animation1 so the ,scriptures say the ,holy ,ghost brooded as it were on the waters2 that ,he might infuse life into these elementary substances which were afterwards to be animated and garnished4 ,for the office of the ,holy ,spirit is to give life4 ,these explanations1 as far as ,i see1 are sufficient for our present purpose4 ,wherefore casting away all other diverse opinions1 let us set down this as the truth1 that ,god created the heavens and the earth1 as yet a rude mass1 out of nothing2 so that the earth1 as an unformed chaotic mass1 enveloped the heaven as yet also an unformed mass1 like a dark1 circumfluent1 nebulous cloud4 ,it is necessary however that we discuss the terms here used4 ,at the very beginning of this discussion we are met by the expression ,in the beginning4 ,some have expounded the words ,in the beginning as meaning ,in the ,son1 from ,john #a3a2 seeing that ,christ also gives to the ,jews when they inquired who ,he was8 this answer1 ,the beginning1 who also speak unto you1 ,john #h3be4 ,this same exposition is given also from ,ps4 #aaj3c1 ,with thee is the ,beginning1 in the day of thy power2 which passage nearly all commentators expound as meaning1 ,with thee is thy ,son in divine power4 ,but it is well known to those acquainted with the ,greek language that the expression tan ,archan should be rendered by an adverbial phraseology at first or in the beginning1 etc4 ,it is a figure of speech which we frequently meet in ,greek4 ,wherefore let those who will1 amuse themselves by thus interpreting the expression ,in the beginning4 ,i prefer the simplest explanation which can be at once understood by the less learned4 ,my belief is therefore that the design of ,moses was to signify the beginning of time2 so that ,in the beginning has the same meaning as if he had said1 ,at that time before which there was no time4 ,or he means that when the world began it so began that the heavens and the earth were created by ,god out of nothing2 but created in a rude shapeless mass1 not formed and beautified as they now are4 ,though they lay not long thus1 but began immediately on the first day to be garnished with the light4 ,the ,arians imagined that angels and the ,son of ,god were made before the beginning4 ,but let us pass by this blasphemy4 ,we will omit also another question1 ,what was ,god doing before the beginning of the world2 was he in a state of entire inaction or not8 ,to this question ,augustine introduced in his ,confession the reply1 ,he was making a hell for all searchers into his secrets4 ,this reply says ,augustine was made to ridicule the violent and audacious blasphemy of the question4 ,the modesty therefore of ,augustine pleases one1 who elsewhere candidly says that in all such cases he draws in the sails of his thoughts4 ,for if we speculate and dispute to infinity1 these things still remain incomprehensible4 ,even those things which we see we can understand but little4 ,how much less then shall we grasp in our knowledge such things as these4 ,for what will you determine concerning things that were before and beyond time8 ,or what can be your thoughts of things ,god did before time was8 ,wherefore let us away with all such thoughts and believe that ,god before the creation of the world was incomprehensible in his essential rest1 but that now since the creation he is within and without and above all creatures2 that is1 he is still incomprehensible4 ,this is all that can be said1 because that which was outside of time our intellect can not comprehend4 ,wherefore ,god does not manifest himself in anything but in his works and in his ,word2 because these can in some measure be comprehended1 all other things which properly belong to his divinity1 cannot be comprehended or understood1 as they really are2 such as those things which were beyond time and before the world's creation1 etc4 ,perhaps ,god appeared to ,adam unveiled2 but after his sin he may have shown himself to him in a noise1 ,gen4 #c3h1 under which he was covered as with a veil4 ,so also later in the tabernacle ,god was veiled by the sanctuary2 and in the desert by the pillar of a cloud and by the pillar of fire4 ,wherefore ,moses also calls these things appearances or shadowings of ,god1 by which he then manifested himself4 ,and ,cain calls that the face and the presence of ,god where he had before offered his sacrifices1 ,gen4 #d3ad4 ,for our nature is so deformed by sin1 yea corrupted and lost1 that it cannot understand ,god naked and unveiled nor comprehend what he really is4 ,therefore it is that these covering veils are absolutely necessary4 ,it is moreover insanity to dispute much concerning ,god as to what he was beyond and before time1 for that is to desire to comprehend naked divinity or the naked divine essence4 ,and it is for this very reason that ,god has wrapt himself in the veils of his works and under certain visible appearances1 just as at this day he veils himself under baptism1 absolution1 etc4 ,if you depart from these veiling signs1 you at once run away beyond measure1 beyond place and beyond time into the most absolute nothing2 concerning which1 as philosophers say1 there can be no knowledge4 ,therefore it is that we with solemn propriety enter not into this question2 but rest content with this simple meaning of the expression1 ,in the beginning4 ,,ii4 ,but it is more worthy of observation that ,moses does not say ,in the beginning1 ,,adoni1 the ,lord created the heavens and the earth2 but he uses a noun of the plural number ,,elohim2 by which name1 in the ,books of ,moses1 and in other parts of the ,scriptures both angels and magistrates are sometimes called4 ,as in ,ps4 #hb3f1 ,i have said ye are gods4 ,it is certain however that here it signifies the one true ,god1 by whom all things were made4 ,why therefore does ,moses here use a plural noun or name8 ,the ,jews cavil at ,moses in various ways4 ,to us however it is clear that the intent of ,moses is to set forth directly the ,trinity2 or the plurality of persons in the one divine nature4 ,for as he is speaking of the work of the creation it manifestly follows that he excludes angels1 who are creatures1 from the creative work4 ,there remains therefore this sacred conclusion of the whole matter2 that ,god is ,one1 and that this most perfect ,unity is also a most perfect ,trinity4 ,for how otherwise does ,moses use the plural number1 ,in the beginning ,,elohim created4 ,the cold and wicked cavilling of the ,jews therefore is to be altogether exploded1 when they say that ,moses used the plural number for the sake of reverence4 ,for what place is there here for the exercise of reverence8 ,especially since that which is an idiom among us ,germans is not common to all languages2 namely1 that it should be considered a point of reverence to use the plural number when speaking of one person4 ,although the ,jews make so much noise about this term ,,elohim being applied to angels and to men1 be it remembered that it is in the plural number in this place where it cannot possibly be applied to any but the one true ,god1 because ,moses is treating of the ,creation4 ,there were moreover many other singular nouns which ,moses might have used had he not purposely intended to show to the spiritually minded1 that in the divine nature there is before and independently of all creation and all creatures1 a plurality of persons4 ,he does not indeed say in plain terms1 there is the ,father1 there is the ,son1 and there is the ,holy ,ghost2 and they are the one true ,god2 because that was reserved for the doctrine of the ,gospel4 ,it was enough for him by the use of a plural noun though afterwards applied to men also1 to set forth this plurality of the divine persons4 ,nor ought it to offend us that this same term is afterwards applied to creatures4 ,for why should not ,god communicate his name unto us1 seeing that he communicates to us his power1 and his office8 ,for us to remit sins1 to retain sins1 to quicken to spiritual life1 etc41 are the works of the divine ,majesty alone2 and yet these same works are a sign to men and they are wrought by the ,word which men teach4 ,thus ,paul said1 ,that ,i may save some of them that are my flesh1 ,rom4 #aa3ad4 ,and again1 ,i am become all things to all men1 that ,i may by all means save some1 #a ,cor4 #i3bb4 ,as therefore these works are truly the works of ,god1 although they are assigned also unto men and are wrought by means of men2 so the name of ,god truly represents ,god though it is applied also to men4 ,arius could not deny that ,christ existed before the world was created1 because ,christ himself says1 ,before ,abraham was1 ,i am1 ,john #h3eh4 ,it is written in the ,proverbs1 #h3bb1 also1 ,before the heavens were1 ,i am4 ,arius is obliged therefore to confess that ,christ or the ,word was created before all things1 and that he afterwards created all things1 and that he was the most perfect of all creatures though he did not exist from everlasting4 ,but to this fanatical and impious opinion we ought to oppose that which ,moses so briefly expresses by the term ,in the beginning4 ,nor does ,moses place anything before the beginning but ,god himself2 and him he here represents by a plural noun4 ,into these absurd opinions do minds fall when they speculate on such mighty things without the ,word4 ,we know not ourselves2 as ,lucretius says1 ,man knows not the nature of his own soul4 ,we feel that we can judge1 enumerate1 distinguish quantities1 and1 if ,i may so call them1 spiritual creatures1 such as truth and falsehood1 and yet we cannot to this day define what the soul is4 ,how much less then shall we be able to understand the divine nature6 ,we know not for instance what is the motion of our will2 for it is not a motion of quality or of quantity2 and yet it is some motion4 ,what then can we know of things divine8 ,it is fanatical therefore to dispute concerning ,god and the divine nature without the ,word and without some veiling representation4 ,yet thus do all heretics2 and they think and dispute respecting ,god with the same security as they would respecting a hog or a cow4 ,therefore they receive a reward worthy their temerity2 for by these means they are dashed on the rocks of every peril4 ,hence he who would contemplate such mighty things in safety and without danger must confine himself with all simplicity within those representations1 signs and veils of the divine ,majesty1 his word and his works4 ,for it is in his word and his works that he reveals himself unto us2 and such as attain unto the knowledge of these are like the woman laboring under the issue of blood1 healed by touching these hems of his garment4 ,those on the other hand who strive to reach ,god without these veils and coverings1 attempt to scale heaven without a ladder1 that is1 without the ,word2 and in so doing are overwhelmed by the majesty of ,god1 which they vainly endeavor to comprehend1 and they fall and perish4 ,and so it befell ,arius4 ,he conceived the imagination that there was some medium between the ,creator and the creature2 and that by that medium all things were created4 ,into this error he necessarily fell the moment he denied contrary to the ,scriptures a plurality of persons in the divine nature4 ,but as he discussed these things without the ,word of ,god and depended solely on his own cogitations1 he could not but be thus dashed to pieces4 ,thus the monk of the ,papists1 because he follows not the ,word1 imagines such a ,god to be sitting in heaven as will save any one who is covered with a cowl and observes a certain strict rule of life4 ,such a one also attempts to ascend into heaven by his own cogitations without ,god as revealed in his ,word1 or without the revealed face of ,god for his guide4 ,thus also the ,jews had their idols and their groves4 ,the fall and the destruction of all are alike4 ,they are precipitated and dashed to pieces2 because every one leaving the ,word follows his own imaginations4 ,if therefore we would walk safely we must embrace those things which the ,word teaches1 and which ,god himself has willed us to know2 and all other things which are not revealed in the ,word we must leave4 ,for what are those things to me1 which ,god did before the world was made1 or how can ,i comprehend them8 ,this is indulging thoughts upon the naked ,divinity4 ,and these are the thoughts by which the ,jews suffer themselves to be led away from this text2 and which thus prevent them from believing in a plurality of persons in the deity2 whereas it is evident that ,moses employs a plural noun4 ,the papal decree condemned the ,anthropomorphists 7manlikeners71 because they spoke of ,god as they would of a man1 and attributed to him eyes1 ears1 arms1 etc4 ,an unjust condemnation truly6 ,for how otherwise can man talk with man concerning ,god8 ,if to think thus of ,god be heresy2 then for a certainty is the salvation of all children1 who can only think and speak thus as children concerning ,god1 at an end for ever4 ,but to say nothing about children1 give me the most learned doctor in all the world2 how otherwise will even he speak and teach concerning ,god8 ,an injury therefore was thereby done to good men2 who1 though they believed ,god to be omnipotent and the only ,saviour1 yet were condemned merely because they said ,god has eyes by which he looks upon the poor and needy1 and ears by which he listens to their prayers4 ,for how otherwise can this our nature understand the spiritual reality of ,god4 ,moreover the ,scriptures use this form of speech4 ,wherefore such were undeservedly condemned4 ,they should rather have been lauded for the simplicity which they studied2 which is so requisite in all teaching4 ,it is absolutely necessary that when ,god reveals himself unto us1 he should do so under some veil of representation1 some shadowing manifestation1 and should say1 ,behold under this veil thou shalt surely discover me4 ,and when we embrace ,god under this veil or shadow1 when we thus adore him1 call upon him1 and offer to him our sacrifices1 we are said rightly to offer our sacrifices unto ,god6 ,it was thus doubtless that our first parents worshipped ,god4 ,in the morning when the sun rose they adored the ,creator in the creature2 or to speak more plainly they were by the creature reminded of the ,creator4 ,their posterity retained the custom1 but without the knowledge2 and hence the custom lapsed into idolatry4 ,the cause of this idolatry was not the sun2 for he is a good creature of ,god2 but the knowledge and the doctrine became by degrees extinct2 for ,satan cannot endure true doctrine4 ,thus when ,satan had drawn ,eve from the ,word1 she fell immediately into sin4 ,to return then to the ,anthropomorphists4 ,i consider that they were condemned unjustly and without cause4 ,for the prophets represent ,god as sitting on a throne4 ,when foolish persons hear this their thoughts are immediately picturing a golden throne1 marvellously decorated1 etc41 though they must all the while know that there can be no such material throne in heaven4 ,hence ,isaiah says that he saw ,god sitting on a throne2 and his train filled the temple1 ,is4 #f3a4 ,whereas ,god cannot absolutely or by real vision appear to be thus represented or seen4 ,but such figures and representations are well-pleasing to the ,holy ,spirit2 and such works of ,god are set before us by the means of which we may apprehend ,god by our understanding4 ,such also are those figures when it is said that ,he made the heavens and the earth2 that he sent his ,son2 that he speaks by his ,son2 that he baptizes2 that he remits sins by the ,word4 ,he that does not understand these things will never understand ,god4 ,but ,i say no more here2 since these things have been frequently and abundantly discussed by me elsewhere2 yet it was necessary to touch upon them on the present occasion for ,moses' sake1 whom the ,jews here so severely attack1 in the exposition of which we are proving the plurality of the divine persons in the deity4 ,now let us proceed with the text4 ,,iii4 ,v4 #c4 ,and ,god said1 ,let there be light3 and there was light4 ,moses has already said that the rude mass of heaven and earth which he also calls darkness and the deep1 was made by the ,word2 and that work ought to be considered the work of the first day4 ,yet1 it is now for the first time that ,moses uses the expression ,god said1 ,let there be light1 etc4 ,a marvelous phraseology this indeed2 unknown to any writer of any other language under heaven1 that ,god by speaking causes that to exist1 which had no existence before4 ,here therefore ,moses sets before us the medium and instrument which ,god used in performing his works1 namely the ,word4 ,but we must here carefully mark the distinction in the ,hebrew language between the words ,,amar and ,,dabar4 ,we render each by the terms to say or to speak4 ,but1 in the ,hebrew there is this difference3 ,,amar only and properly signifies the word uttered4 ,but ,,dabar means also the thing or substance uttered4 ,as when the prophets say ,this is the ,word of the ,lord1 they use the term ,,dabar not ,,amar4 ,even at this day the new ,arians blind the eyes of those unacquainted with the ,hebrew language by saying that the term in question implies1 and is1 a thing created2 and that in this way it is that ,christ is called the ,word4 ,against this impious1 and at the same time ignorant1 corruption of the term ,word1 the reader is duly warned1 and exhorted to remember that ,moses here uses the word ,,amar which simply and properly signifies the word uttered2 so that the word uttered is something distinct from him who utters it2 as here is also a distinction between the person speaking and the thing spoken4 ,therefore we have before proved from this text a plurality of persons2 so here is also an evident distinction of persons2 for it affirms that it is ,god the speaker1 if ,i may so express myself1 who creates2 and yet he uses no material2 but creates the heavens and the earth out of nothing by the sole word he utters4 ,compare here the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john ,in the beginning was the ,word4 ,he exactly agrees with ,moses4 ,he says that there was no creature whatever before the world was made4 ,yet ,god possessed the ,word4 ,and what is this ,word and what does it do8 ,hear ,moses4 ,the light1 says he1 as yet was not2 but the darkness out of its nothing-state is changed into that most excellent creature1 light4 ,by what8 ,by the ,word4 ,therefore1 in the beginning and before every creature is the ,word2 and it is so powerful that out of nothing it makes all things4 ,hence that irrefragably follows1 which ,john eloquently adds1 that the ,word was and is ,god6 ,and yet1 that the ,word is a person different from ,god the ,father2 even as the ,word1 and he who utters the ,word1 are things absolutely distinct from each other4 ,but at the same time this distinction is of the nature that the most perfect oneness1 if ,i may so speak1 of unity remains4 ,these are lofty mysteries1 nor is it safe to go further into them than the ,holy ,spirit is pleased to lead us4 ,wherefore here let us stop2 content with the knowledge that when the unformed heaven and unformed earth1 each enveloped in mist and darkness1 had stood forth created out of nothing by the ,word1 the light also shone forth out of nothing2 and even out of darkness itself by the ,word4 ,the first work of the ,creator ,paul speaks of as a marvellous work2 ,god that commanded the light to shine out of darkness1 etc4 ,the command of ,god1 says he1 made that light4 ,this therefore is enough for us and sufficient to confirm our faith1 that ,christ is truly ,god1 who existed with the ,father from all eternity before the world was made2 and that by him1 who is the wisdom and word of the ,father1 the ,father made all things4 ,it is remarkable also that ,paul in his passage makes the conversion of the wicked the work of a new creation1 and a work wrought also by the ,word4 ,but here reason impiously busies itself with foolish questions4 ,it argues1 if the ,word ever existed1 why did not ,god create the heavens and the earth before by that ,word8 ,and again1 ,since the heavens and the earth were first made1 when ,god began to speak1 it seems to follow that the ,word then first had existence1 when the creatures began to exist1 etc4 ,but these impious cogitations are to be cast from us for concerning these things we can determine nothing nor think aright4 ,for beyond that beginning of the creation is nothing but naked and divine essence2 naked deity6 ,and since ,god is incomprehensible that also is incomprehensible which was before the world2 because it is nothing less than naked ,god6 ,we believe it right therefore to speak only of the beginning1 because we cannot advance beyond the beginning4 ,but since ,john and ,moses affirm that the ,word was in the beginning1 and before every creature1 it of necessity follows that the ,word was ever in the ,creator and in the naked essence of ,god4 ,therefore he is the true ,god2 yet so1 that the ,father begets and the ,son is begotten4 ,for ,moses establishes this difference when he names ,god1 who spoke and the word which was spoken4 ,and this was enough for ,moses to do2 for the clearer explanation of this mystery properly belongs to the ,new ,testament and to the ,son1 who is in the bosom of the ,father4 ,in the ,new ,testament therefore we hear the literal names of the sacred persons1 the ,father1 the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,these indeed are indicated in certain psalms1 and in the prophets but not so distinctly expressed4 ,augustine explains the word somewhat otherwise4 ,for he interprets the expression said in this manner4 ,said2 that is1 it was so defined from all eternity by the word of the ,father2 it was so appointed of ,god4 ,because the ,son is the mind1 the image and the wisdom of ,god4 ,but the true and simple meaning is to be retained4 ,god said2 that is1 ,god by the ,word made and created all things4 ,this meaning the apostle also confirms when he says1 ,by whom also he made the worlds1 ,heb4 #a3b4 ,and again1 ,all things were made by ,him and for ,him1 ,col4 #a3af4 ,and within these limits ought to be confined every thought of the creation2 our duty is to proceed no further2 if we do1 we fall headlong into certain darkness and destruction4 ,let these facts therefore be sufficient for us in any question concerning the world and its creation4 ,with respect to the material of the world that it was made out of nothing2 as the light was made out of that which was not light1 so the whole heavens and the whole earth were made out of nothing2 as the ,apostle says1 ,he calleth those things that are not1 as though they were1 ,rom4 #d3ag4 ,with respect to the instrument or medium which ,god used1 it was his omnipotent word which was with ,god from the beginning1 and as ,paul speaks1 before the foundation of the world1 ,eph4 #a3d4 ,therefore when ,paul says in ,col4 #a3af1 ,all things were made by him1 for he uses the preposition1 after the ,hebrew manner1 for per2 the ,hebrews thus use their letter ,,beth2 this and all similar passages are taken from this verse of ,moses1 who is here speaking of the ,word uttered1 by which anything is commanded or demanded4 ,this ,word was ,god1 and was an omnipotent ,word1 spoken in the divine essence4 ,no one heard this ,word uttered but ,god himself2 that is1 ,god the ,father1 ,god the ,son and ,god the ,holy ,ghost4 ,while it was uttered the light was generated2 not out of the material of the ,word nor out of the material of the speaker1 but out of darkness itself4 ,the ,father spoke within1 the work was immediately wrought without1 and the light existed4 ,in the same manner also were all things afterwards created4 ,these facts1 ,i say1 concerning the manner of the creation are amply sufficient for us4 ,,iv4 ,but here again a well known question is perpetually agitated1 namely1 of what kind was that light by which the original unformed mass of heaven and earth was illumined1 seeing that neither the sun1 nor the stars1 were then created2 and yet the text shows that this light was real and material4 ,this fact has given occasion to some to have recourse to an allegory1 who would explain the matter thus3 ,let there be light2 that is1 the angelic nature4 ,and again1 ,god divided the light from the darkness2 that is1 he separated the holy angels from the wicked angels4 ,but this is to trifle with allegories1 utterly out of place and not to interpret ,scripture4 ,moses is here historically recording facts4 ,he is moreover writing and penning a record for unlettered men2 that they may have the plainest possible testimonies concerning the great creation4 ,such absurdities therefore are not here to be tolerated4 ,a second question is here also agitated1 namely1 whether this light moved itself with a circular motion4 ,i confess that ,i for my part know not the truth of the matter4 ,but if any one desires to know what ,i consider the nearest to the truth my opinion is1 that this light was movable1 so that its motion from east to west1 or from its rising to its setting formed the natural day4 ,although it is difficult to describe the kind of light it was1 yet ,i am by no means inclined to think that we should depart1 without cause1 from the plain grammar of the subject2 or that we should use any violence by wresting from their common meaning the plainest terms4 ,for ,moses distinctly affirms that there was light2 and he reckons this as the first day of the creation4 ,my opinion is therefore that this was true and real light2 and that it revolved with a circular motion as the light of the sun revolves4 ,i believe however that this light was not so clear and splendent as it afterwards was1 when augmented1 ornamented and beautified by the light of the sun4 ,even as the sacred ,scriptures testify that in the last day ,god will make the present light of the sun1 now unclean1 in comparison with its future brightness1 far more splendid and glorious2 as therefore the present light is as it were a thick and imperfect mass of light1 when compared with that light which shall be1 so that original light was imperfect when compared with the light that now shines4 ,such are my sentiments concerning these two questions4 ,moses then proceeds to say3 ,v4 #e4 ,and there was evening and there was morning one day4 ,we must here first observe that the ,jews begin their day differently from us4 ,with them the day commences from the evening and the setting sun and terminates on the evening following4 ,we begin our day with the rising sun4 ,and it is very remarkable that the ,jews derive their term evening1 which they call ,,aeref1 from ,,araf which signifies to mingle or confound4 ,in the same manner from the term ,,aref they form their expression ,,arof1 which our countryman renders by ,cynomia1 dogfly1 which may signify a confused fly4 ,because in the evening1 the appearances of things are confused and indistinct1 and when the light is removed cannot be clearly discerned4 ,v4 ,moses has taught us concerning the first day4 ,we shall see however that ,moses retains this same expression ,god said in the creation of all the other creatures4 ,and ,god said let there be a firmament1 etc4 ,the very repetition of this same expression ought to be most delightful to us1 because as ,i said1 it brings to us a mighty testimony for the confirmation of our faith2 that the ,son1 in these eternal things1 is very ,god2 and that in the unity of the divinity there is a plurality of ,persons2 because the speaker is one ,person and the ,word spoken another ,person4 ,in this manner also the ,psalmist speaks1 ,by the ,word of ,jehovah were the heavens made1 etc41 ,ps4 #cc3f4 ,and ,solomon implies the force of this wonderful phrase of ,moses1 when he writes that the divine wisdom was as it were the handmaid of the ,creation4 ,i was set up from everlasting1 from the beginning1 before the earth was1 etc42 when he established the heavens1 ,i was there2 when he set a circle upon the face of the deep1 ,prov4 #h3bc1 #bg4 ,here ,solomon shows that he fully understood this doctrine of our religion1 so plainly set forth by ,moses2 and that he understood it in a manner beyond the knowledge of the ignorant multitude1 who heard these things1 and read them1 but understood them not4 ,for had not ,solomon fully understood this mystery1 he could not have spoken thus4 ,but he drew all these things from this verse of ,moses1 as from a deep and holy fountain4 ,another proof of this his divine knowledge is ,prov4 #cj3c1 ,what is his name1 and what is his ,son's name1 if thou knowest8 ,i believe also that there were similar writings of other holy men1 such as of ,enoch1 ,elijah1 etc41 in which there existed many testimonies of the same kind4 ,but as even at the present day1 these things though plainly revealed in the ,new ,testament remain hidden1 and are by many not only not received1 but fiercely opposed1 so to a much greater extent did it happen among the ,jewish people1 while the holy fathers set these mysteries before the wise in divine things1 with the greatest skill and wisdom4 ,to us it is great consolation to know that these divine mysteries were thus shadowed forth by ,moses from the beginning of the world2 that in these divine beings there is a plurality of persons and yet a unity of the divine essence4 ,and if there are some who do not believe1 but fiercely oppose this doctrine1 what is that to us8 ,abraham saw three1 and adored one6 ,and the ,holy ,spirit says1 ,gen4 #ai3bd1 ,then ,jehovah rained fire from ,jehovah out of heaven4 ,although fanatics understand not nor regard these words1 yet we know that they are the words not of a drunken man1 but of ,god4 ,many such testimonies as these exist throughout the ,old ,testament1 which that excellent man1 ,hilary1 has diligently collected4 ,if these testimonies are obscure1 and to the wicked and unbelieving seem to be unfounded1 yet to the godly all things which are revealed and handed down to us in the ,holy ,scriptures are firmly founded and sufficiently clear4 ,they know that the ,person speaking is one ,person and that the ,word spoken is another ,person2 not in nature but in ,person2 and is that ,word by which all things were made in the beginning2 and by which they are all upheld to this day2 as ,paul says in his ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 ,upholding all things by the ,word of his power1 ,heb4 #a3c4 ,but here we are to be admonished that the words1 ,let there be light1 are the words of ,god and not of ,moses2 that is1 that they are realities1 facts1 works6 ,for ,god calleth those things that be not as though they were2 and ,god speaks not grammatical words but very and substantial things4 ,so that what with us is sounding voice1 is with ,god a substantial thing1 a reality6 ,thus1 the sun1 the moon1 the heaven1 the earth1 ,peter1 ,paul1 you1 and ,i1 are all and each1 words of ,god6 ,yea1 we are single syllables or single letters as it were of and in comparison to the whole creation4 ,we also speak1 but we can only speak grammatically1 or in letters4 ,that is we give names to created things1 etc4 ,but divine grammar is quite another thing6 ,when ,god says1 ,shine thou sun1 the sun immediately exists and shines forth4 ,thus the words of ,god are things1 not mere words6 ,here therefore there has been rightly made a distinction between the word created and the word uncreated4 ,the word created is a thing1 or fact1 or work done1 by means of the word uncreated4 ,for what is the whole creation but the word of ,god spoken forth or uttered8 ,but the word uncreated is the divine mind or thought1 the internal command of ,god1 flowing from ,god1 and the same as ,god1 and yet it is a distinct ,person4 ,and thus ,god reveals himself unto us as the speaker1 having with or in himself1 the word increate1 by which he created the world and all things with the utmost facility of operation1 namely by merely speaking6 ,so that there was no more difficulty with ,god in creating than with us in speaking4 ,it was in such meditations as these that the pious fathers ,augustine and ,hilary found their delight4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,god',s ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,second ,,day4 ,i4 ,v4 #f4 ,and ,god said1 ,let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters1 and let it divide the waters from the waters4 ,moses may here seem to have forgotten himself in that he treats not at all of two most important themes3 the creation and the fall of the angels1 but confines his sacred narrative to the creation of corporeal things4 ,though there is no doubt that angels were created1 yet not one word is found in all the ,scriptures concerning their creation1 their battle1 or their fall2 except that which ,christ briefly utters1 ,john #h3dd1 in reference to the devil1 that he abode not in the truth2 except also that woful account of the ,serpent1 which the sacred historian hereafter gives us in the third chapter of ,genesis4 ,it is wonderful therefore that ,moses is wholly silent on things of such great interest4 ,hence it is that men having nothing certain recorded upon the subject1 naturally fell into various fictions and fabrications1 that there were nine legions of angels1 and that so vast was their multitude that they were nine whole days falling from heaven4 ,others have indulged imaginations concerning the mighty battle between these superior beings1 in what manner the good resisted the evil angels4 ,my belief is that these ideas of the particulars of this battle were taken from the fight which exists in the church1 where godly ministers are ever contending against evil and fanatical teachers1 and that on this ground they have formed their ideas of the battle of the good angels against the evil ones who wished to usurp ,deity4 ,but so it ever is4 ,where no plain testimonies exist rash men consider themselves at liberty to imagine and invent what they please4 ,in the same manner men form their various opinions concerning the danger and the fear of angels and of the evils they work1 all which opinions are founded on ,is4 #ad3ab1 #ac1 where ,lucifer is represented as having said in his heart1 ,i will ascend into heaven1 ,i will exalt my throne above the stars of ,god4 ,but the prophet is there predicting the greatness of the pride of the ,king of the ,babylonians4 ,bernard again has the idea that ,lucifer foresaw in ,god that his purpose was to exalt man above the nature of angels1 that his proud spirit envied man this felicity and that he fell in consequence4 ,but let the ,christian man take these things at their own value and at no more4 ,for myself ,i would by no means urge any one to give his assent to any such opinions4 ,the things that are certain are1 that the angels fell1 and that the devil from having been an angel of light was made an angel of darkness4 ,perhaps there was also a conflict between the good angels and the evil4 ,as ,moses however was writing to a new and uninformed people his object was to write those things only which were useful and necessary to be known4 ,the nature of angels therefore and other kindred subjects which were not necessary to be known he passed by4 ,wherefore nothing on the whole of this obscure subject1 beyond what ,moses has plainly recorded1 ought to be expected from me4 ,the more especially so1 as the ,new ,testament itself treats very sparingly of this deep theme4 ,it says nothing more concerning the angels than that they were condemned and that they are still held as it were in prison and in chains until the judgment of the last day4 ,let it suffice us therefore to know that there are good angels and bad angels1 but that ,god created them all alike good4 ,whence it follows of necessity1 that the evil angels fell and stood not in the truth4 ,but how they fell and stood not in the truth is unknown4 ,it is nevertheless probable that they fell by pride2 because they despised the ,word or ,son of ,god1 and wished to exalt themselves before him4 ,this is all ,i have to say4 ,now let us return to ,moses4 ,,ii4 ,we have heard that the work of the ,first ,day was the rude unformed heavens and earth1 both of which ,god illumined with a certain impure and imperfect light4 ,we now come to the work of the second day1 where we shall see in what manner ,god produced out of this original rough undigested mist or nebulosity1 which he called heavens1 that glorious and beauteous heaven which now is1 and as it now is2 if you except the stars and the greater luminaries4 ,the ,hebrews very appropriately derive the term ,,schamaim the name of the heavens from the word ,,maim1 which signifies waters4 ,for the letter ,,schin is often used in composition for a relative1 so that ,,schamaim signifies watery1 or that which has a watery nature4 ,this indeed appears so from the color of the heavens4 ,and experience teaches that the air is humid by nature4 ,philosophers also say that if there were no sun the air would be a perpetual humidity4 ,but they assert that the air is both humid and warm1 but that it is humid from its own nature1 because the heaven was made out of waters1 and that therefore it is1 that it rains and contains a fructifying moisture2 but because the light and heat of the sun are added to it1 the humid nature of the air is so tempered that it is also warm4 ,this thick and rude mass of mist or nebulosity1 created out of nothing on the first day1 ,god grasps by his ,word and commands it to extend itself into the form and with the motion of a sphere4 ,for in the ,hebrew the word ,,rakia signifies a something extended2 from the verb ,,raka1 which means to unfold or expand4 ,and the heaven was formed by an extension of that original rude body of mist1 just as the bladder of a hog is extended into a circular form when it is inflated4 ,i use thus a rustic similitude that the sacred matter may be the more plainly understood4 ,when therefore ,job #cg3ah says that the heavens are strengthened with iron1 that the sky is strong as a molten mirror1 his mind is not dealing with the material but with the ,word of ,god1 which can make a thing the softest by nature the hardest and the firmest4 ,for what is softer than water8 ,what is thinner or more subtile than air8 ,yet these things1 which were the most subtile and the softest by nature1 from being created by the ,word preserve their form and motion with the greatest perfection and the greatest firmness4 ,whereas1 had the heaven been formed of adamant or of any material infinitely harder still1 it would by its rapid1 long and continuous motion1 have soon been broken in pieces or melted4 ,in the same manner the sun1 by his rapid motion1 would melt in one day even if formed of the hardest material1 were it not for the ,word of ,god by which it was created4 ,for motion is of itself very creative of heat4 ,hence ,aristotle asserts that the lead of the arrow is sometimes melted by the velocity of its motion4 ,these facts of nature therefore are miracles of ,god1 in which the omnipotence of his ,word is clearly discerned1 exhibiting the wonder that the heaven1 though softer and more subtile than water1 and performing continuously the most rapid revolution1 and that too with so vast a variety of bodies and their motions1 should have existed and revolved so many thousands of years uninjured and unweakened6 ,it was this that caused ,job to say1 that the heavens were molten1 as it were1 of brass1 ,job #cg3ah2 that they are by nature the softest of substances4 ,how great the subtility of the air is in which we live1 we ourselves know perfectly well2 for it is not only not tangible1 but not discernible4 ,and the heaven1 or ether1 is still more subtile and thinner than the air or atmosphere4 ,for its blue or sea-color or water-color appearance is not a proof of its density1 but rather of its distance and its thinness2 to which its rarified state1 if you compare the thicker substances of the clouds1 the latter will appear in comparison1 like the smoke of wet wood when first ignited4 ,it is to this extreme subtility1 yet unaltered durability1 that ,job alludes as above mentioned4 ,so philosophers have among them this celebrated maxim1 ,that which is humid is limited by no boundary of its own4 ,wherefore the heaven which cannot consist by any boundary of its own1 being aqueous1 consists by the ,word of ,god2 as it is taught in the present divine record of ,moses1 ,let there be a firmament6 ,gen4 #a3f4 ,hence philosophers who were more diligent in their inquiries formed their conclusion1 and that by no means a light one for nature to form1 that all things were ruled and governed1 not by chance nor at random1 but by a divine providence2 seeing that the motions of the heavens and of the superior bodies are so certain and so peculiar to themselves4 ,who indeed could possibly say that all these things proceeded by chance1 or by their own mere undirected nature1 when even the workmanship of men proceeds not from chance1 but from skillful art and certain design1 such as pillars formed round1 triangular1 hexagonal1 etc48 ,all these things therefore are the works of the divine ,majesty6 ,by him the sun holds his course so accurately and with so fixed a law1 that he deviates not a hair's breadth from his all-certain path in any one part of heaven4 ,this course he holds in the most subtile ether1 supported by no substances or bodies whatsoever1 but is borne along as a leaf in the air4 ,though this comparison is neither strictly correct nor appropriate1 because the motion of a leaf is irregular and uncertain2 but the course of the sun is ever certain1 and that too in an ether far more subtile than this atmosphere in which we move and live4 ,this marvelous extension of the original rule and dense nebulosity or cloud or mist is here called by ,moses a firmament1 in which the sun with all the planets have their motion round the earth1 in that most subtile material4 ,but who is it that gives such firmness to this most volatile and fluctuating substance8 ,most certainly it is not nature that gives it1 which in far less important things than these can exert no such power4 ,it follows therefore that it is the work of him1 who in the beginning said unto the heavens and unto this volatile substance1 ,let there be a firmament1 or ,be thou a firmament1 and who establishes and preserves all these things by his omnipotent power1 put forth through his ,word4 ,this ,word makes the air with all its thinness and lightness to be harder and firmer than adamant1 and to preserve its own boundary2 and this ,word could on the contrary make adamant to be softer than water1 in order that from such works as these we might know what kind of a ,god our ,god is2 namely1 the ,god omnipotent1 who made out of the rude mass of unformed heavens the present all-beauteous1 all-glorious heaven2 and who did all these things according to his will as well as according to his power4 ,but ,i have said that with the ,hebrews the firmament derives its name from a verb in their language signifying to extend4 ,it is to this signification of the ,hebrew verb that ,david beautifully alludes1 in his similitude of military hide-coverings and tents which he uses in ,ps4 #ajd3b1 when he says of ,god ,who stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain4 ,for as the rolled-up hide-covering of the military tent is unrolled and then stretched out as a canopy to the stakes which are fixed in the earth1 so ,thou1 ,o ,god1 says ,david1 unrolledst as it were and stretchedst out the first formed1 but as yet unformed1 rude heaven1 into the present glorious firmament1 where ,thou sittest invisibly as on a sphere over the whole creation1 in the midst of all things and yet out of and above all things4 ,it is a circumstance naturally exciting our particular wonder that ,moses evidently makes three distinct parts or divisions of this portion of the creation4 ,he describes a firmament in the midst of the waters1 which divides the waters from the waters4 ,for myself ,i am inclined to think that the firmament here mentioned is the highest body of all2 and that the waters1 not those above the firmament1 but those which hang and fly about under the firmament1 are the clouds1 which we behold with our natural eyes2 so that by the waters which are divided from the waters1 we may understand the clouds which are divided from our waters which are in the earth4 ,moses however speaks in the plainest possible terms1 both of waters above and of waters under the firmament4 ,wherefore ,i here hold my own mind and judgment in captivity and bow to the ,word1 although ,i cannot comprehend it4 ,but a question here arises1 what those waters are and how those bodies of water which are above the firmament are distinguished from those which are under the firmament4 ,the division and distinction here made by philosophers is well known4 ,they make the elements to be four2 and they distinguish and place them according to their qualities4 ,they assign the lowest place to the earth2 a second place to the water2 a third to the air2 and the last and highest place to the fire4 ,other philosophers add to these four elements ether as a fifth essence4 ,after this division and number of the elements1 there are numerated seven spheres or orbs of the planets1 and an eighth sphere of the fixed stars4 ,and on these subjects it is agreed among all philosophers that there are four spheres of generating and corruptible principles2 and also eight others of non-generating and incorruptible principles4 ,and ,aristotle disputes concerning the nature of the heaven2 that it is not composed of the elements1 but has its own peculiar nature1 because if it were composed of the elements it would be corruptible1 in that these substances would mingle together and mutually produce and suffer corruption4 ,therefore he will not attribute to heaven and the heavenly bodies the primary qualities1 primas qualitates1 that is1 the attributes of the elements1 and says that they are simply creatures possessing a co-eternal light1 and qualities and attributes peculiarly their own1 and created with them4 ,now these things1 although they are not certain1 yet since they contain principles of a most beautiful theory1 gathered from a course of reasoning approaching the truth1 are useful for instruction1 and it would be barbarous if one should determine to neglect or despise them1 since in some respects they harmonize with experience4 ,for we experience it to be the truth that fire by its very nature travels beyond itself1 as is seen in the phenomena of the lightning and the fiery meteors in the air4 ,by these principles1 learned from experience1 they are led to give fire the highest place1 next to it the air1 after it water comes third1 and last the earth in the lowest place1 since in weight it surpasses all the others4 ,these things have their place and use as rudiments or primary principles1 which if any one contend that they are not universally true1 yet they are true in general and serve to the end that we may learn and hand down to others the true theories4 ,for though fire can be struck from flint1 yet it cannot therefore be denied that in the highest regions there is fire4 ,therefore theology gives these theorists this rule1 which philosophy does not know sufficiently1 that although ,god ordained and created all these things by his ,word1 yet he is not therefore bound to these rules so that he can not change them according to his good pleasure4 ,for we see that neither grammar nor the other sciences are so perfectly set forth in rules that there are no exceptions2 thus the laws of public and secular affairs step in and temper all things with reason4 ,how much more can this be done in divine things1 so that1 although we indeed experience that the four elements are ordained and disposed by ,god1 yet they can1 contrary to this order1 also have and maintain fire in the middle of the ocean1 just as we saw that it was hidden in flint4 ,likewise the mathematicians have concluded that there were a definite number of spheres1 not that it is necessary to be so1 but because one can not teach anything definitely about such things unless one distinguishes the spheres thus1 on account of the variety of their motions1 about which one can teach nothing without such imagination1 if ,i may so name it4 ,for teachers and professors of these sciences or theories say3 ,we give examples1 not because they are in every detail correct1 but in order that no one may teach differently concerning those subjects4 ,therefore it would be the height of folly to despise and ridicule such things as some do1 because it is not so sure that it could not be different1 for they serve to the end that good arts and sciences may be taught1 and that is sufficient4 ,the philosophers in general teach such things1 to which the more modern theologians agree and add to these eight spheres two more1--the crystalline1 glacial or aqueous heaven1 and then the empyreal or fiery heaven4 ,the ,greeks however have discussed these themes much more elegantly and prudently than our scholars4 ,for ,ambrose and ,augustine have had very childish thoughts4 ,therefore ,i praise ,jerome because he simply passed over them in silence4 ,there are some who hold that the crystalline heaven is watery1 because they think it is the waters of which ,moses here speaks1 and there the firmament or eighth sphere is added so that they be not consumed by their rapid and constant motion4 ,but these are puerile thoughts1 and ,i will rather confess that ,i do not understand ,moses in this passage than that ,i should approve such illiterate thoughts4 ,the seventh heaven they call empyreal2 not because it is fiery or burning1 but from the light which is lucid and splendid4 ,this heaven in the home of ,god and of the blessed1 because it was filled immediately after creation with angels1 and ,lucifer1 as they affirm1 fell from this heaven4 ,these are about all the ideas that theologians have added to the opinions of philosophers4 ,however1 our scientists1 who have studied astronomy1 teach that there are still more spheres2 namely1 twelve1 and three motions in the eight spheres2 as1 the motum raptum1 motum proprium1 motum trepidationis1 a rending motion1 a characteristic motion1 and a trembling motion4 ,for of such things indeed one cannot speak1 unless he give each motion its own sphere4 ,averrois had other thoughts1 more absurd and far more in agreeable to reason4 ,for he advocated that each sphere was an intellect1 or an intelligent nature4 ,the occasion or cause of these foolish thoughts was that he saw the infallibly perfect and most regular motion of the heavenly bodies4 ,therefore he thought these spheres were intelligent substances1 each setting itself in motion in a sure and continuous manner4 ,but from this follows the greatest and worst ignorance of ,god2 wherefore we repudiate the thoughts of ,averrois4 ,but the others1 which we have mentioned1 we approve in so far as they are useful to be taught4 ,for indeed this knowledge of the motion of the heavenly bodies is most worthy of all praise1 however little that knowledge may be4 ,moses however proceeds with his narrative of the creation in all simplicity and plainness1 as they say2 making here three divisions3 waters above the firmament1 waters under the firmament1 and the firmament in the middle4 ,in the term heaven1 ,moses comprehends all that body which philosophers represent by their eight spheres1 by fire and by air4 ,for the sacred historian makes no mention of the flowing of the waters until the third day4 ,and it is manifest that the air in which we live is called in the holy ,scriptures the heaven2 because the ,scriptures speak of the fowls of heaven1 ,job #bh3ba2 ,ps4 #h3h4 ,it also speaks of the heavens being shut when it does not rain1 #a ,kings #h3ce4 ,and again it speaks of the heavens giving their dew1 ,zech4 #h3ab2 all these things take place in the air1 not in the spheres of the moon or of the other planets4 ,this distinction of the spheres therefore is not ,mosaic nor scriptural but is an invention of men as an aid to instruction on these astronomical subjects2 and which ought not to be despised as such an assistance4 ,and although they say that the elements are corruptible1 yet ,i doubt it1 for ,i see indeed that they remain4 ,and although a part at times is changed1 yet it follows that the whole will be changed2 but these changes of the elements are only in part4 ,thus the air remains unchanged in which the birds live and fly2 also the earth upon which the trees and other things grow1 though certain parts of the same are changed4 ,now ,aristotle makes the cause of all these things the first mover1 primum motorem4 ,averrois however says the cause of these motions are formae assistentes a foris2 that is1 intelligent natures which move from without4 ,following ,moses we say that all these things are brought forth and governed simply by the ,word of ,god4 ,he spake and it was done4 ,he never commanded that the angels should govern these bodies2 just as we ourselves are not governed by the angels1 although we are guarded and kept by the angels4 ,thus also that the motion of the planets retrogrades is the work of ,god created by his ,word1 which work belongs to ,god himself1 which is greater and higher than can be attributed to angels1 but ,god1 who thus distinguished these things1 governs and preserves them4 ,and it is the same ,god who commanded the sun to start in its course but the firmament to stand still1 said also to the planets and the stars1 thou shaft move so and so4 ,the ,word does even this2 namely1 it makes the most uncertain motion the most certain1 even though these heavenly material bodies move in the fluctuating atmosphere1 and not in any place or along any material line4 ,for as a fish in the middle of the sea1 a bird in the open heavens1 so the stars move in their appointed course1 but in a motion most secure and very wonderful indeed4 ,thus also this is clearly the cause why the ,elbe river here at ,wittenberg and in this district has its fixed and continuous course and dare not become weary4 ,all such works are the works of the ,word1 which ,moses here honors and praises3 ,he said1 etc4 ,but we ,christians ought to meditate and think on these things and their causes differently from philosophers4 ,although there are some things which are beyond our comprehension1 as for instance these waters that are above the firmament1 all such things are rather to be believed with a confession of our ignorance than profanely denied1 or arrogantly interpreted according to our shallow comprehension4 ,it behooves us ever to adhere to the phraseology of the holy ,scriptures1 and to stand by the very words of the ,holy ,spirit1 whom it pleased in this sacred narrative by his servant ,moses1 so to arrange the different parts of the great work of creation1 as to place in the midst the firmament2 formed out of the original mass of the unshapen heaven and earth1 and stretched out and expanded by the ,word2 and then to represent some waters as being above that firmament and other waters under that firmament1 both waters being also formed out of the same original rude undigested matter4 ,and the whole of this part of the creation is called by the ,holy ,spirit the heaven2 together also with its seven spheres and the whole region of the air2 in which are meteors and signs of fire and in which the wandering fowls make their homes4 ,therefore these common principles we will not oppose nor deny1 when they say everything by nature sinks under itself1 and everything light rises above itself1 although we also see that dense heavy vapors arise but by reason of the influence and motion of heat4 ,we say also that all these things were thus created and maintained by the ,word1 and they can also by virtue of the power in the same ,word be changed yet today2 as all nature will finally be altogether transformed4 ,thus also it is contrary to the rule given that waters should be above the heaven or firmament1 and yet the text affirms it4 ,to return therefore unto the principal matter before us2 when any inquiry is instituted as to the nature of these waters1 it cannot be denied that ,moses here affirms that waters are above the heaven2 but of what kind or nature these waters are1 ,i freely confess for myself that ,i know not2 for the ,scriptures make no other mention of them than in this verse1 and in the ,song of the three children1 in the ,apocrypha1 ,dan4 #c3fa2 and ,i can attempt to declare nothing certain on these and similar subjects4 ,hence ,i can say nothing whatever as known and understood concerning the heaven where the angels are and where ,god dwells with the blessed2 nor concerning other kindred things1 which shall be revealed unto us in the last day1 when we shall have been clothed with another body4 ,but ,i add1 for the sake of those who do not understand this1 that in the ,scriptures the word heaven often signifies what we call the horizon4 ,hence the whole firmament is called the heaven of heavens1 in which are gathered the heaven of all human beings2 that is1 the horizon4 ,in this respect we have a different heaven here in ,germany than the people in ,france or ,italy4 ,but this name helps nothing at all in the explanation of our text4 ,therefore the greater number of theologians interpret here waters1 as also indicated above1 the glacial heaven1 the cold heaven1 which is located where it is that it may moisten and refresh the lower sphere in their great and swift motion1 lest they be consumed by their excessive heat4 ,but whether they have thus concluded correctly1 ,i will leave unanswered4 ,i freely confess that ,i do not know what kind of waters these are4 ,for the old teachers of the church did not specially worry about this1 as we see ,augustine condemned all astrology4 ,although it contains much superstition1 yet it should not be entirely despised1 for it is wholly given up to the observation and consideration of divine themes1 a zeal and diligence most worthy of human beings4 ,therefore we find that many most highly talented and excellent persons have exercised themselves in astrology and obtained pleasure from it4 ,sufficient has been said on this subject to show that on the second day the heaven was separated and located so that it stood in the middle between the waters4 ,,iii4 ,but here another question presents itself4 ,to the works of all the other days there is added the divine sentence of approbation1 ,and ,god saw that it was good4 ,how is it then that the same sentence is not added to the second day's work1 when the greatest and most beautiful part of the whole creation was made8 ,to this question it may be replied1 that this same divine sentence is added at the end of the creation of all things on the sixth day and more fully expressed thus1 ,and ,god saw everything that he had made1 and1 behold1 it was very good4 ,and these words apply to the heaven also4 ,lyra is inclined to think with ,rabbi ,solomon1 that as this divine expression1 ,and ,god saw that it was good1 is uttered twice during the third day's work1 one of the divine sentences refers to the second day's work2 which was perfected on the third day1 when the waters which are under the heaven were more distinctly divided from the waters which were above the heaven4 ,but it is by far the safest way not to be too curious and inquiring on these subjects2 because they exceed our human capacity4 ,others speculate here and give reasons they understand not1 that the second number is of an evil omen1 because it is the first number that departs from the unity of ,god1 but ,god was displeased with this digression and approved of the unity1 and therefore he did not add the clause it was good on the second day4 ,lyra is however right in calling this a misleading and dangerous explanation4 ,for in this manner all the numbers depart from the ,unity4 ,therefore it is far the safest not to be too curious and inquiring in these subjects1 because they are placed above our human capacity4 ,for how can we understand that order which ,god himself establishes and approves4 ,yes1 reason must here be put to shame1 for what is order in the eyes of ,god we judge to be the confusion of order4 ,thus the stars seem to us to be arranged thoughtlessly in wild disorder in that the bright ones are scattered among those more obscure1 and the lesser among the greater4 ,who would judge this to be order8 ,and yet it is the most perfect harmony1 so constituted by the all-wise mind itself4 ,in like manner we judge of other matters4 ,it seems confusing that our ,elbe and all rivers flow to the sea in an irregular winding course4 ,such disorder there seems to be also among trees1 yes1 between man and wife1 where it appears there is no order4 ,but all this only proves that ,god is a ,god of order and that his judgment as to order is quite different than ours4 ,we therefore cease to follow more curiously the question why ,god added twice to the third day1 ,and ,god saw1 etc41 and omitted it on the second day4 ,nor will we conclude rashly whether the work of the second day was finished in the third day or not4 ,philosophers have handed down the rudiments of the arts and of the science of astronomy1 and in doing so they divided the heaven into various spheres4 ,we have a much simpler theory or science1 in that we at once make ,god the immediate ,creator of all things by his ,word1 ,dixit1 ,and ,god said4 ,for how can we understand that order which ,god approves as such8 ,nay1 our natural reason must here of necessity be confounded2 for that which is order with ,god is in our judgment confusion4 ,hence the stars appear to us to be in a state of wild disorder2 the bright being mingled with the more obscure1 and the lesser with the greater4 ,who would judge this to be order8 ,and yet it is consummate harmony2 and so constituted by the all-wise ,mind4 ,and so we judge of other things4 ,our river ,elbe seems a confusion2 as do all other rivers also2 because their streams empty themselves into the sea by winding courses4 ,in the same manner trees seem to present a confusion4 ,nor do males and females in the world and their unions and combinations appear to be a state of order4 ,all here also as to the appearance of things is disorder and confusion4 ,all these things therefore unitedly prove that ,god possesses an order1 and judges of it1 differently from ourselves4 ,cease we therefore to penetrate into these things with too much curiosity1 why it is that ,god repeats the divine sentence in question twice during the work of the third day and omits it altogether in the work of the second day8 ,nor determine we rashly whether the work of the second day was finished on the third day or not4 ,philosophers laid down the rudiments of the arts and of the science of astronomy2 and in so doing they divided the heaven into its various spheres4 ,but we adopt a simpler and more true method of procedure and judgment2 for we at once make ,god the immediate ,creator of all things by his ,word1 ,and ,god said4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,god',s ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,third ,,day4 ,i4 ,v4 #i;a4 ,and ,god said1 ,let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place4 ,in the foregoing ,i observed that we do not understand the order of the works of ,god4 ,had he therefore asked us our opinion here we should have advised him to use such an order as to add the sentence now in question to the work of the second day4 ,but ,god will ever be master of his own order and the ruler of the world4 ,wherefore we ought not to be over curious here4 ,the text plainly declares that ,god commanded the waters under the heavens to be gathered together unto one place4 ,it does not say as before1 ,v4 #g1 under the firmament1 where it is said1 and ,god divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament4 ,the heavens therefore1 according to the phraseology and definition of the ,scriptures1 are the whole of the higher region and its machinery1 together with the entire body of the air and all its spheres4 ,the ,hebrew name is derived from the material of which it is composed2 namely1 from that confused body of water1 by the extension or expansion or multiplication of which it was formed4 ,for that first body of unformed water was not so extensive in itself1 but was so expanded or spread out by the ,word4 ,just as ,christ1 according to the record of the ,gospel1 so multiplied a few loaves by his blessing as to make them suffice for a great multitude of men4 ,what therefore we philosophically call the air1 with all its spheres1 ,moses here calls the heavens4 ,but by waters he means the waters of our seas and rivers1 which were also formed out of that original unformed mass of water2 or out of the dregs or lees of it1 as it were1 after the heavens had been formed or expanded out of it by the ,word4 ,i believe however that the nature and power of our water are far inferior to those of the heavenly waters4 ,for our waters are1 as ,i have said1 the dregs1 as it were1 of the higher waters4 ,so that they may be said to have been gathered together not only as to their place or position1 but as to their body or substance1 because these latter waters are heavier than those of the air or heaven4 ,for we can breathe in the air1 but we cannot breathe in the water4 ,and when ,moses says that these waters were gathered together unto one place collectively1 he is rather to be understood as speaking in a plural or distributive sense4 ,as if he had said1 that they were gathered unto various places2 and not that the whole body of the waters was gathered unto one place1 as one ocean1 but that they were distributed into various seas and rivers2 some higher up1 and some lower down1 some greater1 and some less1 etc4 ,v4 #i;b4 ,and let the dry 7land7 appear4 ,these words claim particular attention1 because ,moses had just before said1 that the earth was ,,tohu and ,,bohu2 that is unformed1 rude and uncultivated1 mixed with waters and washed by the waters on every side4 ,here therefore ,moses also means that this original mass of earth was sunk under the waters and covered by them4 ,otherwise1 why should he represent ,god as saying ,and let the dry land appear1 if it had not been surrounded by the abyss of water and almost covered with these original nebulous mists or waters8 ,for we have here a confirmation of that which ,i have repeatedly set forth2 that the world1 at its first formation1 was nothing but a rude chaotic mass of water and earth2 and now on the third day the earth is brought out and made to appear4 ,as therefore at first the light was brought in upon the waters2 so now1 the beauty of that light is made to shine upon the earth4 ,for both these qualities were necessary to render the earth habitable2 that it should be dry and that it should be in the light or illuminated4 ,,ii4 ,moses now calls the earth dry on account of the removal of the original waters from it4 ,thus we behold the waters of the ocean rage and boil as if they would swallow up the whole earth4 ,for the ocean stands higher than the earth4 ,but it cannot pass its appointed bounds1 for this spot of dry land circumscribes the earth of the first creation2 and even opposes an insuperable barrier to original ocean-waters4 ,hence ,job1 #chth chapter1 and the #ajdth ,psalm bear witness that1 although the sea is higher than the earth and is limited by no boundaries of its own1 yet it cannot pass its boundaries appointed of ,god4 ,for the earth1 being the center of the world1 would naturally be submerged and covered with the sea4 ,but ,god keeps back the sea by his ,word and thus makes the plane of the earth stand forth out of the waters1 as far as is necessary for the habitation and life of man4 ,hence it is by the power of ,god that the waters are prevented from rushing in upon us4 ,god therefore performs for us to this day and will do so to the end of the world1 the same miracle which he wrought for the children of ,israel in the ,red ,sea1 ,ex4 #ad3ba-bb4 ,but he made a special manifestation of his power by working the mighty miracle on that occasion1 to the intent that he might bind that people1 who were few in number1 the more devotedly to his worship4 ,and what else is this our life upon earth1 but a passage through the ,red ,sea1 where the high and threatening walls of water stand up on each side of us8 ,for it is most certainly true that the sea is much higher than the earth4 ,god therefore to this day commands the waters to hang suspended and holds them up by his ,word that they may not break in upon us1 as they burst in upon the world at the deluge4 ,sometimes however signs of ,god's power are still manifested1 whole islands perish under the waters1 whereby ,god shows that the mighty water is still in his hands1 and that it is with ,him either to hold it fast or to let it rush in upon the wicked and the ungrateful4 ,philosophers have their disputes also concerning the center of the world and the circumfluent water4 ,indeed it is wonderful that they go so far as to determine the earth to be the center of the whole creation4 ,and it is from this argument1 that they conclude that the earth cannot fall2 because it is supported from within by the other spheres surrounding it on every side4 ,hence according to these philosophers the heaven and all other spheres rest upon this center1 by which support they themselves also derive their durability4 ,it is well becoming us to know these arguments4 ,but these philosophers know not that the whole of this stability rests on the power of the ,word of ,god4 ,although therefore the water of the mighty ocean is higher than the earth1 yet it cannot pass its appointed bounds nor cover the earth4 ,but we live and breathe as the ,children of ,israel existed in the midst of the ,red ,sea4 ,v4 #aj4 ,and ,god saw that it was good4 ,moses here adds this divine commendation although nothing was wrought beside the division of the waters and the bringing out of waters a small particle of the earth4 ,now above1 at the most beautiful part of ,god's creation1 this short divine commendatory sentence was not added4 ,perhaps it was omitted as an intimation from ,god that he is more concerned about our habitation than about his own2 and that he might by such intimation animate us to higher feelings of gratitude and praise4 ,for we were not destined to exist in the air or in the heaven1 but on the earth where we were appointed to support our life by meat and drink4 ,therefore after ,god adorned the roof of man's habitation1 namely1 the heaven1 and added the light1 he now spreads its floor and makes the earth suitable for the dwelling service of men4 ,this part of his work1 ,god twice declares to be good on our account1 by which he would intimate that we men form so great a part of his care1 that he is desirous to assure us by such a twofold approbation of this portion of his creation-work wrought with so much care that he would ever hold it under his peculiar protection2 that he would grant it his perpetual presence1 and would prevent our great enemy and our most certain death1 the mighty water1 from rushing in upon us4 ,beautifully therefore did ,god form in the beginning the foundation and roof of this house4 ,now let us see how he furnished and garnished it4 ,,iii4 ,v4 #aa4 ,and ,god said1 ,let the earth put forth grass1 herbs yielding seed1 and fruit trees bearing fruit after its kind1 etc4 ,god1 as we have seen1 has now constructed the first and the principal parts of man's house4 ,its roof1 the heaven1 is most beautiful1 but it is not yet fully adorned4 ,its foundation is the earth4 ,its walls are the mighty waters on every side4 ,god next makes provision for our food4 ,he commands the earth to bring forth herbs and trees to bear fruit of every kind4 ,here you may again see why the earth was before called ,,tohu and ,,bohu2 because it was as yet not only dark1 but altogether barren of fruit4 ,but mark what kind of food ,god prepares for us2 namely1 herbs and fruits of trees4 ,i believe therefore that our bodies would have been much stronger and healthier if this surfeiting and especially the eating of flesh of all kinds since the flood had not been introduced4 ,for although the earth after the sin of ,adam was cursed1 and because still more corrupt after the flood1 yet our food of herbs would have been much more refining1 thin and pure1 had we still lived on them1 than our gross feeding on flesh is now4 ,it is quite evident that in the beginning of the world the food of man was herbs1 and it is equally evident that the herbs were created for the very end that they might be food for man4 ,that the earth produces grain1 trees and herbs of every kind is the work of this day4 ,now indeed1 all things spring forth from the seed of their kind4 ,but the original creation was wrought without any seed1 by the simple power of the ,word4 ,indeed that seeds now put forth their plants is still the effect of the work of the original creation by the ,word1 and it is a work full of wonder and admiration4 ,for it is a singular act of ,god's power that the grain1 falling on the earth1 springs forth in its time and brings forth fruit after its kind4 ,and that like plants should be put forth from like seeds in an unceasing and unchanging order1 is sure proof that it is not the consequence of a chance creation1 but the especial operation of divine providence4 ,hence from wheat grows nothing but wheat2 from barley nothing but barley2 from the bean nothing but beans2 for the same continuous and unaltered nature1 order and condition of each plant are constantly preserved4 ,philosophy knows nothing of the cause of all this and attributes the whole to nature4 ,we however well understand that nature was so created at the first by the power of the ,word1 that the seeds and forms of all plants might be exactly and perfectly preserved4 ,wherefore not only are the first-day waters of heaven multiplied1 as there is need2 but the first seeds are also multiplied1 as ,god sees fit1 and they all preserve their original form and nature with the utmost perfection4 ,here again a question is frequently raised as to the time or season of the year1 in which the world was created2 whether the creation was wrought in the spring or autumn4 ,and although the opinions of men differ on this point1 yet each one has his own reasons and conjectures4 ,those who prefer making autumn the season of creation1 consider that they prove their judgment to be correct from the fact that the trees when first created produced their fruit4 ,for ,adam and ,eve ate of their fruit4 ,they prove their opinion moreover to be the right one1 as they think1 by the argument that the works of ,god are perfect6 ,others will have it1 that the spring was the time of the creation1 because the spring is the most beautiful season of the year and is1 as it were1 the infancy and childhood of nature4 ,hence it is that the ancient poet ,ovid describes the spring as being the originating cradle-time of the world4 ,neither party however has sufficient ground for concluding their arguments to be exclusively right2 for the sacred text supports both opinions1 because it declares1 that the earth brought or budded forth1 which certainly is not the time of autumn1 but of spring4 ,it also declares that fruits then existed2 which it is equally certain is not the time of spring4 ,wherefore1 my opinion is that such was the miracle wrought of ,god at the first creation of the world that all these things existed at the one time2 the earth budded forth1 the trees blossomed1 and the fruits1 in their perfection1 immediately and suddenly followed2 and then the miracle ceased2 and nature gradually fell into her regular order4 ,thus1 all these herbs and trees are propagated by means of their seeds in the same kinds and forms as those in which they were first created4 ,hence men reason wrongly1 when they argue from the natural to the supernatural effect4 ,for the whole is to be attributed to the ,creator and to his first creation-work1 in which he at the same time perfected the infant buddings of spring and the mature fruits of autumn1 as far as the herbs and the fruits of the trees were concerned4 ,moreover this state of things at the creation induced ,hilary and others to conclude that the world stood forth suddenly at the ,word of ,god in all its full perfection2 and that ,god did not employ six whole natural days in the work of creation4 ,for the text compels us to confess that the trees together with their fruits existed on the same day ,adam was created4 ,but although all this was indeed wrought of ,god very much more quickly than it is now for this same work of ,god in our age generally occupies six months of time1 yet the text does not use the verb to fructify only but also the verb to germinate4 ,with reference therefore to this question1 concerning the time of the creation1 it is most probable that the spring was the season in which the world was first created4 ,hence the ,jews begin their year at this season1 making the first month of spring the first of their year1 that being the time of the year when the earth begins to open its bosom and all things in nature bud forth4 ,concerning this part of the creation another question is also raised as to the time when the unfruitful or barren trees and herbs were created4 ,for myself ,i would not attempt to settle anything as to this point1 but ,i will offer my opinion4 ,i believe that all trees were in the beginning good and fruitful2 and that the beasts of the field and ,adam had as it were one and the same table2 and that they all fed on wheat1 pulse and the other nobler fruits2 for there was then the greatest possible abundance of all these creatures4 ,after the sin of ,adam however ,god said for the first time to the earth that it should bring forth thorns and briars4 ,wherefore there can be no doubt that we have so many trees and herbs which are of no use whatever for food as the divine punishment of that first sin of ,adam4 ,hence it is that many have considered the whole original state of earth paradise1 on account of the blessing and the abundance which attended the first creation4 ,those who held this opinion affirmed that the expulsion of ,adam from ,paradise was his being deprived of this happy state of the earth and placed among thorns1 where frequently after the greatest labor scarcely any benefit is derived4 ,on this matter however we shall speak hereafter4 ,but with respect to the present question1 ,i am quite inclined to think that all the trees were fruitful when first created4 ,the curious reasoning of the men of our day is detestable2 when they inquire in their arguments1 why it was that ,god adorned the earth with fruits on the third day before he had garnished the heaven with stars8 ,they affirm that such a part of the creation-work belonged rather to the work of the sixth day2 and that it would have been more appropriate as the heaven was first expanded before the earth was brought forth1 had the heaven been adorned before the earth4 ,for they say that the adorning of the earth belonged more properly to the sixth day4 ,lyra would make here the subtle distinction that this was not the ornament of the earth but the form of it4 ,however ,i doubt whether any such distinction can be admitted1 as satisfactory4 ,my opinion is that1 as ,i have before said1 the order adopted by ,god in all these things is not to be submitted to the exercise of any judgment of ours4 ,indeed was not the heaven adorned with that light1 which was created on the first day8 ,that light was assuredly the most beautiful ornament of the whole creation4 ,in this sacred matter ,i therefore much prefer that we consider the divine care and goodness exercised in our especial behalf1 in that ,god prepared a habitation so beautiful for the man1 whom he was about to create1 before he created him1 in order that when created he might find a habitation already prepared and furnished for him1 into which thus ready and garnished ,god led him when created1 and commanded him to enjoy all the fruits and provisions of his ample abode4 ,thus on the third day were prepared the food and the store-room4 ,on the fourth day the sun and the moon were given for the service of man4 ,on the fifth day dominion was committed to him over the fishes and the birds4 ,on the sixth day the same dominion was intrusted to him over all the beasts1 that he might use all the rich blessings of these creatures freely1 according to his necessities2 and as a return ,god only required that man should acknowledge the goodness of his ,creator and live in his fear and worship4 ,this peculiar care of ,god over us and for us even before we were created1 may be contemplated rightly and with great benefit to our souls1 but all conjectures1 reasonings and arguments upon the great subject of the creation are uncertain and fruitless4 ,the same care for us is manifest in his spiritual gifts4 ,for long before we are converted to faith ,christ1 our ,redeemer1 rose and ascended above1 and is now in the house of his ,father preparing mansions for us2 that when we arrive there we may find heaven furnished with everything that can complete our joy4 ,adam therefore not yet created was much less able to think of his future good than even we are1 for he as yet had no existence at all4 ,whereas we continually hear all these things from the ,word of ,god1 as promised to us4 ,let us look at this first creation of the world therefore as a type and figure of the world to come1 and thereby let us learn the exceeding goodness of ,god1 who thus benefits1 blesses and enriches us1 even before we are capable of thinking for ourselves4 ,this solicitude1 care1 liberality and beneficence of ,god1 both for our present and future life1 are matters more becoming us to contemplate and admire than it is to enter upon speculations and conjectures as to the reason why ,god began to ornament the earth on the third day4 ,let these observations suffice concerning the work of the third day in which a house was built and furnished for man4 ,now follow the remaining days in which we were appointed rulers1 to have dominion over the whole creation4 ,,part ,,iv4 ,,god',s ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,fourth ,,day4 ,i4 ,v4 #ad;a4 ,and ,god said1 ,let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night4 ,this is the work of the fourth day in which those all-beautiful creatures1 the sun and the moon1 together with all the stars1 were created by the ,word4 ,nor were they created as to their substances and their bodies only1 but as to the blessing of ,god upon them and through them2 that is1 as to their powers1 effects and influence4 ,you heard above that on the first day the light was created4 ,this light continued to illumine all things instead of the sun1 the moon and the stars until the fourth day4 ,and on the fourth day those authors and rulers of the day and the night were themselves created4 ,hence there has here arisen a question with reference to this first light2 whether after the sun and the moon were created it disappeared altogether or remained1 embodied in the sun4 ,and on this point a great diversity of sentiments and opinions has existed4 ,my simple belief is that the nature of all these works of ,god is the same4 ,as on the first day the rude unformed heaven and earth were created and afterward completely formed and perfected1 as the originally imperfect heaven was afterward stretched out and adorned with light1 and as the earth was first called forth from the waters and then clothed with trees and herbs1 so the first formed light of the first day1 which was then only begun1 as it were1 and imperfect1 was afterwards perfected and completed by the addition of those new creatures1 the sun1 the moon and the stars4 ,others say that this original light still remains1 but is obscured by the brightness of the sun4 ,both opinions may be true4 ,for it may be that the original light still remains and was as it were the seed-light of the sun and the moon4 ,moses however makes a difference here1 calling the sun and the moon the greater lights4 ,what philosophers say therefore concerning the magnitude of these bodies has properly nothing to do with the text before us4 ,what we have here to do is to observe that the ,scriptures do not speak of these bodies with reference to the magnitude of the bodies themselves but with reference to the magnitude of their light6 ,for if you would compare the sun with the stars and collect all the stars into one body1 you would have a body perhaps greater than the sun1 but that whole body of stars together would not form a light equal to the light of the sun4 ,on the contrary if you could divide the sun into minute particles1 the most minute particles would surpass in brightness the brightest star4 ,for all these bodies were created with an essential difference as ,paul affirms4 ,there is one glory of the sun1 and another glory of the moon1 and another glory of the stars1 etc41 #a ,cor4 #ae3da4 ,and this difference does not consist in the nature or magnitude of their bodies1 but in the nature and essentiality of their creation itself2 so that in this the work of ,god's creation is more wonderful4 ,hence marvellous beyond expression or thought is the fact that the rays of the sun should be dispersed through such length and breadth1 with such wonderful properties of nourishment and heat to all bodies under their influence2 and that1 too1 while the sun itself revolves with such amazing velocity4 ,astronomers say also that the stars are lighted as it were by the sun so that they shine4 ,likewise they say that the moon borrows its light from the sun4 ,and this is beautifully proved in an eclipse of the moon1 when the earth comes between the sun and moon and the light of the sun is not transmitted to the moon4 ,i do not deny nor reject this1 but ,i do hold however that it is of divine power that this efficacy is added to the sun to light and illumine even the distant moon and stars with its own light2 and likewise that the moon and stars are so created that they have the capacity to receive the light that is projected from the sun so far away4 ,augustine sets forth two opinions about the moon in the beginning of the #abth ,psalm1 and in his discussions he forces an allegory upon the church1 while he himself defines nothing4 ,but ,i leave this2 for from astronomers as from master artists we most readily learn what points are possible to be disputed in this science4 ,i am satisfied that in these bodies so glorious and useful for our life we discern the goodness and power of ,god1 who created such things by his ,word and conserved them to the present day for our use4 ,these are matters belonging to our calling or profession2 that is1 they are theological themes1 and they have the efficacy to comfort and strengthen our hearts4 ,what is further discussed concerning the nature and attributes of these creatures1 although for the most part approaching the truth and studied with profit1 yet ,i see that the reason is by far too weak to understand these things perfectly4 ,therefore the greatest men of genius and learning1 overwhelmed by the worthiness of these creatures1 could not conclude otherwise than that they are eternal1 and1 as it were1 gods4 ,since1 therefore1 philosophers define a star to be a denser point within its own orbit1 we come much nearer the truth when we define it to be light created by ,god through his ,word4 ,and it is indeed more likely that the stars are bodies round like the sun1 little globes fixed to the firmament1 so that each gives light by night1 according to its gift and its creative functions4 ,v4 #ad;b4 ,and let them be for signs and for seasons1 and for days and years4 ,when ,moses adds above1 ,and let them divide the day from the night1 he intimates that difference between the natural and the artificial day1 so universally made by astronomers4 ,for he had before said1 ,and there was evening and there was morning one day2 were the second day1 etc41 where he is speaking of the natural day which consists of #bd hours1 during which the first great movable body1 the sun1 performs his revolution from east to west4 ,but here1 when the sacred historian says1 ,and let them divide the day from the night he is speaking of the artificial day1 the space of time during which the sun is above the horizon4 ,,ii4 ,these therefore are the primary offices of the sun and the moon3 to be the rulers and directors of the night and the day2 whereas the stars perform not these offices nor are so appointed of ,god4 ,but the sun1 when he rises1 brings in the day without the rising or aid of the other stars4 ,so the moon1 even independently of the stars1 is the ruler of the night and makes the night2 for she is created by ,god for that very office4 ,as to these changes of the day and the night1 they are ordained for the refreshment of our bodies by sleep and rest4 ,the sun shows his brighter light for man's work4 ,the moon has her paler light as more adapted for repose than for work4 ,but what is the meaning of ,moses when he says1 ,and let them be for signs1 etc48 ,lyra explains it as signifying signs of rains and storms1 etc4 ,this in an interpretation which ,i would not strongly oppose2 though ,i have great doubts whether these ,lights in the firmament of heaven do1 or can1 pre-signify rains1 tempests1 etc41 with any certainty1 as the poet ,virgil and others represent in their writings4 ,the gospel does indeed make a reddened evening a sign of fair weather1 and on the contrary a lowering morning a sign of foul weather1 ,math4 #af3b-c4 ,with respect therefore to the common saying that the rising of the constellation of the ,pleiades indicates rain and other proverbs of a similar description1 ,i will not with great concern tear them to pieces1 nor will ,i at once admit and confirm them1 because ,i cannot see that they are all uniformly sure and certain4 ,i hold the simplest meaning of the text is that he does not speak of such inferior signs1 but greater signs1 such as eclipses and collisions of heavenly bodies1 so that a sign is a wonder1 a prophecy or miracle1 by which he reveals his wrath or the misfortune of the world4 ,if any think this explanation is too coarse1 let us remember that ,moses wrote for a rude people4 ,here belong meteors and the rare phenomena which take place in the air1 when stars are seen to fall1 when halos surround the sun and moon1 when the rainbow appears and similar things happen in the sky4 ,for ,moses calls the heaven the whole aqueous mass in which the stars and planets move1 also the highest sphere4 ,we speak of spheres and circles to make the explanation plainer4 ,for the ,scriptures know nothing of these and say that the moon with the sun and stars are not each in its sphere1 but in the firmament of heaven1 below and above are the waters4 ,that they are signs of future events1 experience teaches concerning planet collisions and meteors4 ,the expression ,for seasons claims particular attention4 ,the term in the ,hebrew is ,,lemoedim2 and ,,moed signifies a stated1 fixed1 certain time4 ,hence it is a term commonly used in the ,scriptures to signify a tabernacle of covenant2 because there certain feasts were accustomed to be held in a certain place and time according to certain rites4 ,therefore it is that ,moses describes the sun and the moon as being created ,for seasons2 not only because the seasons are ruled and evidently changed by the course of the sun2 for we see that most inferior bodies are changed by the access and recess of the sun2 and the quality of the air according to which our own bodies are also changed is of one kind in the winter1 of another in the summer1 of another in the autumn and of another in the spring2 but because we observe other differences and distinctions of times and seasons in civil life1 all which are derived from the motions and revolutions of these heavenly bodies4 ,hence at a certain time of the year men make their contracts for building houses1 hire their servants and their services1 and collect taxes1 debts and rents1 etc4 ,all these are services rendered us and blessings bestowed upon us by the sun and the moon1 that we may by their laws and revolutions divide the times and seasons for the various labors of man and enjoy many other blessings which they confer4 ,it is by them that we divide and number our weeks1 months1 quarters1 etc41 etc4 ,the next expression1 ,for days1 refers to the natural day1 during which the sun performs his revolution round the earth4 ,our being enabled therefore to number days and also years1 are blessings of the creation and are thus ordained of ,god4 ,wherefore philosophers define time to be an enumeration of motions1 which numbering could have no existence if the heavenly bodies did not move by a sure and fixed law4 ,if they all stood fixed in a certain place without motion1 numbering could have neither commencement nor regulation4 ,and where there is no numbering of days1 months1 years1 etc41 there is no time4 ,hence a man in a sound sleep1 being destitute of all sense of number and of all faculty of enumeration1 knows not how long he sleeps4 ,in a like manner1 though we can in a measure recollect our infancy1 yet we are not conscious of the fact of having sucked the breasts of our mothers2 and yet we then had natural life4 ,the reason is that we were deficient in the sense of number and the power of annumeration4 ,for this same reason beasts know nothing of time2 just as infants have no such knowledge4 ,the sense and faculty of number therefore prove man to be a peculiar and superior creature of ,god on which account we find ,augustine declaring the faculty of annumeration to be an especial gift of our nature1 and proving from this very gift the immortality of the soul2 because man alone can calculate and understand time4 ,with reference to the future life1 some here inquire whether the offices of these heavenly bodies are designed of ,god to cease4 ,but the life to come will be without time4 ,for the godly will enjoy an eternal day and the ungodly will have an endless night and eternal darkness4 ,the sun therefore makes the day1 not only by his light and brightness1 but by his motion1 which he makes from east to west until he rises again at the end of #bd hours and thus makes another day4 ,wherefore astronomers make three great benefits to proceed from the sun3 his motion1 his light and his influence4 ,concerning his influence however ,i shall enter upon no subtle inquiry4 ,it is enough for me to know that these heavenly bodies were created for our use2 that they may be unto us ,for signs of wrath or of grace and for seasons1 that we might observe certain distinctions of time1 etc4 ,these things1 because they are taught us in the ,holy ,scriptures are sure4 ,all things else1 such as the doctrines and predictions of astrologers1 are not thus certain4 ,one is wont to inquire here concerning the astrological predictions which some confirm and prove from this text4 ,if they are not defended perseveringly and pertinaciously1 ,i will not combat them strongly4 ,for one ought to concede to the ingenious and learned brains their playground4 ,therefore when one reads of the misuse and unbelief of their superstitions1 ,i would not be greatly offended if one exercise himself in these predictions for the sake of pleasure4 ,as to that which pertains to the practice of astrology ,i could never he persuaded to count astrology among the sciences1 for the reasons that it has no clear demonstration or visible proof4 ,that they cite experiences does not influence me4 ,for all astrological experiences are merely particular4 ,for those1 skilled in the practice only1 have observed and committed to writing the things that have not failed2 the other experiences1 however1 in which they failed or were not followed by the results they predicted would certainly follow were not committed to writing nor remembered4 ,but just as ,aristotle says that one swallow alone does not make summer1 so ,i think one cannot form a true and complete science from such single and particular observations4 ,for just as it is said of hunters1 they may hunt every day1 but they do not find game every day4 ,the same may be said of astrologers and their predictions1 because they fail very often4 ,but now since they indeed contain some truth1 what folly it is at the same time that one should be so anxious about the future4 ,for grant that it is possible to know the future through the predictions of astrologers1 were it not in many respects far better1 if they are evil1 to be entirely ignorant of them than to know them1 as ,cicero contends8 ,instead it is much better to stand in the fear of ,god always and to pray than to be tormented and tortured by the fear of future events4 ,but more of this at another time4 ,wherefore my judgment is that astrological predictions cannot safely and satisfactorily be founded upon this passage of ,scripture2 for they are1 as ,i have said1 signs observed and collected by reason4 ,but the next and proper meaning1 if we understand ,moses concerning the signs1 which ,god knows and shows1 is to the end that men in general may be admonished and terrified by them4 ,let these observations on the fourth day suffice4 ,now here begins to open upon us and to present itself to our meditation that great subject1 the immortality of the soul4 ,for no creature besides man can understand the motion of the heaven or estimate the celestial bodies and their revolutions4 ,the pig1 the cow1 the dog cannot measure the water they drink4 ,but man can measure even the heaven and form his calculations of all the heavenly bodies4 ,wherefore a spark of eternal life glitters forth here from the fact that man is naturally exercised in this knowledge of all nature4 ,for this anxious inquiry indicates that men were not created with the design that they should live forever in this small weak portion of ,god's universe2 but that they should occupy the heaven1 which in this life they so admire and in the study and contemplation of which they are continually engaged4 ,if heaven were not the destination of man what aim or need was there for his being endowed with this wide capacity for rich knowledge and thought4 ,indeed the stature and form of the body of man also argues that he was designed for heavenly things1 even though his origin was so very mean and humble4 ,for ,god made the first man from the common earth4 ,after this the human race began to be propagated from the seed of the male and female1 in which the embryo is formed in the womb in all its particular members1 and there it grows until by its birth it is ushered forth into the light of heaven4 ,from this birth comes the life of sensation1 the life of motion and the life of operation4 ,when at length the body has grown and the man has a sound reason and soul in a sound body1 then first shines forth in all its brightness that life of intelligence found in no other earthly creature4 ,by this faculty1 leaning on the aid of the mathematical sciences1 which no one can deny were indicated and taught from above1 man mounts in his mind from earth to heaven1 and leaving behind him the things below concerns himself about and inquires into heavenly things4 ,hogs do not do this1 nor cows nor any other beasts of the earth1 it is the employment of man alone4 ,man therefore is a being created of ,god with the design that at an appointed time he should leave the earth1 dwell in heavenly mansions and live a life eternal4 ,these great principles of man's creation form the reasons why he is able not only to speak and to judge1 which are things pertaining to language and argument1 but is capable also of acquiring any science whatever4 ,from this fourth day therefore begins to be manifested the peculiar glory of our race4 ,because ,god here forms his mind and purpose to create such a being as should be capable of understanding the motions of those heavenly bodies1 which are created on this fourth day2 and a being who should delight himself in their knowledge1 as peculiarly and exclusively adapted to his nature4 ,all these things therefore ought to call forth our thanksgiving and praise2 while we reflect that we are the citizens of that heavenly country which we now behold1 understand and wonder at1 yet understand only as strangers and exiles1 but which after this life we shall behold nearer and understand perfectly4 ,hitherto therefore we have heard the divine historian speak of those creatures only1 which are endowed with neither life nor sense2 although some philosophers have spoken of the stars and the greater heavenly bodes1 as if they were animate and rational4 ,this ,i think has arisen from the motion of these bodies1 which is rational and so certain that there is nothing like it in any other creatures4 ,hence some philosophers have affirmed that the heavenly creatures were composed of body and intellect1 though their bodies were not material4 ,plato reasons thus in his ,timoeus4 ,all such opinions however are to be utterly exploded and our whole intellect is to be subjected to the ,word of ,god and to what is there written4 ,the ,holy ,scriptures plainly teach that ,god made all these things1 that he might by them prepare for the man1 whom he was about to create1 a home and a hospitable reception2 and that all these things are governed and preserved by the power of the same ,word1 by which they were originally created4 ,wherefore all things being at length prepared pertaining to the furniture of his home1 the ,scriptures next show us the manner in which man was formed and introduced into his possession to the end that we might be taught that the providence of ,god over us and for us is greater than all our own care and concern for ourselves can possibly be4 ,these things are plainly taught us in the ,scriptures4 ,all other things not supported by the authority of the ,scriptures are to be repudiated and rejected4 ,i have therefore thought it especially becoming and necessary to repeat here that admonition which ,i have frequently given1 that we ought constantly to acquaint and familiarize ourselves with the phraseology of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,for no one can successfully study any of the human arts unless he first correctly understands the idiom of the language in which its principles are described4 ,for lawyers have their peculiar terms1 unknown to the physician and the philosopher4 ,in like manner1 the latter have each a phraseology peculiar to themselves with which the professors of other arts have little or no acquaintance4 ,now one art ought not to perplex another4 ,but every art ought to maintain its own course in its own way and to adopt its own peculiar terms4 ,accordingly we find the ,holy ,spirit1 to use a language and a phraseology peculiar to his own divine self1 declaring that ,god created all things by his ,word or by speaking them into being2 ,he spake and it was done2 that he wrought all things by his ,word2 and that all the works of ,god are certain words of ,god1 certain things created by the uncreated word4 ,as therefore the philosopher uses his own terms1 so the ,holy ,ghost uses his4 ,hence when the astronomer speaks of his spheres1 his cycles and his epicycles1 he does so rightly1 for it is lawful for him in the profession of his art to use such terms as may enable him the better to instruct his disciples4 ,on the other hand the ,holy ,ghost will know nothing of such terms in the sacred ,scriptures4 ,hence those ,scriptures call the whole of that part of the creation which is above us1 ,the heaven1 nor ought that term to be disapproved by the astronomer2 for the astronomer and the ,scripture both adopt1 as ,i have said1 terms peculiar to themselves4 ,it is in this manner that we are to understand the term seasons in the sacred text before us4 ,for the term season with the philosopher and with the ,hebrew has not the same signification4 ,with the ,jews the term season signifies1 theologically1 an appointed feast or festival2 and also the intervals of days1 which concur and conjoin to form the year1 wherefore this term is everywhere rendered by the word feast or festival or festivity2 except where it is used to signify a tabernacle or tent4 ,i deemed it best to offer these admonitions concerning language and phraseology before we advance further1 and ,i hope they will not be found useless or out of place1 as showing the importance that every art should confine itself to its own language and terms2 that no one art should condemn or deride another1 but that each should rather aid the other and render mutual services4 ,and this indeed the professors of all arts do1 in order that the unity of the whole state may be preserved2 which1 as ,aristotle says1 cannot be constituted of a physician and a physician2 but must be formed of a physician and a husbandman4 ,,part ,v4 ,,god',s ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,fifth ,,day4 ,i4 ,v4 #bj4 ,and ,god said1 ,let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures1 and let birds fly above the earth1 etc41 etc4 ,we see ,moses retains invariably the same sacred phraseology1 ,and ,god said1 etc4 ,hitherto he has been speaking of the superior creatures2 the heaven with all its host of planets and stars1 which ,god created out of water by the ,word1 and gave light unto it1 just as we now see the air around us lucid1 with a natural illumination4 ,moses now proceeds to speak of new creatures also produced out of the waters2 namely1 of birds and fishes4 ,he connects these two creatures in his narrative on account of their similarity of nature4 ,for as the fish swims in the water1 so does the bird swim as it were in the air4 ,though their flesh differs1 yet they have the same origin4 ,for the sacred text is here quite plain1 that the birds when created out of the waters immediately flew into the air where they now live4 ,moses here retains moreover his uniform term in calling the whole region above us1 heaven4 ,and first it is worthy of admiration that1 although the fishes and the birds were both created out of the same matter1 the waters1 yet as the bird cannot live in the water1 neither can the fish exist1 if brought into the air4 ,physicians rightly argue1 when they affirm that the flesh of birds is more wholesome than that of fishes1 even though the nature of birds is also aqueous2 because they live in a more rarified element2 for air is a purer element than water2 the latter1 in which the fish are generated and live1 being constituted of the dregs as it were of the former4 ,philosophers however do not believe this identity of the nature of birds and of fishes4 ,but the faith of the sacred ,scriptures which is far above philosophy and far more certain1 assures us that the nature of the fish and of the bird had the same origin4 ,here again is a further proof of the divine authority and majesty of this book1 in that it sets before us under such various forms that power of ,god by which he created all things1 beyond the conception of all reason and understanding4 ,who for instance could ever have thought1 that out of water a nature could be produced1 which should by no means endure water8 ,but the ,word of ,god speaks1 and in a moment out of water are created birds4 ,if therefore the ,word of ,god but sound1 all things are immediately possible2 and out of the same water shall be formed either fishes or birds4 ,every bird therefore and every fish is nothing more or less than a word of divine grammar or language2 by which grammar all things1 otherwise impossible1 immediately become possible and easy2 by which also things contrary and conflicting become similar and harmonious2 and vice versa4 ,but these divine things are thus written and ought to be diligently observed1 studied and known by us1 that we might learn to admire and adore the power of the ,divine ,majesty2 and that we might edify and strengthen our faith from all these marvellous creation works of ,god6 ,for if one could raise the dead it would be nothing in comparison to this wonderful work2 that a bird was created in a moment out of water6 ,but the reason we do not day by day and continually wonder at these things1 is because by our having seen them always before us1 they have lost their wonder in our eyes4 ,if however one does but believe these things1 he is compelled at once to wonder at them4 ,and that wonder gradually confirms his faith4 ,for if ,god can form a mass of water1 call forth and create the heaven and its stars1 each one of which equals or exceeds the earth itself in magnitude2 if ,god can1 from a small drop of water1 create the sun and the moon1 can he not defend my poor body against all enemies and against ,satan himself8 ,can he not after that poor body is laid in the tomb raise it again to another and a new life8 ,wherefore we are to learn from this book of ,genesis the power of ,god2 that we may accustom ourselves to doubt nothing that ,god promises in his ,word6 ,for1 in this glorious and marvellous creation work is laid a confirmation of our faith in all the promises of ,god2 that there is nothing so difficult1 nothing so impossible1 which ,god cannot do and perfect by his ,word4 ,for all this is here proved by ,god's creation of the heaven1 earth1 sea and all that is in them4 ,but we must here touch upon that which has arrested the attention of the holy fathers1 and especially of ,augustine2 that ,moses in this sacred narrative uses these three expressions in reference to ,god1 ,god said2 ,god made2 and ,god saw2 as if ,god designed by these three expressions1 used by ,his servant ,moses1 to set forth the three persons of the divine majesty6 ,thus by the expression said is signified the ,father4 ,the ,father begat the ,word from all eternity2 and by this same ,word he made in time this world4 ,and these holy fathers applied the expression1 ,god made to the person of the ,son2 for the ,son has in himself the express image of the person of the ,father2 not only of his majesty1 but of his power by which he created all things4 ,hence the ,son gives to all things their existence4 ,and as by the ,father things are spoken into being1 so are they also by the ,son or the ,word of the ,father1 by whom all things subsist4 ,and to these two persons is also added a third2 the person of the ,holy ,spirit1 who sees and approves all things which are created4 ,these three expressions therefore1 said1 made1 saw1 are spoken by ,moses in a beautiful and appropriate manner as attributive of the three divine persons2 that we might by these three expressions the more distinctly understand that great article of faith1 the ,holy ,trinity4 ,for the sole reason these props of our faith were religiously sought by the holy fathers was1 that the profound subject1 the doctrine of the ,holy ,trinity1 so incomprehensible in itself1 might in some measure receive aid to its comprehension4 ,wherefore ,i by no means condemn these pious attempts1 because they are perfectly in harmony with the analogy of faith and most useful also for the instruction and confirmation of faith4 ,in this manner ,hilary also distinguishes other attributes4 ,eternity is in the ,father2 form1 in the image2 and use1 in the gift4 ,he says that the ,holy ,spirit is the gift for use1 because he gives the use of all things2 in that he governs and preserves all things that they perish not4 ,the same fathers hold and affirm also1 ,the ,father is the mind2 the ,son the understanding2 the ,holy ,ghost the will4 ,not that the ,father is without understanding or the ,son without will4 ,but these are attributes2 that is terms or expressions1 which are not applicable to three divine persons collectively1 but to the one or the other divine person1 separately or differently4 ,not1 as we have said1 that the ,father is without wisdom1 etc4 ,but we thus portray and present these divine things to our minds that we may better hold and explain the article of faith on the ,holy ,trinity4 ,when therefore the sacred text says ,and ,god saw that it was good1 the divine expression implies ,god's intended preservation also of the thing which he had in each case just created4 ,for the creature itself1 thus newly created1 could not stand unless the ,holy ,spirit should love it1 and unless this complacency of ,god in his own work should preserve that work4 ,for ,god did not thus create these things1 designing to forsake them when created1 but he approves them and loves them still4 ,the great ,creator by his divine agency still simultaneously stirs1 moves and preserves1 after his own ,god-like method all things which he hath made4 ,i deemed it right thus briefly to touch upon these sacred matters2 for the godly thoughts of those1 who have preceded us in this holy study and whose course we are ourselves pursuing1 are well worthy our knowledge4 ,the expression in the above text1 which ,jerome renders the creeping creature that hath life1 is in the original ,hebrew ,,nephesch1 and signifies a soul or life or something living4 ,moses calls fishes by this name4 ,with reference to birds1 it is well known that they are ,,amphibious2 that is they live either on land or in the air4 ,,ii4 ,v4 #ba;a4 ,and ,god created the great sea-monsters 7whales74 ,an inquiry may naturally here be made1 why ,moses mentions by name1 whales only4 ,but it is so1 that the ,scriptures in general make mention only of the greater fishes4 ,the mention of leviathan and of dragons in the ,book of ,job1 and in other places of the ,scriptures is well known4 ,it is certain however that all the large sea-monsters are called by the name1 whales2 some of which have wings as the dolphin1 the king of fishes4 ,not however because it exceeds all other fishes in size4 ,for the eagle1 the king of birds1 does not surpass all birds1 nor is the lion1 the king1 larger than all other beasts4 ,i believe however the reason of this is that we might know that these huge bodies are really the glorious works of ,god1 and that we might not through any terror at such awe-striking bulks1 imagine that these stupendous animals were not works of ,god1 but unreal monsters4 ,these great facts of creation being thus established in our minds1 it is easy to conclude1 that as these enormous bodies were created by ,god1 the lesser fishes1 such as herrings1 sprats1 minnows1 etc41 were created also by him4 ,let him who would contemplate this more deeply read ,job1 ,chap4 #da4 ,he will there plainly see in what lofty language the ,holy ,spirit1 by means of the poet-author of that book1 lauds that marvellous monster leviathan1 whose strength and confidence is such that he contemns even the force of arrows4 ,such descriptions open our eyes and encourage our faith to believe the more easily and firmly that ,god is able to preserve us also1 who are so indescribably less in magnitude and strength4 ,a question here also raised concerning mice and doormice2 whence and how they originate and are generated4 ,for we find by experience that not even ships1 which are perpetually swimming on the ocean1 are free from mice1 and no house can be thoroughly cleared of mice but that they will still be generated4 ,the same inquiry may be instituted concerning flies4 ,and also whither birds go in the time of autumn4 ,if you ask ,aristotle concerning mice1 his argument is that some animals are homoigena1 generated from a like kind1 and others1 heterogena1 generated from a different kind1 and that mice are heterogena1 because mice1 he says1 are not generated from mice only1 but from putrid matter2 the putridity of which is consumed and gradually becomes a mouse4 ,if you ask by what power this generation is effected1 ,aristotle answers that the putrid humidity of this matter is cherished1 generatively1 by the heat of the sun2 and that by this process a living animal is produced2 just as we see the bluebottle fly generated from horse-manure4 ,but this reasoning is far from satisfying me1 for the sun warms all things1 but generates nothing1 unless ,god speak it into being by his divine power4 ,even supposing therefore that the mouse were generated from putrid matter1 yet the mouse would be a creature of divine power4 ,the mouse is therefore a creature of the divine ,word and power2 and it is1 as ,i believe of an aqueous nature4 ,were it not a creature of the divine ,word and power1 it would have no natural form nor would its species be preserved4 ,whereas it has a form the most beautiful1 in its kind2 legs of such exquisite symmetry1 hair so smooth1 as to make it evident that it was created for a certain order of creatures by the ,word of ,god4 ,in the mouse therefore we admire also the creature and the workmanship of ,god4 ,and the same may as certainly be said of flies4 ,concerning the disappearing of birds ,i have no certain knowledge4 ,for it is not very likely that they retire into regions farther south4 ,indeed the miracle concerning swallows is known by experience1 that they lie as dead in the waters during the winter1 and revive at the approach of summer2 which fact is indeed a great similitude and proof of our resurrection4 ,for these are operations of the divine ,majesty truly wonderful4 ,hence we see them1 but we understand them not4 ,and my belief is that although a single swallow may appear unseasonably1 now and then1 ,i doubt however whether it ever can be the case1 such swallow is restored from its death-like state by ,god himself4 ,unto the creation work of the fifth day therefore belong all crawling1 creeping and flying creatures2 and all other creatures which move in any way in the air or the water4 ,,iii4 ,v4 #ba;b and #bb4 ,and ,god saw that it was good4 ,and ,god blessed them4 ,why did not ,god pronounce the ,word of blessing upon the above inanimate bodies of his creation also8 ,in those cases he only said1 that the bodies which he had created pleased him1 but he did not bless them4 ,but when he comes to the generation and propagation of living bodies1 then he institutes a new mode of their increase and multiplication4 ,hence the sun and the stars1 as we see1 do not generate from themselves bodies like unto themselves4 ,but herbs and trees have this blessing upon them1 that they grow and bring forth fruit4 ,still there is nothing in them like unto this present blessing1 pronounced by ,god upon the living bodies4 ,moses therefore by this ,word of the divine blessing makes a glorious distinction between the bodies before created1 and these living bodies which were created on the fifth day1 because here a new method of generation is instituted4 ,for in this case from living bodies are generated separate kinds of offspring which also live4 ,but this certainly is not the case with trees nor herbs2 for unless they be sown anew they bear no fruit1 nor does a seed grow simply from a seed1 but from a plant4 ,but in the present instance a living body is generated from a living body4 ,this latter operation therefore1 that animal bodies should increase and be multiplied from bodies of their own kind1 is entirely another and a new work of ,god4 ,because a pear-tree does not produce a pear-tree but a pear4 ,but in the latter case1 that which a bird produces is a bird4 ,that which a fish generates is a fish4 ,marvellous indeed and numberless is the multiplication of each species and infinite the fecundity1 but it is greatest in marine and aquatic animals4 ,what then is the cause of this wonderful and admirable generation or propagation8 ,the hen lays an egg2 she cherishes it until a living body is formed in the egg1 which at length the hen hatches4 ,philosophers allege the cause of all this to be the operation of the sun and the heat of the hen's body4 ,i fully grant all this4 ,but divines speak much nearer the truth1 when they affirm that the whole generative process takes place by the effective operation of the ,word1 here spoken by ,god1 ,and ,god blessed them2 and said1 be fruitful and multiply4 ,this ,word of ,god's blessing is present in the very body of the hen and of all living creatures2 and the heat by which the hen cherishes the egg is essentially and effectively the heat of the ,word of ,god2 for without this ,word the heat of the sun or of the body would be utterly ineffectual and useless4 ,wherefore to this admirable part of his creation work ,god adds his peculiar blessing in order that these living bodies now created on the fifth day might be fruitful4 ,from these circumstances may be seen what this divine blessing is1 namely1 multiplication4 ,now when we bless we can effect nothing4 ,all we can do is to pray4 ,but this prayer is inoperative4 ,we cannot effect the things for which we pray4 ,but the blessing of ,god carries with it actual fruitfulness and multiplication4 ,it is at once effectual4 ,on the contrary the divine curse is non-multiplication and diminution4 ,and the curse is also at once effectual4 ,here again1 the phraseology of ,moses is to be carefully observed4 ,what ,moses calls the blessing of ,god1 philosophers call fecundity2 that is1 when certain living and sound bodies are produced from other living and sound bodies4 ,nothing resembles this in trees1 for a tree does not generate the like unto itself2 it is the seed that produces the like of the tree4 ,this is a great and marvellous miracle1 but like all things else in the wonderful works of ,god1 it loses its wonder from our being always accustomed to behold it without reflection or consideration4 ,another question here arises concerning worms and various hurtful creeping things2 reptiles as toads2 and venomous flies and also butterflies4 ,in all these living creatures there is a wonderful fecundity4 ,and it is singular that the more hurtful the creatures the more prolific generally is their generation and the greater their multiplication4 ,but we will leave this question to our subsequent comments on the third chapter of this book4 ,for my belief is that at the time of creation1 now under consideration1 none of these venomous1 hurtful or annoying creatures as yet existed4 ,i believe that they afterwards sprang from the earth1 when cursed by ,god as the punishment of sin1 that they might afflict us and compel us to flee unto ,god in prayer4 ,but more on this subject1 as ,i have just intimated1 hereafter4 ,thus have we then a sight of the living bodies created on the fifth day4 ,and we have seen that the ,word of ,god1 spoken on this day1 is still effectual2 for fishes are still generated from mere and very water4 ,hence fish-ponds and lakes still generate fishes4 ,minnows are generated in fish-ponds1 in which there were none before4 ,for ,i see no likelihood of truth in the trifling arguments of some1 who will have it that fishes caught by birds1 drop their seed into fish-ponds and lakes1 while they are being borne along in the air by their feathered captors2 and that such dropped fish-seed afterwards increases and furnishes the ponds4 ,i believe therefore the true and sole cause of all this generation and multiplication of fishes1 to be ,god's commanding ,word to the water on the fifth day of his creation work to bring forth fishes4 ,i believe that this divine ,word is still effectual2 and that it still works all these things6 ,,part ,,vi4 ,,god',s ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,sixth ,,day4 ,i4 ,v4 #bd4 ,and ,god said1 ,let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind1 etc4 ,we have now seen created the heaven with all its hosts1 the sun1 the moon and the stars4 ,we have seen the sea created1 with its fishes and birds4 ,for as the fishes swim in the water so do the birds swim as it were in the air4 ,to the earth also we have seen added its ornaments of herbs1 trees and fruits4 ,and now1 before man is introduced into this his dwelling place1 as it were1 beasts of the earth are added2 and beasts of labor and burden2 and also reptiles4 ,after all these things man himself is also created6 ,man however is not created that he might fly with the bird nor that he might swim with the fish4 ,but man has a nature common to all other animals in this respect1 that he is designed to live upon the earth4 ,for the use of ships is artificial1 in the construction and use of which man attempts to imitate the fishes and the birds4 ,for the ship performs both movements4 ,it flies in the air and swims on the water4 ,we are not however here speaking of things artificial1 but of things natural4 ,the ,hebrews here make a distinction of names and appellations4 ,they call ,,behamah1 those animals which we denominate beasts of burden2 and they distinguish by the same appellation the lesser beasts of the wood2 such as stags1 goats1 hares and whatever animals feed on food common to us1 and live on herbs and the fruits of trees4 ,but they term carnivorous beasts1 such as wolves1 lions and bears1 etc41 ,,haieso ,,erez2 which is generally and correctly rendered1 beasts of the earth4 ,but whether this distinction is uniformly observed ,i know not4 ,it does not appear to me that the observance of it is uniform4 ,one thing however is quite certain1 that ,moses here intended to comprehend all terrestrial animals1 whether they feed on flesh or on herbs4 ,of all these he affirms that the earth is the mother1 which brought them all forth from herself by the ,word1 as the sea also brought forth all fishes from herself by the same ,word4 ,we have heard above however that ,god said to the water1 ,let the water be moved1 etc41 in order that by this its motion the sea might be filled with fishes and the air with birds4 ,and we have seen also that afterwards the blessing of generation was first added4 ,but here in the creation of terrestrial animals1 another word is used2 and ,god says1 ,let the earth bring forth4 ,he does not say1 ,let the earth be moved4 ,for the earth is a quiescent body4 ,therefore in the creation work of the fourth day1 ,god also says1 ,and let the earth bring forth grass1 verse #aa4 ,for ,god wills that the earth should send forth both animals and herbs without any motion4 ,but whether these animals were formed after the similitude of the formation of man out of the ground1 or whether they burst forth on a sudden1 the ,scriptures define nothing on the subject2 yet as ,moses is here celebrating the formation of man as having been wrought by a peculiar design and contrivance of the mind of ,god2 my own opinion is that all the other animals of the earth stood forth created in a moment1 as the fishes were made on a sudden in the sea4 ,the reason ,god did not here1 ,vs4 #bd and #be1 add his blessing is quite plain2 because it embraces all the creatures mentioned in these verses1 when it is afterwards pronounced on man1 ,v4 #bh4 ,it was sufficient therefore for ,moses to say in this place1 ,and ,god saw that it was good1 ,v4 #be4 ,but let us now approach the last and most glorious work of ,god3 the creation of man6 ,,ii4 ,v4 #bf;a4 ,and ,god said1 ,let us make man in our image1 after our likeness4 ,here again ,moses adopts a new phraseology4 ,the divine expression is not in this place1 ,let the sea be moved1 or ,let the earth bring forth grass or fruits4 ,but the remarkable ,word of ,god here is1 ,let us make1 or form1 or fashion1 or fabricate man4 ,wherefore this expression implies manifest deliberation and counsel2 the like of which is found not in the creation of any former creatures4 ,in those cases ,god says simply without any deliberation1 counsel or particular design of mind1 ,let the sea be moved2 ,let the earth bring forth1 etc4 ,but here where ,god wills to create man1 he turns himself as it were to deep thought and enters into profound counsel and deliberation4 ,first of all then we have here indicated the signal difference between man and every other creature of ,god and his high exaltation above them all4 ,beasts do indeed greatly resemble man in many particulars4 ,they live with him2 they eat with him2 they are brought up with him2 they feed on many of the same things with him2 they rest with him2 they sleep with him1 etc4 ,if therefore you consider their food1 their bringing up1 their housing1 their conservation1 etc41 there is a great similarity between man and beast4 ,moses however here sets before us the striking difference between man and all the animals mentioned2 when he affirms that man was created by the peculiar counsel and providence of ,god2 whereby he signifies that man is a creature far excelling all other animals1 which live a corporeal life2 which excellence was more especially prominent while nature was as yet unfallen and uncorrupted4 ,the opinion of ,epicurus was that man was created only to eat and to drink4 ,this was not separating man from beasts2 for beasts have also their pleasures1 and they pursue them with delight4 ,whereas the sacred text before us forcibly expresses the distinction and separation of man from beast1 when it affirms that ,god took deep thought and certain counsel in forming man2 which counsel was taken1 not only to form man1 but to form him in the image and after the likeness of ,god4 ,this image of ,god is a far different thing from the care of the belly and the indulgence of the appetite2 for these things beasts well understand and eagerly crave4 ,moses therefore in this place signifies to the spiritually minded that we were created unto a life far more excellent than1 and high above1 anything which this corporeal life could ever have been1 even if nature had remained perfect and uncorrupted by sin4 ,for godly teachers well affirm that if ,adam had not fallen ,god would have translated him from an animal life to spiritual life after a certain number of saints had been perfected4 ,for ,adam was not designed by his creation to live without food1 drink and procreation4 ,but all these corporeal things would have ceased at an appointed time2 after a number of saints had been completed2 and ,adam1 together with his posterity1 would have been translated to a life spiritual and eternal4 ,these natural works of our corporeal life1 eating1 drinking1 procreation1 etc41 would still have existed and would have been a service of gratitude to ,god2 which service we should have performed without any of that corrupt concupiscence which cleaves to us since the sin of the fall and without any sin of our own or any fear of death4 ,this would indeed have been a life of pleasure and of sweetness4 ,of such a life it is lawful for us to think2 but such a life is not now possible for us to live4 ,this however we have still left to us3 ,we can believe and with all assurance look for a spiritual life after this present life2 an end of this life in paradise2 thought for us and destined for us by ,god through the merits of ,christ4 ,wherefore the portion of the sacred text before us claims our especial meditation in which the ,holy ,spirit so magnificently extols the human nature and so distinctly separates it from all the other creatures of ,god4 ,for the mere corporeal or animal life of man was designed to resemble in a great measure the life of the beasts of the earth4 ,because as beasts require food1 drink and sleep for the refreshment and restoration of their bodies1 so ,adam was designed also to use these even in his state of innocence4 ,but that which ,moses moreover affirms1 that man was so created unto this animal life that he was also made in the image and after the likeness of ,god1 this is a manifest indication of a life different from and far above a mere animal life4 ,adam was endowed therefore with a twofold life3 an animal and an immortal life4 ,the latter however was not as yet plainly revealed1 but held in hope4 ,had he not fallen by sin therefore1 he would have eaten and drunk1 worked and generated in all innocence1 sinlessness and happiness4 ,i have thought proper to make these admonitory observations upon that difference which ,god made by his deep counsel between us men and all other animals among which he permits us to live4 ,i shall return to this subject hereafter and shall dilate upon it to a greater extent4 ,secondly1 ,i would remark upon this divine ,word ,let us make1 that it pertains to the mystery and confirmation of our faith2 by which we believe that there is one ,god from all eternity and three distinct ,persons in one divinity or divine essence1 the ,father1 the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the ,jews indeed attempt in various ways to elude this passage2 but they can bring nothing solidly or effectually against it4 ,for this passage plagues them to death1 to use the expression of ,occa4 ,that author so describes all trying and tormenting questions1 which he finds he cannot solve4 ,the ,jews assert that ,god uses the same expression elsewhere1 when he includes the angels with himself2 and also where he includes with himself the earth and other creatures4 ,but ,i would here ask in the first place1 why ,god did not use this same expression before in the creation of the previous creatures8 ,i would demand secondly what the creation of man had to do with angels or angels with it8 ,and ,i would thirdly call attention to the fact1 that ,god makes here no mention of angels whatever but simply says1 ,let us4 ,wherefore ,god speaks here of makers or creators4 ,this expression therefore could not design or imply angels4 ,in the fourth place1 it is quite certain that it was not1 could not1 and cannot1 be said that we were created in the image of angels4 ,and fifthly and lastly1 we have the divine ,word in both forms of expression in the plural and also in the singular number1 ,let us make and ,god made4 ,moses therefore here most clearly and most forcibly indicates to us1 that there is internally in the very divinity itself and in the very creative essence1 an inseparable and eternal plurality4 ,suffer we not the gates of hell themselves to wrest this truth from the grasp of our faith6 ,and as to what the ,jews say about ,god's joining the earth with himself when he speaks by the pronoun we or us1 that is frivolous and absurd4 ,for surely the earth is not our maker or creator4 ,why did not the adorable ,god rather join the sun with himself1 when he spoke4 ,for ,aristotle affirms that man and the sun generate man4 ,but neither would this invention succeed2 because we are not made in the image of the earth but we are made in the image and after the likeness of those glorious makers and creators who here speak and say1 ,let us make1 etc4 ,these makers are three distinct persons in one divine essence4 ,it is in the image of these three divine and glorious ,persons that we are created1 as we shall hereafter further hear4 ,and again1 it is extremely absurd for the ,jews to assert with reference to this passage that ,god adopts1 in the words he here uses1 the custom of princes2 who1 for the sake of reverence and dignity1 use the plural number when they speak4 ,but the ,holy ,spirit does not imitate this distancing pomp of terms1 if ,i may so term it2 nor do the ,scriptures know anything of such a manner of speech4 ,wherefore most assuredly the ,holy ,trinity is here intended of ,god2 that in the one divine essence there are three divine ,persons1 the ,father1 the ,son and the ,holy ,spirit2 so that the ,deity is not separated here1 even in this case of action or agency4 ,for all three ,persons here concur and speak unitedly when they say1 ,let us make4 ,for neither does the ,father make any other man than the ,son makes2 nor does the ,son make any other man than the ,holy ,ghost makes4 ,but the ,father1 the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost1 the one same ,god1 are the one same author of the one same work and are the one same creator4 ,wherefore according to this scriptural argument and this holy statement of the truth1 the ,deity or ,godhead cannot be separated objectively1 as the object of divine worship1 nor actively as the creative agent4 ,for the ,father is not known1 but in the ,son through the ,holy ,ghost4 ,hence as actively1 so objectively1 there is but one adorable ,god2 who nevertheless is in and within himself1 substantially or essentially ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit2 three distinct persons in one ,godhead or ,deity4 ,these divine testimonies of this book of ,genesis ought to be dear and delightful to us4 ,for although both ,jews and ,turks deride us1 because we believe that there is one ,god1 but three ,persons in the ,godhead1 yet unless they are prepared impudently to deny the authority of the ,scriptures1 they must be compelled by the present text as well as by the passages above cited to fall in with our doctrine4 ,they may indeed attempt to elude and avoid these testimonies1 nevertheless the sting of this passage still sticks fast in their hearts2 they cannot get rid of the divine expression ,let us make4 ,they can assign no other reason for it than we have here given4 ,nor can they otherwise explain why ,moses uses the plural noun ,,elohim4 ,the reflections and natural convictions arising from these divine expressions they cannot shut out from their hearts and consciences1 notwithstanding all the various means which they adopt in order to do so4 ,and if they deem it the height of their wisdom to elude and get rid of these testimonies1 do they think that we are destitute of ability1 and cannot find wisdom enough to defend them8 ,but the authority of the ,scriptures on our side is far mightier than all wisdom on theirs2 especially since the ,new ,testament reveals the whole divine matter more clearly still4 ,for there the ,son which is in the bosom of the ,father teaches us all these things with a clearness far surpassing all other testimony2 whom not to believe is the highest blasphemy and eternal death4 ,wherefore1 bid we farewell to all these blind corrupters of divine doctrines until we meet them at the day of judgment6 ,but you will say perhaps that these testimonies are too obscure to be appealed to as proofs of so important an article of faith4 ,i reply1 these divine things were spoken at this time1 thus obscurely1 according to the counsel and purpose of ,god2 and for this very reason1 because they were all left to that ,great ,lord and ,teacher1 who was to come2 until whose advent the restitution of all things was reserved2 even the restitution of all knowledge and of all revelations4 ,those mysteries therefore which in the beginning were set before us thus obscurely1 ,christ when he came revealed1 made known and commanded to be preached4 ,nevertheless the holy fathers were in possession of this knowledge by the ,holy ,spirit2 though not so clearly as we possess it now1 who hear in the ,new ,testament the names of the ,father1 and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,ghost plainly declared4 ,for when ,christ came it was necessary that all those seals should be unloosed1 and all those things openly preached1 which in the beginning had been purposely delivered to us in obscure words in reverence to the ,great ,teacher who was to come4 ,and had not the ,holy ,spirit deferred this clear knowledge to the time of the ,new ,testament1 ,arians would have existed long before the birth of ,christ4 ,wherefore the ,holy ,spirit willed that this sun of knowledge should be opposed to the devil in these last times1 that his eyes might be the more intolerably dazzled1 that he might the more virulently envy men such a brightness of knowledge1 and be thus the more terribly tormented4 ,thirdly4 ,a whole sea of questions is here agitated as to what that image of ,god was in which ,moses here says man was formed4 ,augustine has dwelt largely on the explanation of this passage in his book ,on the ,trinity4 ,those divines in general1 who retain the division and definition of ,aristotle1 follow ,augustine4 ,they consider the image of ,god to be those powers of soul1 memory1 mind or intellect and will4 ,they affirm that the image of ,god consists in these three qualities2 which image1 they say1 is found in all men4 ,and their argument is1 that as in divine things the ,word is begotten of the substance of the ,father1 and as the ,holy ,spirit is the complacency or good pleasure of the ,father1 so in man from the memory proceeds the word of the heart1 which is the mind of the man2 which word being uttered there is developed the will1 which will the mind beholds and with which it is delighted4 ,these divines affirm moreover that the similitude1 after which man was formed1 stands in gratuitous gifts4 ,for as a similitude is a certain perfectness of an image1 so1 they say1 the created nature of man is perfected by grace4 ,according to their views therefore the similitude of ,god in man consists in his memory being adorned with hope1 his intellect with faith and his will with love4 ,it is in this manner1 they assert1 that man is created in the image of ,god2 that man has a mind1 a memory and a will4 ,again they state the sacred matter thus3 ,man is created after the similitude of ,god2 that is1 his intellect is illuminated by faith1 his memory is confirmed by hope and constancy1 and his will is adorned with love4 ,fourthly4 ,divines give other divisions and definitions of the qualities of this image of ,god1 in which man was originally created4 ,they hold that memory is the image of the power of ,god1 mind the image of his wisdom and will the image of his justice4 ,it was after this manner that ,augustine1 and after him others1 bent their minds on the discovery of certain trinities of natural qualities or endowments in man4 ,for they thought that by this mode of explanation1 the image of ,god in man would be the more clearly seen4 ,these not unpleasing speculations do indeed argue faithful employment and great acuteness of mental ability1 but they by no means aid the right explanation of this image of ,god4 ,wherefore though ,i do not altogether condemn and reprobate this diligence and these deep thoughts1 by which divines desire to reduce all things to a kind of sacred trinity1 yet ,i doubt whether such attempts are very useful1 especially seeing that others may push them too far4 ,for it is on these grounds that some rest their disputes in favor of free-will2 which1 they say1 naturally follows from this image of ,god4 ,they argue thus3 ,god is free4 ,since therefore man is created in the image of ,god1 man also has a free memory1 a free mind and a free will4 ,out of this kind of reasoning therefore many things fall1 which are either spoken untruly at first1 or are afterwards wrongly understood or wickedly perverted4 ,it is from this source that the dangerous doctrine has arisen1 according to which men affirm1 that ,god so rules and governs men that he permits them to use their own mind and movement4 ,by this sentiment and teaching many most objectionable opinions have been generated4 ,from this same source has originated that pernicious saying1 ,god who made thee without thyself will not save thee without thyself4 ,such men conclude that free-will concurs with the grace and work of ,god1 as a preceding and efficient cause of salvation4 ,not unlike this is the saying of ,dionysius1 which is more pernicious still3 ,although devils and man fell1 yet all their natural faculties remained whole and entire2 their mind1 their memory1 their will1 etc4 ,if this be true therefore it will follow1 that man by his own natural powers can save himself4 ,these perilous opinions of some of the fathers are agitated in all churches and schools1 and ,i do not really see what the fathers wished to effect by them4 ,therefore ,i advise that they be read with caution and judgment4 ,they were often spoken in a mood and with a peculiar feeling1 which we have not and cannot have1 since we have not similar occasions4 ,inexperienced persons therefore seize them all1 without any judgment1 in their own sense1 and not in the meaning the fathers had at the time they were uttered4 ,but ,i leave this and return to our theme4 ,i fear however that since this image of ,god has been lost by sin1 we can never fully attain to the knowledge of what it was4 ,memory1 mind and will we do most certainly possess1 but wholly corrupted1 most miserably weakened2 nay1 that ,i may speak with greater plainness1 utterly leprous and unclean4 ,if these natural endowments therefore constitute the image of ,god it will inevitably follow that ,satan also was created in the image of ,god2 for he possesses all these natural qualities1 and to an extent and strength far beyond our own4 ,for he has a memory and an intellect the most powerful and a will the most obstinate4 ,the image of ,god therefore is something far different from all this4 ,it is a peculiar work of ,god4 ,if there be those however who are yet disposed to contend that the above natural endowments and powers do constitute the image of ,god1 they must of necessity confess that they are all leprous and unclean4 ,even as we still call a leprous man a man1 though all the parts of his leprous flesh be stupefied and dead1 as it were1 with disease1 except that his whole nature is vehemently excited to lust4 ,wherefore that image of ,god created in ,adam was a workmanship the most beautiful1 the most excellent and the most noble1 while as yet no leprosy of sin adhered either to his reason or to his will4 ,then all his senses1 both internal and external1 were the most perfect and pure4 ,his intellect was most clear1 his memory most complete and his will the most sincere1 accompanied with the most charming security1 without any fear of death and without any care or anxiety whatever4 ,to these internal perfections of ,adam was added a power of body and of all his limbs1 so beautiful and so excellent that he surpassed all other animate natural creatures4 ,for ,i fully believe that before his sin the eyes of ,adam were so clear and their sight so acute that his powers of vision exceeded those of the lynx4 ,adam1 ,i believe1 being stronger than they1 handled lions and bears1 whose strength is so great1 as we handle the young of any animal4 ,i believe also that to ,adam the sweetness and the virtue of the fruits which he ate were far beyond our enjoyment of them now4 ,after the fall however death crept in like leprosy over all the senses4 ,so that now we cannot comprehend this image of ,god by our intellect4 ,adam moreover in his innocency could not have known his wife ,eve1 but with the most pure and confident mind towards ,god2 with a will the most obedient to ,god and a soul the most free from all impurity of thought4 ,but now since the sin of the fall all know how great is the excitement of the flesh1 which is not only furious in concupiscence1 but also in disgust after it has satisfied its desire4 ,in neither case therefore is the reason or the will sound or whole4 ,both are fallen and corrupt4 ,and the fury of the desire is more brutish than human4 ,is not this our leprosy then grievous and destructive8 ,but of all this ,adam knew nothing before the sin of his fall4 ,his only peculiarity then was that he had greater powers and more acute and exquisite senses than any other living creature4 ,but now how far does the wild boar exceed man in the sense of hearing1 the eagle in sight1 and the lion in strength8 ,no one therefore can now conceive1 even in thought1 how far the excellency of man when first created surpasses what he is now4 ,wherefore ,i for my part understand the image of ,god to be this3 that ,adam possessed it in its moral substance or nature2 that he not only knew ,god and believed him to be good1 but that he lived also a life truly divine2 that is1 free from the fear of death and of all dangers and happy in the favor of ,god4 ,this is apparent in ,eve1 who we find talks with the serpent1 devoid of all fear2 just as we do with a lamb or a dog4 ,therefore ,god sets before ,adam and ,eve this1 as a punishment1 if they should transgress his command3 ,in the day that thou eatest of this tree thou shalt surely die the death4 ,as if he had said1 ,adam and ,eve1 ye now live in all security4 ,ye neither see nor fear death4 ,this is my image in which ye now live4 ,ye live as ,god lives4 ,but if ye sin ye shall lose this image2 ye shall die4 ,hence we see and feel the mighty perils in which we now live2 how many forms and threatenings of death this miserable nature of ours is doomed to experience and endure1 in addition to that unclean concupiscence and those other ragings of sin and those inordinate emotions and affections1 which are engendered in the minds of all men4 ,we are never confident and happy in ,god1 fear and dread in the highest are perpetually trying us4 ,these and like evils are the image of the devil1 who has impressed that image upon us4 ,but ,adam lived in the highest pleasure and in the most peaceful security4 ,he feared not fire nor water1 nor dreaded any of those other evils with which this life is filled and which we dread too much continually4 ,let those who are disposed to do so therefore extenuate original sin4 ,it plainly appears1 and with awful certainty1 both in sins and in the punishment of them that original sin is great and terrible indeed4 ,look only at lust4 ,is it not most mighty1 both in concupiscence and in disgust8 ,and what shall we further say of hatred toward ,god and blasphemies of all kinds8 ,these are sad evidences of the fall1 which do indeed prove that the image of ,god in us is lost4 ,wherefore when we now attempt to speak of that image we speak of a thing unknown1 an image which we not only have never experienced1 but the contrary to which we have experienced all our lives and experience still4 ,of this image therefore all we now possess are the mere terms1 the image of ,god6 ,these naked words are all we now hear and all we know4 ,but there was in ,adam an illumined reason1 a true knowledge of ,god1 and a will the most upright to love both ,god and his neighbor4 ,hence ,adam embraced his ,eve1 and immediately knew his own flesh4 ,to all these endowments were added others of less excellency1 but surpassingly excellent if compared with our present weakness4 ,adam had a perfect knowledge of all nature1 of animals1 of herbs1 of trees1 of fruits and of all other creatures4 ,when all these endowments are put together they do not compose a man in whom you can at once behold the image of ,god shining forth1 and more especially so when to all these endowments you add dominion over the whole creation4 ,for as ,adam and ,eve acknowledged ,god to be ,lord1 so afterwards they themselves held dominion over all creatures in the air1 on the earth and in the sea4 ,who can express in words the excellency and majesty of this dominion8 ,for my belief is that ,adam could by one word command the lion as we command a favorite dog4 ,he possessed a freedom of will and pleasure to cultivate the earth1 that it might bring forth whatever he wished4 ,for the following chapters of this book prove that there were at the time of which we are now speaking neither thorns nor thistles1 ,chap4 #c3ah4 ,neither do ,i believe that wild beasts were so savage and fierce as they are now4 ,but all these thorns and thistles1 and this ferocity of beasts1 are the consequences of original sin1 by which all the rest of the creation contracted a corruption and a loss of its original excellency4 ,hence it is my belief also that before the sin of ,adam1 the sun was more bright1 the water more pure1 the trees more fruitful and the earth more productive than since he fell4 ,but through that dreadful sin and that horrible fall1 not only are the soul and the body deformed by the leprosy of sin1 but all things we use in this life are corrupted2 as we shall more plainly show hereafter4 ,now the very intent of the gospel is to restore this image of ,god4 ,man's intellect and will have indeed remained1 but wholly corrupted4 ,the divine object of the gospel is that we might be restored to that original and indeed better and higher image2 an image1 in which we are born again unto eternal life1 or rather unto the hope of eternal life by faith1 in order that we might live in ,god and with ,god and might be one with him1 as ,christ so beautifully and largely sets it forth in the seventeenth chapter of ,st4 ,john4 ,nor are we born again unto life only1 but unto righteousness also1 because faith lays hold of the merit of ,christ and sets us free through the death of ,christ4 ,hence arises another righteousness in us2 namely1 that newness of life1 in which we study to obey ,god as taught by the ,word and helped by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this righteousness however begins only in this life and can never be perfected in the flesh4 ,nevertheless this newness of righteousness pleases ,god1 not as being perfect in itself nor as being any price for our sins1 but because it proceedeth from the heart and rests on a confidence in the mercy of ,god through ,christ4 ,and further1 through the ,gospel comes unto us this other blessing also conferred upon us through the ,holy ,spirit1 who resists in us unbelief1 envy and other sins and corruptions1 to the intent that we may solemnly desire to adorn the name of the ,lord and his holy ,word4 ,in this manner does the image of ,god begin to be restored in us through the ,gospel by this new creation in this life4 ,but in this life it is not perfected4 ,when however it is perfected in the kingdom of the ,father1 then will our will be truly free and good1 our mind truly illuminated and our memory constant and perfect4 ,then will it come to pass also that all creatures shall be more subject unto us than ever they were unto ,adam in paradise4 ,until all this shall be fulfilled in us1 we shall never be able fully to understand what that image of ,god was1 which was lost by ,adam in paradise4 ,this however which we now utter concerning it1 faith and the ,word teach us1 which discover unto us at a distance as it were the glory of this image of ,god4 ,but as the heaven and the earth in the beginning1 were of rude unformed bodies1 as we have shown before the created light was added to them2 so the godly possess within themselves that unformed and imperfect image of ,god1 which ,god will perfect at the last day in those who believe his ,word4 ,in conclusion therefore that image of ,god1 in which ,adam was created1 was excellent above all things1 in which was included eternal life1 eternal security and all good4 ,that image however is so marred and obscured by sin that we cannot even in thought reach the comprehension of it4 ,for though we utter the words the image of ,god1 who is there that can possibly understand what it is for a man to live a life of security without fears and without perils1 and to be wise1 righteous1 good and free from all calamities or distresses either of soul or of body8 ,what was more than all this ,adam was made capable of life eternal4 ,for he was so created that as long as he lived in this corporeal life he might cultivate the earth not as doing a work of trouble1 nor as wearying his body with labor1 but as enjoying an employment of the highest pleasure2 not as deceiving or killing time1 as we say1 but as performing a service to ,god and yielding an obedience to his will4 ,this corporeal life was intended to be succeeded by a spiritual life1 in which man was not designed to use corporeal food and aliments nor to perform any of those other things which he must necessarily do in this natural life4 ,but he was designed to live a life spiritual and angelic4 ,for such is the life eternal to come1 described to us in the holy ,scriptures1 a life in which we shall neither eat nor drink1 nor exercise any other corporeal functions4 ,hence ,paul says1 ,the first man ,adam became a living soul1 that is1 he lives an animal life which requires meat1 drink1 sleep1 etc4 ,but the apostle adds1 ,the last ,adam became a live-giving spirit1 #a ,cor4 #ae3de4 ,that is1 he shall be a spiritual man1 in which state he shall return to the image of ,god2 for he shall be like unto ,god in life1 righteousness1 holiness1 wisdom1 etc4 ,it now follows in the sacred text3 ,v4 #bf;b4 ,and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea1 etc4 ,to man1 the most beautiful of ,god's creatures1 who possesses the knowledge of ,god and is the image of ,god1 in which image shines forth the similitude of the divine nature in an enlightened reason1 in righteousness and in wisdom1 is now assigned dominion4 ,adam and ,eve are made rulers of the earth1 of the sea and of the air4 ,this dominion is not only committed to them by the design and counsel of ,god1 but by his expressed command4 ,we must in the first place consider this great matter in a negative and exclusive sense1 that it is not said to any beast that it should have any dominion4 ,and in the next place we must view the matter in an absolute sense1 that all animals1 nay1 the earth itself with all created living things and all generated from them1 are subjected to the dominion of ,adam1 whom ,god by his vocal and expressed command constituted king over the whole animal creation4 ,for these are the words which both ,adam and ,eve heard when ,god said1 ,and let them have dominion4 ,here therefore a naked man without arms1 without walls1 nay1 without any vestiture of his own body1 but standing alone in his own naked flesh1 finds himself lord over all birds1 all wild beasts and all fishes1 etc4 ,this portion of the divine image also we have utterly lost1 so that now we cannot even conceive in thought that fulness of joy and pleasure which ,adam must have felt at the sight of the whole animal creation before him and at the sense he was lord of them all6 ,for now all things are full of leprosy and full of stupidity1 and1 as it were1 of death4 ,for who can now reach even in thought a conception of that portion of the divine image1 which ,adam and ,eve possessed1 by which they understood all the affections1 the senses1 the feelings and the powers of all the animals of the creation4 ,and yet1 what would have been their dominion over all created animals without this knowledge8 ,there is indeed in this life a certain knowledge of ,god in the saints1 derived from the ,word and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,but that knowledge of all nature1 that understanding of the qualities of all trees and the properties of all herbs1 that clear discernment of the natures of all beasts1 these are endowments of our nature now utterly lost and irreparable4 ,if therefore we would talk about a philosopher1 let us talk about ,adam6 ,let us speak of our first parents1 while they were as yet pure and unfallen through sin6 ,for ,adam and ,eve had the most perfect knowledge of ,god4 ,and how indeed could they be ignorant of him1 whose very image they possessed and felt in themselves6 ,moreover of the stars also and of the whole science and system of astronomy they had the most certain knowledge4 ,moreover that all these endowments were enjoyed by ,eve1 as well as by ,adam1 is quite manifest from the speech of ,eve to the serpent1 when she answered him concerning the tree in the midst of paradise4 ,from this speech it appears evident that she knew the end for which she was created1 and she shows also the author from whom she had received that knowledge1 for her reply to the serpent was1 ,god hath said1 ,gen4 #c3c4 ,eve therefore did not hear these things from ,adam only1 but she was by nature so pure from sin and so full of the knowledge of ,god that she saw and understood the ,word of ,god for herself4 ,as to us in our present state we still possess indeed some certain dull and as it were dead remnants of this knowledge4 ,but all animals besides are altogether void of such understanding4 ,they know not their ,creator nor their origin nor their end2 nor whence nor why they were created4 ,no other animals therefore possess anything whatever of this similitude of ,god4 ,hence it is that the psalm contains this exhortation1 ,be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding1 ,ps4 #cb3i4 ,although therefore this image of ,god be almost wholly lost1 there is nevertheless still remaining a mighty difference between man and all other animals of ,god's creation4 ,but originally1 before the sin of the fall1 the difference was far greater and far more illustrious2 while as yet ,adam and ,eve fully knew ,god and all his creatures1 and were wholly absorbed in the goodness1 righteousness and worship of ,god4 ,hence also there was between ,adam and ,eve themselves a singular unity of minds and of wills4 ,nor was there in the whole world an object sweeter to ,adam or more beautiful in his eyes than his ,eve6 ,nor is a wife1 as the heathen say1 a necessary evil4 ,and why call they a wife an evil8 ,the reason is manifest4 ,they know nothing of the cause of evil4 ,it was ,satan4 ,he it was who thus marred and corrupted woman's original nature4 ,the influence however which we now have over beasts in this life1 the use which we make of them1 and the things we cause them to do are not effected by that dominion which ,adam possessed1 but by industry and art4 ,thus birds and fishes1 as we see1 are taken by deception and stratagem2 and beasts are tamed in various degrees by art4 ,for those animals which are the most domesticated as geese1 fowls1 etc41 were of themselves and by their own particular nature wild4 ,this leprous nature of ours therefore still retains1 through the goodness of ,god1 some appearance of dominion over the other creatures4 ,this dominion however is very trifling indeed1 and far1 very far1 beneath the original dominion4 ,for under that there was no need of art or stratagem1 to give man influence over the beast4 ,every creature was put absolutely under a state of obedience to the voice of ,god when ,adam and ,eve were commanded by that voice to have dominion over them4 ,we do retain therefore the name and the semblance and as it were the naked title of the original dominion1 but the reality itself is almost wholly lost4 ,still it is good for us to know and to think upon this state of things1 that we may sigh after that day which shall come1 in which shall be restored unto us all things we lost by the sin of ,adam in paradise4 ,for we look for that life which ,adam also ever held in expectation4 ,and well indeed may we wonder and render thanks unto ,god1 as indeed we do1 that we1 so deformed by sin1 so dull1 so stupefied1 and so dead by it1 should be enabled through the merits and benefits of ,christ to look with assurance for that same glory of a spiritual life1 which ,adam might also have looked for with all assurance1 without the dying merits of ,christ if he had remained unfallen in that animal life which possessed the image of ,god4 ,v4 #bg;a4 ,and ,god created man in his own image1 in the image of ,god created he him4 ,observe that the term likeness is not here used by ,moses1 but image only4 ,perhaps the sacred historian wished to avoid amphibology1 too extensive circumlocution1 and therefore he merely repeated the term image4 ,i see no other cause for the repetition1 unless we receive it as intended for emphasis1 and as designed to signify the joy and triumph of the ,creator in this most beautiful work of his hands4 ,the purpose of ,moses was probably to represent ,god as not so much delighted with any of1 or with all1 his other creatures as with man1 whom he created in his own likeness4 ,for other animals are termed traces of ,god1 man alone is said to be the image of ,god4 ,for in all the other creatures ,god is known as by his footsteps only1 but in man1 especially in ,adam1 he is known truly and fully2 for in ,adam is seen that wisdom1 righteousness and knowledge of all things1 that he may rightly be called a microcosm or little world in himself2 for he understands the heaven1 the earth and the whole creation4 ,god therefore1 as ,moses would here represent1 is delighted in his having made so beautiful a creature4 ,without doubt therefore1 as ,god was so delighted with this his counsel and workmanship in the creation of man1 so he is now delighted in the restoration of that his original glorious work1 through his ,son our ,deliverer1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is always profitable to consider that ,god is always thinking thoughts of good1 yea the best thoughts towards us1 ,jer4 #bi3aa1 and that he is ever delighted with these his thoughts and this his counsel in our restoration to a spiritual life1 by the resurrection from the dead of those who have believed in ,christ4 ,v4 #bg;b4 ,male and female created he them4 ,moses here mentions both sexes together4 ,that woman might not appear to be excluded from all the glory of the life to come4 ,for woman seems to be a creature somewhat different from man1 in that she has dissimilar members1 a varied form and a mind weaker than man4 ,although ,eve was a most excellent and beautiful creature1 like unto ,adam in reference to the image of ,god1 that is with respect to righteousness1 wisdom and salvation1 yet she was a woman4 ,for as the sun is more glorious than the moon1 though the moon is a most glorious body1 so woman1 though she was a most beautiful work of ,god1 yet she did not equal the glory of the male creature4 ,however ,moses here joins the two sexes together and says that ,god created them male and female for a further reason that he might thereby signify that ,eve also being alike created of ,god1 alike with ,adam became thereby a partaker of the divine image and similitude1 and also of the dominion over all things4 ,hence woman is still a partaker of the life divine to come1 as ,peter says1 ,as being heirs together of the grace of life1 #a ,pet4 #c3g4 ,in all domestic life also the wife is a partaker in ruling the house and enjoys1 in common with her husband1 the possession of the offspring of the property4 ,there is nevertheless a great difference between the sexes4 ,the male is as the sun in the heaven1 the female as the moon1 while the other animals are the stars1 over which the sun and the moon have influence and rule4 ,the principal thing to be remarked therefore in the text before us1 that it is thus written to show that the female sex is not excluded from all the glory of the human nature1 although inferior to the male sex4 ,of marriage we shall speak hereafter4 ,in the second place this same text furnishes us with an argument against ,hilary and others1 who wished to establish the doctrine that ,god created all things at once4 ,for by the present passage of holy writ our interpretation is confirmed that the six days mentioned by ,moses were truly six natural days1 because the divine historian here affirms that ,adam and ,eve were created on the sixth day4 ,this text cannot be gainsaid4 ,but concerning the order and manner of the creation of man1 ,moses speaks in the following chapter1 in which he informs us that ,eve was created a little after ,adam1 and that she was not made from the dust of the ground1 as ,adam was1 but from one of the ribs of ,adam1 which ,god took from his side while asleep4 ,these therefore are temporal works2 that is1 works done at a certain time and not all wrought at one moment1 as were also the sacred facts that ,god brought every animal to ,adam1 and that for ,adam there was not found an helpmeet for him1 ,chap4 #b3ai-bj4 ,many divines think also that it was on the sixth day that ,adam sinned4 ,and therefore they hold the sixth day sacred on a twofold account1 because1 as ,adam sinned on the sixth day1 so ,christ also suffered for sin on the sixth day4 ,whether these things really be so1 ,i leave it to them to settle as matters not fully known4 ,moses does affirm as a certainty that man was created1 and his wife also on the sixth day4 ,my thoughts on the matter1 as ,i will hereafter show1 are that it is much more likely that ,adam sinned on the seventh day1 that is on the ,sabbath2 just as on the ,sabbath also ,satan the most bitterly annoys and torments the church while the ,word of ,god is being preached4 ,but neither can ,adam's sin having been on the ,sabbath be clearly shown from ,moses4 ,there are therefore1 respecting both ways1 reasons against reasons1 as ,csar ,maximilian used to say4 ,i leave these doubtful things therefore to be settled by each one according to his own judgment4 ,lyra relates a ,jewish fable1 to which there is a reference in ,plato1 that ,god originally created man in both sexes so that man and wife were together in one body1 but were divided or cut apart by the divine power as the form of the back and spine seems to indicate4 ,others have added more obscene trifles4 ,but the second chapter overthrows and refutes such lies4 ,for should that be true how could it be written that ,god took from ,adam one of his ribs and built a woman out of it8 ,such lies are found in the ,talmud of the ,jews and reference must be made to them in order that we may see the maliciousness of ,satan1 who suggests to men such absurd things4 ,like this is the fable of ,aristotle who calls woman a 444444444444 man1 virum occasionatum1 and others call her a monster4 ,but they themselves are monsters and children of monsters1 who calumniate and ridicule such a creature of ,god1 in whom ,god himself had delight1 as in the noblest of his works1 and who as we saw was created by a special counsel of ,god4 ,we cite such heathenish and unbecoming things to show that the human mind is unable to establish anything sure about ,god or the works of ,god1 but advances reasons against reasons1 rationes contra rationes1 neither does it teach anything perfectly or fundamentally on these themes4 ,v4 #bh;a4 ,and ,god blessed them2 and ,god said unto them1 ,be fruitful1 and multiply1 etc4 ,god did not utter this command to the other animals but to man and woman only4 ,doubtless however all other animals are included in the blessing3 ,be fruitful4 ,this is the command of ,god to the creature added to his creation4 ,but ,o6 good ,god6 ,what have we here also lost by sin6 ,how happy was that state of man in which the generating of offspring was attended with the highest reverence of ,god1 with the highest wisdom and with the purest knowledge of ,god6 ,but the flesh is now so swallowed up with the leprosy of lust that the body in the commerce of generation becomes actually brute-like1 and can by no means generate in the knowledge and worship of ,god6 ,the progress of generation does indeed remain with human nature1 but it is lowered and weakened beyond description2 and it is so absorbed in lust that it differs little from the generation of the beast4 ,to all this are added the perils of gestation and parturition1 the difficulty of rearing children when born1 and an infinity of other evils2 all which tend to impress us with the awfulness and magnitude of original sin4 ,the blessing of ,god on generation therefore which still remains with human nature is a humbled and an accursed blessing1 if you compare it with that original blessing2 and yet it is the blessing of ,god1 instituted of ,god himself1 which he still preserves4 ,wherefore let us acknowledge with gratitude and praise this blessing of ,god which still remains1 though thus deformed by sin4 ,let us feel and confess that this inevitable leprosy of our flesh1 which is all mere disobedience to the will of ,god is the punishment of sin1 righteously inflicted of ,god4 ,let us wait however in hope for the death of this leprous flesh1 that we may be delivered from all this filthiness and be restored to a perfection and glory1 even far exceeding the original creation of ,adam6 ,v4 #bh;b4 ,and have dominion over the fish of the sea1 etc4 ,what use there was of beasts-of-burden1 of fishes and of many other animals in the primitive state of creation and of innocency1 is impossible for us clearly to determine1 sunk as we are in ignorance of ,god and of his creatures4 ,what we now see is that we feed on various kinds of flesh1 on pulse1 etc4 ,unless therefore these same things were in the same use then1 we know not why they should have been created1 but because we neither have nor see any other use for all these creatures now4 ,but ,adam seems to have had no use1 as we have now1 for those creatures1 in addition to all that food which he had in abundance from all the trees around him and from their fruits1 which were far nobler and richer than any we now possess or know4 ,nor could he need raiment or money1 who had all things under his immediate dominion and power4 ,nor did he need to regard any avarice or expectation in his posterity4 ,adam and ,eve therefore being thus amply provided with food1 needed only to use these creatures to excite their admiration and wonder of ,god1 and to create in them that holiness of pleasure1 which we never can know in this state of the corruption of our nature4 ,but all things are quite the contrary now4 ,for at the present time1 all the creatures together scarcely suffice for the nourishment and gratification of man4 ,and the case has been just the same in all ages4 ,wherefore what this dominion of ,adam over the fish of the sea was1 we cannot now conceive by any stretch of our thought4 ,v4 #bi4 ,and ,god said1 ,behold1 ,i have given you every herb yielding seed1 etc4 ,here behold what anxious care ,god took of the man whom he had created4 ,he first created the earth or his dwelling-place in which he was to live4 ,he then ordained other things he judged to be necessary for his life and subsistence4 ,and when at length he had created man1 for whom he had made all these glorious preparations1 he blesses him with the gift and power of generation4 ,and now he gives him food1 that nothing might be wanting for him to live most easily and most happily4 ,but my belief is that if ,adam had continued in his original state of innocency1 children from their very birth would have rushed forth to the enjoyment of those pleasures which the primitive creation furnished in infinite abundance4 ,but it is perhaps vain in us to attempt to enumerate these utterly innumerable blessings1 which are all irretrievably lost to us in our present state of life1 and of which we cannot with all our thought form the least conception4 ,v4 #cj4 ,and every green herb1 etc4 ,moses here seems to make a difference between seeds and the green herb4 ,perhaps it is because the herb is the food of beasts1 and the seeds were designed to serve as food for man4 ,for my belief is that without doubt the seeds we now use for food were far more excellent in paradise than they are at present4 ,i have no doubt also that ,adam would have refused to taste those various kinds of flesh1 than which we have no food which we deem more sweet and delicious1 in comparison with the sweetness of the fruits of those trees1 which grew naturally in paradise1 from the eating of which there did not proceed that leprous fatness1 which is the consequence of such food now1 but a healthfulness and beauty of body and a wholesome temperature of all its humors4 ,now all varieties of flesh do not satisfy man1 nor all kinds of pulse nor all kinds of grain4 ,we continually endanger the health of our bodies by a surfeit of food4 ,i say nothing now of those worse than beast-like sins1 which are daily committed among us by an excessive use of meat and drink4 ,all this is evidently the curse of ,god1 which has followed upon original sin and has continued until now4 ,and ,i believe also that venomous and noxious beasts and reptiles first came out of the earth as accursed for the sin of man4 ,but here a question may arise1 how we are to reconcile the apparent discrepancy that all the trees in the field are given to ,adam to enjoy1 and yet that afterwards a signal part of the earth1 which the ,scriptures call paradise1 is assigned to him to till8 ,another question may be1 whether the whole original earth may be called paradise8 etc41 etc4 ,but these things we will leave to our meditations upon the second chapter4 ,,iii4 ,v4 #ca4 ,and ,god saw everything that he had made1 and behold it was very good4 ,and there was evening and there was morning the sixth day4 ,after ,god had thus finished all his works1 he here speaks after the manner of one fatigued1 as if he had said1 ,behold ,i have now prepared all things for man with all perfectness4 ,i have prepared for him the heaven as his canopy and the earth as his floor4 ,his possessions and his wealth are the animals with all the productions of the earth1 the sea and the air4 ,the seeds1 the roots and the herbs of the garden are his food4 ,moreover ,i have made man the lord of all these things4 ,and he possesses the knowledge of me his ,god1 and the use of all the animals which ,i have created1 all of which he can use as he will with the greatest security1 righteousness and wisdom4 ,nothing is wanting4 ,all things are created in the greatest abundance for the sustaining of animal life4 ,now therefore ,i will rest6 ,i will enjoy a ,sabbath6 ,but these things are almost wholly lost by sin1 and we are at this day like a carcass as it were of the first created man ,adam2 and we retain but a shadow of the dominion which he possessed4 ,shall we not say then that he has lost all things1 who out of an immortal is become a mortal1 and out of a righteous man1 a sinner8 ,out of one accepted of ,god and grateful to ,god1 cast off and condemned of ,god8 ,for now man is a sinner and mortal4 ,if therefore these things do not1 under divine teaching1 stir us up to the hope and expectation of a better day and a better life to come1 there is nothing that can stir us up to such hope and expectation4 ,let these comments suffice for an explanation of this first chapter of the book of ,genesis4 ,in the following chapter ,moses teaches us the nature of the work of this sixth day2 how man was created4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,part ,i4 ,,god',s ,,rest1 ,,sanctification ,,of ,,the ,,sabbath ,,and ,,creation ,,of ,,adam4 ,i4 ,v4 #a4 ,and the heavens and the earth were finished1 and all the host of them4 ,our ,latin rendering of the text before us is and all the adornment of them4 ,in the original ,hebrew the expression is ,,zebaam1 the host or army of them4 ,the prophets have retained this same form of speaking and of calling the stars and the planets1 the host or army of heaven1 as ,jer4 #ai3ac1 where the ,jews are represented as having adored all the host of heaven4 ,and ,god says by the prophet ,zephaniah1 ,i will cut off them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops4 ,in the same manner also ,stephen testifies concerning the children of ,israel in the wilderness that ,god gave them up to worship the host of heaven1 ,acts #g3db4 ,the prophets borrowed these forms of speech from ,moses1 who in this passage calls the stars and other luminaries of heaven by a military term1 calling them the host or the warning army of heaven4 ,after a similar mode of expression he calls men beasts and trees the host or army of the earth4 ,perhaps this is in anticipation of the solemn realities that were to come4 ,for ,god afterwards calls himself also the ,god of hosts or of armies2 that is1 not of angels and of spirits only1 but of the whole creation also1 which was for him and serves him4 ,for ever since ,satan was cast off by ,god for sin he has been filled with such desperate hatred of ,god and of men that he would1 if he could1 in one moment empty the sea of all its fishes and the air of all its birds1 strip the earth of all its fruits and utterly destroy all things4 ,but ,god has created all these creatures that they may be a standing army as it were2 that they might fight for us and our subsistence against the devil and against men also1 and thus serve us and be to us an unceasing benefit4 ,v4 #b4 ,and on the seventh day ,god finished his work which he had made2 and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made4 ,here cavillers raise a question of this nature3 ,moses says that ,god rested on the seventh day from the work he had made2 that is1 that he ceased on the seventh day to work3 while ,christ says on the other hand1 ,john #e3ag1 ,my ,father worketh hitherto1 or until now1 and ,i work4 ,the passage contained in ,heb4 #d3c1 helps to explain the present text1 where it is written1 ,if they shall enter into ,my rest1 not indeed into the land of promise1 but into ,my rest4 ,my simple and plain reply to the above question is1 that a solution of any difficulty that may be raised is furnished by the present text itself1 when it says1 ,thus the heavens and the earth were finished4 ,the ,sabbath or rest of the ,sabbath here signifies that ,god so rested1 as not to have any further design of creating any other heaven and earth4 ,it does not signify that ,god ceased to preserve and govern the heaven and the earth1 which he had now created and finished4 ,concerning the manner of the creation ,moses gives us the fullest information in the preceding chapter1 that ,god created all things by the ,word6 ,let the sea bring forth fishes2 ,let the earth bring forth the green herb1 the beast1 etc41 etc4 ,and by the same ,word1 ,god also said1 ,be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth4 ,now all these words of ,god remain unto this present day4 ,and therefore it is that we see the multiplication of all these creatures go on without cessation or end4 ,wherefore if the world were to last for a number of years endless and infinite1 the power and efficacy of these words would never cease1 but there would still be continued a multiplication of all these creatures perpetual and endless by the mere infinite power of this ,word of ,god2 this ,word of the first creation and foundation of all things1 if ,i may so express the original and originating ,word4 ,the solution of the question now under consideration therefore is easy and plain4 ,god rested on the seventh day from the work which he had made2 that is1 ,god was content with the earth and the heaven which he had created by the ,word4 ,he created not nor intended to create new heavens or new earths1 nor new stars nor new trees4 ,god nevertheless still works4 ,he worketh hitherto1 as ,christ says above4 ,he forsakes not nature1 which he once made in the beginning2 but he preserves and governs it to this day1 by the power of his ,word4 ,he has ceased from his creation-work1 but he has not ceased from his government-work4 ,the human race began in ,adam4 ,in the earth began by the ,word the animal race1 if ,i may so speak2 in the sea1 the race of fishes2 and in the air1 the race of birds4 ,but the human race did not cease in ,adam1 nor did all other races cease in the first created animals of their kind4 ,the ,word originally spoken upon the human race still remains in all its power and efficiency4 ,the word1 ,be fruitful and multiply1 ceases not nor ever will cease1 nor the words1 ,let the sea bring forth fishes1 nor ,let the earth bring forth beasts and the air birds4 ,the omnipotent power and efficacy of the original ,word still preserves and governs the whole creation4 ,most clearly therefore has ,moses established the great truth1 that ,in the beginning was the ,word1 ,john #a3a4 ,and as all creatures still increase and multiply1 and are preserved and governed1 still in the same way as they were in the beginning1 it manifestly follows that the ,word still continues and lives1 and that it is not dead6 ,when ,moses says therefore1 ,and ,god rested on the seventh day from the work which he had made1 his words are not to be considered as having reference to the general course and laws of nature nor to their continuous preservation and government1 but simply to the beginning2 that ,god ceased from creating1 ordering and ordaining all things1 as we generally speak1 and from creating any new creatures or new kinds of animals1 etc41 etc4 ,with respect to ,martin ,luther before you4 ,if you look at my individual person ,i am a certain kind of new creature2 because sixty years ago ,i had no existence4 ,this is the common thought and judgment of the world4 ,but the thought and judgment of ,god are far different4 ,for in ,god's sight ,i was begotten and commenced1 being multiplied immediately from the beginning of the world4 ,when ,god said1 ,let us make man1 he then created me also4 ,for whatever ,god willed to create that he did create when he spoke the word4 ,all things did not then appear indeed on a sudden before our existing eyes4 ,for as the arrow or the ball from the cannon1 in which is the greatest velocity attached to the works of men is in one moment directed to its mark1 and yet does not reach that mark without a certain interval and space between1 so ,god rushes1 as it were by his ,word1 from the beginning to the end of the world4 ,for with ,god there is no before nor afterwards2 no swift nor slow2 but all things to his eyes are at once present4 ,for ,god is simply absolutely independent of and alone1 and separate from all time6 ,these words of ,god therefore1 and ,god said1 ,let there be1 increase and multiply1 etc41 create1 constitute and ordain all creatures1 as they were1 as they now are1 and as they will be unto the end of the world4 ,god has indeed ceased from creating new creatures4 ,for he has created no new heaven1 no new earth4 ,but as he originally willed the sun and the moon to perform their courses1 so have they continued to perform them to this day4 ,as ,god then filled the sea with fishes1 the heaven with fowls1 and the earth with beasts and cattle1 so have all these parts of his will been fulfilled to this day2 and so have they all been preserved to this moment1 as ,christ said1 ,my ,father worketh hitherto and ,i work4 ,for the ,word1 which ,god spoke in the beginning1 remaineth unto this day2 as it is said with great majesty in ,ps4 #cc3i1 ,he spake and they were made4 ,but here sceptics and objectors will present a further question for reply4 ,how can it be true1 say they1 that ,god made no new thing1 when it is evident that the bow of heaven or the rainbow was created in the time of ,noah8 ,and when also the ,lord threatened after the fall of ,adam1 that it should come to pass that the earth should bring forth thorns and thistles8 ,which thorns and thistles the earth would not have brought forth had ,adam not sinned4 ,also concerning the serpent1 the same cavillers say1 that reptile ought to creep along almost upright with its head bending toward the earth2 for when first created they say it was doubtless upright1 as crows and peacocks move now4 ,we readily acknowledge that this is indeed a new state of things1 wrought also by the ,word4 ,it is moreover true that if ,adam had not fallen by sin1 there would not have been that ferocity in wolves1 lions and bears1 which now characterizes them4 ,and most certainly also there would have been nothing in the whole creation noxious or annoying to man4 ,for the text before us plainly declares that all things ,god had created were very good4 ,whereas now1 how numberless are the annoyances by which we are surrounded8 ,to how many and how great distresses1 especially of diseases1 is the body itself subject8 ,i will say nothing about fleas1 flies1 gnats1 spiders1 mosquitoes1 etc4 ,what a host of dangers threaten us continually from the greater ferocious and venomous beasts8 ,although there had been none of these new or altered things after the creation1 our sceptic objectors can surely believe that there was one glorious and marvellous new thing1 ,is4 #g3ad1 that a virgin should bring forth a ,son1 the ,son of ,god6 ,god therefore did not in the seventh day cease to work in every sense1 but he works still1 not only in preserving his whole creation1 but also in altering and new-forming the creature2 wherefore that which we said above1 that ,god ceased on the seventh day from creating new orders of things is not to be understood as true absolutely and in every sense4 ,but we further reply to our cavillers that ,moses is here speaking of nature in its yet uncorrupted state4 ,if therefore man had stood unfallen in the innocency in which he was first created1 no thorns nor thistles would have existed1 no disease would have been known nor any violence of beasts feared4 ,this is manifest from the case of ,eve2 she talks with the serpent without any fear whatever1 and as we should do with an innocent little bird or with a favorite little dog4 ,nor have ,i any doubt that the serpent was an exquisitely beautiful creature and gifted with the peculiar excellency of having the highest praise for marvellous cunning1 though then innocent cunning1 even as foxes and weazels have that name among us now4 ,wherefore when ,adam was as yet holy and innocent1 all the animals of the creation dwelt and associated with him in the highest pleasure1 being prepared to render him every kind of service gladly4 ,nor would there have ever been known1 if ,adam had thus continued sinless1 any fear of a flood1 nor would there consequently have ever existed a rainbow in the heavens4 ,but sin caused ,god to alter many things and otherwise order them4 ,and at the last day there will be an alteration and a renewal far greater still of that whole creation1 which as ,paul says is now by reason of sin1 subject to vanity1 ,rom4 #h3bj4 ,finally therefore1 when ,moses here says that ,god rested on the seventh day1 he is speaking with reference to the condition of the world1 as originally created2 meaning that while as yet there was no sin nothing new was created1 that there were no thorns nor thistles1 no serpents nor toads1 and if there were such they possessed no venomous properties nor any inclination to harm4 ,moses speaks in this manner concerning the creation of the world1 while yet in its state of perfection1 unpolluted and unmarred by sin4 ,it was then a world innocent and pure1 because man was innocent and pure4 ,but now1 as man is no longer the same being1 so the world is no longer the same world4 ,upon the fall of man followed corruption and upon this corruption the curse of the now corrupt creation4 ,cursed is the ground1 said ,god to ,adam1 for thy sake6 ,thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee6 ,gen4 #c3ag1 #ah4 ,thus on account of one accursed ,cain--sin1 is the whole earth accursed6 ,so that now even when tilled it does not put forth its original virtue4 ,after this upon the sins of the whole world is poured the flood over the whole earth1 and the human race throughout the whole world is destroyed1 a few righteous persons only being saved lest the promise concerning ,christ should fail of being fulfilled4 ,and as it is manifest to us all that the earth is thus deformed by sin1 so my belief is1 as ,i have before said1 that the light of the sun1 when first created1 and before the sin of ,adam1 was far more pure and more bright than it is now4 ,it is a common saying of divines in all theological schools1 ,clearly distinguish times and you will harmonize all the ,scriptures4 ,wherefore we must speak far otherwise concerning the world1 under its present wretched corruption1 by which it has been marred through the sin of ,adam1 than concerning the world when as yet it was in its state of original purity and perfection4 ,let us take an example still in our sight and knowledge4 ,those who have visited the land of promise in our day affirm1 that there is nothing in it like unto that commendation of it which we have in the holy ,scriptures4 ,in confirmation of these statements a citizen of ,stolberg1 after having visited ,palestine and surveyed with all possible diligence of observation1 declared that he considered his own field in ,germany a far more delightful spot4 ,for on account of the sin1 wickedness and ungodliness of men it is reduced to a positive pickle-tub1 to a salt land not inhabited2 so actually is the very essence of the curse of ,god upon it fulfilled1 as it is said1 ,gen4 #c3ag1 #ah2 ,ps4 #ajg3cd4 ,thus ,sodom also before it was destroyed by fire from heaven was a certain paradise1 a garden of the ,lord1 ,gen4 #ac3aj4 ,thus does the curse of ,god generally follow sin1 and that curse so changes things1 that from the best they become the worst4 ,moses therefore1 we repeat1 is here speaking concerning the state of all creatures in their original perfection2 as they were before the sin of man4 ,for if man had not sinned1 all beasts and every other creature would have remained in obedience to him until ,god should have translated him from paradise1 or from earth to heaven4 ,but after his sin1 all things were changed for the worse4 ,according to these expressions therefore the solution given by us above to all sceptics1 cavillers and objectors stands good1 that ,god in six days finished his work1 and that on the seventh day he rested from all his work which he had made2 that is1 that he ceased from ordaining the certain orders of things1 and that then1 whatsoever he willed afterwards to work1 he did work4 ,but ,god did not say afterwards1 ,let there be a new earth2 ,let there be a new sea1 etc4 ,with respect to that wonderful new thing2 that1 after the creation was finished1 the virgin ,mary brought forth the ,son of ,god1 it is indeed manifest that ,god made our calamity1 into which we had fallen by sin1 the cause of this marvellous blessing4 ,but ,god so wrought even this mighty work that he showed beforehand that he would1 by his ,word1 do this glorious work also2 even as he has also signified in his ,word1 that he will by the same ,word do other marvelous things4 ,thus have we replied then to these questions of all cavilling objectors concerning ,god's having finished the heavens and the earth and concerning his having made other things new afterwards4 ,we must continue this explanation to learn what this ,sabbath or rest of ,god is1 and also in what manner ,god sanctified the ,sabbath1 as the sacred text declares4 ,,ii4 ,v4 #c4 ,and ,god blessed the seventh day1 and hallowed it1 because that in it he rested from all his work which ,god had created and made4 ,christ says1 ,mark #b3bg1 that the ,sabbath was made for man1 and not man for the ,sabbath4 ,but ,moses says nothing here about man4 ,he does not even say positively that any commandment concerning the ,sabbath was given to man4 ,but what ,moses here says is that ,god blessed the ,sabbath and sanctified it to himself4 ,it is moreover to be remarked that ,god did this to no other creature4 ,god did not sanctify to himself the heaven nor the earth nor any other creature4 ,but ,god did sanctify to himself the seventh day4 ,this was especially designed of ,god1 to cause us to understand that the seventh day is to be especially devoted to divine worship4 ,for that which is appropriated to ,god and exclusively separated from all profane uses is sanctified or holy4 ,hence the expression to sanctify1 to choose for divine uses or for the worship of ,god1 is often applied by ,moses to the sacred vessels of the sanctuary4 ,it follows therefore from this passage1 that if ,adam had stood in his innocence and had not fallen he would yet have observed the seventh day as sanctified1 holy and sacred2 that is1 he would have taught his children and posterity on that day concerning the will and worship of ,god2 he would have praised ,god1 he would have given him thanks1 and would have brought to him his offerings1 etc41 etc4 ,on the other days he would have tilled his land and attended to his cattle4 ,nay1 even after the fall he held the seventh day sacred2 that is1 he taught on that day his own family4 ,this is testified by the offerings made by his two sons1 ,cain and ,abel4 ,the ,sabbath therefore has1 from the beginning of the world1 been set apart for the worship of ,god4 ,in this manner nature in its innocency1 had it continued unfallen1 would have proclaimed the glory and blessings of ,god4 ,men would have talked together on the ,sabbath day concerning the goodness of their ,creator1 would have prayed to him1 and would have brought to him their offerings1 etc4 ,for all these things are implied and signified in the expression sanctified4 ,moreover in this same sanctification of the ,sabbath is included and implied the immortality of the human race4 ,hence the ,epistle to the ,hebrews speaks most beautifully concerning the rest of ,god1 from the #ieth ,ps43 ,if they shall enter into my rest4 ,for the rest of ,god is an eternal rest4 ,adam therefore1 had he not fallen1 would have lived a certain time in paradise1 according to the length of time which ,god pleased2 and afterwards he would have been carried away into that rest of ,god1 which rest ,god willed not only to intimate unto man1 but highly to commend unto him by this sanctification of the ,sabbath4 ,thus had ,adam not fallen his life would have been both animal and happy1 and spiritual and eternal4 ,but now we miserable men have lost all this felicity of the animal life by sin2 and while we do live1 we live in the midst of death4 ,yet since this command of ,god concerning the ,sabbath is left to the ,church1 ,god signifies thereby that even that spiritual life shall be restored to us through ,christ4 ,hence the prophets have all diligently searched into these passages1 in which ,moses obscurely indicates also the resurrection of the flesh and the life immortal4 ,further by this sanctification of the ,sabbath it is also plainly shown that man was especially created for the knowledge and worship of ,god4 ,for the ,sabbath was not instituted on account of sheep or oxen1 but for the sake of men1 that the knowledge of ,god might be exercised and increased by them on that sacred day4 ,although therefore man lost the knowledge of ,god by sin1 yet ,god willed that his command concerning the sanctifying of the ,sabbath should remain4 ,he willed that on the seventh day both the ,word should be preached1 and also those other parts of his worship performed1 which he himself instituted2 to the end that by these appointed means we should first of all think solemnly on our condition in the world as men2 that this nature of ours was created at first expressly for the knowledge and the glorifying of ,god2 and also that by these same sacred means we might hold fast in our minds the sure hope of a future and eternal life4 ,indeed all things which ,god willed to be done on the ,sabbath are evident signs of another life after this present life4 ,for what need would there be of ,god's speaking to us by his ,word1 if we were not designed to live another and eternal life after this life8 ,and if no future life is to be hoped for by us1 why do we not live as those other creatures with whom ,god talketh not and who have no knowledge of ,god8 ,but as the divine ,majesty talketh with man alone1 and he alone acknowledges and apprehends ,god1 it necessarily follows that there is for us another life after this life1 to which it is our great business to attain by the ,word and the knowledge of ,god4 ,for as to this temporal and present life it is a mere animal life as all the beasts live1 which know not ,god nor the ,word4 ,this then is the meaning of the ,sabbath or the rest of ,god4 ,it is a sanctified day of rest1 on which ,god speaks to or talks with us1 and we in turn speak to and talk with him in prayer and by faith4 ,the beasts indeed learn to hear and also to understand the voice of man1 as dogs1 horses1 sheep1 oxen2 and they are also preserved and fed by man4 ,but our condition as men is far better and higher2 for we both hear ,god and know his will1 and are called to a sure hope of immortality4 ,this is testified by those most manifest promises concerning the life eternal1 which ,god has plainly revealed to us by his ,word1 since he gave to the world the obscure significations contained in this divine ,book2 such as this rest of ,god and this sanctification of the ,sabbath4 ,however these indications concerning the ,sabbath are not obscure but evident and plain4 ,for only suppose for a moment that there were no eternal life after this4 ,would it not immediately follow that we should have no need either of ,god or his ,word8 ,for that which we merely require or do in this life we can have and do without the ,word of ,god4 ,even as beasts feed1 live and grow fat without the ,word4 ,for what need is there of the ,word to procure meat and drink1 thus created for us beforehand8 ,as ,god therefore thus giveth us the ,word1 as he thus commands the preaching and exercising of the ,word1 as he thus commands the sanctifying of the ,sabbath in the worship of himself1 all these things prove that there remaineth another life after this life1 and that man is created not to a corporeal life only1 as the beasts are1 but to a life eternal1 even as ,god1 who commands and institutes these things1 is himself eternal4 ,but here another inquiry may arise concerning the fall of ,adam itself1 upon which indeed we have already touched3 ,on what day ,adam fell1 whether on the seventh or on some other day8 ,although nothing indeed can be said as certain on this matter1 my free and full opinion is that his fall was on the seventh day4 ,it was on the sixth day that he was created4 ,and ,eve was created about the evening or close of the sixth day1 while ,adam was asleep4 ,on the seventh day1 which by the ,lord had been sanctified1 ,god talks with ,adam1 gives him commandment concerning his worship1 and forbids him to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil4 ,for this indeed was the appropriate work or duty of the seventh day3 the preaching and the hearing of the ,word of ,god4 ,hence both from the ,scriptures and from universal practice1 hath remained the custom of appointing the morning as the time for prayer and sermons2 as we have it also in the ,psalms3 ,in the morning will ,i stand before ,thee1 and will look up1 ,ps4 #e3c4 ,on the seventh day therefore1 in the morning1 ,adam appears to have heard the ,lord giving commandment concerning his domestic and national duty1 the private and public worship of ,god1 together with the prohibition concerning the fruit of the tree4 ,satan therefore unable to endure this most beautiful creation of man and this holy appointment of the ,sabbath1 and envying him so much felicity1 and moreover seeing all things so abundantly provided for him on earth1 and finding him in the possession of the hope of enjoying1 after so happy a corporeal life1 an eternal life1 which he himself had lost1 ,satan seeing all this about the twelfth hour1 perhaps after ,god's sermon to ,adam and ,eve1 himself preaches to ,eve4 ,just as he has always done to this day4 ,wherever the ,word of ,god is1 there he attempts also to sow lies and heresies4 ,for it agonizes him that we by the ,word become as ,adam did in paradise1 citizens of heaven4 ,so ,satan on this occasion tempts ,eve to sin1 and gains the victory over her4 ,the sacred text before us moreover declares that when the heat of the day had subsided1 the ,lord came into the garden and condemned ,adam with all his posterity to death4 ,i am myself quite persuaded that all these things took place on the very day of the ,sabbath1 which one day only1 and that not for the whole day1 ,adam lived in paradise1 and enjoyed himself in eating its fruits4 ,by sin therefore did man lose all this felicity4 ,nor would ,adam1 had he remained in paradise in all his original innocence1 have lived a life of idleness4 ,he would have taught his children on the ,sabbath day1 he would have magnified ,god with worthy high-praises by public preaching1 and he would have stirred up himself and others to offerings of thanks1 by a contemplation of ,god's great and glorious works4 ,on all other days he would have worked by tilling his ground and attending to his beasts1 etc4 ,but in a manner and from motives now wholly unknown to man4 ,for all our labor is annoyance1 but all ,adam's labor was the highest pleasure1 a pleasure far exceeding all the ease that is now known4 ,hence as all the other calamities of life remind us of sin and the wrath of ,god1 so our labor and all our difficulty in procuring food ought to remind us of sin also and to drive us to repentance4 ,moses now proceeds to describe man more particularly1 repeating first of all what he had said concerning his creation in the first chapter4 ,and though the recapitulations may seem superfluous1 yet as the divine historian wishes to maintain a continuation of his history1 with all due convenience and order1 the repetition is by no means useless4 ,v4 #d1 #e;a4 ,these are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created1 in the day that ,jehovah ,god made earth and heaven4 ,and no plant of the field was yet in the earth1 and no herb of the field had yet sprung up4 ,in the day is here to be taken for an indefinite time1 as if ,moses had said1 ,at that time the state of all things was most beautiful2 but now ,i must describe a condition of things far different4 ,we need not here inquire however in a superstitious manner1 why ,moses chose to use these rustic forms of expression concerning the plants of the field and herbs of the field4 ,for his object now is to describe the creation of man in its more circumstantial particulars4 ,v4 #e;b1 #f4 ,for ,jehovah ,god had not caused it to rain upon the earth3 and there was not a man to till the ground2 but there went up a mist from the earth1 and watered the whole face of the ground4 ,there was not as yet any rain1 ,moses says1 to water the earth2 but a certain mist went up and watered the whole face of the earth1 to cause it to bring forth more abundantly afterwards4 ,now these things belong properly to the third day4 ,,iii4 ,v4 #g4 ,and ,jehovah ,god formed man of the dust of the ground1 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life2 and man became a living soul4 ,moses here returns to the work of the sixth day and shows whence this cultivator of the earth came2 namely1 that ,god formed him out of the ground1 as the potter forms in his hand the vessel out of clay4 ,hence ,moses does not represent ,jehovah ,god as saying in this case as in that of all the other creatures1 ,let the earth bring forth man2 but ,let ,us make man4 ,he describes ,god as thus speaking in this case in order that he might set forth the excellency of the human race1 and that he might make manifest that peculiar counsel to which ,god had recourse in creating or making man4 ,however after his creation man grew and multiplied as all the other animals and beasts of the earth multiply4 ,for the seed of all animals coagulates in the womb and is formed in the same manner in them all4 ,in this case of generation there is no difference between the foetus formed in the cow and that formed in the woman4 ,but with reference to their first creation ,moses testifies that there was the greatest possible difference4 ,for he shows in this divine record that the human nature was created by a peculiarity of divine counsel and wisdom1 and formed by the very finger of ,god4 ,this difference1 which ,god made in the original creation of man and of cattle1 likewise manifests forth the immortality of the soul1 of which we spoke above4 ,and though all the other works of ,god are full of wonder and admiration and truly magnificent1 yet that man is the most excellent and glorious creature of all is evident from the fact that ,god in creating him had recourse to deep counsel and to a mode entirely different from that which he adopted in creating all the other creatures4 ,for ,god does not leave it to the earth1 to form or bring forth man1 as it brought forth beasts and trees4 ,but ,god forms man himself1 in the image of himself1 as a participator of the divine nature and as one designed to enjoy the rest of ,god4 ,hence ,adam before he is formed by ,jehovah1 is a mere lifeless lump of earth1 lying on the ground4 ,god takes that lump of earth into his hand and forms out of it a most beautiful creature1 a partaker of immortality4 ,now if ,aristotle were to hear these things he would burst out into a loud laugh and would say1 that the whole matter was a fable2 a very pleasant one indeed but a very absurd one2 that man1 who was a lump of earth as to his original1 is so formed by divine wisdom to be capable of immortality4 ,for those ancient philosophers1 as ,socrates and others1 who taught the immortality of the soul1 were laughed at and almost cast out by all their fellows4 ,but is it not the very extremity of folly for reason to take this great offense1 when it beholds the generation of man to this very day full of greatest wonder6 ,for who would not judge it an absurdity to suppose that man1 who is designed to live eternally1 should be born from one single drop as it were of seed from the loins of the father8 ,there is even a greater apparent absurdity in this than in ,moses saying1 that man was formed from a lump of earth by the finger of ,god4 ,but by all this folly reason plainly shows that she understands nothing of ,god1 who1 by the efficacy of a single thought1 thus makes out of a lump of earth not only the seed of man1 but man himself2 and makes also1 as ,moses afterwards says1 the woman out of a single rib of the man4 ,this then is the origin of man6 ,man therefore having been thus created1 male and female1 from their blood under the divine blessing is generated the whole human race4 ,and although this generation is common to man and beasts1 that similarity by no means detracts from the glory of our original formation2 that we are vessels of ,god1 fashioned by his own hand2 that he is our potter and we his clay2 as ,isaiah speaks in his #fdth chapter4 ,nor does this solemn state of things pertain to our original only1 but pervades our whole life1 and even unto death and in the tomb we are still the clay of this ,potter6 ,from this same creation of man also we may learn1 what the real power of free will is1 of which our adversaries boast so much4 ,we have indeed in a certain sense a free will1 in those things which are put under us4 ,for we are by the command of ,god appointed lords of the fishes of the sea1 of the fowls of heaven and of the beasts of the field4 ,these we kill when we please4 ,we enjoy the food1 and other blessings they supply4 ,but in the things pertaining unto ,god1 which are above us and not put under us1 man has no free-will at all4 ,but he is in reality as clay in the hand of the potter4 ,he is placed under the mere power of ,god1 passively and not actively4 ,in this our real position we choose nothing1 we do nothing4 ,on the contrary we are chosen1 we are prepared1 we are regenerated2 we receive only2 as the prophet ,isaiah saith1 ,thou art our potter2 we are thy clay1 ,is4 #fd3h4 ,but here a lawful and holy inquiry of a new description may be made4 ,as ,moses speaks of the creation of man here in a new phraseology1 ,and ,jehovah ,god formed man of the dust of the ground2 and as he did not use the same form of expression above1 when the other living creatures were created1 so he here mentions a further distinction in man which is not said of any other animate creature3 ,and ,god breathed into his nostrils the breath of life4 ,this ,moses does not say in reference to any of the beasts1 though all beasts1 as well as man1 have the breath of life in their nostrils4 ,we may here therefore sacredly inquire first1 why it is that ,moses is here led to speak thus4 ,and secondly1 why it is recorded in this place concerning man only1 that ,god breathed into his nostrils the breath of life1 and man became a living soul1 when all animals throughout the whole ,scripture are called living creatures4 ,the divine expressions recorded by ,moses above are1 ,let the earth bring forth every living creature after his kind4 ,but here the phraseology is altogether changed1 ,and man became a living soul4 ,these were the things that1 doubtless1 moved the patriarchs1 the holy fathers and prophets of old1 to examine diligently passages of this description in order to discover what these singular forms of speech might signify1 being assured that the sacred historian intended by them something peculiar and great and especially worthy of knowledge4 ,for if you look at the mere animal life of which ,moses is here speaking1 there is no difference between the man and the ass4 ,for the animal life in both stands in need of meat and drink4 ,it needs sleep and rest4 ,the bodies of both grow and are fattened alike by meat and drink4 ,and from the want of meat and drink both waste and perish alike4 ,in both the stomach receives the food and transmits it when digested to the belly1 which generates the blood1 by which all the members are refreshed and restored4 ,when we consider these things in themselves1 ,i say1 there is no difference between the man and the beast4 ,but ,moses in this place so exalts the life of man that he says of him alone of all animals1 that he became a living soul2 not a living creature or a living thing like all the beasts of the earth1 but in a more exalted sense a living soul2 and that1 because he was created in the image of ,god1 which image there can be no doubt whatever1 shone with a peculiar brightness in the countenances of ,adam and ,eve1 while yet in their state of innocence4 ,hence it is that even after the sin and fall1 the heathen poets1 etc41 concluded from the position of his body1 from his upright carriage and from the elevation of his eyes to heaven1 that man was a creature far more excellent than any other creature in existence4 ,it is to this surpassing excellency that ,st4 ,paul refers when he recites the passage before us in #a ,cor4 #ae3de4 ,it is there written1 ,the first man ,adam became a living soul4 ,the last ,adam became a life-giving spirit4 ,by a living soul in this passage the apostle means the animal life1 which consists in eating1 drinking1 growing1 sleeping1 generating1 etc42 all which are found also in brutes4 ,but by an antithesis he says that the last ,adam was made a life-giving spirit4 ,this is a life which needs not1 and knows not1 the conditions of the animal life4 ,paul moreover here teaches us that ,adam1 even if he had not sinned1 would yet have lived a corporeal life2 a life which would have needed meat1 drink and rest2 a life which would have grown1 increased and generated1 etc41 until ,god should have translated him to that spiritual life1 in which he would have lived without natural animality1 if ,i may so express it2 namely1 a life from within1 derived from ,god alone2 and not a life from without as before1 sustained by herbs and fruits4 ,and yet he would have been a man with body and bones1 etc41 and not a pure spirit1 as angels are4 ,my reply therefore to the new inquiry1 above admitted1 is this3 ,god by the mouth of ,moses speaking in the passage before us designed to set forth the hope of that future and eternal life which ,adam1 if he had continued in his innocency1 would have enjoyed after this present animal life4 ,as if ,moses had said1 ,man became a living soul2 not merely in the sense of that life which beasts live1 but in the sense of that life which ,god afterwards designed ,adam to live1 even without any animal life at all4 ,and this same hope of immortality or an immortal life1 we now have through ,christ4 ,although on account of sin we are subject to death and all kinds of calamity4 ,but ,adam's natural life1 when he became a living soul1 was designed to be far exalted above that which we now live since the fall4 ,he would have lived on earth sweetly1 happily and with the highest pleasure2 and then would have been translated at the time determined in the mind of ,god1 out of the animal life into the spiritual and eternal life2 and that translation would have been attended with no pain or trouble whatever4 ,whereas we are not translated out of this animal life into the life spiritual and eternal1 but by death2 and that1 after an infinity of evils1 perils and crosses4 ,it was after this manner that we ought1 like the holy prophets1 diligently to look into all these expressions of ,moses1 and to inquire why it is that1 with such depth of purpose and design1 he speaks concerning man in terms so different from those he used when speaking of all other living creatures4 ,the design evidently was that our faith and hope of immortality might be confirmed1 and that we might be assured that although the life of man as to his animal life is like that of all other living creatures1 even of brutes1 yet that he possesses a hope of immortality unpossessed by1 and wholly unknown to1 any other living creature2 that he possesses and bears the image and similitude of ,god1 with no particle of which any other animal is dignified or favored4 ,and thus by a most beautiful allegory1 or rather by a most excellent figure1 ,moses here intimates1 though obscurely1 that ,god would become incarnate4 ,for with reference to man's differing in no respect from a sheep1 as to his animal life1 though created in the image and after the similitude of ,god2 that assertion is in fact1 a kind of statement by contraries1 as they term it in the schools2 or1 according to another term of theirs1 an addition by opposition4 ,and yet as man was created in the image of the invisible ,god1 by this sublime fact is signified in obscure figure1 as we shall hereafter hear from ,moses1 that ,god would reveal himself in this world in the ,man1 ,christ4 ,these seeds as it were of the greatest and most marvelous things1 did the prophets diligently search out and gather from the divine historian ,moses4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,paradise4 ,i4 ,v4 #h4 ,and ,jehovah ,god planted a garden eastward in ,eden2 and there he put the man whom he had formed4 ,here rises before us a whole sea of questions concerning paradise4 ,in the first place1 the word itself1 whether it be ,hebrew1 ,chaldean or ,persian1 for ,i do not think it is ,greek1 though ,suidas endeavors to discover a ,greek origin1 is rendered by the ,latins hortus1 a garden4 ,this garden1 ,moses says1 was planted ,,be ,,eden1 in ,eden4 ,for this name of the place is not appellative or descriptive1 as our translation renders it1 paradise of pleasure4 ,,eden does1 indeed1 signify pleasure or delight1 and from this name of the garden is doubtless formed the ,greek word adona1 but the preposition being here added to it plainly proves that ,eden is in this place to be taken for the proper name of a place2 which is further proved by the particular description of the place1 for the garden is said to have been to the eastward of it4 ,our translation renders it a principio1 from the beginning1 which is also a bad version of the expression4 ,for the original term is ,,mikkedem1 which does not properly signify from the beginning1 but in front1 that is according to our mode of expression and meaning1 toward the ,east4 ,for the original word is an adverb of place1 not of time4 ,hence there arises here another matter of dispute1 as to where paradise is4 ,commentators puzzle and rack themselves on this point in an extraordinary manner4 ,some will have its situation to be under the equator between the two tropics4 ,others say it must have been a more temperate atmosphere1 to cause a place to be so richly and abundantly productive4 ,but why should ,i proceed8 ,opinions upon the subject are beyond number4 ,my short and simple reply to them all is1 that every question upon a place or thing which no longer exists1 is idle and useless4 ,for ,moses is here describing things which occurred before the ,flood and even before sin was in the world4 ,whereas1 we have to deal with things as they were and are since the sin of ,adam and since the ,deluge4 ,my belief is therefore that this spot of earth was called ,eden1 either by ,adam or in the time of ,adam1 on account of that astonishing productiveness and that delightful pleasurableness1 which ,adam experienced in it1 and that the name of a place so delightful1 remained with posterity long after the place itself was lost and gone4 ,just as the names of ,rome1 ,athens and ,carthage exist among us at this day1 though scarcely any traces of those mighty states and kingdoms can now be discovered4 ,for time and the curse which sins merit consume all things4 ,when therefore the world with all the men and beasts upon it was destroyed by the ,flood1 this noble and beautiful garden perished also1 and all traces of it were washed away from the face of the earth4 ,in vain therefore do ,origen and others enter upon their absurd disputations4 ,the text moreover says that this garden was guarded by an angel1 lest any one should enter it4 ,even if this garden therefore had not perished by the curse which followed1 as doubtless it did1 yet man's entrance into it is thus absolutely and forever prevented1 as is indicated by the guardian angel's flaming sword4 ,its place can nowhere be found4 ,this latter answer concerning the curse might be given to all questioners and disputers1 though the former argument concerning the inevitable consequences of the ,deluge1 ,i deem less imaginative and more conclusive4 ,but what shall we say to that text of the ,new ,testament1 ,today shalt thou be with me in paradise1 ,luke #bc3dc8 ,and to that passage also1 ,he was caught up into paradise1 #b ,cor4 #ab3d8 ,i have no hesitation whatever in affirming that ,christ did not go with the thief into any corporeal place4 ,for that point is made quite plain from the case of ,paul1 who says1 that he knew not whether he was in the body1 or out of the body1 verses #b and #c4 ,wherefore my opinion is that in each case by paradise is meant that condition or state in which ,adam was1 when in paradise1 full of peace and rest and safety1 and full of all those gifts of blessedness1 which are enjoyed where there is no sin and no death4 ,as if ,christ had said1 today shalt thou be with me in paradise1 free from sin1 and safe from death4 ,just as ,adam in ,paradise was free from sin and from all death and from all curse4 ,thus ,i believe paradise to be a paradise state4 ,just as the ,scriptures1 when speaking of the bosom of ,abraham1 does not mean the very fold of the robe which covered the bosom of ,abraham1 but descriptively that life or state of life in which the souls of the departed enjoy the heavenly life1 and the peace and rest which remain for the people of ,god1 ,heb4 #d3i4 ,wherefore my testimony concerning this text is1 that ,moses is here giving us an historical description and informing us that there was a certain place toward the ,east1 in which there was a most beautiful and fruitful garden4 ,for1 as ,i have before said1 the ,hebrew expression ,,mikkedem properly signifies a place1 not a time1 as our version improperly renders it4 ,hence it is usual with the ,hebrews to call the ,east wind ,,kadim1 a dry cold wind which parches the fields4 ,in that region of the world therefore was paradise or a garden1 in which there were no teil-trees1 nor oaks1 nor scarlet-oaks1 nor any other trees that were barren1 but the richest and noblest fruits of every kind and trees of the noblest description2 such as we now deem those to be which bear cinnamon and the richest spices4 ,and although all the rest of the earth was cultivated1 for there were as yet no thistles nor thorns1 yet this place had its far higher cultivation4 ,this ,eden was a delightful garden1 exceeding in cultivation and fecundity the whole earth besides4 ,though all the rest of the earth1 if compared with its present miserable condition1 was itself a paradise4 ,it was in this garden1 which he himself had planted with such peculiar care1 that the ,lord placed man4 ,all these things1 ,i say1 are historical4 ,it is idle for us therefore to inquire at the present day1 where or what that garden was4 ,the rivers1 of which ,moses afterwards speaks1 prove that the region of its situation comprehended ,syria1 ,mesopotamia1 ,damascus and ,egypt1 and it is in the midst of these as it were that ,jerusalem is situated4 ,and as this garden was destined for ,adam with his posterity1 it is in vain for us to imagine it to have been a confined garden of a few miles extent4 ,it was doubtless the greater and better part of the earth4 ,and my judgment is1 that this garden continued until the ,deluge2 and that before the ,flood it was protected by ,god himself1 according to the description of ,moses1 by a guard of angels4 ,so that ,i believe it to have been a place well known to the posterity of ,adam1 though inaccessible to them4 ,and my opinion is1 that it continued thus known until the ,flood utterly destroyed it and left no traces of it remaining4 ,such is my mind on this subject4 ,and such is my reply to all questions which over curious men would move concerning a place1 which after the sin and the ,deluge had no longer any existence or trace of former existence4 ,origen however is dissatisfied with any view of the extent of the garden of ,eden1 corresponding to that which ,i have taken4 ,his opinion is that the distance of the rivers ought by no means to determine the dimensions of the garden4 ,but he is thinking all the time about such gardens as we now generally cultivate4 ,hence he has recourse in his usual way to an allegory4 ,he makes paradise to represent heaven2 the trees1 angels2 and the streams of rivers1 wisdom4 ,but these triflings are unworthy a divine4 ,they may perhaps not be unbecoming an imaginative poet2 but they are out of place in a theologian4 ,origen bears not in mind that ,moses is here writing a history2 and that1 too1 a record of things1 now long ago passed away4 ,after this same fashion do our adversaries absurdly dispute at the present day holding that the image and similitude of ,god still remain1 even in a wicked man4 ,they would1 in my judgment speak much nearer the truth1 if they were to say that the image of ,god in man has perished and disappeared2 just as the original world and paradise have done4 ,man in the beginning was righteous2 the world in the beginning was most beautiful4 ,eden was in truth a garden of delight and of pleasure4 ,but all these things were deformed by sin and remain deformed still4 ,all creatures1 yea even the sun and the moon1 have as it were put on sackcloth4 ,they were all originally good1 but by sin and the curse they became defiled and noxious4 ,at length came the greater curse of the ,flood1 which destroyed paradise and the whole human race1 and swept them from the face of the earth4 ,for if at this day rivers1 bursting their banks1 inflict by their floods such mighty calamities on men1 beasts and fields1 what must we suppose to have been the awfulness and horror of the calamities brought upon the earth by the universal ,deluge6 ,whenever therefore we would speak of paradise1 since the ,flood1 let us speak of that now historical paradise1 which was once1 but now has no longer existence in any trace4 ,let us speak of it just as we are compelled to speak of the original innocence of man4 ,in doing so our utmost effort can effect no more than to reflect with a sigh that it is lost1 and that we never can repair or regain it in this life4 ,but further1 as ,moses had before distinguished man in various ways from the brutes1 which nevertheless have the same origin as we have1 brutes being formed like us from the earth2 so the divine historian in this place distinguishes man from every other creature by giving a description of that peculiarly delightful garden1 and that superb dwelling-place1 which ,god had planted with great care and culture1 and prepared with magnificent splendor1 far beyond anything of the kind which he had bestowed on any other spot upon the face of the earth at that time4 ,for the principal object of ,moses in his sacred record of the creation of man was to cause it to be clearly understood that man was by far the noblest and most excellent creature1 which ,god had made4 ,the brute animals had the earth1 on the grass of which they might feed4 ,but for man1 ,god himself prepared a more noble dwelling-place1 in the cultivation and adorning of which he might labor with extreme pleasure1 and in which he might find his food1 separated from the beasts indeed1 but nevertheless holding all of them throughout the whole earth under his dominion4 ,therefore ,origen1 ,jerome and all the other allegorists are alike involved in the greatest folly1 who because they can no longer find a paradise on the face of the earth think that some other sense than the natural one is to be given in its interpretation4 ,but that there was a paradise and that there is a paradise are two very different subjects for consideration4 ,moses1 as is the general nature of all such narrations1 merely records that there was a paradise4 ,the case is the same in reference to ,adam's dominion over all the beasts4 ,he could call the lion1 and command and manage him1 according to his will and pleasure2 but it is not so now4 ,all these glorious things are no more4 ,they are simply and merely1 though sacredly1 recorded by ,moses as having been in the beginning4 ,another question is here agitated1 as to the spot of the earth where ,god created man4 ,there are some who maintain with great warmth that he was created in or near ,damascus2 because they find it recorded that the soil of ,damascus is red and fertile4 ,but ,i pass by all idle and vain inquiries of this description4 ,it is enough for us to know that man was formed out of the earth on the sixth day after all the other animals had been created1 and that he was placed by ,god himself in the garden of ,eden4 ,but as to the very spot on which he was created1 what necessity is there for our knowing that8 ,it is certain that he was created out of paradise4 ,for the text before us declares that he was removed to or placed in paradise1 before ,eve was created who1 as ,moses here shows1 was created in paradise4 ,now let us proceed to that which follows3 ,v4 #i;a4 ,and out of the ground made ,jehovah ,god to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food4 ,the contents of this verse properly belong to the description of paradise4 ,for although the whole earth had been so created as naturally to bring forth trees and herbs1 with their fruits and seeds1 yet this garden of ,eden had its peculiar cultivation4 ,a similitude illustrative of the case before us may be derived from things as they now are among us4 ,woods and fields bring forth their trees4 ,but when we select a place as a garden for special cultivation1 the fruits of the garden are always more excellent than those of the field4 ,so paradise1 having been created for and devoted to peculiar cultivation1 beyond that which was bestowed on any other part of the earth1 was adorned with trees delightful to the sight1 whose fruits were sweet to the taste and for use4 ,when therefore ,god said1 in the first chapter1 verse #bi1 ,behold ,i have given you every herb and every tree for food3 by that meat was meant necessary food4 ,but paradise supplied food for pleasure and delight2 fruits better1 sweeter and more delicious than those which the trees of any other part of the earth produced4 ,on these the beasts also fed4 ,,ii4 ,v4 #i;b4 ,the tree of life also in the midst of the garden1 and the tree of the knowledge 7scientiae7 of good and evil4 ,moses so describes paradise that he makes ,god himself as it were the cultivator of it2 as a cultivator1 who after he has planted a garden with the greatest care according to his pleasure1 selects this and that tree from the rest1 which he tills and loves as particular favorites4 ,one of these trees was the tree of life1 a tree created to the end that man by feeding on it might be preserved with a sound body1 free from diseases1 and not subject to fatigue4 ,here again we find the man1 whom ,god first created1 highly distinguished from the brutes2 not only by the delightful spot in which ,god placed him1 but also by the exalted privilege of a longer life1 a life always continuing in the same state4 ,whereas the bodies of all other living creatures grow in youth and increase in strength1 but in old age decay and perish4 ,but the original condition of man was intended to be far different4 ,had he continued in his innocence he would have enjoyed his meat and his drink2 a change of his meat and drink and a conversion of them into blood would have taken place in his body1 but that commutation would not have been impure and foul as it is now4 ,this tree of life moreover would have preserved him in perpetual youth1 nor would he have experienced any of the afflictions or inconveniences of old age4 ,his brow would have contracted no wrinkles1 nor would his foot nor his hand nor any other part of his body have known weakness or languor4 ,by the blessing of the fruit of this tree man's powers would have remained perfect for generation and for labor of every kind2 until at length he should have been translated from this corporeal to his spiritual life4 ,the other trees would have supplied him with food the most excellent and the most delicious2 but this tree of life would have been as it were a general medicine which would have preserved his natural life and powers in perpetual and complete vigor4 ,some may here interpose the question1 ,how could this corporeal food or natural fruit effect such a conservation of the body as to prevent it from being weakened or debilitated by time8 ,the reply is easy and divine4 ,he spake1 and it was done6 ,ps4 #cc3i4 ,for if ,god can make bread of a stone1 why should he not be able to preserve the natural powers of man by a fruit8 ,even since the sin of the fall we see what powerful properties the smallest herbs and seeds possess4 ,look for a moment at our own bodies4 ,whence comes that peculiar property of their nature that bread1 eaten by them1 is by their natural heat digested and converted into blood1 by the circulation of which the whole body is strengthened and confirmed8 ,now bring together all the fires and all the furnaces of the universe1 you cannot produce by them all this one single effect1 the conversion of bread into blood4 ,but this mighty effect is produced by that small degree of heat1 which our natural bodies contain4 ,there is no room for wonder therefore that this tree should have become by the will of the ,lord1 its ,planter and ,maker1 ,the tree of life6 ,adam possessed a natural and movable body1 a body which generated1 ate and labored4 ,these exertions are considered to produce decay or at least some kind of change1 by which at length man is naturally worn out and destroyed4 ,but by this appointment of nature1 the tree of life1 ,god provided a remedy1 by the use of which man might have a long and sound life1 without any diminution of his powers and in perpetual youth4 ,thus all these things are historical facts4 ,this is a point which ,i am repeatedly admonishing every hearer and reader to bear in mind1 lest he should be stumbled by the authority of some of the fathers1 who leaving pure and positive history turn aside to hunt allegories4 ,it is on this ground that ,i am so partial to ,lyra and so willingly rank him with the best of commentators4 ,he always carefully abides by and follows history4 ,and although he sometimes permits himself to be swayed by the authority of the fathers1 yet he never suffers himself to be turned aside by their authority from the plain and real sense of any portion of the ,scriptures to allegories4 ,but much more wonderful is that which ,moses here speaks concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil4 ,for here we have to inquire1 what this tree was1 why it was so called and what would have been the consequence1 or result1 if there had not been this tree in paradise4 ,augustine and those who follow him rightly consider the matter1 when they observe that the tree was so called from that which was shortly to take place and to be ordained concerning it2 and from the solemn consequences which followed4 ,for ,adam had been so created and the garden of ,eden so planted and constituted that if any inconvenience had occurred to his natural body and life1 he had a protection against it and remedy for it in the tree of life1 which could preserve his powers and the perfection of his health at all times4 ,wherefore if ,adam had thus remained in his innocency1 wholly swallowed up in the goodness of his ,creator and in the bountiful provision which that goodness had made for him on every side and in every way1 he might have acknowledged ,god his ,creator throughout that life of innocence and might have governed all the beasts according to his will1 not only without the least painful toil or trouble1 but also with the highest pleasure4 ,for all things had been so created as to afford man the extreme of pleasure and delight without the least degree of evil or harm4 ,after ,adam therefore had been so created and so surrounded with every blessing that he was intoxicated as it were with joy in ,god and with delight in all the other creatures around him1 ,god then creates a new tree1 a tree of knowledge and of distinction between good and evil1 in order that ,adam by means of that tree might have a certain sign of worship and reverence of ,god4 ,for after all things had been delivered into the hand of ,adam that he might enjoy them according to his will or according to his pleasure1 ,god next requires of him that by means of this tree of the knowledge of good and evil he should show his reverence and obedience towards ,god as his ,creator2 and that he should hold fast1 as a sign of this exercise of his obedient worship of ,god1 that he would not taste any of the fruit of this tree2 thus refraining1 as in obedience to ,god's prohibition4 ,all therefore that ,moses has hitherto said have been things natural or domestic1 or political1 or judicial1 or medicinal4 ,the present however is theological4 ,for here the ,word of ,god concerning this tree of the knowledge of good and evil is set before ,adam1 in order that by means of this tree he might have a certain outward sign of the worship of ,god and of obedience to ,god1 to be performed by him in his nature1 as man1 by the duty and service of an external work4 ,even as the ,sabbath1 of which we have spoken above1 pertains more especially to the performance of the internal and spiritual worship of ,god2 such as faith1 love1 calling upon ,god in prayer1 etc4 ,but alas6 alas6 the true institution of this external worship and obedience toward ,god has been attended with the most disgraceful results4 ,for we find at the present day that the ,word of ,god1 than which nothing is more holy1 nothing more blessed1 is an offense unto the wicked4 ,baptism also was instituted of ,christ1 as the washing of regeneration4 ,but has not this divine institution become a great scandal and excitement of offense by means of various sects8 ,has not the whole doctrine of baptism been distressingly corrupted8 ,and yet1 what was more necessary to us than this very institution of baptism8 ,it was most necessary in order that the animal man should have some correspondingly animal or outward worship2 that is1 some outward sign of worship and reverence of ,god1 by which he might exercise an obedience towards ,god even in his body4 ,the present text therefore truly belongs to the church and to theology4 ,after ,god had given to man a polity or national government1 and also an economy or the principles of domestic government1 and had constituted him king over all creatures1 and had moreover appointed for him as a protective remedy the tree of life1 for the conservation of his corporeal or natural life1 ,god now erects for him a temple as it were1 that he might worship his ,creator1 and give thanks unto that ,god who had bestowed upon him all these rich and bountiful blessings4 ,so at this day we have churches and an altar in them for the celebration of the holy communion or supper of our ,lord2 we have pulpits also1 or elevated chairs1 for teaching the people4 ,and all these things are thus prepared1 not on account of necessity only1 for the sake of solemnity also4 ,but this tree of the knowledge of good and evil was itself to ,adam his church1 his altar1 his pulpit2 near or under which1 as the place appointed of ,god1 he might perform his acts of obedience to ,god1 might acknowledge the ,word and the ,will of ,god1 might offer his thanks to ,god1 and in which spot he might also call upon ,god in prayer against temptations4 ,reason indeed vents its rage that this tree was ever created at all1 because by means of it we have sinned and fallen under the wrath of ,god and into death4 ,but why does not reason on the same ground betray its rage that the ,law was ever revealed by ,god at all1 that the ,gospel was ever revealed afterwards by the ,son of ,god8 ,for have not offenses of errors and heresies1 infinite1 arisen on account both of the ,law and of the ,gospel8 ,let us therefore learn from this passage of ,scripture that it was necessary for man1 being so created and constituted as to have all the rest of the living creatures in his hand and under his dominion1 that he should not only privately1 but publicly also1 acknowledge his ,creator1 should give thanks unto him1 should offer him some public and external worship1 and have a certain form and work of obedience4 ,if therefore ,adam had not fallen1 this tree would have been a common temple or church1 a sure palace to which all might have flocked4 ,thus it was afterwards1 when nature was in her fallen and corrupt state1 the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple at ,jerusalem were places appointed for divine worship4 ,as therefore this tree eventually proved to be the cause of so awful a fall1 it was rightly called by ,moses the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 on account of the horrible and miserable event which followed4 ,two questions may here be raised as to whether this tree of life was one only or whether there were more2 and whether the ,scripture which here speaks in the singular number should be considered as speaking in the plural2 just as we1 speaking collectively1 use the expression the pear1 the apple1 whereby we mean pears and apples generally2 either of those fruits as kinds2 not individual species or specimens of them4 ,to me it appears by no means absurd or out of the way that we should understand the tree of life1 as a certain space in the middle of paradise1 or a certain grove1 in which many trees of life of the same genus or kind grew1 and were called by the same name1 trees of life4 ,hence it is probable that a certain grove was called collectively the tree of life1 which was a kind of sacred retreat1 in which grew a number of trees of the same kind2 namely1 trees of the knowledge of good and evil1 concerning which ,god pronounced his prohibition1 that ,adam should not eat of any of them1 and if he did he should surely die the death4 ,not that there was anything in the nature of this tree1 or of any one of these trees1 to cause death2 but such was the ,word of ,god pronounced concerning it or them1 which ,word of ,god was ever attended with its efficacy to all creatures2 and the efficacy of which ,word still preserves all creatures1 that they degenerate not nor alter nor fail of their original form and intent2 that all creatures may be preserved in their original form and nature by an infinite propagation6 ,hence it was that by the ,word the rock in the desert gave forth its waters in all their abundance1 ,ex4 #ag3f1 and that by the same ,word the brazen serpent healed all those that looked unto it1 ,num4 #ba3i4 ,by this same efficacy of the ,word of ,god's prohibition1 this one tree or this certain species of many trees in the middle of paradise killed ,adam by his disobedience to that ,word of ,god2 not that the tree itself was deadly in its own nature but because it was appointed by the ,word of ,god to be so in its effects4 ,in the same way also are we to understand the nature of the tree of life1 of which ,god commanded ,adam to eat as often as he needed to restore his powers4 ,it was by the ,word of ,god that the tree of life produced that restoration4 ,to reason indeed it seems absurd1 that one apple could have such deadly properties or produce such deadly effects as to destroy the whole human race throughout its almost infinite succession2 and that too with a death eternal4 ,but this was not the nature or the effect of the apple in itself4 ,adam did indeed force his teeth into the apple1 but his teeth struck in reality upon the sting in the apple1 which sting was the prohibition of ,god1 which made his bite to be disobedience to ,god4 ,this was the real cause of the mighty evil4 ,adam thus sinned against ,god1 disregarded his commandment and obeyed ,satan4 ,the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was in itself good1 the tree which bore the most noble fruits4 ,but as the prohibition of ,god was attached to it and man disregarded that prohibition1 the tree became the deadliest of all poisons4 ,just in the same manner as ,god has said1 ,thou shalt not steal1 ,ex4 #bj3ae1 the man who touches the property of another as his own sins against ,god4 ,so in ,egypt when the ,jews were commanded of ,god to ask silver from their neighbors and to carry it away with them2 that was no sin2 they were justified by the command of ,god1 to whom obedience is due1 whatever be the issue or result4 ,so also the suitor when he loves a virgin and has a strong desire of nature to possess her as his wife and marries her1 committeth no adultery2 though the ,law of ,god forbids coveting and concupiscence4 ,and the great reason is this1 matrimony is a divine institution and is a command of ,god to them who cannot live chastely without marriage4 ,just the same also is the nature of these two trees4 ,the tree of life gives life1 by virtue of the ,word which promises and ordains that life4 ,the tree of the knowledge of good and evil produces death by virtue of the efficacy of the ,word which prohibits the eating of it on the penalty of death in case of disobedience4 ,this latter tree however is called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 ,augustine says1 because after ,adam had sinned by eating of it he not only saw and experienced what good he had lost1 but also into what evil and misery he had been hurled by his disobedience4 ,the tree therefore was in itself good1 even as the divine commandment attached to it was good2 that it should be to ,adam a tree of divine worship1 by which he should prove his obedience to ,god1 even by an external act of service to him4 ,but by reason of the sin which followed1 the same tree became the tree of the curse4 ,moses now by digressing a little proceeds to give a more extensive description of the original garden6 ,v4 #aj4 ,and a river went out of ,eden to water the garden2 and from thence it was parted1 and became four heads4 ,here again the ,latin version is in error1 when it makes the proper name1 ,eden1 an appellative4 ,and here ,origen and his followers are to be condemned who have recourse in their usual way to allegories4 ,for the things here recorded by ,moses as history1 are facts4 ,there actually was a great river in ,eden1 by which the whole garden was watered4 ,that river rising from the east of the garden divided itself into four streams1 that no part of the garden might remain unwatered4 ,for1 as ,i have before observed1 we are here to have in mind a large space or portion of the earth2 because this garden was so constituted that it might be1 as to its original design1 an appropriate and perpetual habitation for ,adam and his whole posterity1 which was equally designed to be most extensive4 ,vs4 #aa1 #ab4 ,the name of one is ,pishon2 that is it which compasseth the whole land of ,havilah1 where there is gold2 and the gold of that land is good2 there is bdellium and the onyx stone4 ,this is one of the most difficult passages in the writings of ,moses1 and one which has given rise to the greatest offense in unholy minds4 ,for the real state of the facts recorded1 as they are now before our eyes1 cannot be denied4 ,the description here given by the sacred historian applies properly to ,india1 which he here calls ,havilah1 through which the river ,pishon1 or the ,ganges1 flows4 ,the other three rivers ,gihon1 ,hiddekel and ,phrath2 that is1 the ,nile1 the ,tigris and the ,euphrates are also well known2 and it is equally well known that the ,nile and the last two rivers have their sources very distant from each other4 ,the great question therefore that naturally arises is1 since the whole world well knows how far distant these rivers are from each other1 how can the account of ,moses be reconciled with the facts1 when he says that all these rivers issued from one fountain2 that is1 that they flowed from one source in the garden of ,eden toward the east8 ,for with respect to the ,nile1 although its source is unknown1 yet the arguments and proofs are plain that it flows from a region in the south4 ,whereas it is quite certain that the ,ganges and the ,tigris and the ,euphrates flow from the north2 sources in the entirely opposite direction4 ,the account of ,moses therefore militates against sense and fact as they now are4 ,this state of things has given occasion to many to form conjectures that ,eden was the whole world4 ,though such conjectures are certainly false1 yet they would not of themselves1 even if true1 reconcile the statements of ,moses1 nor make all plain when he here says that the source of all these rivers was one and the same4 ,and although it is very probable that if ,adam had remained in his innocence and his posterity had greatly multiplied in that state of innocency1 ,god would have enlarged this garden correspondently2 yet even that consideration would not justify the supposition that ,eden was the whole earth originally2 for the sacred text most plainly separates ,eden from all the rest of the earth4 ,what shall we say therefore concerning this passage of ,moses1 contrary as it is to sense and experience1 as things now are1 and on that account so liable to cause offense being taken2 especially since ,origen and others have built upon it so many marvelous and absurd fables8 ,some commentators pretend that there is no difficulty at all nor any liability to offense being taken2 and therefore they walk dryshod as it were over this deep sea4 ,such lack of candor however is also highly unbecoming a commentator4 ,my opinion on the matter1 which indeed ,i have already given1 is that paradise1 which was very soon closed against man on account of sin1 and afterwards totally destroyed and swept from the earth by the ,flood1 left not one trace or vestige of its original state remaining1 which can now be discovered4 ,i fully believe1 as ,i have before stated1 that paradise did exist after the fall of ,adam1 and that it was known to his posterity2 but that it was inaccessible to them on account of the protection of the angel1 who as the text informs us guarded ,eden with a flaming sword4 ,the awful ,deluge however destroyed all things4 ,by which also1 as it is written1 ,all the fountains of the great deep were broken up1 ,gen4 #g3aa4 ,who can doubt therefore that the fountains of these rivers were also broken up and confounded8 ,as therefore since the ,flood mountains exist where fields and fruitful plains before flourished1 so there can be no doubt that fountains and sources of rivers are now found where none existed before and where the state of nature had been quite the contrary4 ,for the whole face of nature was changed by that mighty convulsion4 ,nor do ,i entertain the least doubt that all those wonders of nature which are from time to time discovered1 are the effects and relics of that same awful visitation1 the ,deluge4 ,in the metallic mines which are now explored are found large logs of wood1 hardened into stone2 and in masses of stone themselves are perceived various forms of fishes and other animals4 ,with the same confidence ,i also believe that the ,mediterranean sea before the ,deluge was not within the land4 ,my persuasion is that the position which it now occupies was formed by the effects of the terrible ,flood4 ,so also the space now occupied by the ,red ,sea was doubtless before a fruitful field1 and most probably some portion of this very garden4 ,in like manner1 those other large bays1 the ,gulf of ,persia1 the gulf of ,arabia1 etc41 as they now exist1 are relic effects of the ,deluge4 ,wherefore we are by no means to suppose that the original source of the rivers1 of which we are now speaking1 was the same as it is today4 ,but as the earth still exists and brings forth trees and their fruits1 etc41 and yet these1 if compared with those in their original and incorrupt state1 are but miserable remnants as it were of those former riches which the earth produced when first created1 so these rivers remain as relics only of those former noble streams2 but certainly not in their primitive position2 much less flowing from their original sources4 ,in the same manner1 how much excellency has perished from our bodies by sin6 ,wherefore the sum of the matter under discussion is that we must speak of the whole nature since its corruption1 as an entirely altered face of things2 a face which nature has assumed1 first by means of sin1 and secondly by the awful effects of the universal ,deluge4 ,nor has ,god ceased to act still in the same way4 ,when he punishes sins he still curses at the same time the earth also4 ,thus in the prophet ,zephaniah1 ,god threatens that he will consume the fowls of the air and the fishes of the sea1 ,zeph4 #a3c4 ,hence the fact is that many of our rivers have in this age a far less number of fishes than in the memory of our forefathers4 ,the birds also are much fewer in number than they once were1 etc4 ,god threatens also1 ,is4 #ac1 that ,he will punish in this same way the sins of ,babylon4 ,for when men are taken away by ,god's judgments the beasts of the earth also disappear and monsters and destroying wild beasts alone remain1 ,is4 #ac3ba1 #bb4 ,for example ,canaan was one of the most fruitful lands2 but now it is said to be as it were a mere pickle-tub of unfruitful saltness1 according to the divine threatening in the #ajgth ,psalm4 ,if then such calamities are inflicted of ,god as the punishments of the particular sins of nations1 what destructions and desolations must we consider the universal punishment of the ,flood to have wrought8 ,let no one be offended therefore at ,moses saying that four rivers1 which are at this day widely distant from each other and have now different fountains1 flowed from one source in the garden of ,eden4 ,for as ,i have here repeatedly observed we are not to think that the form of the world now is the same as it was before the sin of ,adam4 ,origen was indeed of this opinion himself1 and yet he turned aside to the vainest allegories4 ,the ,nile indeed exists to this day1 so does the ,ganges4 ,but as ,virgil says concerning the destruction of ,troy1 ,a cornfield now flourishes where ,troy once stood1 so if any one had seen the ,nile and the other great rivers mentioned by ,moses in their primitive beauty and glory he would have beheld them to be far different from what they are now4 ,for not only are their sources altered1 but their qualities and their courses are also changed2 just as all other creatures are also deformed and corrupted4 ,hence it is that ,peter affirms ,that the heaven must receive ,christ until the times of the restitution of all things1 ,acts #c3ba4 ,for ,peter here intimates1 that which ,paul also testifies1 that the whole creation was subjected to vanity1 ,rom4 #h3bj1 and that the restitution of all things is to be hoped for2 the restitution not of man only1 but of the heaven and the earth1 of the sun and of the moon1 etc4 ,my answer therefore to all questioners upon the passage before us is3 ,there is the ,nile1 there is the ,ganges and there are other rivers still in existence2 but they are not now such as they once were2 they are not only confounded with respect to their sources1 but altered as to their qualities also4 ,in the same manner also man has indeed feet1 eyes and ears1 just as they were created and formed in paradise2 but all these same members are miserably corrupted and marred by sin4 ,adam before his sin had eyes the most bright1 a smell of body the most pure1 refined1 delicate and grateful2 a body the most perfectly adapted to generation and to every purpose intended of ,god without the least let1 hindrance or obstruction in the performance of those purposes as services in obedience to ,god4 ,but how far removed from all this aptitude1 this service and this natural vigor are all our members now6 ,just the same is the present nature of these rivers and of the whole creation if compared with its original state and condition4 ,let us look therefore in hope and faith for the restitution of all things2 not of the soul only1 but of the body also2 believing that we shall have in that day a body better and more noble even than it was when first created in paradise4 ,for we shall not then be placed in a state of animal life1 subject by its nature to alteration and change2 but in the state and enjoyment of a spiritual life2 that life1 into which ,adam would have been translated1 if he had lived without sin4 ,into the hope of this life ,christ brings us by the remission of sins2 and thereby makes our condition better and higher than ,adam enjoyed1 but lost in paradise4 ,the ,hebrew verb ,,sab1 which ,moses here uses1 has a very extensive meaning2 it signifies to go round1 as watchmen go their round in a city4 ,pishon1 therefore1 or the ,ganges is still in existence1 if you speak of its mere name and stream2 but if you consider its fertilizing and fructifying qualities1 its various other properties and the course of its waters1 even the remnants of the original noble river are not to be found4 ,the land of ,havilah is ,india1 situated towards the east4 ,this country is celebrated both in the present passage and in other places in the ,scripture as most rich and abundant in every respect4 ,so that at this day the gems and the gold of ,india are considered the most precious and most noble4 ,i believe however1 according to the phraseology here adopted by ,moses1 that in the land of ,havilah is included ,arabia ,felix and other adjacent regions4 ,when ,moses speaks of bdellium and the onyx stone1 ,i take these specimens of gems for gems in general4 ,for we find ,india to abound even at the present day1 not only in jewels of the description mentioned1 but in emeralds1 sapphires1 rubies1 garnets1 diamonds1 etc42 for ,i retain their appellations as they are now used among us4 ,but here again ,i would bring back your attention to that which ,i have before stated4 ,seeing that this region is endowed from above with such a rich abundance of all things useful and precious2 how much more rich1 abundant1 opulent and divinely favored must we conclude it to have been in its original state before the sin of the fall6 ,its present productions and contents can scarcely be called even remnants of its former excellency4 ,vs4 #ac1 #ad4 ,and the name of the second river is ,gihon2 the same is it which compasseth the whole land of ,cush4 ,and the name of the third river is ,hiddekel2 that is it which goeth toward the east of ,assyria4 ,and the fourth river is the ,euphrates4 ,moses mentions the three remaining rivers by name only1 giving no particular descriptions in reference to them4 ,gihon is the ,nile4 ,this river1 as it runs through all ,egypt1 takes in its course1 ,cush or ,ethiopia also1 as well as ,egypt4 ,hiddekel is the ,tigris 7in ,armenia71 the most rapid river of all4 ,the fourth is the river ,euphrates4 ,as if he had added1 the river near to us4 ,in this passage therefore we have a description of paradise with its four rivers4 ,but now it is utterly lost and unknown2 and no traces of it exist except these four rivers4 ,and even these1 first rendered leprous as it were and corrupted and marred by sin2 and then changed1 altered and confounded in their sources and in their courses by the mighty ,deluge4 ,moses now proceeds to describe how a law was given to ,adam before ,eve was created1 so that he might have a mode or form of external worship1 by which to show his obedience and express his gratitude to ,god4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,the ,,introduction ,,of ,,man ,,into ,,the ,,garden1 ,,the ,,command ,,god ,,gave ,,him ,,and ,,the ,,threatening ,,god ,,attached ,,to ,,it4 ,i4 ,v4 #ae4 ,and ,jehovah ,god took the man1 and put him into the garden of ,eden to dress it and keep it4 ,after ,god had created and variously adorned the universe of heaven and earth1 he next prepared the garden of ,eden1 which he willed to be the habitation and royal seat of man1 to whom he had committed the government over all other living creatures of the earth1 the heaven and the sea4 ,and now ,god places man in that garden as in a citadel and a temple1 from which he had liberty to go out and to walk abroad in any other part of the earth1 which also was most fruitful and most delightful2 and there to amuse and delight himself with the beasts and other animals when and as he wished4 ,and ,god gives to ,adam a two-fold charge that he should work or till this garden1 and also that he should guard and defend it4 ,some faint vestiges of this original command yet remain in these miserable remnants of primitive things1 which we still possess4 ,for even to this day these two things must ever be joined together3 not only that the earth should be tilled but also that the productions of that cultivation should be defended4 ,but both these great principles are corrupted and marred in an infinite number of forms4 ,for not the tillage of the earth itself only but the defense of it also are filled with every kind of misery and trouble4 ,and what the cause of all this sorrow is will be fully clear to us shortly in the following chapter of this book4 ,for we shall there see that this working or tillage of the earth is defiled and embarrassed by thorns1 by thistles1 by the sweat of the brow and by various and unending misery4 ,for1 to say nothing about the labor and sorrow of procuring necessary food1 what difficulty1 what labor attend even the bringing up a child from its birth6 ,if ,adam therefore had remained in his innocency he would have cultivated the earth and planted his beds of spices1 not only without toil or trouble but as an amusement1 attended with exquisite pleasure4 ,his children when born would not long have needed the breast of their mother1 but in all probability would have started on their feet1 as we now see chickens do by nature1 and would have sought their own food from the fruits of the earth1 without the helplessness or weakness and without any labor or sorrow of their parents6 ,but now how great do we behold to be the pain and misery of our birth1 our infancy and our growth6 ,if we speak of food and the misery attending it1 not only have beasts the same general produce of the earth1 now no longer an ,eden1 which we have2 but men defraud men of the same and rob them of it by theft and plunder4 ,hence hedges and walls and other strong defences are found necessary for the protection of property2 and even by these the produce1 we have obtained by the labor and sweat of cultivation1 can scarcely be preserved in safety4 ,thus we have indeed a remnant of the labor of cultivation1 but very far different from the employ of the original tillage4 ,not merely because it is attended with the greatest toil and distress1 but because the ground itself1 being as it were unwilling1 yields sparingly2 whereas to ,adam it yielded as it were with the greatest joy and with the richest abundance1 whether he sowed his seed within ,eden itself or in any other part of the earth4 ,there was then no danger from plunderers and murderers4 ,all was in perfect peace and safety4 ,in all these respects therefore we can form an idea of the mighty evil of sin2 when we behold the thorns1 the briers1 the sweat of the brow1 etc41 which are before us4 ,whichever way we turn the magnitude of that evil is ever present4 ,hence man did not fall by sin in soul only1 but in body also2 and both participate in the punishment4 ,for labor is a punishment1 which in the state of innocence was an amusement and a pleasure4 ,even as now1 in the present state of the misery of nature1 if any one has a productive garden1 neither digging nor sowing nor planting is a labor1 but a certain devoted employment and a delight4 ,what then must have been this employment and delight in the garden of ,eden in the state of original innocence6 ,how much more pleasurable and perfect6 ,and here also we may reflect with profit that man was not created to idleness1 but to labor2 no1 not even in the state of primitive innocence4 ,wherefore every state of an idle or indolent life is condemnable2 such for instance as the life of monks and nuns4 ,as the original labor and employment of man were unattended with sorrow or distress1 as we have shown1 so also this guarding and protecting of that which he possessed was full of pleasure and delight2 whereas now all such protection is full of labor and peril4 ,adam could have stopped or driven away even bears and lions by one single word4 ,we have now indeed our means of defense1 but they are truly horrible2 for we cannot do without swords and spears1 and cannon1 and walls1 and ramparts1 and castle-fosses1 etc42 and even with all these we and our loved ones scarcely abide in safety4 ,hence we have scarcely the feeblest traces remaining either of the original work or the original protection4 ,others expound this passage differently1 making it to mean1 that ,god might till and keep it4 ,but the text speaks of human tilling and human keeping absolutely4 ,so ,cain just below1 ,gen4 #d3b1 is said to have been a tiller of the ground4 ,and in ,job and ,ecclesiastes kings are called tillers of the earth or husbandmen2 not merely on account of their labor itself in tillage1 but on account of their guardianship and protection4 ,but as ,i have all along said1 labor and protection are now hard and difficult terms8 ,but originally they were terms denoting a certain delightful employment and exquisite pleasure4 ,,ii4 ,ver4 #af1 #ag;a4 ,and ,jehovah ,god commanded the man1 saying1 ,of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat2 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 thou shalt not eat of it4 ,here we have the institution of the church before there was any domestic government 7oeconomia7 or civil government 7politia74 ,for ,eve was not yet created4 ,and the church is here instituted without any walls or any pomp2 in a place all open and most delightful4 ,after the church was instituted domestic government 7oeconomia7 is established1 when ,eve is brought to ,adam as his life-companion4 ,thus we have at ,god's hand a church before a private house2 the former of which indeed is greater and better than the latter4 ,and as to civil government 7politia72 before sin there was none2 nor was it needed4 ,for civil government is a necessary remedy for corrupt nature4 ,because the lust of men must be curbed by the chains and penalties of the laws1 that it transgress not all bounds4 ,wherefore we may properly term polity1 or civil government1 the established kingdom over sin1 just as ,paul also calls ,moses the minister and the law the ministration of sin and of death1 #b ,cor4 #c3g1 #h2 ,rom4 #h3b4 ,for the one and special object of civil government is to prevent sin4 ,hence ,paul says1 that the power beareth the sword and is the avenger of evil doings1 ,rom4 #ac3d4 ,if therefore1 men had not become evil by sin there would have been no need of civil government2 but ,adam would have lived with his posterity in the greatest joy1 peace and safety1 and would have done more by the motion of one of his fingers than can now be effected by all the magistrates1 all the swords and all the gallows of a kingdom4 ,there would then have been no ravisher1 no murderer1 no thief1 no slanderer1 no liar4 ,and therefore what need would there have been of civil government1 which is as it were the sword1 the caustic and the terrible medicine1 which are necessary to cut off and burn out noxious members of the state1 that its other members may be saved and preserved4 ,after the establishment of the church therefore in paradise is committed unto ,adam the government of his family4 ,the church is thus first instituted by ,god1 that he might show by this as a sign that man was created to another and a higher end than any of the other living creatures4 ,and as the church is thus instituted by the ,word of ,god1 it is certain that ,adam was created by an immortal and spiritual life to which he would assuredly have been translated and conveyed without death after he had lived in ,eden and the other parts of the earth to his full satiety of life1 yet without trouble or distress4 ,and in that life there would have been none of that impure lust which now prevails4 ,the love of sex for sex would have been uncontaminated and pure4 ,generation would have proceeded without any sin or impurity1 in a holy obedience unto ,god4 ,mothers would have brought forth children without pain1 and children themselves would have been brought up without any of that misery and labor and distress with which they are now always reared4 ,but who can find language capable of describing the glory of that state of innocency1 which we have lost8 ,there certainly still remains in nature a desire of the male for the female4 ,there also proceed the fruits of generation4 ,but the whole is attended with a horrible impurity of lust1 and with overwhelming pains of parturition4 ,to all this are added turpitude1 shame and confusion even between man and wife when they would enjoy their lawful embrace4 ,in a word1 even here and in all things else1 is present the unspeakable awfulness of original sin4 ,creation indeed is good4 ,the blessing of fruitfulness upon creation is good4 ,but all these things are corrupted and spoiled1 by sin4 ,so that even man and wife cannot enjoy them without shame and confusion of face4 ,whereas none of these things would have had existence if the innocency of ,adam had continued4 ,but as husbands and wives eat and drink together without any shame2 so there would have been a singular and heavenly purity without any shame or confusion of feeling1 either in generation or in parturition4 ,but ,i return to ,moses4 ,the church was originally instituted1 as ,i have observed1 before there was any house or family or domestic government4 ,for the ,lord1 we here find1 preaches to ,adam and sets before him the ,word4 ,on that ,word1 though so short1 it highly becomes us here to pause awhile and dwell4 ,for this sermon of ,god to ,adam would have been to him and to us all1 his posterity1 had we continued in the original innocence1 a whole ,bible as it were4 ,and did we1 or could we1 possess that sermon now we should have no need of paper1 ink and pens1 nor of that infinite multitude of books1 which we now require to teach us knowledge and wisdom4 ,the whole contents of these books put together1 could we grasp them in our minds1 would not put us in possession of one-thousandth part of that wisdom1 which ,adam possessed in paradise4 ,could we attain to the sum of all the wisdom in all the world1 this short sermon would swallow up and overflow the whole4 ,it would show us in all plainness and fullness1 as if painted on a tablet1 that infinite goodness of ,god which created this nature of ours pure1 holy and perfect2 and it would show us with equal plainness all those impurities1 calamities and sorrows1 which have since overwhelmed us by the inbursting of sin4 ,since therefore1 as the text shows1 ,adam alone heard this sermon from ,god1 it must have been preached to him on the sixth day1 and ,adam must have afterwards communicated it to ,eve on the same day4 ,and if they had not sinned ,adam would have set this remarkable sermon or precept before his whole posterity also2 and by it they would have become the most profound divines1 the most learned lawyers and the most experienced physicians4 ,now there exists an infinite number of books by which men are trained to be theologians1 lawyers and physicians4 ,but all the knowledge we can obtain by the help of all these books together can scarcely be called the dregs of science1 if compared with that fund of wisdom which ,adam drew from this one sermon of ,god4 ,so utterly corrupted are all things by original sin4 ,this tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 therefore1 or this place in which a number of trees like unto it were planted1 would have been1 as we have said1 a church1 where ,adam and his posterity1 had he and they continued in their innocency1 would have assembled on the ,sabbath day2 and ,adam1 after refreshment derived from the tree of life1 would have preached ,god to those assembled1 and would have praised him for the dominion which he had given them over all other creatures he had made4 ,the #adhth and #adith ,psalms set forth a certain form of such praise and thanksgiving1 where the sun1 the moon1 the stars1 the fishes and the dragons are called upon to praise the ,lord4 ,but there is no one psalm so beautiful1 but that any one of us might compose one far more excellent and more perfect1 if we had been born of the seed of ,adam in his state of original innocence4 ,adam would have preached that highest of all blessings1 that he had been created in and that his posterity bore the image and the similitude of ,god4 ,he would have exhorted them all to live a holy life without sin1 to till the garden in which ,god had placed them with all industry1 to keep it with all diligence1 and to guard with all caution against tasting the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil4 ,this external place1 form1 worship and preaching of the ,word1 man would most certainly have observed on the ,sabbath4 ,afterwards he would have returned to his duties of laboring and guarding until the time appointed of ,god had been fulfilled1 in which he should be translated without any death and with all sweetness to heaven4 ,we must now speak of all these blessings however as a lost treasure1 and we are deservedly left to sigh for that day1 when all these things shall be restored4 ,it is nevertheless most profitable to remember the blessings we have lost1 and to feel the evils we suffer and in the midst of which we live1 in so much wretchedness that we may be thereby stirred to look for that redemption of our bodies1 of which the apostle speaks1 ,rom4 #h3bc4 ,for as to our souls we are already freed and delivered by ,christ2 and we hold that deliverance in faith until the end of our faith shall be revealed1 #a ,pet4 #a3ai4 ,it is moreover very profitable to consider from this text that ,god gave unto ,adam a ,word1 a worship and a religion1 the most simple1 most pure and most disencumbered of all laborious forms and sumptuous appearance4 ,for ,god did not command the sacrificing of oxen1 nor the burning of incense1 nor long and loud prayers1 nor any other afflictions or wearyings of the body4 ,all that he willed was1 that ,adam should praise him1 should give him thanks1 and should rejoice in him as the ,lord his ,god2 obeying him in this one great thing that he ate not the fruit of the forbidden tree4 ,of this worship we have indeed some remnants restored to us in a certain measure by ,christ1 even amidst all this infirmity of our flesh4 ,we also are enabled to praise ,god and to give him thanks for every blessing of the soul and of the body4 ,but too true it is1 that these are but very remnants of the original worship of ,eden4 ,but when1 after this miserable life1 we shall come among the company of angels1 we shall then offer unto ,god a purer and holier worship4 ,and there are also other remnants of this original felicity still vouchsafed unto us2 that by the blessing of marriage we avoid and prevent adulteries2 that this corporeal life has not only food1 though procured with infinite labor1 but a protection and a defense of that which we possess1 secured unto us against all the evils and dangers which surround us on every side4 ,these are indeed merciful remnants1 still they are but miserable remnants if compared with the original blessedness and security4 ,moreover1 brethren1 ye are here to be admonished against false prophets1 through whom ,satan endeavors by various means to corrupt sound doctrine4 ,i will give you an example of this in my own case1 and just show you how ,i was tormented by a fanatical spirit when ,i first began to preach this doctrine1 which ,i am now setting forth in my ,comments on the passage before us4 ,the text indeed uses a ,hebrew verb signifying to command2 ,and ,jehovah ,god commanded the man4 ,yet this agent of ,satan argued1 and drew his conclusion thus3--,the ,law is not made for a righteous man4 ,adam was a righteous man2 therefore1 the ,law was not made for ,adam2 because1 he was a righteous man4 ,upon this argument he immediately pinned another2 that this sermon of ,god therefore was not a law but an admonition only2 and that1 consequently1 where there was no law there was1 as ,paul affirms1 no transgression4 ,and from this argument1 that where there is no law there is no transgression1 he crept on to the conclusion1 therefore1 there was no original sin2 the truth of which doctrine he consequently denied4 ,by thus connecting together these two passages of ,scripture he gained1 as he considered1 a marvelous victory1 and he publicly displayed his triumph as if he had discovered a treasure hitherto unknown to the world4 ,now it is profitable thus to mark the mighty attempts of ,satan1 that we may learn to meet them with wisdom and skill4 ,both the above passages1 that the ,law is not made for a righteous man2 and that where there is no law there is no transgression are found in the ,epistles of ,paul1 #a ,tim4 #a3i1 and ,rom4 #d3ae4 ,and it is the business of a sound and skillful logician in divine things1 to mark carefully the aims and the devices of the devil2 because our sophistical reasoners1 his miserable slaves1 use them after him4 ,they pretend indeed to found their arguments on ,scripture4 ,for they know that it would appear perfectly ridiculous to thrust upon men's minds nothing but their own dreams4 ,but they do not cite ,scripture wholly and honestly2 they seize upon those parts of it only which seem at first to make for them2 but those portions which stand against them1 they either craftily pass over or corrupt by cunningly devised interpretations4 ,thus when ,satan found that ,christ trusted in the mercy of ,god under his great hunger1 he attempted to draw him into a forbidden confidence1 ,math4 #d3c1 #d4 ,and again1 in the matter of his standing on the pinnacle of the ,temple1 the devil tried to make him tempt ,god2 by quoting to him a passage seemingly adopted for his purpose1 ,ps4 #ia3aa-ab1 ,he shall give his angels charge concerning thee2 and in their hands they shall bear thee up1 lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone4 ,now that portion of the passage in the psalm1 which was contrary to his purpose1 ,satan craftily passed over1 to keep thee1 in all thy ways4 ,here lies the whole force of this ,scripture1 that this guardianship of angels is promised to us in all our ways or in our lawful calling only4 ,christ in all divine wisdom sets before ,satan this as the true meaning of the sacred text1 when he replies to his face in this precept1 ,thou shalt not tempt the ,lord thy ,god4 ,by this ,christ signifies that the way of man is not in the air1 but that was the way of the flying fowls2 but that the way of man was the steps which led from the roof of the temple to the ground2 and which were made for the end that there might be a descent from the top of the temple to the bottom1 easy and without peril4 ,when therefore we are in our lawful calling and duty1 whether that duty be commanded of ,god or of men1 which latter have a right to prescribe the duty of our calling1 while we are thus in our ways1 then we may assuredly believe the guardianship of angels will not fail us4 ,the above example therefore will furnish a very useful rule to be observed in our disputations with these fanatical tools of ,satan4 ,for those who are not on their guard are often deceived when crafty men transfer their arguments1 after their own manner1 from connected to unconnected portions of the ,scripture2 or adopt dishonest connections or divisions of the sacred text2 but adduce not passages in their integral state as they stand in the ,word4 ,now this is the very method adopted in the present case by my adversary1 when he argues as above from these two detached portions1 ,that law is not made for a righteous man1 and ,where there is no law1 there is no transgression4 ,he who is not on the watch-tower of wisdom and caution here is entangled before he is aware of it1 and drawn into the horrible conclusion1 that there was no real sin in eating the first apple2 because1 as our crafty opponents would argue1 there was no law2 and1 as they further argue1 which is indeed true in itself1 because where there is no law there is no transgression4 ,and ,i am by no means certain that some even in our day have not been deceived by this very argument of the devil4 ,for they so speak of original sin as to make it not a sin itself1 but a punishment of sin only4 ,hence ,erasmus1 discussing this point with his famous eloquence1 observes1 ,original sin is a punishment1 inflicted on our first parents1 which we their posterity are compelled to bear for another's fault1 without any desert of our own4 ,just as the son of an harlot is forced to endure the infamy1 not by his own fault but by that of his mother4 ,for what sin could any man commit who had as yet no existence8 ,these sentiments flatter human reason1 but they are full of impiety and blasphemy4 ,wherein then is the syllogism of our crafty adversary unsound8 ,it is because1 according to ,satan's common artifice1 the text on which it is founded is not quoted entirely1 but most perfidiously mutilated4 ,for the whole text stands thus1 ,the law is not made for a righteous man1 but for murderers1 for adulterers1 etc41 etc4 ,wherefore nothing can be more evident1 nothing else can be concluded than that the apostle ,paul is here speaking of that ,law which ,god revealed unto man after sin was in the world2 not of that law1 which the ,lord gave unto ,adam in paradise1 while he was yet righteous and innocent4 ,the ,law1 says ,paul1 was not made for a righteous man2 wherefore it insubvertibly follows1 that the ,law of which ,paul speaks was given to nature1 when not innocent1 but sinning and liable to sin4 ,is it not then the height of wickedness thus to confound passages of ,scripture in causes of such solemn moment8 ,adam after his sin was not the same as he was before1 when in his state of innocency4 ,and yet these men make no difference between the law delivered to man before sin and the ,law delivered to man after sin4 ,but what the apostle says concerning the ,law1 which was delivered to the world after it was filled with sin1 these instruments of ,satan1 lyingly and with the greatest blasphemy1 transfer and apply to the law1 delivered to ,adam in paradise4 ,whereas1 if no sin had existed the law prohibiting sin would not have existed4 ,for as ,i have said above1 civil government and laws1 or cauteries1 and the sword1 and the schoolmaster1 as ,paul terms the ,law1 would not have been needed in a state of innocent nature4 ,but the boy because he is now bad needs the schoolmaster and the rod4 ,so the prince1 because he has disobedient citizens1 equally needs the crown-officer and the executioner4 ,it is of this law that ,paul is really speaking2 the law which nature when corrupted by sin needed4 ,with respect to the need which ,adam had of this commandment of ,god concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 ,i have shown that need above4 ,it was that ,adam might have a settled external worship of ,god and a work of external obedience towards him to perform statedly4 ,thus the angel ,gabriel is without sin1 a creature most pure and innocent1 and yet he received a commandment from ,god to inform ,daniel concerning things of the utmost importance1 and to announce to the virgin ,mary that she was to be the mother of ,christ promised to the fathers4 ,these are positive commandments1 given to a creature perfectly innocent4 ,in the same manner there is here a commandment given of the ,lord to ,adam before his sin that he should not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 which commandment ,adam would have fulfilled willingly and with the highest pleasure1 had he not been deceived by the craft of ,satan4 ,but ,paul is referring to quite another law2 for he is plainly speaking of a law which was given1 not to the righteous1 but to the unrighteous4 ,who is there1 then1 so stupid or so insane1 who will after all conclude that a law was not given to ,adam because he hears us affirm that ,adam was a righteous man8 ,for no other conclusion can follow than that the law1 which was made for the unrighteous1 was not the law that was given to the righteous ,adam2 and on the converse it must follow that as a law was given to righteous ,adam1 that law was not the same as the law which was afterwards made for the unrighteous4 ,there is therefore in this syllogism or argument of our adversary1 the two-fold unsoundness of unjust connection and unjust division4 ,there is in it moreover a double equivocation4 ,the first is in not making it plain that the law before sin is one thing1 and the law after sin another4 ,and in the second place1 the equivocation lies in not making it equally plain1 that the righteous man before sin and the righteous man after sin are each righteous1 but in a different sense2 that the one is righteous by nature the other by new-creation and justification4 ,it is most useful to examine thus the arguments and reasonings of our adversaries1 and in this manner to apply the science of sound logic to good purpose in these momentous discussions4 ,for the arts of logic were not seriously intended to be used in the dead disputation of the school only2 but that the gravest and most sacred subjects might by them be soundly explained and taught4 ,and it is by the very false reasoning now in question1 that ,satan does a great deal of business in denying original sin4 ,whereas to deny original sin1 is to deny virtually the passion and resurrection of ,christ4 ,let the passage of the apostle ,paul therefore1 #a ,tim4 #a3i1 hinder us not from determining with ,moses in the text now before us1 that a law was here commanded of ,god to ,adam though a righteous man1 ,that he should not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 in the same way as commandments were also given to angels4 ,and because ,adam transgressed this commandment he sinned1 and begat and propagated his children after him also sinners4 ,,iii4 ,v4 #ag;b4 ,for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die4 ,this penal threat also thus expressly added proves that it was a law1 not an admonition1 that was given to ,adam4 ,and it moreover shows that ,adam was created in a state of innocence and righteousness4 ,for as yet there was no sin in existence because ,god did not create sin4 ,if ,adam therefore had obeyed this command he would never have died1 for death entered into the world by sin4 ,all the rest of the trees of paradise therefore were created to the end that they might aid and preserve unto man his animal life1 sound and whole1 and without the least evil or inconvenience4 ,now it naturally appears wonderful to us at this day1 that there should have been an animal life without any death and without any evils or accidental causes of death1 which now abound1 such as diseases1 boils and fetid redundancies1 in bodies1 etc41 etc4 ,the reason is that no part of the body in the state of innocency was foul or impure4 ,there was no unpleasantness in the evacuations or secretions4 ,there were no impurities whatever4 ,everything was most beautiful and delightful4 ,there was no offense to any of the organs or senses4 ,and yet the life was an animal life4 ,adam ate1 digested1 performed the functions of1 and managed and regulated1 his body4 ,and had he continued in his innocence he would have done all these and other things the animal life does and requires1 until he had been translated to the spiritual and eternal life4 ,for this deathless translation also we have lost by sin4 ,and now1 between this present and a future life1 there exists that awful medium passage1 death4 ,that passage1 in the state of innocence1 would have been most delightful2 and by it ,adam would have been translated to the spiritual life1 or as ,christ calls it in the ,gospel1 the life as the angels in heaven1 ,math4 #ab3be2 in which state all animal actions cease4 ,for in the resurrection we shall neither eat nor drink nor are given in marriage4 ,so with respect to ,adam1 all animality would have ceased and a spiritual life in glory would have followed2 even as we also believe it will be with us in the resurrection through ,christ4 ,so also ,adam would have put off his childhood glory of innocence1 if ,i may so term his natural life of innocency1 and would have put on his heavenly glory4 ,he would have done with all inferior actions1 which however1 in that childhood glory of innocency1 would have been pure and unattended with that sorrow which mars all things since the fall2 and would have been translated from his infantine glory of created innocence1 to that manhood of glorious innocence1 which angels enjoy2 and which we also who believe shall enjoy in the life to come4 ,i call ,adam's primitive1 creative innocence the childhood of glorious innocency1 because ,adam1 if ,i may so speak1 was in a middle state1 or a state of neutrality or liability2 in a state where he could be deceived by ,satan2 and could fall into that awful calamity into which he did fall4 ,but such a peril of falling will not exist in that state of perfect manhood of glorified innocency1 which we shall enjoy in the future and spiritual life4 ,and this indeed is that which is signified in this threat of punishment4 ,for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die4 ,as if the ,lord had said1 thou mayest remain indeed1 if thou obey me1 in this life1 in which ,i have created thee2 yet thou wilt not even then1 be immortal1 as the angels are4 ,it is a life placed as it were in a middle1 neutral or liable1 state4 ,thou mayest remain in it by obedience1 and afterwards be translated into an immortality1 which cannot be lost4 ,on the other hand if thou shalt not obey me1 thou shalt fall into death and shalt lose that immortality4 ,there is a great difference therefore between the created spiritual state of angels and the created natural innocency of ,adam4 ,angels as they now are cannot fall1 but ,adam could fall2 for ,adam was created in a state in which he might become immortal1 that is1 in which he might continue in his original innocency without death1 for he was free from all sin and stood in a condition from which he might be translated out of the childhood glory of original innocency into the manhood glory of immortality1 in which he could never sin afterwards4 ,on the other hand1 ,adam could fall out of this childhood glory of natural innocence into sin1 the curse and death1 as indeed it sadly happened4 ,adam was in a state of natural immortality1 or which might have been a natural immortality1 because he had recourse to certain created trees1 the virtue of whose fruits produced preservation of life4 ,but this natural immortality was not so secured to him1 as to render it impossible for him to fall into mortality4 ,why ,god willed to create man in this middle1 neutral or liable state is not for us to explain or curiously to inquire4 ,equally impossible is it for us to say and unlawful to ask1 why man was so created that all mankind should be propagated from one man by generation1 while angels were not so created4 ,for angels generate not nor are propagated1 because they live a spiritual life2 but the counsel of ,god in the creation of man is worthy the highest admiration1 in that he created him to an animal life and to corporeal actions1 which also the other animals have1 and gave him also a power of intellect1 which indeed the angels also possess4 ,so that man is a compound being1 in whom are united the brute and the angelic natures4 ,moreover1 as we have here come to consider the nature of angels1 we must not keep back the written opinions of some of the fathers1 that there is a certain similarity between the creation of man and that of angels4 ,this similarity however cannot be extended to the properties of generation1 which in the spiritual nature has no existence1 but to the imperfection that subsisted in each nature as to liability to fall4 ,for since man1 as ,i have shown1 was created in a kind of a middle1 or liable or pendent state1 so also angels when first created were not so confirmed in their natural standing that they could not fall4 ,hence it is that ,christ says concerning the devil1 that he abode not in the truth1 ,john #h3dd4 ,on these grounds the holy fathers supposed that a battle or sedition arose between the angels1 some of those beings taking the part of some very beautiful angel1 who exalted himself above all the rest on account of certain superior gifts bestowed upon him4 ,these things are very probable nor are they at variance with that which ,christ here affirms by the ,evangelist ,john1 that the devil abode not in the truth2 nor are they inconsistent with that which ,jude also affirms in his epistle1 that the angels kept not their first estate1 but left their own habitation1 ,jude #f4 ,in confirmation of these sentiments1 the fathers adduce the passage1 ,is4 #ad3ab1 #ac4 ,but with reference to ,isaiah1 he is evidently speaking of the king of ,babylon1 who wished to sit in the throne of ,god1 that is1 to rule over his holy people and his temple4 ,whether1 therefore1 there really was this dissension and war among the angels1 or whether1 which is more agreeable to my views1 certain proud angels1 filled with envy and taking offense at the humility of the ,son of ,god1 wished to exalt themselves above him1 it is quite certain that the angels also like man were in such a state of innocence as could be altered4 ,after the evil angels however had been judged and condemned1 the good angels were so confirmed in their standing that they could not sin after that confirmation1 for they were all elect angels1 but the reprobate angels were cast out4 ,so also1 if the great dragon1 or the evil angels1 mentioned in ,revelations1 had continued in their innocence1 they also would afterwards have been confirmed therein and could never have fallen4 ,the fathers1 speaking on this subject1 hold that the elect angels were created in righteousness and were afterwards confirmed therein2 but that those who fell1 abode not in the truth1 ,john #h3dd4 ,but we are not to think that the angels are few in number1 for ,christ affirms1 ,luke #aa3ah1 that ,satan has a kingdom1 and that he is as the chief one among robbers and governs all things in his kingdom by his authority and counsels2 and it is also said1 in the same chapter that the devils or evil angels have their prince ,beelzebub1 who was at the head of this sedition in heaven4 ,but there has arisen a question here1 in the discussion of which the books of all the sophists are idly employed1 and after all they explain nothing4 ,the question to which ,i allude is1 ,what was original righteousness8 ,some make it a certain quality1 others give different definitions4 ,we however following ,moses1 will define original righteousness to be so termed1 because man was originally created righteous1 true and upright2 not in body only1 but especially in soul1 and because he acknowledged ,god2 because he obeyed him with the utmost pleasure2 because he understood the works of ,god without any instruction concerning them4 ,this last faculty of ,adam is wonderfully exemplified by the fact1 that when he had been in a profound sleep and ,god had formed ,eve out of one of his ribs1 the moment he awoke he recognized ,eve as the work of ,god1 saying ,this is now bone of my bones4 ,was not this a marvelous proof of intellect1 thus at the first sight to know and comprehend the work of ,god8 ,from this same original righteousness also it arose that ,adam loved ,god and his works with all purity of affection2 that he lived among the creatures of ,god in peace without any fear of death or any dread of disease1 and that he enjoyed a body also the most obedient to the will of ,god1 without any evil desires and utterly free from that impure lust1 which we continually feel4 ,so that a most beautiful and most certain picture of original righteousness may be portrayed from its entire contrast to that deep corruption1 which we now feel throughout our whole nature4 ,when human reasoners speak of original sin1 they consider only its wretched and unclean lust or concupiscence4 ,but original sin is in truth the entire fall of the whole human nature4 ,the intellect is so darkened that we can no longer understand ,god and his will1 nor perceive nor acknowledge the works of ,god4 ,moreover the will is so wonderfully depraved that we cannot trust in the mercy of ,god nor fear ,god1 but living in security and unconcern1 we disregard the ,word of ,god and his will and follow the concupiscence and violent lusts of the flesh4 ,the conscience also is no longer at peace and in quiet1 and when it thinks of the judgments of ,god it sinks into despair1 and seeks and follows after unlawful supports and remedies4 ,and all these sins are so deeply rooted in our nature that they cannot be entirely eradicated through our whole life4 ,and yet these miserable sophistical reasoners do not touch upon these deep corruptions even in word4 ,but by taking this true view of original sin1 it clearly demonstrates1 according to the nature of correlative proofs1 what original sin really was by its awful contrariety to that original righteousness4 ,thus it is evident that original sin is the essential and entire loss and deprivation and absence of original righteousness2 just as blindness is the privation or absence of sight4 ,yes6 the divine matters of original sin and original righteousness extend much more widely and deeply than is imagined by the monks1 who understand original righteousness only as it refers to sexual chastity4 ,whereas they ought first to look at the soul of man as the seat of all sin and corruption and then turn to the body1 and view it as deriving all its defilement and pollution from the soul4 ,with reference to the soul the great proof of its fallen state under original sin is1 that we have lost the knowledge of ,god2 that we do not always and everywhere give thanks unto him2 that we do not rejoice in the works of his hands and all his doings2 that we do not wholly trust in him2 that we begin to hate and blaspheme him whenever he visits our sins with deserved punishments2 that in our dealings with our neighbor we follow our own interests1 desires and objects1 and are plunderers1 thieves1 adulterers1 murderers1 cruel1 unkind1 unmerciful4 ,the ragings of lust are indeed a certain part of original sin1 but those sins and corruptions of the soul1 unbelief1 ignorance of ,god1 despair1 hatred1 blasphemy1 of which calamities of the soul ,adam knew nothing in his state of innocence4 ,and in addition to these reflections1 the numberless punishments of original sin are to be contemplated4 ,for whatever is now lost of those endowments with which ,adam was created and gifted1 while his nature was yet unfallen1 is rightly considered the consequence of original sin4 ,adam for instance was of a most perfect and sagacious intellect4 ,for the moment that ,eve was presented to him he understood that she was his own flesh4 ,he had also the most minute knowledge of all the other creatures4 ,he was not only just and upright1 but of a most perfect and wonderful understanding in all things4 ,he had moreover a most upright will1 yet not a perfect will2 for perfection itself was deferred from the state of the animal life to that of the spiritual and eternal life4 ,let these comments suffice upon the sacred text before us1 ,vs4 #af and #ag1 in which the church is constituted4 ,moses now proceeds to marriage and domestic government 7oeconomia74 ,,part ,,iv4 ,,the ,,creation ,,of ,,eve4 ,v4 #ah4 ,and ,jehovah ,god said1 ,it is not good that the man should be alone2 ,i will make him an helpmeet for him 7which may be before him74 ,we have just seen how the church was constituted by the ,word and by the establishment of a certain day1 place and order of worship4 ,for civil government 7politia7 there was as yet no need1 while nature was innocent and without sin4 ,now domestic government 7oeconomia7 is instituted4 ,for ,god now makes the solitary ,adam a husband by giving him a wife and uniting her to him of whom ,adam had need also for the generation and multiplication of the human race4 ,and as we have observed above with reference to the creation of ,adam that ,god created him with deep purpose of mind and counsel1 some here see that ,eve also was created with profound counsel and wisdom of design4 ,by all this ,moses would show that man was a singularly excellent creature and that he partook both of the human and the divine natures1 of divinity and immortality4 ,man therefore is a more excellent creature than the heaven or the earth or any other creature which ,god made4 ,and ,moses would also impress us with reference to the other part of human nature1 namely1 woman1 that she also was created with a peculiar counsel and design of ,god4 ,and the object of ,moses in this particular point of his divine instruction is1 to show that this sex also had great concernment1 in that state of animal but innocent life1 in which ,adam was created1 and in that state of a spiritual and eternal life also1 which he expected4 ,for the female sex was necessary for the generation and multiplication of the human race4 ,hence it follows that if the woman had not been deceived by the serpent and had not sinned1 she would have been in all respects equal to ,adam4 ,for her now being subject to her husband is the punishment laid upon her of ,god since sin and on account of sin2 as are also all her other troubles and perils1 her labor and pain in bringing forth children1 with an infinite number of other sorrows4 ,woman therefore is not now what ,eve was at her creation4 ,the condition of woman then was inconceivably better and more excellent than now2 she was then in no respect whatever inferior to ,adam1 whether you consider the endowments of her body or those of her mind4 ,but we may here inquire when ,god says1 ,it is not good that the man should be alone1 what is that good of which ,god is speaking1 seeing that ,adam was righteous and had no need of the woman as we have1 who bear about with us our flesh all leprous with sin8 ,my reply is1 that ,god is speaking of a common good1 or the good of the species2 not of personal good4 ,all personal good ,adam already possessed4 ,he enjoyed perfect innocency4 ,but the common good of which all other animals partook1 he possessed not4 ,he could not propagate his species by generation4 ,adam was alone4 ,nor had he as yet a companion for that wonderful work of generation and the preservation of his species4 ,the good therefore here divinely expressed1 signifies the multiplying of the human race4 ,in the same manner also ,adam1 although innocent and righteous1 did not as yet possess that high good to which he was created2 namely1 a spiritual and glorious immortality1 to which he would have been translated of ,god in his appointed time1 if he had continued in his innocency4 ,the meaning of good therefore in the text is1 that ,adam being himself a most beautiful creature possessed1 as far as his own person was concerned1 everything he could require4 ,but there was yet wanting to him one thing1 the good of ,god's blessing2 the generating and multiplying of his species2 for he was alone4 ,now1 as nature is corrupted by sin1 woman is necessary1 not only for the multiplying of the human race but also for the companionship1 help and protection of life4 ,for domestic government needs the ministration of women4 ,nay1 such is our wretchedness by the fall of ,adam1 that1 to our shame and sorrow be it confessed1 we have need of woman as a remedy against sin4 ,wherefore1 in contemplating woman1 we must consider not only the place in domestic government which she fills1 but the remedy for sin1 which ,god has made her to supply2 as the apostle ,paul says1 ,to avoid fornication1 let every man have his own wife1 #a ,cor4 #g3b4 ,and a certain master of divine sentiments also eloquently observes1 ,marriage was instituted in paradise as a duty and an obedience to ,god2 but since the fall it is a remedy also for sin4 ,wherefore we are obliged to adopt a union with this sex to avoid sin4 ,this is indeed a sad and disgraceful confession to make2 but it is the truth4 ,for there are very few now who take unto themselves wives1 purely as a duty of obedience to ,god2 according to his original will in the creation of man as male and female6 ,other animals however have no necessity of this kind4 ,therefore they as a rule come together once in the year only1 and are contented with that intercourse1 as if by this fact they said1 ,we come together as a duty to ,god6 ,but it is far different with men4 ,they are compelled to have recourse to their union with wives in matrimony to avoid sin4 ,hence we generate and are born in the midst of sins on both sides4 ,for our parents do not come together as a pure duty to ,god1 but as a remedy also1 for the sake of avoiding sin4 ,and yet it is by means of this very remedy and by this very miserable state of things1 that ,god fulfils his original blessing pronounced upon male and female when he created them4 ,and thus men1 though in sin and with sin1 generate and are generated4 ,but this would not have been the case in paradise1 had man continued in the innocency of his original creation4 ,generation in that state would have been a most holy yielding of obedience to ,god1 utterly free from that impure lust which now exists4 ,and children would have been born in original righteousness and rectitude4 ,they would have known ,god immediately at their birth1 without any instruction or admonition4 ,they would have spoken of his holy name1 praised him and given him thanks4 ,but all these glorious things are now lost4 ,yet it is profitable to us to think upon them deeply1 that we may hold fast some sense of the real state in which we now are2 namely1 under all the effects of original sin2 and that we may rightly contemplate also the original condition of ,adam1 a state of perfect righteousness1 which state we hope again to enjoy in all its blessedness at the restitution of all things1 ,acts #c3ba4 ,with respect to the divine expression1 ,let us make1 ,i have already observed that ,eve was created1 as well as ,adam1 by a peculiar counsel of ,god1 in order that it might be manifest that she was a partaker with him of a better and an immortal life2 a hope not possessed by any of the other living creatures1 who live a natural life only without any hope of an eternal life4 ,that which the ,latin renders like him in this passage1 is in the ,hebrew1 which may be before him4 ,god1 by this expression also1 distinguishes the human female from the females of all other living creatures1 which are not always before their mates4 ,but woman was expressly created that she might be before her husband always and everywhere4 ,even as the emperor also calls the life of married persons an individual life4 ,whereas the brute female requires her mate only once in the whole year1 and after she has conceived she returns to her own kind and takes care of herself4 ,of her young1 which were brought forth at any previous time1 she takes no care whatever4 ,she does not cohabit with her mate always4 ,the nature of marriage among mankind however is utterly different4 ,there the woman is married by the man that she may be before him always and may cohabit with him as one flesh4 ,and if ,adam had remained in his state of innocency1 this individual life or cohabitation of man and wife would have been most sweet and delightful4 ,the embrace itself also would have been most holy and reverential1 and worshipful of ,god4 ,there would have existed none of that impurity and shame arising from sin1 which now exists4 ,is not this fallen state of man most awful to contemplate6 ,for in its holy reality there was nothing more excellent1 nothing more admirable in all nature1 than the fulfilment of the divine law of generation4 ,it was an act of obedience to ,god1 the highest which man could perform next to praising and lauding his glorious name1 which obedience ,adam and ,eve rendered unto ,god in as much holiness and freedom from all sin as when they were engaged in acts of praise and adoration4 ,the fulfilment of this law of nature and of ,god indeed still continues4 ,but how wretched are these present remnants of the original innocency6 ,how horribly deformed by sin1 pollution and baseness of every description4 ,all these things are deplorable evidences of nature's original sin4 ,for the great and glorious ends of creation there was need of the woman as a helpmeet for man4 ,for man alone could not generate2 nor could the woman generate alone4 ,as the apostle says1 neither the man nor the woman had power over their own bodies for that high end4 ,hence the loftiest praises of each sex are1 that the male is the father and the woman the mother of the generation of mankind4 ,the wife in this high sense also is that helpmeet of the husband4 ,but1 as we have repeatedly said1 if we look at the state of originally-created innocency1 the generation of man has lost all its excellency1 its pure delight1 its holiness and its worshipful obedience to ,god4 ,moreover in this age and at this day1 you may find many who wish that they had no children at all born to them4 ,and this far more than barbarous inhumanity and enormity is found more particularly among princes and nobles1 who frequently abstain from marriage for the sole reason that they may have no posterity4 ,still more base is the practice found in those princes1 who suffer themselves to be counselled and persuaded not to marry1 lest their families should become too large for civil purposes4 ,such men are indeed worthy of having their names blotted out from the land of the living1 as the punishment of their contempt of the laws and intents of ,god4 ,who is there that would not execrate such swine-like monsters as these8 ,these inhuman beings however still further manifest in many base particulars the nature and depth of original sin4 ,were it not for the consequences of this mighty sin1 we should all admire the fulfilment of the law of ,god in generation1 as one of the highest acts of the obedience and worship of ,god4 ,and we should extol it as one of the greatest gifts of ,god with its due praise and admiration4 ,from the above inhuman abuse and contempt of marriage have arisen those numerous reproaches of the female sex1 which celibacy has greatly augmented4 ,whereas it is one of the greatest of his blessings that ,god has preserved for us women1 even against the wishes and the wills of such inhuman beings1 both as a divine means of generation and as a remedy also against the sin of fornication4 ,in paradise woman would have been indeed a helper in our duty and obedience to ,god1 and in our fulfilment of his command to be fruitful and to multiply and replenish the earth1 ,gen4 #a3bh4 ,but now woman is in a very great measure a medicine and remedy for sin4 ,so that in truth we can now scarcely mention the name of woman without shame2 most certainly we cannot unite ourselves to her without some sense and blush of that shame4 ,the mighty cause of all this is original sin4 ,for in paradise the union of man and woman would have been wholly free from the thought of shame or impurity4 ,the whole union would have been looked upon and felt1 as a duty of obedience to ,god1 ordained by himself and sanctified by the blessings he pronounced upon it4 ,the same calamitous state on account of sin rests upon us also1 even in the midst of all our spiritual gifts4 ,for although we may have faith and live in faith1 yet we cannot be free from doubt1 fear and the sensible awe of death4 ,these just punishments of original sin1 our holy fathers in the faith deeply saw and felt4 ,that which now follows is as it were a repetition of what has preceded1 concerning the creation of ,adam1 by which repetition ,moses would more conveniently arrive at his intended description of the manner in which woman was created4 ,in reading what follows1 therefore1 we must consider ,adam to have been already created4 ,v4 #ai;a4 ,and out of the ground ,jehovah ,god formed every beast of the field1 and every bird of the heavens2 and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them4 ,as if ,moses had said1 ,god now willed by a certain deep and deliberate counsel to create woman4 ,for he saw that every other living creature had a helpmeet for generation4 ,adam alone had none4 ,god therefore now brought all the living creatures of the earth and of the air to ,adam1 to see what he would call them4 ,and when ,adam had given to each one its appropriate name1 he found no living creature like unto himself as an helpmeet for him4 ,and here we are again struck with the wonderful knowledge and wisdom which ,adam possessed4 ,created as he was in innocency1 righteousness and knowledge1 he beholds all living creatures stand before him2 and without any new illumination for the purpose1 but by the pure properties and excellency of his nature alone1 he so discerns in a moment the characteristic nature of each creature1 that he gives it a name exactly descriptive of its created peculiarities4 ,well indeed might the dominion over all living creatures have been added of ,god to man1 to whom he had given such intellectual light as this6 ,and this dominion which ,god had conferred on ,adam1 he now ratifies anew by bringing to him all creatures to be named according to his judgment4 ,by all this it is further manifest that ,adam could by one single word compel lions1 bears1 boars1 tigers and any other of the noble animals to do any thing he wishes1 according to their natural properties and powers2 all which properties he thoroughly understood at a moment's glance when he gave them their names4 ,but all these original endowments of man are utterly lost by sin4 ,no wonder therefore that we have no knowledge of the adorable ,god1 when we know nothing as ,adam did of the natures1 powers and properties even of the beasts of the earth4 ,there exist indeed very many books1 which describe the natures of the beasts and of plants4 ,but what a length of time1 what an extent of observation and of experience were necessary to collect the contents of all these volumes6 ,in ,adam however there was a marvelously different illumination and intellect4 ,he discovered by a moment's glance at each living creature its whole nature and all its separate faculties and created endowments2 and that too with a perfection far above that to which we can ever attain by a whole life of devoted study and research in natural history4 ,and as this knowledge in ,adam was a peculiar and eminent gift of ,god1 so was it greatly pleasing and delightful to ,god4 ,and on account of this pleasure ,god brought the living creatures to ,adam and commanded him to use the knowledge he had thus given him in assigning to each living creature its appropriate name4 ,vs4 #ai;b1 #bj4 ,and whatsoever the man called every living creature1 that was the name thereof4 ,and the man gave names to all cattle1 and to the birds of the heavens1 and to every beast of the field2 but for man there was not found a helpmeet for him 7to be before him74 ,what an ocean of knowledge and wisdom there was in this one man6 ,and although ,adam lost much of this knowledge by sin1 yet my full belief is that the whole contents of the books of all the wise1 which have ever been written throughout all ages since letters first had birth1 have not to this day equalled that wisdom which ,adam possessed1 even after his sin and fall4 ,but all has become obscured by degrees in his posterity and is well nigh extinct altogether4 ,but we must here again note that ,moses is still engaged describing the creation-work and the divine transactions of the sixth day4 ,for that which he had briefly said in the divine expression1 ,let us make man1 ,gen4 #a3bf1 he now more fully explains in this second chapter1 in order that he might distinguish man from all other living creatures by more than one recorded testimony4 ,wherefore he devotes this whole second chapter to a more particular explanation of the creation of man4 ,with reference to the man ,moses has already said that he was made of the dust of the ground1 and that the breath of life was breathed of ,god into his nostrils4 ,he has also stated that the whole multitude of living creatures was brought before ,adam4 ,when ,adam had seen among them all no helpmeet for him1 woman was made to be his companion in the generation and preservation of the human species4 ,for ,god did not will that the posterity of ,adam should be made out of the ground1 as he himself was1 but that it should be propagated as the other animals4 ,as to our bodily life we eat and drink1 generate and are generated just like all animals4 ,however ,moses is greatly concerned in his thought to separate and distinguish man from all the animal creatures1 because in this way the end is reached that after this earthly life man should become a partaker of the spiritual and eternal life4 ,now all these things pertain1 as we have just observed1 unto the creation work of the sixth day4 ,for as ,god had said1 ,be fruitful and multiply1 the explanation of the manner in which the woman was created and brought to ,adam became a necessary part of the sacred narrative4 ,all this is moreover intended to lead us into the firm belief and satisfaction of mind that six days were really occupied by ,god in his creation of all things1 contrary to the opinion of ,augustine and ,hilary1 who think that all things were created in a moment4 ,to such an extent do they depart from the history of facts and follow allegories and indulge in ,i know not what kind of dreamy speculations4 ,nor do ,i speak these things by way of reproach to the holy fathers1 whose labors we ought to venerate4 ,i make these statements for the confirmation of the truth and for our own consolation4 ,the fathers were great men4 ,yet they were men2 men who had fallen and still liable to fall4 ,so that we have no ground for exalting ourselves like the monks1 who worship all things belonging to themselves as if they were not liable to fall4 ,whereas for my part1 it is rather a great consolation to me than otherwise1 that the fathers are discovered to have erred and fallen at times also4 ,because my thoughts run thus3 ,if ,god pardoned sins and errors in them why should ,i despair of pardon from him8 ,on the other hand1 despair immediately comes on if you begin to think that the fathers did not experience the same things which you feel and suffer4 ,it is at the same time quite certain that there was a mighty difference between the call of the apostles and the call of the fathers4 ,on what grounds therefore can we esteem the writings of the fathers equal to the writings of the apostles8 ,but with special reference to the sacred passage of ,moses before us1 how1 ,i pray you1 is it possible that six days should be either a moment or an hour8 ,neither faith1 which rests wholly in the ,word1 nor reason itself1 can admit this4 ,wherefore let us be assured1 that there were between the divine acts of the creation certain intervals4 ,thus1 ,adam is first created alone4 ,then there are brought unto him all the animals1 not only that he might name them1 but that he might be tried1 by seeing whether he could find in all this collection of creatures a meet companion4 ,after this1 ,eve is created4 ,lastly1 these words are spoken by the ,lord1 ,of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat1 etc41 which words struck the ears of ,adam4 ,all these things carry with them a proof that they occurred at certain intervals of time1 unless indeed you would turn away like ,origen from such plain and positive historical facts to the most absurd allegories4 ,for ,moses is not here giving us a record of ,god himself1 in whose sight all things past1 present1 and future are ever present in the same moment2 but he is recording a history of ,adam1 a creature of time1 who was made and who lived2 and with whom as a creature there is a difference between the present and the future4 ,i have deemed it right to bring these things to your recollection by this repetition4 ,now let us proceed with ,moses4 ,v4 #ba4 ,and ,jehovah ,god caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man1 and he slept2 and he took one of his ribs1 and closed up the flesh instead thereof4 ,here again not faith only1 but reason and fact also1 prove that the time of ,adam's being awake was one space of time and the time of his being asleep another4 ,these spaces have evidently their intervals4 ,as therefore ,adam was created in the sixth day1 and all the animals were brought to him on that day2 as he heard the command of ,god concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil2 as ,god sent upon him sleep1 it is manifest beyond dispute2 that all these facts have reference to time and to this animal life4 ,and it is equally evident that the days mentioned in the sacred record must be understood to have been true and real days1 contrary to the opinion of the holy fathers4 ,whenever therefore we find the opinions of the fathers to disagree with the ,scriptures1 we tolerate them with reverence and acknowledge them to be our elders in the ,church2 but we do not for their sakes depart from the authority of the ,scriptures4 ,elegant and true is that sentiment of ,aristotle1 in the ,first ,book of his ,ethics1 ,where both friends and truth are near to us1 it is our sacred duty to give the higher honor to the truth4 ,the philosopher of old here plainly affirms that it is better to stand by the truth than to show too much favor to those who may be our friends or even our relations4 ,such a sentiment is nobly becoming a philosopher4 ,if1 therefore1 a natural man and a heathen holds that such a principle should be maintained in moral1 human and civil disputations1 with how much greater firmness should it be held in the discussion of those things which stand on the manifest testimony of the ,scriptures6 ,how jealous should we be of setting the authority of men above that of the ,word6 ,men may be deceived1 but the ,word of ,god itself is the wisdom of ,god and infallible truth4 ,but with respect to this portion1 namely1 the divine history itself1 what ,i pray you1 could be recorded more fabulous in the estimation of human reason1 if you wish to follow that8 ,for could any one be found who would believe this fact concerning the creation of ,eve1 if it were not thus openly declared8 ,for here all the other creatures stand as plain examples to the contrary4 ,every other living creature is generated from male and female1 and is so generated that it is the female that brings it into the light4 ,but here the female herself is created from the male2 and that too with a no less wonderful creation than that by which ,adam himself was made a living soul1 from the dust of the ground4 ,these facts are mere monstrosities and outrageous absurdities1 if you set aside the authority of the ,holy ,scriptures and follow the judgment of reason4 ,hence it is that ,aristotle affirms that neither the first man nor the last man can be given as the foundation of an argument4 ,and reason would force us to affirm the same of her naked self1 without this text before us4 ,for if it be received as a truth1 a truth which the uniform law of the whole creation testifies1 that nothing is born alive but from male and female1 it is a true conclusion that the first man cannot be accounted for in that way4 ,the same conclusion may also be declared to be correct by human reason concerning the creation of the world1 which the philosophers of old therefore concluded to be eternal4 ,for although reasons are put together by reason1 by which is proved that the world is not eternal2 yet reason herself1 all the while1 settles down with all her powers upon this basis of conclusion4 ,for what beginning will reason find in nothing8 ,and again1 if you say that the world had a beginning and that there was a time in which the world had no existence it will immediately follow close upon your heels that1 before the world there was nothing at all4 ,other absurdities will follow in an infinite series2 by the multitude of which philosophers being struck plunged at once into the conclusion that the world was eternal4 ,but again if you affirm that the world was infinite1 there immediately springs up before you another new infinity in the successive generation of mankind4 ,but then philosophy will not admit a plurality of infinities2 and yet it is compelled to admit them upon its own conclusions1 because it knows neither the beginning of the world nor the beginning of mankind4 ,this hostile contrariety and utter obscurity brought the ,epicureans into a state which compelled them to assert1 that both the world and mankind existed without any reason at all2 and that without any reason at all they would both perish2 just as beasts1 which after they are dead1 are just as if they never had been4 ,from premises like these other terrible conclusions naturally follow2 either that there is positively no ,god at all1 or that he cares not at all for human things4 ,these are the labyrinths into which reason is brought1 when without the word of ,god it follows its own judgment4 ,therefore it is very profitable thus to behold how impossible it is that reason or our own wisdom should go beyond the above stated limits1 in its judgments concerning the creature4 ,for what1 ,i pray you1 does the philosopher with all his reasoning know of the heavens or the earth or the world2 seeing that he understands not whence either of them came or in what end they all or either of them1 are appointed to terminate4 ,nay1 what do we ourselves know concerning ourselves8 ,we all see that we are men4 ,but ought we not to believe also and know that we have this man for our father and that woman for our mother8 ,but how or why this is so can never be learned from human reason4 ,hence all our knowledge and our wisdom lie only in the comprehension of the material or formal cause2 and even in these we often make the most wretched mistakes4 ,but as to the efficient and final cause1 we know nothing1 nor can explain anything whatsoever4 ,and the saddest part of our ignorance is1 that our deficiency is at its worst when we come to dispute or to speculate concerning the world into which we are born and in which we live4 ,is not this1 ,i pray you1 a poor and miserable pretension to wisdom8 ,hence ,aristotle affirms1 that man and the sun beget man4 ,a noble doctrine of human philosophy1 truly6 ,follow this highest effort of natural reason and it will bring you at length to the inevitable conclusion1 that both man and the sun are eternal and infinite1 as the same philosopher concluded the world itself was4 ,for you will never find a man who was or is in himself either the beginning or the end of himself or of his race4 ,wherefore ,i myself am not able to discover by my own reason1 either the beginning or the end of my ,martin ,luther1 if ,i wish to understand either my beginning or my end1 and not to believe it4 ,for as to our possessing a formal knowledge or a knowledge of the forms of things1 a cow possesses the same1 which knows her own home1 or1 as the ,german proverb has it1 ,the cow sees and knows the gate4 ,here again the awfulness of the original fall and sin is revealed4 ,for we are thereby rendered so destitute of true knowledge that we cannot of ourselves discover either our beginning or our end4 ,after all the disputations therefore of ,aristotle1 ,plato1 ,cicero and other philosophers of note1 who have concluded from man's walking upright1 while all other animals have their heads inclined downwards1 looking towards the earth1 and from his possessing the powers of intellect1 that man is a singular animal and created to immortality according to all this argument and conclusion1 what a poor1 meagre and almost futile wisdom is this6 ,the whole of it after all is derived from a contemplation of the form4 ,and if you should still go on to argue upon the material of man1 would not the same human reason compel you to conclude that this nature of ours is perishable1 must be dissolved and cannot be immortal8 ,what then is the conclusion of the whole matter8 ,let us learn it4 ,it is1 that the only true wisdom is found in the ,holy ,scriptures and in the ,word of ,god4 ,for the ,word teaches us not only concerning the material1 not only concerning the form of the whole creation1 but also concerning the efficient and the final cause of all things2 and concerning the beginning and the end of all things2 ,,who created them1 what he created and for what end he created that which he did create4 ,without the knowledge of the two causes1 the efficient and the final1 all our highest wisdom differs but little from that of the beasts1 which use their eyes and their ears1 but know nothing of the beginning or the end of what they see4 ,the text before us therefore is very remarkable4 ,and the more it seems to be contrary to all our experience and to reason1 the more diligently should we ponder it and the more firmly should we believe it4 ,by this text therefore we are taught the beginning of man1 that the first man did not exist by generation1 as ,aristotle and the other philosophers1 deceiving themselves by human reasonings1 have dreamed2 that the propagation of the posterity of the first man is indeed effected by generation2 but that the first man himself was created from the dust of the field and that the first woman was formed and fashioned out of a rib of the man1 extracted from him while he was asleep4 ,here therefore we have the true beginning of man which all the reason and philosophy of ,aristotle could not discover4 ,the beginning then of man1 as wrought of ,god1 being thus established by the testimony of ,moses1 there follows the propagation of man by means of the union of male and female2 in no degree less wonderful than the original creation of each4 ,the whole human race are procreated by a single drop of human blood4 ,on this propagation of mankind it is that the apostle ,paul eloquently displays his philosophy1 derived from this sacred portion of the ,scripture1 before the philosophers of ,athens1 ,the ,god that made the world and all things therein1 etc41 seeing he himself giveth to all life1 and breath1 and all things2 and he made of one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth2 that they should seek ,god1 if haply they might feel after him and find him1 though he is not far from each one of us3 for in him we live1 and move1 and have our being1 ,acts #ag3bd-bh4 ,here ,paul speaks before all the ,athenian philosophers of the propagation of mankind by the blood of one1 as he expresses it4 ,if therefore the whole race of mankind have been generated from one small drop of blood of one man1 and are still so generated1 as the experience of all men throughout the whole world testifies1 most certainly this miracle is no less wonderful and admirable than were those original wonders1 namely1 the creation of the first man from the dust of the ground1 and that of the first woman from the rib of the man4 ,but how is it that the original miracles of the creation of ,adam and ,eve seem to us so wonderful and so incredible2 while the still standing miracle of the continuous propagation of man1 which we all know and daily see1 excites no wonder or admiration at all8 ,it is because1 as ,augustine says1 ,miracles become no miracles at all1 by familiarity4 ,hence we wonder not at the admirable light of the sun1 because we see it every day4 ,for the same reason we admire not other gifts and blessings of ,god's creation1 but are blind and deaf to them all4 ,on the same ground ,pythagoras well said1 that a most sweet and marvelous concert of sounds was effected by the harmony and velocity of the motions and revolutions of the heavenly bodies1 but that men became deaf to this celestial concert by hearing it continually2 just as those who are accustomed to the roarings of the ,nile are not at all affected by the thunders of the water1 while to others1 who are not accustomed to them1 they are awful and intolerable4 ,there is no doubt that ,pythagoras received this idea from the fathers by tradition4 ,not however that they really believed in any actual harmony of sounds1 made by the motions of the heavenly bodies4 ,their meaning was that the creation of these celestial bodies was truly delightful and marvelous2 but that their beauty and their glory were not duly observed by us ungrateful and insensate beings2 and that we did not render unto ,god the praises due to him1 as the ,creator of such wonderful and admirable creatures4 ,thus also it is a great miracle that a small seed placed in the ground should cause to spring forth a lofty and magnificent oak4 ,but as this is so familiar as an everyday occurrence1 it makes no impression upon us2 just so little do we appreciate the nature and manner of our own propagation4 ,for why is it not worthy of the highest admiration that a woman should receive human seed1 which then grows1 and as ,job #aj3aa so beautifully says1 ,thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh1 and knit me together with bones and sinews2 that is1 formed me and nourished me in my mother until ,i was matured to live in the air1 separated from her4 ,in this new state of existence ,i received no new nourishment1 but it came from the same mother in a new way and manner1 in that from both breasts of my mother as from fountains1 her milk went forth by which her infant was nourished4 ,all this is most wonderful and utterly incomprehensible1 but lightly esteemed by us because we have truly become deaf to this most pleasant and lovely music of nature4 ,whereas could all these marvelous realities be seen and estimated by the vision of true faith1 they would be no more common things to the beholder1 nor less miracles1 than that which ,moses here records1 when he testifies that one of ,adam's ribs was taken from his side while he was asleep1 and that the woman ,eve was formed out of it by the hand of ,god4 ,for if it had pleased the ,lord to form us as he did ,adam1 from the dust of the ground1 by this time that manner of forming man might have ceased also to be a miracle in our sight2 and we might now perhaps be rather admiring the existing law of the generation of mankind by male and female4 ,so true is that barbarously-composed perhaps1 but by no means random-shot poetical line1 ,omne rarum carum3 vilescit quotidianum4 ,rare things will e'er delight our eyes1 ,but common things are no surprise4 ,thus if the stars did not rise every night and in all places1 what crowds would gather where the light of one night's starry heaven might be witnessed6 ,but now not one of us opens a single window to behold the sight4 ,most justly condemnable1 therefore1 is our ingratitude4 ,for if we believe ,god to be the efficient and final cause of all things1 ought we not to wonder at his works1 to be delighted with them1 and to proclaim them always and everywhere8 ,but how few are there who do this in truth and from the heart8 ,in vain therefore and absurd is the doctrine of ,aristotle1 that man and the sun beget man4 ,we learn from this book a far different cause of propagation1 the commanding ,word of ,god which says to this and to that husband1 ,thy drop of blood shall on this occasion become a male1 and on that occasion a female4 ,but of this word reason knows nothing4 ,therefore reason can do nothing but invent trifles and absurdities concerning the causes of such mighty things4 ,medical professors1 following the philosophers1 have given us their various opinions concerning the propagation of mankind2 and though reason may not be able to deny the justness of many of them1 yet all of them put together cannot reach the great first cause4 ,the ,holy ,spirit leads us far deeper than all the opinions of men1 when it sets before us the ,word of ,god1 by which all things are created and conserved4 ,hence the mighty reason why a man1 and not an ox nor an ass1 is generated by a drop of human blood1 is the effectual power of the ,word which was spoken by ,god at the creation of all things1 in the beginning4 ,it is in divine truth therefore that ,christ teaches us in the ,lord's ,prayer to call upon ,god as our ,father1 and that the ,creed teaches us to confess ,god as our ,creator4 ,when we look back therefore to this first cause1 then can we speak of all these things with pureness1 with holiness and with joy4 ,but if we leave out the first cause1 we cannot even think of them without baseness and obscenity4 ,from this part of our sacred discussion we further behold the horrible nature of the fall and of original sin1 in that the whole human race is sunk in ignorance of its very origin4 ,we see male and female come together in marriage union4 ,we see the female at her appointed time bring forth from a drop of masculine blood her infant into the light of heaven4 ,these things1 we repeat1 are familiar to the sight and to the knowledge of all2 and yet1 if the ,word teach and instruct thee not1 thou knowest nothing of the marvelous work which is wrought and which thine eyes behold4 ,this ignorance is abundantly proved by the vain disputations of philosophers1 which we have just been contemplating4 ,is not this then a miserable ignorance and a horrible blindness8 ,whereas1 had ,adam continued in his innocency1 he would have found no need of instructing his posterity in their origin1 even as there was no need of being himself instructed in the creation of his wife ,eve1 for the moment he saw her he knew that she was bone of his bones1 and flesh of his flesh4 ,and had the original innocence continued1 the same knowledge of themselves would have existed in all the posterity of ,adam4 ,they would all have understood the great final and efficient ,cause of which things we now know little or nothing more than the beasts of the field themselves4 ,therefore to the ears of reason this is a most beautiful and pleasing fable which philosophers have with pleasure greatly misused1 if they heard it and just as they heard it1 especially those versed in the arts and wisdom of the ,egyptians4 ,but for us it is an inexpressibly precious wisdom that makes known to us the fable the world judges ridiculous2 namely1 that the genesis of the generation of man was constituted by the ,word of ,god4 ,for ,god takes the dust of the earth and says1 ,let us make man6 ,likewise afterwards he takes the rib of ,adam and says1 ,let us make a helpmeet for man4 ,we will now consider the words themselves since we have referred sufficiently to the doctrine as it was necessary to do so4 ,having thus discussed1 as was necessary1 the divine facts themselves1 contained in the text before us1 let us now consider the expressions used by the sacred historian in recording them4 ,jehovah ,god1 says ,moses1 caused to glide or fall upon ,adam ,,thardemah1 a slumber or a deep sleep2 for the verb ,,radam signifies to fall asleep as those do who become drowsy unaware and nod the head4 ,for there are various kinds and degrees of sleep4 ,some are heavy and profound1 which are so deep as to be disturbed by no dreams4 ,these are healthful1 because they moisten the body1 are beneficial to promote digestion1 and are attended with no distress to the head4 ,others again are light1 mingled as it were with wakefulness4 ,in these latter1 dreams are more frequent4 ,they also1 more or less1 distress the head and are proofs of a weakness of body4 ,moses says therefore that ,adam was sunk into a profound sleep2 so that stretched on the grassy earth1 he breathed deeply1 as those do who sleep well and sweetly4 ,it was such a sleep that ,god1 as ,moses informs us1 caused to fall upon ,adam4 ,and this is indeed a sleep truly divine1 a most delightful gift of ,god1 which comes down upon us like a dew from above1 and softly pervades and irrorates the whole body4 ,when ,adam therefore was thus fallen asleep1 the ,lord took out one of his ribs4 ,the ,hebrew word ,,zela signifies1 the rib with the side4 ,wherefore my view of the passage is1 that the ,lord did not take the bare rib of ,adam1 but the rib clothed with the flesh1 according to that very expression of ,adam below1 verse #bc1 this is now bone of my bones1 and flesh of my flesh4 ,and ,god1 be it observed1 did this by his ,word4 ,so that we are not to suppose that ,god used any cutting1 after the manner of a surgeon4 ,god said1 out of this bone thus clothed with flesh1 ,let there be woman6 and it was so4 ,and ,god afterwards filled up the aperture in his side with flesh4 ,here a discussion is raised by some marvelous triflers of commentators4 ,they will have it that the male has more ribs on one side of the body than on the other4 ,but surgeons1 who are anatomists1 know better than this4 ,lyra disputes the point thus3 ,are we to consider that the extracted rib was a superfluous one in the body of ,adam8 ,if it was so1 it was a monstrosity4 ,if it were not so1 it must follow that ,adam after- 444text not printed ,at length1 ,lyra arrives at the conclusion that the extracted rib was superfluous in ,adam1 as a solitary instance2 and that therefore when it had been extracted1 the body of ,adam was perfect4 ,and yet1 that the body of ,adam was deficient in this extracted superfluous rib1 because of the creation of the woman out of it4 ,but to all these things we give an answer by the words1 ,god said6 ,this divine ,word settles all arguments of this description4 ,what need is there then of disputation as to whence ,god took any particular portion of created material1 who by one word of his mouth can create and did create all things8 ,all these idle questions however are used by philosophers and professors of medicine1 who dispute about the works of ,god without the ,word of ,god2 whereas by so doing1 they sink out of sight both the glory of the ,holy ,scriptures and the glorious majesty of the ,creator4 ,wherefore leaving all such questions as these1 we will abide simply by the history of the facts1 as they are recorded by ,moses2 that ,eve was formed out of the rib of ,adam1 and that the aperture made in that part of his body was closed up with flesh4 ,thus ,adam was made out of the dust of the ground4 ,i was made out of a drop of my father's blood4 ,but how my mother conceived me1 how ,i was formed in the womb1 how my bones grew there1 ,eccles4 #aa3e1 all this ,i leave to the glory of my ,creator4 ,it is indeed incredible that a man should be born from a drop of blood2 yet it is a truth4 ,if therefore this ,almighty power can produce a human being from a drop of blood1 why not from a lump of earth also1 why not from a rib6 ,and as to ,adam's sleeping so profoundly1 as not to feel what was done unto him2 this soundness of sleep is as it were a sweet picture of that change which ,adam would have witnessed had he continued in his state of innocency4 ,for a righteous nature could have experienced no pains of death4 ,adam would have lived in the highest possible pleasure1 in obedience to ,god and in admiration of his works until the time of his change1 appointed of ,god1 had come2 and then he would have experienced a removal something like this sleep1 which fell upon him so sweetly as he lay down amid the roses and beneath the richest foliage of trees4 ,and in such a departing sleep would he have been changed and translated into the glorified spiritual life1 feeling no more in death than he felt of his body being opened and of the extraction of the rib1 with its flesh1 from his side4 ,but now this nature of ours must experience the pangs of death4 ,that dissolution of the body however is followed in the saints by the sweetest of all sleep1 until the day when we shall awake unto a newness of life and a life eternal4 ,and as ,adam here in all the fulness of wonder exclaims this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh1 and yet was so sweetly and deeply sunk in sleep1 that he knew not that his rib had been extracted from his side2 so shall we in that day exclaim1 ,behold1 into what sudden glory does this body1 lately gnawed by worms1 arise1 etc4 ,thus far have we spoken with sufficient copiousness upon the creation of ,eve1 which creation1 although it seems to human reason perfectly fabulous1 is yet most sure and true1 because it is recorded in the ,word of ,god1 which alone teacheth the truth concerning the two principal causes of philosophers1 the efficient and the final2 and concerning the great first cause of all causes4 ,the knowledge of which two causes1 where it can be obtained1 is of the utmost moment even in natural things4 ,for what doth it profit to know how beautiful a creature man is1 if you know not the end for which he was created2 namely1 that he was created for the worship of ,god1 and that he might live to all eternity with ,god4 ,aristotle does indeed say something of note when he makes the end of man to be happiness1 a happiness consisting in the action of virtue4 ,but in all this weakness of our nature1 who is there that ever yet attained unto that end1 when even the very best of men are exposed to a multitude of evils1 which the common trials of life or the depravity and malice of men are sure to bring upon them8 ,that happiness of which ,aristotle speaks1 requires tranquility of mind to make it perfect2 but who can always hold fast that peace of mind1 amid such tossings to and fro of human life8 ,in vain therefore is such an end proposed by the philosopher1 which no man can attain4 ,the principal end of man's creation therefore1 which the ,holy ,scriptures set before us is1 that man was created in the likeness of ,god1 with the divine intent that he should live forever with ,god1 and that while here on earth he should praise and extol ,god1 give him thanks and obey his ,word in all patience4 ,and this end we do attain by some means or other1 through grace1 though with all infirmity in this life1 and in the life to come we shall attain unto it perfectly4 ,of these things philosophers know nothing4 ,and therefore the world1 in the height of all its wisdom1 is yet sunk in the deepest ignorance1 wherever it is found destitute of the ,word or of theology4 ,for men without the ,word know nothing of their beginning or their end4 ,i mention not any of the other living creatures1 who are not created1 as we have abundantly shown1 to know any of these things1 nor to partake of these high blessings4 ,,part ,v4 ,,the ,,institution ,,of ,,marriage ,,and ,,the ,,family4 ,v4 #bb4 ,and the rib1 which ,jehovah ,god had taken from the man1 made 7built7 he a woman1 and brought her unto the man4 ,a new expression is this again1 unheard before4 ,moses does not use the verb to create1 or to make1 as in ,gen4 #a3bf2 but the verb to build4 ,this has caused all commentators to conclude that some great mystery lies under so singular a phraseology4 ,lyra thinks1 with his ,rabbi ,solomon1 that the new form of the female body is intended to be intimated4 ,for1 as the form of buildings is broader at the base1 but narrower at the upper part1 so1 he says1 the bodies of women are broader in the middle1 and more contracted in the upper parts1 while men have wider chests and broader shoulders4 ,but these are mere peculiarities of certain parts of the body2 whereas the ,scripture is speaking of the body as a whole1 and calling it a building2 just as ,christ himself calls the body the house of a man1 ,math4 #ab3bi4 ,others have recourse to an allegory1 and say1 that the woman is here called a building1 on account of her being spoken of in the ,scriptures as a similitude of the ,church4 ,and as in a house there are various parts1 walls1 beams1 rafters1 roof1 etc42 so in the ,church1 which is represented by the ,holy ,spirit under the similitude of a body1 on account of the diversity of its members1 there are various offices and administrators4 ,as to myself ,i am by no means displeased at anything that is appropriately advanced by those who would transfer what is here said respecting the building of the woman1 to ,christ and his ,church4 ,but as all these opinions amount only to an allegory after all1 the historical and proper meaning of this passage must be diligently searched into and retained4 ,for a woman1 especially a married woman1 is here sacredly termed a building1 not allegorically1 but historically and really4 ,and the ,scriptures universally use this form of expression4 ,hence ,rachel says to ,jacob1 ,take my maid ,bilhah1 that ,i may also be built up by her1 ,gen4 #cj3c4 ,the ,scriptures speak in the same manner also concerning ,sarah1 ,gen4 #af3b4 ,and in ,exodus1 it is said concerning the midwives1 that the ,lord built them a house1 ,exod4 #a3ba2 that is1 that the ,lord repaid them for all the services which they had rendered unto his people ,israel1 contrary to the command of the king1 by blessing them with a household and family4 ,so again1 in the history of ,david1 when he had it in his heart to build a house for the ,lord1 he receives this answer from ,god by ,nathan1 ,furthermore1 ,i tell thee1 that the ,lord will build thee an house1 #a ,chron4 #ag3aj4 ,it is a form of expression therefore quite general in the ,scripture1 to term a woman a domestic building1 on account of the fruits of generation and the bringing up of the offspring4 ,but the real nature of this building up1 which would have existed had ,adam not fallen1 we have now lost by his sin2 so that we cannot now reach it1 as we have all along observed1 even in thought4 ,our present fallen condition in this life retains certain small miserable remnants of the original domestic life1 cultivation of the earth1 and defense of property2 and also of dominion over the beasts4 ,we have the rule over sheep1 oxen1 geese1 fowls1 etc42 though boars1 bears1 lions1 etc41 regard not this our dominion4 ,so also there remains a certain hardly visible remnant of this female building4 ,whoso taketh to himself a wife1 hath as it were in her a certain nest and home4 ,he dwells with her in a certain place1 as birds nestle with their young in their little nest4 ,but this dwelling together in the one nest they know not1 who live unmarried like the impure ,papists4 ,this living together of male and female1 as man and wife1 in the state of matrimony1 their keeping house together1 their being blessed together with offspring1 their bringing up their children1 is a faint picture and remnant of that blessed original married life1 on account of the nature of which1 ,moses here terms the woman a building4 ,the posterity of ,adam1 had he continued in his innocency1 would have taken to themselves wives1 would have parted from ,adam their father1 and would have chosen for themselves certain little garden spots of their own1 and would have there dwelt with their wives1 tilled the ground1 and brought up their children4 ,there would have been no need of splendid mansions built of hewn stone1 nor of rich kitchens1 nor cellars of wine1 which now make up the luxuries of life4 ,but as birds in their little nests1 the married pairs would have dwelt together here and there1 diligently laboring and calling upon ,god4 ,and the women would have been the principal cause of their husbands living in certain dwelling places in paradise4 ,whereas now1 under our present fallen and calamitous state by sin1 we absolutely need houses of wood and stone1 to defend us from the injuries of the weather4 ,and though we cannot form even a conception1 as we have said1 of the original felicity of man and woman in their marriage happiness1 yet even these miserable remnants1 we repeat1 are excellent gifts of ,god2 to live in the possession of which1 without continual thanks1 is wickedness in the extreme4 ,with reference to the dominion which man received from the hand of ,god1 we feel how much of that dominion is lost since our fall and defilement by sin4 ,yet1 what an infinite mercy still remains to us1 that this dominion was given to man and not to the devil6 ,for how should we possibly have been able to stand in this matter1 against such an invisible enemy1 especially if power to harm had been possessed by him equal to his will8 ,we might all have been in danger of annihilation in an hour1 yea1 in a moment1 if ,satan had determined to infuriate the wild beasts against us4 ,although well nigh all the original dominion is lost1 it is an infinite blessing that our present remnants of it are not possessed by the devil6 ,it is an infinite mercy also that we possess our present remnants of generation4 ,although1 in the state of original innocency women1 as we know1 would have brought forth without pain2 yet there would have been a much more extensive fruitfulness4 ,whereas now the blessing of generation is impeded by numberless diseases4 ,it often happens that the fruit of the womb does not arrive at maturity and birth and sometimes the woman is barren altogether4 ,all these defects are the punishments of the horrible fall of ,adam and of original sin4 ,just in the same manner1 to this present day1 is the woman the building1 and house1 and home of the husband4 ,to the woman the man devotes himself4 ,with her he lives2 and together with her1 he undertakes the labor and care of bringing up the family2 as it is written below1 verse #bd1 ,therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother1 and shall cleave unto his wife1 etc4 ,but this living together as man and wife is not only attended with those other trials1 which afflict the marriage state in great number and variety on account of sin1 but is also astonishingly deformed and marred by perverse nature2 seeing that there are not only those who consider it to be very wise and great to reproach the female sex and to despise marriage1 but who even forsake the wives whom they have married1 and cast off all paternal care of their children4 ,such men destroy the building of ,god by their perverseness and wickedness4 ,men of this description are a kind of monsters in nature4 ,wherefore let us show our obedience to the ,word of ,god by acknowledging our wives to be the building of the ,lord2 through whom not only our house is built up by generation1 and by whom other necessary domestic duties are performed2 but through whom we the husbands themselves are also built up1 by our rising offspring around us4 ,for wives are1 as we have said1 a certain nest and center of habitation to which the husbands resort1 where they dwell and live in pleasure and happiness4 ,when ,moses adds1 ,and he brought her unto the man1 this is a certain divine description of espousals especially worthy our observation4 ,for ,adam does not take hold of ,eve when created and draw her to himself1 according to his own purpose and will1 but he waits till ,god brings her to him2 just according to the saying of ,christ1 ,what therefore ,god hath joined together1 let not man put asunder1 ,math4 #ai3f1 for the joining of male and female is a lawful joining and ordinance1 and an institution divine4 ,wherefore ,moses here adopts his peculiar and appropriate phraseology1 ,and he brought her to the man4 ,who brought her to the man8 ,he1 ,god1 ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 the ,jehovah ,god1 the ,whole ,divinity1 the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,these all unitedly say to ,adam1 ,behold1 this is thy bride with whom thou art to dwell and with whom thou art to generate and bring up children4 ,and there is no doubt whatever that ,adam received ,eve with the utmost pleasure2 for even now1 in this corrupt state of nature1 the mutual love between bride and bridegroom is peculiar1 great and excellent4 ,but apart from the epileptic and apoplectic lust in the marriage state today1 it was a chaste and most pleasing love1 and union itself was most honorable and most holy4 ,now however sin pours itself in and expresses itself from the eyes and ears everywhere1 and then in all the senses4 ,this passage demands particular notice4 ,for it stands as the revealed will of ,god1 not only against all abuses of the sex and lusts of every kind1 but also as a confirmation of marriage1 and all those impious revilings and refusings by which the papacy has deformed and marred matrimony4 ,is it not worthy of admiration that ,god instituted and ordained marriage even in the state of innocency8 ,much more need then have we of this divine institution and ordination in our present state1 wherein our flesh is weak and so corrupt through sin4 ,this divine consolation therefore stands proof and invincible against all doctrines of devils1 #a ,tim4 #d3a4 ,by the ,scripture before us1 we see that marriage is a state of life divine2 that is1 ordained of ,god himself4 ,what was it therefore that came into the minds of those tools of ,satan and enemies of ,christ1 who deny that there could be any holiness or chastity in marriage1 and who affirmed that those only were adapted for ministers of churches who lived in celibacy1 because the ,scriptures1 they argued1 said1 ,be ye clean that bear the vessels of the ,lord1 ,is4 #eb3aa4 ,are then those who are married unclean8 ,if so1 ,god himself is the author and institutor of uncleanness1 who himself brought ,eve to ,adam4 ,adam himself also did evil in suffering himself to be persuaded to enter into a state of uncleanness1 when his nature in his state of innocency needed not marriage4 ,but have not the impious ,papists suffered the righteous punishments of such blasphemies8 ,they have not only polluted themselves with harlots in multitudes1 but have indulged in other unmentionable wickednesses1 even unto abomination1 and are at this day just ripe for the punishments of ,sodom and ,gomorrah4 ,when ,i was a boy1 marriage was positively considered so infamous on account of all this impure and impious celibacy1 that ,i used to believe ,i could not even think of the married life without sin4 ,for the minds of men generally were filled with the persuasion that if any one wished to live a holy life1 and a life acceptable to ,god1 a man must never become a husband nor a woman a wife1 but must take upon them the vow of celibacy2 and hence many men who had married became on the death of their wives either monks or contemptible priests4 ,all those worthy men therefore who have labored and endeavored to cause marriage to be honored as aforetime1 according to the ,word of ,god1 and to be held in all its due praise1 have taken upon themselves a highly useful and necessary service to the ,church of ,christ4 ,so that now1 blessed be ,god1 all men consider it to be good and holy to live in unanimity and tranquility with a wife1 even though it should be the lot of any one1 ,prov4 #af3cc1 to have a wife that is barren1 or laboring under any other affliction4 ,i do not however deny that there are some men who can live chastely without marriage2 but let these who have thus a gift greater than the most of mankind1 sail in their own ship4 ,but as for that chastity which the ,pope so highly lauds in his monks and nuns1 and contemptible priests1 it is in the first place polluted and contaminated by numberless horrible sins2 and in addition to all this1 celibacy is an institution of man without any warrant from the ,word of ,god4 ,o1 what triumphs would the ,papists celebrate could they but prove by the ,word of ,god their celibacy to be a divine institution1 as we can abundantly prove marriage to be4 ,with what mighty weight of the ,pope's authority would they compel all men to adopt their life of celibacy4 ,whereas now the only commendation of celibacy1 which they can discover1 is a tradition of men1 or rather as ,paul hath it1 a doctrine of devils1 ,col4 #b3h2 #a ,tim4 #d3a4 ,v4 #bc;a4 ,and the man said1 ,this is now bone of my bones1 and flesh of my flesh4 ,the sentence which immediately follows1 ,therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother1 etc41 is cited by our ,lord1 ,math4 #ai3e1 as the words of ,god himself1 and not of ,adam4 ,but in that particular point there is no difficulty whatever1 because as ,adam was pure and holy the words of ,adam may rightly be said to be divine words or the voice of ,god1 for ,god spoke through him4 ,all the words and the works of ,adam in that state of innocency are divine1 and therefore may truly be said to be the words and works of ,god4 ,eve is presented to ,adam by ,god himself4 ,and just in the same manner as the will of ,god is prepared to institute marriage1 so ,adam is prepared to receive ,eve with all pleasure and holiness when brought unto him4 ,so even now also the affection of the intended husband toward his betrothed spouse1 is of a particular and elevated kind4 ,it is1 nevertheless1 deeply contaminated with that leprous lust of the flesh which1 in righteous ,adam1 had no existence4 ,it is worthy of our greatest wonder and admiration1 that ,adam1 the moment he glanced his eye on ,eve1 knew her to be a building formed out of himself4 ,he immediately said1 ,this is now bone of my bones1 and flesh of my flesh4 ,these are not the words of an ignorant one1 nor of one who was a sinner2 nor of one who was ignorant of the works and of the creation of ,god4 ,they are the words of one righteous and wise1 and full of the ,holy ,spirit2 of that ,holy ,spirit who reveals to the world1 before ignorant of such high and holy wisdom1 that ,god is the efficient cause of marriage and of man's taking to himself a wife1 and that the final cause of marriage is that the wife might be unto her husband a civil1 moral and domestic habitation1 and cohabitation4 ,this knowledge comes not from the five senses and reason merely4 ,it is a revelation1 as we here see1 of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the expression ,,hapaam1 now1 in this instance1 or at length1 is by no means useless or superfluous as it may at first seem4 ,that very word in this sentence1 uttered by ,adam1 most beautifully expresses the glad surprise and exulting joy of a noble spirit which had been seeking this delightful meet companion of life and of bed2 a companionship full1 not only of love1 but of holiness4 ,as if ,adam had said1 ,i have seen all beasts2 ,i have considered all the females among them given to them of ,god for the multiplication and preservation of their kind1 but all these are nothing to me6 ,this female however is bone of my bones1 and flesh of my flesh4 ,she is at length what and all ,i want4 ,with her ,i desire to live1 and with her to obey the will of ,god in the propagation of a posterity4 ,this is the kind of overflowing feeling of joy and love which this particular word ,,hapaam1 used by ,adam1 is intended to express4 ,now however this true purity1 innocence and holiness are lost4 ,there still remains indeed a feeling of joy and affection in the intended husband toward his spouse2 but it is impure and corrupt1 on account of sin4 ,the affection of ,adam however was most pure1 most holy and most grateful to ,god1 when under the excess of it1 he said1 ,this is now bone of my bones1 and flesh of my flesh4 ,she is not made of stone1 nor of wood1 nor of a lump of earth1 as ,i was4 ,she is nearer to me than all this1 for she is made of my own very bones and very flesh4 ,v4 #bc;b4 ,she shall be called ,woman 7man-formed71 because she was taken out of ,man4 ,as ,adam knew by the ,holy ,spirit the things just mentioned1 which he saw not before1 and as he praises ,god and extols him for his having created for him a meet life-companion out of his own body2 so now1 by the same ,spirit1 he prophesies of his ,eve's future1 when he says that she ought to be called a man-formed or man-like female 7virago74 ,the truth is1 that it is utterly impossible for any interpreter to convey through any other language the peculiar strength and beauty of the original ,hebrew expression4 ,,isch signifies a man1--and ,adam says concerning ,eve1 ,she shall be called ,,ischa1 as if we should say1 ,she shall be called vira1 from vir1 a man4 ,because a wife is an heroic or man-like woman2 for she does man-like things1 and performs man-like duties4 ,this name ,adam gives to the woman contains in it a wonderful and sweet description of marriage1 in which1 as the lawyers express it1 ,the woman shines in the rays of her husband4 ,for whatever the husband possesses1 is possessed and held by the wife also4 ,and not only is all their wealth possessed by them in common1 but their children also1 their food1 their bed1 and their habitation4 ,their wishes are also equal4 ,so that the husband differs from the wife in no other thing than in sex4 ,in every other respect1 the woman is really a man4 ,for whatsoever the man possesses in their house1 the woman possesses also2 and what the man is1 that also is the woman2 she differs from the man in sex only4 ,in a word the woman1 as ,paul remarks in his instructions to ,timothy1 is man-formed and man-like by her very origin2 for1 as the apostle says to ,timothy1 ,adam was first formed1 then ,eve from the man1 and not the man from the woman1 #a ,tim4 #b3ac4 ,of this communion of all things in marriage1 we still possess some feeble remnants1 though miserable indeed they be when compared with what they were in their original state4 ,for even now the wife1 if she be but an honorable1 modest and godly woman1 participates in all the cares1 wishes1 desires1 pursuits1 duties and actions of her husband4 ,and it was for this end indeed that she was created in the beginning2 and for this end was called virago1 that she might differ in sex only from the father of the family1 since she was taken from man4 ,and though this name can apply in its strictest and fullest sense to ,eve only1 who1 alone of all women1 was created thus out of man1 yet our ,lord applies the whole sentence of ,adam to all wives when he says that man and wife are one flesh1 ,math4 #ai3e1 #f4 ,although therefore thy wife be not made of thy flesh and thy bones2 yet1 because she is thy wife1 she is as much the mistress of thy house1 as thou art the master thereof1 except that by the law of ,god1 which was brought in after the fall the woman is made subject to the man4 ,that is the woman's punishment1 as are many other troubles also which come short of the glories of paradise1 concerning which glories the sacred text before us gives us so much information4 ,for ,moses is not here speaking of the miserable life which all married people now live2 but concerning the life of innocency1 in which1 had that innocency continued1 the government of the man and of the woman would have been equal and the same4 ,hence it is that ,adam gave the name1 woman1 ,,ischa1 or man-formed female1 virago or vira1 to ,eve1 prophetically on account of the equal administration of all things with her husband in the house4 ,but now the sweat of the brow rests upon the man4 ,and to the wife it is commanded that she be in subjection to the man4 ,there still remain however certain remnants or dregs as it were of the woman's dominion4 ,so that the wife may still be called man-like female1 on account of her common possession of all things with her husband4 ,v4 #bd4 ,therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother1 and shall cleave unto his wife4 ,christ in ,math4 #ai3e and ,paul in #a ,cor4 #f3af1 apply these words of ,adam1 as a common rule or law for our marriages since the loss of original innocence4 ,if therefore ,adam had remained in his original state of innocency1 the children born unto him would have married2 and leaving the table and dwelling place of their parents1 and living no longer with them1 would have had their own trees under which they would have lived separate from their parents4 ,they would have come from time to time to their father ,adam1 sung a hymn1 spoken gloriously of ,god1 called upon him1 and then returned to their own houses4 ,and even now1 though all other things are changed1 yet this close bond between married persons still remains firm4 ,so that a man would leave his father and his mother much sooner than he would leave his wife4 ,and where we find the contrary to this1 for married persons are now sometimes found to leave and forsake each other1 all this is not only contrary to the present divine command by the mouth of ,adam1 but such things are awful signs of that horrible corruption1 which has come upon man through sin2 and such corruption and unfaithfulness are greatly increased by ,satan1 the father of all dissensions4 ,heathen nations also have discovered that there is nothing more appropriate for man nor beneficial for kingdoms than this oneness of the life of married persons4 ,hence they affirm1 that it is a conclusion drawn from the law of nature that a wife1 who shall retain her individuality or oneness of life with her husband1 even unto death1 is necessary for man4 ,hence also ,christ himself says1 that ,moses suffered the ,jews to give their wives a bill of divorcement1 because of the hardness of their hearts2 but that in the beginning it was not so1 ,mark #aj3d1 ,math4 #ai3h4 ,these evils of divorcements have all arisen since the fall through sin2 as have also adulteries1 poisonings and such like1 which are sometimes found among married persons4 ,scarce a thousandth part of that primitive innocent1 holy marriage is now left to us4 ,and even to this day the husband and the wife have their home-nest1 for the sake of mutual help and generation1 according to the command of ,god1 issued by the mouth of our first parent ,adam2 by which this state of married life and this leaving father and mother is exaltedly and gloriously commended1 as well as commanded of ,god himself2 as ,christ also affirms in his reference to the words of ,adam1 on which we are now dwelling4 ,this leaving father and mother however is not to be understood as a command that the children of ,adam1 when married1 should have nothing more to do with their parents4 ,the command reaches only to dwelling any longer with their father and mother4 ,it enjoins the children when married to have their own home-nest4 ,in the present state of sin1 and all its various evils1 we often find that children are compelled to support their parents1 when worn down with age and necessities4 ,but had paradise and all its innocency continued1 the state of life would have been inconceivably more exalted and blessed than our present fallen and sinful condition4 ,yet even then this same command of ,adam1 or rather of ,god himself1 would have been obeyed4 ,the husband1 through love of his wife1 would have chosen his homestead and made his home-nest with her1 as the little birds do1 and would have left his father and his mother for that purpose4 ,this sentence of ,adam is also prophetic4 ,for as yet there was no father or mother2 nor consequently were there any children4 ,adam nevertheless through the ,holy ,spirit prophesies of that married life1 which should be in the world1 and predictively describes the separate dwelling of man and wife1 and the separate domestic authorities and governments of the several families in all ages2 that each family should have their own nest habitation1 authority and rule4 ,v4 #be4 ,and they were both naked1 the man and his wife1 and were not ashamed4 ,this short closing sentence of the present chapter might have been omitted without any loss1 seeing that it mentions a circumstance for recording which there seems no great need4 ,for what does it concern us to know whether those in paradise walked about naked or clothed in raiment8 ,this little clause of the concluding sentence however is very striking and very necessary4 ,it shows us in a matter apparently quite insignificant1 how dreadful an amount of evil this nature of ours has suffered through original sin4 ,all nations1 more especially those of the north1 hold nakedness of the body in great abhorrence4 ,in like manner the more grave and modest characters among us1 not only condemn short military jackets1 as they are called1 which are worn by our youth1 but avoid public baths4 ,and our uncomely parts1 #a ,cor4 #ab3bc1 are always most studiously covered4 ,this among us is wisdom and a moral discipline worthy of all praise4 ,but ,adam and ,eve1 ,moses informs us1 went about naked1 and were not ashamed4 ,for them therefore to go about naked was not only not disgraceful1 but even laudable1 delightful and glorious to ,god4 ,but all this delight and glory we have now lost by sin4 ,we alone1 of all creatures1 are born naked2 and with an uncovered skin we enter into this world4 ,whereas all the other animals bring into the world with them1 as coverings of their own1 skins1 hairs1 bristles1 feathers or scales4 ,we1 on the other hand1 continually need the shadow of buildings to protect us from the heat of the sun1 and a multitude of garments to defend us from the rain1 the hail1 the frost and the snow4 ,adam however1 had he continued innocent1 would have felt none of these injuries or inconveniences4 ,but as the human eyes retain still that peculiarity of nature1 that they are not evilly affected or distressed either by cold or by heat2 so would the whole body of ,adam have been entirely free from the distresses of cold or heat1 had he never fallen4 ,had ,eve1 our mother1 sat among us naked the mere form of her breast and other members of her body would not have offended us4 ,but now because of sin they awaken in us shame and inflame us with evil lust and passion4 ,this brief clause therefore shows us the awfulness of the evil which has come upon us1 as the consequence of the sin of 444 text not printed 444 would be considered a proof of utter insanity4 ,that very state of body therefore which was in ,adam and ,eve their highest glory1 would be in us1 should we be seen in that state1 our deepest shame4 ,it was the very glory of man and would have continued to be so1 had he remained in his original innocency1 that while all the other animals had need of hairs1 feathers1 scales1 etc41 to cover their unsightliness1 man alone was created with that dignity and beauty of body1 that he could appear uncovered1 in the glory of his created nakedness4 ,but all this glory is lost4 ,we are now compelled not only for necessary protection1 but for the sake of avoiding the deepest turpitude1 to cover our bodies with more study and care than any other animals of ,god's creation4 ,for they all come into the world covered by nature4 ,after this manner therefore does this second chapter of the book of ,genesis more clearly and fully describe the creative work of the sixth day4 ,in what manner man was created by the wonderful counsel of ,god4 ,in what manner the garden of ,eden was formed1 in which man might have lived in the highest possible pleasure4 ,in what manner1 by means of the prohibition of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 the external worship of the future church was instituted by divine authority4 ,by what external worship and in which place1 had the prohibition of the tree of knowledge not been violated by ,adam and ,eve1 they would have testified their obedience to ,god1 had they not been deceived and drawn aside by the snares of ,satan4 ,some suppose that ,adam with his ,eve passed the night of the sixth day in paradise until the following seventh day1 the ,sabbath4 ,and what occurred on the ,sabbath day1 the following chapter will inform us4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,part ,i4 ,,the ,,temptation ,,to ,,fall4 ,v4 #a;a4 ,now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which ,jehovah ,god had made4 ,in the preceding chapter1 we were taught the manner in which man was created on the sixth day2 that he was created in the image and after the likeness of ,god1 that his will was good and perfect1 and that his reason or intellect was also perfect1 so that whatsoever ,god willed or said1 that man also willed1 believed and understood4 ,and this knowledge was necessarily accompanied by the knowledge of all other creatures1 etc4 ,for wherever the perfect knowledge of ,god is1 there must also be1 of necessity1 the perfect knowledge of other things1 which are inferior to ,god4 ,this original state of things shows how horrible the fall of ,adam and ,eve was1 by which we have lost all that most beautifully and gloriously illumined reason1 and all that will which was wholly conformed to the ,word and will of ,god4 ,for by the same sin and ruin we have lost also all the original dignity of our bodies1 so that now1 it is the extreme of baseness to be seen naked1 whereas originally that nudity was the especial and most beautiful and dignified privilege of the human race1 with which they were endowed of ,god above all the beasts of the creation4 ,and the greatest loss of all these losses is1 that not only is the will lost1 but there has followed in its place a certain absolute aversion to the will of ,god4 ,so that man neither wills nor does any one of those things which ,god wills and commands4 ,nay1 we know not what ,god is1 what grace is1 what righteousness is2 nor in fact what sin itself is which has caused the loss of all4 ,these are indeed horrible defects in our fallen nature1 to which they1 who see not and understand not1 are more blind than moles4 ,universal experience indeed shows us all these calamities2 but we never feel the real magnitude of them until we look back to that unintelligible but real state of innocency1 in which there existed the perfection of will1 the perfection of reason and that glorious dignity of the nakedness of the human body4 ,when we truly contemplate our loss of all these gifts and contrast that privation with the original possession of them1 then do we1 in some measure1 estimate the mighty evil of original sin4 ,great causes of gross error therefore are created by those who extenuate this mighty evil of original sin1 who speak of our corrupt nature after the manner of philosophers1 who would represent human nature as not thus corrupted4 ,for such men maintain that there remain1 not only in the nature of man1 but in the nature of the devil also1 certain natural qualities which are sound and whole4 ,but this is utterly false4 ,what and how little remains in us that is good and whole1 we do indeed in some measure see and feel4 ,but what and how much we have lost1 they most certainly see not who dispute about certain remnants of good being still left in human nature4 ,for most certainly a good and upright and perfect will1 well-pleasing to ,god1 obedient to ,god1 confiding in the ,creator1 and righteously using all his creatures with thanksgiving1 is wholly lost4 ,so that our fallen will makes out of ,god a devil and dreads the very mention of his name2 especially when hard pressed under his judgments4 ,are these things1 ,i pray you1 proofs that human nature is whole and uncorrupted8 ,but consider the state of those inferior things to these that pertain unto ,god himself4 ,the marriage union of male and female is an institution appointed of ,god4 ,how is that union polluted by the fall and by sin6 ,with what fury of lust is the flesh inflamed6 ,by means of sin therefore this divinely appointed union has lost all its beauty and glory as a work of ,god1 and is defiled with pollutions1 corruptions and sins innumerable4 ,in like manner also we have a body2 but how miserable1 how variously deformed by sin4 ,it no longer retains the dignity of nakedness1 but requires careful and perpetual coverings of its shame4 ,so also we possess a will and a power of reason4 ,but with what multiplied corruptions are they vitiated6 ,for as our reason is beclouded with great and varied ignorance1 so our will also is not only greatly warped by self-will1 and not only averse to ,god1 but the enemy of ,god6 ,it rushes with pleasure into evil1 when it ought to be doing quite the contrary4 ,this multiform corruption of nature therefore ought not only not to be extenuated1 but to be as much as possible magnified4 ,it ought to be shown that man is not only fallen from the image of ,god1 from the knowledge of ,god1 from the knowledge of all other creatures1 and from all the dignity and glory of his nakedness1 into ignorance of ,god1 into blasphemies against ,god1 and into hatred and contempt of ,god2 but that he is fallen even into enmity against ,god2 to say nothing at the present time of that tyranny of ,satan to which our nature has by sin made itself the basest slave4 ,these things1 ,i say1 are not to be extenuated1 but to be magnified by every possible description of them2 because if the magnitude of our disease be not fully known1 we shall never know nor desire the remedy4 ,moreover the more you extenuate sin1 the less you make grace to be valued4 ,and there is nothing which can tend to amplify and magnify the nature and extent of original sin more fully and appropriately than the words of ,moses himself1 when he says1 that ,adam and ,eve were both naked1 and were not ashamed4 ,no polluted lust was excited by the sight of each other's nakedness4 ,but the one looking on the other saw and acknowledged the goodness of ,god4 ,they both rejoiced in ,god1 and both felt secure in the goodness of ,god4 ,whereas now1 we not only cannot feel ourselves free from sin2 not only do not feel ourselves secure in the goodness of ,god1 but labor under hatred of ,god and despair of his goodness and mercy4 ,such a horrible state of the fall as this clearly proves how far nature is from being in any degree sound and whole4 ,but with how much greater impudence still do our human reasoners make this their affirmation of there being still left something sound and whole1 in the nature of the devil6 ,for in the devil there is a greater enmity1 hatred and rage against ,god than in man4 ,but the devil was not created thus evil4 ,he had a will conformed to the will of ,god4 ,this will however he lost1 and he lost also that most beautiful and most lucid intellect with which he was endowed1 and he was converted into a horrible spirit1 filled with rage against his ,creator4 ,must not that have been then a most awful corruption1 which transformed a friend of ,god into the most bitter and determined enemy of ,god8 ,but here human reasoners bring forward that sentence of ,aristotle1 ,reason prays for the best4 ,and they attempt to confirm it by passages from the ,scriptures and by the opinions of philosophers1 who hold that right reason is the cause of all virtues4 ,now ,i deny not that these sentiments are true1 when they are applied to things subject to reason2 such as the management of cattle1 the building of a house1 and the sowing of a field4 ,but in the higher and divine things1 they are not true4 ,for how can that reason be said to be right1 which hates ,god8 ,how can that will be said to be good1 which resists the will of ,god and refuses to obey ,god8 ,when therefore men say with ,aristotle1 ,reason prays for the best1 reply thou to them1 ,yes6 ,reason prays for the best1 humanly2 that is1 in things in which reason has a judgment4 ,in such things1 reason dictates and leads to what is good and useful in a human1 bodily or carnal sense4 ,but since reason is filled with ignorance of ,god and aversion to the will of ,god1 how can reason be called good in this sense8 ,for it is a well known fact1 that when the knowledge of ,god is preached with the intent that reason may be restored1 then those who are the best men1 if ,i may so speak1 and men of the best kind of reason and will1 are those who the most bitterly hate the gospel4 ,in the sacred matter of divinity therefore let our sentiments be1 that reason in all men stands as the greatest enemy against ,god2 and also that the best will in men is most adverse to the will of ,god2 seeing that from this very source arise hatred of the ,word and persecution of all godly ministers4 ,wherefore1 as ,i said1 let us never extenuate1 but rather magnify that mighty evil1 which human nature has derived from the sin of our first parents2 then will the effect be that we shall deplore this our fallen state and cry and sigh unto ,christ our great ,physician1 who was sent unto us by the ,father for the very end that those evils1 which ,satan has inflicted on us through sin1 might by him be healed1 and that we might be restored unto that eternal glory1 which by sin we had lost4 ,but with reference to the part of sacred history which ,moses describes in this chapter1 ,i have already expressed my mind2 namely1 that this temptation took place on the ,sabbath day4 ,for ,adam and ,eve were created on the sixth day2 ,adam earlier in the day and ,eve in the evening4 ,on the following day1 the ,sabbath day1 ,adam spoke to his wife ,eve concerning the will of ,god2 informing her that the most gracious ,lord had created all paradise for the use and pleasure of men2 that he had also created by his especial goodness the tree of life1 by the use of which the powers of their bodies might be restored1 and continued in perpetual youth2 but that one tree1 the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 was prohibited2 of which it was not lawful for them to eat2 and that this obedience to their merciful ,creator they were solemnly bound to render4 ,after ,adam had communicated this information to ,eve1 he perhaps led her about in paradise and showed her the prohibited tree4 ,thus did ,adam and ,eve in their original innocence and righteousness1 full of safety and security through their confidence in their ,god so good and so merciful1 walk about together in paradise2 considering together the word and the command of ,god2 and blessing their ,god on the ,sabbath day as they ought to do4 ,but in the midst of all this happiness1 ,oh6 the grief6 ,satan enters1 and within a few hours destroys all1 as we shall in this chapter hear4 ,here again is poured forth a whole sea of questions4 ,for curious men inquire1 why ,god permitted so much to ,satan as to tempt ,eve8 ,they ask also1 why ,satan employed the serpent in his temptation of ,eve1 rather than any other beast of the creation4 ,but who shall render a reason for those things1 which he sees the ,divine ,majesty to have permitted to be done8 ,why do we not rather say with ,job1 that ,god cannot be called to an account1 and that none can compel him to render unto us his own reasons for all those things which he does or permits to be done4 ,why do we not on the same ground expostulate with ,god1 because the grass is not green and the trees are not in leaf all the year round now as in the beginning4 ,for ,i fully believe1 that in paradise1 had the state of original innocency continued1 there would have been a perpetual spring without any winter or frost or snow1 as they now exist since the fall and its sin4 ,all these things depend wholly on the will and power of ,god4 ,this is enough for us to know4 ,to inquire into these things farther than this is impious curiosity4 ,wherefore let us1 the clay of his hands1 cease to inquire into and dispute about such things as these1 which belong alone to the will of our ,potter6 ,let us not judge our ,god1 but rather leave ourselves to be judged by him4 ,the answer therefore to all such questions and arguments ought to be this3 ,it pleased ,god that ,adam should be put under peril and trial1 that he might exercise his powers4 ,just as now1 when we are baptized and translated into the kingdom of ,christ1 ,god will not have us to be at ease4 ,he will have his ,word and his gifts to be exercised by us4 ,therefore he permits us1 weak creatures1 to be put into the sieve of ,satan4 ,hence it is that we see the church1 when made clean by the ,word1 to be put under perpetual peril and trial4 ,the ,sacramentarians1 the ,anabaptists and other fanatical teachers1 who harass the church with various trials1 are stirred up against her1 to which great trials are also added internal vexations4 ,all these things are permitted of ,god to take place1 not however because it is his intention to forsake his church or to suffer her to perish4 ,but as wisdom says1 all these conflicts are brought upon the church and upon the godly1 that they might overcome them2 and thus learn by actual sight and experience that wisdom is more powerful than all things4 ,another question is here raised1 on which we may dispute perhaps with less peril and with greater profit3 ,why the ,scripture speaks of this matter thus obscurely and does not openly say1 that one of the fallen angels entered into the serpent and through the serpent spoke to ,eve and deceived her8 ,but to this ,i reply1 that all these things were involved in obscurity1 that they might be reserved for ,christ and for his ,spirit1 whose glory it is to shine throughout the whole world1 as the mid-day sun1 and to open all the mysteries of the ,scriptures4 ,as this ,spirit of ,christ dwelt in the prophets1 those holy prophets understood all such mysteries of the ,word4 ,we have said above however that as the beasts of the creation had each different gifts1 so the serpent excelled all other creatures in the gift of guile1 and therefore it was the best adapted for this stratagem of ,satan4 ,of this peculiarity in the serpent the present text of ,moses is an evident proof2 for he says at the opening of this chapter1 ,now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which ,jehovah ,god had made4 ,we marvel even now at the gift of insidious cunning in the fox1 and also at its astonishing ingenuity in escaping danger4 ,for sometimes when closely pursued by the dogs and quite worn out and ready to drop with exhaustion1 it will hold up its tail2 and while the dogs stop their course with the intent of rushing with all their force to seize it1 the fox with marvelous celerity secures a little advantage ground and thus escapes their capture4 ,there are also other beasts whose remarkable sagacity and industry surprise us2 but subtilty was the peculiar natural property of the serpent1 and therefore it seemed to ,satan to be the instrument best adapted for his deception of ,eve4 ,v4 #a;b4 ,and he said unto the woman1 ,yea1 hath ,god said1 ,ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden8 ,human reasoners dispute also concerning the nature of this temptation1 as to what it really was2 whether our first parents sinned by idolatry or by pride or by self-security or simply by eating the fruit4 ,but if we consider these things a little more carefully1 as we ought to do1 we shall find that this temptation was the most awful and the most bitter of all temptations4 ,because the serpent attacked the good will of ,god itself1 and endeavored to prove by this very prohibition from the tree of life that the will of ,god toward man was not good4 ,the serpent therefore attacks the image of ,god itself4 ,he assails those highest and most perfect powers1 which in the newly-created nature of ,adam and ,eve were as yet uncorrupted4 ,he aims at overturning that highest worship of ,god1 which ,god himself had just ordained4 ,in vain therefore do we dispute about this sin or that4 ,for ,eve is enticed unto all sins at once1 when she is thus enticed to act contrary to the ,word and the will of ,god4 ,moses therefore speaks here most considerately1 when he uses the expression1 ,and the serpent said4 ,here1 ,,word attacks word4 ,the ,,word which the ,lord had spoken to ,adam was1 ,of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat4 ,this ,word was to ,adam the ,gospel1 and the law thus given was his worship4 ,it was a service and an obedience which in this state of innocence ,adam was able to render unto ,god4 ,these are the ,divine things ,satan attacks4 ,these are the things he aims at overturning4 ,nor does he merely intend1 as those think who know nothing of the matter1 to point out the tree to ,eve and to invite her to pluck the fruit4 ,he does indeed point to the tree1 but he does something far worse than this4 ,he adds another and a new word1 as it is his practice to do at the present day in the ,church4 ,for wherever the ,gospel is purely preached1 there men have a sure rule for their faith1 and by that they are able to guard against idolatry4 ,but there ,satan plies temptations of every kind1 and he tries by what means he can the most effectually to draw men away from the ,word1 or how he can most completely corrupt the ,word itself4 ,thus in the ,greek ,church also1 in the time of the apostles1 heresies of every kind were stirred up4 ,one heretic denies that ,christ is the ,son of ,god4 ,another denies that he is the ,son of ,mary1 just as the anabaptists of our day impiously deny that ,christ assumed anything of the flesh of ,mary4 ,so again in the times of ,basil more particularly1 men attempted to deny that the ,holy ,ghost is ,god4 ,our own age in like manner has witnessed the same examples of heresies4 ,for no sooner had a purer doctrine of the ,gospel shone upon us1 than assailants of the works and ,word of ,god of every kind rose up on every side4 ,not however that temptations of other kinds cease4 ,for ,satan still tempts to whoredom1 to adultery and to other like great sins4 ,but this temptation1 when ,satan attacks the ,word and the works of ,god1 is by far the heaviest and most dangerous2 and that temptation the most intimately concerns the ,church and the saints4 ,it was in this manner therefore that ,satan attacked ,adam and ,eve on this solemn occasion4 ,his aim was to tear away from them the ,word1 in order that giving up the ,word and their confidence in ,god1 they might believe a lie4 ,when this takes place what wonder is it if a man afterwards becomes proud1 a despiser of ,god1 an adulterer or anything else8 ,this temptation therefore is the head and chief of all temptations4 ,it brings with it the breach and the violation of the whole ten commandments4 ,for unbelief is the fountain-source of all sins4 ,when ,satan has brought a man under this temptation and has wrested from him or corrupted in his heart the ,word1 he may do anything with him4 ,thus when ,eve had suffered the ,word to be beaten out of her heart by a lie1 she found no difficulty whatever in approaching the tree and plucking from it the fruit4 ,it is foolish therefore to think of this temptation1 as the sophists and the monks think of it2 that ,eve1 when she had looked upon the tree1 began to be inflamed by degrees with the desire of plucking the fruit2 until at last1 overcome with the longing for it1 she plucked the fruit and put it to her mouth4 ,the sum of the whole temptation and her fall by it was that she listened to another word and departed from that ,,word which ,god had spoken to her1 which was that if she did eat of the tree she should surely die4 ,but let us now contemplate the words of ,moses in the order in which we find them4 ,in the first place ,satan here imitates ,god4 ,for as ,god had preached to ,adam1 so ,satan now also preaches to ,eve4 ,for perfectly true is that saying of the proverb1 ,all evil begins in the name of ,god4 ,just therefore as salvation comes from the pure ,word of ,god1 so perdition comes from the corrupted ,word of ,god4 ,what ,i term the corrupted ,word of ,god is not that only which is corrupted by the vocal ministry1 but that which is corrupted by the internal persuasions of the heart or by opinions of the mind1 disagreeing with the ,word4 ,moses implies all this in his expression1 ,he said4 ,for the object of ,satan was to draw away ,eve by his word or saying1 from that which ,god had said2 and thus by taking the ,word of ,god out of sight1 he corrupted that perfection of will which man had before2 so that man became a rebel4 ,he corrupted also his understanding so that he doubted concerning the will of ,god4 ,upon this immediately followed a rebellious hand1 stretched forth to pluck the fruit contrary to the command of ,god4 ,then followed a rebellious mouth and rebellious teeth2 in a word all evils follow soon upon unbelief or doubt concerning the ,word and ,god4 ,for what can be worse than for a man to disobey ,god1 and obey ,satan6 ,this very same craft and malice all heretics imitate4 ,under the show of doing good1 they wrest from men ,god and his ,word4 ,they take the ,word away from before their eyes and set before them another1 and a new word and a new god2 a god which is nowhere1 and no god at all4 ,for if you examine the words of these men1 nothing can be more holy1 nothing more religious4 ,they call ,god to witness that they seek with their whole heart the salvation of the ,church4 ,they express their utter detestation of all who teach wicked things4 ,they profess their great desire to spread the name and the glory of ,god4 ,but why should ,i enlarge8 ,they wish to appear to be anything but the devil's teachers or heretics4 ,and yet1 their one whole aim is to suppress the true doctrine and to obscure the knowledge of ,god4 ,and when they have done this1 the fall of their listeners is easily enough effected4 ,for unwary men suffer themselves to be drawn away from the ,word to dangerous disputations1 ,rom4 #ad3a4 ,not content with the ,word1 they begin to inquire why and for what reason these and those things were done4 ,and just as ,eve1 when she listened to the devil1 calling the command of ,god into doubt fell2 so it continually happens that we1 by listening to him1 are brought to doubt whether ,god is willing that we1 when heavily oppressed with sin and death1 should be saved by ,christ2 and thus1 being misled and deceived1 we suffer ourselves to be induced to put on cowls and cloaks in order that we may be crowned of ,god with salvation on account of our works of perfection4 ,thus before men are aware1 another and a new god is set before them by ,satan2 for he also sets a word before us2 but not that ,word which is set before us of ,god1 who declareth that repentance and remission of sins should be preached unto all men in the name of ,christ1 ,luke #bd3dg4 ,when the ,word of ,god is in this manner altered and corrupted1 then1 as ,moses says1 in his song1 there are brought in among us new gods1 newly come up whom our fathers knew not1 and feared not1 ,deut4 #cb3ag4 ,it is profitable to be well acquainted with these snares of ,satan4 ,for if he were to teach men that they might commit murder and fornication1 and might resist their parents1 etc41 who is there who would not immediately see that he was persuading them to do things forbidden by the ,lord8 ,and thus it would be easy to guard against him4 ,but in the case of which we are speaking1 when he sets before us another word1 when he disputes with us concerning the will and willingness of ,god1 when he brings before our eyes the name of ,god1 and of the church1 and of the people of ,god1 then we cannot so easily be on our guard against him4 ,on the contrary there is need of the firmest judgment of the spirit to enable us to distinguish between the true ,god and the new god4 ,it is such judgment as this that ,christ exercises1 when ,satan attempts to persuade him to command that the stones be made bread1 and to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the ,temple4 ,for ,satan's aim was to persuade ,christ to attempt something without the ,word4 ,but the ,tempter could not deceive ,christ as he had deceived ,eve4 ,for ,christ holds fast the ,word and does not suffer himself to be drawn away from the true ,god to the new and false god4 ,hence unbelief and doubting1 which follow a departure from the ,word1 are the fountain and source of all sin4 ,and it is because the world is full of these that it remains in idolatry1 denies the truth of ,god and forms to itself new gods4 ,the monk is an idolator4 ,for his imaginations are that if he lives according to the rule of ,francis or ,dominic1 he shall be in the way to the kingdom of ,god4 ,but this is making a new god1 and becoming an idolator4 ,because the true ,god declares that the way to the kingdom of heaven is believing in ,christ4 ,when this faith is lost therefore unbelief and idolatry immediately enter in1 which transfer the glory of ,god to works4 ,thus the ,anabaptists1 the ,sacramentarians and the ,papists are all idolators6 ,not because they worship stocks and stones1 but because1 leaving the ,word of ,god1 they worship their own thoughts4 ,the portion of the ,scripture therefore now before us is designed to teach us that the beginning of original sin was this effectual temptation of the devil1 when he had drawn ,eve away from the ,word to idolatry1 contrary to the first and second and third commandments4 ,therefore the words stand here1 ,yea1 hath ,god said8 ,it is horrible audacity for the devil to represent a new god and deny the former true and eternal ,god with the utmost self-confidence4 ,it is as if the devil had said1 ,ye must be fools indeed if ye believe that ,god really gave you such a commandment4 ,for ,god is by no means such a ,god as to be so greatly concerned whether ye eat the fruit or eat it not4 ,for as the tree is 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil2' how1 think ye1 he can be so filled with envy as to be unwilling that ye should be wise6 ,moreover this inexpressible malice fully proves that1 although ,moses makes mention of the serpent only and not of ,satan1 ,satan was the real contriver of the whole transaction4 ,and although these things had been thus involved in obscurity in this sacred history of them1 yet the holy fathers and prophets1 under the illumination of the ,holy ,spirit1 at once saw that this temptation was not the work of the serpent1 but that there was in the serpent that spirit1 which was the enemy of ,adam's innocent nature2 even the spirit1 concerning whom ,christ plainly declares in the ,gospel1 that he abode not in the truth2 and that he was a murderer and a liar from the beginning1 ,luke #h3dd4 ,it was left however1 as we have said1 for the ,gospel to explain these things more clearly and to make manifest this enemy of ,god and of men4 ,but the fathers saw all this by the following mode of reasoning3 ,it is certain that at the time of the temptation all creatures stood in perfect obedience1 according to the sentence of ,moses1 ,and ,god saw everything that he had made and1 behold1 it was very good4 ,but here in the serpent1 such a spirit manifests himself who proves to be the enemy of ,god and who corrupts the ,word of ,god1 that he might draw away man into sin and death4 ,it is manifest therefore that there was something1 some spirit in the serpent1 far worse than the serpent itself by nature2 a spirit which might properly be called the enemy of ,god2 a spirit that was a liar and a murderer2 a spirit in whom there was the greatest and the most horrible and reckless unconcern2 a spirit which trembled not to corrupt the commandment of ,god and to tempt man to idolatry2 though he knew by that act of idolatry the whole human race must perish4 ,these things are truly horrible when they are viewed by us aright4 ,and we see even now examples of the same security and unconcern in ,papists and other sects2 an unconcern by which they corrupt the ,word of ,god and seduce men4 ,eve at first nobly resisted the ,tempter4 ,for as yet she was guided by the illumination of that ,holy ,spirit1 of whom we have spoken1 and by whom she knew that man was created perfect and in the likeness of ,god4 ,at length however she suffered herself to be persuaded and overcome4 ,with respect to the fall of the angels1 it is uncertain on which day the fall took place2 whether on the second or on the third day4 ,this only can be proved1 and that is known from the ,gospel1 namely1 that ,satan fell from ,heaven1 for ,christ himself testifies of the manner of the fall1 where he says1 ,i beheld ,satan as lightning fall from heaven1 ,luke #aj3ah4 ,but whether the heavens were then finished or yet in their rude unformed state1 we know not4 ,the discussion of this point however belongs not to our present exposition of the passage before us4 ,our present duty is to contemplate the extreme malice here disclosed1 joined with the most horrible unconcern4 ,for this spirit trembles not to call the commandment of the divine majesty into doubt2 though he fully knew all the time1 what an awful calamity must thereby fall upon the whole human race4 ,in the second place the wonderful subtlety here exercised is especially to be considered1 which is discovered first in this3 that ,satan attacks the highest powers of man and assails the very image of ,god in him2 namely1 his will1 which as yet thought and judged aright concerning ,god4 ,now the serpent was more subtle1 says our text1 than any beast of the field1 which ,jehovah ,god had made4 ,but the subtlety manifested in this instance far exceeded all the natural subtlety of the serpent4 ,for ,satan here disputes with man concerning the ,word and the will of ,god4 ,this the serpent in his natural state and condition could not do2 for in that1 he was subject to the dominion of man4 ,but the spirit which spoke in the serpent is so subtle that he overcomes man and persuades him to eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree4 ,it is not therefore a creature of ,god1 in his created good state1 that here speaks2 but it is a spirit1 who is the bitterest enemy of ,god and of men2 a spirit1 who is indeed a creature of ,god1 but not created thus evil by ,god4 ,it is a creature1 who abode not in the truth2 as ,christ says1 ,john #h3dd4 ,these facts are consequences1 plainly resulting from the ,gospel and from the text of ,moses before us4 ,the subtlety which we are contemplating is seen also from the stratagem of ,satan in attacking the weak part of human nature2 namely ,eve1 the woman2 and not ,adam1 the man4 ,for although both of them were created equally righteous1 yet ,adam excelled ,eve4 ,for as in all the endowments of nature1 the male strength exceeds that of the female sex1 so in the state of the innocency and perfection of human nature1 the male in some degree excelled the female4 ,hence ,satan1 seeing that ,adam was the more excellent creature1 dared not attack him2 for he had fears lest his attempts should fail4 ,and my belief is that if he had attempted ,adam first1 ,adam would have had the victory4 ,he would more likely have crushed the serpent with his foot1 and would have said to him1 ,hold your tongue4 ,the ,lord hath commanded otherwise4 ,satan therefore attacks ,eve as the weaker part1 and tries her strength4 ,for he sees that she has so much trust in1 and dependence on1 her husband1 that she will not think it possible that she should be persuaded to do wrong after what her husband had told her4 ,by this portion of the sacred record we are also instructed concerning the divine permission2 that ,god sometimes permits the devil to enter into beasts1 as he here entered into the serpent4 ,for there can be no doubt that the serpent1 in the assumption of whose form ,satan talked with ,eve was a real and natural serpent4 ,but when men enter into discussions whether this serpent assumed on that occasion a human countenance1 etc41 all such discussions are absurd4 ,the creature was doubtless a most beautiful serpent in its natural state2 otherwise ,eve would not have conversed with it so securely4 ,after the sin of the fall however that beauty of the serpent was changed4 ,for ,god's rebuke to him declares that hereafter he should go upon his belly on the ground4 ,whereas before1 he walked upright1 as the male fowl4 ,god also declares that he should eat dust1 whereas before1 he fed upon better food1 even upon the productions of the earth4 ,nay1 even the original security of man with the serpent is lost4 ,we flee from serpents at the sight of them1 as they also flee from us4 ,these are all wounds1 which have been inflicted on nature on account of sin2 just in the same way we have lost the glory of our nakedness1 the rectitude of our will and the soundness of our intellect and understanding4 ,i believe also1 that the serpent lost much of his subtlety1 which ,moses here lauds1 as a distinguishing gift of ,god4 ,moreover1 ,i believe that in the same proportion as the serpent is now an evil creature amidst the beasts1 so it was then a good creature2 and a blessed and lovely creature2 a creature with which not man only1 but all the other beasts also1 lived in perfect freedom and with great pleasure4 ,the serpent therefore was a creature1 the best adapted of all the other living creatures for the purpose of ,satan4 ,by it he could secure the most easy access to ,eve1 and could the most effectually converse with her so as to draw her into sin4 ,such is my opinion concerning the natural serpent1 the beautiful nature of which ,satan planned thus to abuse4 ,i believe it was originally a most beautiful creature1 without any poison in its tail and without those filthy scales with which it is now covered4 ,for these grew upon it after the sin of the fall4 ,hence we find it a precept given by ,moses that any beast1 which should kill any person1 should itself immediately be killed1 ,exod4 #ba3bh2 and for no other reason than because ,satan sinned by using a beast when he murdered man4 ,hence also a serpent is killed wherever found1 as a lasting memorial of this diabolical malice and this fall of man1 wrought by his means4 ,with reference to the grammatical expression here used1 the ,latin interpreter renders the ,hebrew ,,aphki by cur4 ,though this rendering is not very wide of the real sense of the passage1 yet it does not convey the true and proper meaning4 ,for it is the highest and greatest of all temptations1 when a dispute is entered upon1 concerning the counsel of ,god1 why ,god did this or that4 ,but my judgment is1 that the weight of the matter does not rest on this particle of expression why8 or wherefore8 ,but rather on the name ,god1 ,,elohim4 ,it is this that constitutes the greatness and awfulness of the temptation4 ,it is as if ,satan had said1 ,ye must be foolish indeed if ye suppose that ,god could possibly be unwilling that ye should eat of this tree when he had himself given you 'dominion' over all the trees of paradise2 nay1 when he had positively created all the trees for your sakes4 ,how can he1 who bestowed as a free favor all things upon you1 possibly envy you these particular fruits1 which are so sweet and so pleasant6 ,for ,satan's whole aim is to devise a means of drawing them away from the ,word and from the knowledge of ,god1 and to bring them to conclude that what they had stated was not really the will of ,god1 and that such was not really what ,god had commanded them4 ,that this is the true sense of the whole divine passage1 that which follows tends to prove2 when ,satan says1 ,ye shall not surely die4 ,for all the stratagems of ,satan centre in this one3--to draw men away from the ,word1 and from faith unto a new and false god4 ,and this same plan of ,satan all fanatical spirits follow4 ,hence1 ,arius reasons and inquires1 ,do you really think that ,christ is ,god1 when he himself says1 ,my ,father is greater than ,i8 ,in the same manner also the ,sacramentarians ask1 ,do you really think that the bread is the body and the wine the blood of ,christ8 ,christ most certainly had no thoughts so absurd4 ,when men begin thus to indulge their own cogitations1 they by degrees depart from the ,word and fall into error4 ,since therefore1 the whole force of the temptation was in leading ,eve to doubt whether ,god really did say so2 it is a more correct rendering to leave the emphasis resting on the name of ,god4 ,the leaving it to rest on the interrogative particle1 why8 takes away from the peculiar force of the meaning4 ,in my judgment therefore the passage will be best rendered by making the emphasis to rest on the not4 ,hath ,god said that ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden8 ,for ,satan's real aim is1 not to set up an inquiry why ,god said this4 ,his object is to bring ,eve to conclude that ,god had positively not so commanded1 in order that by bringing her to this conclusion he might wrest from her the ,word4 ,satan saw that the reasoning power of ,eve might in this way be the most effectually deceived1 if he drew away from her sight and judgment the ,word of ,god1 under the very name of ,god4 ,and he thinks the same still4 ,this question of ,satan is full of insidious deception4 ,he does not speak particularly1 but generally2 he includes in his interrogation1 all the trees of the garden together4 ,as if he had said1 ,you have committed unto you an universal 'dominion' over all the beasts of the earth2 and do you really suppose that ,god1 who has thus given you 'dominion' over all the beasts of the earth1 has not given you the same dominion over all the trees of the earth8 ,why1 you ought rather to think that as ,god has put under you the whole earth and all the beasts of the earth2 so he has also granted you the use of all things which grow upon the earth4 ,this is indeed the very height and depth of temptation4 ,satan here endeavors to gain over the mind of ,eve to his purpose1 by artfully drawing her into the conclusion that ,god is never unlike himself2 and that therefore if ,god had given them universal dominion over all the other creatures1 he had given them universal dominion over all the trees also4 ,from this therefore it would naturally follow that the commandment not to eat of the tree of life1 was not the commandment of ,god2 or that if it were his commandment1 it was not so to be understood that he really wished them not to eat of that tree4 ,wherefore this temptation was a double temptation1 by which as a twofold means ,satan aimed at the same end4 ,the one part of the temptation is1 ,god hath not said this1 therefore ye may eat of this tree4 ,the second branch of this awful temptation is1 ,god hath given unto you all things2 therefore all things are yours2 and therefore this tree is not forbidden you1 etc41 etc4 ,now1 both branches of this temptation are directed to the same object2 to draw ,eve away from the ,word and from faith4 ,for this commandment concerning not eating of this tree of knowledge1 which ,god gave to ,adam and to ,eve1 proves that ,adam with his posterity1 had they continued in their original innocency1 would have lived in that perfection of nature by faith1 until he and they had been translated from this corporeal life unto the life spiritual and eternal4 ,for wherever the ,word is1 there of necessity is faith also4 ,for the ,word was this1 ,of the tree of the knowledge1 etc41 thou shalt not eat1 for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die4 ,adam and ,eve must therefore have believed that this tree involved in it something perilous to their salvation4 ,therefore in this very ,word of commandment1 faith also is included4 ,we1 who are designed to be transferred from this state of sin to a state of eternal righteousness1 also live by faith4 ,but we have a ,word1 different from that which ,adam had in his state of nature's innocence and perfection4 ,for he was designed to be transferred simply from a state of animal life to that of a spiritual and eternal life4 ,wherefore this tree1 as ,i have before observed1 was intended of ,god to be a temple as it were in the midst of paradise1 in which the ,word ,god spoke to ,adam might be preached4 ,the substance of this ,word was1 that all the other trees of paradise were healthful and to be eaten2 but that this tree of knowledge1 involved in it the danger of destruction2 and that therefore they should learn to obey ,god and his ,word1 and to render unto ,god his worship1 by not eating of this tree1 seeing that ,god had forbidden them to eat of this particular tree4 ,in this manner therefore nature1 in its uncorrupt and perfect state1 even while it possessed the knowledge of ,god1 had yet a ,word or precept of ,god1 above the comprehension of ,adam1 which he was called upon to believe4 ,and this ,word or precept was delivered to man in his state of innocency1 that ,adam might have a sign or form of worshipping ,god1 of giving him thanks1 and of instructing his children in this knowledge of ,god4 ,now the devil1 beholding this and knowing that this ,word or precept of ,god was above the understanding of man1 plies ,eve with his temptation and draws her into thinking1 whether this really was the commandment and will of ,god4 ,and this is the very origin of all temptation2 when the reason of man attempts to judge concerning the ,word and ,god without the ,word4 ,now the will of ,god was that this his precept should be unto man an occasion of his obedience and of his external worship of ,god2 and that this tree should be a sign1 by means of which man should testify that he did obey ,god4 ,but ,satan by setting on foot the doubtful disputation1 whether ,god really did give such a commandment1 endeavors to draw man away from this obedience into sin4 ,here the salvation of ,eve consisted solely in her determinately urging the commandment of ,god1 and not suffering herself to be drawn aside into other disputations1 whether ,god really had given such a commandment4 ,and whether as ,god had created all things for man's sake1 it could be possible that this one tree only was created1 containing something incomprehensible and dangerous to man's salvation4 ,it seems indeed unto men1 to be a show of wisdom1 to inquire into these things more curiously than is lawful4 ,but as soon as the mind begins to indulge in such disputations1 man is lost4 ,but now let us hear the answer ,eve makes to ,satan3 ,vs4 #b1 #c4 ,and the woman said unto the serpent3 ,of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat2 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden1 ,god hath said1 ,ye shall not eat of it1 neither shall ye touch it1 lest perchance ye die4 ,eve's beginnings are successful enough4 ,she makes a distinction between all the other trees of the garden and this tree4 ,she rehearses the commandment of ,god4 ,but when she comes to relate also the punishment1 she fails4 ,she does not relate the punishment1 as it had been declared by the ,lord4 ,the ,lord had said1 absolutely1 ,for in the day that thou eatest thereof1 thou shalt surely die1 ,gen4 #b3ag4 ,out of this absolute declaration1 ,eve makes an expression1 not absolute1 ,lest perchance ye should die4 ,this defect in the statement of ,eve is very remarkable1 and demands particular observation2 for it proves that she had turned aside from faith to unbelief4 ,for as the promise of ,god demands faith1 so the threatening of ,god demands faith also4 ,eve ought to have made her statement as a fact1 and a certainty4 ,if ,i eat1 ,i shall surely die4 ,this faith however ,satan so assails1 with his insidious speech1 as to induce ,eve to add the expression1 perchance4 ,for the devil had effectually persuaded her to think that ,god surely was not so cruel as to kill her for merely tasting a fruit4 ,hence the heart of ,eve was now filled with the poison of ,satan4 ,this text therefore is also by no means properly translated in our version4 ,the meaning of the original ,hebrew is that ,eve speaks her own words2 whereas she is ostensibly reciting the ,word of ,god2 and that she adds to the ,word of ,god her own expression1 perchance4 ,wherefore the artifice of the lying spirit has completely succeeded4 ,for the object which he especially had in view2 namely1 to draw ,eve away from the ,word and from faith2 he has now so far accomplished1 as to cause ,eve to corrupt the ,word of ,god2 or1 to use the expression of ,paul1 he has turned her aside from the will of ,god1 and caused her to go after ,satan1 #a ,tim4 #e3ae4 ,and the beginning of certain ruin is to be turned aside from ,god1 and to be turned after ,satan2 that is1 not to stand firmly in the ,word and in faith4 ,when ,satan therefore sees this beginning in ,eve1 he plies against her his whole power as against a bowing wall1 until she falls prostrate on the ground4 ,vs4 #d1 #e4 ,and the serpent said unto the woman1 ,ye shall not surely die3 for ,god doth know that in the day ye eat thereof1 then your eyes shall be opened1 and ye shall be as gods1 knowing good and evil4 ,this is the satanic rhetoric adopted by the tempter to prostrate utterly a poor weak woman2 when he sees her turning away from ,god and inclined to listen to another teacher4 ,before1 when he said in his satanic insidiousness1 ,hath ,god1 indeed1 thus commanded you8 he did not positively deny the ,word4 ,he only attempted by speaking in the form of a question to draw ,eve aside into doubting4 ,but now1 having fully accomplished his first point1 he begins with daring presumption to deny the ,word of ,god altogether1 and to charge ,god himself with falsehood and cruelty4 ,he is not now content with having caused ,eve to add her expression1 perchance4 ,out of the perchance1 he now makes a plain and positive denial3 ,ye shall not surely die4 ,we here witness therefore what a horrible thing it is when ,satan once begins to tempt a man4 ,for then ruin causes ruin and that which was at first apparently a trifling offense against ,god1 ends eventually in a mighty destruction4 ,it was an awful step into sin for ,eve to turn from ,god and his ,word and to lend her ears to ,satan4 ,but this her next step is more awful2 for she now agrees with ,satan1 while he charges ,god with falsehood1 and as it were smites him in the face4 ,eve therefore now is no longer the woman merely turned away from ,god1 as in the first stage of her temptation4 ,she now begins to join ,satan in his contempt of ,god and in his denial of the truth of his ,word4 ,she now believes the father of lies1 directly contrary to the ,word of ,god4 ,let these things therefore be to us a solemn lesson and a terrible proof1 to teach us what man is6 ,for if these things occurred in nature1 while it was yet in its state of perfection1 what shall we think may become of us6 ,we have proofs1 even now1 before our eyes4 ,many1 who at the commencement of our course gave thanks with us unto ,god for his revealed ,word1 are not only fallen away from it1 but are become our bitterest adversaries6 ,thus it was also with the ,arians4 ,no sooner had they begun to fall away from faith in the divinity of the ,son1 than they quickly grew into a violent enmity against him4 ,so that they became the bitter enemies of the true ,church and persecuted her with the greatest cruelty4 ,precisely the same examples of ultimate rage against the truth have we witnessed also in the ,anabaptists4 ,they were all led away from the ,word1 and tempted to use the doubtful expression1 perchance4 ,shortly after ,satan drove them to turn the doubting perchance into a positive not1 ,god hath not said1 etc4 ,then from forsakers of ,god1 they became the open persecutors of ,god1 imitating in this their father1 ,satan2 who after he had fallen from heaven by sin became the most bitter enemy of ,christ and his church4 ,nor are examples of the very same description few in our day4 ,for we have no enemies more bitter against us than those who have fallen away from the doctrine they once professed with us4 ,and from this very sin that awful description which ,david has given us of the fool arose1 ,ps4 #ad3a3 ,the fool hath said in his heart there is no ,god4 ,for those thus fallen are not satisfied with having turned away from ,god1 unless they have become the assailants also of ,god himself and of his ,word4 ,wherefore there is absolutely need that we abide by this rule1 and moor ourselves to this sacred anchor as it were through life4 ,since it is agreed for a certainty that the ,word1 which we possess and confess1 is the ,word of ,god1 we should assent and cleave to it with all simplicity of faith and not dispute concerning it with curious inquiry4 ,for all inquiring and curious disputation bring with them most certain ruin4 ,thus for instance we have the plain and manifest ,word of ,christ concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 when he says concerning the bread1 ,this is my body1 which is given for you1 ,luke #bb3ai4 ,and concerning the cup1 ,this cup is the ,new ,covenant in my blood1 #a ,cor4 #aa3be4 ,when therefore fanatics depart from faith in these plain words1 and fall into disputing how these things can be1 they by degrees stray so far1 as positively to deny that these are the words of ,christ1 and at length they fiercely fight against them4 ,just as it befell ,eve1 as recorded in the passage of ,moses now before us4 ,exactly after the same manner1 when ,arius began to think about ,god and to conclude by his own reason that ,god was a most positive and absolute unity1 he at first fell upon this proposition1 ,perhaps ,christ is not ,god4 ,then he carried the accumulation of his absurdities so far1 as plainly to conclude1 and to defend his conclusion1 that ,christ is not ,god4 ,it moved him not at all1 that ,john plainly declares1 ,the ,word was ,god1 ,john #a3a2 that ,christ commands men to be baptized in the name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,ghost1 ,math4 #bh3ai2 and that we are called upon to believe in ,christ1 to worship him and to pray unto him1 ,acts #ac3ci2 ,ps4 #ig3g4 ,and yet1 what absurdity can be greater than that we should take upon ourselves to judge ,god1 since our condition is to be judged by him and by him alone8 ,wherefore our duty is to stand by and persevere in this principle3 that1 when we hear ,god say anything1 we believe it1 and not dispute about it2 but that on the contrary we bring our intellect and every thought into captivity unto ,christ4 ,we may therefore appropriately cite the words of the prophet ,isaiah1 ,if ye will not believe1 surely ye shall not be established1 ,is4 #g3i4 ,for if we should inquire and inquire until we burst with curiosity1 yet we shall never understand how the eye sees1 nor how the ear hears1 nor what the soul is1 etc4 ,and yet1 all these things are a part of us1 and we use them every day and every moment in all our actions4 ,how then shall we understand those things which exceed all our faculties and senses1 and are found in the ,word of ,god alone8 ,hence it is found in the ,word alone1 that the ordained bread is the body of ,christ1 and that the ordained wine is the blood of ,christ4 ,these things it is our duty to believe1 not to understand2 for understand them we cannot4 ,in like manner too the words of ,god in the present passage of ,moses were most simple and plain1 ,of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden ye shall not eat4 ,but in those words reason did not understand the mind of ,god1 why he willed these things so to be4 ,when therefore ,eve1 not content with the command of the ,lord which she had heard1 began curiously to inquire into it1 she perished4 ,this temptation therefore is a true example of all those temptations1 in which ,satan assaults the ,word and faith4 ,before the desire of eating the fruit came to ,eve1 she had let go the word which ,god spoke to ,adam4 ,had she held fast this ,word1 she would have stood in the reverence of ,god and in faith4 ,on the other hand1 no sooner had she let go the ,word1 than contempt of ,god entered2 and then followed obedience to the devil4 ,it is profitable for us to learn these things and to know them4 ,hence it is that ,peter admonishes us to stand fast under temptation1 and to resist the ,tempter1 keeping fast hold of the ,word by a firm faith1 and keeping our ears shut1 so as not to listen to anything contrary to the ,word1 #a ,pet4 #e3i4 ,for such sufferings and temptations of ,eve are most truly lessons to us2 that we suffer not the same things1 by being drawn aside from the ,word and faith1 as she was4 ,that which follows in our text1 ,for ,god doth know that your eyes shall be opened1 may be taken in a twofold sense4 ,we may either understand ,satan to have thus spoken1 for the purpose of exciting an ill-will against ,god1 for having forbidden man to eat of a fruit so good and useful by which means ,satan would create in ,eve the beginning of a hatred towards ,god for not being sufficiently indulgent4 ,or again1 ,i would rather understand the passage1 ,satan speaks this1 as in praise of ,god2 that he may thereby the more easily entrap ,eve in his deception4 ,as if he had said to her1 ,be assured that ,god is not such an one as to wish you and ,adam to live in darkness as it were without the knowledge of good and evil4 ,he is good4 ,he envies you nothing which can in any way conduce to your benefit or pleasure4 ,he will be quite satisfied and content that you should be like himself1 as to the knowledge of good and evil4 ,when ,satan thus praises ,god he has the razor fairly in his hands1 so that he can cut the throat of a man in a moment4 ,for the fall of a man is thus rendered by ,satan the most easy1 when the pretext of the ,word and the will of ,god is brought in upon the back of that which the lust of the heart desires4 ,this is why ,i would rather understand the words now in question to be spoken by ,satan1 as intended to persuade ,eve1 rather than to excite in her any hatred toward ,god4 ,i leave it however quite free to you1 my hearers1 to adopt the sense of the passage which pleases you best4 ,the sum of the whole or the one aim of ,satan1 is this3 to draw ,eve away by all possible means from the ,word1 and to persuade her to do that1 which had been forbidden by the ,word4 ,for ,satan is the most bitter enemy of the ,word of ,god2 because he knows that our whole salvation lies in our obedience to that ,word4 ,but here an inquiry by no means absurd is raised4 ,how was it that ,eve did not yet feel her sin8 ,for1 although she had not yet swallowed the fruit1 yet she had sinned against the ,word and against faith4 ,she had turned away from the ,word unto a lie and from faith to disbelief2 from ,god to ,satan and from the worship of ,god to idolatry4 ,as this was the sum and substance of her sin1 for plucking the apple was not the sum of her sin1 how was it that death did not immediately follow8 ,how was it that she did not feel so mighty a sin8 ,nay further how was it1 that after she had eaten the fruit1 she did not feel the death which was the decreed punishment of it1 before she persuaded ,adam to eat of it also8 ,the schools dispute much and variously about the superior power1 and the inferior power of reason4 ,they hold1 that ,adam possessed the superior power of reason1 and ,eve the inferior4 ,we will cast aside all such half-learned and scholastic arguments and seek the true meaning of the passage1 which is as follows3 ,in the first place the long-suffering of ,god is great4 ,therefore he does not punish sin immediately4 ,if he did we should soon perish4 ,this long-suffering of ,god ,satan ever abuses4 ,and it just suits his purpose that man should not immediately feel his sin4 ,for because punishment is thus deferred1 ,satan fills the mind with security and unconcern4 ,so that a man is not only kept blind to the fact that he has sinned1 but is caused to take delight and to glory in his sins4 ,all this we behold in the popes and the ,papists4 ,if they could see with their eyes and hearts the slaughter-house of conscience1 yea1 the perdition into which they bring men by their impious doctrine1 they would without doubt change their doctrine4 ,but now1 ,satan so dazzles their eyes as it were with his delusions1 that they cannot perceive their own judgment and the wrath of ,god which hangs over them4 ,therefore in the very midst of these mighty sins1 they live with the greatest security1 even with gladness and rejoicing1 displaying their magnificent triumphs as if they had performed the most noble achievements4 ,this was exactly the case with ,eve4 ,by her disbelief she rushed from the ,word into a lie4 ,therefore in the eyes of ,god1 she was now dead4 ,but as ,satan still held under his power her heart and eyes1 she not only did not see her death1 but was gradually more and more inflamed with a longing for the fruit2 and was positively delighted with this her idolatry and with her sin4 ,now if ,eve had not departed from the ,word1 thus to look upon the fruit with a desire to taste it1 it would have been to her an abhorrence4 ,but having thus departed1 she turns over the sin in her mind with gratification4 ,whereas had she before seen any other stretch forth the hand to touch this tree1 she would have recoiled with horror4 ,but now1 she is impatient of delay4 ,sin has burst forth from her heart1 and has descended to the lower members of her body1 her mouth and tongue4 ,this desire and delightful longing therefore to eat the fruit are as it were the diseases gendered by the sin of her heart from which death follows2 though ,eve1 while sinning1 feels it not4 ,this is plain from the next portion of the context4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,the ,,awful ,,fall ,,by ,,sinning4 ,v4 #f4 ,and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food1 and that it was a delight to the eyes1 and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise1 she took of the fruit thereof1 and did eat2 and she gave also unto her husband with her1 and he did eat4 ,mark here the manner in which sin diffuses itself through all the five senses4 ,for what did ,eve neglect that could be used in the service of sin when once she had believed ,satan contrary to the ,word of ,god1 and had listened to his lies in telling her that she would not surely die1 but that her eyes would be opened and that she would know both good and evil4 ,her eyes could not be satisfied with seeing4 ,it was nothing to her now that she possessed the knowledge of ,god1 and that she had a sound and perfect mind4 ,she was not content without the addition of the knowledge of evil also4 ,and this was the very essence of ,satan's poison2 her desire to be wise above that which ,god had spoken to her as his command4 ,for such wisdom was death and the very enemy of that wisdom of ,god1 which had been delivered to her in his ,word4 ,for this wisdom caused her to consider that to be righteousness1 which was really sin1 and to look upon that as most desirable wisdom which was utter madness4 ,the whole point therefore lies in this which the ,latin version has omitted to express3 that the tree was a tree to be desired1 because it made the eaters thereof wise4 ,and this is the very aim of the devil1 to cause a man to think his knowledge and wisdom the greater1 the further he departs from the ,word4 ,hence the ,sacramentarians think it the sum of all wisdom to assert that bread is bread1 and that wine is wine2 but that bread is not the body1 nor wine the blood of ,christ4 ,so ,arius considers that he has carried off the palm of all wisdom1 when he asserts1 from certain ,scriptures evilly distorted from their manifest sense1 that the ,logos was indeed before all creatures2 but that still he was created4 ,in like manner the ,anabaptists imagine that they trumpet forth the very height of wisdom1 when they declare aloud with full-swollen cheeks that water cannot reach the soul or the spirit1 but that it washes the naked skin only1 and that therefore baptism avails nothing to the remission of sins4 ,hence we have known fanatical spirits to baptize here and there without any water at all1 who nevertheless continued to boast that they never dissented from us or our doctrine4 ,and truly1 this is wisdom4 ,but it is the wisdom of the devil2 and directly contrary to the ,word and wisdom of ,god4 ,and it is the peculiar and proper temptation of the devil thus to render us wise in our own conceits contrary to and above the ,word of ,god4 ,just as he himself was once in heaven1 and then fell4 ,and this high wisdom is a temptation of his1 far exceeding in destructive efficacy all the grosser temptations of lust1 avarice1 pride1 etc4 ,the verb ,,hiskil signifies to be prudent or wise4 ,hence1 ,,maskil is wise or prudent1 as in ,psalm #ad3b1 ,jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men1 to see if there were any that did understand1 that did seek after ,god4 ,and again1 ,is4 #ec3aa1 ,by the knowledge of himself1 ,,jaskil1 shall my righteous servant justify many4 ,the word signifies properly that wisdom by which ,god is known and acknowledged4 ,and ,eve had this light or rather this sun of knowledge in her heart before she fell2 because she had the ,word4 ,and she had moreover the knowledge of all the creatures4 ,but not content with this wisdom1 she wished to mount higher and to know ,god otherwise than he had revealed himself to her in his ,word4 ,this was her fall4 ,she let go the true wisdom1 and that being lost1 she rushed into utter blindness4 ,just as ,satan acted in the garden of ,eden1 so he acts now4 ,god commands us to believe the ,gospel of his ,son1 that we may thus be saved4 ,this is true wisdom1 as ,christ himself also affirms3 ,this is life eternal1 that they should know thee1 the only true ,god1 and him whom thou didst send1 even ,jesus ,christ1 ,john #ag3c4 ,this wisdom the monk utterly disregards1 and turns aside to other things4 ,he puts on a cowl1 girds himself with a rope and takes upon him the vow of celibacy2 and he thinks that by such means he shall please ,god and be saved4 ,and all this is that sublime wisdom which is exercised in the worship of ,god1 and in a great religious observance toward him2 all of which is the implantation of ,satan1 engrafted on the original sin of our fallen nature2 causing men to turn away from the ,word of ,god1 which he has himself set forth as the way of salvation1 and to turn aside to following their own cogitations4 ,just like ,eve4 ,she was created the wisest of all women that ever existed2 but she longed for another wisdom contrary to and above the ,word2 and on account of this newly desired wisdom she fell and sinned1 in a multiplicity of forms1 with all her senses1 with her thoughts1 with her sight1 with her desire1 with her touch1 with her taste1 with her whole act4 ,they are not to be listened to1 therefore1 who argue it was cruelty that this nature of ours should be thus miserably corrupted1 sunk under death1 and involved in all the other calamities to which it is subject for the simple act of tasting a certain fruit4 ,the ,epicureans1 indeed1 when they hear these things1 laugh at them as a mere fable4 ,but to a careful reader1 who duly ponders these recorded facts1 it will at once be manifest that the simple bite of the fruit was not the cause of these awful consequences4 ,such an one will see that the sin committed was the cause of the whole calamity which followed1 even the sin of ,eve1 which she committed against both tables of the law1 against ,god himself and against his ,word4 ,for her sin was of that description that she cast aside the ,word of ,god and gave herself up wholly to ,satan1 and to his teaching as his disciple4 ,the greatness and awfulness of the sin of ,eve therefore can neither be lessened nor made too great4 ,this greatness and awfulness of the sin of ,eve are the pregnant causes of all the calamitous punishments which we endure4 ,so awful was the sin1 and so awful the turning away from ,god6 ,and this horrible turning away from ,god is the great solemn fact which our minds ought to contemplate4 ,they ought not to dwell upon the mere plucking or swallowing the fruit2 for those who look upon the act only1 and not upon the sin of the heart1 from which the act proceeded1 must naturally be led to accuse ,god of cruelty for having inflicted upon the whole human race such terrible punishments for so small and insignificant a sin4 ,such reasoners on the matter1 therefore1 hate ,god and despair2 or like the ,epicureans they laugh at the whole matter as a fable4 ,what we have to consider therefore is the ,word4 ,for that1 against which ,eve sinned1 was the ,word of ,god4 ,as great therefore as was the ,word1 so great was the sin which ,eve committed against the ,word4 ,it was under this sin that all nature fell1 and under which it still lies4 ,for1 how can nature overcome that sin6 ,it is of a magnitude infinite and inexhaustible4 ,consequently1 to overcome this sin there is need of him who brings with him an inexhaustible righteousness1 even the ,son of ,god4 ,that ,satan knew all this1 his subtlety proves4 ,for he does not immediately entice ,eve with the sweetness of the fruit2 he attacks at once the chief strength of man1 faith in the ,word6 ,the root and source of all sin therefore is disbelief1 and turning aside from ,god4 ,even as1 on the contrary1 the root and source of all righteousness is faith4 ,satan therefore first of all draws ,eve aside from faith to unbelief4 ,when he had accomplished this and had brought ,eve not to believe the ,word of ,god's commandment spoken unto her1 he had no trouble in accomplishing the rest1 in causing her to rush up to the tree1 to pluck the fruit and eat it4 ,for when sin is ripened in the heart by unbelief1 the external act of disobedience soon follows4 ,this is the manner in which the nature of sin is to be considered1 namely1 according to its true magnitude1 under which magnitude we are all ruined4 ,next follows the description of sin1 with its punishments4 ,v4 #g4 ,and the eyes of them both were opened1 and they knew that they were naked2 and they sewed fig-leaves together1 and made themselves aprons 7girdles74 ,i have remarked above that the form of all ,satan's temptations is the same4 ,he first plies his temptation upon a man's faith1 and then draws him away from the ,word4 ,upon this follow various sins against the second table4 ,this procedure of ,satan we may see plainly manifested in our own experience4 ,that which follows therefore in the present chapter1 is a particular description of sin1 what it is in the act1 and what it is afterwards1 when the act is performed4 ,for1 while sin is in the act1 it is not felt4 ,if it were truly felt1 we should return to the right way1 warned by the sorrows which sin ever brings upon the sinner4 ,but because these sorrows lie hidden1 after we have departed from integrity of soul and from faith1 we go on without concern into the act itself4 ,just as ,eve sinned in eating the fruit1 after she had been persuaded by ,satan1 contrary to the ,word of ,god1 that she should not die but that the only effects would be1 that her eyes would be opened1 and that she would become wiser4 ,after she had drunk in this poison of ,satan through her ears1 she stretched forth her hand to the forbidden fruit1 plucked it and ate it with her mouth2 and thus she sinned with all the senses of her mind and of her body4 ,and yet she did not even then feel her sin4 ,she ate the fruit with pleasure and entreated her husband also to do the same4 ,the essential principles are the same in all temptations and in all sins1 whether of lust1 of anger1 or avarice1 etc4 ,while the sin is in the act1 it is not felt2 it terrifies not1 it stings not1 but it rather flatters the passions and delights4 ,and no marvel that the case should be so with us when we are infected with this poison of original sin1 from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head1 and especially when we reflect that the sins of paradise took place in nature while it was yet sound and perfect4 ,hence it is that we see in the cases of profane men1 of fanatical spirits and of those who have no faith1 or who have fallen from the faith1 how secure and unconcerned they are1 how vehement and pertinacious in defending their errors2 so much so that they will not hesitate even to die in the defence of them4 ,such is the nature of sin1 while it remains unfelt4 ,but afterwards when the sin is made manifest by the law1 then it comes down upon the man with all its intolerable weight4 ,so before this discovery of her sin1 while it was inwardly preparing for the act1 the eyes of ,eve were not opened4 ,had they been she must have died before she could have touched the fruit2 but because her eyes were not yet opened1 and because her unbelief yet remained1 there remained also the longing for the fruit prohibited1 and there remained also the purpose and the desire to obtain the ,satan-promised knowledge1 which was also forbidden4 ,poor miserable ,eve1 she is so wrapped up in disbelief1 both in soul and in body1 that she sees not the mighty evil she is committing6 ,similar examples of the insensible security and unconcern of sin are furnished by our ecclesiastical histories4 ,arius securely blesses himself1 as long as he can find means of eluding the ,scripture testimonies concerning the ,divinity of the ,son4 ,but this security lasts not very long4 ,as soon as the eyes of ,eve were opened1 she remembered the law of her ,god spoken to her1 which before she had forgotten1 that she and ,adam should not eat of the forbidden tree4 ,before she had this knowledge of ,god's law she was without sin1 as ,paul expresses it1 ,rom4 #g3i1 ,and ,i was alive apart from the law once4 ,not because the law really did not exist1 but because the apostle did not feel the threatenings and punishments of it2 and hence he seemed to himself to be without the law4 ,for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin1 ,rom4 #c3bj4 ,when therefore the law revived in his knowledge of it1 his sin revived also with that knowledge1 ,rom4 #g3i4 ,all this ,moses would indicate in his history of our first parents1 when he says1 ,and the eyes of them both were opened1 as if he had said1 ,satan had closed1 not the eyes only of ,eve1 but her heart also by unbelief and by the disobedience of all the members of her body and of her soul without and within4 ,but after her sin was committed and finished1 he willingly suffers the eyes of them both to be opened1 that they might see what they had done4 ,for this is ,satan's manner of cutting short the ruin of those who sin under his temptations2 when they have sinned1 he leaves them to perish in despair4 ,this portion of sacred history therefore is like a complete exposition of the sentence of ,paul's words1 ,for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin1 ,rom4 #c3bj4 ,for the law does nothing but make known and cause to revive that sin1 which before the knowledge of the law lay asleep as it were and dead4 ,just as in the following chapter it is said to ,cain1 ,if thou doest evil1 thy sin sleepeth until it be made known to thee1 ,gen4 #d3g4 ,for it lieth asleep1 while it is in the act4 ,but when the law comes then the eyes are opened1 so that the man then sees what ,god had commanded1 and what punishment he had decreed for the transgressors of his command4 ,when this takes place1 so that the law fully rules in the conscience2 then a man arrives at the true knowledge of his sin1 which knowledge no human hearts can endure unless consolation be given them from above4 ,what ,moses next adds1 therefore1 that after they had eaten the fruit1 they saw that they were naked1 are words by no means superfluous nor without special import4 ,for if duly considered1 they contain a beautiful description of original righteousness4 ,the schoolmen indeed argue that original righteousness was not connatural2 that is1 not a part of human nature as originally created2 but a certain ornament1 only additionally bestowed on man as a separate gift4 ,just as if one should place a garland on the head of a beautiful maiden4 ,a garland is certainly no part of the nature of a virgin1 but something separate from her nature as such2 something added from without1 which might be taken away again without any violation of her nature4 ,these schoolmen therefore argue1 both concerning man and concerning devils1 that1 although they lost their original righteousness1 yet their natural properties remained pure as they were originally created4 ,this doctrine however detracts from the magnitude of original sin and is to be shunned as a deadly poison4 ,we conclude therefore that original righteousness was not a superadded gift1 which was bestowed from without1 separate from the very nature of man2 but a truly natural righteousness2 so that it was the very nature of ,adam to know ,god1 to love ,god1 to believe in ,god1 to acknowledge ,god and to worship ,god1 etc4 ,these things were as natural in ,adam1 as it is natural to the eyes to see the light4 ,when the eye is injured by the infliction of a wound1 you may rightly affirm that nature is violated2 so after man fell from his original righteousness1 it is correctly maintained1 that the properties of nature were no longer sound and whole1 but defiled and corrupted by sin4 ,for as it is the nature of the eye to see1 so it was the original nature of the reason and of the will of ,adam to know ,god1 to trust in ,god1 and to fear ,god4 ,since therefore it is evident that all these natural powers are lost1 who is so mad as to assert that the faculties and properties of nature are still sound and whole8 ,and yet1 there was nothing more common nor more fully received in the schools than this doctrine4 ,how much greater then must be the absurdity and the madness1 to affirm this doctrine concerning devils to be true1 especially since ,christ himself declares that they abode not in the truth1 and when we ourselves know them to be the most bitter enemies of ,christ and of his ,church6 ,the natural faculties in man therefore created originally sound and whole1 were the knowledge of ,god1 faith in ,god1 the fear of ,god1 etc4 ,all these ,satan corrupted by sin in the same manner as leprosy defiles the whole flesh4 ,the will and reason of man therefore are so corrupted by sin1 that he not only does no longer naturally love ,god1 but flees from him and hates him and wishes to live without him1 and to be without him altogether4 ,therefore ,moses has exactly described in this portion of his sacred history that corruption which succeeded original righteousness and its glory4 ,for it was the peculiar glory of ,adam and ,eve not to know that they were naked4 ,what corruption then can be greater than that the nakedness1 which was originally the glory of our first parents1 should now be changed into the basest turpitude4 ,thus no one blushes on account of his eyes1 when sound and perfect4 ,but when the eyes are distorted or partially blind1 they cover us with a certain cloud of defect and with a feeling of shame4 ,in like manner in their state of original innocency1 it was entirely a matter of glory for ,adam and ,eve to walk in nakedness4 ,but when1 after their sin1 they saw that they were naked1 they were overwhelmed with shame and looked about them for girdles wherewith to hide their turpitude4 ,how much greater turpitude then is disclosed by the fact1 that the slaughtered will1 the corrupted understanding and the wholly defiled reason have changed man into an utterly altered being4 ,are all these woeful things proofs1 ,i pray you1 that the qualities and faculties of man's original nature still remain sound and whole8 ,but consider for a moment what will necessarily follow from the doctrine of making original righteousness1 not to have been an essential part of created nature1 but only a certain superfluous and superadded gift or ornament4 ,if you lay it down as a fact1 that original righteousness was not an essential quality of the nature of man1 it must inevitably follow that the sin1 which followed original righteousness1 was also not an essential quality of the nature of man4 ,and if so1 was it not an utterly vain thing that ,christ should be sent into the world as the ,redeemer of man1 if it was man's original righteousness only1 which was merely a foreign and separate addition to his nature1 that was lost2 and if that loss still left the faculties and qualities of his original nature sound and perfect8 ,but what doctrine can be worse than this8 ,what doctrine more unworthy a divine to utter8 ,flee therefore from such mad dreams as from a real pestilence and from corruption of the ,holy ,scriptures2 and let us instead follow actual experience which teaches us that we are born of corrupt seed and that we derive from the very nature of that seed1 ignorance of ,god1 self-security1 unbelief1 hatred of ,god1 disobedience1 impatience and numberless other kindred evils2 all which are so engendered and implanted in our very nature1 and are a poison so wholly diffused throughout our flesh1 body1 soul1 nerves and blood1 yea1 through all our bones and their very marrow2 and so wholly poisoning our will1 our understanding and our reason1 that the poison not only can never be extracted1 but that we cannot even acknowledge1 or feel1 or see that this is our state of sin6 ,it is a well known sentiment of the old ,greek comedian1 ,aristophanes1 that to visit harlots is no disgrace to a youth4 ,pardon however may be extended to such a sentiment in a heathen poet4 ,but it is most awful in such as call themselves ,christian men1 and men professing a knowledge of the ,holy ,scriptures1 to incline toward such a sentiment that whoredom is not positive sin4 ,and yet1 whole colleges of our canonicals actually approve the sentiment1 with one consent by their lives and manners4 ,when this is the case therefore with respect to actual outward sins1 what must we conclude to be the state of men's minds1 with respect to the uncleanness of the heart and the motions of sin in our very nature8 ,these motions of nature1 wicked men cannot of course understand to be sins4 ,thus a wicked man cannot understand that the glory of nakedness was lost by sin4 ,for the fact of ,adam and ,eve walking abroad naked was their highest adornment in the sight of ,god and before the whole creation4 ,but now since the entrance of sin we not only recoil at the thought of walking naked before men for their sakes1 but we are filled with shame for our own sakes2 as ,moses here testifies1 concerning the feelings of ,adam and ,eve4 ,and this very shame witnesses that our confidence in ,god as well as in man is lost1 whereas this confidence in both existed before sin entered by the fall4 ,but after the entrance of sin1 ,adam even though blinded would yet have been abashed to present himself naked before the eyes of ,god or of men2 because by his disobedience1 his former confidence in ,god1 his glorious ,creator1 was lost4 ,all these things therefore abundantly testify that original righteousness was an essential quality of the nature of man1 when first created2 and as that original righteousness was lost by sin1 it is manifest that no qualities or properties or powers of nature remain perfect and sound1 as the schoolmen madly dream4 ,for1 as it was the original nature of man to go forth naked1 full of innocent confidence and security toward ,god and with the knowledge that such nakedness pleased both ,god and men1 so now since the entrance of sin man feels that this same nakedness of nature1 originally so glorious1 is displeasing to ,god1 to man himself and to all rational creatures4 ,and accordingly man prepares himself girdles1 and carefully covers his uncomely parts1 #a ,cor4 #ab3bc4 ,is this not an awful change in nature8 ,nature does indeed remain1 but corrupted in numerous forms4 ,for all innocent confidence in ,god is lost1 and the heart is full of distrust1 fear and shame4 ,so1 also the members of nature all remain the same4 ,but those members which were once beheld in all their nakedness with glory are now cautiously covered1 as dishonorable and base1 lest they should be seen1 because of the great internal defects of nature2 because nature has lost all confidence in ,god by sin4 ,for if we possessed that confidence in innocency1 as ,adam enjoyed it1 we should know no shame1 no blush in our nakedness4 ,from this corruption1 which immediately followed sin1 arose another evil4 ,adam and ,eve were not only ashamed on account of their nakedness1 which before their sin was most honorable1 and a most glorious adornment2 but they even make for themselves coverings to hide from sight those parts of their body which1 in their original nature1 were thus so honorable and so glorious4 ,for what in all nature is so wonderful1 so noble and so glorious1 as the fact of generation6 ,and this fact1 so noble1 so glorious1 is not assigned of ,god to the eyes or to the face1 which we consider to be the more honorable and dignified parts of our body1 but to those parts which thus1 taught by our awful state of sin1 we cover from sight with all possible carefulness lest they should be seen4 ,and thus as the fact of generation in the innocent state of nature1 had it continued1 would have been most pure and most holy2 so since the entrance of sin1 even this fact is filled with the leprosy of lust1 as are also all the parts of the body connected with it4 ,those therefore who live without marriage1 burn in lust1 most impurely4 ,and those also who live in marriage1 unless they rightly moderate their feelings and affections1 and carefully guard their due benevolence1 #a ,cor4 #g3c1 are variously tempted and afflicted4 ,do we not then1 from all these considerations1 feel how foul and horrible a thing sin is8 ,for lust is the only thing that cannot be cured by any remedy6 ,not even by marriage1 which was expressly ordained from above to be a remedy for this infirmity of our nature4 ,for the greater part of married persons still live in adultery1 and thus sing practically the well-known song of the heathen poet of old3-- ,nec tecum possum vivere sine te4 7,,ovid7 ,neither with thee1 nor yet without thee1 wife1 can ,i by nature1 live4 ,such is the horrible turpitude which arises out of this most honorable and most excellent part of our natural body6 ,i call it most excellent1 on account of the noble and marvelous work of generation1 which is indeed most excellent1 and wonderful and glorious2 because it preserves the continuation of the race of mankind6 ,by reason of sin therefore the most excellent and effectual members of our body have become the most vile and base4 ,but this would not have been the case with ,adam and ,eve1 had they continued in their innocency4 ,they were full of innocent confidence in their ,god4 ,therefore whenever they wished to devote themselves to the procreation of children1 they would have come together1 not maddened with that lust which now reigns in our leprous flesh1 but with an admiration of the ordinance of ,god1 in obedience to ,god and in the worship of ,god2 and also with the same holy quietness and solemnity of mind1 as that in which we go to hear the ,word of ,god and to worship ,god4 ,but all these things we have lost by sin1 so that we can now only conceive of them and understand them negatively1 not positively4 ,for from the awful state of evil in which we now stand1 we can only gather negatively an idea of the greatness of that good and that glory which we have lost4 ,but we owe a deep debt of gratitude to ,god1 even for the remnants of the original glory still left us1 however corrupt the noble1 wonderful and glorious work of generation now may be2 of which both the ,church and the ,state have need for the perpetuation of saints and of citizens4 ,and it is a marvelous fact that in all the writers1 of all tongues not one iota is found which sets forth the glory of that original nakedness1 which is now through sin so filled with turpitude and shame2 but which before sin entered into the world was so honorable and glorious4 ,here we have ,moses alone as our great teacher1 who however sets forth the whole matter in but very few1 and those very simple words1 teaching us that man1 having fallen from faith1 was filled with confusion1 and that the glory of his organs of generation was changed into utter turpitude and ignominy1 so that he was compelled to make coverings to hide them from sight4 ,the ,hebrew term ,,hegorah1 of which we here have the plural1 properly signifies a girdle or apron-girt1 so that we are to understand that these fig leaves covered the upper parts of the thighs all round in every part1 in order that the part of the body which before sin was the most honorable1 #a ,cor4 #ab3bc1 might now be covered as being the most uncomely and base1 and utterly unworthy the sight of men4 ,o how horrible was the fall by sin6 ,for after it the eyes of man were so opened that what was before the most honorable and glorious1 he now looks upon as most dishonorable and base4 ,and so it is to this day4 ,as soon as the law has come1 we then first discover what we have done4 ,and sin thus made known seems to have in it such awful baseness that the enlightened minds of men cannot endure the sight1 and therefore they endeavor to cover their turpitude4 ,for no one ever1 though he be a thief1 an adulterer or a murderer1 etc41 is willing to appear to be such4 ,so also heretics are never found to acknowledge their error in any degree1 but defend it most pertinaciously and wish to appear to hold the catholic truth4 ,and that they may secure this appearance1 they sew together fig leaves as broad as possible2 that is1 they try all things which seem likely to color over and cloak their heresy4 ,this same nature of sin is seen even in children1 who frequently1 though caught in the very fact of doing evil1 yet busy themselves in discovering means whereby they can persuade their parents to the contrary2 thus excusing themselves1 speaking lies1 ,ps4 #eh3c4 ,in precisely the same manner do men also act4 ,even when caught and held fast1 they yet endeavor to slip away that they may not be confounded1 but may still appear good and just4 ,this portion of poison also has been infused into our very nature1 as the present passage of ,moses likewise testifies4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,the ,,judgment ,,god ,,held ,,with ,,our ,,first ,,parents ,,after ,,their ,,fall ,,and ,,the ,,account ,,of ,,their ,,stewardship ,,he ,,required ,,from ,,them4 ,v4 #h4 ,and they heard the voice of ,jehovah ,god walking in the garden in the cool 7breeze7 of the day3 and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of ,jehovah ,god amongst the trees of the garden4 ,this is now the third evil of original sin1 bearing its additional proof1 that original righteousness was lost4 ,but here again ,lyra is entangled in the opinions of ,rabbins1 some of whom interpret the expression in the breeze of the day1 ad auram diei1 as referring to place1 or to the climate between the south and the west1 while others explain the expression as referring to time1 holding that this sacred circumstance occurred in the evening4 ,when the heat begins to subside1 the winds commence their breathing4 ,my mind is however that we should receive breathing 7spiritum7 here1 as simply signifying the ,word1 and understand the passage as meaning that after the conscience of ,adam and ,eve were convinced by the divine law1 they were terrified at the sound of a leaf4 ,just as we see to be the case with all fearstricken men1 when they hear the creak of a beam1 they dread the fall of the whole house4 ,when they hear a mouse moving they are terrified lest ,satan should be at hand with an intent to destroy them4 ,for by nature we are so wholly filled with alarm1 that we really fear even those things which are perfectly safe4 ,adam and ,eve therefore1 as soon as their consciences are convinced by the law and they are brought to feel their turpitude in the sight of ,god1 and of themselves having lost their faith and confidence in ,god1 are so filled with fear and alarm that when they hear a breeze or breath of wind1 immediately imagine that ,god is at hand as an avenger1 and hide themselves from him4 ,i believe therefore that by the voice of the ,lord walking in the garden1 ,moses really means a breath or sound of wind which preceded the appearance of ,god before them4 ,hence ,christ says in the gospel1 when speaking of the wind1 ,thou hearest the sound or voice thereof1 ,john #c3h4 ,for when ,adam and ,eve heard the rustling of the leaves as if shaken by the wind1 they thought on a sudden within themselves1 ,hark6 there is the ,lord coming to take vengeance upon us6 ,when therefore ,moses adds in the breeze of the day to the words the voice of the ,lord ,god walking in the garden1 he seems to me to do so by way of particular explanation of the meaning he intended to convey4 ,as if he had said by way of comment1 ,this voice was like a breezy blast of the day2 and as if he wished the emphasis of his expression to rest on the word day4 ,for he does not speak concerning a wind in the night1 in order to exaggerate the greatness of the terror which follows upon sin2 as if he had said in further explanation they were so stricken with fear that they were alarmed at the sound of a leaf1 even in the clear light of day4 ,what therefore1 he seems to intend to intimate1 would have been the result if ,god had come to them in the night and in the solemn darkness8 ,then the terror must have been more dreadful still4 ,for as the light gives animation1 so the darkness increases dread4 ,this terror therefore1 with which ,adam and ,eve after their sin were struck in the very broad light of day1 is indeed a manifest proof that they had fallen utterly from the confidence of faith4 ,this ,i believe to be the true sense of the present passage1 and it fully agrees with that threatening of ,moses1 ,lev4 #bf1 where he is speaking of the punishments which should assuredly follow the commission of sin1 that the sinners should be chased by the sound of a shaking leaf and that they should flee from it as from a sword1 ,lev4 #bf3cf4 ,for when the conscience is truly alarmed on account of sin1 the man is so oppressed by it that he not only cannot do anything1 but cannot even direct his thought to any purpose4 ,and just as they say is sometimes the case in an army when the soldiers1 overpowered by fear1 cannot move a hand1 but give themselves up in entire helplessness to be slaughtered by the enemy2 in the same manner so horrible is the punishment which follows sin that the conscience of the sinner is struck with alarm at the sound of a leaf4 ,nay1 that he cannot endure that all-beautiful creature1 the light of day1 by which all nature besides is enlivened and refreshed4 ,here therefore you have another sight of the magnitude of that original sin which is born in us at our birth1 and implanted in us by the sin of our first parents4 ,and this sight1 as ,i have said1 enables us to understand negatively or by a comparison of contraries1 what original righteousness was4 ,it contained in it such a beautiful confidence in man toward his ,god1 that he could not have feared even though he had seen the heavens falling in ruins upon his head6 ,with what complete confidence did ,eve listen to the serpent8 ,we do not talk to a little house-dog brought up in our family circle and to whom we have been accustomed for years1 nor with a favorite chicken1 more familiarly than ,eve did with that then beautiful creature4 ,before their sin therefore ,adam and ,eve sought no hiding-places2 but stood upright in all their created wisdom and righteousness1 praising ,god with uplifted eyes4 ,but now they are terrified at the sound of a shaking leaf4 ,o6 how awful a fall6 ,to fall from the safest security and delight in ,god into fear and dread so horrible1 that man can no longer endure the sight of his ,god1 but flees from his presence as from the presence of the devil6 ,for it is not the devil from whom ,adam and ,eve are now fleeing4 ,they are rushing from the sight of ,god their ,creator1 whose presence is now more dreadful and intolerable to them than that of ,satan2 ,satan is now more congenial to their feelings than the adorable ,god2 for from ,satan they flee not1 nor are filled with his dread4 ,this dread therefore1 is actually a flight from and a hatred of ,god himself4 ,it is instructive here to mark the gradual increase and progressive steps of sin1 which goes on until it becomes1 as ,paul is wont to express it1 exceeding sinful1 ,rom4 #g3ac4 ,for man first falls from his faith into unbelief and disobedience4 ,upon unbelief follow the dread and hatred of ,god and fleeing from him2 and these are soon succeeded by despair and impenitence4 ,for whither shall the heart flee when thus dreading the presence of ,god8 ,shall it flee unto the devil8 ,that of course is vain1 and is never expected to be the case2 and yet to this it all comes4 ,for this history shows that ,god created man and made him lord over all created things4 ,and yet that same man now flees from him and considers nothing more hateful or intolerable than the presence of this same ,creator4 ,were it not so he would not now thus turn away from his ,god nor flee from him in instant dread of the voice of his approach4 ,for all this is not during the night1 not under thunderings and lightnings as at the mount of ,sinai1 but in the bright light of day while a gentle breeze is breathing and the leaves of the trees softly rustling by its touch6 ,there is nothing therefore more intolerable to endure1 nothing filled with greater misery than a conscience alarmed by the law of ,god and by the sight of sins committed4 ,this it was that made ,adam and ,eve do the worst of all things they could do1 namely1 to shun their ,creator and their ,god1 and to flee to the truly vain refuge of fig leaves1 in order to cover themselves from his sight and to hide themselves among the trees6 ,and what could be more indescribably horrible1 than thus to flee from ,god and to hide themselves from his sight8 ,wherefore this affords a further view of alterations of the rectitude of the will and of the understanding after the sin of the fall4 ,the very facts show that the will was corrupted and depraved4 ,for ,adam and ,eve long for those very things which ,god had prohibited1 and they so long for them as to become disobedient to ,god and obedient to ,satan4 ,nor can we entertain any doubt of the corruption of the understanding also1 when we see the counsel of covering themselves which ,adam and ,eve adopted1 and by which they thought they were safe4 ,was it not1 ,i pray you1 the very extreme of folly1 first to attempt impossibilities in trying to flee from ,god1 whom no one can escape or avoid8 ,and was it not in the next place greater folly still1 to attempt that escape from the presence of ,god in so absurd a manner1 as to believe themselves safe when hidden among the trees of the garden1 when they must otherwise have known that no walls of iron nor mighty mountains of brass can save from the presence or the grasp of ,god8 ,all confidence in ,god being thus lost by sin1 there now follows a horrible dread upon the will4 ,and all wisdom and understanding being lost1 those most beautiful gifts of ,god1 there follows in their place the extremity of folly2 such folly that men attempt impossibilities by means the most absurd4 ,so inexhaustibly deep is the evil of original sin6 ,and even all these calamities are but the prelude to that which is yet to come4 ,for we are not yet brought to the judgment of ,god4 ,then follows3 ,v4 #i4 ,and ,jehovah ,god called unto the man1 and said unto him1 ,where art thou8 ,here we have a description of the judgment of ,god4 ,when ,adam1 terrified by the consciousness of his sin1 fled from the presence and sight of ,god he found not only paradise1 but the whole world too narrow in which to find a corner where to hide himself from ,god in safety4 ,but all his anxiety makes manifest the folly of his mind in seeking a remedy for his sin by fleeing from his ,god4 ,but he had fled from him much too far already4 ,for his very sin was1 that he1 departing from ,god at the first1 needed not therefore to flee farther from him still4 ,but so it is4 ,that is the very nature of sin1 the farther a man departs from ,god1 the farther he wants to depart4 ,and thus the man who has once departed and apostatized from ,god1 goes on departing and departing to all eternity4 ,hence it is truly said concerning the punishments of hell1 that its greatest punishment is that the wicked there are always wishing to flee from ,god1 but feel that flee they cannot4 ,just in the same manner ,adam1 though found out and apprehended of ,god1 yet ceases not to attempt to flee out of his hands4 ,when therefore ,moses here says1 ,jehovah ,god called unto ,adam1 we are to understand that the ,lord called him to judgment4 ,but a question is raised here concerning the person by means of whom ,adam was called of ,god1 and it is by no means out of the way to suppose that all these things were carried on by the ministration of angels1 and that an angel here acted in the place of ,god1 as ,god spoke all these things to ,adam4 ,just as magistrates when they say or do anything1 say and do it not in their own person1 but in the person of ,god1 as his representatives4 ,hence it is that the ,scriptures call those judgments1 which are exercised and administered by appointed men1 the judgment of ,god4 ,it by no means displeases me therefore that it should be considered that ,adam was here called by an angel1 and that it was shown him by that same angel that all flight was impossible4 ,it is here especially to be noticed moreover that ,moses expressly tells us that it was ,adam who was called2 seeing that it was to ,adam alone that the ,word of ,god was spoken on the sixth day1 concerning that tree of which they were both forbidden to eat4 ,as therefore ,adam alone heard the command1 so he alone is first called to judgment4 ,but as ,eve herself also had sinned and departed from ,god1 she also hears the judgment at the same time and becomes a partaker of the punishment4 ,the words1 ,where art thou8 are the words of the law1 spoken by ,god and reaching unto the conscience of ,adam4 ,for although all things are naked and open unto the eyes of ,god1 as it is written1 ,heb4 #d3ac1 yet he speaks unto our sense1 feeling and understanding2 for he sees us aiming at the one thing of fleeing away from him and attempting our escape from his sight and presence4 ,when therefore ,god says1 ,where art thou8 it is as if he had said1 ,thinkest thou that ,i see thee not8 ,for he will have ,adam to see and feel that though hidden he is not hidden from ,god6 ,and that though he flees from ,god1 from ,god he cannot flee4 ,for this is the very nature of all sin2 it causes us to attempt to flee from the wrath of ,god1 from which wrath we find it impossible to flee4 ,it is indeed the utmost folly to think that we shall find a remedy in fleeing from ,god1 rather than in returning to him2 yet it is the very nature of sin that the sinner cannot return to ,god4 ,what then can we possibly conceive to have been the exceeding folly and state of mind in ,adam8 ,he had heard the voice of ,jehovah1 and yet he hoped that he could conceal himself from his presence2 when lo6 he was now standing before the tribunal of ,god and was demanded of ,god for punishment6 ,v4 #aj4 ,and he said1 ,i heard thy voice in the garden1 and ,i was afraid1 because ,i was naked2 and ,i hid myself4 ,as it was the utmost folly that ,adam fled from ,god1 so in the utmost folly he answers him1 so utterly deprived by sin is he of all wisdom and counsel4 ,he now really wishes to teach ,god that he is naked1 who had himself created him naked4 ,thus does he wholly confound himself1 and betray and condemn himself out of his mouth4 ,he confesses that he heard the voice of ,jehovah and was afraid4 ,and had he not also heard the voice of ,jehovah before1 when ,jehovah forbade him to eat the fruit of that tree8 ,why did he not then fear also8 ,why did he not then also hide himself8 ,how was it that then he stood with uplifted countenance and with joy before him1 rejoicing in his presence and delighting to hear him speak8 ,now he trembles at the sound of a shaking leaf6 ,it is at least evident that he is no longer the same ,adam he then was2 he is totally changed1 and become quite another man2 he now looks about for a lie and a false cause for his defense4 ,for how can it be true1 that the voice of ,jehovah is the real cause of his fear1 when before he feared not that divine voice1 but heard it as the voice of his ,god with happiness and joy8 ,learn then from this solemn history that perverseness and folly ever accompany sin1 that transgressors by all their excuses only accuse themselves1 and that the more they defend the more they betray themselves1 especially before ,god6 ,thus ,adam here attempts to conceal his sin and to adorn himself as innocent1 in that he alleges1 as the cause of his fleeing1 not his having sinned1 but his having heard the voice of the ,lord2 and he makes that to be the cause of his alarm and of his being ashamed because he was naked4 ,poor wretched man6 ,he never thinks that he had no such fear as this when he heard the same voice of ,god at first4 ,he never recollects that he was not then ashamed because he was naked4 ,for as that nakedness was the creation of ,god1 why should he the creature be ashamed of that which ,god had made6 ,he then walked in all his nakedness in the sight of ,god and of the whole creation in paradise1 perfectly secure and happy that such was the will of ,god and delighting in ,god on that very account4 ,but now he is covered with shame1 because he is naked and flees from ,god and hides from him on that account4 ,every one of these things is an argument by which ,adam condemns himself1 and betrays his present state of sin4 ,and just in the same manner will the wicked condemn themselves in the final judgment1 when all the darkness shall be driven away from all the hearts of men and the sins of all men shall be read in the book when opened6 ,god knew perfectly well that ,adam had sinned and was guilty of death4 ,yet he calls him that he might be condemned by the testimony of his own mouth1 as having sinned4 ,for he flees from ,god when he calls him1 which fact was itself the very essence of sin1 even as it is the very essence of righteousness to flee unto ,god as a refuge4 ,this fleeing from ,god therefore is the strongest possible testimony of ,adam against himself4 ,yet even still he vainly hopes that his sin can be covered by a lie1 for he alleges as the real causes of his flight the voice of ,god and his own nakedness4 ,from this we learn therefore that such is the nature of sin1 that unless ,god bring the medicine immediately after it is committed and call back the sinner to himself1 he will flee from his ,god farther and farther1 and by mendaciously excusing his sin he will add sin to sin until he runs at length into blasphemy and despair4 ,thus sin draws after it by its own weight as it were sin upon sin1 and causes eternal ruin1 until the sinner finally will rather accuse ,god himself than acknowledge his own sin4 ,adam ought to have said1 ,lord1 ,i have sinned6 ,but this ,adam does not4 ,he rather actually accuses ,god of sin2 and in reality he says1 thou1 ,lord1 hast sinned4 ,for ,i should have remained wholly in paradise after my eating the fruit1 if thou hadst remained perfectly quiet4 ,for the words of ,adam bear all this import in truth1 when he says in substance1 ,i should not have fled if thy voice had not terrified me from thy presence4 ,thus man1 when accused of sin by his ,god1 instead of acknowledging his sin1 rather accuses ,god as being the cause of it and transfers his sin from himself and lays the blame of it on his ,creator4 ,hence sin increases to infinity1 unless ,god by his mercy come to succor the sinner4 ,and yet ,adam all the while considers this excusing himself and blaming his ,creator1 the highest wisdom4 ,for he is so confounded by the terror of his conscience1 that he knows not what he says nor what he does4 ,although by thus excusing himself1 he only accuses himself the more grievously and increases his sin to the utmost extent4 ,let us however by no means think that all this happened to ,adam only4 ,every one of us does the very same thing2 nor will nature of herself ever permit us to do otherwise4 ,for after having sinned we all rather accuse ,god than acknowledge our sin before him2 just as ,adam here did1 who asserted that the voice of ,god was the cause of his fleeing from him2 thus actually making ,god himself to be the cause of his flight4 ,and next1 upon the back of this sin quickly follows another and further sin4 ,for he that spares not his ,creator himself1 how shall he be likely to spare the creature8 ,therefore ,adam next charges ,god with his nakedness1 thus making him the ,creator of a thing that was vile and base4 ,for by his sin ,adam is so deprived of his senses that he turns the glory of his nakedness into a reproach to his ,creator4 ,v4 #aa4 ,and he said1 ,who told thee that thou wast naked8 ,hast thou eaten of the tree1 whereof ,i commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat8 ,here the conscience of ,adam is pierced with the true sting of the law4 ,it is as if ,god had said1 ,thou knowest that thou art naked1 then and therefore thou hidest thyself from me4 ,but nakedness is my creature4 ,dost thou condemn that creature then as vile and base4 ,it is not thy nakedness therefore that hath confounded thee1 nor is it my voice that hath terrified thee4 ,it is thy conscience that accuseth thee of sin1 because thou hast eaten the fruit of the forbidden tree4 ,this is the cause of thy flight from my presence4 ,here ,adam being thus pressed by the law and by his conscience is in the midst of death2 yea1 in the midst of hell4 ,for he is compelled to confess that there was no evil in his nakedness1 because it was so created of ,god4 ,but he was forced to acknowledge that the mighty evil was that he now had a guilty conscience concerning his nakedness1 in which before he had gloried as in a beautiful adornment2 and that he now dreaded that same voice of ,god1 which before he had heard with supreme delight4 ,it is to this state of mind1 which the ,lord now perceives in ,adam1 that the words of this passage expressly speak4 ,as if ,jehovah had said1 ,since thou hast an evil conscience and art filled with dread1 most assuredly thou hast eaten of the forbidden tree4 ,for thou receivedst no command from me that thou shouldst not commit murder nor that thou shouldst not commit adultery1 but that thou shouldst not eat of the fruit of this tree4 ,as therefore thou art filled with terror1 thou thereby makest it manifest that thou hast sinned against that commandment4 ,thus those very things which were ,adam's thoughts1 those same things he now hears from the mouth of the ,lord4 ,adam was thinking thus3 ,i have eaten the fruit1 but ,i will not say that ,i have fled from ,god on that account4 ,i will say nothing about my sin4 ,i will say that ,i was afraid1 because ,i was naked1 and that ,i was terrified into flight by his voice4 ,but while he is saying these things to himself he is compelled to condemn himself1 and he hears his conscience within convicting him of a lie and condemning his sin4 ,in addition to this accusation of his own conscience1 the ,lord himself now accuses him of his sin openly1 and in the plainest words4 ,but not even now can ,adam be brought to the honest acknowledgment of his sin4 ,for now follows1 ,v4 #ab4 ,and the man said1 ,the woman whom thou gavest to be with me1 she gave me of the tree1 and ,i did eat4 ,only mark the true colors1 the essential evil and real nature of sin4 ,it is depicted in this excuse of ,adam4 ,it shows that a man can in no way be brought to an open confession of his sin1 but that he will deny his sin or excuse it as long as he can find that there is any hope or any probable ground of excuse left him4 ,for it was not so wonderful that ,adam should at first hope that his sin could be covered1 and that he should rather accuse ,god than acknowledge the sin he had committed4 ,the great wonder was that after he was convicted in his own conscience1 and after he had heard his sin declared from the mouth of ,god himself1 he should still persist in excusing that sin4 ,for he does not say1 ,lord1 ,i have sinned2 forgive me the debt of my sin2 be merciful unto me2 for the very nature of sin is1 that it will not suffer the mind to flee unto ,god1 but instead compels it to flee from ,god4 ,but he transfers all the fault from himself to the woman4 ,it is a well known rule1 taught in the schools of legal and civil orators1 that when a charge of crime is brought against the defendant1 the act should either be denied totally or defended as having been done rightly4 ,adam here does both4 ,he first of all denies his sin altogether and asserts that his terror arose1 not from his sin1 but from the voice of the ,lord4 ,and then when so far convinced of his sin in what he has done he attempts to defend the act1 as having been done rightly and unavoidably4 ,if1 says he to the ,lord1 thou hadst not given me this woman1 ,i should not have eaten the fruit4 ,thus he further lays all the blame of what he had done on ,god himself1 and positively accuses him as being after all the real cause of his sin4 ,wherefore there is no end to a man's sinning1 when he has once turned aside from the ,word4 ,adam at first sinned by unbelief and disobedience1 and now he heaps upon that sin reproaches of ,god and positive blasphemy1 saying in effect1 ,it was not ,i who listened to the serpent2 it was not ,i who was captivated by looking on the fruit of that tree2 it was not ,i who stretched forth my hand to pluck the forbidden fruit4 ,the woman whom thou gavest me did all this4 ,in a word ,adam has no desire to acknowledge his sin4 ,on the contrary he wishes to be considered pure and clean4 ,this portion of the divine record contains a further description of sin and of the real nature of sin4 ,for whenever the promise of the remission of sins or faith in that promise is not immediately at hand1 the sinner cannot do otherwise than ,adam did4 ,if ,god had said1 ,adam1 thou hast sinned1 but ,i will pardon thy sin1 then ,adam would have acknowledged his sin with all humility and candor and with the utmost detestation of what he had done4 ,but because the hope of the remission of sin was not present to his mind on account of his having transgressed the commandment of ,god1 he can see nothing1 he can feel nothing but death1 the certain punishment of such transgression4 ,and because human nature cannot but be shocked at the sight of that certain death1 therefore ,adam cannot be brought to the confession of his sin1 but he tries all possible means by which he has the least hope of warding off the blame of his sin4 ,and thus does every sinner hate the punishment of his transgressions2 and because he hates that punishment1 he also hates the justice of ,god1 and ,god himself1 and endeavors by all means in his power to persuade both ,god and men that he suffers innocently4 ,just in this manner does ,adam here endeavor to lessen his sin by saying that it was not he who listened to the serpent1 nor he who plucked the fruit4 ,the woman whom thou gavest me1 says he1 offered me the fruit of this tree4 ,in the same state of mind as ,adam are those who1 when they have come to a knowledge of the sins they have committed1 filled with despair1 either cut short their life with a halter or curse ,god as the cause of their transgressions4 ,the words of ,job are familiarly known3 ,let the day perish wherein ,i was born2 why died ,i not from the womb8 ,job #c3c1 #aa4 ,for such lay all the fault of their sin on ,god1 and complain against ,god that they were ever created to destruction and damnation4 ,nor can any sinner do otherwise1 when the hope of pardon and the promise of grace are not present to his soul4 ,because death is intolerable to human nature1 therefore it produces desperation and blasphemies4 ,it is an utterance full of pain and of wrath against ,god1 when ,adam says1 ,the woman whom thou gavest me4 ,it is as if he had said1 thou thyself has laid upon me the burden of this evil2 if thou hadst given to the woman some separate garden to herself and hadst not burdened me with thy command that ,i should live with her1 ,i might have continued without sin4 ,as therefore ,i have sinned1 the fault is thine in adding to me a wife4 ,in the case of ,adam therefore is set before us an exact example of all those who sin and who despair under their sin4 ,they cannot do otherwise than accuse ,god and excuse themselves1 for seeing as they do that ,god is omnipotent they consider that he could have prevented these their sins4 ,so horrible is sin1 whenever the minds of sinners are not soon relieved and lifted up with the promise of the forgiveness of sins4 ,and this is the true effect of the law1 whenever the law is alone1 without the gospel and the knowledge of its grace1 it always leads to despair and to final impenitence4 ,v4 #ac4 ,and ,jehovah ,god said unto the woman1 ,what is this thou hast done8 7,why hast thou done this87 ,and the woman said1 ,the serpent beguiled me and ,i did eat4 ,here the example of ,eve is also set before us1 who being corrupted by sin is seen to be in no degree better than ,adam4 ,adam wished to appear innocent1 and laid the blame on ,god1 because he had given him a wife4 ,eve also attempts to excuse herself and accuses the serpent1 which also was a creature of ,god4 ,she confesses indeed that she had eaten the fruit1 but she says1 ,the serpent1 which thou createdst and which thou permittedst to go about in paradise1 imposed upon me4 ,now is not this actually accusing her ,creator and removing the fault from herself8 ,hence we see that sin is always and everywhere the same and works in the same way4 ,it is never willing to be punished as sin1 but ever wishes to appear to be righteousness4 ,and as it cannot accomplish this it turns the blame from itself upon ,god2 so that when ,god accuses a man of sin the man actually charges ,god with falsehood in that accusation4 ,so that sin1 from being a human sin1 becomes positively a devilish sin2 and the unbelief of the man is turned into blasphemy1 and his disobedience into reproach against his ,creator6 ,i term this a devilish and not a human sin2 because the devil hates and accuses and condemns ,god1 and justifies himself to all eternity2 nor can he possibly from his heart say1 ,lord1 ,i have sinned2 pardon my sin4 ,were it not so the devil would not eternally despair of pardon4 ,but that pardon is impossible1 as long as he acknowledges not his sin1 but blasphemes ,god as exercising unjust cruelty against him as a creature without just cause4 ,hence we see ,adam and ,eve so deeply fallen and sunk under sin1 that they could not sink any lower4 ,for upon their unbelief followed the disobedience of all the powers and all the members in man4 ,upon this disobedience1 immediately afterwards1 followed the excuse and defense of their sin4 ,this defense was next followed by an accusation and condemnation of their ,god4 ,this is sin's last step1 to reproach ,god himself and to make him the author of sin4 ,this nature of ours can ascend no higher than this in its sin against ,god4 ,and these are the onward steps of sin1 unless the minds of fallen sinners are lifted up by a confidence in ,god's mercy4 ,wherefore the state of the ,church under the pope1 was most horrible2 for in it was neither seen nor heard anything whatever which could lift up the mind of a sinner1 laboring under his sin and guilt2 except that once a year the history of the passion of our ,lord was slightly taught4 ,and the statement of that history showed forth in some slight manner the source from which pardon was to be sought4 ,but everything else on every side led men away from the promise of the remission of sins to their own righteousness4 ,hence it was that we saw in many monasteries men alarmed by their sins through their whole life time1 who were filled with despair as they walked about1 and at length died in agony1 worn out with sorrow and pains of spirit4 ,and as to the rest of their brethren1 this doctrine of pardon being wholly unknown1 they did nothing but stand in their places and procure the protection of their saint by idolatrous prayers4 ,thus were these miserable creatures worn out and consumed with the most terrible pains of soul1 without hope1 without counsel and without any help whatever4 ,was not this then1 ,i pray you1 a horrible state of things8 ,wherefore if the papacy and all the monasteries together could be overturned by the touch of one finger1 it ought at once to be done on account of the whole papal church being this most wretched slaughter-house of consciences6 ,for there is nothing more horrible than for a man to be under the weight of his sins1 and yet never to hear or have the remission of sins and the promise of grace4 ,now the pope was the very cause of the remission of sins being utterly kept out of men's sight4 ,for no sound doctrine nor any true worship whatever was retained in the church4 ,and if any were saved in these times they were saved by the bare annual recital of the sufferings of ,christ1 apprehended by faith1 contrary to the will of the pope and in defiance of his opposition4 ,for through him men in the extreme perils of their souls were brought down to the necessity of imploring the intercession of ,mary and of the saints4 ,for these sayings filled every place3 that the mother ,mary showed her breasts to her ,son1 and that the ,son showed his wounds to his ,father1 and that the man was thus saved2 not by the intercession of the ,son1 but by the intercession of his mother4 ,i earnestly entreat you therefore with all the persuasion in my power1 to set the highest value possible upon the doctrine of the ,gospel4 ,for what do we see in this history of ,moses that ,adam and ,eve suffered when their sin was before them1 and this knowledge of the promise of grace and of pardon was out of their sight8 ,the very same do we also see in the damnation of ,satan2 for as he is destitute of the promise of grace he is not able to cease from his sins1 nor from his hatred of ,god1 nor from his blasphemies against him4 ,hence it is that the condition of ,adam was so different from that of ,satan1 and so much better and more blessed4 ,for ,adam was called to judgment that he might acknowledge his sin1 that being terrified by his sins he might afterwards be lifted up again and comforted by the promise of the remission of his sins2 as we shall now further see in this most beautiful part of the sacred history of ,moses1 in which we shall also find the preaching of ,christ4 ,for as the issue of this whole transaction sets forth the very great goodness and mercy of ,god toward man1 seeing that ,god calls him back to the remission of sins and to eternal life through the ,seed that was to come2 so also these very beginnings of this divine mercy1 if we view them aright1 are much better and greater than ,adam deserved at ,god's hand4 ,for we have not here a display of that terrible majesty of ,god1 which was witnessed on ,mount ,sinai1 where there were thunderings and lightnings mingled with the loud soundings of trumpets4 ,here ,god approaches with the soft sound of the gentle breeze1 signifying that he came in this case to seize with the tender hand of an affectionate ,father4 ,he does not drive ,adam from him on account of his sin1 but calls him away from his sin to himself4 ,this fatherly care however ,adam1 overwhelmed with his sin and its terrors1 does not at first understand or perceive2 he does not consider how differently ,god deals with him than with the serpent4 ,for he did not call the serpent to him4 ,he did not ask the serpent why he had sinned1 in order that he might call him from his sin unto repentance4 ,he charges the serpent with his sin1 and pronounces his doom4 ,these things show us that ,christ our deliverer interposed himself even then1 between ,god and man as a mediator4 ,for it was the greatest display of grace1 that even after the sin of ,adam ,god was not silent1 but spoke2 and that too in many and plain words1 with the intent of showing forth evidences of his fatherly mind toward sinners4 ,his carriage towards the serpent was altogether different4 ,wherefore although the promise concerning ,christ was not yet given1 it may be plainly discerned in the thoughts and counsel of ,god on this occasion4 ,thus far therefore ,moses has set before us the judgment which ,god exercised after the sin of the fall of our first parents4 ,he calls them to his tribunal1 and convicts them1 and interrogates them1 and hears them4 ,they1 poor creatures1 desire indeed to escape that judgment1 but they cannot2 nay1 while they attempt to excuse themselves they doubly accuse and betray themselves4 ,the woman acknowledges what she had done4 ,adam attempts to conceal the fact1 although according to the very nature of sin he does not wish it to appear to be really sin at all4 ,for as long as grace is withheld from the sinner it is impossible for him to do otherwise than excuse himself1 and try to make his sin appear to be righteousness4 ,god therefore is always compelled thus to contend with us by his laws1 until he extorts from us the confession of our sins and brings us to justify him2 as it is written in ,ps4 #ea3d1 where this confession is fully described4 ,but as long as the law rules alone and galls the conscience1 the conscience thus terrified cannot bring out this confession1 as the examples of ,adam and ,eve here fully show4 ,from this portion of the sacred record of ,moses the holy prophets drew many divine truths2 for they studied this book of ,moses with far greater diligence and stronger faith than we do4 ,from this source they derived the following holy sentences3 ,the wicked flee when no man pursueth1 ,prov4 #bh3a4 ,the wicked are like the troubled sea1 for it cannot rest2 there is no peace1 saith my ,god1 to the wicked1 ,is4 #eg3bj1 #ba4 ,he that believeth shall not be ashamed1 ,is4 #bh3af4 ,the righteous are bold as a lion1 ,prov4 #bh3a4 ,the just shall live by his faith1 ,hab4 #b3d4 ,from this same place of ,moses ,christ also drew that memorable saying of his1 which we find in the ,evangelist ,john1 ,for every one that doeth evil hateth the light1 ,john #c3bj4 ,for it is the very nature of sin that whoso committeth sin desires to remain hidden in darkness1 and not to be brought into the light1 just as ,adam covered himself with fig-leaves and fled to conceal himself among the trees4 ,and we must also here touch upon that passage of the ,apostle ,paul1 #a ,tim4 #b3ac1 #ad1 ,for ,adam was first formed1 then ,eve2 and ,adam was not beguiled but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression4 ,this passage nearly all interpreters understand to mean that ,adam was not deceived1 but that he sinned knowingly2 not from yielding to the persuasion of the devil as ,eve had done1 but from being unwilling to distress the delight of his life1 that is1 his wife2 and thus preferring the love of his wife to the command of ,god4 ,and they attempt to render this interpretation likely and probable by saying1 that the serpent reverenced the male as his lord1 but that he attacked the female1 whom1 although she was holy as the man1 yet as being the weaker creature1 he considered to be the better adapted to yield to his persuasion1 and that therefore ,eve was deceived by the serpent1 and not ,adam4 ,adam1 they maintain1 was deceived both by himself and by the woman1 but not by the serpent2 by the woman when she presented to him the fruit to eat2 by himself when1 because he did not see ,eve die immediately when she had eaten the fruit1 he was induced to believe that the punishment which ,god had threatened would not surely follow4 ,just as a thief1 when he has found his theft to have succeeded once or twice1 goes on stealing in security4 ,whereas had the law-officer or the gallows been kept before his eyes1 he would have ceased to steal4 ,wherefore ,i do not altogether condemn the above interpretation1 for it makes both views to stand true1 that ,adam was deceived and that he was not deceived4 ,he was not indeed deceived by the serpent as ,eve was1 but he was deceived both by his wife and by himself1 when he persuaded himself that the punishment which ,god had said should follow would not really come4 ,then follows the execution of judgment upon all the parties concerned4 ,,part ,,iv4 ,,the ,,serpent ,,and ,,satan ,,cursed4 ,,the ,,first ,,promise4 ,i4 ,v4 #ad4 ,and ,jehovah ,god said unto the serpent1 ,because thou hast done this1 cursed art thou above all cattle1 and above every beast of the field2 upon thy belly shalt thou go1 and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life4 ,after judgment has been pronounced and the whole case completely gone through1 follows the execution of judgment1 in which1 as we shall now hear1 there is rendered to each party according to their work1 but not one like the other4 ,now this passage claims our thoughtful attention in the first place1 because there is not found throughout the five books of ,moses so long a speech in the person of ,god4 ,and in the next place1 because this divine speech contains no law whatever as to what the serpent or man was required to do4 ,the whole speech is occupied in promising that good or threatening that evil1 which should come upon each party concerned4 ,and it is worthy our particular observation here that1 after the sin of the fall1 no further law whatever was imposed on ,adam1 though nature in its state of perfection had a divine law set before it4 ,the reason of this was1 because ,god saw that nature1 being now fallen and corrupt1 could not only derive no help or relief from any law given to it1 but that1 being thus corrupted and also disorganized and confused altogether1 it could not bear any syllable of law whatsoever4 ,wherefore ,god did not increasedly oppress nature1 already thus oppressed by sin1 with any further law of any kind4 ,but on the contrary ,god mercifully applied unto sin as a terrible wound1 a healing plaster1 that is1 the promise concerning ,christ1 still using that caustic1 the curse on sin1 which the devil had caused to be inflicted4 ,for as wholesome plasters1 even while they heal1 yet corrode and pain the flesh2 so the healing promise is so set before ,adam that the threatened curse on sin should be added1 to operate with it in curing the lust of the flesh4 ,by the lust of the flesh ,i mean1 not only that foul motion and itching of lust1 but also all manner of concupiscence and uncleanness of soul1 as ,paul terms them1 ,rom4 #g3h2 ,eph4 #d3ai1 through which we are by nature inclined to idolatry1 unbelief1 self-security and all other horrible sins against the first and second ,table4 ,to curb and cure all this depravity of nature1 we have need of the operation of this burning caustic1 the curse of ,god on sin4 ,i would that ,i could handle the text now before us in a manner becoming its depth and dignity1 for it embraces all that is glorious in the whole ,scripture1 containing in it the curse of ,god on ,satan and the destruction of the seed of the serpent by the seed of the woman4 ,the former part of the text is wholly figurative4 ,god speaks to the serpent1 but it is manifest that the serpent alone is not here to be understood as addressed by ,god4 ,for these are not the words of ,god as a ,creator1 as were those words above1 when he said unto the beasts of the earth1 ,be fruitful and multiply2 nor when he said to the earth itself1 ,let the earth bring forth grass1 and herbs1 and trees1 yielding seed after their kind4 ,they are words of divine threatening and a declaration of mind and will1 such words as ,god never speaks to an irrational creature1 but to an intelligent creature only4 ,god does indeed address the serpent by name1 but he is all the while especially speaking to ,satan1 who ruled in the serpent1 and by the serpent deceived the first parents of mankind4 ,nevertheless as1 on account of the sin of man1 the lord of the whole creation1 all animals and all trees perished in the flood1 just as the subjects of a nation are often punished on account of the misdeeds of their prince1 so it befell the serpent4 ,that animal also was punished because of the sin of the devil1 who had abused the serpent in making use of it to work so mighty an evil as the sin of the fall4 ,god however intends1 figuratively1 to be represented under this punishment of the serpent1 the deluging punishment of ,satan4 ,the obscurity which lies in this figurative representation has been the reason why this text1 which ought to be most clearly known and understood by all1 has never to my knowledge been explained by any one with sufficient diligence and clearness4 ,and ,i have often wondered what the fathers and the bishops could have been about1 who1 when occupied in the government of churches and in the condemnation of heretics1 did not feel that they had a still more important duty to perform in devoting themselves with greater diligence to the explanation of such passages of the ,scriptures as these4 ,such bishops and fathers possess nothing more than the name1 for they may with more truth be called destroyers than watchmen or guardians of the churches4 ,i am now speaking of those of our fathers and bishops who really excelled in holiness of life and doctrine4 ,even among these not one is found to have explained the text before us in any manner becoming its great dignity4 ,perhaps those various engagements which generally beset the rulers of churches too deeply involve them to leave them time for the purpose4 ,the disgrace of our more recent divines is notorious4 ,they have even shamefully corrupted this whole passage1 and out of the neuter pronoun ipsum they have made the feminine1 ipsa1 which1 with the most open wickedness1 they have thus wrested1 and have applied it to the ,virgin ,mary1 ,she shall bruise thy head1 verse #ae4 ,i can pardon ,lyra1 who was as it appears a good man1 but he conceded too much to the authority of the fathers1 and hence he suffered himself to be drawn aside by ,augustine1 to the most weak and foolish allegorizings1 which system ,gregory also follows in his ,morals1 maintaining that by the woman in this part of the sacred record ought to be understood the inferior power of reason1 as by the man1 the superior power of reason2 and by her seed1 the operation of good2 but by the seed of the devil1 his evil suggestions4 ,but what need1 ,i pray you1 friendly reader1 is there of all such darkness of the most absurd allegories in all this clear light of the truth8 ,but grant that we might with any propriety divide reason into two qualities or powers1 the superior and the inferior4 ,with how much greater propriety may we term that the inferior power of reason which is adapted to the government of domestic and political affairs1 and not that which is concerned in swine-like pleasure and gratification8 calling that the superior power of reason by which we contemplate those things which are separate from economy or polity1 and which pertain unto religion1 the solemn things of the ,word1 in which we do nothing operatively1 but only contemplate and learn8 ,although we thus speak upon these things what have they to do after all with the sacred text before us8 ,do they not altogether encumber and keep out of sight its real sense1 and substitute a spurious sense in its stead1 a sense which is not only useless but pernicious8 ,for what can reason do or what light can it give in the divine matter of religion8 ,there is also a further absurdity in this mode of interpretation1 by which ,eve is made to be the inferior power of reason4 ,for it is perfectly evident that ,eve was not inferior to her husband ,adam in any sense whatever2 that is1 neither in body nor in soul4 ,it is from this ridiculous mode of interpretation that all those profane disputations concerning free-will have arisen1 and concerning the doctrine that reason always prays for the best1 etc41 until all theology is lost in philosophy and sophistical absurdities4 ,wherefore let us1 casting away all such pernicious and absurd follies1 enter upon a new road of interpretation1 caring naught for having disregarded the footsteps of those who have gone before us4 ,for we have the ,holy ,spirit as our guide1 not setting before us in ,moses a heap of absurd allegories1 but teaching us through him the mightiest truths and the mightiest things which took place between ,god the ,creator and man the sinner1 and ,satan the author of sin4 ,first of all then let us settle it as a fact that the serpent here spoken of by ,god was a natural and real serpent1 but a serpent besieged and occupied by ,satan1 who spoke through and by that serpent4 ,let us next consider it to be a truth1 that those things which ,god spoke to the serpent are not to be understood as having been spoken to the serpent abstractedly as a brute animal1 but that the person immediately spoken to was ,satan1 to whom ,god was all the while more expressly speaking4 ,by this manner of interpretation1 ,i am sure that ,i retain the plain and simple historical and literal meaning1 and a meaning in accordance with the whole passage2 by which meaning1 as divinely intended1 the serpent remains a serpent though occupied and possessed by ,satan1 the woman remains a woman1 and ,adam remains ,adam1 all which is proved by what follows in the sacred narrative4 ,for it is not an inferior power of reason and a superior power of reason1 who begat ,cain and ,abel1 as recorded in the following chapter1 but ,adam and ,eve1 that is1 the first parents of mankind1 who fell by sin into death and became subject to the dominion of ,satan4 ,when therefore ,god says to the serpent1 ,thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field1 upon thy belly shalt thou go1 the divine meaning is not that which ,augustine gives1 and which his disciples follow4 ,they understand that by belly is to be allegorically understood pride4 ,but the divine mind in the passage is1 that as ,satan abused the serpent in effecting the sin of the fall1 so the serpent is compelled of ,god to bear a part of the punishment of that sin and therefore is thus cursed above all cattle1 that it might be the most hateful of all the beasts of the field4 ,at the beginning of the creation it was not so2 but now through the divine curse1 such a nature has been imparted to the serpent1 that the creature which before the curse was the most delightful and the sweetest of all creatures1 is now hated and dreaded above every other animal of the creation4 ,hence we find by experience that we have a natural abhorrence of serpents1 and that serpents as naturally dread and flee from us4 ,thus the serpent is indeed made to bear this curse as part of the punishment of sin4 ,these words however are not spoken unto the serpent only1 ,god is dealing all the time with ,satan in the serpent4 ,it is on ,satan that this sentence is pronounced1 as his final judgment4 ,it is ,satan that is here placed before ,god's tribunal4 ,for ,god here speaks to the serpent in far different language from that which he used toward ,adam and ,eve1 when he called them back in love from their sin4 ,his language then was1 ,where art thou8 ,who told thee that thou wast naked8 ,all these particulars indicate the love of ,god towards the whole human race2 showing forth that ,god will seek after man and will call him back after he has sinned1 that he may reason with him and hear what he has to say4 ,all this was a sure announcement of grace4 ,for although these words of ,god1 spoken to ,adam and ,eve1 were legal and judicial words2 yet they set before them a hope by no means obscure1 that they should not be condemned for ever4 ,but with the serpent and ,satan ,god by no means dealt so mercifully4 ,he did not call ,satan to him and say1 ,why hast thou done this8 ,he pronounced upon him at once the sentence of judgment2 and that too1 in the most awful words1 ,because thou hast done this4 ,as if he had said1 ,thou1 ,satan1 hadst sinned before this and hadst been condemned1 when thou didst fall from heaven2 and now to that sin thou hast added this one4 ,thou hast by the abuse of the serpent hurled man into sin also4 ,therefore in the first place the serpent shall bear this punishment2 that whereas before it partook of that blessing which all other beasts also enjoyed2 now it alone shall remain under my curse4 ,from all these circumstances it must follow as a manifest consequence1 that the serpent before the sin of the fall was the most beautiful creature among the beasts which ,god had made1 and most delightful to man2 as are at this day kids1 and lambs1 and kittens to us1 and also that it moved with its head erect2 and moreover that it now creeps upon the ground is not a property of its original nature1 but the consequence of the divine curse4 ,just in the same manner as they are the consequences of the curse1 that the woman conceives in uncleanness1 brings forth in sorrow1 and nurses and trains her offspring with toils and griefs4 ,were there no curse the whole process of creation would be most pure and holy2 the giving birth to children most easy and delightful1 and the training up of children the highest pleasure4 ,sin therefore has not only utterly corrupted nature itself1 but most basely defiled it4 ,and yet the human reasoners even of our day dare to affirm that the original properties of nature have remained essentially sound and whole1 even in devils4 ,but if the serpent1 which ,satan had abused to effect the sin of the fall1 bore such a punishment on account of that sin2 that whereas before it was the most beautiful of all creatures1 it now on a sudden crawled on the ground upon its belly and drew after it its viperous tail before the eyes of ,adam1 and thus all on a sudden became an object of hatred and of dread2 how can we doubt that the same was the utterly changed case with the man1 who was the very one who had committed the sin and had imbibed into his very nature the poison of ,satan8 ,as therefore the ,egyptians beheld not without the greatest amazement the rod thrown down by ,moses suddenly changed into a serpent1 just so in paradise1 immediately upon ,god's uttering this word of the curse1 the serpent was changed from a form the most beautiful into an object the most disgusting and revolting4 ,and to this same curse pertains that which ,god moreover said1 ,and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life4 ,the allegorists explain this1 as meaning that ,satan would render men given up to the love of earthly things one with himself by deceiving them4 ,but as ,i have said1 ,god is here speaking to the serpent as such and cursing the serpent1 causing it to bear its punishment of the sin of the fall4 ,for there are other beasts which also feed upon the earth1 but the serpent eats the earth as its curse2 that whereas before it had a certain peculiar gift of subtlety and of beauty1 and of food also1 which it enjoyed in common with man1 it now bore as its punishment that the nature of its food was changed4 ,it is the glory of sheep1 of oxen and of other beasts1 that they feed on herbs and even on the fruits of trees1 and also that they produce various things useful for the food of man1 such as butter1 milk1 their own flesh1 etc4 ,the serpent also possessed this glory of his feeding in common with the other beasts4 ,but now he is cast out from this society1 and as it were from this common table and common feasting on account of the sin of the fall1 so that he is not permitted to feed upon even the most useless herb2 nor on apples1 or pears1 or nuts1 on which even the mice feed4 ,these he dare not taste4 ,he eats the crude earth only4 ,these are not my words1 but the words of ,moses2 and they teach us that the nature of the serpent is entirely changed and wholly different from what it originally was4 ,and though ,i have said1 and it is true1 that it is to the serpent that ,god here speaks1 and yet so speaks1 that his words are directed all the time more expressly against ,satan1 as the following part of the narrative will still more plainly show2 yet ,i am by no means satisfied that those things spoken1 which rightly apply to the nature of the serpent1 should be transferred allegorically1 as intended to be spoken to ,satan1 like ,augustine transfers them and is followed by ,lyra4 ,for the serpent and ,satan were intimately connected in the sin of the fall1 though ,satan was the principal actor and the serpent only the instrument4 ,and therefore it is that they are made alike partakers of the punishment4 ,the serpent however bears a corporal punishment only4 ,but for ,satan1 the author and agent of the whole1 a different judgment is prepared1 even that judgment concerning which ,christ speaks1 ,john #af3aa1 when he says1 ,because the prince of this world is judged4 ,the description of this judgment will now shortly follow1 as recorded by ,moses in the succeeding verses4 ,wherefore when many say that the devil1 like the serpent1 no longer walks erect and that he has lost his original form and stature1 the things they say are true2 but they are quite inappropriate here and have nothing to do with the right interpretation of the passage now in question4 ,and when ,i said above1 that the serpent before the curse of ,god upon it moved in an erect posture1 ,i do not wish to be understood to mean that it moved in an upright position as man1 but with its neck and head erect1 as a stag or a peacock4 ,to crawl on its belly therefore after the curse1 was the divine judgment on the serpent4 ,that which now follows belongs expressly to ,satan only4 ,and the things here recorded of him by ,moses paint forth his judgment in far more true colors than any of those foolish and out-of-place descriptions of the allegorists4 ,they moreover set before us this strong consolation1 that the devil is now so situated that he cannot attack and harm us at his liberty1 as he wishes to do and would do1 if the ,seed of the woman stood not directly in his way4 ,,ii4 ,v4 #ae;a4 ,and ,i will put enmity between thee and the woman1 and between thy seed and her seed4 ,these are the things which are spoken expressly and properly to ,satan4 ,and they contain his judgment4 ,while in these same words of his judgment1 there is set before the godly their strong consolation4 ,the things above spoken are historical1 as ,i have said1 and apply to the serpent1 which because through the abuse of ,satan it aided in effecting the sin of ,adam and ,eve1 bears as his part of the punishment his ejection from the common life1 as it were1 and from the society of the other animals of the creation2 being made so different from them that he dares not eat the same food nor live in any way like them4 ,the present passage might also be allegorically interpreted4 ,but the allegories used would be far less appropriate1 and they would not stand firm in the defense of the truth4 ,for the facts of the case are these3 ,satan on account of his sin was cast out of heaven and condemned2 and no longer goes about in his original form as an ox or a hind does1 but creeps on the ground2 which may signify that he does not attack the godly by open force1 but uses wiles and devices for their harm and destruction2 which devices nevertheless the godly when they look into the ,word see and understand2 and by them they perceive how vast his deformity is1 and hence dread and abhor him4 ,and certainly his creeping on the ground1 and not walking upright1 may well indicate that his tyrannical power is broken and destroyed1 so that he cannot do so much harm to the ,church as he otherwise would do4 ,these allegories1 we repeat1 may be used in the interpretation of the present text2 but they do not explain the meaning of ,moses1 and therefore they are improper4 ,wherefore1 when we speak of ,satan1 let us ever follow the other testimonies of ,scripture upon the subject2 for they are proper1 certain and sure2 such for instance as the following3 ,the devil was a murderer from the beginning1 and standeth not in the truth1 because there is no truth in him2 and also1 ,when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own1 ,john #h3dd2 and again1 ,your adversary the devil1 as a roaring lion1 walketh about seeking whom he may devour1 #a ,pet4 #e3h2 and also1 where ,christ says1 ,the prince of this world is judged1 ,john #af3aa4 ,in a word1 who does not plainly see that the testimony of the present passage applies properly to ,satan2 and that it is to him that the ,son of ,god is here opposed1 expressly to prevent him from making any attack upon us with open violence1 as if he had no certain ,antagonist6 ,the ,church therefore1 under this protection1 is perfectly safe4 ,and not only is ,satan deprived of the power of attacking the ,church with any open violence1 but his power and desire of harming anything or person else are also destroyed4 ,were it not so1 he would not suffer a single tree to grow to maturity4 ,he would impede and crush all things that spring forth in the earth2 and would prevent1 not the birth of men only1 but the bringing forth of beasts2 and would destroy the safety of everything4 ,this insatiable desire to harm and to destroy is fully manifest from his inability to attack by open violence1 and from his doing whatever he does by the means of craft1 guile and snare4 ,we should here moreover carefully observe that these things are not spoken by ,god for the devil's sake4 ,for ,god does not deign to condemn ,satan on his own account1 by these his words2 but he deems it sufficient to leave ,satan to be condemned by his own conscience4 ,all that ,god speaks to ,satan1 he speaks for the sake of ,adam and ,eve2 that they may hear this judgment of ,god upon him and may comfort themselves1 by thus hearing and seeing that ,god is the adversary to the nature of him1 who had inflicted such a wound on man4 ,for out of these very words of ,god to ,satan1 there begin to shine forth grace and mercy2 yea1 out of the very midst of that anger1 which sin and disobedience had so righteously kindled4 ,it is here in the very midst of the heaviest threatenings1 that the mind of the ,father discloses itself2 of a ,father1 not so angry as to cast away his ,son1 but holding out salvation1 yea1 promising victory over that enemy1 who had thus deceived and conquered human nature4 ,for though both had sinned in the fall1 ,satan especially1 and man through ,satan1 yet the judgments now pronounced upon ,satan and upon man are widely different4 ,god does not join them together in one and the same punishment1 as he might righteously have done4 ,he makes the widest distinction between them4 ,for although he is angry with man also1 who obeyed the enemy of ,god1 disregarding ,god himself1 yet the divine indignation against ,satan is by far the greater4 ,satan ,god plainly convicts and condemns in the sight of ,adam and ,eve1 so that ,adam and ,eve1 from this very condemnation of their enemy1 might have a little time to recover their breath2 and might feel how much more blessed their condition was than that of ,satan4 ,the first part of the great consolation here graciously given lies in this3 that the serpent was accused and cursed and together with the serpent ,satan also1 for ,adam and ,eve's sake4 ,not so much for ,satan's judgment and damnation1 as for ,adam and ,eve's comfort and salvation4 ,wherefore1 by this judgment of ,satan that sun of consolation1 which had been just before hidden as it were behind the darkness of certain heavy clouds1 now rises above those clouds and shines with its most heavenly light on the affrighted hearts of ,adam and ,eve4 ,for they not only do not hear themselves cursed1 as the serpent was1 but they hear ,god declare1 that he has put them into the ranks of a constituted army against their condemned foe2 and that too with the hope of an almighty help1 which the ,son of ,god the ,seed of the woman should bring unto them4 ,by this therefore the remission of their sins and their full reception into grace were plainly revealed to ,adam and ,eve2 who were thus perfectly freed from their sin and guilt1 redeemed from death1 and delivered from hell and from all those terrors under which they were utterly sinking in the sight of ,god4 ,such is the great consolation which arises from the fact so carefully to be observed by the godly1 that ,god did not curse ,adam and ,eve as he did the serpent4 ,all that ,god did to ,adam and ,eve was to put them into an army of continual battle with this enemy1 that they might not live a life of ease and indolence4 ,this very thing therefore turned out for the good of man4 ,but the chief part of the great consolation here vouchsafed was1 that although this enemy should ever war by subtlety and snares1 yet that a ,seed should be born1 which should bruise the serpent's head4 ,for hereby is set forth the final destruction of the tyranny of ,satan2 although that tyranny will never come to its end without a most terrible conflict2 a conflict which must be fought out by man4 ,but only reflect how unequal the conflict is2 it is the heel only of the man that is in danger2 his head is safe and invincible4 ,on the other hand1 it is not the tail nor the belly1 but the head itself of the serpent that is to be bruised and crushed under foot by the ,seed of the woman4 ,and this victory is given also to us all2 as ,christ plainly declares when he says1 that after the strong man armed shall have been overcome the spoils shall be divided4 ,for the ,christian is by faith at once made conqueror over sin1 the law and death2 so that the very gates of hell cannot prevail against him4 ,this first great consolation therefore our first parents and their posterity searched into and learned with all diligence1 as being the original fountain and the fountain head as it were of all the promises4 ,for they saw1 that had they been left without this promise the blessing of generation would have indeed remained with men1 as with all other animals of the creation1 but it would have been only a begetting and a being born unto death4 ,that great blessing bestowed of ,god upon human nature is here highly increased1 yea1 consecrated2 seeing that the hope hereby added to the blessing of generation1 is such that through it the head of ,satan shall be utterly crushed2 and that not only his tyranny shall be destroyed but that human nature itself1 thus made subject to death through sin1 shall attain unto eternal life4 ,for ,moses is now no longer dealing in his narrative with the natural serpent2 he is now speaking of the devil1 whose head is formed of death and sin2 as ,christ describes him when he says1 ,john #h3dd1 that he was a murderer from the beginning1 and a liar1 and the father of it4 ,therefore1 whenever and wherever his power is destroyed2 that is1 when sin and death are taken away by ,christ1 what remains but that the children of ,god shall be saved6 ,it was in this manner therefore that ,adam and ,eve understood this text and comforted themselves against sin and despair by the revealed hope of this future crushing of the serpent's head1 by ,christ1 the ,seed of the woman4 ,and through this1 their hope in the promise thus given unto them1 they shall also rise again at the last day unto life eternal4 ,v4 #ae;b4 ,he shall bruise thy head1 and thou shalt bruise his heel4 ,who is not filled with wonder1 yea1 rather with execration1 at the malicious design of ,satan in having attempted to transfer this divine text1 so full and running over with consolation concerning the ,son of ,god1 to the ,virgin ,mary6 ,for in all the ,latin ,bibles1 the pronoun ipse is put in the feminine gender ipsa1 ,she shall bruise4 ,and ,lyra1 who was by no means unacquainted with the ,hebrew language1 was carried away by this error as by the violence of an overflowing and resistless stream into the same impious interpretation2 so that in the face of its plain meaning1 he interpreted the passage as applying to the blessed ,virgin2 making her the person1 by whom the power of ,satan should be broken through the mediation of her ,son4 ,and he applies to the ,virgin also that passage in the ,song1 ,thou art terrible as an army with banners4 ,and1 although ,lyra professes to hold this interpretation of the present passage as received from others1 yet his sin is great in not refuting it4 ,many afterwards followed him4 ,and all the more recent interpreters have perverted this most holy passage to serve idolatry1 finding no one to stop or resist them4 ,all this however has arisen either from the ignorance or negligence of the rulers in the ,church4 ,because these did not set themselves against idolatry1 sound doctrine was by degrees suppressed and became extinct4 ,and since we have now by the blessing of ,god restored the sound doctrine1 these disgraceful beasts1 given to serve the belly1 plainly show that they care not for religion1 but for their own benefices only4 ,and because such idolatry promotes the interests of these men1 they even show their indignation at people being taught the truth4 ,but these blind beings do not see that the ,gospel is a doctrine of the divine nature1 that those who receive it lose nothing by it but their sins and eternal death2 and that they gain in their stead deliverance from all idolatry and from the dominion of ,satan4 ,wherefore let us render thanks to ,god that we have this passage also restored to its full integrity4 ,not that thereby any honor due to ,mary might be taken from her1 but that all idolatry might be shut out4 ,for as to men saying that ,mary crushed all the power of ,satan by giving birth to ,christ2 if that be the true state of the case does not that same honor belong equally to all the other women who preceded ,mary in the same line of genealogy8 ,nay1 a part of this same honor pertains to all the husbands also in ,mary's line and to all her ancestors4 ,for had she not descended from all these as her forefathers1 she herself could not have had existence4 ,for she was born by marriage according to the common order of nature4 ,if ,mary1 by the act of giving birth to her ,son1 bruised the head of ,satan1 all the ancestors of ,mary must of necessity be ranked in the same degree of dignity and honor4 ,the ,scripture however teaches us very differently1 when it says that ,christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification1 ,rom4 #d3be2 and when it said1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world6 ,john #a3bi4 ,wherefore let the blessed ,virgin hold her place of due honor1 as the woman whom ,god adorned with that high privilege above all other women1 that she as a virgin should bring forth the ,son of ,god4 ,this honor however ought by no means so to be bestowed upon her1 as in any way to take from her ,son1 our ,lord1 the glory of our redemption and of our deliverance from sin and death4 ,moreover1 the peculiar expression of the holy ,scripture in this passage is most carefully to be held and guarded by us1 as affording a truly wonderful light which opens unto us the depth of the divine goodness1 revealed to us in the present sacred text2 where we are taught concerning that enmity which ,god put between the serpent and the woman2 such an enmity that the ,seed of the woman should crush the serpent with all his powers4 ,this crushing1 ,satan perfectly understood at the time1 and therefore it is that to this day he rages with so much hatred against our human nature4 ,adam and ,eve on the contrary1 raised up by the promise of this crushing1 conceived the hope of their restoration in all its fulness4 ,and being thus filled with faith they saw that their salvation would assuredly be ,god's peculiar care2 seeing that ,god had expressly testified1 that the male ,seed of the woman should utterly defeat and crush this their enemy4 ,for the words are divinely put together with a wonderful emphasis4 ,,iii4 ,the divine expression here is1 ,i will put enmity between thy seed and her seed4 ,as if ,god had said1 ,thou1 ,satan1 by means of the woman didst attack and seduce the man that thou mightest by means of sin be the head and lord over them4 ,i therefore in like manner will execute my secret purposes against thee by means of the very same instrument4 ,i will take hold of the woman1 and by her ,i will produce a ,seed2 and that ,seed shall bruise thy head4 ,thou by means of sin didst corrupt and make subject to death the flesh of the human nature4 ,i will produce from that same flesh such a man1 who shall crush and utterly defeat both thee and all thy powers4 ,by these divine words therefore both the promise and the threat were expressed with the most perfect plainness4 ,and yet they were most obscure4 ,for they left the devil in such a state of doubt and suspense that he held under suspicion all the women which brought forth from that time1 fearing lest they should give birth to this ,seed2 though one woman only was designed to be the mother of this blessed offspring4 ,therefore as the divine threatening was expressed in a general term1 her ,seed1 ,satan was so mocked thereby that he feared this ,seed from every woman who brought forth4 ,in the same proportion1 on the other hand1 the faith of all mankind was confirmed4 ,for1 from the hour in which the divine promise was made1 all men expected that promised ,seed1 and comforted themselves against ,satan4 ,hence it was that ,eve1 when she brought forth her first-born1 ,cain1 hoped that she had now gotten that bruiser of the head of ,satan4 ,and though she was deceived in that hope1 yet she saw that the promised ,seed would assuredly at length be born at some time or other from her posterity4 ,and thus1 with respect to all mankind also1 this promise was most clear and at the same time most obscure4 ,isaiah threw some additional light upon this glorious promise when he said1 ,behold1 a virgin shall conceive and bear a son1 ,is4 #g3ad4 ,for it was then made certain that this ,seed would not be born from the union of a man and a woman4 ,but the prophet added certain other particulars1 by which he still involved his prophecy in obscurity4 ,in such obscurity therefore this most clear promise still remained until ,mary had brought forth her ,son4 ,of this birth then angels themselves were witnesses2 and after the angels the shepherds and the wise men2 until this birth was proclaimed abroad by the apostles1 throughout the whole world4 ,this obscurity therefore tended to increase the concern and suspense of ,satan to the highest degree4 ,as it had been said1 ,i will put enmity between thee and the woman2 so ,satan suspected and held as his enemy every woman alike1 who gave birth to a child from the time that word was spoken until ,christ was revealed4 ,on the other hand1 with respect to man1 this same obscurity increased and strengthened his faith4 ,though each woman saw that she was not the mother who gave birth to this ,seed1 yet they all believed and were fully assured that this ,seed would be born from some other woman4 ,god having thus spoken individually or personally1 if ,i may so express it1 that very manner of expression tended most effectually to mock and rack ,satan1 and to console the godly and to raise them to faith and hope4 ,thus women continued to bring forth until the ,flood2 and afterwards also1 until the time of ,mary4 ,but the seed of none of those women could truly be said to be the ,seed of the woman1 but might rather be said to have been the seed of the man4 ,but that which was born from ,mary was conceived of the ,holy ,ghost and was the true ,seed of ,mary1 the appointed woman4 ,this the other promises also testify1 which were made to ,abraham and to ,david2 according to which promises ,christ was called the ,son of ,abraham and the ,son of ,david4 ,the meaning of the original promise here given ,isaiah first revealed1 when he prophesied that a virgin should conceive and bear a son1 ,is4 #g3ad4 ,afterwards1 a clearer explanation and confirmation of it was made by the angel in the ,new ,testament4 ,wherefore ,i doubt not that there were many saints under the ,old ,testament1 who did not understand this mystery1 but who nevertheless fully expected that ,christ would be born into this world of a woman1 and that he would be the deliverer of the human race2 though they knew not what would be the particular manner and circumstances of his birth4 ,with this general knowledge they were content and by this knowledge they were saved2 even though they knew not the manner in which ,christ would be conceived and born4 ,for this knowledge was reserved for the ,new ,testament to reveal1 as by the clearer and brighter light4 ,and it was set forth in the first age of the ,church with a greater obscurity1 purposely on account of ,satan1 whom ,god willed to be mocked and racked in this manner that he might thereby have less rest and be more filled with fear on every side4 ,wherefore after this great original promise had been thus set forth generally in the beginning and had by degrees been more circumstantially particularized1 and then confined to the seed of ,abraham2 and further restricted by means of the patriarch ,jacob to a certain tribe1 the tribe of ,judah2 after this the devil became unconcerned about other peoples and tribes1 and persecuted this one line of generation with marvelous cruelties and stratagems2 until about the time of ,christ it had been reduced to the extremest poverty and had become a hopeless trunk-root1 from which no one could hope for either fruit or leaves4 ,and hence it is that the ,scriptures term that line of succession a stem or bare root as it were of ,jesse1 ,is4 #aa3a1 signifying thereby a decaying trunk from which nothing whatever could be expected4 ,this hatred and this fury of ,satan are the effects produced on him1 which the ,lord here predicts1 when he warns the serpent of the enmity which he had put between his seed and the ,seed of the woman4 ,for ,satan primarily sought this ,seed of the woman with hostile hatred1 through all the peoples1 families and lines throughout the whole world4 ,when the promise was transferred to ,abraham and restricted to his posterity1 we see from history by what various means ,satan attempted to hinder its fulfilment4 ,and when this glorious promise was further transferred to the line of ,judah and restricted to that tribe1 we behold with what horrible calamities it was oppressed and agitated1 until at length it seemed to be wholly subverted and eradicated4 ,so that at the time of the birth of ,christ poor ,mary was living at a long distance from ,jerusalem in the little and insignificant town of ,nazareth1 and ,jerusalem itself was possessed and governed by wicked heathen4 ,wherefore most correctly and beautifully was this tribe of ,judah compared to a dead and hopeless stem of ,jesse4 ,but as ,god cannot lie1 this root1 so much decayed and despaired of1 at length blossomed forth4 ,satan however did not even then cease from his cruelty1 hatred and enmity against the ,seed of the woman4 ,while he lay in the cradle ,satan sought him out by the instrumentality of ,herod4 ,so that the new-born ,christ was compelled to live among the ,gentiles in ,egypt4 ,after this also1 ,satan adopted and tried all possible means to destroy him1 until finding him and seizing him1 he threw him into the hands of the ,jews and nailed him to the cross4 ,no6 nor could his inexhaustible hatred be satisfied even then4 ,he feared him even as he lay in the tomb1 so desperate was the enmity which was put between him and the ,son of ,god6 ,nay1 even now1 when ,satan sees the ,seed of the woman sitting at the right hand of ,god1 and1 according to the old proverb1 out of gun-shot1 he vents his fury in every possible way against his ,church and the poor helpless members of his body4 ,of all these sufferings and perils the clauses of the divine passage now before us were prophecies4 ,from these same words nevertheless1 in meditating upon which we ought to employ our whole souls1 we derive a confidence in the ,son of ,god1 that he will bruise ,satan utterly4 ,but to return to the text4 ,this promise1 as ,i have already said1 is at the same time most clear and yet most obscure4 ,for since ,god1 as ,i have also observed1 here uses the expression1 ,the seed of the woman generally1 he does it that he might cause all women alike to be suspected by ,satan1 and that he might thus rack the serpent with perpetual suspense and dread4 ,the expression therefore is a wonderful synecdoche1 condensation of instruction4 ,it bears a general reference to all individual women1 and yet contains a direct reference to one individual woman only1 to ,mary and to her ,seed1 who was to become a mother without any intercourse with the male sex4 ,for ,god1 ,i repeat1 thus willed all women to be suspected by ,satan1 while on the other hand he willed that a most sure hope should be left to the godly1 which should lead them to expect this salvation from all parents until in the fullness of time the true mother should be revealed4 ,as therefore the first clause of the passage1 ,i will put enmity between thee and the woman1 refers to all women in general2 so this second clause1 her ,seed refers1 with a special individually1 if ,i may so express myself1 to that seed which should be born of ,mary1 of the tribe of ,judah1 who was espoused unto ,joseph4 ,this text therefore contains that glorious promise which revived ,adam and ,eve and raised them again from death unto that life1 which they had lost by their sin2 though the life to which they were thus raised again was rather a life hoped for than a life possessed2 as ,paul also frequently speaks when he uses the language1 ,we die daily4 ,for although we do not wish to call the life which we live here death1 yet it is in truth nothing more or less than a continual living on to death4 ,for as he who is infected with a pestilential and fatal disease begins to die from the moment of his infection2 so from the moment this life of ours is infected by sin1 it can no longer properly be called life on account of that sin and death1 its sure punishment4 ,for we begin to die even from our mother's womb4 ,but by baptism we are restored to the life of hope1 or rather to the hope of life4 ,for this is the true life1 which we live1 before ,god1 in our renewed state4 ,before we come unto that life1 we are in the midst of death4 ,we are ever dying and rotting on the earth like other carcasses are2 as if there were no life at all in us4 ,but we who believe in ,christ possess a hope that we shall be raised again at the last day unto the life eternal4 ,it was in this manner also that ,adam was raised again from his state of death by sin through this promise1 thus spoken by the ,lord4 ,not that he was raised to a perfect life2 for he did not as yet regain that life which he had lost4 ,but he conceived in his soul a hope of that perfect life1 when he heard that the tyranny of ,satan was thus to be bruised and destroyed4 ,under the divine mind and promise1 declared in this text therefore1 is included redemption from the law1 from sin and from death4 ,and by the same text is set forth the plain and certain hope of resurrection from the dead1 and of being called into another life after the present4 ,for if the head of the serpent is to be destroyed1 most certainly death is to be destroyed also2 and if death is to be destroyed1 with equal certainty that which deserveth death1 namely1 sin1 is also to be abolished4 ,and if sin is to be abolished1 so also is the law2 and not only so1 but that obedience which was lost is to be restored4 ,and as all these things are promised through this ,seed of the woman1 it is perfectly manifest1 as a natural consequence1 that human nature since the fall can neither take away sin by any powers of its own nor escape death1 the just punishment of sin1 nor regain the obedience to ,god1 which it has lost by the sin of the fall4 ,for all these things require a greater power1 a mightier strength than is possessed by man4 ,hence it was absolutely necessary that the ,son of ,god should become a victim or sacrifice for us1 that by the offering of himself he might accomplish all these things for us2 that he might take away sin1 swallow up death and restore unto us the obedience which we had lost4 ,all these treasures therefore we do possess in ,christ1 but in hope4 ,thus ,adam1 and thus ,eve1 lived and conquered by this hope4 ,and in the same manner all believers live and conquer1 by the same hope1 and will so live and conquer until the last day4 ,death is indeed a horrible and invincible tyrant2 but the divine power thus makes that1 which is in all things horrible1 nothing2 just as the same power of ,god made out of that which was nothing all things4 ,for only behold ,adam and ,eve4 ,they were filled with sins and with death4 ,but as soon as they heard the divine promise concerning the ,seed of the woman1 which should bruise the serpent's head1 they were comforted by the same hope which comforts us1 that death shall be destroyed1 and sin shall be abolished1 and that righteousness and life and peace shall be restored4 ,in this hope did our first parents live and die1 and on account of that hope they were truly holy and righteous4 ,in the same hope do we also live4 ,and when we come to die1 we hold fast this hope of eternal life for ,christ's sake1 which hope the ,word always sets before us1 while it commands us to trust in the merits of ,christ4 ,but in vain do we expect to attain unto that perfection in this life1 that we should be altogether righteous1 that we should love ,god perfectly and that we should love our neighbor as ourselves4 ,we do indeed begin and make progress1 but sin which is in our members ever wars against us and is ever present2 so that it ever mars or altogether prevents this our obedience4 ,as therefore this life of ours1 on account of the death within us and before us1 may truly be called a death2 so righteousness is altogether buried under our sins4 ,it is in hope therefore alone that we hold fast life and righteousness1 as things altogether hidden from our sight1 but which will be revealed in their time4 ,meanwhile our life is a life in the midst of death2 and yet1 in the midst of this death1 we hold fast the hope of life by the teaching1 commanding and promising ,spirit of ,god4 ,this consolation is blessedly set forth in1 ,ps4 #fh3b1 ,he that is our ,god is the ,god of salvation2 and unto ,god the ,lord belong the issues from death4 ,for we ascribe to our ,god the great glory that he not only helps us in this temporal life1 as the devil sometimes stands by his worshippers1 as is manifest from numberless examples among the heathen2 but the glory which belongs to our ,god1 is that to the ,lord our ,god belong the issues from death2 that he delivers from death those who are oppressed thereby on account of their sins and translates them into eternal life1 ,col4 #a3ac4 ,and our ,god does this as ,moses here teaches us by crushing the head of the serpent4 ,in this part of the divine history of ,moses therefore we have ,adam and ,eve restored1 not indeed perfectly into that life which they had lost1 but into the hope of that life1 by which hope they have escaped1 not indeed the first taste of that death1 but the whole eternal substance of it4 ,that is1 although their flesh was sentenced to suffer and was compelled to suffer a temporal or momentary taste of death1 yet1 on account of the promised ,son of ,god1 who should crush the head of the devil1 they hoped for a resurrection of the flesh and a life eternal after the temporal death of the flesh1 which hope we also have4 ,next follows the other part of this divine speech1 in which ,god first threatens her temporal punishment to the woman and then to the man his temporal punishment also4 ,,part ,v4 ,,the ,,punishment ,,inflicted ,,on ,,our ,,first ,,parents4 ,i4 ,v4 #af4 ,unto the woman he said1 ,i will greatly multiply thy pain and thy conception2 in pain thou shalt bring forth children2 and thy desire shall be to thy husband1 and he shall rule over thee4 ,this is the punishment which was inflicted on the woman2 but a punishment full indeed of joy and gladness1 because it varied not in the least from the sentence just before pronounced on ,satan4 ,for seeing that the glorious promise still remained that the head of the serpent should be crushed1 there was a sure hope of a resurrection from death4 ,and whatever is imposed on man as the punishment of his sin is possible to be borne1 because this hope remains to him firm and sure4 ,and this is the reason the ,holy ,scriptures are so very careful not to say anything in the punishment of the woman1 which should be contrary to or at all militate against the sentence just before pronounced against the serpent4 ,god did indeed impose a punishment on the woman1 but he still left her the hope of a resurrection and of a life eternal4 ,the death which she had deserved by her sin ,god transferred on the other and less honorable part of man1 namely1 on the flesh2 that the spirit might live1 because of righteousness through faith as the apostle says1 ,rom4 #h3aj1 ,the body is dead because of sin1 but the spirit is life because of righteousness4 ,the woman therefore is subject to death as to the flesh1 but as to the hope set before her she is free from death4 ,for that divine word1 by which ,god threatens the devil with the ,bruising of his head1 remains ever sure to her4 ,the animal life therefore hath1 as here declared1 its cross and its death2 as ,paul also said1 ,the natural body dies1 but is raised a spiritual body1 #a ,cor4 #ae3dd4 ,so also in this natural or animal life there remains marriage1 and the woman experiences those punishments on account of her sin1 which the ,lord here inflicts upon her2 that from the time of her conception and at the time of giving birth and rearing children1 she endures various pains and perils all that part of her life which she lives in a child-bearing state4 ,all these evils and sorrows however pertain to the animal life or to the flesh itself only4 ,but there remains to her all the while the hope here given her of a spiritual and eternal life after this present life4 ,this punishment of the woman therefore1 if we truly and rightly consider the whole matter1 is in its holy reality a glad and joyful punishment4 ,for although the righteous burdens imposed are painful to the flesh to bear1 yet by means of these very burdens and punishment1 her hope of a better and eternal life is actually strengthened4 ,for ,eve on the present critical occasion hears in the first place that she was not cast off of ,god for her sin4 ,and in the next place she is not by her punishment deprived of that blessing of generation and fruitfulness which was promised to her and freely given to her of ,god before her sin4 ,she sees that she still retains her sex2 that she is still a woman6 ,she sees that she is not separated from her ,adam1 to remain and live alone1 separated from her husband4 ,she sees that the glory of maternity is still left her2 she may still be a mother6 ,and all these blessings of this present natural life are left to her1 in addition to that promised hope of life eternal4 ,this multitude of mercies1 which was still reserved for her1 no doubt wonderfully revived and gladdened the mind of ,eve4 ,nay1 a greater and more real glory still awaited her2 she not only retained the blessing of fruitfulness and of continuing in marriage union with her husband1 but she possessed also the sure promise that from her should come that ,seed which should bruise the head of ,satan4 ,eve therefore1 without doubt1 in this her most sad experience1 for sad it must have appeared to her1 had yet her bosom filled with joy4 ,and it is very likely that she consoled her ,adam with words like these3 ,i have sinned4 ,but only see how merciful a ,god we have6 ,what large blessings1 both temporal and spiritual1 has he still left to us sinners4 ,wherefore1 we women will cheerfully bear this labor and this sorrow of conceiving and bringing forth children1 and of obeying you1 our husbands4 ,this is indeed fatherly anger6 for we have still remaining also the promise that the 'head' of our enemy shall be 'crushed2' and promise that we shall be raised again unto another life after the death of our flesh through our ,redeemer4 ,the greatness of all these blessings and this infinite multitude of benefits far surpass whatever of curse or punishment our ,father has been pleased to lay upon us4 ,these and like conversations ,adam and ,eve1 no doubt1 often held together to alleviate their temporal sorrows4 ,in this same manner also1 ought we to contemplate the unspeakable treasures we possess in our hope of the life to come and by such meditations ought we to lessen the troubles of the flesh4 ,this is what we find the ,apostle ,paul doing1 #b ,cor4 #d3ag1 #ah1 ,for our light affliction1 which is for the moment1 worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory2 while we look not at the things which are seen1 but at the things which are not seen2 for the things which are seen are temporal1 but the things which are not seen are eternal4 ,now tell me if all the temporal afflictions which may be laid on them1 will not be borne resignedly and patiently by those persons who are enabled to lay hold of the hope of future glory and to believe in ,god1 here promising the crushing of the serpent's head1 and who can moreover look upon those temporal blessings which remain to us2 that our ,lord hath given us this whole world to enjoy1 and that he has given us wives1 homes and children1 and has preserved all things to us and increases them by his blessing8 ,and will they not say1 ,that is not the anger of a judge nor a tyrant1 but of a father6 ,on the other hand however1 they will behold the anger of the judge falling upon the serpent4 ,in his case there is not only no deliverance promised1 but a certain crushing of his head foretold4 ,and this anger of the judge ,satan felt at the time1 and he feels it still4 ,and it is on this very account that he rages with such great and unceasing fury against the ,church and the ,son of ,god1 until the last day shall come4 ,the divine threatening therefore in this passage where the ,lord threatens ,eve with the sure punishments of her sin1 was indeed a heavy threatening4 ,but out of the midst of those very punishments there beamed forth unspeakable mercy4 ,and this mercy so revived and strengthened ,eve that she rejoiced with a heart full of gladness1 even in the midst of her sorrows4 ,and as to ourselves we feel how necessary these punishments are to crucify and keep under the flesh4 ,for how could we be humbled if our nature were not pressed down to the earth with burdens like these8 ,eve therefore experienced and every woman of her station and duty must experience these sure calamities4 ,these sorrows must be multiplied unto all women4 ,they must both conceive in sorrow and bring forth in sorrow4 ,it is moreover worthy of observation1 that the ,hebrew expression here used is ,,rab1 which signifies both a continuous and distinct quantity2 conveying to us the thought that these great and many and various sorrows1 thus righteously inflicted on ,eve1 were such as she would not have had to endure1 if she had not fallen by sin2 and the expression also implies the sorrows and punishments inflicted particularly on conception and childbirth4 ,this same expression signifies by its implied meaning the whole of that time1 conception1 during which the child is borne in the womb1 which time is afflicted with great and various weaknesses1 pains and diseases4 ,the head1 the stomach1 the general health and the appetites are variously and greatly affected4 ,and after the child is matured and the birth is at hand1 the greatest sorrow of all is endured2 and the child is not born without great peril even of life4 ,when the heathen and those who have no knowledge of ,god or of his works see these things1 they take such offence at them that they form the conclusion that1 on account of these various troubles1 it is not becoming a wise man to marry at all4 ,and true it is that the female sex is far more deeply humbled and afflicted1 and bears a punishment far more heavy and severe than men4 ,for what sufferings of the body1 equal to those we just described1 does man endure8 ,but by marriage the husband does take upon himself as it were a part of these punishments of original sin2 for the husband cannot see his wife endure all this pain and sorrow without much distress in himself4 ,so that many wicked men prefer living a life of profligacy to a life of marriage4 ,against such wicked sentiments as these the godly will arm and console themselves2 and by true wisdom will set against these evils the certain and far greater blessings which attend the married life4 ,hence the ancient heathen poet ,pindar1 in his ,ode to ,hiero1 ,king of ,syracuse1 condemns this perverseness in ignorant men4 ,though ,god1 says he1 is ever wont so to dispense his benefits as to leave some evil intermingled with them1 yet none but the wise and good can carry themselves aright under them4 ,for they adorn their prosperity2 and under its bright colors they hide the adversity which they endure1 setting their prosperity ever foremost to be seen of men3 ,to one good thing1 two evil things1 ,the gods appoint4 ,fools ,know not how to adorn their ills4 ,but wise men do3 making the ,worst1 to wear the best appearance4 ,,pind4 ,pyth4 ,ode iii4 #ade-aej4 ,and this is what the godly ought ever to do in this their solemn case4 ,the punishments1 to which women are subject on account of the sin of the fall1 are indeed great4 ,but is there not in marriage a blessing which infinitely surpasses all the punishments of original sin with which it is afflicted8 ,have not those who are married in the midst of their great troubles that sure hope of immortality and eternal life which comes to them through the ,seed of the woman6 ,nay1 the troubles and trials themselves of marriage are not without their benefit4 ,they all tend to break down and humble our nature1 which cannot be humbled without the cross4 ,and in the third place there is left to be enjoyed in these great bodily afflictions the peculiar glory of motherhood3 that high blessing of the womb6 ,this was a blessing which even the wise among the heathen so greatly admired and so loudly lauded4 ,and other good gifts of marriage also remain to us and are enjoyed by us4 ,we are borne in the womb of our mothers1 we suck their breasts1 we are nursed1 we are nourished1 and by the devoted attention and care of our mothers we are preserved in infancy and childhood4 ,to view the great and solemn matter of marriage thus1 is to set our blessings in their fairest light4 ,this is not to look at our evils only1 but to delight ourselves in the benefits and the great blessing of ,god in his holy ordinance of marriage2 and under those benefits and that blessing1 to sink out of sight the various punishments1 corruptions1 pains and afflictions by which it is compassed4 ,but the godly alone understand these things and do them4 ,they alone view marriage aright4 ,they alone give honor unto women1 as unto the weaker vessel2 because they see them to be their companions of immortality as well as of mortality1 and as being heirs together with them of the inheritance in heaven4 ,the godly moreover behold them highly honored of the ,lord by the blessing and the glory of motherhood4 ,by them we are conceived1 from them we are born1 by them we are nursed in infancy4 ,and for myself ,i have often contemplated with wonder and delight the peculiar adaptation of the female body for nursing infants4 ,how aptly1 becomingly and gracefully1 do even little girls carry infants in their bosom8 ,and with what appropriate gestures do mothers dandle their infants1 especially when the crying babe is to be pacified or quieted so as to be laid in the cradle8 ,only tell a man to do these same things and he will set about it as an elephant would attempt to dance2 so awkward are his motions1 if he has only to touch a babe with his finger1 to say nothing about all those other offices and attentions which a mother only can perform4 ,whoever therefore rightly views and estimates the sacred matter of marriage will receive all these offices and services of the woman as signs and proofs of the blessing of the ,lord1 by which ,god testifies that the female sex1 though thus severely punished on account of their original sin1 are very dear to him and his peculiar care4 ,wherefore let these meditations suffice concerning the first part of the divine curse on the original sin of ,eve4 ,the other part of the curse lies in the particulars of the marriage union4 ,if ,eve had not sinned1 her childbirth would not only have been without any pain1 but even her union with her husband would have been most pure and utterly free from all shame4 ,there would have been no more shame attached to those connubial circumstances than there is in a man's taking his meal with his wife and conversing with her at the dinner-table4 ,the bringing up of children also would have been most easy and full of pleasure4 ,but all these blessings were lost by the sin of the fall1 and in their place are endured by the woman all those too well-known evils of pain and labor in carrying the child1 bringing it forth and bringing it up4 ,wherefore just as a graceful maiden weaves a beautiful chaplet from the flowers of the garden and bears it on her head1 not only without any molestation but with the greatest pleasure and the greatest pride2 so1 if ,eve had not sinned1 she would have borne her child in her womb not only free from distress or inconvenience1 but with the utmost pleasure and pride4 ,whereas now1 in addition to all those pains of bearing the child and giving it birth1 she has rendered herself subject to the power of her husband2 while before she was wholly free and in no sense inferior to the man1 and was an equal partaker of all the endowments bestowed by ,god on him4 ,this then is the punishment of the woman1 which righteously fell upon her as the consequence of original sin1 which she bears quite as unwillingly as she does those pains and troubles1 righteously imposed on her flesh in child-bearing4 ,wherefore the rule and government of all things remain in the power of the husband whom the wife according to the command of ,god is bound to obey4 ,the husband rules the house1 governs the state politic1 conducts wars1 defends his own property1 cultivates the earth1 builds1 plants1 etc4 ,the woman on the other hand as a nail driven into the wall sits at home4 ,hence it is that the ,apostle ,paul calls women ,,oikourous1 keepers at home1 ,titus #b3e4 ,for this same reason the ancients represented ,venus sitting on a shell2 because as the shell-fish always carries its shell with it1 so the woman ought always to be constantly at home attending to her domestic affairs2 as one deprived of the right of governing outside of her house and in public1 and as one whose duty is never to go beyond her own most private and domestic concerns in the matter of government4 ,had ,eve therefore stood in the truth she would not only have been free from all subjection to the rule of the man1 but she herself also would have been an equal partaker of government1 which now belongs to men alone4 ,women however are generally impatient of this burden and by nature aim at the assumption of that1 which by their sin they have lost2 and when they can do nothing more they at least show their unwillingness to bear the yoke by a murmur of discontent4 ,whereas they are not competent to undertake the management of men's affairs1 of teaching1 ruling1 etc4 ,of bearing children1 and of feeding1 nursing and bringing up their offspring they are capable4 ,in this manner therefore was ,eve punished2 and all womankind endure the same curse4 ,but1 as ,i have before said1 this very punishment is a joyful one1 if you look at the hope of eternal life which springs from her ,seed1 out of the midst of her child-bearing pains2 and if you consider also the glory of maternity or motherhood left to her4 ,,ii4 ,v4 #ag4 ,and unto ,adam he said1 ,because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife1 and hast eaten of the tree1 of which ,i commanded thee1 saying1 ,thou shalt not eat of it3 cursed is the ground for thy sake2 in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life4 ,the husband was last in the transgression1 #a ,tim4 #b3ad1 and therefore the punishment is inflicted on him last4 ,but the ,lord threatens no punishment to the man here in generation4 ,god makes no mention of the pains of generation in his case4 ,therefore the punishment of the husband lies in the fury of lust1 inflamed by the poison of ,satan throughout his whole body1 but without the pains of the woman4 ,his duties as husband however are laden with punishment4 ,for1 as it belongs to the man to feed1 to rule1 to guide and to educate his family1 those duties cannot be performed by him without great trouble and distress nor without the hardest labors4 ,the duty laid of ,god upon the woman is to obey her husband2 but with what difficulty is this very performance of her duty obtained6 ,i say nothing about the rule of the man over others1 who are not of his immediate family and household4 ,hence it was that the philosophers of old were led to wonder from what cause in nature it could possibly arise that men could govern any wild beast more easily than rule their fellowmen4 ,this is the ground of ,xenophon's complaint1 when he says1 ,it is easier to manage any other animal than to rule man4 ,the duties of a husband indeed are great and noble1 which are to cultivate the earth and to perform any other work by which his wife and children may be supported to rule his house and family2 to govern states and kingdoms2 and to teach and instruct those of his own house and others also unto godliness and moral duties4 ,all these noble duties however are always attended with their punishment of original sin4 ,they cannot be performed without the greatest distress1 of which we have examples before our eyes daily4 ,first of all on account of the sin of ,adam himself the earth is cursed4 ,for the expression the ,latin translation renders in thy work1 in opere tuo1 is in the original ,hebrew ,,baaburecha1 for thy sake1 propter te4 ,the ,latin interpreter was deceived by the similarity of the letters4 ,he read the ,hebrew as being ,,baabudecha4 ,for ,,abad signifies to cultivate the earth or to till the ground4 ,from this it appears how awful the calamity of sin is1 seeing that even the earth1 which is innocent in itself and committed no sin1 is nevertheless compelled to bear sin's curse2 and as the ,apostle ,paul expresses it1 ,rom4 #h3bj1 #ba1 is made subject to vanity1 from which however it shall be delivered in the last day and for which also it waits in earnest expectation1 verse #ai4 ,for ,pliny calls the earth a kind1 gentle and indulgent mother and also a perpetual handmaid of service to mankind4 ,and yet as the ,apostle ,paul here shows1 this kind earth herself is compelled to bear her curse also4 ,in the first place1 because she does not bear those good things for man and beast which she would have borne had man not fallen2 and in the next place1 because she does bear many hurtful things1 which but for man's sin she would not have borne1 such as the destructive weeds1 darnel1 tares1 nettles1 thorns1 thistles1 etc41 to which may be added1 poison1 noxious reptiles and other like hurtful things1 brought into the creation by sin4 ,for my own part ,i entertain no doubt that before the sin of the fall the air was more pure and healthful1 the water more wholesome and fructifying1 and the light of the sun more bright and beautiful4 ,so that the whole creation as it now is reminds us in every part of the curse inflicted on it1 on account of the sin of the fall4 ,yet some remnants of the original blessing of ,god still rest upon it2 in that being compelled as it were to do so by the hard labor of man1 it still continues to produce things necessary for our use1 although those very things are impeded and deformed by briers and thorns2 that is1 by useless and noxious trees1 bushes and weeds1 which the divine anger ceases not to sow among them4 ,this original curse moreover was afterwards greatly increased by the ,deluge1 when all the good trees were rooted up and destroyed1 barren sands accumulated and both noxious herbs and beasts multiplied4 ,in those very places where ,adam before his sin used to walk among the most fruitful trees1 over most fertile meadows and in the midst of roses and flowers of every kind1 there nettles and briers1 and other annoying plants abound2 and in such quantities that the good and useful plants are well nigh choked by them4 ,only look at the field now just prepared by the plow for receiving the seed2 no sooner is that seed sown than immediately there spring up the destructive darnel and the tares1 which grow even faster than the fruits which are for the use and nourishment of life4 ,and if the former were not plucked up by the constant care and toil of the husbandman1 they would daily grow to such an extent that these very destructive weeds of the curse would choke the good seed altogether4 ,the earth herself indeed is innocent and would of its own free nature bring forth all things which are the best and most excellent4 ,but she is prevented from doing so by the curse inflicted on man for his sin4 ,as therefore woman endures the punishment of sin in her body1 a punishment she is mercifully enabled to bear1 with which she is afflicted in the bringing forth of children2 so the husband has to endure his punishment in the government of his household2 while1 with all kinds of difficulty1 labor and distress1 he rules his house and provides for his family4 ,and justly so2 for it was on his own account that the field was cursed4 ,whereas before he sinned no part of the earth was either barren or corrupt1 but all places in it were marvelously fertile and productive2 but now1 on the contrary1 not only is it in many parts entirely barren1 but even those parts1 which are otherwise fruitful1 are deformed and defiled with tares1 weeds1 briers and thorns4 ,and this calamity is indeed great1 and might well drive ,adam himself and us all to choose strangling rather than life4 ,but the whole mighty evil is rendered endurable by the promise of the woman's ,seed1 by which the punishment of eternal death1 which is infinitely greater than all this punishment of life1 is wholly taken out of the way4 ,that which next follows1 ,in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life1 are words quite easy to understand4 ,for who knows not how laborious the life of an husbandman is4 ,it is not enough that he prepare the ground for receiving the seed1 which is attended with great and various labor2 but even when the corn is yet in the blade1 each single day almost demands of him its necessary labor and toil2 not to mention those almost infinite hindrances of weather1 noxious vermin1 etc41 all which greatly augment his pain1 labor and suffering4 ,whereas before the sin of the fall1 not only were there no such evils and hindrances in existence1 but the earth1 had ,adam not sinned1 would have brought forth all things quicker than the hope or expectation of man1 as it were1 unsown and unplowed4 ,moreover this calamity1 which sin brought into the creation1 was in many respects lighter and more tolerable in their state before the ,flood than in the condition of the world which followed4 ,in the antediluvian state of the curse no other mention is made than of thorns1 and thistles1 and labor1 and sweat2 but now we experience numberless other additional evils4 ,how many diseases and pestilential injuries are inflicted on the standing corn1 on the plants of pulse1 on trees1 and finally on all the productions of the earth8 ,how many evils are wrought by destructive birds and noxious caterpillars8 ,add to these evils1 extremes of cold and frost1 thunderings1 lightnings1 excessive wet1 winds1 rivers bursting their banks1 fissures of the earth1 earthquakes1 etc4 ,of none of these is any mention made in the state of things under the curse before the ,deluge4 ,my firm belief is therefore that as the sins of men increased the punishments of those sins increased also2 and that all such punishments and evils were added to the original curse of the earth4 ,if however any one should think that ,moses embraced all these latter evils1 in his expression of the divine curse1 ,cursed is the ground for thy sake1 ,i certainly will not contend with him4 ,but no one surely can deny that all these evils and punishments increased as the sins of men increased4 ,in the same manner1 as in the present day1 we experience more frequent calamities befalling the fruits of the earth than in former times4 ,for the world degenerates and grows worse and worse every day4 ,most plainly therefore may we here trace the evidences that all these increased calamities were inflicted on ,adam as an instruction to him in the first age of the world that an increasedly severe discipline was necessary4 ,but by degrees this discipline1 down to the times of ,noah1 gradually became loosened and men began to live more dissolutely and wickedly1 until at length the earth was filled with violence1 injustice and tyranny4 ,and then it was necessary that either heavier or more frequent punishments should be inflicted2 just as severer diseases require severer remedies4 ,when therefore in the time of ,noah the whole earth had been deluged by the ,flood and every living creature except a few souls1 had been utterly destroyed1 the age which immediately succeeded that of ,noah lived without doubt in the fear of ,god4 ,but as years rolled on even these men became depraved1 being corrupted by ,satan4 ,so that an example more terrible in its nature still was necessary to be made2 as is shown in the awful destruction of ,sodom and its neighboring cities1 ,gen4 #ai3bd4 ,hence it is that the ,scripture says that it was necessary that the ,amorites should fill up the measure of their iniquities1 ,gen4 #ae3af4 ,so also the whole synagogue of the ,jews1 when it had fallen away into heathenism and open ungodliness1 was utterly destroyed4 ,in like manner also ,rome herself1 as long as her ancient discipline stood sound and unrelaxed1 mightily increased her power on every side2 but when the storms of vice pressed hard upon her it became necessary that her punishments also should draw upon her more closely4 ,about the time when the ,gospel began to be known among us in ,germany the age became somewhat moral and tolerable4 ,but now1 when the fear of ,god can scarcely be found1 and when vices of every description increase daily1 false prophets rising among us1 what else can be expected than that1 when we have filled up the measure of our iniquities1 either the consummation of all things will overtake us or that ,germany will suffer the due punishment of her sins2 so universally true is it that when sins increase1 the punishments of them increase also4 ,according to that which ,i have said concerning the calamities which rest upon all the productions of the earth2 so my full belief also is that even the bodies of men1 in the primval ages of the world1 were far more healthful than they are now4 ,this is proved by that longevity1 so incredible to us1 which was enjoyed by the men of the primitive ages of the world before the ,flood4 ,accordingly we do not find the ,lord pronounced in the present passage any threats on ,adam concerning apoplexy1 or leprosy1 or the scrofula1 or any other of the destructive diseases4 ,when ,i was a child the small-pox was unknown in ,germany4 ,it was first known among us when ,i was about fifteen years of age4 ,now however even infants in the cradle are attacked by it4 ,when this disease first made its appearance it filled every one with dread4 ,but now there is so little concern about it that friends often say to each other in a pleasant joke1 ,the smallpox take you6 ,so also1 even unto this present age1 the sweating disease has been a prevalent malady1 or as medical men term it1 an epidemic4 ,for it is universally seen that as each country of the earth has its peculiar blessings1 the countries are visited and afflicted with sure and corresponding calamities4 ,but the disease to which ,i have referred made its first general appearance in those midland parts of ,germany1 which were the farthest distant from the sea4 ,and what is abhorrent to relate1 some persons have serpent-like worms in their bowels1 and worms even in their brain4 ,these last diseases were utterly unknown1 ,i think1 to the physicians of old1 who nevertheless enumerate nearly four hundred different kinds of disease4 ,now if all these various diseases had existed in the first age of the world1 how could ,adam and his descendants1 down to the times of ,noah1 have lived to such extremely old ages8 ,wherefore ,moses1 as ,i have said1 here makes mention only of the barrenness of the earth and of the difficulty of man's procuring his bread4 ,indeed if any one wishes to assume the orator and to display the copiousness and eloquence of his language1 let him in opening the contents of the passages before us1 enumerate all the diseases and evils of the human race1 which are the consequences of sin4 ,were he to commence that task1 he would find a sea of calamities of every kind so boundless1 that filled with awe and dread1 he would be inclined to beg of ,god this one thing1 that he might not be permitted to live even one hour in the midst of so many and mighty perils6 ,but why do we dwell so long on these diseases only8 ,all the creatures of ,god together as one mighty army are against us1 and all but armed for our destruction4 ,how many are there1 whom the fire and the water destroy8 ,how much peril threatens men from ferocious and venomous beasts and other noxious creatures8 ,nor do they infest our bodies only1 but our food of every kind1 intended for our nourishment4 ,not to mention that we ourselves also rush upon each other in hostile slaughter and murder4 ,just as if there were not pestilences and destructions enough besides1 which threatened us on every hand4 ,and if you look at the general pursuits and objects of men1 what is this life of ours but a daily scene of contention1 deception1 snare1 rapine and murder8 ,and all this in addition to those evils and calamities which hang over our heads from the external things we have mentioned4 ,my belief is that all these things did not exist before the ,deluge2 or1 if they did exist1 were not so numerous or so heavy and severe as they now are found to be4 ,but as the sins of men increased1 so as we have said their punishments have increased also4 ,the calamities inflicted on ,adam therefore were light in comparison to those inflicted on us4 ,for the nearer the world approaches its end1 with the heavier punishments and calamities is it visited4 ,to all this evil is added that greater evil still1 that the more the world is stricken1 the more it hardens its forehead and becomes stupefied as it were and insensible of its punishment altogether1 as it is written in the ,proverbs1 ,they have stricken me1 shalt thou say1 and ,i was not hurt2 they have beaten me1 and ,i felt it not3 when shall ,i awake8 ,i will seek it yet again1 ,prov4 #bc3ce4 ,this blindness and obduracy exceed all the above calamities of the body4 ,is not our state then1 ,i ask1 marvelous and miserable8 ,the traces of the wrath of ,god1 which our sin has deserved1 are first of all bound up as it were in our bodies2 and next the same wrath of ,god is beheld resting on the earth and on all creatures1 and yet all these awful evils are disregarded by us1 and our minds are filled with security and indolent unconcern4 ,for what are the thorns1 what the thistles1 what the water1 what the fire1 what the caterpillars1 what the flies1 what the fleas1 what the bugs1 what the lice2 what1 ,i say1 are all these together and separately1 but so many messengers which continually preach to us of sin and of the wrath of ,god on its account8 ,for before sin entered into the world those living evils had no existence2 or if they were in existence1 they harmed not nor annoyed4 ,wherefore to our full knowledge and sight we are in1 and live in1 more than ,egyptian darkness4 ,for though all things around us remind us of the wrath of ,god continually1 and are all but so many pricks in our eyes of admonition1 we not only do not regard that wrath1 but embrace this life and enjoy it as our only delight4 ,in the same proportion therefore as sins are multiplied1 and self-security increases1 and men grow callous and insensible under their punishments1 so those punishments themselves are multiplied1 not only in this life but in that which is to come4 ,i am here speaking of the wicked in this world4 ,for if it were possible that men1 when in hell1 could possibly endure their punishments and torments in sensation only1 without the consciousness at the same time that the punishments which they endured were just1 such ignorance would render their torments more easy to be endured4 ,just in the same way as we on earth will not acknowledge our punishments1 and thus we harden ourselves as it were against grief4 ,but in hell that insensibility which now prevents us from seeing our real misery will be wholly taken away1 and all the doors of our senses will be unlocked1 so that we shall not only feel the pains of our punishment in our body1 but our mind itself will be filled with a sense of the wrath of ,god and with the confession that we have deserved the whole of that wrath by our wickedness4 ,these are the feelings that will sharpen1 and in an inconceivable degree augment the future torments of the wicked4 ,v4 #ah;a4 ,thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee4 ,here we are again reminded that the earth of itself brought forth no such thing2 but only on account of the sin of ,adam1 as ,moses had before expressly said1 ,for thy sake4 ,wherefore as often as we see thorns and thistles2 as often as we behold tares and other noxious weeds growing in our fields and in our garden1 so often are we reminded as by certain signs of sin and the wrath of ,god4 ,wherefore it is not only in churches that we hear ourselves accused of sin2 every garden1 every field and almost the whole creation is filled with such preachers and such monitors of our sin and of the wrath of ,god1 which is brought down upon us on account of that sin4 ,wherefore all prayer to the ,lord is necessary that he would take away from our eyes and from our hearts this marvelous insensibility2 that being thus perpetually reminded of our sin1 we may at length put off our self-security and walk in the fear of ,god4 ,for by these various evidences of the curse of ,god1 we are continually met1 cast down and overwhelmed4 ,this ,moses will now still more extensively set before us4 ,he next says3 ,v4 #ah;b4 ,and thou shalt eat the herb of the field4 ,this is a new calamity4 ,for above ,god had given unto man the sweetest and most delightful gifts2 even that he should eat of all the trees of paradise except two only4 ,the ,lord had also given him dominion over all fishes and over all that the whole earth produced1 whether of fruits or of animals4 ,but now all these blessings are taken from him1 on account of the eaten fruit and nothing is left him but the herb of the field4 ,and from this passage ,i believe it can be fully proved1 that ,adam did not feed upon butter1 or milk1 or eggs1 or cheese1 or flesh1 or even on apples or pears1 etc41 but on pot herbs and the seeds of certain herbs and plants only2 such as peas1 beans1 millet1 rice1 wheat1 flour1 etc4 ,where then were the splendor and luxury of the banquet at which ,adam feasted his friends1 when he gave a daughter in marriage1 or when he himself was present at the marriage of any of his sons2 seeing that nothing was granted them of ,god1 on which to feed but the herb of the field8 ,such then was the frugal fare of the primitive age of the world4 ,it consisted of the most common and simple food with water4 ,now however a horrible luxury has overrun the whole present generation of men4 ,they are not satisfied with collecting together flesh of every kind for the gratification of their appetites2 but flesh of every kind is mixed with fish of every kind2 spices also of every kind are used in addition4 ,nay1 the dissatisfied perverseness of nature is indulged to such an extent1 that those things by nature sweet are rendered by various condiments bitter2 and those by nature bitter are by the same means rendered sweet4 ,what varieties prevail in our drink also6 ,who would not consider himself made a laughing-stock1 if he should see his host set before him water as his drink8 ,nor are we content with beer1 which is brewed at our own homes1 nor with wines1 made on our paternal estates4 ,we even fetch them from beyond the sea4 ,if our first father ,adam could return on earth1 think you not that he would laugh at1 or rather wonder at1 this madness of appetite in his sons8 ,why1 he would avoid as poison those very things which we eat and drink with avidity and delight2 and he would prefer to all these our dainties even rapes or turnips in their natural undressed state4 ,in this passage frugality of living is commended to us4 ,for we are here taught that our first parents1 being thus righteously deprived of all other kinds of food1 had nothing left for food but the herb of the field4 ,these facts therefore ought to lead us not only to frugality1 but also to patience2 whenever we see others abounding in delicacies and dainties of every kind1 while we ourselves have nothing but bread1 salt and water4 ,for our thoughts ought to be these3 this is the punishment justly inflicted on ,adam4 ,when he might have enjoyed1 by the will1 and command1 and gift of ,god1 the delicious fruits of every kind which grew in paradise2 he was compelled with all his posterity to live on the common pot herbs1 because of his disobedience4 ,v4 #ai;a4 ,in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread4 ,with what variety of expression and repetition does ,moses dwell on this labor and trouble1 when he is declaring the manner in which the husband must labor and toil in feeding his family1 defending his property and governing his house6 ,and all these toils and troubles are far more difficult in our age on account of the perverseness of men1 than they were in the beginning4 ,for we universally witness1 even where the expectation of food is certain1 with what difficulty a family are kept to their duty4 ,nor was ,adam himself without his experience of this great evil4 ,for even while he was ruling his family with all possible holiness1 he witnessed murder committed by his son ,cain4 ,i say nothing now about all other sorrows which a long life compels a man to see and bear in his posterity4 ,this anxiety and toil therefore await the husband4 ,he must endure this labor1 which is neither pleasant nor successful4 ,nor ought any one to be found who does not endure this sweat4 ,hence1 much more perilous is the life of the ,papists2 all of whom abuse their wealth1 obtained by the labor of others1 to their own gratifications and indolence4 ,but here a question has been raised1 whether all men ought not to be husbandmen1 or at least whether they ought not to devote themselves to manual labor8 ,some did indeed thus foolishly contend at the beginning of the ,gospel among us4 ,for they so abused this and other like passages of ,scripture1 which command the labor of the hands1 that the youth throwing aside their literary studies gave themselves up to manual employments2 and ,carlstadt1 the leader of these misguided ones1 leaving his proper station in life1 purchased a farm1 and dug and cultivated his own land4 ,for myself indeed if ,i could with a good conscience forsake my calling as a minister of the ,word1 it would be far more easy and pleasant employment for me to be employed in cultivating my garden1 digging with my spade and breaking the clods with my shovel1 than to endure this hard labor1 which ,i now undergo4 ,for the toil of country laborers bears no proportion whatever to this our ministerial sweat4 ,wherefore their interpretation of this passage1 who contend that manual labor only is the sweat here spoken of1 is to be altogether rejected4 ,the declaration of ,christ is perfectly plain upon this point who commands that those who teach in the ,word should enjoy the labors of others ,and into whatsoever house ye shall enter1 first say1 ,peace be to this house4 ,and in that same house remain1 eating and drinking such things as they give for the laborer is worthy of his hire1 ,luke #aj3e1 #g4 ,here the ,lord takes bread from the table of those who hear the ,word of ,god1 and gives it to the teachers of the ,word4 ,in the same way also ,paul speaks1 when he says1 ,even so hath the ,lord ordained that they which preach the ,gospel should live of the ,gospel1 #a ,cor4 #i3ad4 ,and it is in confirmation of this same mind of ,god1 that the apostle cites that word of the law1 ,thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn1 verse #i4 ,and indeed why is the commandment concerning the payment of tithes given to the husbandmen1 who labors and cultivates his farm1 if the ministers of the ,word are to procure their food by the labor of their own hands8 ,these and like passages of ,scripture show that the sweat of the face is the common curse on all men4 ,the first sweat is1 that of husbandmen and householders2 the second1 the sweat of magistrates2 the third1 of teachers in the ,church4 ,of all these orders of men the condition of husbandmen is the happiest4 ,this the poet of old affirms3 ,felices nimium sua si bona norint1 ,agricolae4 ,happy their lot2 did they but know their good1 ,who cultivate the earth for all4--,virg4 ,georg4 #b1 #deh4 ,for though they do sweat under great labor1 yet that labor is seasoned with a peculiar pleasure1 while the new and marvelous faces of all creatures directly meet their eyes daily4 ,whereas in the political world and in the ,church infinite troubles and molestations present themselves1 in addition to the daily perils which are incurred1 if a minister of ,christ perform his duty faithfully4 ,for we speak not now concerning those indolent mortals1 who know not nor acknowledge these punishments of sin1 but who are devoted only to the consideration of the manner in which they can best satisfy their lusts4 ,let such ,epicureans be left to the indulgence of their own evil appetites and inclinations4 ,we are here speaking of those who do perform seriously what they undertake to do1 whether in the ,state or in the ,church4 ,such men labor and sweat more in one day than a husbandman does in a whole month1 if the magnitude and the various perils of their works be considered4 ,it is for this very reason also that tributes and revenues1 and other dues of the same description1 are paid unto kings and princes4 ,and who does not see that this is but a small return or reward after all to our rulers for the immense labor they undergo1 where they really do their duty faithfully4 ,and even if there be some who neglect their duty1 this legitimate ordinance of ,god is not on their account to be disregarded4 ,i have somewhere heard it said of the ,roman ,emperor1 ,maximilian ,augustus1 that he was so overwhelmed with his public duties that he never gave himself sufficient time for eating his meals4 ,he was therefore sometimes compelled to withdraw from his ,state labors1 and seclude himself in the woods to indulge in hunting4 ,sometimes also he would change his raiment and mingle with private society so that he might enjoy greater freedom in conversation4 ,and though this occupation of hunting was sometimes considered a vice in that ,emperor1 yet those who really knew the extent of his labors and the reality of his daily life considered that this amusement was adopted by him of necessity and not for pleasure4 ,what labors of the plow then1 what labors of the spade1 what other toils of a rustic life1 will you bring into comparison with that sweat which the government of such a mighty empire as that of ,rome demanded8 ,wherefore the palaces of kings and princes do indeed bear their names as such1 while the kings and princes themselves are the hardest worked of all servants4 ,hence monks and the whole confederacy of the ,pope are the only beings that really live a royal life1 because they leave all labors1 all business affairs and all the perils of them to others1 while they themselves enjoy all the comforts of life in perfect indolence4 ,these same observations apply equally to the pastoral charge in the ,church which charge is to be considered the heavier since the duties are more important which a pastor has to perform4 ,for are we to suppose that ,augustine lived at ease and gave himself up to his pleasures only1 surrounded as he was by so great a multitude of adversaries1 against whom he had daily to contend to prevent them from wholly subverting as they would have done the doctrine of ,christ8 ,for such were the ,pelagians1 the ,donatists1 the ,manicheans and other like disturbers of the churches4 ,likewise ,i in this day by the grace of ,god so perform my duties as to leave no one1 ,i believe1 to envy such a laborious life of ease as ,i daily pass4 ,it is the height of folly that fanatics urge on all persons the necessity of manual labors1 which nevertheless are useful for the health of the body4 ,whereas on the contrary1 those great labors of the ,state and ,church1 which we have just described1 wear out the body and exhaust as it were all the moisture of the very bones and their inmost marrow4 ,let us therefore duly and rightly distinguish this sweat as it ought to be distinguished4 ,the household sweat is great1 the civil or political sweat greater still1 but the ,church sweat is the greatest of all4 ,only look at the ,apostle ,paul and you will at once see the greatness of his sweat4 ,for seeing that the ,church is in all ages infested with devils and harassed by heresies1 scandals and great sins1 by the unrighteous violence of tyrants and by evils of every description2 will any man say that there are no labors and no sweats in the ,church8 ,will any one affirm that those who rule in the ,church are not well deserving the provision which they receive8 ,we may say this of the ,pope and the ,cardinals1 and of all that congregation of the wicked who do no work at all1 consult only their belly and their ease1 spending the greatest wealth4 ,these are they of whom we may rightly say with ,paul1 ,if any one will not work1 neither shall he eat1 #b ,thess4 #c3aj4 ,now the work of the ,church is to teach the ,word1 to administer the ,sacraments1 to war with fanatics1 to remove scandals out of the way1 to build up the godly in the faith1 etc4 ,of those who really do this ,christ says1 ,the laborer is worthy of his hire1 ,luke #aj3g4 ,now the condition of ,adam1 the first sinner1 was if rightly considered worse than ours4 ,for while we all sweat separately1 each one in his own order and station1 ,adam was compelled to endure at one and the same time the sweat of the household rule1 the sweat of the political rule and the sweat of the ,church rule4 ,he alone performed all these duties to his family and posterity as long as he lived4 ,he provided for his family and ruled it4 ,he trained them in piety and was at the same time their father1 their king and their priest4 ,and how full of pain and peril each one of these duties is1 universal experience teaches4 ,wherefore we need great consolation to support us against all these evils1 and we should exercise our minds in much patience1 seeing that we find these calamities to be laid even on the elect also1 who possess the hope of a resurrection and of eternal life4 ,as therefore this hope is thus left to us afflicted men1 it becomes us to be of a courageous mind and to overcome our evils by means of this hope1 because we are not destined to live here forever4 ,just as men1 who when traveling happen to find a miserable lodging and a covetous host1 console themselves with the thought that though their food be bad and their bed hard1 their misery will last for one night only4 ,such ought our thoughts to be in the midst of our calamities on account of the sin of the fall4 ,for what are our two or three years of life1 almost the half of which we pass in insensible sleep1 when compared with eternity6 ,let afflictions and adversities come therefore as the ,lord shall be pleased to appoint them to each of us1 whether they be the sweat of the home rule1 of the state rule1 or of the ,church rule2 we will not suffer ourselves to be moved by them to impatience4 ,we will not cast aside our home duty1 or our state duty1 or our ,church duty4 ,such woman-like weakness as this becometh not brave soldiers4 ,it is unworthy them to throw away their arms1 and to flee at the first onset4 ,and what of pleasures and of ease8 ,we are not appointed unto them1 but unto labor and active life4 ,hence the poet of old says3 ,tu ne cede malis2 sed contra audentior ito4 ,yield not to ills2 but bolder grow1 as these ,are seen t' increase4--,virg4 ,aen4 #f1 #if4 ,and this shall we be able to do1 if we set against these temporal afflictions the hope of a resurrection and of eternal life4 ,as therefore no one would willingly lose this hope1 so let all men consider that they are bound not to forsake that calling and station of life where they have been placed by ,god4 ,let him who is called to teach the churches1 do it with a magnanimous spirit1 moved neither by his own perils nor by the lazy life of popes1 who1 when they ought to be preaching the ,gospel1 ruling the churches1 hearing sacred causes and judging controversies concerning doctrine and helping the churches that have need of help1 cast off all these highest duties and leave them to the useless monks1 while they themselves are occupied in accumulating monies and making provision for fulfiling their lusts1 ,rom4 #ac3ad4 ,as these therefore escape the sweat1 they shall not have the cooling refreshment4 ,as they will not suffer with ,christ1 they shall not reign with him1 ,rom4 #h3ag4 ,on the other hand let all of us who endure this sweat1 each one in his station1 always think that1 although we may have a bitter burden to bear1 these afflictions will have their certain end4 ,hence ,moses now adds the following consolation under any affliction however hard3 ,v4 #ai;b4 ,till thou return unto the ground2 for out of it wast thou taken2 for dust thou art1 and unto dust shalt thou return4 ,with respect to wicked men they endure an infinite number of calamities with the hope of enjoying a little morsel of pleasure4 ,what perils by land and by sea does the merchant experience with the hope of gain8 ,for what a small hire does the soldier sell his life4 ,the harlot in the brothel is compelled to endure a thousand-fold greater evils than any wife in the honest home4 ,hence the ,germans call them by a striking proverb1 the devil's martyrs2 because they of their own accord cast themselves into the greatest calamities1 which they might never have experienced1 if they had been willing to live a godly life4 ,and again1 what a host of evils do men1 given to wine and to gluttony1 bring upon themselves by their excesses1 from all of which they might have lived free had they eaten and drunk more moderately4 ,wherefore1 well may men be lost in considering what remedy can possibly be found for the human race4 ,since they are so hardened by ,satan that they not only do not feel their evils1 but studiously follow after them and pursue them with all eagerness4 ,for if they really did feel the evils of their ways would they not forsake them8 ,but the fact is that such insensibility benumbs the minds of men1 so that you may see them glorying in their very evils themselves4 ,as1 therefore1 such wicked perverseness is found in the greatest part of mankind1 that for the sake of a light and foolish pleasure they will involve themselves in sure calamities1 it is wonderful that the godly do not consider these things for their good1 and say within themselves1 ,although ,i must live in the midst of all these various evils1 yet they must all soon end and be recompensed by another and a better life4 ,and this is the consolation which this sacred sentence is intended to afford4 ,for it gives a promise that all these calamities shall have an end1 and that1 too1 by the bruising and crushing of the serpent's head1 ,till1 says ,moses1 thou return unto the ground1 ,,elhaadama4 ,for this original word signifies the ground or earth in general4 ,but the ,hebrew word ,,aphar signifies1 properly1 recently dug or ploughed earth1 or a lump of newly turned up earth4 ,our translation renders this original word by dust2 that it may signify loosened or crumbled earth4 ,for ,adam was made a living man out of a clod or lump of the earth4 ,when therefore the bonds of this clod shall be loosened1 it shall return1 the ,lord says1 to its former mould or dust4 ,and here again we are reminded of the manner in which1 as the sins of the world increased1 their punishments increased also4 ,the original usage of committing the bodies of the dead to the earth to be dissolved again to dust was certainly a milder and human-like custom2 but afterwards it became the practice of almost all nations to burn the bodies of their dead4 ,how often also does it happen that human beings are devoured alive by wild beasts1 and have the bellies of those beasts for their tombs8 ,hence we find enumerated among the four punishments declared by the prophet1 the teeth of wild beasts1 ,jer4 #ae3c1 and also by ,moses himself the poison of serpents and other venomous animals1 ,deut4 #cb3bd4 ,for so it is ever that the more insensible we are to the divine punishment of our sins1 the heavier the punishments ,god lays upon us1 to break us down and to beat in pieces our obduracy2 as it is written in the ,book of ,leviticus1 ,and if ye will not yet for these things hearken unto me1 then ,i will chastise you seven times more for your sins4 ,and ,i will break the pride of your power1 ,levit4 #bf3ah1 #ai4 ,thus the fall of ,adam was a fall from life into death1 and from soundness of body into diseases of every kind4 ,still the age of ,adam was truly a golden age1 if compared with ours4 ,but all things degenerated by degrees1 and that the great image of ,daniel also plainly shows1 ,dan4 #b3ca1 #ce4 ,for the nearer the world approaches its end the worse men become1 and this is the reason heavier punishments are inflicted on us than on those who have lived before us4 ,what a pertinacious war against the truth is carried on at this day by the ,papists6 ,what cruelty do they exercise against those who confess the truth6 ,i mention not now their well nigh ,satanic covetousness1 perfidy and acts of violence without end4 ,can the punishments of such then be very far off8 ,thus far ,moses has been recording the punishments inflicted on ,adam and his posterity on account of the sin of the fall4 ,and though these punishments are great1 yet they were milder in the beginning than they are now4 ,because those sins which were then of the positive1 if ,i may so speak1 are now increased to the superlative degree4 ,but before we proceed with the remaining contents of this chapter1 let us pursue a little further our discussion of that passage1 on which we have briefly dwelt in its place before1 where it is said to the woman1 ,i will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception or thy impregnation1 verse #af1 above4 ,for the original word there found is ,,heronechad1 which interpreters generally explain as descriptive of all those troubles and straits of mind and body which women endure from the time of conception to childbirth4 ,a question is here raised by some whether1 as the wife is impregnated and gives birth to a child only once in a year1 that one impregnation and parturition is itself a punishment8 ,and it is also inquired1 why if such be a punishment ,god here says1 ,i will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception8 ,with respect to the latter1 ,i believe the original word to be rightly translated1 ,i will greatly multiply thy conception1 that is1 thy pains and sorrows consequent upon that conception4 ,so that it is a punishment that a woman should conceive only once in the year1 and yet that one conception in the year should be laden with such numberless pains and sorrows4 ,for if man had continued in his innocence1 no doubt the fruitfulness of women would have been altogether greater4 ,we do now find certain instances where often two1 sometimes three1 and occasionally four1 children are brought forth at a birth4 ,there are universal laws of this fecundity in the brute creation4 ,the fruitfulness of birds and of fishes is very great4 ,dogs1 cats and sows produce a great number at a parturition4 ,the larger beasts however produce their offspring only once in a year generally4 ,my full belief is however that women1 had there been no sin1 would have been productive of a far more numerous offspring4 ,whereas now for the most part the most fruitful of them give birth to no more than one child in the year1 to which diminished fruitfulness there is also added that unclean lust of fallen nature4 ,all these things alike impress our minds with the magnitude of sin4 ,but here again we find brought forward the ,jewish cavil concerning the serpent4 ,they say if by the seed of the woman is to be understood here her natural seed1 which is born from her womb1 as we have interpreted the important passage1 it would seem to be a natural consequence that the seed of the serpent mentioned in this same passage should also be that seed which proceeds from the belly of the serpent4 ,otherwise1 they say that opposition which ,moses sets forth cannot consist when he says1 ,i will put enmity between thy seed and her seed1 verse #ae4 ,out of this cavil many consequences will follow4 ,in the first place it will follow that ,god is here speaking with the natural serpent only and determining his punishment2 and in the next place it will inevitably follow that ,christ has nothing at all to do with this passage1 nor this passage with him2 and it will equally follow that this text furnishes no proof whatever concerning ,christ6 ,wherefore this cavilling objection of the ,jews has the appearance of containing something in it2 but in fact it contains nothing at all4 ,first1 then1 my reply to this cavil is ,he that is ignorant1 let him be ignorant still2 and he that is filthy1 let him be filthy still1 ,rev4 #bb3aa4 ,for he that will not believe the openly revealed and manifest ,gospel is worthy of being left in ignorance of these more hidden passages of the ,scripture and in disbelief of them altogether4 ,neither is our present object to confirm or illustrate the ,gospel by the passage now in question1 but to hold up the brighter light of the ,gospel before it in order to illuminate its obscurities4 ,and if any will not believe the shining light of the ,gospel1 what marvel is it if they are left to disbelieve these more obscure words of the prophets and to produce their new and absurd opinions in opposition to them8 ,the promise of the ,gospel is revealed from heaven2 and moreover it is preserved in safety amidst the greatest tyrants and the most horrible punishments of our sins from ,god4 ,if the ,jews pertinaciously fight against this promise and will not believe it1 they must be left alone4 ,we meanwhile will deal with those who believe1 and who submit to the ,gospel4 ,christ says1 ,john #h3dd1 that ,satan is the father of lies1 and a murderer from the beginning1 and abode not in the truth4 ,this is that light of the ,gospel by which the dark places of the ,old ,testament are illumined4 ,now if ,satan was a murderer from the beginning tell me1 whom or what persons did he murder8 ,were they not ,adam and ,eve1 whom he murdered by sin8 ,where did he murder them8 ,was it not in paradise8 ,when did he murder them8 ,was it not when he made nothing of the commandment of ,god and promised ,adam and ,eve that they would be like gods if they would eat of the forbidden tree8 ,both propositions therefore are true4 ,the natural serpent was in paradise2 and by the natural serpent1 the old serpent1 the devil1 deceived man and murdered him4 ,the principal meaning of this passage therefore is to cause us to understand that the devil was the author of all this calamity2 just as when any one commits murder1 it may rightly be said of the sword of the murdered1 ,this sword killed the man4 ,whereas in truth1 it was not the sword alone nor of itself that killed the man1 but the murderer who used the sword4 ,indeed it is quite a common use of the figure synecdoche1 the conveyance of two ideas by one expression1 to understand the author of the act under the mention of the instrument made use of4 ,wherefore we explode this ,jewish cavil utterly4 ,secondly1 it is also true that contraries are not necessarily consistent contrarieties in every respect4 ,for the form of contrarieties is multiplex1 as logicians teach4 ,some things are opposed to others relatively1 others privatively1 and others by contradiction4 ,thus the natural father by whom we are begotten and the father of lies are opposed to each other4 ,although we should grant the ,jews their interpretation of this passage that ,moses is here speaking of the natural serpent1 yet the text itself evidently contains a synecdoche when we compare it with the words of ,christ4 ,the words of ,moses are1 ,and ,jehovah ,god said unto the serpent1 ,because thou hast done this1 thou art cursed above all cattle4 ,what then did the serpent do8 ,he deceived ,eve and thus murdered her4 ,so the words of ,moses therefore only hold up the light of the ,gospel1 ,the devil was a murderer from the beginning1 ,john #h3dd4 ,is it not by this light at once manifest that ,god so speaks with the natural serpent as recorded by ,moses1 that his words are intended to apply to the devil1 concealed under the form of the natural serpent1 who having assumed that form under it hurled man into sin and death1 and laid him under the wrath of ,god8 ,wherefore by the seed of the serpent in this passage is not to be understood the natural seed of the natural serpent1 but the seed of the devil2 as ,christ also represents the same in the ,gospel1 using the same appellation of seed1 where he says1 ,an enemy came and sowed among the wheat evil seed1 ,math4 #ac3be4 ,this evil seed is contrary to the spiritual seed1 even as flesh and spirit are wholly contrary to each other4 ,but it is not necessary as we have said1 that contraries should contain that contrariety to each other throughout in all respects2 just in the same manner as similarities do not respond to each other in every particular4 ,thus for instance1 ,adam is a figure of ,christ2 which similarity consists in the great truth that as sin hath abounded towards all men by ,adam1 so the righteousness of ,christ also abounds towards all those who believe in him4 ,these particulars of ,adam and of ,christ agree with each other4 ,in all other respects ,adam and ,christ do not agree4 ,wherefore let this their error be left to the ,jews1 to content themselves with it4 ,we believers in ,christ know that the serpent1 to whom ,god speaks in this text1 is the devil4 ,and this we know from the interpretation of ,christ himself4 ,,part ,,vi4 ,,name ,,adam ,,gave ,,his ,,wife4 ,,god ,,reminds ,,man ,,of ,,the ,,fall4 ,,the ,,cherubim4 ,i4 ,v4 #bj4 ,and the man called his wife's name ,eve2 because she is the mother of all living4 ,we have heard above that it was inflicted as a punishment upon the woman1 that she should be under the power of the man4 ,that power to which she is thus made subject is here described anew4 ,it is not ,god who here gives to ,eve her name1 but ,adam1 her lord2 just in the same manner as before he gave to all the animals their names1 as creatures put under his dominion4 ,no animal devised its name for itself4 ,every one received its appellation1 and the dignity and glory of its name1 from its lord1 ,adam4 ,so to this day1 when a woman marries a man1 she loses the name of her own family and is called after the name of her husband4 ,on the other hand it would be a thing quite monstrous1 if the husband should wish to be called by the name of his wife4 ,this therefore is a sign and further confirmation of that punishment of subjection which the woman procured by her sin4 ,in the same manner also1 if the husband changes his place of residence the woman is compelled to follow him as her lord4 ,so various are the traces in nature which put us in mind of original sin and of our numerous calamities on its account4 ,and the name which ,adam gave to his wife is a name full of joy and delight4 ,for what is better1 or more precious1 or more delightful1 than life8 ,there is a well-known poetic line-- ,num tu bona cuncta ,ut redimas vitam recuses8 ,to save thy life1 what wouldst thou not resign8 ,the world1 with all its wealth1 if they were thine6 ,for neither gold1 nor gems nor the glory of the whole world can be compared with the preciousness of life4 ,this ,christ intimates1 ,math4 #f3be2 #af3bf4 ,hence the ,jews generally give their children names taken from roses1 flowers1 jewels1 etc4 ,the name of ,eve however was not taken from the preciousness of anything worldly1 but from life itself1 which in value exceeds all things4 ,but ,adam adds also his reason for giving this name to his wife4 ,because she is the mother of all living4 ,it is evident therefore from this passage that ,adam1 by receiving the ,holy ,spirit1 was wonderfully enlightened2 and that he believed and understood the word spoken by ,god concerning the ,seed of the woman1 which should bruise the head of the serpent2 and that he therefore wished to signalize his faith1 and to adorn it by the name which he gave his wife1 the name the like of which he had not given to any other creature4 ,it is equally evident also that he moreover wished1 by this name given to his wife1 to cherish his own hope of a future ,seed1 to confirm his own faith and to comfort himself by the belief of a future and eternal life1 even at the very time when all nature had been rendered subject to death4 ,for if ,adam had not apprehended all this by the faith of the life to come1 his mind could not have been raised to such an assurance of it1 as to give his wife a name so full of joy4 ,as therefore he did give such a name to his wife1 it is perfectly evident that his mind was lifted up by the ,holy ,ghost to this confidence in the remission of sins by the ,seed of ,eve1 whom he therefore named ,eve1 in order that the name might be a memorial of that divine promise by which he himself was raised anew unto life and by which he left the hope of an eternal life to his posterity4 ,this hope and this faith he imprinted as it were on the forehead of his wife in the brightest colors by the name ,eve which he gave her2 just in the same manner as those who are delivered from their enemies erect trophies and other glad memorials to commemorate the victory which they have gained4 ,but perhaps you will inquire1 how ,adam called ,eve the mother of all living1 when she was as yet a virgin and had never borne a child4 ,adam1 we here again see1 did this to testify his faith in the divine promise2 because he believed that the human race would not be cast away nor destroyed1 but would be saved4 ,this same name ,eve therefore embraces also a prophecy of the grace that should come2 and it indicates that consolation1 which is necessary under the perpetual trials of this human life and against all the temptations of ,satan4 ,it is very possible also that the joyful giving of this name to ,eve1 which as we have said is a most beautiful proof of the faith of ,adam and of the recreation of his spirit unto a new life1 formed a reason why the holy fathers in after ages held that day1 on which their children were circumcised and received their names as a more glad and joyful festival than the day they were born2 to the intent that such festival might forever commemorate this giving of the first name by ,adam1 when he called his wife ,eve4 ,but now follows another kind of memorial quite the contrary to this2 a memorial of sorrow1 not of joy4 ,v4 #ba4 ,and ,jehovah ,god made for ,adam and for his wife coats of skins1 and clothed them4 ,this is by no means so joyful and delightful information as was that of ,adam giving to his wife the name of ,eve4 ,for1 although the ,lord had said1 ,in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die2 yet ,adam consoled himself by this name which he gave to his wife that the life which he had lost should be restored by the promised ,seed of the woman1 which should bruise the serpent's head and destroy the destroyer4 ,,ii4 ,here ,adam and ,eve are clothed with garments by the ,lord ,god himself1 in order that1 being perpetually reminded by this clothing as a lasting memorial1 they might reflect1 as often as they looked at their garments1 upon their awful and miserable fall from the highest felicity into the extremest calamity and wretchedness2 to the intent that they might ever afterwards fear to sin and exercise continual repentance2 yet looking for the remission of sins by the promised ,seed4 ,and this is the reason no doubt the ,lord ,god did not cover them with leaves nor with that wool which grows on trees1 but clothed them with the skins of slaughtered animals to remind them that they were now mortal and subject to certain death4 ,as therefore the name ,eve contained in it the joyful hope of life1 even of eternal life2 so these skins were a memorial of sin passed and sin to come2 but a memorial also of all those calamities present and future1 which that sin deserved4 ,and indeed our nature has need of such memorials and perpetual admonitions4 ,for we easily forget both past evils and past blessings4 ,hence it is that ,peter says1 ,for he that lacketh these things is blind1 seeing only what is near1 having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins4 ,wherefore ,i shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things1 though ye know them1 and are established in the truth which is with you1 #b ,pet4 #a3i1 #ab4 ,for it is truly an awful expression of the apostle when he here intimates that some forget the remission of their sins1 and after they have well believed draw back from their faith1 and adorn not themselves with the most beautiful chain of ,christian virtues which he enumerates1 but indulge in covetousness1 pride1 envy1 lust1 etc4 ,we in our day also have great need of this admonition1 who experience all these burdens of these calamities under the papacy1 lest we become ungrateful to our merciful ,god1 as1 alas6 the greater part of the world do4 ,as a remedy therefore against this forgetfulness these skins were added as clothings for ,adam and ,eve1 that they might be forever a sure sign1 or memorial or admonition1 whereby both they and all their posterity might be reminded of their most wretched condition4 ,but in after ages1 marvelous to say1 the world began to grow mad in the matter of this very memorial of their calamity6 ,for who can possibly describe the amount of study and expense men and women give to dress6 ,indeed it is so great that it can no longer be properly termed pleasure nor luxury1 but madness2 because1 like asses created for bearing burdens of gold they seem rather to consider with how much gold they can load themselves1 than with how much they can best adorn themselves4 ,a superior kind of dress may be justly commended in certain cases2 especially in more illustrious persons4 ,but that rage for dress in all classes1 which now prevails1 cannot but offend the eyes of all good men4 ,and if ,adam himself could rise from his grave and behold this madness for raiment in all circles of society1 ,i believe he would stand petrified with astonishment at the sight4 ,for the clothing of skins1 which ,adam daily wore1 daily reminded him of his sin and his lost felicity4 ,whereas we1 on the contrary1 clothe ourselves with splendid garments and indulge in luxury of dress1 that we may testify to all men that we have not only forgotten the evils of the fall1 from which we have been saved by the ,seed of the woman1 but the blessings also which we have received through him4 ,we next find that the admonition which the ,lord had given by the sign of the garments1 he gave also in word4 ,v4 #bb4 ,and ,jehovah ,god said1 ,behold1 the man is become as one of us1 to know good and evil2 and now1 lest he put forth his hand1 and take also of the tree of life1 and eat1 and live forever3 ,these words contain sarcasm and most bitter derision4 ,some inquire therefore why it is that ,god here deals so harshly with miserable ,adam8 ,how it is that1 after he had been robbed of all his glory and had fallen into sin and death1 he is goaded in addition to all this by his ,maker with this most bitter reflection passed upon him4 ,was it not enough1 they ask1 that he should wear this visible sign which should perpetually remind him of his lost glory and his present calamity1 but he must hear also in addition this audible word of the ,lord ,god8 ,to this ,i reply1 ,adam had the promise of mercy given him1 and with that he ought to have lived content4 ,but in order that he might more deeply fear1 and more carefully guard against all future sin1 there is spoken to him this bitter memorial word also4 ,for ,god foresaw what kind of men ,adam's posterity would be2 and therefore he puts this word into his mouth that he might preach it to his posterity1 and might teach them as a warning that by wishing to become like ,god1 he became like unto the devil2 in order that they also1 being thus warned1 might not add to that sin of their first parents their own sins1 and so depart still farther from ,god4 ,as before1 by the clothing of skins1 so now1 by his word itself1 ,god reminds our first parents both concerning their past and their future calamities4 ,not that ,god is delighted with ,adam's sad case1 for had it been so he would have given him no such admonition at all2 but would have remained silent4 ,but ,god willed that man should sigh after the restoration of that image of ,god which he had lost2 and should therefore the more hate sin1 which had been the cause of this awful calamity2 and that ,adam should admonish his posterity of what had been the consequence of his sin2 that when1 having been plundered of his reason by ,satan1 he thought he should become like ,god1 he became like ,satan himself4 ,on this passage also that great question is raised1 why ,god1 who is one1 here speaks in the plural number8 ,and whether there are more gods than one8 ,and ,nicholas of ,lyra1 with others1 considers that these words are either spoken in the person of an angel or addressed to angels1 ,is become as one of us2 that is1 ,is become an angel4 ,but this comment is too cold4 ,for ,god does not here call himself an angel4 ,nor does the force of the expression lie in the word one2 but rather in the pronoun us4 ,wherefore we repudiate altogether this cold comment4 ,for if these words are spoken in the person of an angel1 it is certain that ,god did not speak them2 but ,god did speak them4 ,for the assertion of the text is1 ,and ,jehovah ,god said4 ,wherefore here again let us have recourse to the light of the ,gospel4 ,for this light as ,i have above observed illumines all these obscure passages of the ,old ,testament4 ,and indeed if you will explain these words as having reference to the angels1 such interpretations will not accord with that portion of the sacred narrative which precedes4 ,for ,satan above said1 verse #e1 ,and ye shall be as gods1 knowing good and evil4 ,from this it is manifest that ,adam and ,eve really endeavored to become like ,god1 not like an angel4 ,wherefore this passage cannot rightly be understood in any other way than as meaning equality with ,god6 ,this error of the ,jews therefore concerning the reference of the present passage to angels1 which ,lyra also follows in his interpretation1 is exploded2 and from this text1 according to the letter1 the doctrine is established that there is a plurality in the ,godhead1 which doctrine was also determined above1 ,gen4 #a3bf1 where ,god said1 ,let us make man in our image4 ,all these passages argue1 in the first place1 for the unity of the divine essence4 ,for the uniform expression in them all is1 ,and ,god said4 ,and in the next place1 they argue also for the plurality1 or according to the general term used1 a ,trinity of persons in the ,godhead4 ,all these mysteries however are more fully revealed in the ,new ,testament4 ,as for instance1 when ,christ commands believers to be baptized in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the ,three ,divine ,persons in the ,godhead therefore were thus at once shadowed forth at the very beginning of the world1 and were afterwards clearly understood by the prophets1 and at length fully revealed in the ,gospel4 ,the meaning of this passage therefore stands perfectly plain1 that the intent of ,adam and ,eve was to become like ,god or to secure his image4 ,now the image of the invisible ,god is the ,son1 by whom all things consist1 ,col4 #a3ag4 ,wherefore ,adam by his sin dashed against the very person of ,christ1 who is the true image of ,god4 ,these great things are but briefly and obscurely set before us in this divine narrative4 ,there is no doubt however that ,adam himself drew from them numberless sermons for his family and posterity2 in the same way as the prophets after him evidently contain various allusions to these mysteries and wrap them up in marvelous indications1 which the ,gospel finally reveals in open and bright manifestation4 ,it makes also for our interpretation of the present passage that the name of ,god used is ,jehovah1 which cannot signify any creature1 being a name which is applied absolutely and only to the ,creator himself4 ,and what does the ,creator here say8 ,adam is become as one of us4 ,now here most assuredly neither our profession nor our faith will tolerate receiving these words as being spoken or as having reference to angels4 ,for who will dare to say that ,god is one of the angels1 or that an angel is one of the us1 the ,,elohim8 ,the glorious ,god is above all angels and over all creatures6 ,how therefore can ,god make himself only equal to the angels6 ,we receive this passage therefore as a sure testimony of that article of our faith concerning the holy ,trinity2 that there is ,one ,god1 and ,three ,divine ,persons in the ,godhead4 ,moses indeed seems here obscurely1 but plainly and purposely1 to intimate concerning the sin of ,adam that his aim was to become like1 not unto angels1 but unto ,god4 ,for if he had sinned against angels only1 he would not have been condemned to death for such a sin4 ,but because his sin was directly against the majesty of the ,creator1 by aiming to become like unto him and to do as that divine majesty did1 therefore it was that so awful a punishment followed so awful a sin4 ,and as when a man is delivered from crucifixion every one will naturally remind him of the danger in which he was placed and will exhort him to guard against a like danger ever afterward2 so1 after ,adam is restored to the hope of life through the divine promise1 ,god admonishes him by the bitter irony contained in the text1 not to forget his horrible fall nor ever again to attempt to equal ,god1 in which he so awfully failed2 but to humble himself before the divine ,majesty and ever afterwards to guard with all his posterity against such a sin4 ,for these things were not spoken to ,adam only2 they apply to us also1 who1 after being baptized and renewed by grace1 ought to take heed with all watchfulness that we fall not back into our former ungodliness4 ,in like manner there is equally bitter sarcasm in the words1 when ,god says1 ,and now1 lest he put forth his hand1 and take of the tree of life1 and eat1 and live forever4 ,as if ,god could not by one mere nod prohibit ,adam from touching the tree and also prevent him ever doing so6 ,moses next adds those terrible and terrifying words1 ,vs4 #bc1 #bd4 ,therefore ,jehovah ,god sent him forth from the garden of ,eden1 to till the ground from whence he was taken4 ,so he drove out the man2 and he placed at the east of the garden of ,eden the ,cherubim1 and the flame of a sword which turned every way1 to keep the way of the tree of life4 ,the contents of this text are intended also for our rebuke and admonition2 as ,paul says1 ,rom4 #ae3d1 ,for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our sakes also4 ,for there is great peril1 lest forgetting our former sins we should be plunged into them again2 as ,christ also gives us warning1 when he says1 ,behold1 thou art made whole2 sin no more1 lest a worse thing befall thee1 ,john #e3ad4 ,peter also speaks in the spirit of warning1 when he says1 ,it has happened unto them according to the true proverb1 ,the dog turning to his own vomit again1 and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire1 #b ,pet4 #b3bb4 ,the same admonition and warning are given by the same apostle elsewhere1 when he says1 ,having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins1 #b ,pet4 #a3i4 ,these and other passages of ,scripture are all admonitions concerning guarding against future sin2 because1 as in diseases so in sins1 the relapse is more difficult of cure than the original4 ,hence therefore ,adam and his whole posterity are warned in so many various forms by the present portion of the sacred record of ,moses6 ,all is written in order that1 after they have received the hope of eternal life by means of the promise given through the ,seed of the woman1 they might beware that they lose not that hope by sinning again2 according to that remarkable parable of the house which was swept and garnished after ,satan was cast out1 which ,satan again occupied1 taking with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself4 ,it is to this end that the ,lord uses so much bitterness in his address to our first parents4 ,it is as if1 in explaining himself1 he should say1 ,i before forbade ,adam and ,eve to touch the tree of death2 but such was their impudent self-will1 that they would not abstain from doing so even to their own destruction4 ,now1 therefore1 ,i must take all care that they approach not the tree of life also2 for it may be they will not refrain from putting forth their hand on that also4 ,therefore ,i will so effectually prevent them from eating of this tree1 that ,i will prohibit them from the use of any of the trees of paradise whatsoever4 ,wherefore ,i say unto them1 ,go ye forth from the garden altogether1 and eat the herb of the field1 and whatsoever else of the kind the earth produceth4 ,ye shall hereafter not only eat no more of the tree of life1 but ye shall not taste any other tree of paradise1 etc4 ,this passage further shows that the trees of paradise were in no manner like those which the other part of the earth brought forth4 ,wherefore1 even the food which ,adam and ,eve ate1 after their ejection from paradise1 reminded them1 and still reminds their posterity1 of their sin and of their most miserable condition1 into which they have been hurled by their sin4 ,in so many and various ways are our calamities depicted before our very eyes that even our clothing1 independently of our destitution by nature of those spiritual gifts1 the knowledge and worship of ,god1 etc41 perpetually remind us of those great calamities4 ,here a question presents itself1 whether1 if ,god had permitted ,adam to eat of the tree of life1 ,adam would by this food have overcome death in the same manner as by eating of the tree of death1 he became subject to death2 for the reasoning in each case seems to be parallel4 ,the tree of death killed2 and that by the ,word1 which said1 ,in the day that thou eatest thereof1 thou shalt surely die4 ,the tree of life1 therefore1 by the power also of the same ,word1 gave life and preserved from death4 ,lyra and others in their reply to this question say that this tree of life had indeed the power of preserving life for a length of time1 but not forever2 and therefore it could not have restored that life which was lost by sin4 ,for ,adam was not created with the design of his remaining in this corporal life forever2 but he was designed to be translated from this corporal life and from this corporal nourishing of it into that spiritual life1 for which he was ultimately designed and into which he would have been translated1 if he had not sinned4 ,just in the same way as when a man is created a consul from his former private life1 no death is taken into consideration in his being created to that office1 but his glory and dignity alone are increased2 so ,adam1 had not death intervened by his sin1 would have changed his mortality for an immortality without any death at all2 being translated from the life corporal to the life spiritual and eternal4 ,this tree of life however1 according to the view of ,lyra1 served only for the preservation of the corporal life4 ,and therefore he interprets the present text1 ,lest he should live an age2 that is1 a life of long duration4 ,such is ,lyra's opinion4 ,my understanding of the text however is different4 ,my belief is1 that if ,adam had been admitted to eat of the tree of life he would have been restored to that life which he lost2 so that he would not have afterwards died1 but would have been simply translated from the life corporal to the life spiritual and eternal2 for the text contains both these statements most clearly2 that ,adam was prohibited from eating of the tree of life1 that he might not be restored to the life which he had lost2 and also1 that if he had eaten of that tree he would have lived ,,leolam2 that is1 for an age or a length of time4 ,my rejection of the opinion of ,lyra1 however1 is especially on the ground that he attributes the power of giving life to the nature of the tree itself simply2 whereas it is quite certain that the tree possessed not this property of its own nature1 but from the power of the ,word absolutely4 ,just in the same manner as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil had its peculiar property from the same ,word4 ,it did not kill1 because its fruits themselves were deadly1 poisonous or pestiferous2 but because the ,word1 as a certain paper1 was added to it2 on which paper ,god had written1 ,in the day that thou eatest of this tree1 thou shalt surely die1 ,gen4 #b3ag4 ,wherefore1 in the first place1 to this tree of death there was attached spiritual death or the death of the soul2 that is1 disobedience4 ,for after ,adam and ,eve had violated this commandment of ,god by sin1 which commandment had continued effectual in them up to that time1 they began to think thus1 ,behold1 ,god has forbidden us to eat of this tree2 but what is that to us8 ,this contempt of the commandment was that poisoned hook1 by which being firmly fixed in their throats ,adam and ,eve were utterly destroyed4 ,for since the divine threatening was added to the commandment1 therefore after eating it the fruit wrought in them death on account of their disobedience4 ,the tree of death itself was not poisoned2 but1 as ,i have copiously explained before under the second chapter1 it was the tree of divine worship1 where man might testify1 by his obedience in that worship1 that he acknowledged1 reverenced and feared his ,god4 ,for ,god saw everything which he had made1 and behold it was very good1 ,gen4 #a3ca4 ,wherefore1 ,i have no doubt that this tree of life in the present passage derived its efficacy1 as did the tree of death1 from the ,word4 ,therefore1 since the ,word rested in its power on that tree1 if ,adam had eaten of it1 he would have been restored to the life which he possessed before his fall4 ,it was just thus also with the serpent1 which ,moses raised in the desert4 ,it did not give or cause life by its own nature2 for it was made of brass1 as any other serpent might be made of the same metal to this day4 ,but it was the ,word1 added to that serpent1 which made it effectual to give life2 because ,god commanded that serpent to be lifted up1 and because he added this ,word to it when lifted up1 ,every one that is bitten1 when he looketh upon it1 shall live1 ,num4 #ba3h4 ,now1 if thou shouldst make a serpent of brass at his day1 thou couldst not have this ,word to add to it4 ,moreover1 the cause of the healing did not lie in the act of the looking1 but that cause was contained in the ,word1 by which ,god had commanded that those who were bitten should look to the serpent1 to which commandment was also added the promise of healing to those who should look4 ,but because the ,rabbins understand not the nature of the ,word1 therefore they shamefully err and fail in their interpretation and declare the meaning to be1 that the nature itself of these trees was death-giving or life-giving4 ,for they understand not that all things therefore take place1 because ,god by his ,word either promises or threatens that they shall so take place4 ,our sophistic human reasoners trifle in the same way1 when they argue upon the manner in which baptism justifies4 ,for ,thomas ,aquinas and ,bonaventura consider that there is a certain power of effecting justification infused by ,god into the water when the infant is baptized2 so that the water of the baptism1 by its own virtue thus communicated1 creates justification4 ,we1 on the contrary1 affirm that the water of baptism is water1 nothing else or better than that water which the cow drinks4 ,but we affirm1 that to this water1 natural and simple in itself1 is added the ,word1 ,he that believeth1 and is baptized1 shall be saved1 ,mark #af3af4 ,and again1 ,except a man be born of water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god1 ,john #c3e4 ,now1 if any one is inclined to call this ,word1 or this ,promise1 the power communicated to the water of baptism1 ,i will not resist such a view of the sacred matter4 ,but the mind of our sophists is quite different from this2 for they will not assign this power to the ,word2 they argue concerning the element only2 and they affirm that the water itself contains a peculiar power communicated to it of ,god4 ,scotus has expressed the matter more correctly in his definition of it1 when he says that baptism is a divine compact or covenant1 resting on the element4 ,the ,word therefore is in every case to be regarded and honored1 that ,word by which ,god holds and endues his creatures with efficacy2 and a difference is ever to be made between the creature and the ,word4 ,in the ,sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper there are bread and wine2 in baptism there is water4 ,these are the mere creatures4 ,but they are held in ,god's hand by the ,word1 and as long as the creature is thus apprehended by the ,word1 so long also doth it effect that which the ,word promises4 ,and yet we would by no means be understood as favoring by these views the ,sacramentarians1 when we thus join together baptism and the ,supper of the ,lord4 ,baptism hath annexed to it the promise1 that with the ,holy ,spirit it regenerates4 ,in the ,supper of the ,lord1 in addition to the promise of the remission of sins annexed to it1 it has also this excellency3 that with the bread and the wine there is also truly set forth the body and blood of ,christ1 as ,christ himself says1 ,this is my body which is given for you2 and also1 ,this cup is the ,new ,testament in my blood1 ,luke #bb3ai1 #bj4 ,in the same manner it might also be said that the human nature itself in ,christ does not redeem us4 ,but because the human nature was corporally held fast by the divine nature1 and ,christ is both ,god and man in one person1 therefore his redemption is all-availing2 and therefore ,christ is called the ,son of ,man and the ,saviour4 ,the ,pope has invented the blessed water1 extreme unction and numberless other like things1 to which he has attributed the remission of sins4 ,in all these cases ever think thus with thyself3 ,has ,god ever added to these things his ,word of ,command and his ,word of ,promise8 ,and if the promise and the precept of ,god are not attached to them1 immediately judge that they are idolatry and profaning of the name of ,god4 ,but they will tell you that the prayers of the pious are added to them and that there exist holy examples1 in imitation of which these things were constituted4 ,but do thou regard neither the pious prayers1 nor the holy examples1 nor the intentions of those who invented or established these things4 ,look only at whether the precept and promise of ,god are attached to them2 for the divine command and promise alone can endue creatures with a new power beyond that power which they of their own mere nature possess4 ,thus the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was of its own nature good as a creature2 but by means of the ,word of ,god1 added and attached to it1 it became to man through his sin the poison not of his body only but of his soul4 ,and in like manner1 on the contrary1 the tree of life had by means of the ,word of ,god attached to it the power of preserving life1 and it would have restored and preserved the life of ,adam had ,god so permitted4 ,but ,god being angry with ,adam did not permit him to return to eat of that tree after his fall4 ,and this repulsion from the tree of life and from paradise was not only intended to keep ,adam under the continual memory of the sin which he had committed1 but also because ,adam had now a better promise given him1 that the ,seed of the woman should bruise the seed of the serpent2 so that1 although ,adam was subjected to corporeal death1 he yet retained the hope of an immortality through the ,son of ,god4 ,just as an angry father1 though he does not deprive his son of the right of his inheritance1 yet chastises him and turns him out of doors4 ,it is thus the will of the ,lord ,god therefore that man should be content with the hope of a better life than that in which ,adam was first created4 ,for even though ,adam had eaten of the tree of life and had been restored thereby to his former life1 he would not even then have been safe from ,satan nor from the danger of falling again from that life by his temptation4 ,god therefore hath prepared for man that state of hope in which we may live assured that through the blessed ,seed of the woman we never can die an eternal death1 although this corporeal life thus appointed for us may be filled with various afflictions4 ,the words of the passage are the words of ,god1 spoken ironically and in anger to ,adam now justified1 warning him to be more cautious of sin in the future and not to forget his past sins and calamities4 ,moses moreover beautifully inverts the order of his words to the intent that he might more effectually admonish man of the things he had related before1 where he said1 ,jehovah ,god placed man in the garden of ,eden that he might till it and guard it1 ,gen4 #b3ae4 ,here on the contrary1 he says1 ,the ,lord ,god sent man forth from the garden of ,eden to till the ground from which he was taken4 ,for ,god by ,moses would have man to reflect that he was formed of the ground and was stationed in a most delightful place2 but that by means of his sin he was cast out of that most delightful place and carried back to the ground from which he was first created4 ,by this striking inversion of the facts of his record1 ,moses indicates the manner in which ,god not only warned ,adam and all his posterity against all future sin1 but reminded them also of their great sins past4 ,now therefore ,adam1 whose appointed station before was in paradise1 a place separate from all the beasts of the earth and in which peculiar food was prepared for him1 is cast out into a place in common with the beasts and also has his general food in common with them4 ,nor is ,adam cast out of paradise only1 but a guard also is set at the entrance of the place that he might not by any means be able to enter it again4 ,just as watches are set to guard citadels and armies4 ,moses therefore by the copiousness and variety of speech he here uses would show1 that this expulsion of ,adam from paradise was in the highest degree necessary unto our salvation2 that1 being warned thereby against sin1 we might live in the fear of ,god1 ever watching against temptations from ,satan1 who worked so much evil to our nature by the sin of our first parents4 ,concerning the original word1 ,,mikkedem1 we have spoken above and have shown that it signifies from the east or in the eastern quarter4 ,the meaning of ,moses is1 that paradise had a way or gate on the eastern side1 by which there was an entrance into this garden4 ,thus also1 in the building of the temple described by ,ezekiel1 mention is made of a gate of the sanctuary1 which looked toward the east1 so that we may conclude that this temple was a certain form of paradise2 for paradise1 had nature remained innocent1 would have been as it were the temple of the whole world4 ,at this entrance therefore toward the east1 which alone led to paradise1 ,cherubim were placed or angels which might guard this way1 that neither ,adam nor any of his posterity might ever enter paradise again4 ,the ,lord did these things after the manner of men as a terror1 in order that there might thus exist a lasting memorial of so awful a fall4 ,moreover these ,cherubim had not iron wherewith to drive back those who should approach1 but ,,lahat1 that is1 the blaze1 or the flame of a turning or brandished sword2 a flame like the flash of lightning which is uncertain in its motion and dazzles the eyes4 ,this flame or flash of fire has the form of a sword1 continually waved or brandished4 ,just1 for instance1 as we have it represented that cloven tongues like as of fire appeared resting upon each of the apostles on the day of ,pentecost1 ,acts #b3c4 ,the same appearance do flying dragons also exhibit4 ,in this manner it was also that the angels here spoken of unceasingly emitted flames1 which flashed in all directions so that no one might by any possibility approach4 ,the absurdities of ,origen on this passage we utterly reject1 nor are we at all more pleased with the triflings of ,lyra1 who will have it1 that by the flaming sword we are to understand the sinner1 who for a sin unto death has ceased to be meritoriously1 though not numerically one of the church militant4 ,and he says1 that the flaming sword being represented as turning every way signifies that if true repentance follow such sins a man is deservedly recalled into the church4 ,for ourselves however1 as we have all along maintained that paradise was a real and visible garden in a certain spot of the earth1 so we explain the present text in a simple and historical sense2 that this sword was a real and visible flame or a flash of fire in the form of a sword1 by the turnings or brandishings of which every way the ,cherubim or angels terrified and drove away ,adam and his posterity1 so that they dared not approach this garden4 ,and paradise was kept closed by this guard of angels until the ,deluge1 to the end that there might exist a sure memorial of this miserable and calamitous fall of ,adam to all his posterity2 in the same manner as in after ages the ,lake of ,sodom and the pillar of salt remained as memorials throughout the posterity of those generations4 ,and indeed our insensibility and unconcern need such monuments of the wrath of ,god4 ,after the ,deluge however paradise1 together with its angels and these brandishings of their sword1 disappeared4 ,for each rising generation had its monuments of the divine wrath1 which were nearer to them and the better calculated to alarm the self-secure1 although even this avails nothing with the wicked4 ,,iii4 ,thus have we in our ,commentary on these first three chapters of the book of ,genesis gone through the history of the whole creation4 ,in what manner the heaven and the earth1 and the sea1 and all things that are in them1 were created2 in what manner paradise was created of ,god1 that it might be the palace of man1 the lord of the whole world1 who had dominion over all things therein2 in what manner ,god instituted a temple for man in paradise1 which was appointed for acts of divine worship2 namely1 the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 by his conduct concerning which ,adam might testify his obedience to his ,god4 ,we have also heard in these three chapters the history of those things which were done by man in paradise2 how woefully he fell and sinned against ,god and lost all this glory of his innocence and natural immortality4 ,all these subjects ,i have treated with plainness and simplicity1 according to the measure of my gift2 giving them their plain historical sense1 which is the true and genuine meaning4 ,for the principal thing we have to do in interpreting the holy ,scriptures is to gather from them1 to some degree of certainty1 their plain and simple sense2 especially1 surrounded as we are with such a variety of interpreters1 ,latin1 ,greek and ,hebrew4 ,for nearly all these not only pay no regard to the plain historical sense of the ,scripture1 but even confound it by foolish allegories and bury it under the confusion they themselves cause4 ,the absurd system of ,origen and ,jerome1 which these commentators have followed in these chapters of the book of ,genesis1 is well known4 ,they have throughout departed from the plain history1 which they call the mere letter that killeth1 and the flesh2 and have magnificently displayed the spiritual sense1 as they term it1 of which they know nothing4 ,and ,jerome has followed ,origen as his great teacher4 ,precisely the same thing also has taken place in our time4 ,for as men gifted and eloquent1 have bent their powers to persuade their hearers and readers that histories are mere dead facts1 which profit nothing to the edification of the churches1 it has thereby come to pass that we have all run headlong in our common study into allegories4 ,and ,i myself also1 when a youth1 found wonderful success in this my attempt at allegorizing4 ,for ,i found a license here to invent the greatest absurdities2 seeing as ,i did that such great doctors of the churches as ,jerome and ,origen sometimes gave open field to their ingenuities4 ,indeed1 to such an extent was this indulgence in allegories carried1 that he who was the greatest adept at inventing them was accounted the greatest theologian4 ,augustine also1 carried away by this false opinion1 often disregards the historical sense of the ,scriptures1 especially in the ,psalms1 and has recourse to allegory4 ,in fact1 all were filled with the false persuasion that the allegorical meaning was the spiritual and true sense2 especially with reference to the histories of the ,old ,testament2 but that the historical or literal sense was the mere carnal interpretation4 ,but is not this1 ,i pray you1 the positive profaning of sacred things8 ,thus ,origen1 out of paradise1 makes heaven1 and out of the trees1 angels4 ,if this be so1 where is the article of the creed concerning creation8 ,it is highly necessary therefore1 especially in young students of the holy ,scriptures1 that when they come to read the old divines they condemn1 with good judgment or rather with fixed determination1 all those things in their writings which they find at all improbable or unsound1 lest they be led astray by the authority that lies in the name of the fathers and doctors of the ,church2 for in this way was ,i deceived1 as were all the schools of the professors of divinity4 ,for myself1 ever since ,i thus began to abide by the historical sense of the ,scriptures1 ,i have cautiously shunned all allegorizing2 nor have ,i ever adopted allegories unless the text itself evidently furnished them or the interpretations derivable from the ,new ,testament justified them4 ,i found it very difficult however to give up entirely my long indulgence in allegorizing1 although ,i saw that these allegories were vain speculations and the mere froth1 as it were1 of the holy ,scriptures4 ,for it is the plain historical sense of ,scripture that truly and solidly teaches4 ,after the plain sense of the ,word has been rightly understood and mastered1 then allegories may be used as certain ornaments by which the plain historical sense may be illustrated and strikingly depicted4 ,but naked allegories which respond not at all to the historical realities nor tend to paint them forth more impressively1 are at once to be rejected as idle dreams2 for instance1 from what part of the ,scriptures can it be proved that paradise signifies heaven1 and the trees of paradise the angels8 ,are not these pure follies1 and mere creatures of the brain without fruit or profit8 ,let those therefore who would adopt allegories1 seek the justification of them from the history itself in question2 for it is history which1 like sound logic1 teaches true and indubitable realities4 ,on the other hand allegory1 like oratory1 ought to adorn history only2 but to prove facts1 it avails nothing4 ,allegory is useful in this way1 as when we say that the heavens represent the ,church1 and the earth the empires and the political government4 ,thus ,christ himself calls the ,church the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of ,god4 ,and the earth is called in the ,scriptures the land of the living1 where men live and kings and princes rule1 ,job #bh3ac4 ,the ,apostle ,paul uses the same kind of allegory1 when he represents ,adam and ,eve1 or marriage itself1 to be a type of ,christ and his ,church4 ,this is an allegory full of divine instruction and consolation indeed4 ,for1 what could be uttered more deep or sweet than that the ,church is the spouse and ,christ the bridegroom8 ,for1 by this figure is signified both that conjugal fellowship and that most joyful communication of all those gifts which the bridegroom has to bestow1 and by which gifts are buried in oblivion both all the sins and all the calamities with which the spouse is loaded4 ,wherefore that is a most delightful word where ,paul says1 ,for ,i have espoused you to one husband1 that ,i might present you as a pure virgin to ,christ1 #b ,cor4 #aa3b4 ,in like manner the same apostle says1 ,rom4 #e3ad1 that ,adam was the figure of him that was to come4 ,and how8 ,the apostle himself gives the explanation3 ,for if by the trespass of the one the many died1 much more did the grace of ,god1 and the gift by the grace of the one man1 ,jesus ,christ1 abound unto the many1 ,v4 #ae4 ,does not this allegory1 used by the apostle1 beautifully refer to the historical facts recorded by ,moses as its foundation8 ,exactly after the same manner does the apostle make out the history of ,sarah and ,hagar1 an allegory whereby to represent the two ,testaments1 ,gal4 #d3bd4 ,let all therefore1 who are inclined to introduce allegories1 seek their foundation of them and justifications for them from the divine history itself4 ,moreover we have heard above the sacred record of the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent4 ,and to this history ,christ refers in his parable or allegory concerning the enemy who sowed in the night the evil seed1 that is1 wicked doctrine and evil inventions1 ,math4 #ac3bh4 ,who does not at once see that such allegories as these are more appropriate1 more illustrative1 more useful and far superior to those allegories which ,augustine1 ,lyra and others have introduced concerning the inferior power and the superior power of reason1 on which we have dwelt in their place8 ,in like manner the closing of paradise and the stationing of a guard of ,cherubim1 with brandished swords of fire to prevent any one from re-entering1 evidently signify nothing more or less than that man while living in the world without1 and destitute of faith in ,christ1 can endure neither the light of the law nor the light of the ,gospel4 ,and hence it is that ,paul says concerning the ,jews1 that they could not steadfastly behold the face of ,moses1 and that ,moses was obliged to put a veil over his face on that account1 #b ,cor4 #c3g1 #ac4 ,the tree of death in paradise represents the law1 and the tree of life the ,gospel or ,christ4 ,and to neither of these trees can any approach who have not faith in ,christ4 ,for they are prevented by the sword of the angels on guard1 who cannot endure hypocrisy or poisonous self-righteousness4 ,but who so acknowledges his sin and believes in ,christ1 to him the gate of paradise stands open1 because he brings with him1 not his own righteousness1 but the righteousness of ,christ1 which righteousness the ,gospel therefore preaches unto all men1 in order that all might rest upon it and be saved4 ,but there is no need that we should pursue this subject of allegories further4 ,let it suffice that we have offered these admonitions1 that we might thereby direct those who use allegories to adopt those allegories alone1 which the apostles have indicated and justified1 and which have their sure foundation in the very letter and in the historical facts of the ,scriptures4 ,but we must offer a word concerning the cherubim4 ,frequent mention is made of them throughout the holy ,scriptures4 ,in the ,latin authors we find nothing stated concerning them4 ,they merely observe that the term ,,cherub signifies a plentitude of knowledge4 ,among the ,greek authors ,dionysius speaks of the cherubim4 ,there is a boasting report that ,dionysius was a disciple of the ,apostle ,paul1 but that is not true4 ,dionysius was a man full of the most vain absurdities1 in which he abounds in his disputations concerning the heavenly and the ecclesiastical hierarchy4 ,his imaginations make nine choirs1 as so many ranks or spheres of heavenly beings4 ,in the supreme hierarchy he places first the seraphim2 next1 the cherubim2 next1 thrones2 next1 dominions2 next1 powers2 and lastly1 principalities4 ,and then in the lower or inferior hierarchy1 he places first potentates2 next1 archangels2 and last of all1 angels4 ,now1 who does not see that all these representations are nothing more nor less than idle and futile human inventions8 ,after all this he says there are in the ecclesiastical hierarchy1 first bishops1 then deacons1 then sub-deacons1 then readers1 then exorcists4 ,in such absurdities as these that great man1 the disciple of the chief of the apostles1 the great teacher of the ,gentiles1 was exercised6 ,and yet1 such is the boasted authority of this supposed great man1 that inflated hypocrites set down all these1 his foolish inventions1 as if handed down to them by oracles from heaven4 ,whereas in all these follies there is not one word to be found concerning faith1 nor one word of useful instruction in the holy ,scriptures4 ,and who after all told him that there were nine choirs of heavenly beings and potentates8 ,and why moreover did the ,franciscans afterward add a tenth sphere1 as a sort of palace1 in which the holy mother ,mary might dwell8 ,in a word1 these are follies and absurdities adapted only for ,papists to learn and admire1 as a just punishment for their pertinacious war against all sound doctrine4 ,with respect therefore to the ,cherub ,i will offer my opinion as far as ,i have been enabled to form it from reading4 ,the name ,cherub appears to me to signify that florid countenance which we see in girls and young men in the blossom of their age4 ,for this reason angels are represented in pictures as infants4 ,so that by cherubim you may understand angels1 as heavenly beings1 appearing with a blooming countenance1 and with brow free from wrinkle or sign of sorrow1 and smoothly extended with joy1 wearing a face plump and full with gladness1 whether it be a human face or any other4 ,the name ,cherub therefore is a general appellation1 a term which does not apply to any order of angels in particular1 as ,dionysius dreams1 but has reference only to their general appearance1 because they present themselves to men with a juvenile and florid aspect4 ,and this indeed is the opinion of the ,jews themselves1 who assert that ,,kerub is a ,chaldaic term and that the letter ,kappa is a servile letter1 and that ,,rub signifies a beautiful youth1 who has a full and florid face2 and they affirm that the angels are called ,,kerubim1 as representing their florid and joyful and delightful countenance or appearance2 and thus they are generally represented in paintings4 ,in like manner the name ,seraphim is a general appellation of angels2 a name derived from fire or burning on account of the quality of their form1 as is shown in ,numbers #ba3f1 where ,moses says1 ,and the ,lord sent ,,hannechaschim ,,hasseraphim1 'fiery serpents' among the people2 or1 serpent ,seraphim 7serpentes ,seraphim72 that is1 serpents burning or on fire4 ,so that we may here understand ,seraphim or fiery angels2 that is1 angels not only beautiful in their full and florid face1 as are ,cherubim1 but also fiery or shining as the angel is represented in the ,gospel to have been1 which sat on the stone at the tomb of our ,lord1 of whom ,matthew says1 ,his countenance was like lightning1 ,math4 #bh3c2 and as angels are also described by the ,psalmist1 when he says1 ,who maketh his angels spirits1 and his ministers a flaming fire1 ,ps4 #ajd3d4 ,and again1 it is said1 ,luke #b3i1 ,that when the angel of the ,lord came to the shepherds1 the glory of the ,lord shone round about them4 ,of the same description also was the countenance of ,christ at his transfiguration on ,mount ,tabor1 of whom it is said1 ,and his face did shine as the sun1 ,math4 #ag3b4 ,the same also shall be our countenances1 when we shall be raised again at the last day to enter into the glory ,christ hath prepared for us4 ,with respect to what is written in the ,books of ,kings concerning the ,cherubims overlaid with gold1 ,cherubici certini1 we are there to understand these full and blooming countenances of angels1 together with their wings1 #a ,kings #f3bh4 ,not that angels really have wings1 but because they cannot otherwise be described4 ,hence it is that we find1 ,is4 #f3f1 that the angel1 who comes flying with a joyous and beautiful countenance1 such as angels are described on pictures of tapestry1 is called ,,cherub4 ,and if to this full and florid countenance there be added also brightness1 such as was the shining countenance of ,stephen1 full of joy and delight1 so that nothing but rays of joy dart from the eyes1 such angels are called ,seraphim4 ,such as these shall we also be4 ,our countenances shall shine as bright as the mid-day sun4 ,there shall be no wrinkle1 no contracted brow1 no watery eyes2 but as it is written1 ,rev4 #ba3d1 and ,god shall wipe all tears from our eyes2 and there shall be no more death1 neither sorrow1 nor crying1 neither shall there be any more pain4 ,let us therefore hold fast this hope and live in the fear of ,god1 until1 being delivered from this life of affliction1 we shall live that angelic and eternal life which is to come4 ,amen6 ,amen6 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,part ,i4 ,,generation1 ,,marriage1 ,,birth ,,and ,,education ,,of ,,cain ,,and ,,abel4 ,i4 ,thus have we at length waded through that mighty sea of matter1 in doing which1 all who have made the attempt have so greatly sweated and toiled1 and this sweat we also have fully experienced4 ,to us however the whole way was much more direct and plain1 because1 throwing aside all allegories1 we have followed throughout the historical and proper sense of every passage4 ,whereas1 the most commentators have not regarded that proper sense1 but have made ,origen1 ,dionysius and others their teachers1 rather than ,moses himself2 and so have deservedly wandered out of the way4 ,the things which now follow in the divine record are plainer than the preceding and admit of less dispute2 and therefore they tend more to support my view of the sacred narrative2 because every one must plainly say that the intent of ,moses was not to put forth a host of allegories1 but simply to write a history of the primitive world4 ,v4 #a;a4 ,and the man knew ,eve his wife1 and she conceived and bare ,cain4 ,when ,adam had fallen into death by sin1 he had the promise given him1 as we have heard1 that from his flesh1 thus made subject to death1 there would surely arise unto him a ,branch of life4 ,he fully understood therefore that he must propagate his seed2 and especially so1 since the blessing pronounced on him and his wife1 ,be fruitful and multiply1 was not only not taken away1 but afterwards confirmed by the divine promise concerning the ,seed of the woman1 which should bruise the serpent's head4 ,therefore ,adam did not know his wife ,eve from the mere inclination of the flesh1 as we generally judge2 but it was the necessity of that salvation1 which was to come unto him through the blessed ,seed of the woman that constrained him to do so4 ,no one therefore ought to be offended with the relation of this circumstance by ,moses that ,adam knew his wife4 ,for although1 on account of original sin1 this divine act of generation is considered to be one of turpitude1 by which we find pure ears to be generally offended2 yet spiritual men ought always to distinguish between original sin and the creature or the appointment of ,god4 ,the act of generation1 as a creation-appointment of ,god1 is good and holy1 for it is the very blessing pronounced of ,god upon male and female when they were created4 ,and if man had not fallen this act of generation would have been most pure1 most holy and most honorable4 ,for as no one blushes to converse1 eat and drink with his wife1 because all these things are honorable among all men1 so1 had it not been for the fall of ,adam1 the act of generation would also have been most honorable and void of all shame6 ,generation has indeed been left to us1 even in this state of fallen and corrupted nature4 ,but there has adhered to it that poison of the devil1 an impure lust and prurient concupiscence1 which is the cause of numberless sins and evils2 from all of which1 nature in its unfallen state was perfectly free4 ,now however we find by experience that the flesh is filled with inordinate and unsatisfied desires2 so much so that even marriage is not for many a sufficient remedy4 ,if it were1 there would be no adulteries nor fornications4 ,whereas these1 to our shame and pain1 everywhere abound4 ,nay1 in how many and various ways does this infirmity of the flesh discover itself1 even in married persons8 ,these infinite evils are not the consequences of the creation nor of the blessing pronounced on male and female4 ,these latter proceeded from ,god4 ,but they are the consequences of sin and of the curse1 which proceeded from the sin of ,adam4 ,therefore1 the creation-appointment of ,god ought to be separated from all these evils2 for that is a good creature of ,god1 concerning which even the holy spirit himself we see is not ashamed to speak4 ,but further4 ,not only is there no idea of impurity to be attached to this mention of the creation-command and blessing of ,god made by ,moses1 when he says1 and ,adam knew ,eve his wife2 it was even necessary that ,moses should write and teach these things on account of the heresies which were in later times to arise2 such as those of ,nicolaus1 ,tatian1 etc42 and1 above all1 on account of the papacy4 ,for we see the ,papists were not the least moved by that which is written above1 that the ,lord created man male and female4 ,they so live and so bind and fetter themselves by vows1 that they seem to be utterly ignorant that there are any such beings as the male and female sexes4 ,they are not at all moved by what is also above written1 that ,jehovah ,god ,brought ,eve unto ,adam4 and that ,adam said ,this is now bone of my bones1 and flesh of my flesh4 ,they are not moved by the promise and blessing of ,god1 ,be fruitful and multiply4 ,the ,decalogue touches them not1 when it commandeth1 ,honor thy father and thy mother6 ,yea1 they disregard their very origin2 born as they are from the union of male and female1 commanded and blessed of ,god4 ,passing by1 despising and casting away all these things1 they compel their contemptible priests1 monks and nuns to devote themselves to perpetual celibacy2 as if the married life1 of which ,moses here speaks1 were a life reprobate and damnable6 ,the ,holy ,ghost however hath a purer mouth and purer eyes than the ,pope6 ,the ,holy ,spirit himself therefore blushes not to mention the act of generation1 or the union of husband and wife2 though these great saints condemn it as impure and base4 ,nor does that ,holy ,spirit mention this marriage union in one place only of the sacred record4 ,the whole ,scriptures are filled with such histories2 so much so1 that on that very account some popes have prohibited young monks and nuns from reading the holy ,bible4 ,but ,i need not enlarge4 ,suffice to say1 that such has been the rage of the devil against this institution of ,god1 holy matrimony1 that the ,papists have compelled men to abjure marriage1 to the very end that they might institute their orders of a celibate life2 and they have condemned the commandment of ,god1 married life1 as polluted in comparison with the life of celibacy1 which they themselves have set up6 ,this wickedness however has not been left without its own just punishments4 ,for there are continually before our own eyes examples of the fruits which impure celibacy brings forth1 and there are extant in books1 record of most horrible crimes1 of which it has been the cause4 ,that holy man ,udalric1 an ,augustan bishop1 testifies that after ,pope ,gregory had determined on establishing celibacy1 and had forbidden even those to live with their wives1 who had been married before the decree concerning celibacy had gone forth1 the ,pope had a mind on one occasion to fish in a pond which he had in his park at ,rome2 and that when he did so it led to the discovery1 that the fish-pond contained more than six thousand heads of infants6 ,the same ,udalric also writes that ,pope ,gregory1 being struck with awe and consternation at such a sight1 revoked his sanction of the impious decree concerning celibacy4 ,the successors of ,gregory however easily swamped the foulness of this discovery1 and the pious abolition of the decree by ,gregory also2 for they also1 like their predecessors1 considered that celibacy was adapted not only to increase their wealth1 but to support their dignity4 ,a similar example presented itself also in my time1 when some nuns at ,neumburg were compelled to leave the place1 on account of their flagitious lives1 and the monastery was given to the ,franciscans2 and when these latter1 for their convenience1 caused some alterations to be made in the building2 in laying these new foundations1 there were discovered twelve pots1 each one of which contained the dead body of an infant6 ,an infinite number of similar instances have occurred at other places in every direction4 ,rightly therefore did ,gregory act in revoking his decree1 by which1 as ,bishop ,udalric remarks1 he made a very beautiful application of the word of the ,apostle ,paul1 who says1 ,it is better to marry than to burn1 to which1 ,i also add1 ,it is better to marry1 than to incur the peril of eternal death by sin4 ,at ,rome itself also on account of the great numbers of infants who are exposed monasteries are erected1 of whom the ,pope is nominated the father6 ,and the near relatives of the infants1 which have been so exposed1 precede him in the public processions6 ,i forbear to testify of an infinite number of other kindred enormities1 which are too bad to mention4 ,wherefore1 it behooves us all to guard against such doctrines of devils as these1 and to learn to hold marriage in all reverence2 and with all reverence to speak of that holy life1 which we see ,god himself has instituted2 and which we hear is commended of him in the ,decalogue1 where he says1 ,honor thy father and thy mother1 to which holy matrimony1 is also added the blessing1 ,be fruitful and multiply4 ,and concerning this holy marriage it is1 that the ,holy ,ghost is here speaking1 whose mouth is holy and chaste4 ,but all those sins and vices1 and all that turpitude which have entered into the originally pure creation of ,god by sin1 we ought not to agitate1 or deride1 or touch1 when speaking of holy marriage1 but rather carefully to cover them2 just in the same way as we see that ,god covered the originally naked ,adam and ,eve with coats of skin after their sin4 ,for marriage ought to be treated and spoken of by all as honorable1 being the holy union from which we all are born2 and which is1 as it were1 the seminary not only of each nation but of the ,church and kingdom of ,christ unto the end of the world4 ,this high glory of marriage however the heathen and profane men do not understand4 ,therefore1 all they can do is to collect the vices which exist in the marriage life itself1 and in the abandoned female sex4 ,and thus1 separating the unclean things from the clean1 they retain the unclean only2 and the clean they see not at all4 ,hence also1 certain profane lawyers so irreverently judge and speak of this book of ,genesis as to affirm that it contains nothing more than the marriage doings of the ,jews4 ,are not then such men as these1 ,i ask you1 worthy of living to see marriage despised and unclean celibacy introduced1 and themselves1 subjected to its crimes and punishments1 which exceed even those of ,sodom8 ,the ,holy ,spirit however thought it not enough to say here ,and ,adam knew ,eve2 but he also adds1 his wife6 ,for the ,holy ,spirit approves not wandering lusts and promiscuous intercourse6 ,he wills that every man should live content with his own wife4 ,and although1 alas6 even that union of married people itself is very far from being pure1 as it would have been had man continued in his state of innocency2 nevertheless even in the midst of the vices of lust and of all the other calamities of the fall of ,adam1 the blessing of ,god on marriage still stands unaltered4 ,for the fact of ,adam knowing ,eve his wife1 which ,moses records1 was not written for ,adam and ,eve's sake4 ,when ,moses penned these words1 ,adam and ,eve had long been reduced to their original dust4 ,it was for our sakes therefore that this was written2 ,that those who cannot contain might marry1 #a ,cor4 #g3i1 live content each with his ,eve1 and not desire strange women4 ,this expression1 knew his wife1 is a phrase peculiar to the ,hebrews2 for neither the ,latins nor the ,greeks so expressed themselves4 ,it is a form of speech particularly beautiful2 not only on account of the modesty and reverence it preserves1 but on account of the peculiarity of signification it conveys4 ,for the verb ,,yada has a much more extensive meaning than the verb to know in our language4 ,thus1 when ,job says1 concerning the wicked1 ,they shall know what it is to act against ,god he means that they shall feel and experience the consequences of such actions4 ,so1 when ,david says1 ,for ,i acknowledge my sin1 ,ps4 #ea3c1 his meaning is1 ,i feel and experience what it is to sin4 ,again1 when the angel of the ,lord says to ,abraham1 ,for now ,i know that thou fearest ,god1 ,gen4 #bb3ab1 his meaning is1 ,i know by sense and experience4 ,and again1 when the ,virgin ,mary said unto the angel1 ,how shall this be1 seeing ,i know not a man1 ,luke #a3cd1 her meaning is the same as that of ,job1 ,david1 etc4 ,for1 it is evident that ,mary knew many men1 but she had neither known nor experienced any man1 as man or the male of ,god's creation4 ,it was in this manner therefore that ,adam knew ,eve his wife1 as it is expressed in the present passage4 ,adam did not know his ,eve as an object of sight or of a speculative knowledge1 but he experienced in reality what she was as the woman1 whom ,god had created such4 ,that which follows1 ,and ,eve conceived1 and bare ,cain1 is sure evidence that the human nature was more excellent and perfect then than it is now4 ,for there were originally no unfruitful embraces1 as there are now in this old age of the world4 ,as soon as ,eve was known by her ,adam1 she was immediately impregnated and conceived4 ,,ii4 ,here a question may arise1 why ,moses says1 ,and bare ,cain6 ,why he does not say1 ,and bare a son1 ,cain2 as below1 verse #be1 where his expression is1 ,and she bare a son1 and called his name ,seth4 ,both ,cain and ,seth were sons4 ,why1 then1 are they not both called sons8 ,the answer to this question is1 that these different expressions of ,moses were so ordered on account of the posterities4 ,for1 ,abel being murdered by his brother1 perished corporally2 but ,cain by his sin perished spiritually4 ,and yet the generation or seed-bed of the ,church was not propagated from ,cain1 though he was still alive corporally2 for all his posterity perished in the flood4 ,therefore neither the blessed ,abel1 nor the accursed ,cain1 has in the ,scriptures the name of son4 ,but ,seth was the one from whose posterity ,christ1 that promised ,seed1 was ordained to be born4 ,seth therefore is the first of the children of ,adam and ,eve1 who is counted worthy the name of son4 ,v4 #a;b4 ,and ,eve said1 ,i have gotten a man with the help of 7from7 ,jehovah4 ,from this expression of ,eve there may be gathered another reason why she did not call ,cain a son4 ,it was the greatness of her joy and of her reverential awe1 which prevented her from calling ,cain a son4 ,for she thought something greater concerning ,cain than a natural son4 ,she considered ,cain would be that man who should bruise the serpent's head4 ,and therefore she does not say simply1 a man2 but1 a man of ,jehovah1 implying that he would be that man concerning whom the ,lord ,god had promised her that her ,seed should bruise the serpent's head4 ,and although ,eve was deceived in this her hope1 yet it plainly appears that she was a holy woman1 and that she believed in the salvation that was to come by the blessed ,seed4 ,and it was because she believed this1 that she so greatly rejoiced in the son which she had borne1 and that she spoke of him in the exalted terms contained in the text before us4 ,it was as if she had said1 ,i have gotten a man of ,god1 who will conduct himself more righteously and happily than ,i and my ,adam conducted ourselves in paradise4 ,therefore ,i call him not my 'son4' ,he is a man of ,god1 promised to me and shown to me of ,god4 ,it might have been for this latter reason also1 as well as for the former1 that ,eve did not call ,cain a son4 ,with respect therefore to ,eve's adhering so closely to the divine promise and believing so firmly in the deliverance that should surely come through her ,seed1 in all this she did rightly4 ,for1 by the same faith in the ,seed that was to come1 all the saints of old were justified and sanctified4 ,but with respect to the individual intended by the promise1 she erred4 ,she believed that it was ,cain who should put an end to all those calamities into which ,satan had hurled man by sin4 ,this faith of ,eve however rested on a certain opinion of her own1 without any sure sign and without the sure ,word4 ,the promise indeed was true1 and certain1 and sure2 but nothing was said or signified definitely1 whether it was ,cain or ,abel who should be that great conqueror of the serpent4 ,in the matter therefore of determining the individual1 ,eve was deceived2 and consequently her giving to her son so proud and joyous a name was all in vain4 ,for the text shows that ,cain was so called from the verb ,,kanah1 which signifies to possess1 or to acquire4 ,so that by this name ,eve consoled herself against the evils she had brought upon herself1 and set against them the acquisition of eternal life and salvation1 which she should obtain by her ,seed1 against that loss of life and salvation which she had incurred by sin and ,satan4 ,it was as if she had said to her ,adam1 ,i remember with sorrow what we have lost by our sin2 but now1 let us speak of and hope for nothing but recovery and acquisition4 ,i have gotten a man of ,god1 who will acquire and recover for us that glory which we have lost4 ,it was this certainty of the promise therefore and her sure faith in it1 which drew ,eve into this haste and caused her to think that this her first son was the ,seed concerning whom the ,lord had made the promise4 ,but ,eve1 poor miserable woman1 was deceived in this4 ,she did not yet see the extent of her calamity4 ,she did not yet know that from the flesh nothing but flesh can be born1 or proceed1 ,john #c3f1 that sin and death cannot be overcome by flesh and blood4 ,moreover she knew not as yet the point of time in which that blessed ,seed1 concerning whom the promise spoke1 should be conceived of the ,holy ,ghost and be born of a virgin into the world4 ,just in the same manner the patriarch after ,eve knew not this point of time1 although the promise of the ,seed to come was gradually made clearer and clearer by the revelation of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,in the same manner also1 we in our day know assuredly that there shall be a final judgment1 but the day and the hour we know not4 ,just as ,christ says1 even unto his apostles1 ,math4 #bd3cf4 ,v4 #b;a4 ,and again she bare his brother ,abel4 ,it cannot be known for a certainty whether ,cain and ,abel were twins or not1 although it is very probable indeed that they were twins4 ,but be that as it may1 it is certain that our first parents had various thoughts concerning these two sons1 and that they imagined that their redemption was at the door4 ,cain was doubtless held in the highest honor and made the object of their chief delight2 while ,abel on the other hand was not an object of so much pleasure nor of so much hope1 as the names themselves of the two sons show4 ,cain was so called1 as we have said1 because they considered that it was he who should acquire or restore all things4 ,on the contrary ,abel signifies vanity or that which is nothing or of no value or abject4 ,some interpreters have rendered the name in our ,bible mourning or sorrow2 but the ,hebrew term for sorrow is ,,ebel not ,,habel4 ,moreover the expression ,,hebel is of very frequent use in the sacred ,scriptures4 ,how often is it repeated in ,ecclesiastes8 ,vanity of vanities1 all is vanity1 ,eccles4 #a3b1 and also in the ,psalm1 ,therefore their days did he consume in vanity1 ,ps4 #gh3cc2 that is1 they attained not the promised land of ,canaan4 ,abel therefore was so called1 as being considered one concerning whom there was no hope1 or one respecting whom all hope was vain4 ,but ,cain was so named1 as one of whom all things were hoped4 ,these very names given to these two sons therefore plainly manifest the thoughts and feelings of the parents concerning them2 that1 as the promise was made concerning the ,seed of the woman1 ,adam and ,eve thought that the divine promise thus made was to be fulfilled through ,cain1 their first son2 but that ,abel would effect nothing1 seeing that everything was to be successfully accomplished as they thought through ,cain4 ,therefore they called him ,abel4 ,and this hope which ,adam and ,eve entertained concerning ,cain was undoubtedly the reason why these two brothers were not brought up with the same care and concern4 ,for to ,abel was committed the charge of the cattle2 but ,cain was trained in the pursuits of his father1 and to the cultivation of the earth1 as being the superior and nobler employment4 ,abel was a shepherd2 ,cain was a king and a priest1 being the first-born and destined by his birth to fulfil those high hopes and expectations of the recovery of all his parents entertained concerning him4 ,but here ponder the wonderful counsel of ,god6 ,from the beginning of the world1 primogeniture has always held a very high privilege1 not only among the people of ,god1 with whom the right attached to primogeniture was an institution of ,god himself1 and by him highly commended1 but among the ,gentile nations also4 ,and yet facts and experiences prove1 especially among the holy people1 that the first-born have often disappointed the hopes of their parents and that the after-born have often attained to the condition and dignity of the first-born4 ,thus were not our first parents miserably deceived in their hopes concerning their first-born1 ,cain1 the murderer8 ,so also ,abraham1 the exalted1 was not the first-born1 but ,haran4 ,so again ,esau was the first-born2 but he had to yield his birth-right and its blessing to ,jacob4 ,again1 ,david was the youngest of all his brethren1 and yet he was anointed king4 ,and the same wonderful counsel of ,god may be seen in many other instances in the ,scriptures4 ,for although the first-born had by divine right the prerogatives of the kingship and the priesthood1 yet they frequently lost them1 and the after-born were appointed to them in their stead4 ,and whence in most instances arose this perversion of things8 ,both from the fault of the parents and from the pride of the first-born themselves4 ,the parents gave to their first-born greater liberty and indulgence2 and then the first-born themselves thus corrupted by the indulgence of their parents despised and oppressed1 through this pride in their birth-right1 the rest of their brethren4 ,but ,god is the ,god of the humble4 ,he giveth grace to the humble1 and resisteth the proud4 ,those first-born therefore1 who exalt themselves in pride ,god puts down from their right and their seat2 not because such do not inherit the right of their primogeniture1 but because they grow proud of their gifts and privileges1 and carry themselves with insolence and oppression2 and such ,god cannot endure4 ,thus when the angels1 who had been endowed with gifts the most noble and the most bright1 above all other beings1 began to grow proud in heaven and to despise the humility of the son of ,god1 they were cast down into hell and became the most hideous devils4 ,for ,god cannot endure pride and he will have his majesty preserved and held inviolate everywhere1 as the prophet says1 ,and my glory will ,i not give to another1 ,is4 #db3h1 #dh3aa4 ,thus also1 the people of ,israel were ,god's peculiar people1 and the holy city of ,jerusalem was the habitation of ,god4 ,but when they cast off the fear of ,god and grew proud1 through a confidence in their high gifts and privileges1 the whole people was cut off and their city laid waste by the ,gentile nations4 ,and this indeed is the common pestilence of our nature4 ,we rest not content with the gifts which ,god has bestowed upon us1 but abuse them through pride and insult our bountiful ,creator and giver4 ,god1 for example1 bestows empires1 kingdoms1 peace and other large blessings1 that kings and princes might acknowledge him1 worship him and give him thanks4 ,but kings and princes so abuse these great gifts and favors1 as if they were bestowed upon them for the very end that they might insult and trample under foot their ,creator1 who has been to them so bountiful a giver4 ,the very same evil of pride also is found in private and domestic life4 ,god gives sound health1 wife1 children1 and personal property2 not that through these things we should offend him1 but that in all such things we might acknowledge his mercy and render him continual thanks4 ,and for this same end also1 that we might always give him thanks1 he has bestowed upon us the use of and the dominion over all his creatures4 ,but how few are there who render unto ,god the thanks which are thus due to him6 ,do not almost all of us live in the continual and most shameful abuse of the gifts of ,god8 ,god therefore is compelled to use in our case the same remedy which the ,roman ,emperor ,vespasian adopted4 ,he used to suffer his citizens to grow rich4 ,for he was accustomed to say1 that such rich ones were like a sponge1 which when filled with water1 if well squeezed1 will give back the water in abundance4 ,so when ,god has enriched certain ones with his bountiful gifts1 if they grow ungrateful and abuse the bounty of their ,god1 he squeezes them till they are empty again2 as the blessed ,virgin says1 ,and the rich he hath sent empty away4 ,it was for this reason that ,god did not spare the first-born1 ,cain4 ,he did not give the first birth-right to ,cain1 that he might grow proud of it and despise his ,god2 but that he might adorn it1 and reverence and fear his ,god2 and when he did not this1 ,god cast him off4 ,and in this matter the sin belonged even to the parents also4 ,they fostered this pride in their first-born as the names they gave their two sons plainly prove4 ,for ,adam and ,eve placed all their hope in their first-born only4 ,they called him their treasure1 as his name indicates4 ,but ,abel they looked upon as nothing and considered that he could do nothing2 while they adorned ,cain as a king and held him to be the blessed ,seed4 ,from him therefore they promised to themselves great things1 and of him they speak great things2 and he on his part became filled with pride4 ,but ,abel they despised all the time as a man of naught4 ,god however in due time reverses all things4 ,he casts away ,cain and makes ,abel an angel1 and the first of all the saints4 ,for ,abel1 when murdered by his brother1 was the first who was delivered from his sin and from all the calamities of this world1 and he shines throughout the whole church to the end of the world as a distinguished star1 through that illustrious testimony of righteousness1 which the whole ,scriptures bear to his honor4 ,in this manner therefore was ,abel1 whom ,adam1 ,eve and ,cain despised as a man of naught1 made in the sight of ,god a lord of heaven and earth4 ,for after death ,abel is placed in a higher state and condition than if he possessed a thousand earthly worlds with all their riches4 ,such is the end of pride and presumption against ,god6 ,cain trusted in his birth-right and despised his brother in comparison with himself1 and believed not the promise concerning ,christ2 ,abel on the contrary took fast hold by faith of the promise made unto ,adam concerning the ,seed of the woman4 ,and this faith was also the reason he offered a more excellent sacrifice than ,cain1 as the ,epistle to the ,hebrews expresses it1 ,heb4 #aa3d4 ,v4 #b;b4 ,and ,abel was a keeper of sheep1 but ,cain was a tiller of the ground4 ,according therefore to the names given to the two sons by ,adam and ,eve1 such was the condition of life to which each son was appointed by his parents2 and the difference of these appointments manifests that exalted hope which the parents entertained concerning ,cain above his brother4 ,for although each calling of life is honorable1 yet that of ,abel is domestic only1 while that of ,cain is rather political or public in the nation4 ,as ,adam was himself a tiller of the ground1 he trained ,cain1 whom he more greatly loved1 to his father's higher calling2 while to ,abel is committed the more leisure care of the flock4 ,so that it plainly appears that the one son was looked upon as the lord and the other as a servant by his parents4 ,v4 #c4 ,and in process of time after the end of days1 it came to pass1 that ,cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto ,jehovah4 ,after the end of days1 that is1 after a certain number of years had been fulfilled or accomplished4 ,it is here that we are first informed that the godly parents1 ,adam and ,eve1 preached to their children often and much concerning the will and the worship of ,god4 ,for we here find that both the sons brought unto ,god their offering4 ,but you will inquire perhaps what1 and concerning what1 did ,adam and ,eve preach unto their children4 ,they certainly had most glorious subjects for all their sermons and conversations4 ,they remembered well their original condition1 and what paradise then was2 and without doubt they frequently pointed out to their children the place1 now guarded by the prohibiting angels1 and warned their children to beware of sin1 by which they had been deprived of so many blessings and shut out from them4 ,on the other hand there is no doubt that they exhorted their children to live in the fear of ,god1 that they might console themselves with the confidence of his goodness toward them2 assuring them that if they did so1 they would attain to a better state after this present life4 ,and who could enumerate all the blessings of that former life1 which they had originally enjoyed6 ,to all their teaching was added that other branch of doctrine concerning the promise of the ,seed of the woman1 and of the great deliverance from all calamities to come4 ,and most probably these ,god-fearing parents preached all these things to their children in a certain place1 and especially on the ,sabbath days4 ,and it was doubtless by being stirred to do so by these sermons1 that the children came to offer their sacrifices and to render unto ,god his worship4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,offerings ,,in ,,general1 ,,of ,,our ,,first ,,parents1 ,,and ,,of ,,cain ,,and ,,abel4 ,i4 ,now this is the first passage of the ,scripture in which mention is made of ,,mincha1 or an offering1 from which it plainly appears that the custom of sacrificing and offering victims is no recent thing1 but a practice which has existed from the beginning of the world4 ,it is no wonder therefore that the offering of sacrifices1 which had been a custom handed down from ,adam to ,moses1 as from hand to hand1 should at length have been reduced by ,moses into its own peculiar forms and into a certain order2 all those things being rejected and repudiated1 doubtless many1 which the vain superstition of men had added to the original manner of sacrificing4 ,such additions are seen in the examples furnished by the heathen sacrifices1 contained in ,homer and ,virgil1 which sacrifices the heathen nations no doubt received from the primeval fathers1 but which they multiplied and encumbered with many things through their superstition4 ,and while ,i am dwelling on the present passage1 let the reader first of all consider with me that ,adam and ,eve are not parents only1 nor is it their sole care to feed their children and to rear them for this present life4 ,they hold the offices and perform the duties of priests also4 ,and because they are filled with the ,holy ,ghost and illuminated with the knowledge of ,christ who was to come1 they set this great hope of their future deliverance before their children also1 and exhort them to show forth their gratitude to the ,god of such infinite mercy4 ,for it is to be received as a sure fact1 that the end of all the sacrifices which have been handed down to us from the beginning was none other than to set forth this great hope6 ,and now consider with me next1 what kind of hearers there were to listen to this good and holy doctrine from the lips of ,adam and ,eve4 ,these hearers and scholars were two4 ,cain1 the first-born who appeared as a saint and was believed to be the lord of all1 was a wicked man and believed not the divine promise4 ,on the other hand1 ,abel1 whose authority was as nothing and was thrust aside to take care of the cattle1 was a godly man and believed the promise4 ,and yet the ungodly ,cain so concealed his ungodliness1 that he heard his parents when teaching him and his brother1 as if he solemnly reverenced the ,word2 and he also brought his offering1 as his godly brother did4 ,here we have an example of the twofold church2 the true ,church and the hypocritical church1 as we shall more fully explain hereafter4 ,for although1 in the passage now before us1 mention is made of the sacrifice offered only1 and not of preaching also1 yet we are to rest fully assured that ,cain and ,abel did not bring their offerings without the preaching of the ,word4 ,for ,god is not worshipped with a mere dumb work4 ,here must also be the ,word1 sounding both in the hearts of men and in the ears of ,god4 ,and in the same way also calling upon the name of the ,lord was added to this original sacrifice4 ,some may here inquire1 whether ,cain and ,abel had any word or command of ,god for offering their sacrifice4 ,my answer is1 as all sacred histories confirm1 that the great and merciful ,god of his superabounding grace always appointed together with his ,word some certain and visible sign of his grace2 in order that men being admonished and kept in remembrance by means of the certain signs or works of the sacraments may the more surely believe that ,god is favorable and merciful unto them4 ,in the same manner after the ,flood1 ,god set his bow in the heavens1 that it might be a sure sign and proof that he would not again visit the world with a like punishment4 ,after the same manner also1 circumcision was given unto ,abraham1 as we shall hear in order that he might hold fast the assurance that ,god would be to him a ,god1 and that he would give him a ,seed in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed4 ,to us under the ,new ,testament are given ,baptism and the ,supper of our ,lord1 as ordained visible signs of grace1 that we might be the more fully assured that our sins are all taken away by the suffering of ,christ for us and that we are redeemed by his death4 ,hence the ,church was never left so destitute of external signs1 that men were suffered to remain in ignorance as to where ,god might be found without fail4 ,and although the world for the most part follows in the steps of ,cain and abuses those external signs of the grace of ,god1 turning them into hypocrisy1 it is nevertheless evidently an unspeakable mercy that ,god represents himself unto us in so many ways4 ,and this very great gift of ,god is that which is intended to be lauded by those high commendations contained in ,proverbs1 ,i was daily his delight1 rejoicing always before him2 rejoicing in his habitable earth1 ,prov4 #h3cj1 #ca4 ,but the ,hebrew word ,,sachak is not translated into ,german1 to play2 for wisdom here declares that her regard was always directed toward men1 to the intent that she might reveal herself to men4 ,the meaning is1 as if ,god had said1 ,i have always so walked before the eyes and in the hearing of men1 that they may always understand me to be present in their sacrifices1 in circumcision1 in their offering of incense1 in the cloud by day1 in the ,red ,sea1 in the manna1 in the brazen serpent1 in the tabernacle of ,moses1 in the temple of ,solomon1 and in the cloud over the mercy-seat1 and all these things were my delight2 that by means of them ,i might present myself before the eyes of the sons of men and reveal myself unto them4 ,and it was also a great consolation to ,adam1 that after paradise had been lost and the tree of life also1 and those other blessings of paradise which had been outward signs of the grace of ,god1 ,god gave unto him another sign of his grace2 namely1 that of offering sacrifices2 in order that by this given sign he might understand that he was not cast off by ,god1 but was still the care of his maker1 and the concern of his ,creator4 ,and this is what ,god intended to be understood by ,adam1 when he had lighted his sacrifices and oblations with the heavenly fire1 and when the flame which consumed them ascended to heaven2 as we read concerning the sacrifices of ,moses and of ,elijah4 ,for all these sacrifices were true symbols and representations of the divine mercy2 of all these signs1 miserable men had need1 that they might not be without some continual light and indication of the grace of ,god4 ,in the same manner also the ,word itself ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper are our morning stars1 upon which we look as sure indications and representations of the ,sun of grace4 ,for we can definitely affirm1 that where the ,lord's ,supper1 ,baptism and the ,word are1 there is ,christ1 the remission of sins and eternal life4 ,on the contrary1 where these signs of grace are not1 or where they are despised by men1 there1 not only is there not grace1 but also foul errors abound3 so much so that men make to themselves other signs and appoint other modes of worship4 ,thus the ,greeks worshipped their ,apollo1 and other heathen nations their demons4 ,the ,egyptians worshipped their ,anubis1 their ,serapis1 and crocodiles1 garlic1 onions1 etc41 etc4 ,the ,romans adored as their gods ,jupiter ,quirinus1 and the abominable statues of ,priapus1 ,venus1 etc4 ,the very same thing has occurred also in the papacy4 ,for after those true signs of grace began to sink in men's esteem and to be despised1 superstition could not remain quiet4 ,it sought out for itself other signs1 such as vows1 orders of monks1 pilgrimages to the tombs of the saints1 intercessions of the saints1 and other superstitions4 ,all these things are full of errors1 and joined with ungodliness2 and yet miserable mortals embrace them as certain signs of divine grace4 ,and amidst all this you hear of no bishop who condemns1 no school which exclaims against such blasphemies as these1 nor which teaches sounder things4 ,for where the light of the ,word is lost and these signs of grace also1 which ,god has given unto men1 people necessarily run after the desires of their own hearts4 ,so also the ,jews1 when they had despised the tabernacle and the temple1 sacrificed under trees and in groves1 even until parents became so cruel as to sacrifice their own children4 ,all this idolatry1 so various and so widely wandering out of the way1 plainly shows how great a gift of ,god it is to possess the ,word and those signs of divine grace1 which ,god himself set forth and commanded4 ,and if the ,gentiles had been willing to follow in the footsteps of the ,jews1 they would never have fallen away into those monstrous idolatries under which they were sunk4 ,and so also with respect to ourselves2 had we held ,baptism and the holy ,supper of our ,lord in that esteem in which we ought to have held them1 we should never have become monks4 ,nothing concerning purgatory1 nothing concerning the sacrifice of the mass1 nothing about those other like iniquities1 would ever have been taught and handed down to us in the ,church4 ,but after the light of the ,word had been put out by the wicked ,popes1 it was easy enough to thrust upon men all these abominations4 ,unspeakable therefore is this gift1 that ,god not only condescended to speak unto men by his ,word1 but added also to the ,word these visible signs of his grace2 as in the ,new ,testament1 ,baptism and the ,supper of our ,lord4 ,are not those therefore who use these signs in a manner beneath their dignity1 or who treat them with contempt1 worthy of being left as they are to purchase the ,pope's dung1 as the richest balsam1 and to worship it1 and to pray to it8 ,for why dared they despise such goodness of the divine majesty8 ,they might have had1 if they pleased1 these sure signs of the grace of ,god at their own houses without any expense and without any labor4 ,but despising these1 they travel to ,rome and to ,compostella1 etc42 and thus spend their money and afflict their bodies1 and at length most justly lose their souls4 ,god be blessed forevermore1 that he has in this our day recalled us by his ,word from these mighty errors and idolatries1 and has so enriched us with the signs of his divine grace1 that we may have them before our doors and in our home and even on our beds4 ,it was in this manner that ,god at first and from the very beginning of the world1 in order to confirm his promise concerning our salvation1 took this care that men might always have signs by which they might comfort themselves under their sins1 and might lift up their heads by a confidence in the divine grace4 ,for it is not the dignity of the work or act itself1 but the mercy of ,god and the efficacy of the divine promise in the sacrifice1 which are availing unto the worshipper4 ,it is because ,god hath ordained these acts of worship1 and because he hath promised that they shall be well-pleasing unto him1 that ,baptism and the ,supper of our ,lord are to us1 what the sacrifice and offering after the promise were to ,adam4 ,for ,god in those sacrifices revealed his grace2 and he approved those same sacrifices by himself igniting them and consuming them by fire from heaven4 ,,ii4 ,and it was to these acts of worship that the first father brought up his sons2 that they might in this manner render their thanks unto ,god1 might bless ,god1 and might conceive a sure hope in the mercy of ,god4 ,but the wicked ,cain1 inflated with the dignity of his first birth-right1 despised all these most blessed preachings of his parent4 ,he brought his offering indeed as his father had commanded him2 but1 puffed up with the high opinion of his own sanctity1 he imagined that ,god would approve the act of the worship itself1 because of the dignity of the person1 the worshipper4 ,and ,abel1 who1 according to the name given him1 was nothing in his own eyes1 also brought his offering2 but he worships ,god thereby through faith in the divine promise2 as it is written in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 ,heb4 #aa3d4 ,v4 #d;a4 ,and ,abel1 he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof4 ,here1 if you look at the acts of their worship themselves1 you can see no reason for preferring ,abel to ,cain4 ,for the ,jews expose their absurdity by their dreams when they say that ,cain did not offer chosen wheat1 but chaff only2 and that was the reason why he was rejected of ,god4 ,but the ,jews are self-righteous worshippers and cleave unto the works themselves4 ,the judgment of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews however is quite different2 the testimony of which is1 that it was ,by faith that ,abel offered unto ,god a more excellent sacrifice than ,cain1 ,heb4 #aa3d4 ,the fault of the offering therefore did not lie in the things which were offered1 but in the person who offered them4 ,and it was the faith of the person and its weight1 which gave the value to the offering made by ,abel6 ,but ,cain1 by the state of his person1 rendered the offering which he made of no avail4 ,abel believed that ,god was good and merciful1 and it was this faith that rendered his offering acceptable to ,god4 ,cain on the contrary trusted in the dignity of his first birth-right and despised his brother as a man of naught in comparison with himself4 ,what therefore in the end was proved to be the judgment of ,god8 ,god made the first-born to be as the after-born1 and the after-born to be as the first-born4 ,for he had respect unto the offering of ,abel1 and showed that the offering of this priest was acceptable unto himself2 and1 on the other hand1 he declared that ,cain was not acceptable to him and that he was not a true priest in his sight4 ,the ,hebrew expression1 ,,schaah1 has a very wide signification2 and ,i have carefully explained its full meaning in my paper against ,latomus2 and also1 its like signification1 as found in the prophet ,isaiah4 ,in that day shall men look to their ,maker1 and their eyes shall have respect to the ,holy ,one of ,israel2 and they shall not look to the altars1 the work of their hands1 ,is4 #ag3g1 #h1 and likewise1 ,is4 #ff3ab1 ,and ye shall suck thereof2 ye shall be borne upon the side1 and shall be dandled upon the knees4 ,the full meaning of the original expression therefore and its allusion are1 that when a mother cherishes her babe in her bosom and looks upon it1 she views it with a glad and delighted eye4 ,this is the meaning1 the allusion and the figure1 which the original expression conveys4 ,its signification therefore is much more extensive than that of the common verb1 to see1 or to behold4 ,for when a mother looks at her babe1 she smiles upon it with delight and carries in her countenance a peculiar expression of love4 ,the modern expressions of our language do not contain a term by which the full import of this original word can be conveyed2 nor does the ,latin language1 as far as ,i know1 contain any expression adequate to its satisfactory translation4 ,quite similar is that which ,moses says in ,exodus #cc3ae1 ,if thy presence 7facies tuae7 go not with me1 carry us not up hence1 that is1 grant that we may ever have thy signs with us in our midst1 by which thou appearest always before us1 and makest manifest thy presence with us and thy favor unto us4 ,and these signs1 as ,i have said1 were the pillar of fire and the cloud1 etc4 ,and though ,moses does not1 in this portion of the divine history explain what that sign was1 by which ,god showed that the offerings of ,abel were acceptable unto him2 yet it is very probable that his acceptance and pleasure were manifested by fire sent down from heaven1 by which the offering and the victim were ignited and consumed before the eyes of all present1 by which it was plainly shown that ,god was delighted with the sacrifice ,abel offered4 ,for by this divine manifestation ,god showed that he judgeth the heart and the reins2 because1 in these two offerings1 he had not respect unto the glory of the first birth-right of ,cain2 but1 on the other hand1 he had respect unto the mind of the despised ,abel4 ,and here the whole ,church first begins to be divided into that church1 which is the church in name only1 but which in reality is the church of hypocrisy and the church of blood2 and into that other church1 which is barren and desolate in appearance1 and subject to sufferings and to the cross1 and which1 before the world and in the estimation of that church of hypocrisy1 is really the ,abel2 that is1 vanity and nothing4 ,but ,christ himself1 who also makes this division and difference1 calls ,abel the righteous one and makes him the beginning of the ,church of the godly1 which shall continue even unto the end of the world4 ,while ,cain is the beginning of that church of enmity and blood1 which also shall continue unto the end of the world2 as ,augustine also setteth forth this history in his book1 ,the ,city of ,god4 ,a great doctrine therefore and a great consolation are set before us1 while we trace both these churches to these their original fountains1 as it were1 and when we mark that wonderful counsel1 with which ,god has ever ruled and overruled these things2 ordaining that the true ,church should at one time be greater and at another time less2 yet1 so that the hypocritical and the bloody church should always have the glory before the world and should crucify the true ,church1 which is the beloved of her ,god4 ,for even thus at the beginning did commence the practical fulfilment of that divine prediction1 that the seed of the serpent should bite the heel of the blessed ,seed4 ,and this same enmity and biting we experience to this very day4 ,therefore we ought not to be affrighted by this our appointed lot4 ,it ought rather to be unto us a great consolation that we learn by our own experience to suffer those very things at the hands of our enemies1 which the bloody ,cain inflicted on the righteous ,abel4 ,for it is not now the first time that the name of the ,church is torn from us1 and that we are called heretics1 and that those who kill us glory that they are the only true ,church1 and maintain that assumed name by fire and sword1 and by every kind of cruelty4 ,the same thing befell righteous ,abel4 ,the same thing befell ,christ our ,lord1 who was not a priest nor a king of ,jerusalem before the people2 and yet he was dragged by the priests and by the kings to the cross6 ,and we all1 as the apostle says1 must be made conformable to ,christ4 ,and thus it is that the true ,church is ever hidden and unknown1 and is cast out1 and its members held as heretics1 and slain2 while ,cain alone has the glorious name and is held in estimation1 and alone possesses the hope of doing great things2 and therefore it is that he rushes on his brother with hostile enmity of mind and slays him4 ,now these things were not political nor domestic1 but truly ecclesiastical in the highest degree4 ,abel was not slain on any political or domestic account1 but alone on account of the worship of ,god4 ,for it was not enough for ,cain that he was the lord of the family1 he wishes to be the son of ,god2 he will be the pope and father of the church4 ,and therefore he takes upon himself the judgment of sacrifices1 and condemns and slays his brother as a heretic4 ,hence is the prophecy of ,christ that the ,church should be subject to various perils and that the time should come when those who should slay the godly should think that they were thereby worshipping ,god and doing him service4 ,therefore those who will consider themselves the most righteous among us1 these are the pestilences and the persecutors of the ,church4 ,on the other hand1 the true ,church is that church which is never judged to be the ,church4 ,but she is1 according to her name1 the ,abel who was not only a figure of the true ,church but the very beginning of it2 that is1 she is accounted as naught1 so that when she is slain1 her slayers think that ,god will care nothing about her1 because ,cain1 they think1 as being lord of all and king1 may do and is able to do anything4 ,now this is the offense of the cross1 against which we have ever to fight by faith4 ,for we are not to think that we are not the ,church1 because our adversaries condemn us and persecute us with every kind of cruelty thus securely4 ,but1 on the contrary1 we are ever to consider that this cross and these judgments of the wicked are the sure and infallible signs of the true ,church1 as the tenth ,psalm shows1 also ,psalm #gb3ad1 ,and precious shall their blood be in his sight2 and ,psalm #aaf3ae1 ,precious in the sight of the ,lord is the death of his saints4 ,in these ,psalms therefore you hear that those who are slaughtered in this manner by the ,cainites are so far from being from the care of ,god that their death is precious in his sight4 ,those therefore who are thus the care of ,god are the true people of ,god4 ,wherefore1 let us endure the cruelty of our adversaries and let us joyfully give thanks unto ,god that we are not in the number of those who are the slayers2 and who1 because of their name and title1 persecute the ,church1 seize upon the property of others1 and rush with cruelty and violence upon their bodies also4 ,and indeed the histories of all ages and times testify that the true ,church was ever a suffering ,church1 that the false ,church was ever an evil and violent ,church2 and that the true ,church was ever condemned by the church of hypocrisy and blood4 ,hence there can be no doubt among us of the present day that the ,church of the ,pope is the ,cainite ,church1 and that we are the true1 the ,abel ,church2 and as ,abel harmed not ,cain1 so we not only do no harm to the ,church of the ,pope1 but suffer ourselves to be harassed1 condemned and slaughtered by them4 ,nor do we record these things falsely4 ,it is well known to the whole world how often we are subjected to anathemas1 distressed by subscriptions1 and condemned by various denunciations4 ,nor have there ever ceased to be found men in almost every corner or ,europe ready to offer themselves as the fierce executors of cruelest decrees4 ,neither ,spain1 nor ,france1 nor ,england1 nor ,belgium1 nor ,bohemia1 nor ,poland1 nor ,hungary1 nor ,austria1 nor ,bavaria1 has been free from witnessing this unjust cruelty and savage rage4 ,and yet1 what were they persecuting all the while8 ,what1 but godly doctrine1 a doctrine perfectly agreeing with the writings of the apostles and prophets8 ,can there be any doubt or obscurity then in forming a judgment concerning the true ,church8 ,for can you possibly judge that to be the true ,church where nothing sound is taught1 where unjust tyranny is practiced1 and where the highest power is joined with the greatest wealth8 ,is not that rather the true ,church where there is sound and holy doctrine1 healing to afflicted consciences8 ,and where1 for the sake of that doctrine1 there are endured the cross1 contempt1 poverty1 ignominy1 and all those things of the same kind which the poor little helpless flock of ,christ is recorded ever and everywhere to have suffered8 ,it is not only most useful therefore1 but also most consoling1 to have ever before our eyes this most certain demonstration1 which carries with it so plain a distinction between the two ,churches1 that ,church which is filled with men of enmity and malignity1 such as that purple harlot1 bearing the name of the true ,church2 and that other ,church1 which is accounted as naught1 which suffers1 which hungers and thirsts1 and lies prostrate under oppression4 ,for ,christ records that he and his disciples both hunger and thirst in this world1 ,math4 #be3ce-df4 ,but the judgment shall one day come which shall judge between the full and the hungry1 between the goats and the sheep1 between ,cain and ,abel4 ,at this judgment ,god shall declare that he approves this suffering and hungering ,church1 and condemns the ,church of hypocrisy and blood4 ,these are our consolations and this is that sugar as it were1 by which our present calamities must be sweetened and overcome4 ,such then is the theological part of this divine matter4 ,now let us come to the political part of it1 and consider the judgment of ,god concerning that4 ,we doubtless may justly wonder why it was that ,god permitted the first son of ,adam1 to whom the honor of the first birth-right was always due throughout the whole human race1 to fall so horribly that his whole posterity should afterwards be destroyed4 ,but the cause was the very same as that on account of which ,god spoke with such bitter derision to ,adam when he said1 ,lest he also become as one of us1 ,gen4 #c3bb4 ,the reason was the same as that for which the ,lord guarded the garden by the cherubim4 ,for ,god will crush all presumption and pride1 which are implanted as it were in the heart of man by original sin4 ,and such is our nature that we can endure anything else better than this crushing of our pride4 ,we see what insolence and pride there are in all our nobles of the court1 on account of the vain nobility of their descent4 ,for truly vain is that nobility1 which real worth and illustrious services to his country have not procured for a man4 ,it is said of ,plato1 the philosopher1 that he also was accustomed to give thanks to ,god for three things2 first1 that he was born a man and not a beast2 secondly1 that he was born a ,greek at ,athens1 and not a barbarian2 and thirdly1 that he was born a man and not a woman4 ,the fatuity of the ,jews is just like this4 ,they glory that they were born men1 and not beasts2 ,jews1 and not ,gentiles2 males1 and not females4 ,but to what1 ,i pray you1 does all this glory of origin amount8 ,what vanity is it to see a certain ass in a palace with his gold chains on1 not only thinking himself better than every one of the people1 but also growing proud and insolent against ,god himself4 ,just so it was with the ,romans4 ,they prided themselves in the course of years on the glory of their nation's mighty deeds1 always carefully thrusting from them the degrading term barbarian4 ,in a word1 the greater any nation has ever grown in its own eyes1 the more proud and insolent it has ever become4 ,and the same is the nature of us all by sin4 ,but look at the judgment of ,god in this matter4 ,cain could truly and justly boast in the highest of all nobility1 for he was the first-born of all mankind4 ,but the greater and more glorious his origin was1 by so much the more horribly did he fall4 ,hence general experience has also given place to the well-known proverb1 which says1 ,the sons of the great are great evils4 ,nor are these evils peculiar to private families only1 mighty empires suffer the same4 ,the nation of the ,greeks was most glorious4 ,they excelled all other nations in their learning and in the greatness of their illustrious deeds4 ,but into what extremes of turpitude did they fall8 ,and how miserably was their nation destroyed at last8 ,and you may see the very same things fulfilled in all nations4 ,good therefore was ,god in permitting ,cain thus to fall1 that he might be an example to the whole world1 that no one might ever glory in the nobleness of his blood1 as the ,jews boasted of their father ,abraham and as the ,greeks boasted of their wisdom4 ,for ,god will have himself to be feared and us to be humbled4 ,but this his will1 though known to us1 is for the most part known to us in vain4 ,for we are not moved by all these terrible instances of his wrath nor by the perditions and destructions of the first men and the first nations4 ,universal experience therefore testifies1 that the sentiment of the ,virgin ,mary is true1 ,he hath put down the mighty from their seats1 ,luke #a3eb4 ,for those things which are the first and the best become the most damnable1 not from anything in themselves that is evil1 but on account of the diabolical presumption and pride of men4 ,this sad result the ,gentiles also saw1 as the well-known saying of one of their philosophers testifies1 who being asked what ,god was doing replied1 ,exalting the humble1 and humbling the exalted4 ,but the heathen philosophers saw not the cause of all these things4 ,thus also the flesh judges it to be great glory to be born a male1 and not a female4 ,we see however that ,god has taken especial care that man1 so great1 should not be born of man1 and so also ,christ would have himself to be called the ,seed of the woman1 not the ,seed of the man4 ,o what would have been the pride of men had ,god willed ,christ to be born of a man6 ,no6 all this glory is transferred from the men to the women1 subject to the rule of the men4 ,and all this was done that men might not glory in themselves1 but be humbled4 ,nay1 since the woman cannot bring forth without the man1 ,god has therefore especially ordained that the men also should not bring forth of themselves without the woman4 ,for such is human nature1 that man cannot rightly use his glory1 but ever abuses it with pride and rises up against him from whom he receives such gifts4 ,it was for this reason therefore that ,cain so awfully fell and lost the right of his first birthship1 that we might be thereby taught to fear ,god and to give him thanks1 and might be warned against abusing his gifts in arrogance and pride4 ,vs4 #d;b1 #e;a4 ,and ,jehovah had respect unto ,abel and to his offering2 but unto ,cain and his offering he had not respect4 ,this is an important portion of ,scripture1 and therefore it is to be most carefully observed and most strongly enforced4 ,for it would be sufficient for all doctrine if under the ,new ,testament trust in the mercy of ,god were set before men against all trust in works with so clear a testimony and in such plain words as it was thus set forth at the very beginning of the world4 ,for when ,moses says that the ,lord had respect unto ,abel and to his offering1 but unto ,cain and his offering he had not respect1 does he not clearly show that ,god ever respects the person before the work1 and that he first looks at the person who performs the work8 ,and does not the sacred historian make it perfectly plain1 that if the person be good1 his work also pleaseth ,god2 but that1 if the person be evil1 the work also of such an one does not please ,god8 ,now this is the sum of our doctrine1 which we profess and teach1 that the person is accepted of ,god before the work6 ,and that the person is not made righteous by the righteous work1 but on the contrary that the work is rendered righteous and good by the good and righteous person1 as the text now before us clearly proves4 ,for because ,god1 as here shown1 had respect unto the person of ,abel1 he had respect also unto his offering4 ,but on the other hand1 because ,god had not respect unto the person of ,cain1 therefore unto his offering also he had not respect4 ,this doctrine the text before us plainly proves1 nor can our adversaries deny it4 ,from the words of that text therefore follows this most clear and most evident consequence3 that ,abel was righteous before the work of his offering1 and that his work pleased ,god1 because of his person2 not his person1 because of his work4 ,yet it is for the latter doctrine that our adversaries contend1 who teach that the man is justified by his works1 and not by his faith alone4 ,and it is in this manner that the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews looks at this text with clear and pure eyes1 when he says1 ,by faith ,abel offered unto ,god a more excellent sacrifice than ,cain1 by which he obtained witness that he was righteous1 ,god testifying of his gifts2 and by it1 he being dead1 yet speaketh1 ,heb4 #aa3d4 ,cain also offered1 and also before ,abel brought his offering2 but the former offered1 inflated with the glory of his birth1 expecting that his gift would please ,god1 because it was offered by the first-born4 ,cain therefore comes to offer without faith1 without the confession of sin1 without imploring the grace of ,god1 without trust in the mercy of ,god1 and without prayer for the remission of sins1 having no other ground for his hope that he shall please ,god1 than because he was the first-born2 and this is what all self-justifiers do at this day4 ,they look intently on their works alone and hope that they shall please ,god on account of their works4 ,they trust not in the mercy of ,god only1 nor hope in ,god that he will pardon their sins for ,christ's sake4 ,and such was ,cain4 ,but it would have been impossible for him to have displeased ,god1 if he had possessed faith4 ,abel1 on the contrary1 acknowledged himself to be an unworthy and miserable sinner2 and therefore he fled unto the mercy of ,god and believed that ,god was favorable unto him1 and that he was willing to have mercy upon him4 ,god therefore who looks into the heart judged between the two brothers1 who alike brought their offering4 ,he condemned ,cain1 not on account of the offerings themselves1 as if they were less good than those of ,abel1 for if he had offered even a nutshell in faith1 it would have been accepted of ,god1 but because his person was evil1 without faith and filled with pride and arrogance4 ,while1 on the contrary1 ,god had respect unto the offering of ,abel1 because his person pleased him4 ,hence it is that the text so clearly and particularly expresses it1 that the ,lord had respect first to ,abel1 and afterwards to his offering4 ,for1 when the person first pleases you1 then also the things which that person does please you4 ,but1 on the contrary1 all things are unpleasing to you1 which that person does whom you hate4 ,the passage before us therefore is remarkable and important2 for it is thereby clearly proved that ,god regards neither the magnitude1 nor the multitude1 nor even the price of the works done2 but simply and only the faith of the person who does them4 ,and that ,god despises neither the fewness1 nor the meanness1 nor the worthlessness of the works done1 but the absence of faith only1 in the person who does them4 ,of what avail is it therefore that the ,jews glory and exclaim1 ,the ,temple of the ,lord6 ,the ,temple of the ,lord6 ,jer4 #g3d4 ,what avails it that the ,papists boast of their masses1 their sackcloth1 their horse-hair blankets1 their hard labors1 their sweats1 and the magnitude1 the multitude and even the price of their works8 ,for ,god regardeth not works1 not even those commanded by himself1 when they are not done as the passage of ,jeremiah just mentioned shows4 ,much less does ,god regard those works which are invented of men without his ,word4 ,he regards faith alone2 that is1 a trust in his mercy through ,christ4 ,it is by this faith and this trust that the persons begin to please ,god2 then after this their works also please him4 ,hence it was that the offering of ,cain did not please ,god1 because ,cain having no faith did not please him4 ,on the contrary1 the offering of ,abel did please ,god and that because of his faith2 because he trusted neither in his dignity1 nor in his sacrifices themselves1 nor in the work which he performed2 but trusted alone in the promise given of ,god concerning the ,seed of the woman4 ,the text before us therefore exactly applies to our doctrine concerning justification1 that a man must be righteous before all works and be accepted of ,god without any works1 through that grace alone which his faith believes and apprehends4 ,nor does even faith justify1 as a work1 but because it apprehends the mercy shown forth in ,christ4 ,it is in this trust in the mercy of ,god that the true ,church walks1 with a humble confession of her sins and unworthiness1 while she believes that ,god will pardon her through ,christ4 ,and now the works which follow upon this trust in ,god's mercy are as it were evidences and testimonies of the man's faith2 and they please ,god1 not on account of themselves1 but on account of the faith of the person who offers them2 or because he believes in the mercy of ,god toward him4 ,this faith the other church1 the ,cainite church1 not only has not1 but ever persecutes it where she finds it4 ,for she on the contrary1 like ,cain1 sets it down for a certainty that she shall please ,god on account of her works4 ,but ,god hates this pride2 for he can not endure such contempt of his grace and mercy1 etc4 ,this passage of ,scripture therefore is worthy our most careful consideration4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,cain',s ,,conduct ,,upon ,,the ,,rejection ,,of ,,his ,,offering ,,and ,,his ,,punishment4 ,i4 ,v4 #e;b4 ,and ,cain was very wroth1 and his countenance fell4 ,this and the few following clauses will give us a little grammatical trouble4 ,but ,i hope we shall make our way out of the difficulty successfully4 ,we have heard that ,cain was disappointed in his hope4 ,he had despised his brother in comparison with himself1 and had judged that on account of the right of his primogeniture he should hold the first place with ,god as he had done with his parents4 ,the judgment of ,god however was quite different from that of men4 ,he showed that he approved ,abel1 but rejected ,cain4 ,the result was therefore that ,cain was violently enraged against his brother4 ,for he could not endure with any patience that he should be thus rejected and excommunicated1 and deprived also at the same time of his rule and priesthood4 ,just in the same manner also we see kings and princes to be utterly impatient of the judgment of the ,church4 ,for they are not satisfied with being kings and princes1 they want to be accounted also righteous and saints before ,god2 and they will take to themselves the name of the ,church4 ,exactly like these1 ,cain was filled with indignation when he saw that the honor of righteousness and grace before ,god was taken from him4 ,for what else was this than being cast out of the ,church and excommunicated8 ,and his indignation at this dishonor was the greater in proportion to the measure in which he judged himself degraded beneath his brother4 ,for his thoughts were these3 ,my brother will assuredly aspire to the headship and rule1 since he sees me thus despised and disregarded of ,god4 ,and hence it is that ,moses uses the adverb very wroth1 by which form of expression he would signify that ,cain was vehemently offended because he was thus ignominiously confounded in public before his whole family2 whereas he had always wished to appear the first among them4 ,this ,cain-like wrath is just that rage which we see also in the ,cain-like ,church of the pope4 ,for what is there which gives the pope1 the cardinals1 the kings and the princes greater offense than that ,i1 a poor beggar1 set the authority of ,god above the authority of them all1 and that ,i condemn in the name of the ,lord all those things which are worthy such condemnation4 ,they themselves also acknowledge that there are many things which need rigid reformation4 ,but that ,i1 a poor1 obscure person1 coming into public out of some obscure corner1 should presume to do this1 is a thing which they consider to be beyond all endurance4 ,and therefore they put forth all their authority against me and by the weight of that authority they attempt to crush us4 ,and most certainly there is not in the whole world a wrath more cruel than that of this ,church of hypocrisy and blood4 ,for in all political or civil rage there is some degree of humanity still left4 ,no assassin is led to execution1 however savage his nature may be1 with pity for whom men are not in some measure touched4 ,but when that false and blood-thirsting ,church falls upon a poor son of the true ,church1 she is not satisfied with shedding his blood2 she loads him also with her curses and execrations1 and devotes him to every ignominy and insult1 and even vents her rage upon his miserable1 breathless corpse4 ,just like the ,jews1 who were not content with having nailed ,christ to the cross1 with the full purpose of not taking him down till he was dead1 but even while he was breathing out the last breath of his soul they gave him in his thirst vinegar to drink mingled with gall4 ,such fury as this is never found in political wrath6 ,the wrath therefore and the pharasaic fury of the false ,church is a fury in its very nature diabolical4 ,this wrath began in ,cain1 and it continues in all ,cainites to this very day4 ,and we can most truly glory that we also have to endure with godly ,abel1 just such wrath as this in our day4 ,for who entertains a doubt1 that if our bishops and certain furious princes could do it1 they would slaughter us all in one moment8 ,who doubts that1 if according to the prayers of the notorious ,roman emperor1 we all together had but one neck1 they would with the greatest delight rush upon us sword in hand and cut off our head8 ,only look at the councils of these later years and their designs1 and you will say that my testimony is true4 ,that which ,moses adds1 ,and his countenance 7vultus7 'appearances1' 'looks1' 'whole aspect1' fell1 is a ,hebrew expression2 an expression which not only represents the deed done1 or the fact1 but also implies that the mind also was in such a state of commotion that it could not rest2 and that although ,cain could do no further harm1 yet his wrathful will to do so was manifested by his countenance4 ,he did not lift up his fallen brow nor speak in a friendly voice to his parents as before4 ,and every answer he made them was rather a sullen murmur than a natural utterance4 ,he was struck pale at the first sight of his brother after his offering1 which ,god had accepted4 ,and he showed by the threatening looks of his eyes that his mind was burning with the desire of revenge4 ,moses expresses all this1 when he says1 ,and his countenance fell2 for he does not mean his countenance or visage only1 nor merely one part of his countenance2 but he intends all his appearances1 his whole appearance2 his every look1 gesture and motion2 in the same manner as the apostle uses a ,hebrew expression1 when he says concerning charity that it doth not behave itself unseemly2 that is1 doth not carry an unseemly countenance1 doth not contract its brow1 doth not look with anger or disdain1 doth not wear a threatening aspect2 but is of a free and open visage1 expressing with its eyes kindness and affection4 ,for the latter are becoming1 but the former are unbecoming and indicative of vice within4 ,this clause therefore1 ,and his countenance fell1 contains a particular description of the anger and hypocrisy of ,cain4 ,he could neither look at his brother ,abel1 nor hear his voice1 nor speak to him1 nor eat nor drink with him in rest or quietude of mind4 ,if any one desires to witness an example of this ,cain-like wrath1 let him put himself in the presence of some ,papist1 who is seeking distinguished praise for doctrine or piety in his day and generation2 and he will find that such an one is the subject of a rage against the truth1 perfectly diabolical2 to which fury1 if you compare the anger of a judge1 the latter will appear in comparison to be the greatest kindness1 mercy and open candor4 ,for in the judge anger is merely a duty2 he is not angry with the person of the prisoner1 but with his crime4 ,but the ,cainite wrath fires and distorts the eyes1 scowls the brow1 swells the cheeks with rage1 and arms the hands4 ,in a word1 it is evident in every part of the body and in its every gesture1 and that unceasingly4 ,for it does not die away by time1 as political or domestic wrath does4 ,next follows the fatherly and most grave admonition of ,adam1 who would willingly have healed and saved his son if he could have done so4 ,but this wrath knows no medicine or cure4 ,neither ,cain nor any ,cainite will hear either father or mother1 or ,god ,himself6 ,v4 #f4 ,and ,jehovah said unto ,cain1 ,why art thou wroth1 and why is thy countenance fallen8 ,all these circumstances plainly prove that the present was not the first time that ,cain had been confounded in this offering of his sacrifice2 but that from the hour of this sacrifice he had gone in perturbation of mind1 filled with sadness and gnashing his teeth2 and looking neither upon his father nor upon his mother without an evil eye2 affected just as we have already said that pharasaic rage affects the whole man1 and changes the whole visage and gesture4 ,for ,cain considered it to be a great indignity that at a public sacrifice1 and in the midst of divine worship1 and before the eyes of his father and his mother1 ,abel whom he had always despised and whom even his parents themselves had accounted a child of naught1 should be preferred of ,god to himself2 and thus pronounced of ,god worthy the glory of the kingship and the priesthood4 ,,ii4 ,as soon therefore as he had fully shown that he was of a hostile mind towards his brother1 he receives from his father ,adam the admonition in our text4 ,for my belief is1 that these words are spoken by ,adam himself1 and that ,moses says they were spoken by the ,lord1 because ,adam had now been justified and had been gifted with the ,holy ,spirit2 and therefore those things which he now spoke by the ,holy ,spirit according to the ,word of ,god are rightly said by ,moses to have been spoken by ,god himself4 ,just as at the present day those who preach the ,gospel are not in reality themselves the preachers and teachers1 but ,christ1 who speaks and teaches in them and by them4 ,and most certainly these words are spoken by ,adam with peculiar gravity and intent2 for he saw that his son could not patiently endure the indignity put upon him2 he saw him grieve over his lost superiority2 and he felt what havoc the ,tempter might make in the corrupt nature of his son1 who had done such evil to himself and ,eve1 when in a state of innocency and perfection4 ,adam therefore was filled with deep anxiety and addressed his son with that solemn gravity of language1 which ,moses records in the text4 ,and although no one of the fathers has explained that speech of ,adam to his son ,cain in a manner worthy its gravity and importance2 because perhaps none of them had sufficient leisure from their ecclesiastical engagements2 yet ,i will attempt to move this stone of difficulty out of the way2 and1 as ,i hope and think1 not without some advantage to the truth4 ,v4 #g;a4 ,if thou doest well1 shall it not be lifted up1 7shall there not be a remission17 and if thou doest not well1 sin coucheth 7lieth7 at the door4 ,i cannot sufficiently wonder how ,moses was able to condense so mighty a subject in so few words4 ,our translation does not properly express the sense4 ,and although ,augustine was not altogether unacquainted with the ,hebrew language1 yet his knowledge of it was not thorough2 for he renders this important text thus1 ,if thou offerest aright1 and yet dost not rightly divide the offering1 thou hast sinned4 ,rest1 and be quiet4 ,what such sins are those well acquainted with the ,hebrew know4 ,though the doctrine which ,augustine deduces from his rendering of the passage is theologically correct and good1 the ,septuagint translators of the ,hebrew seem also not to have been duly qualified for the magnitude of the work they undertook4 ,wherefore1 leaving for the present both the translations and the opinions of all other commentators1 we will now strictly follow the proper sense of the ,hebrew in the text before us4 ,that sense is the following1 ,if thou doest well1 there shall be remission1 or alleviation2 if thou doest not well1 sin lieth at the door1 etc4 ,moreover it is ordained by nature1 as even the philosopher testifies1 that words should be made to serve things1 and not things made subservient to words4 ,the sentiment of ,hilary is well known1 which a certain master of sound opinions also thus cites3 ,words ought ever to be understood according to the matter contained in them1 and intended to be expressed by them4 ,in every exposition or explanation of the ,scriptures therefore the subject-matter is first to be considered2 that is1 we are first clearly to see the thing spoken of in each case4 ,when this is strictly done1 then the words are to be brought to a due application to the thing1 if the grammatical laws of the language will permit2 but the things are never to be made to bend to the words4 ,and it is because the ,rabbins and those who follow them do not this1 for they have lost the things1 and so cleave hard to the words only1 that they often fall into the most absurd sentiments and opinions4 ,for1 as they possess not thoughts worthy of those spiritual things1 of which the sacred ,scriptures speak1 they err from the subject-matter treated in each case by the ,word and draw the words after them into vain and carnal cogitations4 ,but it is certain that the ,jews have lost ,christ2 how then can they possibly understand aright either the things of the ,gospel or the things of the ,law8 ,they know not what sin is1 nor what grace is1 nor what righteousness is4 ,how then should they be able to explain successfully such passages of the ,scriptures8 ,just so the ,jews are in general the wise or sophists of our day4 ,for what sound knowledge have they of such divine and mighty things as these6 ,being ignorant therefore of the thing itself1 how is it possible that they should rightly understand the words of the ,scriptures in which it is expressed8 ,and although a knowledge of the words is prior in order2 yet the knowledge of the things is better and more important4 ,for if you alter the things1 the words also will be changed into another sense to correspond with the altered things1 and a new grammatical construction altogether is the sure result4 ,thus the great grammarian of ,gerunda possesses an excellent knowledge of the words1 and indeed there are many in our day who far surpass me in a critical knowledge of the ,hebrew language1 but because he understands not the divine theme1 he miserably corrupts this passage2 for he explains it thus3 ,if thou doest well thy offering shall be more acceptable than that of thy brother1 because thou art the first-born4 ,you here see that ,gerundensis understands what the names of the things are1 but not the things themselves2 what the term is1 but not what the matter is4 ,for the very design of ,god in this text is to show that he will have no regard to first birthship at all4 ,how then could the offering of ,cain ever have been more acceptable to ,god than that of ,abel on account of his primogeniture8 ,the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews knew what the thing was1 and therefore he gives a very different statement of the sacred matter1 namely1 that it was by faith that ,abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than ,cain4 ,the rendering of ,jerome is much better than that of ,gerundensis4 ,the version of the former is1 ,if thou doest well1 thou shalt receive2 if thou doest ill1 sin 7he adds the pronoun 'thine own sin'7 will lie at the door4 ,yet1 even thus ,jerome does not reach the true sense4 ,for when he explains the verb ,,seeth as meaning to receive1 which really signifies to relieve1 or to alleviate1 no one ,i think will approve his rendering4 ,but all this ,jerome has from the ,jews1 who have always been of the opinion that ,god would have rewarded ,cain if he had offered liberally4 ,now therefore ,i will simply state what my view of this important passage is4 ,first of all then it is necessary1 as ,i have said1 that we hold fast the divine matter in question4 ,the divine matter then involved is that which cannot deceive1 as being the foundation of the whole divine cause1 that nothing pleases ,god unless it be done in faith1 according to that universally applicable and well known sentence of the ,apostle ,paul1 ,whatsoever is not of faith is sin1 ,rom4 #ad3bc4 ,and ,solomon also says1 ,the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the ,lord1 ,prov4 #ae3h4 ,the other great foundation of the cause of ,god is1 that sin is so mighty that it can be put away by no sacrifices1 nor by any works whatever1 but by the mercy of ,god alone1 which mercy must be apprehended and received by faith4 ,and all this is manifested and shown to have been the good pleasure of ,god by the first promise concerning the ,seed of the woman1 without which ,seed there is no redemption4 ,now these foundations the ,rabbins possess not1 for this knowledge comes by the ,spirit of ,christ alone1 who like the mid-sun illumines all the darkness of nature and sin4 ,whatsoever therefore militates against1 or is contrary to1 these foundations1 we at once reject as false and impious4 ,and although for myself ,i have no objection whether you understand sin here as referring to the past sin1 or to the future sin of ,cain1 yet it seems to me better to understand it as referring to sin in general4 ,the force of the whole passage therefore lies in the ,hebrew verb ,,seeth from ,,nasa1 be alleviated1 or lifted up1 or relieved4 ,and in this very case we have a remarkable example of the difference between the name or term of the thing and the thing itself4 ,for if you apply the term to lift up1 or to lift off1 to a corporeal or solid substance1 it signifies to elevate or to lift up on high2 as in ,isaiah1 ,i saw also the ,lord sitting upon a throne1 high and lifted up1 ,is4 #f3a4 ,but this is a very different signification of the ,hebrew verb from that which it expresses in the ,psalm1 ,blessed is the man whose sins are 'lifted up' or 'lifted out1' ,ps4 #cb3a1 and yet the ,hebrew verb is the same in each instance4 ,now1 a common grammarian of the ,hebrew language understands the former meaning of the original verb1 but he is ignorant of its latter signification4 ,for1 to lift up a throne on high1 is quite another thing from lifting up or lifting off1 sin from the conscience2 that is1 remitting or taking away sin4 ,wherefore1 the meaning is1 ,if thou hadst done well or if thou hadst been good2 that is1 if thou hadst believed1 thou wouldst have had ,god favorable and merciful toward thee1 and there would have been a true alleviation to thee2 that is1 a remission of sin4 ,but since ,i see that ,god had not respect unto thee1 it evidently follows that thou wert not good in his sight2 and that therefore thou wast not relieved from thy sin2 wherefore1 thy sin remaineth4 ,however it is a most beautiful and striking similitude to make use of the verb to lift up or to lift off in order to compare sin to a heavy burden1 under which ,cain was so oppressed and prostrated1 so that unless it were taken off he could not draw his breath4 ,and the epistle to the ,hebrews shows the manner in which we are released from this burden1 when it says1 ,by faith ,abel offered unto ,god a more excellent sacrifice than ,cain1 ,heb4 #aa3d4 ,by this mode of interpreting this important passage the words or the grammatical construction perfectly agree with the matter contained in them1 which is1 that ,god has respect unto faith only1 and judges those alone to be good who believe4 ,and these words of ,adam contain also a most severe rebuke4 ,their meaning is1 as if ,adam had said to ,cain1 ,thy pride has destroyed thee4 ,thou camest before ,god inflated with the glory of thy primogeniture1 and thoughtest that ,god would accept thee on that account4 ,but ,i clearly perceive by this judgment and reprobation of ,god that thou art destitute of faith1 for ,god rejects none but the unbelieving4 ,not one of the ,rabbins explains the passage before us in this manner4 ,for they see not that ,adam is here inculcating in his son1 after the manner of the ,apostle ,paul1 that word of ,christ in the ,gospel1 ,he that believeth shall be saved1 ,mark #af3af2 and also that word of the apostle himself1 ,therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law1 ,rom4 #c3bh4 ,for what else does ,adam here say to ,cain1 than that ,god is merciful to those who believe in the blessed ,seed1 and who cast away all trust in their own works1 and all ideas of their own merit8 ,for his meaning is1 ,if thou shalt do this1 thy sin shall not lie thus as a heavy burden upon thee4 ,thou shalt be relieved of that load1 nor shalt thou thus roar with rage2 for ,god has promised that he will not impute sin to any one that believeth4 ,if therefore you refer these words to the past sin of ,cain1 they contain also a most grave fatherly admonition4 ,their import is1 as if ,adam had said1 ,hitherto thou hast not believed and therefore thou art thus rejected2 and if thou shalt still go on thus1 thou wilt be cast off utterly4 ,but if thou shalt do well or become good1 that is1 if thou shalt believe in the promised ,seed1 ,i take upon myself to assure thee that the result will be that thou shalt be relieved of thy burden of sin2 that is1 as the ,psalm interprets this expression of ,adam1 sin shall not be imputed unto thee1 ,ps4 #cb3b4 ,the clause which follows1 thy sin lieth at the door1 is a figurative description of sin1 which for my part ,i should prefer understanding as being used as a proverb4 ,for this figure exactly describes the real nature of sin1 showing that1 while in the act1 it lies like a beast dead asleep2 it does not bite1 nor terrify1 nor torment1 but rather fawns and pleases4 ,thus when ,eve first and afterwards ,adam ate the forbidden apple in paradise they did not think that ,god had seen it1 much less did they think that both should be so bitterly punished for what they had done4 ,so also ferocious beasts1 when they are just satisfied with food1 are more tractable and more inclined to sleep than to harm4 ,in the same manner also sin1 while it is in the act1 is delightful1 nor is its poison or pain felt2 it rather lies down and goes to sleep4 ,for whoever saw a miser to be racked with pain while an opportunity of great gain stood before him8 ,whoever knew an adulterer to grieve at the opportunity given him of gratifying his wishes8 ,if thou hadst at that moment torn his skin with a scourge1 or beaten his head with a mallet1 the temptation would have vanished4 ,but while sin is asleep and its punishment unfelt and unseen1 it is the height of pleasure to the miser to rush upon his gain1 and to the adulterer to possess the object of his sinful desires2 nor does there seem to be1 nor does he wish for1 any end or any bound to his pleasure4 ,adam is speaking therefore in this passage not only of the sin of ,cain1 but of sin in general2 showing what the real nature of sin is4 ,for that which was the state of ,cain is the state of all men4 ,before he offered his sacrifice ,cain proudly boasted of the privileges of his primogeniture2 he despised his brother and assumed to himself the first place in all things4 ,sin was then lying still and asleep2 but it was lying at the door2 that is1 in a place or state in which it was likely to be disturbed4 ,for it is by the door that we go in and out1 and therefore a place by no means adapted for a long sleep4 ,and this is also the very nature of sin4 ,although it does lie asleep1 yet it lies in a place where it is not likely to sleep long1 for ,christ says1 ,there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed1 ,math4 #aj3bf4 ,the wicked man thinks indeed that his sin is asleep and hidden2 but it lieth asleep at the door1 and at length it is awakened by conviction1 brought to light1 and made known3 for at the door1 and rest and sleep are things directly opposed to each other4 ,for as darkness is opposite to light1 so is sleep to an unquiet place2 they are things contradictory to each other in their very nature4 ,in this manner therefore may the present passage be interpreted in its reference to ,cain's past sin4 ,and if you explain these same words in their reference to the future sin of ,cain1 their meaning is this1 ,if thou shalt harm thy brother1 and indulge the wrath conceived in thy mind1 ,i tell thee that thy sin will indeed lie asleep2 but it will lie asleep at the door2 that is1 in a place where it will surely be disturbed2 and therefore1 it is impossible but that it must be awoke and roused up1 when as a furious beast it will lay hold upon thee4 ,and so the event proved4 ,for after ,cain had committed the murder1 while he was burying his brother alone1 his sin was asleep4 ,but how long8 ,no longer than until the sound of that voice of ,god reached his ears1 ,where is ,abel1 thy brother8 ,the present words of ,adam therefore are a true description of all sin4 ,it always lieth at the door4 ,for such is the nature of the minds of men1 that as long as they escape the eyes of men1 they think their sin will lie hidden and unknown4 ,but unless they do well2 that is1 unless they believe that ,god will pardon their sin through ,christ1 it will surely be awakened and revealed to their torment and destruction4 ,the figurative proverb therefore which lies in these words of ,adam contains the most solemn truth1 that nothing remains hidden1 but that all things are revealed and made known1 as the ,apostle ,paul also says1 ,some men's sins are evident1 going before unto judgment1 #a ,tim4 #e3bd4 ,hence we see the judgment of ,god in an especial manner in the cases of criminals4 ,how many persons are murdered in secret and yet the authors of those unnatural and horrible crimes are brought to light by means the most wonderful4 ,the grave admonition therefore of ,adam to his son ,cain is that he would guard against indulging in sin1 resting fully assured that it would not remain hidden1 but that ,god would certainly bring it to light and punish it4 ,the poets of old did not wander far from this great truth when they represented ,cupid1 the god of lustful desire1 naked but blind also4 ,for as our sin seems to us to be hidden1 we think that it is hidden from all others also4 ,but ,god at length brings to light and reveals things the most deeply concealed4 ,i believe therefore the meaning of these words of ,adam1 which ,i have thus given1 is their true and simple sense4 ,by them the father is admonishing the son to believe in ,god and in the promised ,seed2 assuring him that if he does so1 ,god will show himself merciful unto him4 ,but1 says the father1 if thou follow the lusts of thy heart1 thy sin will indeed lie at rest in thy soul2 that is1 it will appear to thee to be concealed and hidden1 but it will be lying all the time at the door2 that is1 in a place where it cannot lie long asleep or out of sight4 ,for that which lieth at the door is beheld by all who enter in and by all who go out4 ,let us not forget however1 as ,i before observed1 the grand and principal truth taught by this portion of the ,holy ,scriptures1 that ,god from the very beginning of the world is ,one who judgeth between the flesh and the spirit1 and who respecteth not the dignity of the person or his works4 ,for ,god hath here respect unto ,abel1 not moved by any work which he performed1 but simply by his faith in which he offered his sacrifice4 ,but unto ,cain ,god had not respect2 not because the offering of ,cain was less splendid or sumptuous than that of ,abel1 but because he had not faith1 and therefore his primogeniture profited him nothing4 ,and this is a very powerful argument against the ,jews1 who1 as ,john tells us1 gloried in their race and descent1 boasting that they were the children of ,abraham1 ,john #h3cc4 ,if therefore the honor and prerogative were anything in ,god's sight1 ,cain certainly had wherein to glory4 ,and what avails also the glorying of the ,jews that ,god spoke unto them by ,moses8 ,are we to conclude1 think you1 that ,adam1 the first teacher1 was a teacher less than ,moses8 ,no6 ,adam was greater than ,moses and superior to him in many respects4 ,he did not teach like ,moses circumcision1 nor the other legal ceremonies1 which were necessary to a stiff-necked people to prevent them from superstition1 but ,adam taught faith in the promised ,seed1 which should bruise the serpent's head4 ,all the primogeniture of ,cain therefore and all his other privileges and his works profited him nothing2 for ,god had respect only to faith in the promised ,seed4 ,hence it is that ,paul plainly says to the ,jews in the ,new ,testament1 ,know therefore that they that are of faith1 the same are the children of ,abraham1 ,gal4 #c3g4 ,and ,evangelist ,john says the same things concerning the ,jewish people1 ,but as many as received him1 to them gave he power to become the children of ,god1 even to them that believe on his name3 who were born1 not of blood1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god1 ,john #a3ab1 #ac4 ,i believe therefore that the above interpretation of the words of ,adam is their original and true meaning4 ,for1 first of all1 it is in perfect accord with the fundamental truth of the holy ,scripture and with the sacred matter itself spoken of4 ,and secondly1 it does not violate any law of grammar1 and it moreover tends to illustrate beautifully and variously by its figures the divine things contained in the words used by ,adam4 ,but the ,rabbins1 being ignorant of the things spoken of by ,adam1 are not at all helped out of the difficulty by all their knowledge of the terms employed in the patriarch's speech4 ,how absurd for instance is the opinion of some1 who apply the expression1 ,there shall be a lifting up to the fallen countenance of ,cain4 ,as if ,adam had said1 ,then thou shalt be able again to lift up thy countenance1 which is now wholly changed and fallen4 ,these absurdities are indeed properly noticed by all our more recent commentators1 to whom also our thanks are due1 for their faithful labor in translating the original text grammatically4 ,but true theology is indispensable1 which alone can rightly judge of and rightly teach the things spoken of in the ,holy ,scripture4 ,v4 #g;b4 ,and unto thee shall be its desire1 but do thou rule over it4 ,some men have most absurdly wrested this passage to prove by it free will4 ,but it is perfectly evident that ,adam does not here really affirm that ,cain could do what he advised him to do4 ,he is only admonishing or entreating him to do it4 ,for it by no means follows that we can do what we are commanded to do4 ,the desire of sin1 ,adam here says to ,cain1 shall be toward thee2 that is1 as ,paul expresses it1 ,sin is in thy members1 ,rom4 #g3e4 ,again1 ,the flesh lusteth against the spirit1 ,gal4 #e3ag4 ,but thou shalt not be eternally condemned1 because thou feelest this motion of sin in thy members4 ,if sin entice thee1 do thou rule over it by faith4 ,suffer it not to rule over thee1 or thou shalt perish for ever4 ,likewise ,paul commands in ,rom4 #h3ac1 ,by the ,spirit put to death the deeds of the body4 ,this part of ,adam's speech therefore is intended to bring us to acknowledge what the life of the godly in the flesh is3 namely1 that it is a perpetual struggle of the spirit against sin4 ,those therefore who sleep and snore1 and prepare themselves not for this fight1 are easily vanquished4 ,adam however appears to wish1 by this his speech not only to admonish his son to guard against sin in the future1 but also to comfort and lift him up from his distress on account of the past2 for he beholds his son both filled with anguish on account of the divine rejection and now also tempted to revenge4 ,but says ,adam to his son1 ,rule over thy sin1 and thou shalt find ,god merciful4 ,believe in him1 and he will pardon thy sin4 ,the ,hebrew verb in this passage is ,,maschal2 the same as that which the ,lord used above when he said unto the woman1 #c3af1 ,and thy desire shall be to thy husband1 and he shall rule over thee4 ,in these words the meaning of the ,lord is1 that the wife should obey the husband and listen to her husband1 and that she should not take upon herself the judgment in all things2 and that if she did so1 the husband in his authority as the man1 should rebuke and prevent her4 ,it is in the same manner that ,adam here speaks to ,cain1 saying to him1 ,sin will entice thee and prompt thee to revenge4 ,this is the father's meaning1 when he says1 ,and its desire shall be toward thee2 but do thou say unto sin1 ,i will not obey thee4 ,refrain thyself and rule over it4 ,these words of ,adam therefore contain an admonition full of consolation1 showing that on account of the blessed ,seed we are no longer under sin1 and that therefore we ought to rule over it4 ,for ,adam's speech embraces both doctrines2 the doctrine of the fear of the ,lord and the doctrine of faith4 ,we ought to fear ,god1 because sin lieth at the door1 and we ought to have faith in ,god because he is merciful4 ,,part ,,iv4 ,,how ,,cain ,,murdered ,,his ,,brother ,,and ,,was ,,required ,,to ,,give ,,an ,,account1 ,,and ,,how ,,he ,,conducted ,,himself4 ,i4 ,v4 #h;a4 ,and ,cain told 7talked with7 ,abel his brother4 ,our translation has it1 ,and ,cain said to ,abel1 his brother1 adding the words1 ,let us go out doors4 ,but this is one of the inventions of the ,rabbins1 to whom how much credit is to be given1 ,i have fully shown4 ,lyra1 following the invention of ,eben ,ezra1 relates that ,cain told his brother how severely he had been rebuked of the ,lord4 ,but who would believe that for which there is no authority in the ,scriptures8 ,we hold therefore to that meaning of the text which the ,scriptures plainly show to be its true sense1 that ,cain1 being reprobated or rejected of ,god1 indulged his wrath1 and that he now added to his former sins1 contempt of his parents and of the ,word1 thinking thus within himself1 ,the promised ,seed of the woman belongs to me as the first-born4 ,but my brother1 ,abel1 that contemptible one and that one of naught1 is evidently preferred to me by the divine authority itself1 manifested by the fire from heaven consuming his sacrifice4 ,what shall ,i do1 therefore8 ,i will dissemble my wrath until an opportunity of taking vengeance shall occur4 ,the words therefore1 ,and ,cain spoke to ,abel his brother1 ,i understand as meaning that ,cain1 dissembling his anger1 conducted himself toward ,abel as toward a brother1 and that he spoke to him and conversed with him1 as if he bore with a quiet mind the divine rejection he had just experienced1 and the sentence of ,god thus pronounced against him4 ,it was in this manner also that ,saul dissembled his wrath1 who likewise pretended a benevolent mind and good-will toward ,david4 ,i know well1 said ,saul1 that thou shalt surely be king1 #a ,sam4 #bd3bj2 and yet he was all the while thinking of the way in which1 having killed ,david1 he might prevent his being king4 ,just in the same way did ,cain now converse in dissimulation with ,abel his brother1 saying to him1 ,i see that thou art chosen of the ,lord4 ,i envy thee not this divine blessing1 etc41 etc4 ,this is the very manner of hypocrites4 ,they pretend friendship until an opportunity of doing the harm they intend presents itself4 ,that such is the true sense of the passage all the circumstances clearly show4 ,for if ,adam and ,eve could have gathered the least suspicion of the intended murder1 think you not that they would either have restrained ,cain or removed ,abel1 and placed the latter out of danger8 ,but as ,cain had altered his countenance and his carriage toward his brother1 and had talked with him in a brotherly manner they thought all was safe1 and the son had bowed to and acquiesced in the admonition of his father4 ,this outward appearance and carriage deceived ,abel also1 who1 if he had feared anything like murder from his brother1 would doubtless have fled from him1 as ,jacob fled from ,esau when he feared his brother's wrath4 ,what therefore could possibly have come into the mind of ,jerome1 when he believed the ,rabbins1 who say that ,cain was here expostulating with his brother8 ,wherefore ,cain is here the image and the picture of all hypocrites and murderers1 who under the show of godliness slaughter the good4 ,for ,cain thus being besieged by ,satan covers his wrath1 waiting the opportunity to slay his brother ,abel2 meanwhile he converses with him1 as a brother beloved1 that he might the sooner lay his hands upon him unawares4 ,this passage therefore is intended for our instruction2 that we may learn to understand the ways of murderers and hypocrites4 ,for thus it truly always comes to pass that every ,cain talks with his brother1 as ,cain of old talked brotherly with ,abel2 and on the other hand also1 every ,abel trusts in every ,cain1 as a brother would trust a brother2 and thus he is murdered1 and the pious parents meanwhile are deceived4 ,just so the ,pope and the bishops of this day talk and consult much concerning the peace and the concord of the ,church4 ,but he is most assuredly deceived who does not understand all these councils directly the contrary4 ,for true is that word of the ,psalm1 ,the workers of iniquity speak peace to their neighbors1 but mischief is in their hearts1 ,ps4 #bh3c4 ,for the very nature of all hypocrites is1 that they carry an appearance of goodness1 speak friendly to you1 pretend humility1 patience1 and charity1 and give alms1 etc42 and yet1 they are all the while planning slaughter in their heart4 ,let us learn therefore by this history to know a ,cain1 and to guard best against him when he speaks the most friendly1 and as a brother to a brother4 ,for it is in this way that our adversaries1 the bishops and the ,pope1 talk with us in our day1 while they pretend a desire for concord and peace1 and seek reconciliation of doctrines2 whereas if an opportunity of seizing us and executing their rage upon us should present itself1 you would soon hear them speak in a very different tone4 ,for all the time there is death in the pot1 #b ,kings #d3dj2 and under the best and sweetest words there lies concealed a deadly poison4 ,v4 #h;b4 ,and it came to pass1 when they were in the field1 that ,cain rose up against ,abel his brother1 and slew him4 ,here then you see the deceptiveness under the above dissembled conversation of ,cain with his brother4 ,cain had been admonished by his father with divine authority to guard against sin in the future and to expect pardon for the past through the promised ,seed4 ,but ,cain despises both admonitions and indulges in his sin1 as all the wicked do4 ,for true is the saying of ,solomon1 ,when the wicked cometh1 there cometh also contempt1 and with ignominy cometh reproach1 ,prov4 #ah3c4 ,just in the same manner our ministry of the ,word at the present day deserves no blame4 ,we teach1 we exhort1 we rebuke1 we turn ourselves every way1 that we may recall the multitude from the security of sin to the fear of ,god4 ,but the world1 like an untamed beast1 still goes on and follows not the ,word1 but its own lusts1 which it strives to palliate under the appearance of what is honest and right4 ,the prophets and the apostles also stand before us as examples of the same labor in vain1 and we also are taught the same by our own experience4 ,our adversaries being so often admonished and convicted know they are doing wrong1 and yet they lay not aside their murderous hatred against us4 ,from the case of ,cain therefore learn what a hypocrite is2 namely1 one who pretends to the worship of ,god and charity1 and yet at the very same time destroys the worship of ,god and slaughters his brother4 ,and all this semblance of good-will is only intended to create the better opportunities of doing the harm designed4 ,for if ,abel had foreseen the implacable wrath and the truly diabolical fury of his brother1 he might have saved his life by flight4 ,but as ,cain betrayed nothing of this kind while he talked with his brother in seeming affection and put on the appearance of his usual good-will1 ,abel perished before he felt the fear of danger4 ,there is no doubt that ,abel1 when he saw his brother rising up against him1 entreated and implored him not to pollute himself with this awful sin4 ,but a mind thus beset by sin pays no regard to prayers1 nor heeds uplifted hands4 ,just as ,cain therefore had despised the admonition of his father2 so now also he equally despises his brother1 fallen on his knees before him4 ,these things instruct us in that cruel tyranny of ,satan1 under which our nature when involved in sins is bound4 ,hence ,paul calls such1 ,the children of wrath1 ,eph4 #b3c2 and declares that such are taken captive by ,satan at his will1 #b ,tim4 #b3bf4 ,for when we are mere men2 that is1 when we apprehend not the blessed ,seed by faith1 we are all like ,cain1 and nothing is wanting but an opportunity to murder our brother4 ,for nature1 destitute of the ,holy ,spirit1 is driven by that same evil spirit by which ,cain was driven to murder4 ,whereas if there were in any one those sufficient powers or that free-will of which men talk1 by which a man might defend himself against the assaults of ,satan1 these gifts of nature would most assuredly have existed in ,cain1 to whom belonged the first birth-right and the promise of the blessed ,seed4 ,but it was not so4 ,and the condition of all men is the same4 ,unless nature be helped by the ,spirit of ,god1 it cannot uphold itself nor stand4 ,then why do we vainly and absurdly boast of free-will8 ,now follows another remarkable passage4 ,,ii4 ,v4 #i4 ,and ,jehovah said unto ,cain1 ,where is ,abel thy brother8 ,and he said1 ,i know not3 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,good ,god6 into what depth of sin does our miserable nature fall1 when driven onward by the devil4 ,at last murder was committed on a brother4 ,and perhaps murdered ,abel lay for days unburied4 ,when therefore ,cain returned to his parents at the accustomed time1 and ,abel returned not with him1 the anxious parents said to him1 ,cain1 thou art here1 but where is ,abel8 ,thou art returned home1 but ,abel is not returned4 ,the flock is without their shepherd4 ,tell us therefore where thy brother is8 ,upon this1 ,cain1 growing indignant1 makes answer to his parents1 by no means with due reverence1 ,i know not3 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,but it happened to ,cain as to all the wicked1 that by excusing he accused himself4 ,agreeably also to the words of ,christ our ,lord1 ,from thine own mouth will ,i judge thee1 thou wicked servant1 ,math4 #ah3cb4 ,the heathen had also a striking proverb among them1 ,a liar ought to have a good memory4 ,such was the judgment of heathen men1 though they knew nothing of the judgment of ,god and of conscience1 and were capable of judgment and giving admonition concerning natural and civil things only4 ,and true it is that liars expose themselves to many dangers of detection1 and betray many facts1 by which they may be convicted and refuted4 ,hence the ,germans have this proverb1 ,a lie is a very fruitful thing4 ,for one lie begets seven other lies1 which become necessary to establish the first lie1 and to make it wear the face of truth4 ,and yet it is impossible after all to prevent conscience from betraying itself at times1 if not in words then in countenance and gesture4 ,this will be proved by numberless examples hereafter4 ,i will cite one example here4 ,in ,thuringia there is a small town in the district of ,orla1 called ,neustadt4 ,in this town a harlot had murdered her infant1 to which she had secretly given birth1 and had thrown it1 after the murder1 into a neighboring fish-pond4 ,by a singular occurrence a portion of the linen in which she had wrapped the infant brought the horrid deed to light1 and the case was brought before the magistrate2 and as the simple men of the place knew no better means of investigating the crime in order to discover its author1 they called all the young women of the town into the town-hall and closely examined them all1 one by one4 ,the judgment concerning all the rest was quite manifest1 and it was evident that they were all innocent4 ,but when they came to her who was the real perpetrator of the deed she did not wait for the questions to be put to her1 but immediately declared aloud that she was not the guilty person4 ,this declaration at once caused the magistrate to suspect that she really was the author of the deed1 because she was more anxious than all the rest to clear herself from any suspicion4 ,therefore she was seized by the constables and forthwith suffered death4 ,indeed examples of the same kind are infinite and occur daily1 showing that where persons are most anxious to excuse themselves1 they most effectually accuse and betray themselves4 ,so true is that word which we have just before heard that sin does indeed lie asleep and concealed1 but it lies at the door4 ,just so in the present case4 ,cain thinks that he has made an effectual excuse for himself1 by saying that he was not his brother's keeper2 whereas1 by the very mention of his brother's name1 he at once confesses that he ought to have been his younger brother's keeper4 ,and then again does he not1 by the same admitted confession1 that he ought to have been his brother's keeper1 accuse himself of being of a hostile mind towards his brother8 ,and does he not moreover strike into the mind of his parents a surmise of the murder committed8 ,for ,abel nowhere appears and is not to be found4 ,just so also ,adam excuses himself in paradise1 and lays all the blame on ,eve4 ,but this excuse of ,cain is far more idle and absurd2 for while he excuses his sin he doubles it4 ,whereas on the contrary1 the free confession of sin finds mercy and appeases wrath4 ,it is recorded in the history of ,st4 ,martin that when he was pronouncing to some notorious sinners the pardon of their sins1 he was rebuked by ,satan1 who asked him why he did so2 to whom ,st4 ,martin is said to have replied1 ,why ,i would pronounce the pardon even of thy sins1 if thou wouldst say from thy heart1 ,i repent that ,i have sinned against the ,son of ,god1 and ,i pray to ,god to pardon me for the same4 ,but the devil never does this4 ,for he persists in and defends his sin4 ,all liars and hypocrites imitate ,cain their father in his lie1 by either denying their sin1 or excusing it4 ,hence they cannot find pardon of their sins from ,god4 ,and we see the same in domestic life4 ,by the defense of wrong doing1 anger is increased4 ,for whenever the wife1 or the children1 or the servants have done wrong1 and deny or excuse their wrong doing1 the father of the family is the more moved to wrath2 whereas1 on the contrary1 plain confession always meets pardon or a lighter punishment4 ,but it is the very nature of hypocrites to excuse and palliate their sin1 or to deny it altogether1 and under the show of religion to slay the innocent4 ,but here let us take a view of the manner in which sins follow each other and increase more and more4 ,first of all ,cain sins by presumption and unbelief4 ,when priding himself on the privilege of his first birth-right1 he takes it for granted that he shall be accepted of ,god on the ground of his high merit as the eldest son4 ,upon this pride and this glory of self-righteousness immediately follow the envy and hatred of his brother1 whom he sees preferred before himself by a certain sign from heaven4 ,upon this envy and hatred follow hypocrisy and lying4 ,he talks with his brother in dissembled affection1 whom he all the while designs to murder1 and whom by his affectionate conversation he throws the more effectually off his guard4 ,upon this hypocrisy follows murder4 ,upon this murder follows a lying excuse to cover his awful sin4 ,and the last stage of the whole sin is despair and desperation2 and this last step is the fall from heaven to hell6 ,and although ,adam and ,eve in paradise did not deny their sin1 yet they confessed it quite coldly1 and shifted it from the one to the other4 ,adam laid it on ,eve1 and ,eve laid it on the serpent4 ,but ,cain went further than them both1 for he not only did not confess the murder he had committed1 but declared that he had nothing to do with the care of his brother4 ,and did not this speech at once prove that his mind was in a state of hostility against his brother8 ,though therefore ,adam and ,eve confessed their sin with only half their hearts1 yet they had some claim to pardon1 and they were punished with less severity accordingly4 ,but ,cain1 because he denied his sin determinately1 was rejected1 and fell into despair4 ,and the same judgment awaits all our ,cainite popes1 cardinals and bishops1 who although they plan in their minds plots of murder against us1 yet say like ,cain their father1 ,i know not3 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,there was a common proverb of old1 ,what is it to the ,romans that the ,greeks die8 ,so we think that our dangers and calamities only belong to ourselves4 ,but how does this principle agree with the commandment of ,god8 ,for his will is1 that we should all live together1 and be to each other as brethren8 ,cain therefore by this very saying of his heavily accuses himself when he makes the excuse that the custody of his brother was no matter of his4 ,whereas if he had said to his father1 ,alas1 my father1 ,i have slain ,abel1 my brother4 ,i repent of the deed ,i have done4 ,return upon me what punishment thou wilt4 ,had he thus spoken1 there might have been room for a remedy2 but as he denied his sin and contrary to the will of ,god cast off the charge of his brother altogether1 there was no place left for mercy or favor4 ,moreover ,moses has arranged all this narrative thus particularly and remarkably on purpose that it might be a testimony and memorial of all hypocrites1 that he might1 by his peculiar manner of recording the solemn facts1 graphically paint forth what hypocrites really are1 and that he might show how awfully they are seized upon by ,satan as his instruments1 and inflamed by him against ,god and against his ,word and his ,church4 ,it was not enough for his murderer that he had killed his brother contrary to the command of ,god1 but he adds to that sin the further sin that1 when ,god inquires of him concerning his brother1 he becomes filled with indignation and rage4 ,i say when ,god inquires of him1 because1 although it was ,adam who spoke these words to his son ,cain1 yet he spoke them by the authority of ,god and by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,in so awful a sin therefore was it not a most kind and gentle manner of expression to inquire1 ,where is ,abel thy brother8 ,and yet to this voice1 which contained in it nothing severe1 the hypocrite and the murderer grows so ferocious and proud that he replies1 ,i know not3 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,and he is fired with indignation that he should be called to an account concerning the matter at all4 ,for the reply of ,cain is the reply of a spirit of resistance and indignation against ,god4 ,but to this sin ,cain adds a worse sin still4 ,for when he ought to have fallen under this accusation of having committed the murder1 he himself at once turns round and accuses ,god and expostulates with him3 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,he prefaces his reply with no expression of reverence or honor1 though due both to ,god and to his father4 ,he did not say1 ,lord1 ,i know not4 ,he did not say1 ,my ,father1 didst thou make me the keeper of my brother8 ,such expressions as these would have indicated feeling of reverence towards ,god or towards his parent4 ,but he answers as being ,lord himself and plainly manifests that he felt indignant at being called to account even by him who had the high right even to call him to that account4 ,and this is a true picture of all hypocrites4 ,when standing in the most manifest sins they grow full of insolence and pride1 and aim all the while at appearing most righteous persons4 ,they will not believe even ,god himself when rebuking them by his ,word4 ,nay1 they set themselves against ,god1 contend with him and excuse their sin4 ,thus ,david says1 that ,god is judged of men1 but that at length he clears and justifies himself1 and prevails1 ,ps4 #ea3d4 ,this is that insolence of hypocrites which ,moses here paints4 ,but how does this attempt of ,cain succeed4 ,thus while he uses every means to excuse himself1 he most powerfully accuses himself4 ,thus ,christ says1 ,out of thine own mouth will ,i judge thee1 thou wicked servant1 ,luke #ai3bb4 ,now1 this servant wished to appear without guilt1 saying1 ,for ,i feared thee1 because thou art an austere man3 ,thou takest up that which thou layest not down1 and reapest that which thou didst not sow3 therefore ,i hid thy talent in a napkin1 verses #bj and #ba4 ,now1 what excuses more plausible than these could the wicked servant adopt8 ,yet by what means more effectual could he accuse himself8 ,for ,christ at once uses his own very words against this wicked servant1 and condemns him out of his own mouth4 ,and this is the very way and wisdom of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,such examples are profitable to us that we may learn not to contend with ,god4 ,on the contrary therefore when thou feelest in thine own conscience that thou art guilty1 take heed with all thy soul that thou contend neither with ,god nor with men by defending or excusing thy sin4 ,rather do this1 ,when thou seest ,god points his spear at thee1 flee not from him2 but on the contrary flee to him with humble confession of thy sin1 and with prayer for his pardon4 ,then will ,god draw back his spear and spare thee4 ,but when by the denial and excuse of thy sin thou fleest farther and farther from him1 the nearer is ,god to thee as an enemy and the more closely and hotly does he pursue thee as such4 ,nothing therefore is better or safer for thee than to come to him at once with the confession of thy fault4 ,for thus it comes to pass that1 when ,god conquers us1 we also conquer by him4 ,but ,cain and hypocrites do not this4 ,god points his spear at them1 but they do not humble themselves before him nor pray to him for pardon4 ,nay1 they even point their spear at ,god1 just as ,cain did on this occasion4 ,cain does not say1 ,lord1 ,i confess that ,i have killed my brother2 forgive me4 ,on the contrary1 though being the accused1 he himself accuses ,god by replying1 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,and what was the effect of his pride8 ,by it he openly confessed that he cared naught for the divine laws1 which say1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself1 ,lev4 #ai3ah4 ,and again1 ,do not unto another that which you would not have another do unto you1 ,math4 #g3ab4 ,these laws were not first written1 nor only written1 in the ,decalogue1 but they were inscribed in the minds of all men by nature4 ,yet ,cain not only acted directly against these laws1 but showed that he cared naught for them1 nay1 that he absolutely despised them4 ,in this way therefore ,cain stands the picture1 as we have said1 not only of a wicked man1 but of a man the most wicked1 who1 though a murderer1 is yet a hypocrite wishing to appear a saint2 being all the time one more prepared to accuse ,god than to appear worthy of accusation4 ,and this is what all hypocrites do4 ,they blaspheme ,god and crucify his ,son1 and yet wish to appear righteous4 ,for after their murders1 blasphemies and all other sins their whole aim is to seek means whereby to excuse and palliate the great sins they have committed4 ,but the result always is that they only betray themselves and are condemned out of their own mouths4 ,while ,cain here studies to render himself quite pure in appearance1 he most effectually and foully defiles himself4 ,he thinks he has made a most plausible excuse1 when he says1 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,but this very excuse becomes his most effectual accusation4 ,and thus according to the saying of ,hilary1 ,wickedness is ever closely accompanied by folly4 ,and so it was in the case of ,cain4 ,had he been as wise as he was wicked1 he would have excused himself in quite a different manner4 ,but since ,god has ordained that wickedness should thus be ever accompanied by folly1 ,cain's excuse becomes his plain accusation4 ,and for this very reason3 ,the defense of truth against her adversaries is always easy4 ,for ,cain thus testified1 both by his words and by his gestures1 that he cared not for his brother1 but hated him2 so all wicked men by various means ever betray their wickedness4 ,by the example of ,cain therefore things the most important and the most instructive are set before us2 all of them tending to show that ,god suffers not hypocrites to remain long undiscovered1 but that he compels them to convict themselves by those very means by which they craftily strive to conceal their hypocrisy and their sin4 ,moses does not in this description use a multitude of words1 according to the practice of the world in general2 for these in setting forth a subject embellish it with various striking ornaments of figure and speech4 ,but we know by experience1 that the real feelings of the mind cannot be fully described by the paintings of any human eloquence4 ,and indeed an abundance of words only makes the affection of the mind described to appear less than it is in reality4 ,moses therefore acts quite differently4 ,by the use of a very few words he discloses a great abundance of subject-matter4 ,the divine historian above used the expression1 ,and when they were in the field4 ,here ,moses indicates that the murderer ,cain had watched his opportunity2 that when alone he might attack his brother1 when also alone4 ,and all the connected circumstances plainly show that ,abel was not then unemployed1 for he was in the field1 where he had to do the things his father had given him to do4 ,here ,moses moreover shows that ,abel's parents were free from all fear of danger4 ,for although from the beginning they had feared that the wrath of ,cain would eventually break out into some still greater sin2 yet1 by his compliance and kindness1 and by his pretended affection1 he prevented all suspicion of evil from remaining in the minds of his parents4 ,for had there been the least apprehension of evil still existing1 they certainly would not have permitted ,abel to go from their presence with ,cain alone4 ,they would have caused his sisters to go with him as companions1 for some sisters he no doubt had4 ,or his parents themselves would have prevented by their presence and authority the perpetration of so great a wickedness4 ,and as ,i said1 the mind of ,abel was perfectly free from all suspicion4 ,for had he suspected evil at the hand of his brother in the least degree1 he would doubtless have sought safety by flight4 ,but after he had heard and seen1 as he thought1 that ,cain bore the judgment of ,god patiently and did not envy his brother the high honor which ,god had bestowed upon him1 he pursued his work in the field with all security4 ,what orator could describe with eloquence equal to its importance the real nature of that act of ,cain1 which ,moses expresses in these few words8 ,and ,cain rose up against his brother4 ,many descriptions of awful cruelty exist in books on every side1 but no description of cruelty could paint it in a more atrocious and execrable light than the picture drawn by the few words of ,moses1 when he simply says1 ,cain rose up against his brother ,abel4 ,as if he had said1 ,cain rose up against ,abel1 the only brother he had1 with whom he had been brought up and with whom he had lived in the one only family upon earth up to that day2 all which family communion he utterly forgot1 and not only so1 but he forgot their common parents also4 ,the greatness of the grief which he would cause his parents by such a grave crime never entered his mind4 ,he never thought that ,abel was a brother1 from whom he had never received any offense whatever4 ,for ,cain knew that the honor of the more acceptable sacrifice which ,abel had offered1 proceeded not from any intent or ambition in him1 but from the will and doing of ,god himself4 ,in a word ,cain did not consider in what position he himself would be2 that by this wicked deed1 he who had hitherto stood in the highest favor with his parents would lose that favor altogether and would fall under their deepest indignation4 ,it is recorded in history that when a painter1 who was painting the story of ,iphigenia1 on the point of being sacrificed to ,diana by her father1 had given to each one of the surrounding spectators his appropriate countenance1 with a latitude of art which might best express his pain and sorrow1 he at length came to the father himself1 who was also a spectator2 but feeling convinced that no art of the painter could adequately represent his feelings and countenance1 he covered his head with a mantle4 ,moses ,i think does the same thing in the present passage1 when he uses the verb ,,yakam1 ,rose up against4 ,what tragical pictures would the eloquence of ,cicero or ,livy have here drawn1 while they were strikingly portraying the wrath of the one brother1 and the dread1 the cries1 the prayers1 the tears1 the uplifted hands1 and all the horrors of the other2 applying to the description all the power of their mind and language8 ,but such feelings cannot be fully described by all these powers of eloquence4 ,moses therefore writes most appropriately1 when he sets forth things so inexpressible by mere dots1 as it were1 in order that by his few words the feelings of the reader may be engaged to meditate on the facts the more closely and deeply for himself4 ,for the vain attraction of words is like paint applied to natural beauty2 it only mars and spoils the force of the reality4 ,of the same expressive character are the few words which he next adds1 ,and slew him4 ,he does not by those few words represent a common murder1 such as we see committed by men in general2 for they sometimes kindle quarrels from the most trifling causes and commit murders in the end4 ,such murderers however immediately after the murder is committed are filled with distress2 they grieve for the deed they have done and acknowledge those delusions of the devil by which he blinded their minds4 ,but ,cain felt no distress2 he expressed no grief1 but denied the deed he had done4 ,this satanic and insatiable hatred in hypocrites is described by ,christ by saying1 ,when they kill you1 they will think that they do ,god service1 ,john #af3b4 ,so the priests and the kings filled ,jerusalem with the blood of the prophets and gloried in what they did1 as if their deeds were great and successful exploits2 for they considered such murders as proofs of their zeal for the law and the house of ,god4 ,and the furious cruelty of the popes and the bishops in our day is just the same4 ,they are not satisfied with having excommunicated us again and again1 and with having shed our blood1 but they wish to blot out our memory from the land of the living2 according to the description of such hatred expressed in the words of the ,psalm1 ,rase it1 rase it1 even to the foundation thereof1 ,ps4 #acg3g4 ,these instances of hatred are satanic1 not human2 for all forms of human hatred grow into mildness by time2 and after we have avenged the offense and pain given1 the hatred at length ceases4 ,but these instances of pharisaic hatred increase in virulence day by day2 and for this very reason1 because they are justified under the cloak of religion and godly zeal4 ,cain therefore is the father of all murderers1 who slaughter the saints and whose wrath knows no end1 as long as there remains one saint for them to kill4 ,all this is proved by the example even of the crucified ,christ himself4 ,for as to ,cain1 there is no doubt of his having hoped that by putting ,abel to death1 he should still hold the high honor of his first birth-right4 ,and in the same way the ungodly always think that their cruelty will profit them in some way4 ,but when they find that their hope is vain they at once fall like ,cain into despair4 ,now when the fact of this atrocious murder was made known to the parents1 what do we think must have been the dreadful feelings which it excited8 ,what the lamentation8 ,what sighs and groans it caused8 ,but ,i dwell not on these things2 they are rather scenes for the eloquent and able orator to describe4 ,i will only observe that it was a marvel that both parents were not struck lifeless with pain and grief4 ,for the calamity was rendered the greater by the fact that their first-born1 who had created in them such large hopes concerning himself1 was the perpetrator of such a horrible murder4 ,if therefore ,adam and ,eve had not been helped from above1 they could never have surmounted this family calamity2 for it was a catastrophe exceeding all catastrophes the world has ever known4 ,and hence ,adam and ,eve were without that consolation which we may have under sudden and unexpected calamities1 which consolation is that like evils have befallen others and have not come upon us alone4 ,but our first parents had two sons only1 though ,i believe that they had daughters also2 and therefore they had not the many examples before them which are always before our eyes4 ,who can doubt however that ,satan by this new kind of temptation in ,cain increased greatly the grief and trial of our first parents8 ,for they no doubt thought1 ,behold this is all our sin4 ,we1 when in paradise1 wished to become like ,god2 but by our sin we are become like the devil4 ,the very same thing has befallen us1 in the case of our son4 ,we loved this son alone1 and made everything of him4 ,our other son ,abel was righteous before us1 above this son2 but of his righteousness we made nothing4 ,this elder son we hoped would be he who should crush the serpent's head2 but behold6 he himself is crushed by the serpent6 ,nay1 he himself is become like the serpent1 for he is now a murderer4 ,and whence is this8 ,is it not because he was born of us1 and because we through our sin are what we are8 ,therefore it is from our flesh1 therefore it is from our sin1 that this calamity has broken forth6 ,it is very probable therefore1 and the events of the series of years which followed confirm this probability1 that the sorrowing parents1 struck with the awfulness of this calamity1 abstained for a long time from connubial intercourse4 ,for it appears that when ,cain committed this murder he was about thirty years of age1 more or less4 ,during this period some daughters were born unto ,adam4 ,for since it is said below1 ,v4 #ag1 that ,cain knew his wife1 there is no doubt that he married a sister4 ,moreover since ,cain himself says1 ,v4 #ad1 ,and it shall come to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me2 and as it is further said1 ,v4 #ae1 ,and the ,lord set a mark upon ,cain1 lest any finding him should kill him2 it appears most probable from all these circumstances that ,adam had many more children than ,cain and ,abel1 but these two only are mentioned on account of the important and memorable history concerning them and because those two were their first and principal children4 ,for it is my full belief that the marriage of our first parents1 during the first thirty years of their union1 was most fruitful4 ,in some books the names ,calmana and ,dibora are found as being daughters of ,adam2 but ,i know not whether such authors are worthy of any credit4 ,as therefore ,seth is recorded as having been begotten a long time after this awful murder1 it seems to me very probable that the parents1 distressed beyond measure at this monstrous family crime1 refrained for a long time from marriage communion4 ,moses does not indeed touch upon all these things in his narrative2 he intimates them only in order that he might excite1 as we have said1 the reader to a deep consideration of this memorable history1 the circumstances of which he records in the fewest possible words1 as if presenting them to be seen as through a lattice4 ,but ,i return to the text now immediately before us4 ,cain is an evil and a wicked man1 and yet in the eyes of his parents he is a divine possession and a divine gift4 ,abel on the contrary is in the eyes of his parents and in their estimation as nothing1 according to the signification of his name2 but in the eyes of ,god he is truly a righteous man2 hence it is that ,christ himself honors him with this exalted appellation1 when he calls him1 ,righteous ,abel6 ,math4 #bc3ce4 ,this was the divine judgment concerning ,abel1 which ,cain could not endure1 and therefore he thought that the only manner in which his hatred of his brother could be satisfied was by murder4 ,and he moreover thought that by this awful means he could still retain the high honor of his primogeniture4 ,but he was far from thinking that he committed a great sin by this murder2 because as being the first-born he thought he had a right to do this4 ,he killed him therefore as ,i think1 not with a sword1 for ,i conclude that there were1 as yet1 no iron weapons1 but with a club or with some kind of stone4 ,and after the murder1 ,cain remained quiet and unconcerned1 for he thought that the deed would be concealed by hiding the body1 which he buried1 or perhaps he cast it into a river1 considering that by such means he could rest the more sure that the body could not be found by his parents4 ,when ,abel therefore had been from home a longer time than he had been accustomed to be1 the ,holy ,spirit inspires ,adam to utter the words of the text and to inquire of ,cain concerning ,abel saying1 ,where is ,abel thy brother8 ,here therefore the sermon and the prophecy of ,adam1 of which we have heard before1 begins to be fulfilled2 where he had said1 ,if not1 sin lieth at the door4 ,for ,cain thought that he had concealed his sin and had laid it to rest1 and that all would thus be hidden4 ,and true it was that his sin did lie at rest2 but it lay at rest at the door4 ,and who now openeth the door8 ,none other than the ,lord himself4 ,he rouses up and wakens the sleeping sin4 ,he brings the hidden sin to light4 ,and the same thing must be fulfilled in all sinners4 ,for unless by repentance thou first come to ,god1 and thyself confess thy sin to ,god1 ,god will surely come to thee1 awake thy sin and discover it to thee4 ,for ,god cannot endure that any one should deny the sin that he has committed2 as the psalmist also testifies1 ,when ,i kept silence1 my bones wasted away through my roaring all the day long4 ,for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me2 my moisture was changed as with the drought of summer1 ,ps4 #cb3c1 #d4 ,for although sin hath its sleep and its security2 yet that sleep is at the door1 which cannot long remain unawakened or hidden4 ,when ,moses here says1 ,and the ,lord said unto ,cain1 ,where is ,abel thy brother8 ,i understand ,moses to mean1 as above1 that it was ,adam who spoke by the ,holy ,spirit in the person or place of ,god2 and that ,god there assumed the person of a father speaking to his son4 ,this sacred phraseology therefore1 ,and the ,lord said1 etc41 is intended as thus used by the ,holy ,spirit to commend the high authority of parents2 whom when children dutifully hear and dutifully obey1 they hear ,god and obey ,god4 ,and ,i believe that ,adam knew by the revelation of the ,holy ,spirit1 that ,abel had been slain by his brother2 for he spoke at once concerning the murder1 ,what hast thou done8 ,the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground2 although ,cain all the time endeavored to conceal the deed4 ,,part ,v4 ,,how ,,cain ,,was ,,punished ,,for ,,his ,,murder4 ,i4 ,and if ,eve heard these words spoken to ,cain by his father2 what do we think must have been the grief and horror of her mind6 ,they must indeed have been beyond all description4 ,but the calamity fell still nearer and heavier upon ,adam himself4 ,for as he was the father1 he was compelled as his duty thus to rebuke his son and to excommunicate him from his family and from the ,church of ,god for his sin4 ,and although he did not slay him1 for the law concerning punishing a murderer by death1 which is pronounced hereafter in the ninth chapter1 was given after the patriarchs saw murders becoming frequent2 and though inspired by the ,holy ,spirit so to do1 he even set a mark upon his son1 lest anyone finding him should kill him2 yet it was an awful punishment which was inflicted on ,cain and upon all his posterity4 ,for in addition to the personal curse of bearing about this mark of a murderer he was excommunicated from his family1 driven from the sight of his parents and from the society of his brothers and sisters1 who still continued with their parents1 as in the ,church of ,god4 ,now ,adam could not have performed all this awful duty without the deepest pain2 nor could ,eve have heard all that ,adam said without the same indescribable anguish4 ,for a father is a father1 and a son is a son4 ,adam therefore would willingly have spared his son and would willingly have retained him at home4 ,and we do now sometimes see murderers reconciled to the brothers of those whom they have murdered4 ,but in this terrible case no place was left for reconciliation4 ,cain is bidden at once to be a vagabond upon the face of the earth4 ,the pain therefore of the parents was doubled4 ,they see one of their sons slain by the other2 and now they see the slayer excommunicated by the judgment of ,god and cut off forever from the society of the rest of his brethren4 ,moreover when we here speak of excommunication from the ,church1 you are not to have in mind our present ,churches1 magnificent structures superbly built with carved stones4 ,the temple or ,church of ,adam was a certain tree1 as in paradise2 or a certain little hill under the open heaven1 at which they assembled together to hear the ,word of ,god and to offer their sacrifices1 for which purpose they had altars erected1 and ,god was present with them when they thus offered their sacrifices and heard his ,word1 as is manifest from the divine presence at the offering of ,abel4 ,and other portions of sacred history testify that altars were erected in the open air and that sacrifices were there offered4 ,and indeed the same practice for many reasons would be useful even now2 that we might assemble together in the open air1 pray with bended knees1 preach the ,word1 give thanks to ,god and bless each other1 etc4 ,it was from a temple of this kind and from such a ,church1 not a conspicuous and magnificent ,church in a certain place1 that ,cain was ejected or excommunicated4 ,he was thus doubly punished2 first1 by a corporal punishment1 because he was cursed as a vagabond in the earth with the mark of a murderer set upon him2 and secondly1 by a spiritual punishment1 because he was cast out by excommunication1 as from another paradise1 and ejected from the temple and ,church of ,god4 ,lawyers also have made much use of this passage of the holy ,scriptures1 and have treated it with becoming dignity1 seeing1 as they did1 that the ,lord inquired into the matter before he passed condemnation upon the murderer4 ,the ,scripture therefore the framers of laws have so applied1 as to determine thereby1 that no man should be condemned until his cause had been fully known2 nor until he had first been called to the bar of judgment1 had been convicted1 and had confessed his guilt4 ,we have seen the same also before in the case of ,adam4 ,and the ,lord ,god called unto ,adam1 and said unto him1 ,where art thou8 ,gen4 #c3i4 ,and again further on1 ,i will go down now1 and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it1 which is come unto me2 and if not1 ,i will know1 ,gen4 #aa3e2 #ah3ba4 ,let us however1 leaving for the present all civil and political doctrine1 look at the all-blessed theological or divine doctrine and consolation1 contained in this1 when it is recorded that the ,lord inquired for ,abel after his death4 ,for in this fact we have made manifest unto us the resurrection of the dead4 ,because ,god by this inquiry testified that he was the ,god of ,abel1 though now dead2 for he inquired after him though now slain and no more4 ,from this passage therefore we may frame this most immovable argument2 that if there were no one who had the care of us after this life1 ,abel would not have been inquired for after he was slain4 ,but ,god does here inquire after ,abel1 even after he is taken away out of this life1 he has not a will to forget him1 he still retains the remembrance of him2 he asks ,where he is4 ,god therefore we see is the ,god of the dead4 ,my meaning is that even the dead1 as we here see1 still live in the memory of ,god and have a ,god who cares for them1 and saves them in another life beyond and different from this corporal life in which saints are thus afflicted4 ,this passage therefore we repeat is most worthy our observation1 in which we see that ,god had great care of ,abel1 even when dead2 and that on account of ,abel though dead he excommunicated ,cain1 and visited him with destruction even while living1 though he was the first-born4 ,this therefore is great and glorious indeed1 that ,abel though dead was still alive and canonized1 as we call it1 in another life2 a canonization far more blessed and more really divine than is the state of any of those whom the ,pope has ever canonized6 ,the death of ,abel was indeed horrible2 for he did not suffer death without excruciating torment nor without many agonies of tears4 ,and yet his death was a goodly death2 for now he lives a better and more blessed life than he did before4 ,for this corporal life of ours is lived in sins and is ever in danger of death4 ,but that life which is to come is eternal and perfectly free from all trials and troubles1 both of the body and of the soul4 ,no6 ,god does not inquire after the sheep and the oxen that are slain1 but he does inquire after the men who are slain4 ,men therefore have the hope of a resurrection4 ,they have a ,god who inquires after them1 even after their death in the flesh1 and who brings them back from that death unto eternal life1 a ,god who inquires after their blood as most precious to him1 as the ,psalmist also says1 ,precious in the sight of ,jehovah is the death of his saints1 ,ps4 #aaf3ae4 ,this inquiry for the saints after their death and this their resurrection1 are the glory of the human race1 obtained for it by the ,seed of the woman1 which bruised the serpent's head4 ,and the case of ,abel is the first example of this promise which was made to ,adam and ,eve2 and by this example ,god showed that the serpent harmed not ,abel1 although he caused him to be thus murdered by his brother4 ,this was indeed an instance of the serpent's bruising the heel of the woman's ,seed4 ,but when he attempted to bite his head1 that is1 his life1 he himself was crushed4 ,for ,god1 in answer to ,abel's faith in the promised ,seed1 required his blood after his death and proved himself thereby to be ,abel's ,god still4 ,this is all proved by what follows4 ,v4 #aj4 ,and he said1 ,what hast thou done8 ,the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground4 ,cain's sin hath hitherto lain at the door4 ,and the preceding circumstances plainly show how hard he struggled to keep his sin asleep4 ,for1 being interrogated by his father concerning his brother ,abel1 and his father having asked him where he was1 he adds to his murder absolute falsehood4 ,and this answer of ,cain moreover shows that the words of the inquiry were spoken by ,adam in his own person1 and not in the person of the divine ,majesty4 ,for ,cain considers that the deed was hidden from his father1 of course as being mere man1 but he could not have so thought concerning the divine ,majesty4 ,therefore had it been ,god who had spoken to him in his own proper divine ,person1 he would have returned a different answer4 ,but as he thought that he was speaking to a man only he denied the deed he had done altogether1 saying1 ,i know not4 ,as if he had added1 ,there are numerous perils by which a man may perish4 ,he may be destroyed by wild beasts2 he may be drowned in some river2 or he may lose his life by some other death4 ,and ,cain no doubt thought that his father would imagine any other death of ,abel than that his own brother had perpetrated such a deed as to murder him4 ,but ,cain could not deceive the ,holy ,spirit in ,adam4 ,adam therefore then speaks openly in the person of ,god and at once convicts him of the murder1 saying1 ,what hast thou done8 ,as if he had said1 ,why dost thou persist in denying the deed2 be assured that thou canst not deceive ,god1 who hath revealed to me all4 ,thou thinkest that the blood of thy brother is hidden by the earth with which thou hast concealed it4 ,but it is not so absorbed by the earth and concealed by it as to prevent its crying aloud unto ,god4 ,thus did ,adam by the ,spirit of ,god indeed wake in ,cain his sin lying asleep at the door1 and drag it forth to light4 ,the text now before us therefore is full of consolation to the saints to support them against the enemies and murderers of the ,church2 for it teaches us that our afflictions and sufferings1 and the shedding of our blood1 fill heaven and earth with their cries4 ,i believe therefore that ,cain was so terror-struck in his mind by these words of his father and that he was so confused and astounded that he knew not what to say nor what to do4 ,for no doubt his thoughts were1 ,if my father ,adam thus knows all the circumstances of the murder which ,i have committed1 how can ,i any longer doubt that the whole is known unto ,god1 unto angels1 and unto heaven and earth4 ,whither therefore can ,i flee8 ,which way can ,i turn1 wretched man that ,i am8 ,it is exactly the same with murderers to this day4 ,they are so harassed with the stings of conscience1 after the crime of murder has been committed1 that they are always in a state of alarm4 ,it seems to them that heaven and earth have put on a changed aspect toward them and they know not whither to flee1 so awful a thing is this crying of blood that has been shed and so horrible an agony is an accusing conscience4 ,but it is just the same also under all other atrocious sins4 ,those who commit them experience the same distresses of mind1 when sorrow of spirit lays hold of them for what they have done4 ,the whole creation seems changed toward them1 and even when they speak to persons with whom they have been familiar1 and when they hear the answers which they make1 the very sound of their voice appears to them altogether changed and their countenances seem to wear an altered aspect4 ,whichever way they turn their eyes1 all things are clothed as it were with mourning and horror4 ,so fierce and destroying a monster is a guilty conscience4 ,unless therefore such great sinners are succored and upheld from above1 they must put an end to their existence from anguish and intolerable pain and despair4 ,in this place also ,moses adopts his usual brevity1 which however exceeds in force all words4 ,in the first place1 he makes use of a very striking figure of speech when he attributes to the shed blood of ,abel the cry of a voice which fills heaven and earth4 ,for how can that voice be small or weak which is uttered from earth and fills the ears of ,god in heaven4 ,abel therefore who when alive was patient under injuries1 gentle and placid of spirit1 now1 when dead and buried in the earth1 is utterly unable to endure the injury he has received4 ,he who before dared not utter a syllable of complaint against his brother1 now cries aloud and so engages the attention of ,god by his cry that ,god himself descends from heaven and charges the murderer with his crime4 ,moses therefore here uses the strongest term4 ,he does not say1 ,the voice of thy brother's blood speaketh unto me from the ground1 but ,the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me etc41 as heralds proclaim their intelligence aloud1 when with exerted voice they call men together to a public assembly4 ,and all these things are thus written1 as ,i have observed1 to cause us to see that our ,god is merciful and that he loves his saints1 has a peculiar care of them1 and inquires about them1 and searches them out2 and that on the contrary he is angry with the murderers of his saints1 hates them and will assuredly punish them4 ,and this consolation is most necessary for us2 for1 when we are oppressed by our enemies and murderers1 we are apt to conclude that our ,god has forgotten us and has thrown off all care of us4 ,for we think within ourselves that if ,god did care for us1 he would not permit such things to come upon us4 ,and ,abel might also have thought the same1 saying to himself1 ,god surely cares nothing for me2 for if he did1 he would not suffer me thus to be murdered by my brother4 ,but only look at what follows1 and see whether ,god had not all the while a greater care of ,abel than ,abel could possibly have had of himself4 ,for how could ,abel1 had it been possible for him to have survived the murder1 have inflicted on his brother such vengeance as ,god here inflicts upon him1 after his death1 by his brother's hands8 ,how could he1 if alive1 execute such awful judgment on his brother as ,god here executes8 ,for now ,abel's blood cries aloud unto ,god1 who while alive was of a spirit the most gentle and meek4 ,abel1 now dead1 accuses his brother before ,god of being a murderer2 whereas if alive he would bear all the injuries of his brother in silence1 and would even conceal all his feelings under them4 ,for who was it that betrayed ,cain and accused him of having slain his brother8 ,does not the text here tell us that the accuser was the blood of the murdered ,abel8 ,yes6 that blood still fills the ears of ,god and of men with its cries which have not yet ceased4 ,these things1 ,i say1 are all full of consolation2 especially unto us who now suffer persecution from the ,popes and wicked princes on account of our doctrine4 ,they have exercised toward us the utmost cruelty and have vented their rage against godly men1 not in ,germany only1 but in other parts of ,europe also4 ,and all this sin is disregarded by the papacy1 as if it were nothing but a joke4 ,nay1 the ,papists really consider it to be the service of ,god1 ,john #af3b4 ,all this sin therefore as yet lieth at the door4 ,but it will be awaked and made manifest in its time4 ,for the blood of that best and most faithful of martyrs1 ,leonard ,caizer1 which was shed in ,bavaria1 cries aloud still4 ,nor has the cry of the blood of ,henry of ,zutphan1 shed by his own countrymen1 ceased2 nor the blood of our brother ,anthony of ,england1 poured out by his ,english enemies4 ,not to mention a thousand others1 who although their names are not so prominent and renowned were yet fellow-sufferers with confessors and martyrs4 ,the blood of all these1 ,i say1 cries aloud still1 and that cry will in its time cause ,god to descend from heaven and execute judgment in the earth1 a judgment which will be awful and intolerable to the enemies of the ,gospel4 ,let us not think therefore that our blood is disregarded of ,god4 ,let us not imagine for a moment that ,god regardeth not our afflictions4 ,no6 he collects all our tears1 and puts them into his bottle1 ,ps4 #ef3h4 ,the cry of the blood of all the godly who have thus been slain penetrates the clouds1 enters the heavens1 and comes even unto the throne of ,god1 and moves him to come forth and vindicate the blood of the righteous that has been shed1 ,ps4 #gi3aj4 ,and in the same manner as these things are written for our consolation1 so are they also written for the terror of our adversaries4 ,for what think you can be more awe-striking to our tyrants to hear than that the blood of all they have slain continually cries aloud and accuses them before ,god8 ,god is indeed long-suffering1 especially now toward the end of the world2 and therefore sin lieth the longer at the door4 ,vengeance does not immediately follow4 ,but it is sure and certain that ,god is most righteously offended with all this sin1 and that he will never suffer it to pass away unpunished4 ,such is the judgment of ,god on ,cain4 ,but ,i believe that this judgment was not executed on the first day of the murder1 but that some time intervened between the murder and this terror on ,cain4 ,for ,god is in his nature long-suffering1 because he waits for the returning of sinners to himself4 ,but he does not on that account omit or forget to punish them4 ,for he is the righteous judge both of the living and of the dead1 as we confess in the creed of our faith4 ,god therefore exercised this his judgment in the very beginning of the world1 memorable in the case of these two brothers4 ,he judged and condemned the living murderer1 and justified the slain righteous ,abel4 ,and he excommunicated ,cain and drove him into those agonies of soul that the space of the whole creation seemed too narrow to contain him4 ,for from the moment he saw that ,god would be the avenger of his brother's crying blood1 he found safety nowhere4 ,while to ,abel on the contrary the space both of earth and of heaven gives an unbounded latitude of security4 ,why should we ever doubt therefore that ,god ponders and numbers in his heart the afflictions of his people1 and that he measures our tears and inscribes them all on adamantine tablets8 ,these tears the enemies of the ,church of ,christ can never erase by any device of theirs1 but by their repentance alone for what they have done to his saints4 ,manasses was a terrible tyrant and a most inhuman persecutor of the godly4 ,and his banishment and captivity would never have sufficed to have blotted out these sins4 ,but when he acknowledged his sin and repented in truth1 then the ,lord showed him mercy4 ,so ,paul had1 and so the ,pope and the bishops have now only one way left them1 to acknowledge their sin and to supplicate the forgiveness of ,god4 ,but as they do not this ,god will surely require at their hands in his fury the blood of the godly4 ,let no one be doubtful of this4 ,so here ,abel is dead1 but ,cain is still alive4 ,but ,o6 good ,god6 what a life of misery does he live6 ,for his wishes are that he had never been born4 ,because he ever hears the voice of his excommunication and expects every moment death and the vengeance of ,god upon his sin4 ,and the awful case of our adversaries and of the ,church's tyrants shall in its time be exactly the same4 ,,ii4 ,v4 #aa4 ,and now cursed art thou from the ground1 which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand2 ,thus far have we heard how the sin of ,cain was revealed by the crying blood of his brother ,abel2 and that he was hereby convicted of the murder by his father ,adam1 and that the judgment of ,god concerning the two brothers was1 that the one should not only be justified but canonized1 as we say1 and declared to be a saint1 and the first fruits as it were of this blessed ,seed of the righteous1 but that the other brother the first-born should be condemned and excommunicated or cast out as the following sacred narrative now shows4 ,for ,moses now proceeds to record the punishments which were inflicted of ,god on this fratricide4 ,and here in the first place the carefulness and discrimination of the ,holy ,spirit1 even from the beginning1 is most worthy of our observation4 ,for above1 when the punishment was inflicted on ,adam for his sin1 the person of ,adam was not cursed1 but the earth only4 ,and even the earth was not cursed absolutely in itself1 but a certain excuse1 as it were1 was made for it4 ,for the curse was pronounced thus3 ,cursed is the ground for thy sake1 ,gen4 #c3ag4 ,hence it is that ,paul says1 ,rom4 #h3bj1 ,for the creature was made subject to vanity1 not willingly1 that is1 not of its own will or fault4 ,but because the earth instrumentally caused man to become a sinner2 therefore also the earth was compelled to bear the curse as the instrument1 in the same manner as gold1 the sword1 etc41 are cursed1 not in themselves1 but because men sin by their means4 ,this is a most beautiful reasoning as it were in the ,holy ,spirit1 when he thus distinguishes between the earth and ,adam4 ,he makes the curse fall on the earth1 but preserves the person of ,adam4 ,but in the instance before us the ,holy ,spirit speaks of ,cain otherwise4 ,he curses the person of ,cain4 ,and why is this8 ,is it because the sin of ,cain1 as a murderer1 was greater than the sin of ,adam and ,eve8 ,not so4 ,but because ,adam was that root from whose flesh and loins ,christ1 that blessed ,seed1 should be born4 ,this ,seed therefore is that which was spared4 ,for the sake of this blessed ,seed1 the fruit of the loins of ,adam1 the curse is transferred from the person of ,adam to the earth1 the very instrument4 ,so that ,adam bears the curse of the earth1 but his person is not cursed2 because from his posterity ,christ was to be born4 ,but because ,cain by his sin fell from this glory of being the root of the blessed ,seed2 therefore his person is cursed4 ,and the ,holy ,spirit says to him1 ,cursed art thou1 that we might understand that he was cut off from the glory of the promised ,seed and was condemned never to have in his posterity such a seed as that ,seed1 through which the blessing should come4 ,this was ,cain's rejection from all that stupendous glory of the promised ,seed4 ,for ,abel was now slain2 therefore there could now be no posterity from him4 ,but ,adam was appointed still to serve ,god by his generating children4 ,in ,adam alone therefore1 ,abel being slain1 and ,cain being accursed and rejected1 the hope of the blessed ,seed rested until ,seth was born unto him4 ,the words of the ,holy ,spirit here are indeed few1 when he says to ,cain1 ,cursed art thou4 ,but they are words worthy the deepest and most diligent consideration4 ,the words are in their import1 as if the ,holy ,spirit had said to ,cain1 ,thou art no longer he from whom the blessed ,seed can be hoped for4 ,by these few words therefore ,cain is rejected forever and is cut off as a branch from its stem2 so that he can no longer hope for that glory which he so much strove to hold fast4 ,for ,cain's great desire was that the glory of this future blessing should be propagated from his loins and proceed from his posterity4 ,but the more he strove to secure this glory1 the further he was from obtaining it4 ,and just so it is with all the wicked2 for the more they labor to accomplish their purposes1 the more surely they fail and fall4 ,and here begin1 as we observed on the offerings of ,cain and ,abel1 the two churches1 which are ever at perfect enmity with each other2 the ,church of ,adam and the godly which possesses the hope and promise of the blessed ,seed2 and the church of ,cain1 which lost this hope and promise by sin and never could recover it4 ,for in the ,deluge the whole posterity of ,cain was utterly destroyed1 so that no prophet nor saint1 nor any head of a church of the posterity of ,cain was left in existence2 so utterly were all things denied to ,cain and taken from him by this one word1 when the ,holy ,spirit said to him1 ,cursed art thou4 ,but the expression ,from the earth is added4 ,this is as it were a tempering of the awful wrath of ,god upon ,cain4 ,for if the ,holy ,spirit had said ,from heaven1 it would have taken away the hope of salvation from the whole posterity of ,cain forever4 ,but since the expression is1 ,from the earth1 the fall of ,cain's posterity from the promise and glory of the blessed ,seed is threatened and determined2 and yet a door was left open by which it might come to pass that some private persons of the generation of ,cain might1 by the inspiration of the ,holy ,spirit1 join themselves to the posterity and ,church of ,adam1 and be saved2 as indeed in after ages it came to pass4 ,for although the ,jews alone retained the glory of giving birth to this blessed ,seed and possessed the promise which was in him1 according to the ,psalm1 ,he hath not dealt so with any nation1 and as for his ordinances1 they have not known them1 ,ps4 #adg3bj2 yet the ,gentiles had the right of beggars1 if ,i may so express it2 and by begging they obtained the same blessing through the divine mercy1 which the ,jews possessed through the true posterity of ,adam or the promise of ,god4 ,in like manner also all rule in the ,church was absolutely denied to the ,moabites and ,amorites1 and yet many private individuals among them embraced the religion of the ,jews4 ,it was thus also that all right in the ,church was taken away from ,cain and his posterity absolutely4 ,yet so that permission was left them to beg as it were for this grace4 ,this right of being beggars was not taken from them4 ,for ,cain1 because of his sin1 was cast out from the right of sitting at the family table of ,adam4 ,but the right was left him in his posterity to beg and gather up as dogs the crumbs that fell from his father's table1 ,math4 #ae3bf1 #bg4 ,this is signified by the ,hebrew expression1 ,,min ,,haadama1 ,from the earth4 ,i make these observations because there is a great probability that many of the posterity of ,cain1 in the earliest ages of the world1 joined themselves to the holy patriarchs4 ,but they abode in the ,church as private persons only and without any office in it1 as those who had utterly lost the promise of the blessed ,seed being born from their body and posterity4 ,and the loss of this promise was a serious matter to them4 ,and yet this great curse was so mitigated toward them1 that there was granted to them1 as we have said1 the right of being beggars for it as it were4 ,heaven was not absolutely denied them1 provided they would join the true ,church2 as it is written1 and particularly described in ,is4 #ef3c-h4 ,but this joining the true ,church among his posterity ,cain strove to hinder in various ways4 ,for he set up new forms of worship and invented numerous ceremonies2 that thereby he also might appear to be the ,church4 ,those however who departed from him and joined the true ,church were saved2 although they were compelled to despair of the glory of ,christ being born from their body or posterity4 ,but let us now return to the sacred text4 ,moses here uses a very striking personification4 ,he represents the earth as being a dreaded beast1 when he speaks of her as having opened her mouth and swallowed the innocent blood of ,abel4 ,but why does he speak of the earth in terms so terrible1 when all these horrid things were transacted without her will or knowledge8 ,nay1 since the earth is a good creature of ,god and these things were done against her will1 and her struggle to prevent them8 ,for ,paul1 as we have just observed1 says1 ,the creature was made subject to vanity1 not willingly1 etc41 ,rom4 #h3bj4 ,my reply is1 this was done1 and the ,spirit thus spoke1 according to ,moses1 as a terror to ,adam and to all his posterity1 that they might live in the fear of ,god and dread the sin of murder4 ,for the words of ,adam mean and are as if he had said1 ,behold the earth hath opened her mouth and swallowed the blood of thy brother2 but she ought to have swallowed thee1 the murderer4 ,the earth indeed is a good creature1 and is good to the good and the godly2 but to the wicked she is full of yawnings and loud cries4 ,it is to this end that ,moses records the ,holy ,spirit as having used these terrible expressions in reference to the earth through the mouth of ,adam4 ,it was to strike terror and confusion into murderers4 ,nor is there any doubt that ,cain1 after he heard these things from the mouth of his angry father1 was terror-struck in his soul like ,judas and overwhelmed with confusion1 so that he knew not which way to turn4 ,the expressions1 ,which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand1 are indeed full of terror2 and they point out the awfulness of this murder1 in deeper colors than any pictures could represent it4 ,v4 #ab;a4 ,when thou tillest the ground1 it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength4 ,the ,lord above said unto ,adam1 ,thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee4 ,but here the ,holy ,spirit speaks to ,cain otherwise4 ,his words before us are as if he had said1 ,thou hast watered and manured the earth1 not with enriching dung and reviving rain1 but with thy brother's blood4 ,therefore the earth shall be to thee less productive than to others4 ,for the blood which thou hast shed shall hinder the strength and the fruitfulness of the earth to thee4 ,and this is the second part of the punishment2 namely1 the bodily curse on ,cain3 that1 although the earth should be just alike cultivated by ,adam and by ,cain1 yet it should be more fruitful to ,adam than to ,cain1 and should yield its return to the former for his labors2 but that to the labors of ,cain it should not yield any such returns of fruitfulness on account of the blood shed2 which should hinder it1 though by nature desirous to return her fruitfulness and strength for all labors of men4 ,but here also we must offer a remark concerning the grammatical peculiarity of the original language4 ,in the present passage1 ,moses terms the earth1 ,,haadama4 ,but in the passage which follows1 ,a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth1 he uses the term ,,arez4 ,now ,,adama signifies1 according to grammatical interpreters1 that part of the earth which is cultivated1 in which trees grow and other fruits of the earth which are adapted for food4 ,but ,,arez signifies the whole earth1 whether cultivated or uncultivated4 ,this curse of ,god therefore properly has reference to that part of the earth which is cultivated for food4 ,and the curse implies that where one ear of wheat should bring forth three hundred grains for ,adam1 it should bring forth scarcely ten grains for ,cain the murderer2 and for the end1 that ,cain might behold on every side of him proofs that ,god hates and punishes the shedding of blood4 ,v4 #ab;b4 ,a fugitive and a wanderer 7vagabond7 shalt thou be in the earth4 ,and this was a third punishment contained in the divine curse on ,cain1 which continues to rest on murderers to this day4 ,for unless they find reconciliation they wander about1 having no fixed abode or certain dwelling-place4 ,we have here two original terms1 ,,no ,,vanod1 a vagabond1 and a fugitive1 but my manner is to distinguish them thus4 ,i consider ,,no to signify1 the uncertainty of the place in which you are or dwell2 that is1 how long you can remain there4 ,in the same manner as the ,jews at this day are vagabonds or wanderers2 because they have no certain or fixed dwelling-place and are in hourly fear lest they should be compelled to go forth from where they may be dwelling4 ,but ,,nod signifies1 the uncertainty of the place to which you can go2 that is1 the not knowing where to go2 so that1 while on the one hand you have no certain place in which to dwell1 to that misery is added the further misery1 that when you must leave your present uncertain place of abode1 you know not whither to go4 ,the original ,,no ,,vanod therefore contains in it a double punishment3 the not being able to remain with any certainty in any place1 and the not knowing whither to go1 when you are driven from your present uncertain place of abode2 as we find it also in ,psalm #aji3aj1 ,let his children be continually vagabonds4 ,,venoa ,,ianuu ,,banav1 that is let them1 by wandering1 wander2 or1 let them be wanderers indeed1 or utter wanderers2 that is1 let them never find a place in which they can dwell with certainty or safety4 ,if they are this year in ,greece let them be compelled the next year to wander into ,italy2 and so on perpetually4 ,just such is evidently the miserable state of the ,jews at the present day4 ,they can fix their dwelling-place nowhere permanently4 ,and to this calamity of the ,jews of the present day ,god adds another misery in the case of ,cain that1 when he is driven from one place of abode1 he should not know where to find another1 and thus should live suspended as it were between heaven and earth1 not knowing where to stop nor where to find any continuing place of rest or refuge4 ,and in this manner was the sin of ,cain visited with a threefold punishment4 ,in the first place he is deprived of all spiritual or ,church glory1 for the promise concerning the blessed ,seed being born from his posterity is taken away from him4 ,in the second place the earth is cursed to him in her fruitfulness1 which is a domestic punishment reaching to all his provision for this life4 ,and thirdly the punishment of a political or civil calamity is inflicted on him1 in his being made a vagabond and never able to find any certain place of abode or rest4 ,but still a way of joining the true ,church is left him1 but without the promise6 ,for as ,i have said1 if any of ,cain's posterity did join themselves to the true ,church and to the holy fathers they were saved4 ,and thus there was left them the domestic privilege1 but without the blessing4 ,and so the political privilege was preserved to them that they might build a city and dwell there1 but for how long was still left uncertain4 ,cain therefore in his posterity is still a beggar as it were in the ,church1 in the domestic household1 and in the civil state4 ,and moreover with these punishments of ,cain there was joined as an alleviation that he should not be slain immediately on account of the murder which he had committed2 as also afterwards a like ,levitical law was ordained concerning man-slayers4 ,but ,cain was preserved alive as an example to others that they might fear ,god and flee from the sins of murder4 ,let these observations suffice therefore concerning the sin of ,cain and the judgment and vengeance of ,god on the same4 ,but there are some who here reply and indeed the saints themselves often so argue to themselves that the godly also sometimes endure these same curses1 while the wicked on the contrary are free from them4 ,they look at the ,apostle ,paul as an instance1 where he says that he also wandered about and had no certain dwelling-place4 ,and verily our own condition is precisely the same at the present day4 ,we preach to the ,churches and have either no certain dwelling-places at all or are driven into banishment or are in fear of banishment every hour4 ,and the same was the condition of ,christ1 of his apostles and prophets1 and of the patriarchs of old4 ,in the same manner the ,scriptures say concerning ,jacob1 ,the elder shall serve the younger1 ,gen4 #be3bc4 ,but does not ,jacob become a servant when we see him a most distressed supplicant8 ,does he not from fear of his brother haste away into exile8 ,does he not on his return home supplicate his brother and fall on his knees before him8 ,is not ,isaac also seen to be a most miserable beggar8 ,gen4 #f3a-ce4 ,abraham his father also goes into exile among the nations and possesses not in all the world a place to set his foot1 as ,stephen says1 ,acts #g3a-e4 ,on the other hand1 the mocking and wicked ,ishmael is a king and from him are born the dukes of the land of ,midian1 ,gen4 #be3af1 before ,israel entered into the land of promise4 ,in the same manner it will be seen in the #agth verse of the present chapter that ,cain first built the city ,enoch1 and from him were born shepherds1 workers in metals1 and inventors of music4 ,all these things seem to the world to prove that the curses of ,god are wrongly confined to ,cain and his posterity1 seeing that these same curses frequently rest on the true ,church2 while on the contrary it is well with the wicked1 and they flourish4 ,these things are often a stumbling block1 not to the world only1 but to the saints themselves as the ,psalms in many places testify4 ,and the prophets also are frequently found to grow indignant1 as does ,jeremiah1 when they see the wicked possess freedom as it were from the evils of life1 while they are oppressed and afflicted in various ways4 ,men may therefore naturally inquire1 ,where is the curse of the wicked8 ,where is the blessing of the godly8 ,is not rather the contrary the truth8 ,cain is a vagabond and settled nowhere2 and yet ,cain is the first man that builds a city and has a certain place to dwell in4 ,but we will reply to these inquiries more fully hereafter4 ,we will now proceed with the text of ,moses4 ,,part ,,vi4 ,,cain',s ,,conduct ,,upon ,,being ,,punished4 ,v4 #ac4 ,and ,cain said unto ,jehovah1 ,my punishment 7iniquity7 is greater than ,i can bear 7than can be remitted74 ,here ,moses seems to have fixed a cross for the grammarians and the ,rabbins4 ,for they crucify this passage in various ways4 ,lyra recites the opinions of some who explain this passage affirmatively1 considering it to mean that ,cain said in his despair that his sin was greater than could be pardoned2 and it is thus that we have rendered this expression of ,cain4 ,augustine also retained this view of the passage1 for he says1 ,thou liest1 ,cain2 for the mercy of ,god is greater than the misery of all the sinners of the whole world put together4 ,the ,rabbins however expound the passage as being a negative interrogation1 making ,cain to say1 ,is my iniquity greater than can be remitted8 ,but if this rendering be the true one1 ,cain not only does not acknowledge his sin1 but excuses it and moreover insults ,god for laying upon him a punishment greater than he deserved4 ,but it is just in this way that the ,rabbins almost everywhere corrupt the sense of the ,scriptures4 ,consequently ,i begin to hate them and ,i admonish all who read them1 to read them with great caution and judgment4 ,for although they did possess the knowledge of some things1 by tradition as it were from the fathers1 yet they corrupted them in various ways2 and therefore they often deceived by those corruptions1 even ,jerome himself4 ,nor did the poets of old ever so fill the world with their fables as the wicked ,jews did the ,scriptures with their absurd opinions4 ,a great labor therefore is thereby thrown in our way to get hold of the pure text and to clear it from their false opinions and comments4 ,the cause of all this error is that some are grammarians only1 but know nothing of the divine things concerned2 that is1 they are not divines also2 therefore they are compelled to dream and to guess1 and thereby to crucify both themselves and the ,scriptures4 ,for how is it possible that such persons should be right judges of things which they do not understand8 ,now1 the divine subject matter in the present passage is that ,cain is accused in his own conscience4 ,and no one1 not only no wicked man1 but not even the devil himself can endure this judgment of his own conscience2 as ,james also witnesses1 ,the devils also believe and tremble before ,god1 ,james #b3ai4 ,and ,peter also says1 ,whereas angels which are greater in power and might cannot endure that judgment which the ,lord will exercise upon blasphemers1 #b ,pet4 #b3aa4 ,so also ,manasses in his prayer1 ,vs4 #d1 #e1 confesses that all men tremble before the face of the ,lord's anger4 ,all these things therefore fully prove that there was not in ,cain under his judgment enough spirit left to enable him to set himself against ,god and to expostulate with him4 ,for ,god is an almighty adversary to contend with1 and he always makes his first attack upon the heart and fastens his grip on the conscience4 ,now of this matter the ,rabbins know nothing1 nor have any understanding of it whatever2 and therefore they speak on this judgment of ,god as if it were a matter transacted before men1 in judgment where a fact is either falsely denied or vainly excused before the judge4 ,the judgment of ,god however is quite a different matter4 ,for there1 as ,christ says1 ,by thy words thou shalt be justified1 and by thy words thou shalt be condemned1 ,math4 #ab3cg4 ,cain therefore does acknowledge his sin in the present passage1 but he does not grieve so much concerning his sin as concerning his punishment for it4 ,cain's words therefore are here to be understood affirmatively1 and they show the horribleness of his despair4 ,a further proof of ,cain's entire despair is1 that he does not utter one word of reverence4 ,he never mentions the name of ,god or of his father4 ,his conscience is so confused and so overwhelmed with terror and despondency that he is not able to think of any hope of pardon4 ,so the ,epistle to the ,hebrews gives the same description of ,esau1 saying1 ,who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright4 ,for ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing1 he was rejected2 for he found no place for change of mind1 though he sought it diligently with tears1 ,heb4 #ab3af1 #ag4 ,thus in the present instance ,cain feels his punishment1 but he grieves more for his punishment than for his sin4 ,and all persons in like despair do just the same4 ,the two original words of this passage1 ,,minneso and ,,avon1 again form two crosses for grammarians4 ,jerome translates the clause1 ,my iniquity is greater than can be pardoned4 ,sanctes1 the grammarian of ,pagnum1 a man of no mean erudition and evidently a diligent scholar1 renders the passage1 ,my punishment is greater than ,i can bear4 ,but by such a rendering1 we shall make of ,cain a martyr and of ,abel a sinner4 ,and concerning the original word ,,nosa1 ,i have before observed1 that when it is applied to sin1 it signifies to lift sin up1 or off1 on high2 that is1 to take it out of the way4 ,just as we by the use of a common figure say1 to remit sin1 or the remission of sins1 as we have in1 ,ps4 #cb1 ,,aschre ,,nesu ,,pescha1 which1 when rendered literally1 means1 being made happy by having been relieved from crime or sin4 ,we render it1 ,blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven2 that is1 whose sin is taken away4 ,as we have it also again1 ,the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity1 ,,nesu ,,avon1 that is1 shall be relieved from their crime or sin1 ,is4 #cc3bd4 ,the other original term ,,avoni1 grammarians derive from the verb ,,anah1 which signifies to be afflicted1 as in ,zacharia1 ,behold thy king cometh unto thee poor or afflicted1 ,zach4 #i3i4 ,our translation renders it meek1 etc41 as we find it also ,ps4 #acb3aj1 ,lord remember ,david and all his meekness1 or lowliness2 that is1 all his afflictions4 ,from this same original root is derived the expression1 low estate1 or lowliness1 of his handmaiden1 used by the ,virgin ,mary in her song1 ,luke #a3dh4 ,it is the meaning of the original word ,,avoni which induced ,sanctes to render it1 in the present passage1 punishment4 ,but here the original ,,avoni signifies iniquity1 or sin1 as it does also in many other passages of the ,holy ,scriptures1 which appears more plainly from the verb to lift up or to lift off1 which stands connected with it4 ,hence it is that grammarians1 who are nothing more than grammarians1 and who know nothing of divine things1 find their crosses in all such passages2 and crucify1 not only the ,scriptures1 but themselves and their hearers4 ,but in the interpretation of the ,holy ,scriptures the subject or divine matter and sense are first to be determined2 and when that appears in all respects consistent with itself1 then the grammatical propriety is to be explained4 ,the ,rabbins however take a directly contrary course4 ,and hence it grieves me much that divines and the holy fathers so frequently follow them4 ,v4 #ad4 ,behold1 thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground2 and from thy face shall ,i be hid2 and ,i shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth2 and it will come to pass1 that whosoever findeth me will slay me4 ,from these words it still more plainly appears that the sentence and curse on ,cain were pronounced by ,jehovah through the mouth of ,adam4 ,cain here acknowledges first that he is driven out from the domestic and political communion2 and secondly that he was excommunicated from the ,church4 ,of the difference of the meaning of the original words ,,adamah and ,,erez we spoke above4 ,we have shown that ,,erez signifies the whole earth generally2 but that ,,adamah means the cultivated part of the earth in particular4 ,the meaning therefore of these words of ,cain is1 ,i am now compelled to flee from thy presence and from that place of the earth which ,i have cultivated4 ,the whole world indeed lies before me1 but ,i must be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth2 that is1 ,i shall have no certain dwelling place4 ,in the same way murderers among us are punished with exile and become vagabonds in the earth4 ,these words therefore afford a further evidence of the manner in which the words1 which ,adam said above are to be understood1 ,cursed art thou upon earth4 ,they refer to ,cain's being driven away into banishment4 ,this part of ,cain's punishment therefore is a civil or political punishment1 by which he is shut out from the whole civil community4 ,but that which ,cain next adds1 ,and from thy face shall ,i be hid1 is an ecclesiastical or ,church punishment4 ,it is an excommunication from the true ,church of ,god4 ,for as the priesthood and the kingdom rested with ,adam1 and ,cain on account of his sin was excommunicated from ,adam1 he was thereby also deprived of the glory both of the priesthood and of the kingdom4 ,but why ,adam adopted this punishment of expelling his son from him and excommunicating him from his presence1 is explained by the words which we just before heard from the father's mouth1 ,when thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength2 as if he had said1 ,thou art cursed and thy labors are cursed also4 ,therefore if thou shalt remain with us upon earth it cannot be but that both thou and we also must perish with hunger4 ,for thou hast stained the earth with thy brother's blood1 and wherever thou art thou must bear about the blood of thy brother with thee1 and even the earth herself will exact of thee the punishment of that blood by not yielding to thee her strength4 ,there is a sentence almost the same as this pronounced on ,cain by ,adam in #a ,kings #b3bi-cc1 where ,solomon gives commandment to ,benaiah1 son of ,jehoiada1 saying1 ,slay ,joab1 and thou shalt take away the innocent blood which was shed by ,joab from me and my father's house4 ,and the ,lord shall return his blood upon his own head4 ,but unto ,david1 and unto his seed1 and unto his house1 and unto his throne1 shall there be peace for ever from ,jehovah4 ,as if he had said1 ,if ,joab suffer not this punishment of his unjust murder1 the whole kingdom must suffer that punishment and be shaken from one end to the other by wars4 ,it is just thus ,adam speaks in the present passage4 ,as if he had said1 ,if thou shalt remain on the earth here with us ,god will bring punishments upon us for thy sake1 so that the earth will not yield to us her fruit4 ,but now let us offer our reply to the question above raised concerning ,cain and his posterity not being the only persons subject to the curse of wandering and affliction1 seeing that the saints also1 it is argued1 are subject to the same2 and that ,cain though thus cursed was yet the first who built a city1 etc4 ,it was said to ,cain as his curse1 ,a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon earth4 ,and yet ,cain is the first man who builds a city1 and his posterity from that time so increased that they seduced1 oppressed1 and so utterly overthrew the ,church of ,god1 as not to leave more than eight persons from the posterity of ,seth remaining4 ,the whole of the other multitude of mankind1 who perished in the ,flood1 had followed ,cain as the sacred text plainly declares1 ,and it came to pass1 when men began to multiply on the face of the ground1 and daughters were born unto them1 that the sons of ,god saw the daughters of men that they were fair2 and they took them wives of all that they chose1 ,gen4 #f3a1 #b4 ,and it is also said that these sons of ,god1 when they came unto the daughters of men1 begat giants and mighty men1 which were of old1 men of renown1 verse #d4 ,as therefore ,cain had so great and mighty a posterity and as he built the first city1 how can it be true1 men ask1 that he was a fugitive and vagabond upon earth1 according to the curse pronounced upon him8 ,we will reply therefore to the literal facts before us4 ,for what we have said above in reference to the ,new ,testament1 concerning ,paul and the apostles1 and ,christ himself1 and the prophets1 that is altogether a different subject4 ,when ,adam here says to ,cain1 ,a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be upon earth1 he speaks these words to him to send him away2 designedly joining no precept or direction therewith4 ,he does not say to him1 ,go to the east2 he does not say1 ,go to the south2 he does not mention any one place to which he should go4 ,he gives him no direction what to do4 ,he simply sends him away1 but as to whither he should go or what he should do1 he expresses no concern4 ,as to what the will and the way of his son may be hereafter1 the father takes no care whatever4 ,he adds no promise of protection4 ,he does not say1 ,god will take care of thee2 nor1 ,god will defend thee4 ,but as the whole wide heaven lies open to the bird1 leaving him the liberty to fly where he will1 but giving him a sight of no place in that heaven1 to which he might flee in safety for protection from the attack of the other birds1 so does ,adam dismiss ,cain4 ,this ,cain fully feels2 and therefore it is that he adds the utterance1 ,and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me4 ,now the condition of ,adam in paradise was different from that of ,cain1 and better4 ,adam had sinned1 and by his sin he had sunk under death4 ,but when he was driven out of paradise ,god appointed to him by his command a certain employment1 that he should till the earth in a fixed and certain place4 ,god also clothed him with a covering of skins4 ,this1 as we have said above1 was a sign that ,god would take care of him and defend him4 ,and that which exceeded all things else1 a glorious promise was made to the woman concerning her ,seed1 which should bruise the serpent's head4 ,but no one thing like these mercies was left to ,cain4 ,he was sent away absolutely without the mention of any certain place or any certain employment4 ,no command was given him nor any promise made him4 ,he was like a bird set loose in the wide heavens1 as we have said1 to wander in its flight where it may4 ,such was the state and meaning of ,cain's being truly and properly a vagabond1 a wanderer without any fixed dwelling-place4 ,and thus unsettled and wandering are all who have not the ,word and the command of ,god1 by which a certain place of worship and a certain ministry are vouchsafed unto them4 ,and just such were we under the papacy4 ,there were plenty of ceremonies of worship1 and of works and exercises4 ,but all these were undertaken and done without any command of ,god4 ,this was truly a ,cain-like trial1 to have no ,word of ,god2 not to know what to believe1 nor what to hope1 nor what to think2 but to do all things and to undertake all things without any knowledge or hope concerning the event4 ,for what monk ever existed who could affirm or know that he did any one thing rightly8 ,for all things were mere human traditions and the inventions of mere human reason1 without the ,word4 ,and in the midst of these things we all wandered about1 fluctuating in our minds1 like the wandering ,cain2 not knowing anything of what the judgment of ,god would be concerning us2 whether he would look upon us with love or with hatred4 ,and in this uncertainty were we all at that time taught and trained4 ,and in this same way were the whole posterity of ,cain wanderers and unsettled4 ,for they had no promise nor command of ,god and were without any certain rule either to live by or to die by4 ,and if any of these did come to the knowledge of ,christ and joined the true ,church1 this did not come to them through any promise of ,god1 but through his pure mercy4 ,but ,seth1 who was born afterwards1 had together with his posterity the certain promise1 certain dwelling-places1 a certain worship of ,god1 and certain rites of worship4 ,but ,cain on the contrary was always essentially a vagabond4 ,for although ,cain did build a city1 yet he was ever in uncertainty how long he should retain it as a dwelling place2 for he had no promise of ,god on which to depend4 ,and whatever things we possess without the promise of ,god1 how long we shall possess them is always an uncertainty4 ,for ,satan can either disturb them or take them away in a moment4 ,on the other hand1 when we move1 fortified on every side by the command and promise of ,god1 ,satan's strivings against us are all in vain1 for ,god fortifies and secures by his command all that we possess4 ,although therefore ,cain was the great lord as it were of the whole world and possessed all the riches of the world2 yet because he was without the promise of the help of ,god and was thereby deprived of the guardianship of angels1 he had nothing else to depend on1 but human counsel and human reason4 ,he was therefore truly a vagabond and unsettled wanderer4