beforetime, and on the first sound of which he and his companion had been used to draw near, as sheep at the voice of the shepherd, or as children to the voice of a father. The voice of one whom we love conveys life to our hearts: but alas, it is not so now! Not only does conscious guilt make them afraid, but contrariety of heart to a holy God renders them unwilling to draw near to him. The kindest language, to one who is become an ene

my, will work in a wrong way. Let favour be showed to the wick

ed, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Instead of coming at his call as usual, they hide themselves from his presence among the trees of the garden. Great is the cowardice which attaches to guilt. It flies from God, and from all approaches to him in prayer or praise; yea, from the very thoughts of him; and of death and judgment, when they must appear before him. But wherefore flee to the trees of the garden? Can they screen them from the eyes of Him with whom they have to do? Alas, they could not hide themselves and their nakedness from their own eyes; how then should they elude discovery before an omniscient God! But we see here to what a stupid and besotted state of mind sin had already reduced them.

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Ver. 9. God's general voice of kindness receiving no answer, he is more particular; calling Adam by name, and inquiring, Where art thou? In vain does the sinner hide himself: the Almighty will find him out? If he answer not to the voice of God in his word, he shall have a special summons served upon him before long? Observe what the summons was: Where art thou? It seems to be the language of injured friendship. As if he should say, 'How is it that I do not meet thee as heretofore? What have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Have I been a barren wilderness, or a land of drought? How is it that thou hailest not my approach as on former occasions?' It was also language adapted to lead him to reflection: Where art thou? Ah, where indeed! God is thus interrogating sinful men. Sinner, where art thou? What is thy condition? In what way art thou walking, and whither will it lead thee?

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Ver. 10. To this trying question man is compelled to answer. See with what ease God can bring the offender to his bar. He has

only to speak, and it is done. He shall call to the heavens and the earth, that he may judge his people. But what answer can be made to him? I heard thy voice in the garden • Did you ? Then you cannot plead ignorance. No, but something worse: I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. Take notice, be says nothing about his sin, but merely speaks of its effects: such as fear, and conscious nakedness, or guilt. The language of a contrite spifit would have been, I have sinned! But this is the language of impenitent misery. It is of the same nature as that of Cain: My punishment is heavier than I can bear! This spirit is often apparent in persons under first convictions, or when brought low by adversity, or drawing near to death; all intent on bewailing their misery, but insensible to the evil of their sin. To what a condition has sin reduced us! Stripped naked to our shame, we are afraid to meet the kindest and best of Beings! Oh reader! We must now be clothed with a better righteousness than our own, or how shall we stand before him?

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Ver. 11. Adam began, as I have said, with the effects of his sin; but God directed him to the cause of those effects. Naked!' q. d. How came such a thought into thy mind? The nakedness of thy body, with which I created thee, was no nakedness: neither fear nor shame attached to that. What meanest thou by being naked ? Still there is no confession. The truth will not come out without a direct inquiry on the subject. Here then it follows: Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? Thus the sinner stands convicted. Now we might suppose he would have fallen at the feet of his Maker, and have pleaded guilty. But Oh, the hardening nature of sin!

Ver. 12. Here is, it is true, a confession of his sin. It comes out at last, I did eat; but with what a circuitous, extenuating preamble, a preamble which makes bad worse. The first word is, The woman; aye, the woman; It was not my fault, but her's. The woman whom thou gavest to be with me—It was not me; it was thou thyself! If thou hadst not given this woman to be with me,

should have continued obedient.' Nay, and as if he suspected that the Almighty did not notice his plea sufficiently, be repeats it emphatically: SHE gave me, and I did eat! Such a confession was infinitely worse than none. Yet such is the spirit of fallen man to this day: It was not me.... it was my wife or my husband, or my acquaintance, that persuaded me; or it was my situation in life, in which thou didst place me!' Thus the foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

It is worthy of notice, that God makes no answer to these perverse excuses. They were unworthy of an answer. The Lord proceeds, like an aggrieved friend who would not multiply words: 'I see,' q d. how it is; stand aside !'

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Ver. 13. Next the woman is called and examined. What is this that thou hast done? The question implies that it was no trifling thing; and the effects which have followed, and will follow, confirm it. But let us hear the woman's answer. Did she plead guilty? The circumstance of her being first in the transgression, and the tempter of her husband, one should have thought, would have shut her mouth at least; and being also of the weaker sex, it might have been expected that she would not have gone on to provoke the vengeance of her Creator. But lo, she also shifts the blame The Serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. I was deceived, I did not mean evil; but was drawn into it through the wiles of an evil being.' Such is the excuse which multitudes make to this day, when they can find no better: The devil tempted me to it !' Still God continues his forbearance; makes no answer; but orders her as it were, to stand aside.

Ver. 14. And now the serpent is addresssed: but mark the difference. Here is no question put to him, but merely a doom pronounced. Wherefore? Because no mercy was designed to be shown him. He is treated as an avowed and sworn enemy. There was no doubt wherefore he had done it, and therefore no reason is asked of his conduct.

The workings of conviction in the minds of men are called the strivings of the Spirit, and afford a hope of mercy. Though they are no certain sign of grace received, (as there was nothing good at present in our first parents,) yet they are the workings of a merci

ful God, and prove that he has not given over the sinner to hopeless ruin. But the serpent has nothing to expect but a fearfu} looking for of judgment.

The form under which Satan is cursed is that of the serpent. To a superficial reader it might appear that the vengeance of heaven was directed against the animal, distinguishing him from all cattle, subjecting him to a most abject life, condemning him to creep upon bis belly, and of course to have his food besmeared with dust. But was God angry with the serpent? No: but, as under that form Satan had tempted the woman, so that shall be the form under which he shall receive his doom. The spirit of the sentence appears to be this- Cursed art thou above all creatures, and above every being that God hath made. Miserable shalt thou be to an

endless duration! Some have thought, and the passage gives some countenance to the idea, that the state of fallen angels was not hopeless till now. If it had, the curse could only have added a greater degree of misery.