What child of GOD can expect to escape slander, when GOD himself was thus slandered even in paradise? Surely the understanding of _Eve_ must have been, in some measure, blinded, or she would not have suffered the tempter to speak such perverse things. In what odious colours is GOD here represented! “GOD doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, ye shall be as gods,” (equal with GOD.) So that the grand temptation was, that they should be hereafter under no controul, equal, if not superior, to GOD that made them, knowing good and evil. _Eve_ could not tell what Satan meant by this; but, to be sure, she understood it of some great privilege which they were to enjoy. And thus Satan now points out a way which seems right to sinners, but does not tell them the end of that way is death.
To give strength and force to this temptation, in all probability, Satan, or the serpent, at this time plucked an apple from the tree, and ate it before _Eve_; by which _Eve_ might be induced to think, that the sagacity and power of speech, which the serpent had above the other beasts, must be owing, in a great measure, to his eating that fruit; and, therefore, if he received so much improvement, she might also expect a like benefit from it. All this, I think, is clear; for, otherwise, I do not see with what propriety it could be said, “When the woman saw that it was good for food.” How could she know it was good for food, unless she had seen the serpent feed upon it?
Satan now begins to get ground apace. Lust had conceived in _Eve_’s heart; shortly it will bring forth sin. Sin being conceived, brings forth death. Verse 6. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband, and he did eat.”
Our senses are the landing ports of our spiritual enemies. How needful is that resolution of holy _Job_, “I have made a covenant with mine eyes!” When _Eve_ began to gaze on the forbidden fruit with her eyes, she soon began to long after it with her heart. When she saw that it was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes, (here was the lust of the flesh, and lust of the eye) but, above all, a tree to be desired to make one wise, wiser than GOD would have her be, nay, as wise as GOD himself; she took of the fruit thereof, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. As soon as ever she sinned herself, she turned tempter to her husband. It is dreadful, when those, who should be help-meets for each other in the great work of their salvation, are only promoters of each other’s damnation: but thus it is. If we ourselves are good, we shall excite others to goodness; if we do evil, we shall entice others to do evil also. There is a close connection between doing and teaching. How needful then is it for us all to take heed that we do not sin any way ourselves, lest we should become factors for the devil, and insnare, perhaps, our nearest and dearest relatives? “she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.”
Alas! what a complication of crimes was there in this one single act of sin! Here is an utter disbelief of GOD’s threatning; the utmost ingratitude to their Maker, who had so lately planted this garden, and placed them in it, with such a glorious and comprehensive charter. And, the utmost neglect of their posterity, who they knew were to stand or fall with them. Here was the utmost pride of heart: they wanted to be equal with GOD. Here’s the utmost contempt put upon his threatning and his law: the devil is credited and obeyed before him, and all this only to satisfy their sensual appetite. Never was a crime of such a complicated nature committed by any here below: Nothing but the devil’s apostasy and rebellion could equal it.
And what are the consequences of their disobedience? Are their eyes opened? Yes, their eyes are opened; but, alas! it is only to see their own nakedness. For we are told (verse 7.) “That the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” Naked of GOD, naked of every thing that was holy and good, and destitute of the divine image, which they before enjoyed. They might rightly now be termed _Ichabod_; for the glory of the LORD departed from them. O how low did these sons of the morning then fall! out of GOD, into themselves; from being partakers of the divine nature, into the nature of the devil and the beast. Well, therefore, might they know that they were naked, not only in body, but in soul.