Chap. 3 a. An Expofátion upon the Book" ff J o a. Verf. 9: 3$5 the Lord fayd, It to not goodfor man to be alone ; How Toone did Thee become a flare to the firft man and fo an occafion ofhis fall, in whom mankinde fell, and had been loll for ever if Free. Grace had not provided a remedy. The Devil! ofed the Serpent, as an inttrument, to deceive the woman, and he ufed the woman, as an intirument to deceive the man. The firft deceit that ever was put uponman, was by the agencyof a woman; Satan well knew how potent chat weaker veffel would be to doe man a mil.. shiefe. He knew the man would not eafily fufpec`t any harne from the woman, and he knew he could as hardly refufe it, when it was rendred tohim by her hand, and urged upon him by her perfwafion. TheApoltie ufeth this as an argument to humble the woman, and tokeepe her within the fpheate of her proper duty. ( a Tim. 2. II, 12, 13, 14. ) Let the woman learnt inf:- lence with allfubj Ilion ; But IPuffernot a woman to teach ( that is, in the Church , Thee may teach her children and fervants at home) nor tou/arpe authoritie over the matt, but to be in f :lerce. For Adam wasfirft formed,then eve. AndAdamwas net deceaved ( that is, immediately or at firft hand by the Serpent , or he was not deceaved by that erroror miftake (as Tome conceave) that he fhould be made more wife and knowing by eating it for he heard not thole reafonings or infinuations of the Serpent, thus (I fay) Adam was not deceaved, lot the woman being deceived was in the tras?fgre on; that is,thce was firft in the tranlgreflìon, and having tranfgreffed her belle by eating the forbidden fruit, theegave unto her husband and he didBate ; ihee was not in the eranfgreflìon as a plotter and contriver of it (fo the Serpent on- ly was in it) yet theewas in the tranfgreffionmore then by her ownealt, for (hoe teas made ufeof both by her example in eat- ing, and byher offer to Adam to draw him to Bate, and fo into the tranfgreffion.And though Adams fin was greater then Eves, firft, becaufe he reccaved the commandement in perfon from God, which forbad bis eatingof that tree; and fecondly, becaufe he had greater frength, as all() greater knowledge and wifdome then thee, yet in this her.finwas greater thenhis that (:sae was the engine that brought him into that blare ofthe Devil. And as the firft manwas deceaved by the firft woman ; fo to deceave man bath been the trade of Tome women ever fince. Solomon tells us hisexperience in this matter (Eccl:7.26,) If od D d d more
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=