Wesley Corpus

Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Nay, they needed none for decency, they were naked, and had no reason to be ashamed. They knew not what shame was, so the Chaldee reads it. Blushing is now the colour of virtue, but it was not the colour of innocency. Chapter III The general contents of this chapter we have Rom 5:12. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. More particularly, we have here, The innocent tempted, ver. 1 - 5. The tempted transgressing, ver. 6, 7, 8. The transgressors arraigned, ver. 9, 10. Upon their arraignment convicted, ver. 11 - 13. Upon their conviction sentenced, ver. 14 - 19. After sentence, reprieved, ver. 20, 21. Notwithstanding their reprieve, execution in part done, ver. 2 2 - 24, and were it not for the gracious intimations of redemption, they and all their race had been left to despair. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 We have here an account of the temptation wherewith Satan assaulted our first parents, and which proved fatal to them. And here observe, The tempter, the devil in the shape of a serpent. Multitudes of them fell; but this that attacked our first parents, was surely the prince of the devils. Whether it was only the appearance of a serpent, or a real serpent, acted and possessed by the devil, is not certain. The devil chose to act his part in a serpent, because it is a subtle creature. It is not improbable, that reason and speech were then the known properties of the serpent. And therefore Eve was not surprised at his reasoning and speaking, which otherwise she must have been. That which the devil aimed at, was to persuade Eve to eat forbidden fruit; and to do this, he took the same method that he doth still. 1. He questions whether it were a sin or no, Ge 3:1,2. He denies that there was any danger in it, Ge 3:4. 3. He suggests much advantage by it, Ge 3:5. And these are his common topics.