Milo

5 MARCH

God’s commands are perfect

‘And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’ Genesis 3:2–3
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 119:89–104

Observe Satan will not be afraid of those who have much light in their heads, if their hearts are insincere before God. It is not talking about Christ and grace and holiness that will preserve you from the power of temptation, if your hearts desire the forbidden thing. But it is a high aggravation to sin against such light. It is the case of many amongst us. You do it not ignorant—you know the judgements of God. Satan can hardly be said to cheat you, for you obey him with your eyes open. Eve seems to add to God’s word. He said not eat—she puts in not touch. Perhaps Satan used this to advantage against her, and when she found she did not die for touching it, she might venture more boldly to eat it. However, men are very prone to add their own inventions to the Word of God, which in many ways becomes a snare to them. The commands of God are perfect and cannot be amended. And they are so broad as to call for all our strength and time to observe them. If we do more than we are commanded we shall infallibly leave something unattended to that he has made our duty.
FOR MEDITATION:
When the cross I view by faith,
What before excited fears,
Sin is madness, poison, death;
Rather pleasing now appears;
Tempt me not, ’tis all in vain,
If a sin, it seems so small,
Sure I ne’er can yield again.
Or, perhaps, no sin at all.

Satan, for a while debarred,
Often thus, through sin’s deceit,
When he finds me off my guard,
Grief and shame, and loss I meet;
Puts his glass before my eyes,
Like a fish, my soul mistook,
Quickly other thoughts arise.
Saw the bait, but not the hook.

Made, by past experience, wise, Let me learn thy word to prize;
Taught by what I’ve felt before, Let me Satan’s glass abhor.

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 7 [2/4], GENESIS 3:2–5

4 MARCH

Sinning with our eyes open

‘And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’ Genesis 3:2–3
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Proverbs 2:1–22

If the enemy of our souls can seduce us so far as to parley with him, we seldom come off unhurt. Something there was, in his appearance and in the manner of his speaking, that drew the attention of Eve. She might have been upon her guard, for had he meant well, he would rather have commended the goodness of God to her than have started a doubt concerning his command.
Her answer includes an acknowledgment of the bounty and blessings she enjoyed. This heightens the ingratitude and folly of her compliance afterwards and left her without excuse. How unreasonable, as well as rebellious, to disobey a good God who had given all things richly to enjoy. The devil tempts poor sinners to think God a hard master, but if you will be his servants you will find nothing is forbidden you but what hurts you and what it would be your interest to avoid, even if you were not to give an account of yourself to God.
She owns the prohibition, and therefore sinned with her eyes open. Why was not Satan discouraged when he found she had the precept in mind? Probably he saw, or judged, she was beginning to yield—that though she remembered the precept she wished it was otherwise.
FOR MEDITATION:
Sin, when viewed by Scripture light,
When the gospel trumpet sounds,
Is a horrid, hateful sight;
When I think how grace abounds,
But when seen in Satan’s glass,
When I feel sweet peace within,
Then it wears a pleasing face.
Then I’d rather die than sin.

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 7 [1/4], GENESIS 3:2–5

3 MARCH

Don’t doubt the sure word of God

‘Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ Genesis 3:1
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 119:9–24

Satan’s arguments. We shall find a train of Satan’s subtleties in his discourse with the woman, and in her answers we shall see how he prevails by degrees, when he can get us to listen to his reasonings. He does not show all his design, but begins with starting a doubt.… ‘Is it possible?—I can hardly believe it’ … and this he expresses ambiguously—of every tree?—as if he asked for information. Such questioning, where the command of God was concerned, the woman ought not to have indulged. Here seems to have been the beginning of sin and we are often endangered the same way. Satan’s doubt respected:
(i) the reality of the command. And so still he prevails, persuading many that the precepts and threatenings in the Bible are not the sure word of God. Yea, he would sometimes force such doubts even upon believers.
(ii) the reasonableness of it. Why should God say so? Thus he teaches sinners to reason: ‘If God has threatened, he will not make his threatenings good; sure he will not punish me with everlasting misery for taking my pleasures here a few years.’
So there are many points of doctrine as plainly expressed as words can express them, yet Satan teaches men to reason about them till they deny and disbelieve them totally. Even some of God’s dear children are kept in suspense to their hurt.

FOR MEDITATION: But I must stop for the present, adding a word concerning Jesus, who was revealed to destroy the works of the devil. In him there is pardon for all transgressions and wisdom to enable us to withstand Satan. Without him sinners must perish—but those who believe in him shall be made more than conquerors and placed out of Satan’s reach for ever. Seek his face therefore and your souls shall live.

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 6 [3/3], GENESIS 3:1

2 MARCH

Our greatest snares

‘Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ Genesis 3:1
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Job 2:1–10

Satan tempted Eve by a serpent, Adam by Eve herself. She was bone of his bone, his dearest friend, his other self. By sin she was brought under Satan’s power and became his instrument, so that then he had access to Adam in the least suspected and the most ensnaring way. If he did not prevail thus, he could have little hope of success in any other method. And alas, he took his measures surely. Adam hearkened to the voice of his wife. By the subtlety of Satan, our best earthly comforts and the choicest gifts of God may become our greatest snares. If it was so in Paradise, how much more are we exposed to this danger now. Do you rejoice in the possession of many blessings and comforts? Rejoice with trembling. The enemy is watching to make that which is good an occasion of your falling. There is not one of them but may draw you into sin. We know not how often our nearest friends may (perhaps unawares to themselves) be influenced by the enemy to tempt us to sin. He will not so frequently solicit us by those we hate, as by those we love. And when they mean us well, they may be acting the part, to our hurt, which a professed enemy could not attempt. Thus Satan employed Peter to discourage our Lord from his purpose of love to us; but he saw that though the words were Peter’s, the suggestion was from Satan and treated it accordingly (Matthew 16:23).

FOR MEDITATION: This consolation he himself gives, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world [John 16:33]. Jesus likewise overcame in himself and overcame in his people all that is in the world suited to poison and alienate their hearts, so that by faith in him they are enabled to withstand not only its frowns but its smiles, which are perhaps the more dangerous weapons with which the world can assault them.
Sermon: Revelation 19:13, 7 September 1777

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 6 [2/3], GENESIS 3:1

1 MARCH

Satan’s wily methods

‘Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ Genesis 3:1
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 2 Samuel 11:1–26

The serpent said to the woman, who was created to be a helpmeet for the man. Adam was the immediate head of the creation and God gave him the woman to be his companion. We may believe they were each furnished suitably for the different parts assigned them in life—equal with respect to their great end, the knowledge and love of God, but the woman in some respects subordinate to the man even in Paradise. It seems probable that Satan expected more easily to prevail over her, that he was afraid of being discovered and repulsed if he applied directly to man, but if he could deceive the woman first, he hoped by her means to draw the man into transgression likewise, as the event proved (see 1 Corinthians 11:3, 9; 1 Timothy 2:13–14). In this first temptation we may see something of his general methods to this day.
It seems that Satan was well acquainted with Adam’s ability, therefore he proceeded cautiously; he knew his situation and suited himself accordingly. The Scripture, as I have observed, intimates that even in the state where both were perfect, the woman was in a sense the weaker vessel, therefore he began with her, watching an opportunity, as it should seem, when Adam was absent. And thus he besets and watches us all, especially awakened souls. He will not ordinarily come upon you in your strength, at a season when you are best prepared and most upon your guard, but will wait his advantage. He did not tempt Peter to deny his master when upon the Mount, but when he found him in the high priest’s hall. He will not tempt you by directly thwarting your knowledge and judgement, but will tempt you when you are weaker, by your imaginations, passions or prejudices.

FOR MEDITATION: ‘Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8, NIV).

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 6 [1/3], GENESIS 3:1