Q1. Why is the fruit called forbidden fruit?

A. Because the eating of it was forbidden, under the severest penalty, Gen. 2:17 - "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."

Q2. Why did God forbid the eating of this fruit?

A. To try the obedience of our first parents, and to manifest his dominion over them as Lord of all.

Q3. Were not our first parents guilty of sin before eating of the forbidden fruit?

A. Yes; they were guilty in hearkening to the devil, and believing him, before they actually eat it.

Q4. Why then is their eating of it called their first sin?

A. Because it was the first sin finished, James 1:15, and an express violation of the positive precept, Gen. 3:11.

Q5. Where was this first sin committed?

A. In Paradise, where God had placed the man, and created the woman, Gen. 2:8, 22, and 3:6.

Q6. Was there any aggravation of this sin, arising from the place where it was committed?

A. Yes; for, in Paradise, our first parents had abundance of other fruit, and of every thing necessary and delightful: and, that place being a type of heaven, should have even put them on their guard against this, and all other sins.

Q7. When did our first parents eat the forbidden fruit?

A. It is certain from Psalm 49:12, that it was done very soon after they were created: "Man being in honour, abideth not."

Q8. Why did the devil make such haste in tempting man to sin?

A. Because he did not know how soon man might be confirmed in a holy and happy state; and, in that case, become impregnable against all his temptations.

Q9. How did Satan lay his train for enticing our first parents to eat the forbidden fruit?

A. He attacked the woman, in the absence of her husband; endeavoured to make her doubt of the truth of God's threatening; presented the object, fruit pleasant to the eye; pretended a greater regard and concern for them, than God himself; and laboured to persuade them, that they should be like God, in the largeness of their knowledge, upon their eating: all which may be gathered from Gen. 3:1-6.

Q10. Did the enemy prevail by this stratagem?

A. Yes; "the woman took of the fruit, and did eat: and gave also to her husband with her, and he did eat," Gen. 3:6.

Q11. What was the nature of this first sin?

A. However light and trivial it may appear in the carnal eye, to eat of a little fruit; yet, if weighed in God's balance, it will be found to be a most heinous sin, and to incorporate many other sins, against the law of God, Hos. 6:7 - "They like Adam, (margin,) have transgressed the covenant."

Q12. How does that appear?

A. From our first parents being guilty of manifest unbelief, the highest ingratitude, the most intolerable pride and ambition, unaccountable inadvertency, most unnatural rebellion, and most cruel murder, in their eating the forbidden fruit.

Q13. How is unbelief included in that sin?

A. In their giving more credit to the devil, than to God, respecting the truth of the threatening, Gen. 2:17; 3:4.

Q14. How were they guilty of ingratitude?

A. In contradicting the orders of their bountiful Lord and Creator, who had allowed them the use of all the other trees of the garden besides, Gen. 2:16.

Q15. What pride and ambition was there in the first sin?

A. In aspiring to equality with God in his inimitable attributes, particularly in infinite knowledge, Gen. 3:5, 6 - "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And the woman saw that the tree was good, - and a tree to be desired to make one wise."

Q16. What inadvertency were our first parents guilty of in eating the forbidden fruit?

A. In entering into communication with a creature of any kind, and however much disguised, about violating the express inhibition of their Creator.

Q17. How were they guilty of rebellion in the commission of this sin?

A. By entering into a confederacy with Satan against God, and thus virtually choosing him for their god and sovereign, instead of the true God, who made them, and all other creatures besides.

Q18. What murder were they guilty of in eating of this fruit?

A. They were guilty of their own death, and the death of all their posterity, Rom. 5:12.

Q19. How was this Sin, of eating the forbidden fruit, aggravated?

A. In being committed when man had full light in his understanding; a clear copy of the law in his heart; when he had no vicious bias in his will, but enjoying perfect liberty; and when he had a sufficient stock of grace in his hand, to withstand the tempting enemy; in being committed after God had made a covenant of life with him, and given him express warning of the danger of eating this fruit.

Q20. What may we learn from our first parents being seduced by Satan to eat the forbidden fruit?

A. To resist the first motions of sin in the heart, and the temptations of Satan to it, Psalm 66:18; James 4:7; that since man, in innocence, fell before the temptation, how easy a prey must fallen man be, if not kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation! Psalm 39:5, 1 Pet. 1:5; and therefore to be strong only "in the Lord, and in the power of his might," Eph. 6:10.

Q1. Why was this tree called the tree of knowledge?

A. Not from any natural efficacy it had to give knowledge, but the knowledge he should have by eating, or not eating, was experimental knowledge, that is Knowledge to his sorrow.

Q2. Why did God forbid him this tree?

A. FIRST, For the discovery of his dominion over man. SECONDLY, For the trial of his subjection and obedience. THIRDLY, For the aggravation of his sin, if he should eat.

Q3. What evil was there in eating of it?

A. There was a twofold evil, the evil of sin, and the evil of punishment, both very great.

Q4. What was the evil of sin?

A. A threefold evil of sin. FIRST, Against God, called disobedience; Romans 5:19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners. SECONDLY, Against himself, soul, body, and estate. THIRDLY, Against his posterity; Romans 5:12. Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

Q5. What was the evil of punishment?

A. FIRST, Loss of God's image. SECONDLY, Horror of conscience. THIRDLY, Sorrow on the female gender. FOURTHLY, Curse on the creature. FIFTHLY, Expulsion from paradise. SIXTHLY, Death both of body and soul.

Q6. What is the first instruction from it?

A. To take heed of small beginnings of temptations, and to resist it in the first motions; James 3:5. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindles.

Q7. What is the second inference?

A. Not to hold a parley with the tempter; see 2 Corinthians 11:3. But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve, through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Q8. What is the third inference?

A. That Satan's policy lies much in the choice of his tempting instruments; as Eve and Peter, etc.

Q9. What is the fourth inference?

A. A necessity of keeping strong guards on our senses; Isaiah 33:15. That stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil, he shall dwell on high, his place of defense shall be the munition of rocks.

Q10. What is the fifth inference?

A. That covenant-breaking is a heinous sin, which God will punish; Hosea 8:1. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and transgressed against my laws.

Q11. What is the last inference?

A. That the corruption of our nature is much seen in desiring forbidden things; Romans 7:7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid; Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet. Of the Fall of Adam, and ours in him

Q1. Did our first parents eat the forbidden fruit?

A. Yes: Thou hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, Gen. 3:17.

Q2. Was their doing so disobedience?

A. Yes: For it was by one man's disobedience that many were made sinners, Rom. 5:19.

Q3. Did the woman eat forbidden fruit first?

A. Yes: The woman being deceived was in the transgression. 1 Tim 2:14.

Q4. Did the serpent tempt her to it?

A. Yes: The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, 2 Cor. 11:3.

Q5. Was that serpent the devil?

A. Yes: The old serpent is the devil and Satan? Rev. 20:2.

Q6. Did he aim to make man as miserable as himself?

A. Yes: He was a murderer from the beginning, John 8:44.

Q7. Did the tempter teach them to question the command?

A. Yes: He said to the woman, Hath God said ye shall not eat? Gen. 3:1.

Q8. Did he promise them safety in sin?

A. Yes: He said, Ye shall not surely die, Gen. 3:4.

Q9. Did he promise them advantage by the sin?

A. Yes: In the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall be opened, ver. 5.

Q10. Did he feed them with high thoughts of themselves?

A. Yes: Ye shall be as gods, ver. 5.

Q11. Did he suggest to them hard thoughts of God?

A. Yes: For he said, God doth know this, ver. 5.

Q12. Did Eve do well to parley with him?

A. No: For we should cease to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge, Prov. 19:27.

Q13. Did the devil prevail in the temptation?

A. Yes: For she took of the fruit, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her, and he did eat, Gen. 3:6.

Q14. Was there in this sin the lust of the flesh?

A. Yes: For she saw that the tree was good for food.

Q15. Was there in it the lust of the eye?

A. Yes: For she saw that it was pleasant to the eyes.

Q16. And the pride of life?

A. Yes: For she saw it was a tree to be desired to make one wise.

Q17. Was unbelief of the word of God at the bottom of it?

A. Yes: It is the evil heart of unbelief that departs from the living God, Heb. 3:12.

Q18. Was there in it an opposition to the divine law?

A. Yes: For sin took occasion by the commandment, Rom. 7:8.

Q19. Was disobedience in a small matter a great provocation?

A. Yes: For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is iniquity and idolatry, 1 Sam. 15:23.

Q20. If Adam fell thus, have we any reason to be secure?

A. No: Wherefore let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall, 1 Cor. 10:12.