Chapter XIV.
On the voice of the Lord walking in the evening, and the reproof of Adam, Where are you? Why is Adam rebuked first, when the woman tasted first: and on the woman's excuse, and the mysteries designated through her.
68. And they heard, he said, the voice of the Lord God walking in the paradise in the evening (Gen. III, 8). What is the walking of God who is always everywhere? But I think it is a certain walking of God through the series of divine Scriptures, in which a certain presence of God is present; when we hear that he sees all things, and the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous: when we read that Jesus knew their thoughts (Luke VI, 8): when we read: Why do you think evil things in your hearts (Matth. IX, 4)? Therefore, while we recount these things, we recognize God as though walking. Hence, the sinner had fled, not in order to escape the sight of God, but rather, he desired to remain hidden within his conscience and did not want his deeds to shine. For it is the privilege of the just to see face to face; because the mind of the just person is not only present with God but also engages in discussion with God, as it is written: 'Judge the orphan, and do justice to the widow; come and let us reason together, says the Lord' (Isaiah 1:17-18). So when a sinner reads these divine Scriptures, he hears the voice of God as if walking in the evening. What does it mean to walk in the evening, except that he late recognizes his guilt and a certain shame of past error follows, which should have prevented the error? For while guilt boils in the body and the soul is tormented by the passions of the body, the senses of the wandering mind do not think of God, that is, they do not hear God walking in the divine Scriptures, walking in the minds of individuals. For God says, 'I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God' (Leviticus 26:12). So when the fear of divine power returns to the perception of the soul, then we blush, then we desire to hide, then being placed in the thoughts of our sins, we are found in the midst of the tree of paradise where we sinned, desiring to hide, and thinking that God does not seek the hidden things. But the searcher of hearts and thoughts, penetrating even to the division of the soul, says, 'Adam, where are you?' (Genesis 3:9).
69. How does God speak? Does He have a physical voice? Not at all, but He pours forth oracles with a certain superior power than a physical voice could have. The prophets heard this voice; the faithful hear this voice, but the wicked do not understand. Finally, in the Gospel you have, because the evangelist heard Him saying: 'And I have glorified, and will glorify again' (John 12:28); but the Jews did not hear. For they said: 'It thundered' (Ibid., 29). So there, just as you have above, because God, who was perceived as walking, did not walk, so God, who did not speak, was heard speaking.
70. But let us consider what he is saying: Adam, where are you? The remedy of health is still in those who hear the word of God. Indeed, the Jews who closed their ears so as not to hear, even today do not deserve to hear. Furthermore, those who have hidden themselves have a remedy. For whoever hides, is ashamed; whoever is ashamed, converts; as it is written: Let them be confounded and converted quickly (Ps. 6:11). Furthermore, the fact that he calls is a sign of healing, because the Lord has mercy on whom He has mercy, and He calls. But when He said, 'Where are you?' He is not seeking the place which knew His secret, for God does not have closed eyes so as not to see what is hidden. Finally, for this reason, He said, 'Adam has become like one of us' (Gen. 3:22); because He opened his eyes. And indeed, He opened his eyes so that he could see his own guilt, which he could not avoid. For after we have sinned, somehow we recognize our own faults: and then we understand that it is a sin, which before we sinned, we did not consider to be a sin. Certainly, we did not think that sin itself should be condemned; for if we were to condemn it, we would not commit it. But God sees the faults of all and knows the offenses of all: he has eyes over every soul, over all hidden things. So, where are you, Adam? That is, not in what place, but in what state are you. Therefore, it is not an inquiry, but a rebuke. About what goods, he says, about what happiness, about what grace did you fall into such misery? You have abandoned eternal life, and you are buried in death, entangled in error. Where is that self-assured confidence of yours? This fear confesses guilt, this disguise prevarication. So where are you? This is not about where I seek you, but in what state. To what extent have your transgressions led you, that you flee from your God whom you previously sought? Perhaps it moves you why Adam is rebuked first, when the woman tasted before him? But the weaker sex began with prevarication, the stronger with modesty and excuse; so the woman became the cause of error, the man of shame.
And the woman said: The serpent deceived me, and I ate (Gen. III, 13; De Poenit. dist I, c. Serpens). Commendable is the fault that follows the confession of sins. Therefore, the woman, not despairing, did not keep silent before God, but rather confessed her sin, which was followed by a curable sentence. It is good to be condemned in sin and to be scourged in wrongdoing, so that we may be scourged by men. Finally, Cain, because he wanted to deny his crime, was judged unworthy and was to be punished in sin: but he was forgiven without a prescribed punishment, perhaps not for a greater crime of parricide (for he committed that against his brother) but for sacrilege, for he believed it necessary to lie to God, saying: I do not know: am I my brother's keeper? (Gen. IV, 9) ? And for this reason, the accusation of the devil against her was reserved; so that he, who refused to be whipped with men, would be whipped with his angels. Finally, concerning such beings, it is said: There is no death for them . . . and they will not be whipped with men (Ps. LXXII, 4 and 5). Therefore, there is another reason for the woman, who, although she had fallen into the fault of prevarication, still had the fruit of virtue from the trees of paradise; and for this reason, she confessed her sin, and it was accounted to her for forgiveness. For a just accuser is himself at the beginning of his speech. For no one can be justified from sin, unless they have confessed it before. Hence the Lord says: Declare your iniquities, that you may be justified.
Therefore, because Eve herself confessed the crime, a sentence followed that would be both profitable and just, condemning the error but not denying forgiveness, so that she would turn to her husband and serve him. First, so that she would not easily take pleasure in wandering astray, and then so that, placed in a stronger vessel, she would not belittle her husband but rather be guided by his counsel. Indeed, in this mystery I clearly recognize Christ and the Church. For the conversion of the Church to Christ is signified, and the religious servitude subjected to the Word of God, which is much better than the freedom of this world. Finally it is written: You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him alone (Deut. VI, 13). Therefore, this service to God is a gift. Furthermore, the observance of this servitude is counted among the blessings; for Isaac also gave it to his son Esau in the place of the blessing, so that he would serve his brother. Finally, he asked for a blessing; although he knew that one had been taken from him, he still asked for another saying: Have you only one blessing, Father? (Gen. XXVII, 38). Therefore, the one who had previously sold his first fruits through his throat and had lost the grace of the blessing due to his love for hunting, believed that he would become better himself if he revered the image of Christ in his brother. For the Christian people thrives in this servitude, just as the Lord says to his disciples: 'Whoever wants to be first among you, let him be the servant of all' (Matthew 20:27). In conclusion, charity operates this servitude, which is both greater in hope and faith. Where it is written: Serve one another through charity (Gal. V, 13). This is therefore the mystery that the Apostle says is in Christ and in the Church (Ephes. V, 32). For this truly was in transgression before, but it will be saved through the generation of children in faith, and charity, and sanctification, with chastity. Certainly, the generation of men was saved through children in transgression in the fathers, so that what had offended in the Jews, would be corrected in the Christian posterity.