It was further the will of God that the eternal happiness of Adam and Eve and their posterity should depend upon themselves, and upon their obedience to what their Maker taught them. Though they were perfectly innocent when first created, it was yet in their power to sin, if they chose it. As they were able to distinguish right from wrong, so they were able to prefer the wrong to the right. They were not compelled to do the will of God, though nothing could compel them to disobey it against their own wills. God also Himself supported them in this their first innocence, by His own presence in their souls. He as it were surrounded them with His own almighty Godhead, so that every thing they could need in order to preserve their sinlessness might be granted them in an overflowing abundance. He also at times conversed with them, manifesting Himself to them in some wonderful manner, and communicating to them His will, almost as men now talk with one another. The means by which He tried their obedience was a certain tree which grew in the Paradise in which they dwelt, and which was termed the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Of the fruit of this tree God forbade them to eat. The fruit was pleasant to the eyes, and seemed delightful to the taste; but upon their controlling their desires, and abstaining from eating it, depended all their future bliss. It was called the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because although Adam from the first could understand the difference between good and evil, he had no knowledge of evil by his own experience of it. Every thing that God had bestowed on him was good, and his natural thoughts and actions were all good also. His only knowledge of evil was this, that he knew that to disobey God in the slightest degree was evil, and that if he tasted the fruit of this tree, he would disobey God. Thus Adam knew all that it was desirable for him to know; for the knowledge of evil in any other way than he then knew it, is itself an evil. Disobedience to the command thus laid upon Adam was to be followed with instant death; that is, with spiritual or moral death, with such an instantaneous change in his nature, that the death of the body would afterwards follow as certainly as if it came the very moment that the forbidden fruit had touched his lips. And, on the other hand, it was promised to him that, if he continued faithful and steadfast for a certain time, his present condition of trial should be ended, and he should be taken to a far more glorious and perfect state of being, in which he should see his Maker face to face, and in the contemplation and love of His infinite perfections should be blessed for ever and ever. This was the twofold nature of the reward which awaited our first parents; while, in their first state, though they were innocent, yet it was possible that they should sin, and thus fall into misery; and also, though they knew God, and He conversed with them, and they were joyful and happy, yet they did not behold God, or were filled with that boundless joy and delight of which the soul is capable when admitted into His immediate presence. Thus began the life of the first man and the first woman whom God created. The animals which surrounded Adam were obedient to him and gentle to one another. They were also made to pass before him by their Maker, and all of them received names from him. The earth gave forth her produce without grudging, and labour was a sweet employment, and not a painful toil. There was neither sin nor sorrow upon the earth. Happy in one another's love and companionship, and in the favour and presence of God, it seemed impossible that a change could ever come over any thing so lovely and perfect, or that the works of God, which He had Himself pronounced to be very good, should soon be smitten with an overwhelming curse. CHAP. IV. The Fall. How long our first father and mother continued in their state of innocence and obedience is not known. It is thought, however, that not many days passed before the temptation assaulted them before which they fell. A tempter came in the form of a serpent. He enticed them to eat the fruit which God had forbidden them to touch, the heavy wrath of God fell upon them, and their state of joy was ended for ever. The serpent was, indeed, but the figure which was assumed by a spirit already fallen from holiness to sin. For man was not the only being that God had created after His own likeness. Before the world itself was made, but, as it is believed, not long before, multitudes and multitudes of spirits were called into existence by the almighty power of God, not clothed in fleshly bodies like Adam, or inhabiting this earth, but yet, like Adam, capable of sinning, though sinless when first created. Of these blessed spirits-angels, as generally called — some fell from their first state, and others remained obedient. Through pride in their own powers, Satan, with an innumerable band of his companions, rebelled against the majesty of God, and were driven from the presence of God by the angels who stood faithful to their allegiance. They were banished for ever from heaven, and from angels became devils, their whole hearts being filled with hatred and malice against God and against every thing that is pure and lovely in His sight. Thus abhorring God's will, and envying those who still enjoyed His favour, Satan could not endure the sight of the holiness and happiness of man. And as God in His wisdom permitted him to try the constancy of Adam and Eve, by putting evil thoughts before their minds, he took the shape of the serpent, and entered into conversation with the woman. Afraid, nevertheless, to put the idea of disobedience boldly at once before her, he commenced with an artful question, and asked her how it was that they might not eat of all the fruits which grew in the garden. She, not perceiving the drift of his question, replied that the forbidden tree bore a deadly fruit, and that God in His goodness had commanded them not even to touch it, lest they died. دو To this the tempter answered, that God was deceiving them in foretelling such a consequence of their tasting the fruit; for that God knew that, so far from causing death, it would add wonderfully to their knowledge, and tell them of mysteries which at present were hidden from their minds. "You shall be as gods," he said, "knowing good and evil. You shall be raised at once to a higher state, like the state in which your Maker Himself is, and know what He has cruelly withheld from you. Upon this the woman began to hesitate. She asked herself whether it was possible that the serpent might be right, and that the punishment which God had threatened would not really come to pass if she ate the fruit. Then, instead of turning her thoughts to God, and asking Him, whose goodness and wisdom she already knew so well by experience, to guide her in her difficulty, she fixed her eyes upon the fruit of the tree, and considered whether or not she should venture to take it. The temptation then grew more powerful. She saw how beautiful the fruit was, how delicious it would be to the taste, and probably saying to herself that it was impossible that any thing that looked so fair and sweet could really have the dreadful consequences which God had foretold, she plucked it and tasted it. Having done this, she offered the fruit to her husband, who perhaps was standing by, and had heard the conversation between his wife and the tempter, without having the courage to interfere. The snare which had proved too deceitful for his wife, was too deceitful also for Adam. He took the fruit; ate it; and all was changed. That instant a horrible feeling came upon their souls. They could not bear the sight of their own bodies. Until now, conscious of an unspotted purity of heart, they had felt no shame in wearing no garments. But no sooner had the fruit passed their lips, than a piercing sense of shame seized upon them. They shrank into themselves, and could not endure their natural nakedness. This, however, was but a token and consequence of the frightful change that had taken place within their hearts. In a moment they became afraid of God. Before this, they had feared Him with the holy and loving fear of affectionate children towards their beloved Father; they had delighted to think of Him, to talk of Him, and to speak to Him; while they looked forward with joy to the hour when they would behold His glories face to face. Now all was changed. The thought of God became their torment. They could not endure to reflect that He was nigh and saw into their inmost thoughts. They did not wish to speak to Him. If it had been possible, they would have fled from Him for ever, and passed their existence in following their own disordered inclinations, without a recollection of His existence. That mysterious Divine presence in their souls which hitherto God had granted them, was no more. Their souls were left as naked as their bodies. Their minds were darkened, and the devil, to whom they had madly yielded, was undisputed master of their existence. But they could not thus escape from the judgments of God, though they had despised His words, and believed that He could utter a falsehood. They heard a voice from God, and fled and hid themselves among the garden trees, as if God was like themselves, and could be shut out by the very works of His own hands. But the Lord God called Adam, and said, Where art thou? And Adam said, I heard Thy voice, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. He sought to deceive God with a lie, and pretended that it was from a praiseworthy modesty that he was hiding himself, and not from dread of the just wrath of God. Having committed one sin, he made himself more guilty by keeping away from God, and devising excuses, instead of throwing himself upon the Divine mercy and asking for par don and renewal. And God said to Adam, Who hath told thee that thou wast naked, but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? Adam's excuse fell to the ground in an instant before the piercing truth of the words of God. But yet he would not humbly confess his sin, but tried to find another pretence for it by laying the blame upon |