CHAPTER XV.

Mosaic History of Creation, both Literal and Figurative— Why it was not Full in the Figurative Sense-Several of the Symbolical Features Noticed—Union of Soul and Body of Adam―The Garden of Eden-Trees of Life and Death-The River Which Watered the Garden-The Employment of Adam-But One Rule Prescribed for His Observance―Creation of Eve-Her Soul The Temptation and Fall The Shame and Fear Thereby Produced - The Excuses Offered - The Curse on Satan-On Eve-On Adam-The Coats of Skins-Who Were Present-Expulsion from Eden-The Cherubims and Flaming Sword Other Scriptures Prove the Account of the Creation Figurative-A Passing Remark.

OUR ninth proposition is: "That the account given in the Bible of the temptation and fall of man in Eden, although literally true, is also a clear symbolical and allegorical representation of his real temptation by, and fall with Satan in heaven." It was not the covenant plan for the probation of man, as has already been argued, that he should be put in possession of a full knowledge of his nature, and of the responsibilities which rested upon him. in this life. To have so informed him, would have defeated the very object of the creation of this world, and of giving us a fair opportunity to repent our rebellious conduct in heaven, and return to the service of God and His Christ. To the accomplishment of that divine and merciful purpose, it was necessary, however, that we should know something of ourselves, and of the importance of a strict observance of the laws of our Creator.

That amount of light has been given to every generation which has lived on this earth up to the present time, and we have every reason to believe the same liberality will be

extended to all who are to come after us. And, perhaps, in none of God's dealing with man, has His infinite wisdom and loving kindness been so beautifully displayed and universally manifested as in the various ways in which that heavenly light has been reflected upon the pathway of all, whether Jew or heathen, Christian or pagan, of every age and country, and of whatever condition, from the creation of Adam to the present time. It is impossible to conceive of any other way in which so many hidden things of God could have been at once placed within the compass of man's limited capacity, and yet done in such a way that they could only be comprehended one by one, as his necessities should require and heaven's providences permit; and at the same time furnishing a fruitful and profitable field for reflection and explanation, by the cultivated and pious mind of all ages of the world, than that by which it was done in the symbolical and allegorical account of the creation as it is recorded in Genesis.

Of the interesting circumstances narrated in that brief history, which present to the thinking mind subjects of anxious inquiry as to what each is intended to represent and teach, are the following:

1. The formation of the body of Adam, of that which was seen, and "breathing" into that body "the breath of life," a thing unseen, yet no less real, and of far more value than was the visible man. 2. The planting of the "garden eastward in Eden," so beautiful and lovely. 3. The placing of two trees, unlike all others, in the midst of it-the tree of life, and the tree of death. 4. The river with four heads which flowed "out of" the garden to water it. 5. The putting of man in the garden "to dress and keep it.” 6. The command given directly by God to man in person : "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." 7. The causing Adam to fall into a deep sleep, and taking from his side a rib, and "closing up the flesh instead thereof;" and the making that rib a woman. 8. The manner in which the serpent deceived the woman, and

Adam was led into sin by and with her. 9. The shame and the fear of God caused by their sin. 10. The very poor excuses rendered by each for their voluntary violation of the only law prescribed by their Maker. 11. The several curses pronounced upon each. 12. The putting enmity between the serpent and the seed of the woman, and the foretold result of it. 13. The making "coats of skins," and clothing them therewith. 14. The driving the man out of Eden; and, 15. The placing "at the east end of the garden," cherubims and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life." These are all so many life-like pictures, and vivid representations of man's true condition in this life, of his original purity, present depravity, and of God's sympathy with him even in his present fallen condition, as well as of His wrath against the wicked. All this, and more, is represented by the divine Artist, with an unerring and skillful hand, within a space so small, and yet it contains a perfect epitome of the whole history of our temptation and fall in heaven, our expulsion thence, the preparation for, and our probationary state here, and a promise to the obedient of redemption by blood and eternal life. Well may that work have been pronounced "very good."

In a treatise like this, nothing more can be attempted than a brief reference to and application of the most striking outline features of this divinely traced picture. If I had the descriptive powers of a Shakspeare, Milton, or anything approximate to those of either, but which I have not, and the requisite leisure which I could devote to the task, there is, perhaps, no labor of like magnitude in which I would take more pleasure, than in making a full explication and explanation of such parts of that mysterious narrative as I think I understand. I can not, however, attempt anything of that nature here. The very thought of such huge undertaking reminds me of Virgil's hyperbolical description of the wooden horse which the Greeks led into Troy, and of St. John's vivid conception of the enormous mass of books it would have required to

contain and illustrate all our Savior taught during his brief ministry on earth.

1. The body of Adam was "formed of the dust of the ground." By this we are informed that even his body was not what it once was, and that as the body of man, that is, the material of which it was made, was elevated in the scale of being by having been so changed, right here the idea of an upward tendency is presented. Into the body which had been so formed, God "breathed the breath of life." Here we find an inanimate body animated by a living spirit. The body was a thing physical, substantial, but of recent formation; the soul was spiritual, invisible to the natural eye of man, and yet had the quality of infusing life into the earthly body which it entered; and was something which was in existence when the body was made. Man, then, was a compound of two separate and distinct natures; one new and physical, subject to be changed into different forms or conditions of being; the other metaphysical, spiritual, eternal. And from the condition of the body before the soul entered it, and the wonderful change which was caused in it the moment the spirit entered and took possession of his edifice, we learn that the soul is the vital, the living, thinking, acting, and, therefore, responsible part of man, as constituted by the union of the two.

وو

It should be remembered that Adam was not "formed' in the garden, but outside of it, and before the preparation of the little paradise intended for him. The soul had entered the body, and the man was fully constituted in a place much less desirable than was his future home. The garden was also planted "eastward in Eden." The sun, the fountain of light, rises in the east; it is there the first dawn of light appears, which is soon to drive the darkness of night away. The word Eden denotes pleasure, delight. From this we should learn that God has something better in store for us than the poor pleasures of this sinful life. That He has a home prepared for us "eastward," where is the fountain of light and perfection of life--an Eden of spiritual pleasure-soul delight.

3. But we are, in the next place, warned of dangers which lie before us. In that beautiful and lovely garden, into which God was soon to remove Adam, there were two trees growing, not only unlike all the surrounding shrubs, vines, and trees, but the fruits of which were as far different in their effects as is a life in heaven from a death in hell. So is the pilgrim's life in this dark and mysterious world a succession of hopes and fears. One moment our hopes are so highly excited that we imagine we can almost see our seats ready prepared and waiting in heaven; and the next, an ominous doubt strikes the mind, our fears are alarmed; the spiritual light, which but now shone so brightly above and around us, is gone as the lightning's flash. The whole soul is overwhelmed in darkness and crushed with fears. Nothing less than the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit: "Fear not! I will not forsake thee," could, under such trying circumstances, save us from hopeless despair.

4. A river is often used by the sacred writers as a symbol of eternal life; as in Rev. 22: 1-"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." By the river that "went out of Eden to water the garden," is represented that eternal life which was provided for those who were to inhabit that beautiful and lovely place which was provided by his Maker for Adam, and who was its first and for a time sole occupant.

5. "And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it "-2:15. The business of Adam was to keep and dress the garden; although it is not at all likely that there was any necessity for the labor of man to support himself in that garden (for the earth produced spontaneously an abundant supply of food for both man and beast), yet man was not intended for, or adapted to a wholly inactive life; but moderate exercise was a requisite to the enjoyment of his life then as now. And we can conceive of no physical employment that would be more agreeable to a man in his state, before the fall, than that of pruning his young trees and shrubs, training his tender vines, and trimming and dressing his flower plants in the