MAN IN EDEN.-THE GREAT EVENTS IN THE EARLY CHAPTERS OF GENESIS.

No. 2.*

Ir the first chapter of Genesis has given an account of Creation which has puzzled geologists who have known none but a literal interpretation, assuredly the second chapter has not been less so to geographers who have been unacquainted with its spirit and life. They have sought for the site of Eden, but in vain. The Hindoos declare it was in the island of Ceylon; the Mahomedans assert it was in one of the seven heavens, but dispute which; some learned men among them contending for the third, while others give preference to the fourth. "Some," says Dr. Clarke, "place it within the orbit of the moon,―others in the moon itself,—some in the middle regions of the air, or beyond the earth's attraction,-some on the earth, others under the earth, and others within the earth." Most careful examinations have been made in the neighbourhood of the Euphrates to find one spring, which afterwards became four streams, or, as some have contended, four heads or sources, but in vain. Neither ancient nor modern geography discovers a situation that answers to the description, and as a last resort it has been supposed, not unnaturally, that the Deluge must have so altered the face of the country as to have changed its geographical features; and hence, that the description no longer applies.

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Here originate other difficulties. If the description of the country will not apply, why give it; especially as the Word, in this portion, was revealed to Moses long after the supposed natural Deluge? If the Deluge altered the beds, and even the sources of the rivers, it would sweep away every vestige of the garden; and yet, almost two thousand years afterwards, it is said the king of Tyre had been in it. Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire." (Ezek. xxviii. 13, 14.) From these divine expressions, it is clear that though outward travellers could not find it, the king of Tyre had been in Eden; and,

* See this Periodical for January, 1844.

consequently, the inference forces itself upon us that Eden is the type of a pure, wise, and happy state of mind. The language of the prophet, in another notice of Eden, is equally striking. He is speaking of the king of Assyria as a cedar in Lebanon; and declares,-"I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches; so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him." And again: :-"I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth." (Ezek. xxxi. 9, 16.)

Here we have the trees of Eden described as envying, and afterwards as being comforted, plainly teaching that they refer to principles in the mind, for the mind alone is susceptible of envy or of comfort. Indeed the names of the two trees, the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, palpably indicate the same fact. The tree of life! or, more correctly, the tree of lives! How insane and improper a designation if applied to a plant of earth! What other fountain of life is there than one, the Lord, the fountain of living waters? Besides, this same tree is now in heaven, and forms the centre of angelic

joy. The Lord, in the Revelations, announces,- "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." (Rev. ii. 7.) But who can suppose that an earthly tree is in the centre of a spiritual place, or that natural fruits are the objects of angelic hopes? Who is in the midst of paradise but the God of paradise, as to his spirit of love and wisdom? These impart joy to all in heaven. These diffuse life and light to every angel's mind, and these, therefore, are promised to all who overcome. "The tree of life," it is written, "will be the central power in the New Jerusalem. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life; which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." (Rev. xxii. 2.) Here, it is clear, no natural tree can be understood. The only proper centre, either for the Church in heaven or the Church on earth, is formed by the love and wisdom of the Most High. The only leaves that can heal the nations, are the leaves of heavenly truth; the only fruits that are worthy of immortal promise, are the fruits of righteousness. Most evident, then, it is, that the tree of lives in the midst of Eden, means the love and wisdom of the Lord in the inmost principles of the soul, which diffused blessedness throughout the minds of the happy, unfallen, inhabitants of the golden age of man.

The tree of knowledge also indicates a mental faculty. Knowledge is not found upon an earthly tree. It is not elaborated from an apple or a fig. It is the result only of the desire to know, in the human mind. This principle, acting by means of the senses, acquires information concerning the appearances of things, and stores it abundantly in the memory. This outward knowledge is of great value as a handmaid and guide to our operations in the world; the tree of knowledge must be in the garden, as well as the tree of lives, but only as a subordinate, not as chief. The knowledge of the appearances of things must not be confirmed as real truth; it must not be eaten, but only regarded as it really is, the lowest kind of information, useful in its degree, but if put instead of higher wisdom, deplorably injurious. The knowledge of time, which is obtained from noticing the motions of the sun, is indispensable; without it, we could not conduct our operations in the world; yet it is entirely founded upon appearances; in reality, the sun does not move at all. The knowledge of our fellow-creatures, which we derive from observation, is also indispensable to us; by that alone can we arrange the mode in which we should labour for their good. Yet, it is entirely a knowledge of appearances. We know the man only as manifested in the body; the real man we do not see, and he may be very different from the outward covering which we do see. All things in nature are covered; the whole natural world is a covering for the whole spiritual world. All our observations by the senses give us only a knowledge of the good and evil of this covering in all its varieties. The real truth, which is underneath or within, we can learn from the perception of the love and wisdom of the Lord, as unveiled in Revelation, and from that alone. The former knowledge is our guide among the appearances of things; the latter, among truths themselves. These are the two trees. From the "tree of lives" all that causes man to live the life of heaven, the life of goodness and wisdom, is obtained; from the "tree of knowledge" all the means of bringing his inner virtues into practice exist. The former is rightfully in the centre of the garden, the latter in the circumference, and both are useful. The garden is a clear and Scriptural image of an exalted and cultivated state of mind; hence we find it written," And thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not." (Isa. lviii. 11.) And again,"Their soul shall be like a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow any more at all." (Jer. xxxi. 12.)

The kingdom of God is said to be like a grain of mustard, which a a man took and hid in his garden. (Luke xiii. 18, 19.) When, therefore, it is declared that the Lord God planted a garden, it is to acquaint

us with the truth that, into the minds of the inhabitants of the world in the golden age, the Lord planted the trees of righteousness, (Isa. lxvi. 3.) the perceptions of heavenly intelligence,-"the trees of the Lord, which are full of sap," and consequently order and happiness reigned. It is said to be "eastward in Eden," because the east or quarter in which the sun rises, denotes a state of love in which the Lord, the Sun of righteousness, rises in the soul. It is said in Eden, because that is the Hebrew term for delight; and delight, supreme delight, would indeed be the result of having the soul prepared by the Lord, filled with intelligence in all its beauteous variety, and all in subordination to Omnipotent Love. The "tree of lives," the Lord's love and wisdom in the centre of their souls, and the “tree of knowledge," a copious store of information in the circumference. "Wisdom and knowledge would be the stability of their times, and the strength of their salvation." (Isa. xxxiii. 6.)

Lastly, the Word declares that "there was a river to water the garden, which went out of Eden, and from thence it was parted and became into four heads," called Pison (the extension of the mouth), Gihon (the valley of Grace), Hiddekel (acute), and Euphrates (that which increases). We have before noticed that no such natural river can be found. And this itself would direct our view upwards to heavenly things, for in reference to the supply of truth from the Lord, it is declared, "There is a river the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High." (Psal. xlvi. 4.) The prophet, in vision, beheld the prophetic outpouring of Gospel truth represented by a river that healed everything wherever its waters went, and at length became so wide that no man could pass over. (Ezek. xlvii.) John the Revelator beheld in the spirit a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. (Rev. xxi. i.) All these are beautiful descriptions of the outpouring of Divine truth, which corresponds to water, to quench the spiritual thirst of immortal souls. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall he filled." Water is the appropriate symbol of truth, and a river of truth progressing, living, passing on, not stagnant. How beautiful is the type. A crystal, living stream. How cooling, how refreshing, how glassy is such a stream! How faithfully does it mirror the sky on its pearly bosom! How gloriously does it refresh and fertilize the land through which it passes! Such is truth. Clear, lucid, limpid; happy is the soul that drinks it. It images heaven to the mind. It makes us rich in spiritual fruitfulness, in holy works. Well may its reception in hearers be figured by the Lamb leading the blessed to fountains of living water. The unfolding of truth, then, is meant by the

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river which watered the garden. It is represented at first as one, because truth flows as one from the Lord. It has Him for its one source. It is one grand lesson of love. It is said to have risen in Eden, because it entered into the inmost delight of the mind, and thence flowed down into the lower principles. "It parted into four heads," because truth in the regenerated mind resolves itself into wisdom, faith, rationality, and science. Wisdom, which is truth in reference to the highest principles of love and their use; faith, which is truth expressive of the principles of belief; rationality, which is sound judgment upon all matters of reasoning; and science, which is correct information upon the laws of outward nature all these were plenteously supplied by Almighty Wisdom in the golden age. Happy period, when will it arrive again! It was obtained, and it was to be maintained by man's coöperation. He was to dress and to keep it." It has been lost! Oh, how fearfully lost! And instead of its bloom, its beauty, and its blessings, we are born and live in a wilderness of error and evil, of follies and crimes. Let us with faith and patience seek to rise to Eden once more. Let us plant the good seed of the Word in our hearts. Let us watch over it, and cultivate it diligently. Let us trust that the Father of mercies will bless our hopes and labours, for he has said," He will make your wilderness like Eden, and your desert like the garden of God: joy and gladness shall be found therein; thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." (Isa. li. 3.) J. B.

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THE SAVING EFFICACY OF TRUTH.

TRUTH is at once refreshing and purifying to the mind, and it is only by obtaining it that spiritual langour and defilement can be avoided. It is ordained by the Lord that man can elevate his understanding and thoughts into the light of heaven, whilst his will and affections remain immersed in depravity and corruption.

The affections of the unregenerate man are depraved, and would lead him chiefly to desire those things which gratify the sensual part of his nature. In order that he may counteract these inclinations, he is endowed with an understanding receptive of truth, and thence a judgment which approves or condemns every act of his life, and every thought and feeling of his soul. It is his duty to bring his passions into subjection to his intellect, and to discard every thought, and desist from every action, which his judgment disapproves. By acting thus his life becomes more and more in accordance with the dictates of sound reason, which is the voice of God guiding him from within.