finding her of his own likeness and complexion, he was struck with a secret sympathy, and exclaimed with rapture, This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. He easily foresaw, that the love and union which were now to take place between them, were to be lasting. The divine hand which conducted the woman to Adam, did it in the light of a matrimonial father; and having joined them together, he pronounced upon them a benediction, intimating, that they might live to see the earth replenished with a numerous progeny. 7. Thrice happy man, And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanced, And worship him, and in reward to rule 8. Thus, by the creative influence of the Eternal Spirit, were the heavens and the earth finished in the space of six days so admirably finished-an unformed chaos changed into a system of perfect order and beauty-that the adorable Architect himself pronounced it very good, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. 9. The Creator from his work The heav'ns and all the constellations rung, 10. According to the Bible, or Hebrew chronology, the creation of the world is placed in the year 4004 before the What is the chronology of the creation of the world? Christian era. The Chinese, Hindoos, and Egyptians, have made pretensions to a much earlier origin; but these pretensions are supported by no decisive historic documents, and must therefore be attributed to national vanity, which prompts every people to trace back their origin into the remotest antiquity, in order to give additional eclat to their nation. PARADISE. 1. To facilitate the intended happiness of our first parents, the Almighty Creator had provided for their residence. a most delightful spot, called Eden. It was watered by four rivers, and from its natural fertility and the richness and variety of its productions, it was fitly called a Garden. Among its vegetable productions, were two remarkable Trees, one called the Tree of Life, and the other the Tree of Knowledge. It is supposed, that the first of these trees communicated immortality to all who should eat of it; or that it furnished a sovereign remedy against all the evils incident to the life of man; and the latter was to enable persons to distinguish between Good and Evil. 2. Into this earthly Paradise did the Almighty conduct Adam and Eve, giving them orders to take care of the garden, and to superintend the plants. He granted them permission to eat of the fruit of every tree, except of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This he strictly charged them not even to touch, on the penalty of incurring his displeasure, and thereby entailing upon themselves and their descendants, mortality, disease, and death. With this small restraint, God left them in the garden of Eden, where every thing was pleasing to the sight, and accommodated to their mutual enjoyment. 3. Thus fixed in the most beautiful situation, possessed of innocence, devoid of guilt, and free from care, the happiness of our first parents seemed complete Have any nations pretended to an origin more remote than that given to the creation of the world by the chronology of the Bible? What was the name of the garden in which Adam and Eve were placed? What two remarkable trees are named as being in it ?-Under what prohibition were Adam and Eve placed in Eden? Perfection crown'd with wond'rous frame, But alas! their bliss was transient, their innocence fleeting, and short their exemption from toil and care. 4. The devil, viewing the felicity of the first human pair with those painful sensations which are natural to depravity of heart, determined to allure them from their innocence, and to stimulate them to the crime of disobedience. In consequence of this infernal design, he began by persuading Eve, through the agency of the serpent, to taste the prohibited tree of knowledge, telling her, that by so doing, both herself and her husband would become sensible of the difference between good and evil, would acquire much additional happiness, and even not be inferior, in point of wisdom, to God himself. 5. Unhappily the artifices of the serpent prevailed. Eve gazed on the tempting fruit till her appetite was inflamed; its beautiful hue made her fancy it a most delicious food; and, at length, she sacrificed her duty to gratify her curiosity. She stretched forth the presumptuous hand, took of the baneful fruit, and eat, to her own destruction. She pluck'd, she eat; Earth felt the wound, and nature, from her seat, 6. Pleased with the taste of the fruit, and fancying herself already in possession of that additional happiness the serpent had promised her, she flew to Adam, and enticed him to participate in her crime. He scrupled not to eat Against his better knowledge; not deceiv'd, Earth trembled from her entraïls, as again In pangs, and Nature gave a second groan; Sky lower'd, and mutt'ring thunder, some sad drops. Did they comply with this prohibition ?-What induced them to violate the law of God? 7. Remorse, the natural consequence of guilt, now opened their eyes to each other's nakedness. No longer shielded by innocence from shame, they were mutually shocked at the reciprocal indecency of their own appearance. Art was now substituted to conceal what their criminality rendered too obvious; aprons were made of fig-leaves; and they doubtless highly applauded themselves for acquiring, at the expense of their integrity, the faculty of invention, to remove difficulties which their former simplicity prevented their perceiving. 8. While they were in a state of innocence, they no sooner heard the voice of God approach them, than they ran with ecstasy to meet him, and with humble joy to welcome his gracious visits; but now their Maker was become a terror to them, and they a terror to each other. Their consciences painted their transgression in the blackest colors, all hope was banished, and nothing remained but horror and despair. 9. When, therefore, after their transgression, they heard the voice of the Lord in the garden, instead of running, with cheerfulness and joy, to meet him as before, they flew to its most retired parts, that they might conceal themselves from his sight. But the Almighty soon called them from their dark retreat; they were unable to escape the knowledge of his omniscient eye, though covered with foliage; they both appeared before him, and acknowledged their guilt. 10. The man, however, attempted to excuse himself by laying the blame to the woman, and pleaded her persuasions, as the cause of his criminality. The woman endeavored to remove the crime from herself to the serpent; but the Almighty thought proper to make all three the objects of his distributive justice. As the serpent had been the original cause of this evil, God first passes sentence on him, which was, that he should ever after creep on the ground, and thereby become incapable of eating any food, except what was mingled with dust. The woman was given to understand, that she had entailed upon herself sorrow and pain, and subjection to her husband. The punishment of Adam consisted in a life of perpetual toil and slavery, in order to What was the curse pronounced on the serpent for his agency in the apostacy of our first parents?-What was the curse pronounced on Eve?-On Adem ? keep in due subjection those passions and appetites, to gratify which he had transgressed the divine command. 11. The awful decree being thus solemnly pronounced, as well on the author of the offence, as on the offenders themselves, the Almighty, to enhance their sense of the crime, and the tokens of his displeasure,fexpelled the guilty pair from the blissful regions of Paradise, and placed, at the east end of the garden, a guard of angels, not only to prevent their return, but to secure the forbidden fruit, in future, from the unhallowed hands of polluted mankind. 12. Thus, by this original pollution, fell our first parents, who, from the happiest condition that can be conceived, plunged themselves into a state of wretchedness, and thereby entailed misery on their descendants. They eat the apple, it is true; The dire effects of Adam's fall. AN EVENING IN PARADISE. Now came still evening on, and twilight gray THE DELUGE. 1. THE wickedness of mankind had rapidly increased Were they permitted to remain in Paradise?-How were they prevented from returning into it? |