W. How are we to look at God, papa?

P. Look at His words written in this book; look at His mercies all around you. If Eve had looked back at His word, and looked once more at His mercies, she would have seen GOD again. His light would then have been upon her. She would have thought of what she had, and not have coveted what she had not-then, she would not have taken the fruit.

Fourth Sunday.

THE FALL.

"And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

"Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

"And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Unto Adam also, and to his wife, did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them."-GEN. iii. 14-21.

PICTURE to yourselves, dear children, some shady place in the garden of Eden. A thick forest, where the branches and leaves grow close together. Look in between the boughs and the twigs which cross each other;-far in, into the dark part, where only little flickering lights just dance about on the ground; and there you may see two sorrowful beings, clothed with the leaves of the trees.

Are those Adam and Eve? Ah, how different! how differently they look at each other, and what strange expressions there are in their faces! Adam, who used to lift up his hands to heaven, and sing to his Maker his beautiful morning song;-Adam, his face is darkened with sorrow and fear, and his body trembles: while Eve hides her face against his breast, and cannot look at the light.

Presently, they hear a sound coming through the woods. It is a voice. They soon know it; it is the voice of the Lord God, who is walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and saying, "Adam, where art thou?"

They hear it again, and turn to meet God; but now, with what slow unsteady steps they drag their unwilling feet to meet Him! At last

they come in His great presence, and Adam, who dares not to look up, says, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."

Then, when the Lord God looked upon him, and said to him, "Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee not to eat?" How "ill natured" was the answer of Adam! Instead of saying that it was his own fault, he began, like a sinful man, to make excuses. "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Then did Eve, too, make excuse," The serpent beguiled me and I did eat."

W. But, papa, did not God know, without asking Adam, that he had sinned? I should think that God saw them both from heaven.

P. Yes; and I dare say that all the angels knew, too. Did you never think of the sorrow and pity that they must have felt! The angels who had sung with joy when they heard him praise God; they heard now that he and the beautiful Eve must die! I have read how God called all the hosts of heaven together, the multitudes of angels, the archangels, and His only son. God told them, that as Adam had sinned, and tried to become a god, he had lost all, and must give up his life. That he must be punished, and that he had nothing else to give but his life.

W. But why must he be punished, papa? Could not God pardon him?

P. No, Willie, I think we may say God could not. It would not have been just, and God could not be unjust. The penalty must be paid; but, oh! how loving was God, for he thought of a gracious plan to save them!

Ion. What was that, papa?

P. He told them in heaven that some one else might pay the penalty, if any one could be found who loved them enough to do so. And, perhaps, God asked, "Who will go down in the world and be mortal!" What spirit would like to become a man and die?

L. A spirit must have had very much love for Adam, to do that! P. I do not think that even the best angel could have had so much love! For, hear what is said to have happened.

"He ask'd, but all the heavenly choir stood mute,
And silence was in heaven: on man's behalf

Patron or intercessor none appeared."

Not one of the angels dared to draw the punishment on his own head; -none could pay such a heavy ransom. So, this man would have been lost for ever, but that there was one who had more love than the angels; even God's own Son, who had "the fulness of love divine." He came to his Father, He offered to be a man like Adam; then He would die, and suffer Adam's punishment for him.

Oh! what wonderful love was that! It was very great love. I'm sure that the angels thought so;-what joy was there then amongst them, to think that Adam could be saved!

W. But what good news that was for Adam! Did God tell it to him and to Eve?

P. You may read the text at the beginning of the lesson, where you will find the punishment which God gave them. There you may also read his gracious promise, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. By this he meant that his Son should come down, and be born of a woman like Eve; and then, by dying instead of them, should break the power of sin.

After telling Eve of sorrows that were to come upon her, and Adam of sorrows for him-that the ground should be cursed, and bring up thorns and thistles-that he should get his food by the sweat of his face, and that their bodies should return to dust-after telling them these things, we find that God, with still some love and pity for them, made them coats of skins, and clothed them. "God then sent forth Adam from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken;" and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming sword, which turned every way.

Once more, dear children, picture to yourselves the fallen Adam and Eve! I see them in my mind now, as they walk down from the eastern gate with slow, sad, and silent step-perhaps an angel of God with them, leading them forth into the wide world. "The wide world

was all before them, where to choose their place of rest."

What did they do, papa?

P. The Bible does not say. Perhaps when the angel left them they lingered and looked back a little, and then looked on before. Ah! the hills, the sky, the grassy plain; the rivers, the rills, and the fountains; the forests, the cattle, the fowls of the air, were all there, but they seemed to sing no praise to God. Ah! they gave little joy to Adam! He had no share in them now-he was not one with God, he could not feel that they were his!

Perhaps Adam and Eve would build themselves a hut of the boughs of the trees; then, as they sat down in it for the first time, Adam might say this to Eve :

"Eve! let thy sad face yet smile again, for God has given us hope. We may yet be saved, and gain eternal life!

"Eve! think and be glad. Let us remember Our Father is still the same. Let us live, that we may be sorry, and repent. Let us live, that we may be humble and grateful. Let us live, for we are still

God's trees, but bringing forth bad, as well as good fruit.”

"Listen, Eve! here are pleasures for us still! Here are the pleasures of labour! Whilst we make this plot of ground our garden, we will watch for the thorns and thistles. We will labour until it brings forth only good fruit; then how pleased shall we be! So, too, will we watch our hearts. We will labour to keep down these new growing evils, and to bring forth only good thoughts. Then, when Our Father' looks upon us, perhaps He will be pleased. We know, too, that He will help us by His Spirit; for when He was still angry, He made us these coats, and he has even given up his only Son to save us from death.

"Eve, listen once more! Let us be glad;-let us pray again to our Maker, and live to show that we are sorry and thankful!"

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LONDON: HOULSTON AND STONEMAN.

MENZIES.

DEBLIN: J. ROBERTSON. AND ÿï ALL BOOKSELLERS.