an abundant variety of fish, and a numerous host of other aquatic animals, which inhabit the great deep; the birds of the air, starting into existence, hailed with mellifluous songs, their Maker's goodness; and the teeming earth brought forth abundantly her appropriate tribes.

Lastly, to complete his great design, and eclipse the glory of all his preceding works, God created man in his own image out of the dust of the ground, and infused into his nostrils the breath of immortality, in consequence of which, Moses asserts that "man became a living soul."

For in his looks divine,

The image of his glorious Maker did shine.

This favorite of the Deity was immediately invested with unlimited power and authority over every other created being; and all beasts of the field, and birds of the air, fishes in the sea, and every living thing that creepeth upon the earth, was

brought unto him to receive their respective names; and for every living creature there was found a mate; but for Adam there was not found a helpmate for him.* So the Lord, our Maker, in his everlasting mercy and goodness to mankind; knowing it not condusive to man's happiness to reside alone; formed a suitable companion for him, out of his own side, wherefore he gave her the appellation of woman, saying, "This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.*

Here, therefore, we have an excellent antidote against the blind superstitious and unscriptural fallacies of the Romish Church, who forbids her priests to marry; for marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers, God will judge + But truly it appears

* Gen. ii. 20.

+ Heb. xiii. 5.

they prefer the Pope's commands and laws sooner than God's; and seems to give assent to the words uttered by one of their learned divines, who blasphemously exclaimed, "We had better be without God's laws than the Pope's." And no doubt these are they which St. Paul said, should depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.* But the time is not far distant, when that man of sinwho opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God, shall be revealed; whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.t Tim. iv. 1-3. Thess. ii. 3, 4, 8.

CHAPTER II.

"To all delight of human sense exposed, In narrow room, Nature's whole wealth, ye more, A heav'n on earth: For blissful Paradise,

Of God the garden was, by him in th' east

Of Eden planted.

A happy rural seat of various view.

Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm;

Others whose fruit burnished with golden rind,
Hung amiable

*

*

Flowers of all hue, and without thorn the rose.
Another side, umbrageous grots and caves,
Of cool recess o'er which the mantling vine
Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
Luxurient ".

Milton, Par. Lost.

When the Lord God had made Adam and Eve, he planted a garden eastward in Eden, and out of the ground he caused to grow all manner of trees, which is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, and in the midst of the garden stood the tree of life,

High eminent, blooming embrosial fruit
Of vegetable gold."

And next to the tree of life grew the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In this delightful garden he placed Adam and Eve to dress it, and to keep it-not for the purpose of servile labour, but for healthful recreation and pleasure, and to preserve them from a state of sloth and idleness, which would be injurious both to their health and happiness.

"For sloth consumes faster than labour wears."

Franklin.

And of all the fruit that grew upon all the trees in the garden, they might freely eat, only of the fruit that grew upon the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they were forbidden to eat, with this injunction, -For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die* Which they, no doubt, thought an easy task.

"He who requires

From us no other service than to keep

Gen. ii. 17,