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THE PICTORIAL

BIBLE AND CHURCH-HISTORY STORIES,

ABRIDGED

AND

COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME,

BEING

AN EASY AND FAMILIAR NARRATIVE OF SACRED HISTORY BROUGHT DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIMES OF THE CHURCH.

The First Era of the World.

FROM THE CREATION TO THE DELUGE. (B.C. 4191 TO B.C. 2524.)

§ 1. The Creation of the Universe.

Is the beginning Almighty God created the heavens and the earth; but the earth as yet was without form or living creatures, and was all covered over with the deep waters. And all around was darkness. Then God spoke, and said: 'Let there be light;' and there was light. The darkness was now all gone, and the earth became bright and cheerful.

God now spoke the second time, and said: 'Let there be the firmament;' and it was so. The beautiful bright blue sky came into being, and a part of the waters were changed into clouds, which went up to their place in the sky above. Then God spoke again, and said: 'Let the waters that cover the earth be gathered together in one place, and let the dry land appear;' and it was so. The land and the sea were divided; mountains and hills rose up with their valleys; fountains, brooks, and rivers freshened up the dry land, and poured themselves into the sea.

God now commanded, and said: 'Let the earth bring forth grass and herbs, and trees bearing fruit ;' and it was so again. The earth became green as if in spring-time, with its grass and herbs, and with its thousands of gay flowers and trees in their blossom. After this God said: 'Let there be lights in the heavens, that they may divide the days and the years, and give light to the earth;' and it was so. The golden sun in the heavens to give its light to the day, and the soft silvery moon shone to give light by night; the stars also without number began to glimmer forth their twinkling light.

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Last of all God spoke, and said: 'Let the water bring forth fish, and the air winged fowl, and the earth living creatures of all kinds;' and immediately all these came into being. Fishes great and small sported

in the waters; all kinds of birds filled the air; woods and fields were all alive with cattle and wild beasts; the grass, flowers, and bushes were covered with gay butterflies, winged insects, and creeping things of all sorts. And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good.

So Almighty God made the earth and the heavens in six days, and on the seventh day He rested from His work, and set apart this day for man, to be given to the worship of his Maker, and for a day of holy rest and joyful thanksgiving for the blessing of his creation (Gen. ii. 3).

Jesus Christ rested in the tomb from the work of redemption on the Sabbath or seventh day, and rose again from the dead on the first day of the week. For this reason the Christians no longer keep holy the original Sabbath, but the Lord's-day, or first day of the week, in memory of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As the first Adam was formed by God from the virgin earth, so Jesus Christ took His human body from the pure and blessed Virgin Mary.

§ 2. The Fall of the rebel Angels from their places in Heaven. St. John the Evangelist, in the Book of the Revelations, tells us that there was a great war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and his angels, who did not prevail, nor was their place any longer found in heaven. And the great dragon was cast forth upon the earth; the old Serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole earth, and his angels were sent forth with him' (Rev. xii. 6). St. Peter also says: 'God did not spare the angels who sinned, but delivered them over, bound in the chains of darkness, to be tormented and to be reserved for judgment' (2 Peter iii. 4). In order that the places in heaven left empty through this rebellion might be filled up, it pleased God to create man a little lower than the angels, placing him at first for a trial on the earth, but with the intention of afterwards advancing men to the very places from which the angels had fallen. For this reason the devil and the fallen angels have the greatest hatred against men, and are at all times lying in wait to deceive them into sinning against God and into breaking His commandments, hoping, through envy and malice, to hinder them by this means from coming into the places which they have themselves lost.

§ 3. The Creation of Adam and Eve; their abode in Paradise.

The earth and the heavens were now made, and beautifully decked out; but on the whole wide earth there was not as yet a single human being to take his delight in it, and to praise the good and wise Creator who had made it.

Then God said: 'Let Us make man in Our image and likeness; he shall have dominion over the fishes of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, and over the whole earth.'

Almighty God then made man out of the soft moist earth, and breathed into him the breath of life. Thus man became a living soul, and God called him Adam.

And God planted a lovely garden, and caused the most beautiful trees to grow in it, which bore the sweetest blossoms and fruit; flowers of every kind of colour and scent abounded in it; and from the midst flowed a sparkling spring, which, dividing itself into four streams, watered the whole of the garden. Into this lovely abode God brought Adam to live, and gave it to him to dress and cultivate.

In the garden there was a tree, which was called the tree of the knowledge of GOOD and EVIL. And God said to Adam: Of all the trees in the garden thou mayest eat freely; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou mayest not eat, for in the day that thou eatest of it thou shalt die.' This was said to Adam that he might learn what it was to obey God, and not to think everything in the world was his own, instead of being the gift of his loving and good Creator.

After this God brought all the animals of the garden into the presence of Adam in succession, and to each one he gave its own particular

name.

And thus Adam saw all that God had given him, and very joyfully he thanked his Maker for all His wisdom and bounty.

But notwithstanding all that God had so bountifully provided for him in Paradise, Adam still found himself alone in the midst of his riches. Neither lion, nor elephant, nor any of the noble creatures which had come before him to receive their names, were fitted to be his companions. And as he had no one who could stand by, to help him in his work or to share in his joy, he was in danger of feeling lonesome and of becoming wearied of his life, even in Paradise. He had to live all alone by himself on the earth, and this was a great burden. And God said : 'It is not good for man to be alone; let Us make him a helpmate, like to himself.' 'Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam; and while he was fast asleep He took one of his ribs, and filled up the flesh over it. And the Lord God built up the rib which He had taken from Adam into a woman, and brought her to Adam.' And when Adam awoke out of his sleep, and saw for the first time his beautiful companion, no words can describe his joy.

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As Eve was taken from the side of the sleeping Adam, so the Church, the bride of Jesus Christ, was taken from the side of the second Adam, sleeping the sleep of death on the Cross, at the moment when the soldier pierced His side, and there flowed water and blood from the wound.

§ 4. The first Sin and its Punishment.

One day it happened that Eve went near to the forbidden tree, and on the tree she saw a serpent. The serpent began to speak, and said: Why has God commanded you that you should not eat of every tree of the garden? Eve allowed herself to be drawn into conversation with the serpent, and answered with great simplicity: 'We are allowed to eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; only of the fruit of this tree in the middle of the garden, God has commanded that we should not eat, and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we die.' 'No,' said the serpent, you will not die. Your God knows very well, that when you

eat of the fruit of it your eyes will then be opened, and you will be as gods, knowing good and evil.' Eve began to hesitate: first she looked at the serpent, then at the tree; and the fruit seemed to her to be 'particularly beautiful to the eye, most fair to look upon, and very good to eat.' The command of God not to eat of it went out of her mind as she gazed on the tree; and the more she looked at the tree, the more beautiful the fruit appeared to her. At last she put out her hand, gathered it, and began to eat of it. She then went away and brought some to Adam, who in like manner ate of it; and thus, through the envy and malice of the devil, Eve having been first deceived was led into sin, and Adam took part in her sin.

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Adam and Eve soon found out, to their sorrow, what it was that they had done. They were overwhelmed with shame, and tried to make coverings for themselves of the leaves of the trees. Their holy state of divine grace was forfeited. Their innocence and peace of mind were gone, and the beautiful garden seemed to them no longer the place that it was before; the thought of the wicked thing they had done seemed to follow them wherever they went; and what would they not have given to have been able to undo their fatal deed! In the cool air of the evening, they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in Paradise ;' and Adam and Eve, conscious of their sin, instead of running joyfully as before at the gracious call to come into the presence of God, now tried to hide themselves in the trees of the garden. God, however, called Adam, and said to him: 'Where art thou?' Adam at last came trembling, and said: 'I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.' God answered: Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? Adam, trying to throw the blame off himself, answered: 'Eve, whom Thou gavest me for a companion, gave me of the fruit of the tree, and I did eat.' God called Eve, and said to her: 'Why didst thou do this?' Eve, in like manner trying to throw the blame off herself upon the serpent, said: 'The serpent deceived me, and I did eat.' God now called the serpent before Him, and said to him: 'Because thou hast done this thing, thou shalt be cursed amongst all the beasts and cattle of the earth; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. Of the daughters of Eve, one shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.' To Eve God said: 'Thou shalt have many sorrows with thy children; and thou shalt be under thy husband's power, and he shall be lord over thee.' And to Adam God said: 'Cursed is the earth for thy sake; with sorrow and toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns and thistles shall be its produce; and in the sweat of thy brow thou shalt eat bread, until thou returnest to the earth out of which thou wast taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.'

The Lord God now made for Adam and Eve garments of skins to clothe them; but the beautiful garden was no longer to be their abode.

From this time forth they were to labour hard to till the earth, out of which they were taken. So God sent them out of Paradise, and placed cherubim, with a flaming sword turning every way, to guard the entrance of the garden and to keep the tree of life.

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Adam and

.

Eve knew, when it was too late,

what

a fearful

change they had made, from the beautiful flowers and fruit-trees of their former pleasant abode, to the rude and hard labour of tilling, sowing, and planting the rough soil, that

had now to be cleared of briers and thorns. God, however, had been very merciful to them, and had promised them that the time would

ADAM AND EVE EXPELLED OUT OF PARADISE

come when a Redeemer should be born, who should be sent to destroy all the works of the serpent, by whose envy and deceit they had come to be banished out of Paradise, and who should again completely restore the kingdom of God upon the earth.

They set themselves then cheerfully to their labour, and began to plant and to cultivate the ground, and to make use of their power over the brute creatures to surround themselves with flocks of sheep and goats and other animals. In this condition their first two children were born. Cain the eldest, who cultivated the ground; and Abel, who became a shepherd and looked after the flocks of sheep and goats, the first-fruits of which he offered in sacrifice to God.

As Satan gained his victory in the garden of Paradise over Adam and Eve by deceiving them to eat of the fruit of a tree, Jesus Christ, by His acceptance in the Garden of Gethsemane of the chalice which God the Father gave to Him, has overcome all the wiles of Satan, and has purchased our Redemption by the fruit of the tree of the Cross.

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