they have power to choose the good and refuse the evil, or to reject the good and take the evil.

The fall of man.

How long our first parents continued in -Gen. iii. 1-19. their perfect state we are not informed; the narrative of events is given in rapid succession; of the time which intervened between them, we are left in ignorance.

The miserable, but mighty spirit, who is ever bent on extending woe, did gain access to the ear of the weaker one, and triumphed in her fall; introduced rebellion against the thrice holy God; obtained an entrance into the human heart, which he unceasingly endeavours to maintain in the case of every individual of earth's successive generations; and in direct contrast to the design of their loving Creator, his object is their misery and final destruction.

The new-made world, pronounced perfect on the day on which it was finished, was now degraded amongst the surrounding spheres; marred and blighted by the act that was done in disregard of, and in opposition to, the command of God; defiled by sin. Henceforth disappointment, perplexity, evil, should intermix in all its varied interests.

Conscious of having offended their best Friend and all-bountiful Benefactor, and feeling the sad effects of disobedience in the disorder of their own minds, Adam and Eve endeavoured to conceal themselves; they trembled to hear his voice, which, till now, had ever given them new delight. Alas! the crown had fallen from their head;

woe unto them, for they had sinned! Now their understandings were darkened, so that they could no longer comprehend the adorable perfections of God; his power, wisdom, truth, holiness, justice, love, gave them no pleasure; they could not feel their relationship to him as his children; their affections were placed on unworthy objects; their wills were desirous to have what they could not obtain, or if they did succeed in the attainment, they were often disappointed in the enjoyment they expected to have by the possession. All the other powers of their minds were debased in like manner. Their bodies were liable to pain in every organ; and after a short time their existence on earth would terminate; their bodies would be laid in the ground; their spirits return to God to receive their final sentence. Their children, likewise, after a short and uncertain abode upon earth, would experience dissolution of soul and body; the latter be reduced to its native element, the former indestructible, being a spark from the nature of him who is life itself.

As the bodies of their children would be formed like their own, in their senses and powers, so would their minds;—the same dispositions, the same spirit of disobedience to God's commands; the preference of earthly to heavenly things; they were not formed after the image of God, as the souls of Adam and Eve had been; and, unless regenerated, in God's presence they could never dwell, but must associate with those miserable spirits who are enmity to him throughout eternity.

Such were the effects of Satan's success in seducing

Eve to break the Divine command. But were his machinations, and that of all his host, to frustrate the designs. of Jehovah,-to overthrow the counsels of him whose wisdom is unsearchable, and whose name is love,-whose power none can withstand? Was the wicked one to establish sorrow and pain, where there had been nought but peace and joy, for order, elegance, and beauty-anarchy and deformity? Were these two beings, hitherto the objects of the Divine favour, and who had borne his perfect image, to be snatched from his possession, and lost for ever? Impossible, that Satan should be conqueror, and sin have the dominion!

But how was the mighty injury to be repaired? Could the guilty pair be treated as if they had never sinned?— enjoy the favour and again have communion with their heavenly Father? Would they be capable of the perfect obedience they had rendered before they fell? How could they regain the holiness they had lost? Could the God of truth suffer his law to be dishonoured, make light of his own threatening, and never put it into execution? In his perfect government, was punishment for transgression to have no place? Or could Satan, the enemy of all righteousness, be permitted to continue in his spoliations on the fair creation of God, and with unrestrained power to spread desolation and death? If it were to be so now, all holy intelligences would stand amazed; and amongst the shining myriads that fill the courts of heaven, for the first time Jehovah's attributes would be tarnished, and the law of the universe disregarded.

First prediction of Messiah.

Gen. iii. 14, 15.

The Divine malediction was first pronounced upon the serpent, and in connexion with that, he was made acquainted, that from the race he had degraded, and already rendered so miserable, his Destroyer should come; that it was to be so, gave ground of hope that the Conqueror of the enemy would restore the captives, and more than repair all their loss.

Expulsion from

iii. 22-24.

Adam and Eve must now leave their lovely Eden.-Gen. abode, and go forth to toil; the ground would no longer yield abundance to light and pleasant labours; disquietude and difficulty would adhere to all their employments. With strong reluctance they departed from Eden, and entered upon the wide and dreary world. If, at this time of deep-felt woe, they in any measure understood the words that had been spoken to the tempter concerning the "seed of the woman," it must have been their only consolation. How gracious was their God, so soon to give an outline of the wondrous plan of kindness to the guilty, which would unfold his wisdom, power, and love, in such a manner that, compared with it, all his other acts of beneficence and holiness would appear as nothing!

From this period, through a long succession of ages, until the fulness of the time came, the ground of hope contained in the first prediction was more fully given to a sinful and suffering world, in a variety of forms; and the character, offices, and achievements of the Mighty One shown forth by patriarchs, prophets, kings-sometimes by incidents in their own history, shadowing forth circum

stances in his life; often by distinct announcements of the minutest particulars connected with his advent and abode on earth. Many of the objects in nature were employed as emblems of his perfections-the sun, stars, trees, rock, lion, vine, lamb, the rose of Sharon. Indeed, there is nothing noble, beautiful, or useful in the world, that is not used in order to direct the faithful, loving heart to a contemplation of his graces.

The entire ritual of the Jewish worship was typical of him, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.

In the brief words, "It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise bis heel," we learn there would be a contest between two powerful beings; and in the wrestling for victory, the deliverer himself should suffer sharply, but permanently with the Holy One it could not be; and that the enemy would be vanquished for ever. As Satan tempted Adam and Eve to break God's command, and by that means had alienated the whole human race from their beneficent Creator; the Son of God would, by taking upon him their nature, with deep humiliation and great suffering to himself, obtain pardon for them, and the Holy Spirit to create their hearts anew, making them again holy and happy; and he would place all who came to him by faith, in a position of greater safety and glory than they had before the fall, on account of his undertaking their cause.

This glorious plan of compassion for the guilty, every subsequent revelation more fully developed, by making him known who was to accomplish it. It far exceeded