When Adam first beheld the fair partner ing, that, as he had given them dominion of his life, who was presented to him by her over every part of the creation, they, by Almighty Creator, he was struck with a being themselves fruitful in the procreation secret sympathy, and, finding her of his own of children, might live to see the earth likeness and complexion, he exclaimed with replenished with a numerous progeny. 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 this benediction, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth; intimatfrom the very beginning of the world, to be observed as a day of rest by mankind, in memory of the great benefits received in the formation of the universe. It has been a question, among the learned, whether any sabbath was observed before the promulgation of the law by Moses; but the most judicious commentators agree that Adam and Eve constantly observed the seventh day, and dedicated it in a peculiar manner to the service of the Almighty; and that the first Sabbath, which Philo (one of the most ancient writers) calls the birth-day of the world was celebrated in Paradise itself, which pious custom, being transnitted from our first parents to their posterity, became in time so general, that the same Philo calls it the universal festival of mankind. * There is probably no subject on which such a diversity of opinions has been entertained as concerning the site of the Paradise in which the progenitors of mankind were placed. From this mass of conflicting opinions we shall select the two which have been supported by the most eminent authorities, and which seem to have the strongest probabilities in their favor. The first position places Eden in Armenia, near the sources of the four great rivers Euphrates, Tigris (Hiddekel), Phasis (Pison), and the Araxes (Gihon). The similarity of sound between Phasis and Pison is considered to strengthen this opinion. as does also the similarity of meaning between the Hebrew name Gibon and the Greek Araxes, both words denoting swiftness. mean To facilitate the intended happiness of our first parents, the Almighty Creator had provided for their residence a most delightful spot called Eden,* which was watered by an extensive river divided into four streams. It was furnished with all kinds of vegetables, among which were two remarkable trees, one called the Tree of Life,† and the other the Tree of Knowledge, ‡ by the latter of which forest, and which may be said to divide itself into four ways, whether the division be made above or below the forest." With this view, some writers are content to take the present Shat-ul-Arab (the single stream which is formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates, and which afterward divides to enter the gulf) as the river that went through the garden; but as Major Rennell has shown that the two great rivers kept distinct courses to the sea until the time of Alexander, although at no great distance of time afterward they became united, other writers are contented to believe that such a junction and subsequent divergence did, either in the time of Moses or before the deluge, exist in or near the place indicated. The deluge must have made great changes in the beds of these and many other rivers, and inferior agencies have alone been sufficient greatly to alter the ancient channels of the Tigris and Euphrates. This is not only rendered obvious by an inspection of the face of the country, but the memory of such events is preserved by local traditions, and they are even specified in the writings of the Arabian geographers and historians. Thus, then, of the two most probable conjectures, one fixes the terrestrial Paradise in Armenia, between the sources of the Euphrates, Tigris, Phasis, and Araxes; and the other identifies the land of Eden with the country between Bagdad and Bussorah; and, in that land, some fix the garden near the latter city, while others, more prudently, only contend that it stood in some part of this territory where an ancient junction and subsequent separation of the Euphrates and Tigris took place. This tree is supposed to have been so called from its having in it a virtue not only to repair the animal spirits, as other nourishment does, but likewise to preserve and maintain them in the same equal temper and state wherein they were created; that is to say, without affecting the party who used it with pain, disease, and decay. One consideration that induced a preference for this site is, that the advocates of this opinion considered " heads," as applied to the rivers which went forth from the garden, to "sources," which would therefore render it natural to look for the terrestrial paradise in a mountainous or hilly country, which only could supply the water necessary to form four heads of rivers. But others, those who would fix the site toward the other extremity of the two known rivers, reckon it sufficient, and indeed more accordant with the text, to consider the "four heads not as sources, but as channels that is, that the Euphrates and Tigris united before they entered the garden, and after leaving it divided again, and entered the Persian Gulf by two mouths; thus forming four channels, two above and two below the garden, each called by a different name. "The river or channel," says Dr. Wells, must be looked upon as a highway crossing over a ence. There are various opinions concerning the nature and properties of the Tree of Knowledge, which was forbidden to our first parents. Some think it had a baneful quality, directly opposite to that of the Tree of Life; while others imagine it is thus called by the sacred historian, because, directly after Adam and Eve had eaten of it, they became sensible of the good they had lost, and the evil they had incurred, by their disobedi She plucked, she ate; Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat, good and Evil were to be distinguished. and she at length sacrificed her duty to Into this earthly paradise did the Almighty gratify her curiosity. She stretched forth conduct Adam and Eve, giving them orders her presumptuous hand, took of the baneful to take care of the garden, and superintend fruit, and ate her own destruction. the plants. He granted them permission to eat of the fruit of every tree, except that 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, diseases, 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. Thus fixed in the most beautiful situaticn, possessed of innocence, devoid of guilt, and free from care, the happiness of our first parents appeared complete: "Perfection crowned with wondrous frame, And peace and plenty smiled around; They felt no grief, they knew no shame, But tasted heaven on earthly ground.' But, alas! their bliss was transient, their innocence fleeting, and their exemption from care very short. All animals at this time were social in their tempers, except the serpent, who was equally subtle and envious. This malignant creature, viewing the felicity of the first pair with those painful sensations which are natural to depravity of heart, determined to allure them from their innocence, and stimulate them to the crime of disobedi ence. In consequence of this infernal design, he began by persuading Eve to taste the prohibited Tree of Knowledge, telling her, that, by so doing, both herself and her husband would immediately be sensible of the difference between Good and Evil, acquire much additional happiness, and even not be inferior, in point of wisdom, to GoD himself.* 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; * It is generally thought that this was the work of Satan, who, to effect his purposes, assumed the figure of a serpent. †The narrative of the temptation has been regarded by some interpreters as allegorical, because the power of speech and the faculty of reason are ascribed to the serpent. But the whole narrative, of which this is a part, is clearly historic; and as the sacred writer would not be likely to mix the allegorical and the historical in 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. 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 appearance; and they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons. That is, they tied or twisted together the broad leaves of the fig-tree, so as to form a girdle for the loins, being prompted by the impulse of shame to the expedient of an artificial covering for their persons. † While they were in a state of innocence, they no sooner heard the voice of GoD approach them, than they with humble joy welcomed his gracious visits; but now their Maker was become a terror to them, and Their con they a terror to each other. sciences painted their transgression in the blackest colors, all hope was banished, and nothing remained but horror and despair. gar When, therefore, after their transgression, they heard the voice of the LORD in the den, they flew to the most retired part of it, in order to conceal themselves from his sight. But the Almighty soon called them. from their dark retreat; and, after a short examination, they both acknowledged their guilt. The man attempted to excuse himself by laying the blame on 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 his record, the conclusion is very evident that the literal interpretation of the narrative is the true one, and that the presence and the agency of a real serpent must be considered as a matter of fact. Of course it will be conceded that the utterance of words was supernatural. There is clear evidence, however, of the agency of a higher power concealed under the serpent's form a malignant spirit of evil - that used the serpent in executing his malevolent design. —A. B. ing the glory of God (Ez. i.), the vision of dry bones (Ez. xxxvii.), and especially the time-symbols, the seventy weeks (Dan. ix. 24), the forty-two months (Rev. xi. 2), or the twelve hundred and sixty days (id. 3), the twelve hundred and ninety days (Dan. xii. 11), &c. all three the objects of his distributive jus- nacle (Ex. xxv. 9); the second where the tice. As the serpent had been the original things perceived are symbols of the reality, cause of this evil, GOD first passes sentence as the wheels and living creatures illustraton him, which was, that (instead of going erect as he did before the fact) he should ever after creep on his belly, and thereupon 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 from conception, pain in childbirth, and subjection to her husband. The punishment of Adam consisted in a life of perpetual toil and care, in order to keep in due subjection those passions and appetites, to gratify which he had transgressed the divine command. * The awful decree being thus solemnly pronounced, as well on the author of the offence, as the offenders themselves, the Almighty, to enhance their sense of the crime, and the tokens of his resentment, expelled the guilty pair from the blissful regions of paradise, after which he placed at the east end of the garden a guard of angels, in order not only to prevent their re-entrance, but to secure the forbidden fruit from the unhallowed hands of polluted mankind. 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. SUPPLEMENT TO CHAPTER FIRST. THE events described in the first chapter of Genesis were not seen by man, and must therefore have been revealed to him by the Spirit of God. As the narrative has the form of a pictorial history, it has been imagined that the descriptions were those of a prophet beholding a series of visions; and that the scenery of each picture illustrates all the events of a day. Two kinds of pictorial descriptions of future events are employed in Scripture, the first where the precise acts or objects are represented, as the vision of the secret chamber of imagery (Ez. viii. 7-12), the twenty-five men between the porch and the altar worshipping the sun (id. 16), and the pattern of the taber *The words in the text are, in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread; which implies that labor alone should produce what, if he had not trans The knowledge of the period anterior to man would probably be revealed in terms similar to those foretelling the future; and we may be warranted in believing that the six days of the first chapter are time-symbols. of the past with the same twofold signification as those of the future; i. e., they may be spoken of as common days or as the representatives of long periods. It was not proper before the fulfilment of the prophecy to speak of the t'me between Daniel and the destruction of Jerusalem as other than seventy weeks; but now, as the precise length of the period is known, we may say instead six hundred years: so until the time came when modern science has shown the proper character of these ancient periods it was not best to speak of them except as days. Some of the early Christian fathers, as Ori gen and August ne, and many modern writers of the last and previous centuries, doubted whether these days were to be taken in a literal sense. At the present day, the best expounders believe in their symbolic character. Some have thought them to mean directly long periods, and not at all common days; making it necessary to attach definite significations to the mornings and evenings," which is difficult. The symbolical sense retains all the advantages of both the figurative and literal significations. The figurative sense is occult and abstruse: the symbolic does not nullify the obvious meaning. The creative account was probably designed to teach several elemental religious truths, illustrating the power and glory of God and the relations of man to his Maker. The origin of all things is ascribed to God. It is reiterated that God commanded, God created, God saw, and God approved. The creation of the world had been delegated to no inferior. So, too, the creative work was per gressed, nature would have spontaneously be stowed. ease. ; formed in a manner worthy of the Supreme ures corresponding to the successive days, Being It was accomplished with infinite the latest being at the top; while the horiLet there be light," says the Crea- zontal lines include events supposed to be tor, and instantly the universe was illumi- contemporaneous. The second column gives nated. It was an invisible energy that per- the order of creation according to Genesis meated the world of atoms, and developed the third enumerates the four great ages of fishes, fowls, and quadrupeds adapted to move organic life according to geology; and the in their several spheres. While other nations fourth explains the third, giving the names believed in imaginary deities, the Jews, of the more prominent formations as generthough surrounded by idolaters, were thus ally understood. It will be observed that effectually taught to believe in one great there is a general correspondence between the power above all else. Man's humble ori- events specified in the two columns except for gin from the dust of the ground was fitted the fourth day. In a few cases, there has been to teach lessons of dependence when re- a scanty development of the life ascribed to flecting upon his relations to Deity; while one age in that which preceded, as of a few his high endowments showed his superiority mammals in the age of reptiles; but the deover the brute animals. It was also de- sign is to show what animals predominated signed to remind men that a portion of their in the several periods, so as to give charactime must be consecrated to the service of ter to the several groups. We propose now God. Six days had been spent in fitting to describe briefly the condition of the earth up this beautiful world for human habita- during these past six stages of its growth or tion, and the seventh had been one of rest, development. therefore, in imitation of the example of the Creator, men are commanded to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Lastly, we think the creative chapter was designed by Him who sees the end from the beginning to confirm the truth of the sacred narrative in a remote sceptical age. The elements of truths, imperceptible to the inhabitants during the early and middle ages, are contained in this record, unfathomable mines of wealth reserved for the skill and acumen of interpreters of the nineteenth century of the Christian era. given to teach scientific principles, the fact that the incidental statements of the oldest written document designed to illustrate the power, wisdom, and benevolence of God, are properly understood only till the present century, while whole systems of false creative philosophy and pretended revelation in the intermediate millenniums have been overwhelmed, proclaims unmistakably the truth and inspiration of the Scriptures. The first chapters of Genesis lie at the foundation of religion. If we call them myths, we impair the obligation of the Sabbath, the doctrine of human depravity, and the sanctity of the marriage relation. Though not First Day.. In order to show at a glance the similarity between the order of nature and of bibliWe cannot speak of the cal statement in reference to the creation of proper order of development of the earth, the earth and its inhabitants, we present in at the beginning of things, with great confiparallel columns the leading features of dence. So long as our information is derived both accounts. The first column shows fig-from the strata and their contents, the infer and south diameter being twenty-six miles ences are satisfactory. Previous to the impressed upon it during this igneous period. formation of the oldest portions of the crust The earth is not a perfect sphere; the north now visible, the world must have passed through phases very unlike those afterwards manifested. After a careful study of all the theories proposed, independently of revelation, we conclude that the constituent atoms of the earth must have been created by some power or force not inherent in matter, and that these particles came into being as simple elements, all at the same time; forming a shapeless mass. But a mixture of newlyborn elements would not long remain quiescent. They are endowed with chemical and physical affinities promoting motion and combination. Many of the elements will combine, perhaps rapidly and explosively, giving rise to light and heat. At the same time the universal law of gravitation would affect the mass: it would begin to revolve upon an axis, and perhaps around other bodies in space. If, as many suppose, this original mass comprised the sun and all the planets, with their satellites, of our solar system, portions of it began to separate from the central portion, and to revolve around the primeval nucleus in orbits successively smaller, as it was the outer planets which were first dissevered. The intense heat produced by this primitive combustion would not allow the particles to remain solid, but would expand the whole into a vaporous condition. Hence this early period was one of vaporous diffusion both before and after the earth had become separated from the compound nucleus. The world was a nebula, or comet. The effect of intense heat upon compound bodies is to resolve them into their original elements; while they may remain unaltered when only melted. Hence we may say, conversely, that, when the heat of the nebulous period had somewhat subsided by its radiation into space, the gases would become sufficiently cooled to unite into compounds, and take on the form of a liquid. When all the elements capable of this fiery condensation had become united, the world was like a mass of melted iron, or freshly erupted lava, giving out light and heat as a sun. This was the stage of igneous fluidity. The elements now composing the air and water must have rested like an atmosphere upon this raging surface of fire, as gases and steam; and as yet the distinction of clouds and water was impossible. The peculiar shape of the earth was The scriptural statements may refer to some of these early conditions. The beginning was the creation out of nothing (bara) of the heavens and the earth, or the whole material universe apprehended by the senses. There was nothing but bare matter; for the earth was very empty. But the Spirit of God was hovering over this bottomless commixture of elements,' dark and desolate. He spake, and light came, evidently something different from that of the sun, but explicable by the chemical light produced by the union of the primitive elements. The brooding action of the Spirit implies a long period. The light was divided from the darkness, producing the distinction of day and night. No mention is made of igneous fluidity; but the establishment of day and night involves a rate of axial revolution of the earth similar to that impressed on the primitive surface. The distinction of day and night was induced in the latter part of the period, following naturally after the creation of matter and of light. Second Day. The earth is now covered over by a crust formed by the refrigeration of the surface of the ball of fire. Light is no longer emitted into space; but the heat is continually radiating, causing the solid part to augment in bulk. The constituents of this crust must have been the same elements now visible, though perhaps combined in different proportions, and without organic débris. The rock was not granitic, but more like the slag of a furnace, containing many soluble compounds; while the atmosphere was heavily charged with steam, the whole of the |