Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1851-10-15
THE VOICE OF GOD-Gen. iii. Is.

There IS something inexpressiby affect
ing to the mind, in the circumstances of the
frs, interview of the fallen pair with their
kind Lord, after their sin. AS recorded in
The simple and touch words of the sacred
writer, the circumstances are not only OF
deep interest in themselves, but every word
sbounds in matter for edifying thought.
When the guilty pair ''heard the voice Of
the Lord God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day, they went and hid them
selves from the presence Of the Lord God,
among the trees of The garden" That they
thus simply hoped 10 hide themselves from
! Him whose presence fills Heaven and earth,
clearly shows the kind and condescend-
| ing manner in which He had hitherto
revealed Himself to Them. and had held
intercourse with them. As a child hides
himself from a father he has offended.
SO hid they from Him. 1t was "voice"
they heard. ]. is clear tina! the tones OF that
voice had been Of kindness and love. There
is no reason to suppose that, as they now
heard that voice, it was less kind than ii had
| been, for the Lord had not chosen to appear
to know their crimes, but from their own
owledgement !. was the conscious
ness Of sin that made all this difference
that made the presence most terrible thai
had hitherto been hailed with rcverent Joy
and fial confidence. Sin did in them, as
il does in all their defendants, create a cold
and cheerless distance between the heart and
God. And certainly their condition was
very terrible. We, under our strongest eX-
periences Of sin, as alternating the soul from
God, know that there is way Of hope
But Adam knew not. lie knew moi. as we
do, how i. is possible that 'swhere sin hath
abounded grace may much more abound"
The case must, in his eyes, have appeared
most hopeless and be could have expected
nothing less than The death which He who
cannot lie had declared TO be the penalty Of
transgresslon.
But le, US listen. What excuse does the
man allege for hiding himself? 81 heard
Thy voice in the garden, and was afraid
because ] was naked" All no, only nak-
ed, but poor and miserable and blind. He
knew thai, and we in virtue of our sad her-
tage from him, know that aso-keenlv
know 1t, are deeply conscious Of it, at some
lime of our lives. What then is our course:
To hide ourselves, like Adam, from HIS pre-
hasten to Him. 1t was only when The nsk-
ed prodigsl cast himself at his Fathers feet,
saying, "Fa,her. ! am not worthy to be cal
led thy son !" that the Father said. ''Bling
forth the bes! robe, and pu. j, on him." 1t
is TO the naked he says, ~ counsel thee TO
buy of me white raiment, that thou msyesl
be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness
do not appear.' For it is only when we
know that we are naked that we can dare to
appear before God that we may then re-
ceIve of Him The wedding garment, in which
alone we can stand before Him, find in His
house mansion aud become the guests of
| his table.
| IN answer to Adams declaration of his
max kedness, the Lord demands-"Who told
thee that thou vast naked :" Poor Adam
! knew not that this very consciousness be-
,rayed him. A new faculty had come into
play. He found tha, he had judge within
him, of whose presence, when all things
smiled, was changed TO lady, and she be-
haved very lady-like till mouse ran thro'
the room when she sprang down, aware
of its active presence, but the power within
him was at work, and moved him as it list
ed. No. tha, he had yet tender or an in
structed conscience; but conscience was
lhere-had awakened to sleep no more A
new and terrible task master has the scourge
over him.
Conscience performed its part i, made
the fallen pair miserable in the Conscious
ness Of sin. 1t filled them with shame and
dread. II could do no more and this was
much. 1t is well that the conscience should
be tender and watchfuI, and that it should
smile and torment us, that it should allow US
no rest, when we have sinned against God.
Blu, the righ, effect has been missed, unless
we are thus driven to God, not from Him as
was Adam unless our souls are filled with
grief, as child is distressed a. having offend
ed loving father more than by fear Of pun
ishment; aud unless we cast ourselves, in