The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-09-09
THE BOOK WE TEACH.
Read by DR.. J. VI. Burgess Before the In
terdenominational Sunday-SchOOl Cor.
vention, Of Clarendon County, at Oak
land, September 4th, 1891.

Gods first communication to Ad-
am after be became living soul, was
one of direction: be fruitful, replen-
ish the earth and subdue it. Second,
of authority: have dominion over
every living thing. Third, conferring
gift: that of fruit and vegetables to
be used as food. Fourth, of permis-
sion: to eat of the fruit Of the trees
of the garden. Fifth, Of prohibition:
thou shalt not eat of the tree Of
knowledge of good and evil. Sixth,
of threatened punishment: in the
day that thou eatest thereof, thou
shalt surely die.
With this Adam was put in the
Garden of Eden, to dress it and to
keep it.
He was permitted to name the
beasts of the field and the fowls of the
air, and have dominion oyer them,
but he was not allowed to eat their
flesh.
In occupation he was gardener
and herdsman; in diet he was a veg
etarian.
The gift of Eve was help, meet
and proper for him. She was pre-
sented to him in silence. There was
no direction given to Adam concern
ing her.
No authority was given to him
over her. There was mutual equality
mutual independence.
No obligation from either to other,
except what was tacitly implied in
the gift as help.
Adam accepted this help. He &C.
knowledged that she was bone of his
bone, and flesh of his flesh. and he
called her woman.
This was and still is an honorable
term, for which the merely distinctive
and complimentary title lady is some
times improperly substituted.
In catechism for children the
question is asked, was man happy in
the Garden of Eden =? and the answer
is given: Every thing was there to
make man happy.
True, everything which was neces-
sary to his physical happiness was
there, but of the presence and COM
panionship Of his Maker there is no
record.
He no doubt loved God merely as
a generous and benevolent friend,
but the gifts and privileges which had
been bestowed required no sacrifice
on Gods part, and his love for Adam
was not such as he had for him after
he fell, and which alone inspired true
love in Adam for God.
Adam had no internal source OF
happiness. No promise had been
made to him of any future good.
All the pleasure of anticipation was
denied him. He could only look for
ward to death if he disobeyed. He
had nothing TO hope for, and conse-
quently could have no faith.
He doubtless had aspirations for
that knowledge of good and evil, to
be obtained by eating the fruit of
certain tree, but he was met by the
threat of death if he ate of it.
Contemplating Adam in this situa-
ton We may ask, not, Was he happy,
but, Could he be happy?
When he disobeyed he saw his er-
ror and tried to hide his shame.
Then it was that his Makers love for
his creatures was felt and shown.
He sought for them; he called them
from their hiding place among the
trees of the garden. He talked with
them. His heart yearned in pity TO,
them. He inquired particularly into
the case.
I When full confession of their guilt
had been made the tempter was first
denounced.
How humiliating it must have been
to him to hear that he had been foil
ed; that the woman he had tried to
ruin would be the ancestress Of his
destroyer.
How comforting it must have been
to Eve, as she stood with downcast
eyes in the presence of her Maker,
covering like an offending child be-
fore an offended parent, to hear, be-
fore she was condemed, that her seed
should bruise the serpent's head.
J She could then hear with some
composure that her sorrows would be
multiplied.
She could hear with patience that
she would 10 longer be equal with
or independent of her husband; that
her desire should be to him, or, as it
is rendered in the margin, that she
should be subject to him.
This loss of equality with and sub
lection to Adam implied, however,
that she should have a right to his
love, sympathy, support, and protec-
ton. It implied that all wives should
have the same right. It implied,
furthermore, that all women should
have right to the respect, sympathy,
and protection of all men.
On the part Of Adam, this subjec-
ton of his wife to him implied that
he should accord to her, in full meas
ure, the enjoyment of the rights she
had acquired. It implied that all
husbands should do the same for their
wives, and that all men should re-
spect, protect, and sympathize with
all women.
This is the distinctive, social differ
ence between civilized man and a
beast, and so well is this difference
and obligation understood and ac-
cepted that mans removal from q