Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-05-15
LEGENDOF THECROSS
WOOD DERIVED FROM THE TREE OF
LIFE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

Crucifxion of Christ Which Was Recited
In the Middle Ages-How Seth Got a
Glimpse of Paradise.
When Adam was banished from par
adise, he lived in penitence, endeavor-
ing to expiate the past by prayer and
toll. When he reached great age and
felt death approach, he called Seth to
him and said: eco, my son, to the ter
restrial paradise and ask the archangel
who keeps the gate to give me balsam
which will save me from death. You
will easily find the way, because my
footprints scorched the soil as lett
naradise, Follow my blackened traces
and they will conduct you to the gate
whence was expelled.
Seth fastened to paradise. The way
was barren. vegetation was scanty and
Of somber colors. Over all lay the black
nrints of his fathers and mothers feet
Presently the walls surrounding para
disc appeared Around them nature re-
viyed, the earth was covered with YER
dure and dappled with flowers. The ar
yibrated with beautiful music. Seth
was dazzled with the beauty winch sur
rounded him, and he walked on forget
f,,l If his mission. Suddenly there
flashed before him wavering line OF
fire upright, like a serpent OF light con-
tinuously quivering. 1t was the flaming
sword in the hand Of the cherub who
guarded the gate.
AS Seth drew nigh he saw that the
angels wings were expanded SO as to
block the door. He Frustrated himself
before the cherub, unable to utter
word. But the heavenly being read Ill
his soul, better than mortal can read
a book, the words which were there i'm
pressed, and he said:
1.-THE time of pardon is not yet come.
Four thousand years must roll away De-
fore the Redeemer shall open the gate
to Adam, closed by his dlsobedlence.
But as a token of future pardon the
wood whereon redemption shall be won
shall grow from the tomb OF thy father'
BEHOLD what he lost by his transgres-
sionr'
At these words the angel swung open
the great portal of gold and fire and
Seth looked i'll.
He beheld fountain, clear as crystal,
sparkling like silver dust, playing i'll
the midst of the garden, and gushing
forth in four living streams. Before
this mystic fountain grew mighty
tree. with trunk of vast bulk and
thickly branched, but destitute OF bark
and foliage. Around the bole was
wreathed a frightful serpent or cater
pillar, which had scorched the bark and
deyoured the leaves. Beneath the tree
was a precipice. Seth beheld the roots
of the tree in hell. There Cain was
striving to grasp the roots and Chamber
up them into paradise, but they laced
themselves around the body and limbs
of the fratricide as the threads OF a
spiders web entangle fly, and the
| fibers of the tree penetrated the body OF
| Cain as though they were endowed with
| life. Horror struck at this awful sight
Seth raised his eyes to the summit Of
the tree. There all was changed. The
tree had grown till its branches reached
heaven. The boughs were covered with
leaves, flowers and fruit. But the fair
est fruit was little babe, a living sun,
who seemed to be listening to the songs
of seven white doves who circled about
his head. A woman, more lovely than
the moon, bore the child in her arms.
Then the cherub closed the door and
said: 81 give thee now three seeds taken
from that tree. When Adam is dead,
place these three seeds in thy fathers
mouth and bury him. -
So Seth took the seeds and returned
to his father. Adam was glad to hear
On the third day after the return of
Seth he died Then his son buried him
in the skins Of beasts which God had
given him for covering, and his sepul-
cher was on Golgotha. In course of time
three trees grew from the seeds brought
from paradise. One was a cedar, anoth-
er cypress and the third a pine. They
grew with marvellous force, thrusting
their branches to right and left. 1t was
with one Of these boughs that Moses per-
formed his miracles in Egypt, brought
water out Of the rock and healed those
whom the serpents slew i'll the desert.
In the time of Solomon this was the
noblest of the trees Of Lebanon. 1t SUR
passed all in the forests of King Hiram
as monarch surpasses those who crouch
at his feet. Now, when the son of David
erected his palace he cut down this tree
to convert it into the main pillar sup
porting his roof. But all in vain. The
column refused to answer the purpose.
1t was at one time too long, at another
too short. Surprised at this resistance,
Solomon lowered the walls of his palace
to suit the beam, but at once it shot up
and pierced the roof, like an arrow
driven through a piece Of canvas or a
bird recovering its liberty. Solomon, en-
ragged, cast the tree over Cedron, that all
might trample on it as they crossed the
brook.
The queen of Sheba found it there and
recognizing its virtue had it raised. Sol
ONION then buried it. Some time after
the king dug the pool of Bethesda on the
spot. This pond at once acquired miracu-
lous properties and healed the sick who
f1ocked to it. The water owed its virtues
to the beam which lay beneath it.
| When the time of the crucifxion of
Christ drew near, this wood rose to the
surface and was brought out of the Wa
ter. The executioners, when seeking a
suitable beam to serve for the cross,
found it and of it made the instrument
of the death Of the Saviour. After the
crucifixion it was buried on Calvary,
but the mother of Constantine the Great,
the Empress Helena, found it deep in
the ground with two others. Christ's
was distinguished from those of the
thieves by sick woman being cured by
5ouching it.-Baring Gould's myths
IF the Middle Ages"