The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-13
ABLE SERMON OF
il REV. W. G. WATKINS
Why Our First Parents Were Banished
from the Garden Of Eden.
IT WAS AN ACT OF MERCY BY GOD
First Indulgence in the Forbidden
Fruit Brought the Curse. the Second
Indulgence Would Have Made the
Curse IrrevOcabie and Irremediable.
Expulsion Precluded the Last and
Greatest Calamity and Made Re.
demptiOn Possible.


Greatest Calamity and Made Re.
demptiOn Possible.
Rev. w. G. Watkins, pastor Of the
Nortm Main Avenue Baptist church.
took for the theme of his discourse last
night the words: Forbidden to eat
of the tree of life lest they shall live
fovever." found in Genesis S:22-4. Dur
ing the course of his remarks Mr.. Wat
kinS said:
! need not rehearse the story of the fall.
its sad and peculiar interest to every one
makes 1t familiar. No thinking being can
be Indifferent to the first chapter of hu-
man sin: for thousands Of years the vol
ume has been growing In the variety and
complications of its plot, and its cast or
characters is so vast as to include every
individual of the human family. Many
actors have appeared Indifferent VINO
never comprehended the drama of life.
10 the thoughtful life is real tragedy,
and they lind themselves among the prin-
cipal characters, with happiness or misery.
honor or disgrace. life or death hanging
upon the issue. May God help us TO act
well our part so that when the volume
closes We shall be found among the Ia
vored in the palace OF the King.
THERE ARE TWO TREES.
Scripture teaches that there were In
Eden two trees distinguished in their ma
ture from all the other trees of the gar
den. viz, the tree OF the knowledge OF
good and evil and the tree of life. Before
sin had entered the human mind Gold told
Adam and Eve that they might eat of ev-
cry tree in Paradise, except one, that is,
the tree OF knowledge. They are not pro-
hibited to eat of the other tree. But after
SHINING they are prohibited to eat of the
tree of life, while nothing Is then said of
the tree OF knowledge. This is plain from
chapter ii, l6-l,; and the first part OF chap
ter ill., particularly the discussion be-
tween Eve and the serpent. The prohbi-
ton before sin relates to the tree of
knowledge, and the sin and curse resulted
from eating of that tree. In the latter
part Of the third chapter the conditions
are reversed; having eaten Of the tree Of
knowledge. God drives them out of Eden
SO that they may not eat of the tree of
life and live forever
What does this mean? Joseph Parker
says that these are words which no man
can fully understand" Yet, indeed, we
may touch. even though y may not conf
pass their meaning.
Is God opposed to mans living forever?
No. Has God become SO enraged that he
is casting them forth into death and
damna ton? God forbid. His mercy is
from everlasting 10 everlasting" But If
he is merciful why does He expel that sor-
rCwful. broken-hearted couple and thus
prevent their eating of the tree of life by
which they might live forever? ! answer:
If God had permitted them to eat, In that
condition OF the tree of life, we should
have the sad spectacle of men and women
living forever in bodily misery and sin.
Our condition would be as hopeless es that
of the fallen angels.
DEATH THE RESULT OF SIN.
Death is certainly the result of sin; and
this death Is o! Il twofold nature. 1t means
decay with its accompanying pain, and
the dissolution of the body and as to the
soul, IL means the pangs and remorse of
conscience. To eat of the tree OF life
would counteract the death sentence as
it related to the dissolution OF the body,
without removing sin and guilt. We
should thus be in position similar to the
Notwithstanding. suffering, remorseful, yet
living on in eternal despair except that
we should suffer as body and spirit, while
the demons suffer only as spirit
Fave you ever seen any one so miserable
that he earnestly prayed to die, and yet
could not die? Have you not often said
that it would be mercy II death should
come to his relief? Likewise it was a
mercy on Gods part to prevent mans in
terfering with the death sentence as at
first pronounced and for two reasons:
First. that the body may have rest from
pain for the time: and, secondly, that
God might have an opportunity In the full
ness of time to redeem both soul and body.
Sometimes an army have crossed the
river and burned the bridge behind 1t to
prevent the enemy from pursuing. But 10
their CONSERVATION they have discovered
that they have gone over into the enemy's
country. and the burned bridge makes II
impossible for themselves to retreat. Eve
thought TO become wise by her first act OF
disobed!ence, but soon discovered that she
had brought on herself misery and con-
tlemnation. She would once more put
forth her hand to partake of the tree Of
life. and thus eternally seal her captivity
and the last state would have been im-
measirably worse than thel first. One
more step. and the devil would have trt-
umphed over God upon Gods conditions.
But in wonderous mercy God prevented
their taking this last and fatal step. And
this is the meaning Of his ejecting them
from Bien-lest they should eat of the
tree Of life and settle eternally in their
doomed condition. Thus "in the midst of
wrath He remembers mercy
DID NOT LOVE REST.
But the exit from Eden did not save the
race. The first Indulgence brought the
CURSE the second indulgence would make
the curse irrevocable and irremediable;
while. the expulsion merely precluded
the last and greatest calamity and re-
tained the race In u condition in which
God might redeem it and destroy the
works of the devil.
The tree of life is type Of another Tree
of Life; but the type is only the faintest
suggestion OF that other which 1t typihes.
The one planted in Eden's fertile garden
points to the other on GOlgotha's barren
brow; while the fruit Of the one would
fix on the sinner his guilt forever, the fruit
of the other purses the guilt, pardons the
sinner, and propitiates the God against
whom the sin was committed. 1t WAS
mercy that hedgsd in the Edenic tree lest
our parents sink deeper and hopelessly in
despair: but IL was even greater mercy
that broke down the middle wall of parti-
ton and removed every hindrance to the
Tree of Calvary. and graciously bids us
come. eat. be- whole. and live forever. Of
the numerous traditions which connect
Christianity with heathenreligions, one Is
most beautiful and significant.
At Cadiz. an ancient Roman colony.
there was u pleasant garden consecrated
by mystic rites and ceremonies to heather
Worship In the midst of this garden
were two very remarkable trees which
grew out of the tomb of one of the non-
sters which Hercules overthrew and slew
one of the trees was of a mixeld nature
and 1t was said of 1t that 1t distilled drops
of blood
How unerringly does this point to the
living Tree. the real tree of Life! There
was sacred garden beyond the brook
Cedron at the foot of the Mount of Olives
where 1t was said of the Lord of life. that