The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-06-29
uEGENDOF THECROSS
WOOD DERIVED FROM THE TREE or
LIFE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

|
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 q great age and
felt death approach, he called Seth ~
him and said: go, 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 / left
paradise Follow my blackened traces
and they will conduct you to the gate
whence I was expelled"
Seth fastened to paradise. The way
was barren, vegetation was scanty and
of somber colors. Over all lay the black
prints Of his fathers and mothers feet.
Presently the walls surrounding para
disc appeared. Around them nature re-
vived, the earth was covered with ver-
dure and dappled with flowers. The air
vibrated with beautiful music. Seth
was dazzled with the beauty which sur
rounded him, and he walked on forget
full Of his mission. Suddenly there
flashed before him wavering line OF
fire upright, like 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 a
word. But the heavenly being read in
his soul, better than mortal can read
book, the words which were there i'm
pressed, and he saidi
1.-The time Of pardon is not yet come.
Four thousand years must roll away be-
fore the Redeemer shall open the gate
to Adam, closed by his disobedience.
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-
sionp'
At these words the angel swung open
the great portal Of gold and fire and
Seth looked in.
He beheld fountain, clear as crystal,
sparkling like silver dust, playing in
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 frightful serpent or cater
pillar, which had scorched the bark and
deyoured the leaves. Beneath the tree
was a precipice. Seth behold 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 q
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 Tht
l tree had grown till its branches reached
heaven. The boughs were covered will
, leaves. flowers and fruit. But the fair
est fruit was little babe, living sun
!. who seemed to be listening to the song
( of seven white doves who circled abou
his head. A woman, more lovely thar
/ the moon, bore the child in her arms.
Then the cherub closed the door ant
: said: 81 give thee now three seeds takel
d from that tree. When Adam is dead
e Mace these three seeds in thy father
k mouth and bury him. F"
- So Seth took the seeds and returne'
o TO his father. Adam was glad to hea
what his son told him and praised God
% On the third day after the return
10 Seth he died. Then his son buried hir
It in the skins Of beasts which God ha
Il given him for covering, and his sepu
s cher was on Golgotha. In course OF tim
II three trees grew from the seeds brough
d from paradise One was cedar, anotf
re- or n cypress and the third pine. The
Is grew with marvellous force, thrustin
4. their branches to right and left. lt wa
a, with one of these boughs that Moses pc
be formed his miracles in Egypt, brougi
at water out of the rock and healed tho'
ne whom the serpents slew in the desert.
ne In the time of Solomon this was Il
e, noblest Of the trees Of Lebanon. 1t su
k nassed all in the forests Of King Hira
n as monarch surpasses those who crout
e. at his feet Now, when the son OF Dav
erected his palace he cut down this tr
to convert it into the main pillar su
porting his roof. But all in vain. II
IL column refused to answer the purpos
es II was at one time too long, at anoth
Is too short. Surprised at this resistanc
as solomon lowered the walls of his pala
he 70 suit the beam, but at once 1T shot
10 and MERGED the roof, like an arc
ST. driven through q piece Of canvas OF
ch bird recovering its liberty, Solomon 9
le- RACED, cast the tree over Cedron, that
~. might trample on it as they crossed {
" brook.
po' The queen of Sheba found it there a
ne recognizing it's virtue had it raised. .
me ONION then buried it. Some time al
ts' the king dug the pool Of Bethesda on
ids spot. This pond at once acquired mira'
no lous properties and healed the SICK W
ere locked to it. The water owed its Writ
nal 70 the beam which lay beneath 1t.
ep- When the time Of the crucifixion
ing Christ drew near this wood rose TO
Z surface and was brought out OF the
ing ter. The executioners, when seeking
ike suitable beam to serve for the Gre
his found Il and of il made the instrum'
as Of the death of the Saviour. After
mo cruciAxion it was buried ON oalva
but the mother Of Constantine the gre
the Empress Helena. found 1t deep
the ground with two others. ohrh
n is was distinguished from those CT
lree thieves by sick woman being cureo