The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-07-10
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
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FOR JULY ID.

FOH JUL ~.
Subject: beginning of Sin and Redemp.
ton, Gen. ILL.,, 1-1B-Golden Text, Rom.
w., 2o-Memory Verses, IA, 16-Com-
mentary on the Days Lesson.
!. 1.-THE serpent" That it was a real
serpent is evident from the plain and art.
less style of the history, and from the
many illusions made to it in the New
| Testament. More subtle" Serpents are
proverbial for wisdom. Matt 10: 10; But
these reptiles were at first probably Tar
superior in beauty as we'll as IN sagaclty
| to what they are in their present state:
HE said" There was in the p bosoms os3t o.
the first pair no principle of evil to work
upon. and this solicitation to sin came
| from without, as in the analogous case OF
Jesus Christ Matt. 4: 81; and as the
tempter could not assume the human form,
there being only Adam and Eve in the
| world, the agency of an inferior creature
| had to be employed. "Unto the woman" "
| Though sinless and holy, she was a free
| agent liable to be tempted. Hath God
said" Is it true that He hath restricted
you in using the fruits of this delightful
place? This is not like One 30 good and
| kind. Surely there is some mistake. he
| d
| Divine will.
2. "We may eat" Eve ressts the first
assault by looking at the largeness. of her
privileges. God has given US the fruit OF
the trees of the garden, there is vast
amount of pleasure for us, but Satan led
her to look at the one forbidden thing.
8. "lhe tree" The tree of the know!-
edge of good and evil. Gen. 2: II. 1t was
placed in the garden as a moral test. The
object was not to cause their d>wnfall,
but to test their integrity. Satan tempts;
God tests. Tempting implies a desire that
the tempted should yield and sin; testing
stand the test. "Shall not eat" Eve
! shows that she is not in doubt regarding
the restrictions placed upon them, or the
penalty that would follow if the command
were disobeyed.
4. "Shall not surely die" Satan now
comes out in his true character as the
father of lies" In this he tacitly appeals
to the fact of her own immortality, fact
which she may well be supposed to be
aware off, But God referred to spiritual
death, or separation from Himself-and
the devil knew this.
5. God doth know" The tempter re-
fleets upon God, as though He were unwill.
ing to permit them to enjoy the best
things. "Opened." And SO they were to
the fact that they had lost the purity Of
their moral character. Instead of being
open to new visions of happiness, wisdom,
| glory and knowledge, they were open only
to sin, misery and remorse. See vs.. Z, II:
"Shall be as God" (R. W The object Of
the tempter appears to have been to per-
suade our first parents that they should,
by eating of this fruit, become wise, and
powerful as God, and be able to exist for
ever, independently of Him.
6. Good for food" Corresponding to
"the lust of the flesh" "a delight to the
eyes" (R. w An appeal to the higher;
sense of beauty, "the lust of the eye;
Desired to make one wise: 1.-The PRIDE
last completely overthrown. The conhu-
ence of all these streams made such cur
rent as swept The feeble will completely
away; and blind, dazed, deafened by the
rush of the stream, Eve was carried over
the falls as a man might be over Niagara.
"Unto her husband" Adam sinned with
his eyes open. Paul says be was not de.
ceived. Tim. 2: "A.
7. Knew that they were naked" Prov
ing that they were no longer innocent Tor
innocence is a stranger to shame. They
were conscious of guilt and unworthinesss
in each others eyes, and in the sight OF
God. made themselves" Instead OF
turning to God for forgiveness they en-
deavored by their own efforts to cover
their sin and shame.
s. Heard the voice." The voice is
properly used here, for as God ls an lnfl'
mite Spirit, and can not be confined to any
form, SO He can have no personal appear
ance. They heard the sound of the divine
Going, such as was usual when God ap-
peared to them and conversed with them.
"Cool of the day" The evening, the Gus
tomary time Of worship. Hid them,
selves" Shame, remorse, fear-a sense OF
guilt-feelings to which they had hitherto
been strangers, disordered their minds,
and led them to shun Him whose approach
they used to welcome. -.
o. "Where art thou?" This question
proved two things. l. That man was lost.
2. That God had come to seek: Thus we
see mans sin, and Gods amazing grace.
10. "I was afraid" Sin makes towards
is full of evasion. He confesses not his
sin. but only his fear and shame at his
bodily nakedness. The question just asked
had given him opportunity to confess his
ain. ri hld myself" Adams apron could
not screen him from the eye of God, and
he could not stand in His presence naked ;
therefore he fed to hide himself. This is
what conscience will always do; it will
cause man to hide himself from God.
IL. "Who told thee" In admitting that
he was afraid and naked he unconsciousiy
l2. "The woman" Here we find him
actually laying the blame of his shameful
fall on the circumstances in which God
had placed him, and thus, indirectly, on
God Himself. This is ever the way. with
fallen man; every one and every thing IS
blamed but self.
II. "Bepuiled." Deceived me by fiat.
tering lies. This sin committed by Adam
and Eve was heinous and aggravated, 1t
| was not simply eating an apple, but love
If self. dishonor to God, ingratltude to a
benefactor, disobedience to the best OF
Masters-a preference of the creature to
the Creator. ;.
by many that before the fall the serpent
went upright, and had an entirely differ
ent form from that what he now mas;
others think that his form was the same,
but that after the fall "his attitude De,
came badge of shame and responsiveness. }"
From being a model of grace and elegance
i has become the type Of all that is odious,
Is. "Enmity." This enmity still exists:
mankind loathes and detests everything of
the serpent Kind. "Thy seed" Evil spirr,
it's and wicked men. "Her seed" An al
lusion to Christ and His church. "Bruisee
thy head" The serpent's poison is lod dged
in its head, and a bruise on that part. IS
fatal. Thus fatal shall be the stroke which
Satan shall receive from Christ, though
it is probable he did not at tlrst under
stand the nature and extent of his doom
"Bruise his heel" The serpent wounds
the heel that crushes him, and so Satan
would be permitted to afflict the human
ity of Christ and bring suffering and per-
secution on His people.
Population OF italian Cities.
According to the census taken few