The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-07-11


serpent is evident from the plain and art
less style Of the history, and from the
many illusions made to IL in the New
Testament. More subtle" Serpents are
proverbial for wisdom. Matt 10: le. But
these reptiles were at first probably far
superior in beauty as well as in sagacity
20 what they are in their present state.
HE said" There was in che bosoms Of
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
had to be employed. Unto the woman"
Though sinless and holy, she was free
agent liable to be tempted. Hath God
said" Ia IL true that He hath restricted
you in using the fruits Of this delightful
place? This is not like One so good and
kind. Surely there is some mistake. He
insinuated a doubt as to her sense of the
Divine will.
2. I'VE 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 a vast
amount of pleasure for us, but Satan led
her to look at the one forbidden thing.
.. lDe tree. ne Tree OF Lne KnOWl-
edge of good and evil Gen. 2: II. 1t was
placed in the garden as moral test The
object was not to cause their downfall,
but to test their integrity. Satan tempts;
God tests. Tempting implies a desire that
the tempted should yield and sin; testing
implies the desire that the tested should
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 Of But God referred to spiritual
death, or separation from Himself-and
the devil knew this
8. 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 tnat 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.. 7, IL.
'Shall be as God" '(R. W The object of
the tempter appears to have been to per
susde our first parents that they should,
by eating of this fruit, become wise and
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" "The pride
of life" See John 2: l6. She was at
last completely overthrown. The conhu-
| ence of all these streams made such a 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 he was not de-
ceived. l Tim. 2: Ia.
Z. knew that they were naked" Prov
ing that they were no longer innocent, for
innocence is stranger to shame. They
were conscious of guilt and unworthiness
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 is an inf
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 APP
peared to them and conversed with them
''Cool of the day" The evening, the GUS
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.
9. "Where art thou?" This question
proved two things. |. That man was lost.
,. That God had come to seek. Thus we
see mans sin, and Gods amazing grace
10. 81 was afraid" Sin makes towards
of men. Because" etc. Adams reply
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 rs
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 unconsciously
acknowledged his sin.
I2 "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.
tering hes. This sin committed by Adam
and Eve was heinous and aggravated. 1t
was not simply eating an apple, but love
of self, dishonor to God, ingrattude to
beneiactor, disobedience to the best of
Masters preference of the creature to
the Creator.
IA. "Thou art cursed" 1t is believed
by many that before the fall the serpent
went upright and had an entirely differ
ent form from that what he now has;
others think that his form was the same,
but that after the fall 'his attitude be.
came badge of shame and responsiveness"
From being model of grace and elegance
it has become the type of all that is odious,
disgusting and low.
Is. "Enmity." This enmity still exists;
mankind loathes and detests everything of
the serpent kind. "Thy seed" Evil spir-
its and wicked men Her seed" An al
lusion to Christ and His church. "Rruise
thy head" The serpent's poison is lodged
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 first 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 affiict the human
ity of Christ and bring suffering and per-