Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-15
The Tempter in eden.

Since a Methodist preacher in Chicago
is about TO be communicated be cause
he AYERS that the tempter Of Eve In the
garden OF Eden, was in mans shape, the
subject Of Ewes temptation and Adam s
fall is revived. in many quarters.
or course we know the word serpent
is used in the Bible-but II II was a rep
tile Il stood erect before the temptation
because the curse condemned II to creep
ing posture afterwards. This serpent had
articulate voice.
A snake has no voice or speaking ca
pacity. A snake is not beast-and this
beguiling serpent was cursed above all
cattle and every beast Of the field"-for
its sin.
whatever IL was, we are quite certain IL
was not like Adam. who was created In
the image Of God"
This serpent was more subtle than any
beast of the field which the Lord God had
made" says the Bible.
Dr. Adam Clarke. long ago decided that
this serpent was an ape. 1t is an estab-
lished fact that apes. outangs, gorillas and
chimpanzees are more nearly approach
ed to the anatomical structure of man,
than other animals. Therefore the rea-
soning of DR.. Clarke is allowable, at least
that far. They have feet and have hands.
The Encyclopedia tells me that the CHM
panzee can sit in a chair. can walk, and
we know them under the name of ser
pents) can do none Of these things. Apes
and all OF the ape family get along faster
on aIl-fours than standing erect. They
eat like human beings. and the hands are
much less delicate than mans. The aver
age chimpanzee is said to be five feet high
and covered with brown hair.
What the 'beguilement" really was, and
why the beguiling serpent was allowed to
60 into the garden to beguile Eve, / am
sure / cannot say. and doubt II anybody
can tell. Something happened after Adam
and Eve were installed in the garden.
that made them unworthy Of the favored
spot. and they were driven out. in dis
grace. The beguiling beast was the instru-
ment and the two who we're created in the
image Of God were the sufferers, after eat
ing the apples.
The breath of God was never breathed
into the beasts of the field but Adam
received this breath, and Eve was built
out Of Adams anatomy. and became the
mother of ''all the living" which evidently
means Of those who inherited this Won
derful breath" of the Almighty. This
breath Of God" evidently stanus for the
soul Of man, because the other animals
had life. had instinct and reproductive
capacity, then as now. This breath is the
eternal part Of human kind, the part that
does not die, which Is rewarded and also
punished. mere ana hereafter.
The serpent had sufficient mind to rea-
son with Adam and Eve. Is
Its sleek tongue was much In evidence.
II could not have been either repulsive
or unattractive to our foreparents. But
its attentions were dirRcted TO Eve. Her
objections were first overcome. as TO the
commission Of a disobedient act. Adam
laid the blame on the woman, but he did
what she did. and attempted to do what
she did, with a full understanding that
both disobeyed positive command of God
in the doing OF IL, and both were driven
out.
Cain was the first born son. He was
full OF hatred, envy and murder. He went
through life branded with an indelible dis
graceful mark Of some sort. He was a
fugitive and vagabond" on the face of
the earth. then. and IL any of his stock
or seed survived the food, they are the
same now. because there has been no re-
lief in the curse pronounced on Abers
slayer.
But the serpent or ape. or beguiling
beast Is heard of no more. The Apostle
Jude says: Two unto them for they have
gone in the way OF Cain. Cain was the
''blacksheep in the .amily Of Adam but
eternity will alone show us the name and
nature Of the tempter.