Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-01-14
|THE FIRST HONAKS MISTAKE
WHAT EYES FALL BROUGHT TO
MANKIND.
Stirring Sermon At College Avenue Bap-
fist Church.

AttA <n4ANs
Although the storm Of last night
somewhat intenered with the attend
ancc at church, a congregation 81 fair
~ good numbers listened with interest
10 the sermon At College avenue Bap-
fist Church on the theme Fatal Mis-
takes Of the First Woman. The
minister. Rev. Thomas p. Holloway.
preached from the text Genesis, third
chapter. second and third verses. He
said in part
Thanks to the untiring and self
sacrificing efforts Of psychologists the
true geographical location Of the Gar
den OF Eden has been ascertained. The
discovery and translation OF cunei-
form Inscriptions clearly prove the
plain Of Babylonia 10 have been the
scene OF the opening act of the tragedy
OF human sin.
ssIgye was the FIRST 70 be tempted and
the first TO fall although Adam was a
close second on this terrific dash TO
destruction. The study of the first
" oman's fatal mistakes is OF present
practical concern to us all for we all,
both men and women. are strikingly
like our mother Eve in our natural
bent toward sin. Were "a photograph
Of our moral natures placed by the
biblical picture of Eve during her
temptation and fall the marked resem-
blance would exhibit no cause for self
eongratulation in any one of us.
'-Ths first fatal mistake was the
refusal TO listen 10 the enticements
OF questionable COMPANY in fire rN-
sence OF her husband. ii five could
have been trusted 20 resist the
Establishments of sin and economize
in the exercise OF her vocal apparatus
in the absence of Adam, the history
of the world would have unfolded a
| far different story from that which
recounts the horror of the fall and
the necessity for Calvary.
. Ewes second mistake was indul-
gence in a fatal curiosity. The thirst
| for knowledge normally exercised is
altogether commendable because with
out it there could be no human pro-
gress. But an abnormal desire to see
and taste of the prohibited thing is
cursed curiosity, and although il first
came 10 baneful activity in Eve, il
has not been altogether confined TO
her daughters since that woeful mo-
ment. Sinful curiosity is masculine
as we'll as feminine.
Ewes third fatal mistake was the
harboring of "A contemplate suspicion
of the unqualified beneficence of God
because he had forbidden Adam and
her the privilege of eating from one
tree out of all the hundreds and hum
dreds .of the luscious fruit-bearing
trees OF that first paradise. Because
one thing was withheld from her all
| the lavish wealth of the divine pro-
vision for Adams and her health,
happiness and prosperity was dis
counted in her eyes, and before the
serpent she gave expression to her
imaginary grievance against the loving
Creator. And, while all which God
allowed was undervalued, the one
thing prohibited was made to be the
all desirable, and no true happiness
could conie unless she could have
| that also. God save us all from the
greed of selfishness which leads the
soul to turn back on whole Eden
full of divine blessings to yearn
with cankering covetousness to eat
of the fruit of the tree of the knowl-
edge of good and evil which is in the
midst of the garden.
Ewes final mistake and the one
which led sin to give God the lie and
say IF We eat We shall not surely
die so opening the waysfor the open
sin, was rash modification in her
own mind of Gods direct and divine
| ly earnest statement "In the day that
thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die. - God ssaid surely die the
most emphatic and solemn way to put
the fact of the inevitable consequence
of sin. Eve lin puiporting TO quote
God said 'lest We die. She weaken
ed the statement in the attempt TO ar
que away the iDevitableness of law.
And SHINING humanity has been
persuing the same course ever since.
The sinner endeavors to weaken the
fear of punishment and in so doing
is easy prey to the lie of hell, that
there is no hell. ''Ye shall not sure
ly die. But blessed be the love di-
vine the seed of the woman in Jesus
Christi has bruised the serpent's head
and fatally wounded sin.