The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-19
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL
 LESSON
First Quarter. Lesson HI Genesis hh, 1-e, 1915. January 20, io0s.
 Mans Sin and Gods Promise.
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First Quarter. Lesson HI Genesis Hf,
 1-e, 13-l5. January 20, 1907.
 Mans Sin and Gods Promise.
 Genesis Third" is tars ct fairly shot through, not only with the darts of a vulgar infidelity, but the we'll aimed arrows of scholarly criticism. But, after all, the chapter Is urharm- ed It stands alone Tn literature. IL Is helpful toward the solution or an occult problem-the origin of evil ny some it Is accepted as literal history by others as a vivid pictorial and po- etical description of mans carry struggle with evil,
 Under either interpretation Adam ana Eve are represented as nobly endowed. They had a happy environment, ana were under the direct and daiiy tutei- age of their Maker. But they were on probation. In Eden the problem was solving whether they would per sist in choosing to obey God or not. test was given. It was simple. but adequate. and exactly suited to their estate. Of the fruit of one attractive and conspicuously- -located tree they were forbidden. The prohibition was so explicit, peremptory and oft-repeat- ed. that inadvertence was out or the question. Thou shalt not. was fair- Iy written upon the leaves of the tree.
 
 potent sign to God and angels, good and evil. of their conscious and volun- tary loyalty to God. Under this Adam ic covenant God stood ready for Ills part to supply grace sufficient: but Adam on his side, must choose to keep obeying God.
 We have no means of knowing how long the happy Eden life continued. The true idea of Adams state is prob- ably that which places him midway be- tween the savage and the sage. He was a iaborer but suffered not the ex- cessive weariness and vexauon incident to labor now. He was busy getting dominion" subduiag the triple king doms-earth. air. water; vegetable, ani- mal mineral. In the evening hour, when activities cease and the human heart is ever most impossible. he en- joyed immediate communion with his Creator, who corrected his mistakes and inspired him with new courage and love.
 At length, at seme period when mans tutelage was far enough advanced to make his chances for enduring the or deal most fav6fable, a crucial test was permitted. The outcome of the ordeal was not predestined defeat. Adam had a good fighting chance. He might have persisted in his love. trust obedience toward God. He ought to have. The odds were not against him. He had had overmastering examples of Gods s goodness constancy, wisdom. love. He ought to have been loyal.
 An overweening vanity determines man to lift himself in the scale of be- ing even If he must needs make the staircase out of the broken command ments of a loving Heavenly Father.
 The deed was done already in sub jectiye intent, in the deliberate and pleasurable entertainment of the suggestion of doing it. Flesh and eye had already lusted, and pride had pst the finishing touch. The manual act of reaching, touching. plucking. was only the objective complement of the mental determination. the other hemisphere of the full, black orb of sfn which rolled on Adam with its crushing weight.