Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-08-26

llRASlQK RUS2tlLy for Bible Students.
The Pastor took
for his text Gods message to Adam,
after the latter had become transgres-
sor In Eden, when he hid from his
Maker: "Where Art Thou, AdamT
Genesis i'll, 81. The speaker said in
part:
BE sure your sin will find you out"
Adam learned this lesson early In his
career. Highly favored by his Maker,
crowned with the glory and honor of
human perfection and the lordshlp of
earth, Adam had the offer Of everlast.
ing life, under Edenic conditions. But
while condemning his dlsobedlence we
cannot help sympathlzing with him
when we realize that the act Of dis
loyalty which brought the Divine sen.
tence upon Adam, and, by heredlty.
upon all of his race. was caused by
love for his wife.
The unynrnlshed narrative Is that
Mother Eve thirsted for knowledge,
and was not content to await the Al
mighty's time for giving them knowl-
edge, She hearkened to the Serpent's
plea that the Almighty was seeking
to keep herself and her husband in
ignorance by forblddlng them to par
take Of the fruit of the tree Of knowl-
edge She had not come to know the
benevolence OF her Maker. and that no
good thing would He withhold from
His Obedlent creatures. She had not
yet learned that the fruit Of that tree
was forbidden for time only and
that the premature eating Of It could
bring no blessing, but Divine dlsfavor.
The Apostle shows this when he de-
clares that Mother Eve wns deceived;
but with equal positlveness he de.
clares that Father Adam was not,
himself, deceived; that lie partook Of
the fruit knowingly, Intentionally, vii.
fully, and with a full realization Of
the dlsobedlent act which brought
upon him death-"Thc wages of sin Is
DEATH" "Thou shalt surely die" Ro.
mans VII %; Genesis ii. IN.
But while Adams net was one of
chlvalry was really Saicide because
Of love for his wife, who had trans
ed-nevertheiess, lt was an act
of dlsobedlence. lie should have had
loyalty to his Creator drst, above his
loyalty TO his Wife. Indeed, we have
reason to believe that Mother Ewes
transgresslon might have been can.
celled In some manner, since II was
committed under deception. Father
Adams course should have been to
remain loyal to God at all hazards,
and to have trusted to Divine love
and wisdom In respect to the results.
Everywhere the Scriptures lay stress
upon Adams dlsobedlence, which was
n wllful sin against light aud knoyl-
edge.
The sinners hid themselves In the
Garden, The inference is that, pre-
viously, they had enjoyed fellowship
and communion with their Creator,
but as soon as they slnned they real
lied their unworthlness Of Divine fel,
lowship-sln turned them away from
God. Instead of the happiness OF His
fellowship, they had discomfort and
evil forebodings OF estrangement. They
had lost their God. and, by virtue OF
their very nature, they would, Ia conse.
quence, be moasurnbly uuhnppy-one
of the principal elements OF their ma.
ture, thencefOtth, was hunger and
thirst for God. which was not graft
fed. A barrier had come between the
Creator and His creatures.
Estranssd From Birth,
The cstrNngement which our first
parents experienced, dating from the
time of their sin, Is one which all
mankind has inherited from them. The
Prophet David speaks OF this, saying
that the world Is eStranged from birth;
and, speaking OF himself. declares, Il
was shapen in lniQuity, IN sin did my
mother conceive me" psalm II. o.
God is not TO be charged with the
responsibility OF this estNngemeut
il comes 10 all us the result or out
y'orking OF sin. An are sinners and
all feel themselves unworthy OF the
fellowship Of their Creator, aud real
iae themselves undoseying OF His
blessing The fear which drove our
first parents TO hide has since then
driven many still further from God
MS they have delved yet more deeply
into sin, not only because of hcrcdity,
but also through taking perversc
course themselves. The fear has in.
creased, and today one OF the most
terrible maladies on earth Is fear
dread. II Is not surprising that we
find the heather, thousands OF mill
ions, fearing, dreading, not with that
fear which is the beginning ot wisdom.