Evening star., 1932-04-09
Sunday School Lesson
Rev. Hugh T. Stevenson.

father visited me during my student
days at Colgate, he wrote in my au-
tograph album these words that have
burned into my soul, which were Sc
lected from the sayings found IN
Proverbs, My son, when sinners enttce
thee, consent thou not" This advice
Is worthy of being followed today by
everybody.
The effect of their sin upon the un-
happy pair was disastrous. Their eyes
were open to behold, not something OF
beauty but their own nakedness. They
were overwhelmed by the evident max
edness of their soul. Their guilty dis
obedience had resulted in tearing from
their souls that pure and perfect
clothing Of innocence and unsullied
Righteousness" with which they were
clothed at creation. They then sought
to cover their nakedness not from one
another, but from Jehovah. They be-
came towards and hid themselves. They
fled from the presence of God, who
they took sorrowful leave of their first
behind them.
The First Gospel.
Modern men do not worry about sin.
Some one has suggested that their ap-
parent indifference is in reality nothing
more than smoke screen by which
they try to hide the problems that
perplex their souls 1t is this fact that
makes the records of Genesis priceless
for science, history and sociology, as
well as for moral and spiritual instruc-
ton. Underlying nearly every great
poem and work of fiction, we find that
the recovery of the soul is the motive
that has made them great in their
appeal.
If we would be free from the perpleX-
ing problems presented to us through
the punishment for our sins. we need
to take heed of our temptations and
keep ourselves pure and free from the
snares of sin. Leaving the garden be-
hind them, the guilty pair realized their
mistake. Men who count upon the love
and mercy Of God do not have the
foundation of Adam and Eve. Both OF
them we're created in the image OF
Jehovah They were endowed with
personalities and power to feel, think
and do 1t was necessary If they were
to develop that they should be given
the privilege of choice, so that they
could become capable Of enjoying low
ing fellowship with the Creator and
have a character like His.
Through their fall they lost their
original Righteousness. When they
were brought face to face with God
they were compelled to recognize their
own sin. They could not place the
burden upon others when the penalty
for their sin was imposed. They had
lost their perfect righteousness and
the privilege of perfecting their char
acterS. They were encouraged, as
every sinner may well be, by the first
gospel ever preached. 1t was contained
in Gods promise that the seed of the
woman shall stamp the serpent's head.
Turning over to the eighth chapter of
Romans, we find that everything that
was lost in the Garden of Eden has
been won for us by the gift Of Gods
love. Who shall lay anything to Gods
elect? No guilt. Who is he that con-
demneth? No condemnation. Who
shall separate us from the love OF
Christ? No separation.
Gods love for lost souls was seen
in the very commencement of the exile
from the garden of the guilty pair. His
confidence in the power Of the blood
of Christ to secure complete saliva
tion for the lost has been confirmed
by the records of the Scriptures and
the story of the Christian centuries.
Let us, realizing how far short we have
come of meeting the requirements of
God, repent of our sin and place our
faith in the Lord Jesus and henceforth
live for Him and His glory.