Genesis 3
You remember that God put Adam and Eve in a pretty garden. There they both lived happily. They never quarreled with each other; they were never sick nor in pain. Adam worked in the sweet garden; but not so hard as to tire himself. His work was quite pleasant, for it was never too hot nor too cold in that sweet garden; and there were no weeds nor thistles growing in the ground.
You know there was one tree of which Adam might not eat. The name of the tree was "The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
God had said, that if Adam ate of it, he should die. Adam and Eve might eat of all the other trees in the garden.
Do you not think that they had fruit enough without eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? They did not wish to eat of it, as God had told them not to They loved God. He was their Friend, and used to walk and talk with them in the garden. Now, you shall hear how Adam and Eve grew wicked.
You know that there are a great many wicked angels; one of them is called "Satan," and he is the prince of the wicked angels. Satan knew that if Adam and Eve grew wicked, they would die. Satan hated them, and wished to make them unhappy; so he thought, "I will try to persuade them to eat that fruit which God has told them not to eat." So Satan put on the body of a serpent, and came into the garden.
He saw Eve; he pretended to be kind, and said to her, "Why do you not eat of the fruit?”
But she said, God has told us not to eat of that fruit, and that if we do, we shall die.”
But the serpent said, "No; you shall not die; but this fruit will make you wise, like God.”
The woman was afraid to eat; but she looked, and thought the fruit nice; she looked again, and thought it pretty; and she thought, "I should like to eat it." So she took the fruit and gave some to Adam.
Sad was that hour no more happy days for Adam and Eve. They were grown naughty; they knew they had done wrong; they were afraid of seeing God. Soon they heard His voice m the garden; they went and hid themselves among the thick trees., They wished they had some clothes to cover them; but they had only some leaves that they sewed together.
God called Adam, and said, "Adam, where art thou?”
Then Adam said, "I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Then God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of that tree?”
Then Adam said, "The woman you gave me to be with me, she gave me of the tree, arid I did eat.”
God said to the woman, "What is this that thou hast done?”
And she said, "The' serpent deceived me, and I did eat.”
God was angry with them all, but most of all with the serpent. God cursed him, and said, "You shall always crawl on the ground, and eat dust.”
Then God said to the woman, "You shall often be sick, and Adam shall be your master, and you must obey him.”
And God said to Adam, "You shall work hard, and dig the ground; thorns and thistles shall grow; you shall have bread to eat; but you shall be obliged to work so hard that drops of sweat shall often stand upon your forehead; you shall be sad while you live, and at last you shall die; your body was made of dust, and it shall turn into dust again.”
What sad punishments these were! How sad Adam and Eve must have felt when they heard them I But this was not all. They were not allowed to stay in the pretty garden. God drove them out, 'and God would not let them come into the garden again; so he desired an angel with a fiery sword to stand near it. Yet God showed His pity by giving them clothes made of skins of beasts. They had tried to make clothes of the leaves of the trees, but God gave them better clothes.
Where do you think the souls of Adam and Eve must go when their bodies were dead? To Satan? That was what Satan hoped; but the blessed Lord Jesus had promised His Father to come down and save Adam and Eve and their children from hell.
Adam and Eve knew that a child should one day be born, who should save people from going to hell.
So they had some comfort in their hearts when they went out of the garden.
It was a long while before Jesus did make Himself a little child, and did come into this world, but at last He came, and died upon the cross.
My little children, was it not very kind of Jesus to say that He would come and die for us? Ought we not to love Him very much?
Hymn 2
How pleasant once was Adam's toil
In Eden's cool retreat!
But now he tills a thorny soil,
And faints beneath the heat.
How lovely Once (how altered now!)
Were Adam's form and face!
Bright was that eye, and smooth that brow,
Now clouded by disgrace.
His hair turns gray, his body stoops
Beneath the weight of years;
And Eve with pain and sickness droops,
And from her eyes flow tears.
Yet murmur not, O wretched pair,
Against the Lord most High;
He made you happy, good, and fair,
And warned you not to die.
And now He kindly promises
To wash your sins away,
And let you taste of happiness
Which never shall decay.
This promise, too, will cost Him dear,
(But oh! His love is great);
His only Son must suffer here,
And die 'midst scorn and hate.
A sweeter paradise is won,
Than you in Eden lost;
There God shines brighter than the sun,
Amidst His heavenly host.
A few more years of suffering past,
Your souls shall reach that shore
Your bodies, at the trumpet's blast
Shall rise to die he more.