loving kindness. But, before entering upon this part of the subject, it may be necessary to make some few remarks as to what must necessarily be the capacity and circumstances of this newly-made man; we may otherwise be led into some of those mistaken notions which have already led so many into error; and by laying down false premises be betrayed into erroneous conclusions. Many have supposed that Adam was created, not only perfect in form and in the full possession of all his animal powers, but that he was equally perfect in mind and character, and have thence been led to draw the most absurd and dangerous conclusions. Nothing in the history is said of these things: we are merely informed that he was made man, and had the functions of life given to him. With regard to his mind, as we take it to be clear that man has no ideas but those which he receives through the medium of his senses, must not the mind of Adam have necessarily been a mere blank? A man in stature—and the same probably in the organization of his intellectual faculties-could he have been more than a mere child in experience and knowledge? As such a being then it is that we are to examine the conduct of God towards him, if we wish to have a just conception of its tendency, or to judge correctly of its propriety. Adam then is a Adam then is a man without knowledge or experience; and, of course, exposed to every danger, whether from ferocious animals, or poisonous fruits, or herbs. What might we expect that a wise and benevolent being would do to protect such a man from destruction? We turn to the history, and find (ch. ii. v. 8) that "the Lord God "(had) planted a garden, and there he put the man whom he "had formed; and out of the ground (had)* made the Lord "God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and" (even) "the tree of knowledge of good and evil." God having thus prepared a place suited to his circumstances, where there grew nothing but what was pleasing to the sight and good for food; where, from his ignorance, he could be in no danger of plucking poisonous fruits, or any thing deleterious, all such having been carefully excluded from the place of his residence; then "the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it." Thus by employment, at once pleasant and appropriate, 66 66 * This should be, according to good critics, in the past tense. teaching him habits of industry, and a knowledge of useful fruits and herbs, so that when the time arrived when he was to go forth into the world he might be enabled to distinguish those things which were fit for food, from others with which he was not acquainted. This point, so important for the security of the life and person of our first parent, being gained, the next step which reason would dictate, would be to take means for the improvement of his mind; and as, from the paucity of his ideas, and the very peculiar circumstance in which he was placed, but few moral lessons could be suitable, we should expect to find that his first lesson would be simple, and such as a being like him could be expected to comprehend; to teach him probably that he was a dependent creature, and that he owed obedience to the being who had given him existence, and had so munificently provided every thing which would make that existence a blessing. Accordingly we find (verses 16, 17) that the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good or evil thou shalt not eat of it, for in the "day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." As though he had said-I give you full liberty to eat of every tree but one; abstinence from that one I command, as a test of your obedience; it will be to you a tree whereby you will have the knowledge whether you are doing evil or good; and as I impose on you only this simple restriction, a disobedience to it will aggravate the offence; and, in the very day you eat you shall surely forfeit your existence. Let it be remembered that we have no evidence whatever that there was any thing in the quality of the tree, either good or evil, capable in itself of destroying or preserving life; the name, we may therefore fairly infer, was given it because of the consequences resulting from their eating or refraining. There can be little doubt but that the Deity knew that they would eat the forbidden fruit; but it was a part of his benevolent plan, thereby to teach the difference between good and evil, and to make the way easy for that change of circumstances which, for their own benefit and that of their posterity, it was necessary they should experience. As well, therefore, as being a tree of knowledge it was also to them a tree of life; inasmuch as their eating or refraining was to be the means either of preserving or forfeiting that life which had been given to them. Thus protected in person, and instructed in mind, the next natural and necessary step, both for the comfort of the gar individual and the peopling of the earth, is to procure him a partner of his own species. We find, therefore, (v. 18) that " the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be "alone; I will make him an help meet for him;" or, as the margin reads, as before him; he having, no doubt, observed that all other animals had their mates, for in the next verse it is represented that "God caused every living thing to pass "before him," either all that were created, in vision probably; or, if in reality, only such domestic animals as were in the den, "and that he gave names to them; but for Adam" (among them all) "there was not found an help meet for him." This procession, no doubt, was benevolently intended to teach him a moral lesson, and to call forth his wishes for a mate of his own species. This wish for a partner being strongly excited in the mind of Adam, and God having determined to fulfil that desire, we may reasonably expect that the fulfilment would be accompanied with all those circumstances which, by giving eclat, as it were, to the event, would teach him the close and endearing nature of the connexion which should subsist between man and wife, and inspire in his bosom feelings of love and affection towards the female to whom he was to be united. The history most amply fulfils all our expectations on this head; in this, as in every other transaction of Deity with Adam, we see a pursuance of the same wise and benevolent plan, in order to enlarge his mind, call forth his best dispositions, and perfect his character. "The Lord God" (we are told, v. 21) "caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one "of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and of the "rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man, and Adam, said this "is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be "called woman, because she was taken out of man." This, I would suggest, was probably a dream of Adam's, produced during the deep sleep which the Lord God had caused to fall upon him;" and intended to convey to him an idea of the closeness of that tie by which he was to be bound to the woman; and strongly to excite in his mind feelings of tenderness and affection towards a being who was thus, as it were, a part of himself, being, indeed, "bone of his bone, and flesk of his flesh." 66 It may here be remarked, by the way, that although, from the brevity of the history, events are necessarily spoken of in rapid and immediate succession; yet that it by no means follows that they really occurred so closely together, it being possible, for aught we know to the contrary, that months, and even years, may have intervened between some of the events thus spoken of. That the actual formation of the woman took place at the same time with that of the man, we have already seen some occasion to conclude; though why, or for what length of time, they were afterwards kept apart, can only be a matter of reasonable conjecture. Is it not probable that a considerable period of time elapsed, and that both the man and the woman, in this complete infancy of their intellect, were each separately undergoing, by the situation in which they were placed, such a course of moral discipline, as should prepare them for that connexion and for those circumstances, both of enjoyment and of trial, which were necessarily consequent upon their union? When a construction then so consistent with the character of Deity with his wisdom, his justice, and his benevolencecan be so fairly put upon passages of scripture like the present, why should we turn a deaf ear to such an interpretation, and listen, in preference, to the pernicious-the unfounded, and even the impious-the blasphemous doctrines which are attempted by the most forced interpretations to be deduced therefrom? Why should we go out of the way so to render the scriptures as that they should represent the wise and benevolent author of all things as forming plans which are weak, futile, and cruel in their nature and effects, as being, indeed, a wrathful and a revengeful tyrant? For such he is surely represented in the doctrines I have referred to at the commencement of this Essay-those of the fall of Adam; of the temptation by the devil; and of the condemnation of the whole human race in consequence of original or birth sin, arising from the disobedience of their first parent. What I have hitherto stated has been in the way of introduction, of explanation only; in a second Essay I propose proceeding to a consideration of the temptation of Eve, and what is commonly regarded as "the fall of "man." I trust that, to every rational mind, I shall be able to shew that no such doctrine is here taught, or communicated; the whole being a simple narrative of a single fact in the life of Adam, relating to himself alone, and in no way affecting the nature or deciding the fate of his posterity: and in some future remarks, I may, perhaps, take occasion to carry on the subject still further, by a reference to the New Testament writings, with a view to shew that there also the same doctrines are equally without foundation and authority. L T. WISDOM. A PARAPHRASE.-PROVERBS, CHAP. 8th. HEAR me, ye sons of men! 'tis Wisdom cries, Ye simple-minded, hear me! fools attend! Seek Wisdom and not rubies; learn to hold The paths of peace are mine; the ways of truth; Tread them betimes-mark them from earliest youth. Evil and pride-the false, deceitful part, Are vile abominations to my heart. Those that love me I love-that seek me find; Mine the creations of the forming mind. Counsel is mine, and justice; skill and thought; By me the head has planned-the hand has wrought. Who findeth me finds life, and shall obtain The blessings of an everlasting reign God's love and favour. He whose froward breath I was from everlasting-e'er the sun Or e'er the earth was born-or mountain-steep |