ADAM AND EVE DRIVEN FROM EDEN. 15

III.-ADAM AND EVE DRIVEN FROM EDEN.

GOD laid man's Sin and man's Curse on His own beloved Son; but Adam and Eve must leave their beautiful home in Eden. God had made it, for His obedient children; it was no place for Sinners. God forgave their sin, for His dear Son's sake, who bore the Curse for them, but they had now to learn what Sin is; they had rebelled against God, and all creation would now rebel against them. They had listened to the Tempter, and now the same Tempter would always be near to tempt them again, and they must learn by their Saviour's help to resist him, they must learn how to make the Tempter flee from them-by prayer to God against him; they must learn to overcome evil; and above all they must learn that they had now no power

in themselves to help themselves, but that only in God's beloved Son had they righteousness and strength.

Adam and Eve were driven out from Eden, and an Angel with a flaming sword kept the way against all return. They wandered forth into the lonely world, there to labour and toil for their daily bread. The beautiful trees no longer hung with ripe fruit over their heads; thorns and thistles grew up around them, instead of plants for food. They could not look down, or around, or above them, without being reminded of their sin. Storms gathered in the sky, instead of the refreshing dew from the Lord, which used to water Eden. They heard the angry roar of the wild beasts, and the fierce cry of the hungry bird of prey, and they watched it pursue some little gentle bird, which was afraid to fly to them for protection; and as they stood and saw it die, they could only feel that but for their sin it might have been safe in their care. The serpent crawled along the ground; and the Tempter was always near to persuade them to fresh acts of sin.

And now they began to feel weariness and pain, reminding them that God had said their bodies must decay and die, and return to the dust from which they were taken. A heart within them, no longer holy as God had made it at first; a body that they knew must die; a world around them no longer full of peace as before; all this made them feel the great sin of their disobedience. But they were not left comfortless; there was one still small voice which whispered in their hearts of a SAVIOUR, of FORGIVENESS, of HEAVEN: this was the voice of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. And they thought of the promise which God had given them, that a Child should be born into their lost world, who should bruise the head of their great enemy Satan, and deliver them from his power to tempt and to deceive. And sometimes in the evening, when Adam and Eve were tired with the labour of the day, and sat down to rest in the cool shade; and when the heavens looked calm and blue as they used to do in Eden, and they saw the sweet lilies of the field still springing up, though among the

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thorns; and some little bird, in the trees above their heads, would begin its evening song of praise to its great Creator;-the flowers of the field and the little bird would be messengers of peace to them, witnesses to the love of God, who in judgment had remembered mercy, and left these tokens of his love and blessing to cheer them in their way to Heaven. they must have wept, not for their lost Eden, but for grief that they had sinned against a God of love, and for thankfulness and joy that God had found a way of escape for them; a way by which they might pass from sin and death to His own holy Heaven, even through the blood of His beloved Son.

Adam and Eve had to learn many sorrowful lessons, but they were all needful lessons, teaching them their danger and their weakness. They thought before, that they could listen to evil without being led into it; but now they found there was no safety away from their Heavenly Keeper's side. Do you know why the little child takes such tight hold of our finger when it tries to walk? It is because it

knows that it will fall down if it does not hold fast; and this was the truth that Adam and Eve learned. They had been walking alone, and they fell, and they could never have risen up again, if God had not sent them a Mighty Helper, even His own beloved Son. The Lord Jesus lifted them up again, and they took hold of His hand, and He led them safely through life, and through death, up to His Father's bright kingdom in Heaven, and they are safe there for ever. The law of God is written in their hearts, and none of their steps can slide.

you

If you walk by yourself, you will not only fall into disobedience, but you will have no Saviour with you to wash from your sin. You must go to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus, and ask Him to hold you up, to teach you by His Holy Spirit, to wash you in His precious blood, and lead you to Heaven: then you also will be safe for ever.

Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.-MATT. xix. 14.