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never read of a serpent that spoke after this manner. Some say that the serpent at that time walked, or went upright, this is proba ble, because he was punished afterwards by being made to creep on his belly. He said unto the woman, yea bath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden." Eve does not appear to have been the least afraid of this serpent, nor yet surprised to hear it speak, but it was Satan that spoke in the serpent. Therefore the devil is called in Scripture that old serpent, and he is also called a dragon, which is a kind of flying serpent with two legs. This might possibly be the shape or form in which the ser pentappeared to Eve. Well, this was the tempter. He seemed to inquire if it was true what God had said, they should not eat of every tree in the garden. He seemed to own that God had power to forbid the use of any of the trees of the garden, and only to inquire of Eve if he had done so or not. He seemed as if he was surprised; hath God given you the fruit of all the trees in the garden except the fruit of this one tree. As if he had said, surely this must be a mistake, it cannot be God that hath said these words, it must be some

other

other being, who had no right to give such a command. And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. Satan had the boldness to tell the woman that this would not be the case. He denied that there was any truth in what God hah said. " And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die." He also told her that God only envied their happiness, and that was the reason why he had forbidden them to eat of this tree. "God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened (this was true,) but then he adds another lie to the one he had already told, " and ye shall be as Gods (like God he meant,) knowing good and evil," this was partly true and partly false. He was a liar from the begin

the father of lies,

ning. Satan is called because the first lies that were told, were told by him.

2. There was a great TEMPTATION. This was the tree of knowledge, of good and evil, The fruit of this tree. Two things appeared

to

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to be exceedingly desirable. The hope of sudden and universal knowledge. Eve could not forget the last words of the serpent, "ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. This was very desirable certainly. Every child that goes to school, does it with the hopeof gaining knowledge. It was not the know ledge that was sinful. But the doing that which God commanded them not to do. There was also a prospect of indulging the appetite, she began to wish for the forbidden fruit, only to taste it. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food," so were all the other trees, why should this be any better than the rest. Would God who was so good, have kept them from eating of the best fruit in the garden. No, he was too good to be thus unkind to those he loved so much. This fruit looked so delicious and so beautiful; "it was pleasant to the eyes," but it was forbidden. "The wise man says, that stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. If this be true of bread" and water, how much more of the fruit of this tree, "it was a tree to be desired to make one wise." Who is there that does not wish to

be wise. Not one. But many desire wisdom, because that is the principal thing. "She took of the fruit thereof and did eat." Why did she do this, Alas! she did do it, and we have felt the effects of her taking and eating this fruit ever since we were born. Not only did she eat of this fruit, but Adam also, and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. The serpent tempted Eve, and Eve tempted Adam. Perhaps Eve told Adam what the serpent had said. Adam hearkened to the voice of Eve, rather than the voice of God. He eat the forbidden fruit, thus he disobeyed the command of that God who had said, "Thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."

3. Let us now attend to the CONSEQUENCES of their eating this forbidden fruit. "Their eyes were opened." They saw their nakedness, they were sensible of their nakedness. The nakedness of their bodies was only a faint representation of the nakedness of their souls. They were now stripped of their former innocence, holiness and happiness, and "they sew ed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons," coverings or girdles. They could

easily find large leaves in the garden. The long leaves that come in the tea chests from China, might easily be plaited or woven together, and thus make the covering they needed. Thus was the first dress made of leaves, no muslins and shawls were then made.

Why should our garments made to hide
Our parents shame, provoke our pride;
The art of dress did never begin
Till our own Mother learn'd to sin.

When first she put the cov❜ring on,
Her robe of innocence was gone,
And yet her children vainly boast
In the sad marks of glory lost.

Watts.

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his Wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Why this fear? How ignorant was Adam now. Did he not know that the eyes of the Lord are in every place, that God is present every where? God called Adam; not that he did not know where he was, but this was to make him sensible of his fault. He said unto him, Where art thou? Adam found that he was discovered. He

was