circumstance is explained by other parts of Scripture, in which we find the Devil mentioned as the old serpent that tempted mankind; Satan entered into the body of the serpent, and under that disguise addressed the woman, and mankind through his temptation became sinners. They had now forfeited eternal life, and were subject to death.

The eyes of the first pair were indeed opened; they knew evil as well as good; but instead of finding themselves gods, they knew and felt that they were poor, naked, helpless, wretches, who had nothing in the world that they could call their own. Instead of being, as God created them, the highest creatures in the world, the next in degree to angels, they had sunk themselves beneath the brutes, for they had spoiled the goodness of their nature. This change in the condition of Man is called the fall of man from a state of innocence.

Questions.---How came the serpent to be able to talk to the woman about God's commandments? [Ans. The Devil entered into it.] Did the woman eat of the forbidden fruit ? 6. [Ans. Yes.] Did the man eat of it also? [Ans. Yes.] What did mankind become through the temptations of the Devil? [Ans. They became sinners.] What is sin? [Ans. The breaking of God's commandments.] What did they become subject to by sinning? [Ans. Death.] How so? [Ans. Because death is the punishment of sin.] What did Adam and Eve hear in the garden? 8. [Ans. The voice of the Lord God.] Do not you think it must have been a great happiness to them while they were innocent, to hear the voice of their Creator? [Ans. Yes.] Did this glorious voice fill them with joy, after they had broken the commandment of the Lord? 9. [Ans. No.] What did it fill them with? [Ans. Fear and dread.]

Read verse 9 to 20.

Explanation.--When mankind had committed sin, they had nothing to look for, according to the Covenant of Works, but everlasting death; but God had graciously resolved to send his Son into the world to redeem them. He therefore took them into the Covenant of Grace, a covenant of mercy to sinners, by promising that the seed of the woman, meaning our Lord Jesus Christ, should bruise the serpent's head, or destroy the works of the Devil. And the Lord God, instead of condemning mankind to instant and everlasting death, remitted the worst part of their punishment, by condemning them only

to the death of the body. In order to confirm mankind in, the belief of this Divine Promise, the Lord wrought a miracle, by changing the nature of the serpent, which proved that he could punish the Devil as he had threatened, by means of the seed of the woman. Though mankind did not perish the day they ate of the forbidden fruit, they might be said to die, because they were subject to death from that time. The sentence upon the woman condemned her to pain, sorrow, and subjection. In his state of innocence, Man had no hard work to do; the earth was under a blessing, and in Paradise it supplied him with every thing that was pleasant to the eyes and good for food, without toil or labour. By cursing it for man's sake, good took away the blessing, and the earth then brought forth abundantly things that were not good for food; and Man was obliged from that time to labour hard to cultivate the fruits of the earth.

Questions.---What was mankind subject to as soon as they had eaten of the forbidden fruit? [Ans. Everlasting death.] What had God graciously resolved to do in order to save their souls? [Ans. To send his Son to redeem them.] What Covenant did God take mankind into after Adam had broken the Covenant of Works? [Ans. A Covenant of Grace.] What kind of a Covenant is that? [Ans. A covenant of mercy to sinners.] What promise did God make when he took mankind into this covenant? 15. [Ans. That the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head.] Who was meant by the seed of the woman? [Ans. Our Lord Jesus Christ.] Who was meant by the serpent that was to be bruised? [Ans. The Devil.] What was meant by bruising his head? Ans. Destroying his works.] What was the first of the Devil's works in respect to mankind? [Ans. Tempting them to sin.] What miracle did God work to confirm the belief of what he had promised to do? [Ans. God changed the nature of the serpent.] Do serpents still go upon their bellies? [Ans. Yes.] Cannot God as easily punish the Devil as he changed the serpent? [Ans. Yes.] What work had man to do in a state of innocence? [Ans. To dress the garden of Eden, and to keep it.] What was the earth under at that time? [Ans. A blessing.] What is meant by God's cursing the ground? 17. [Ans. Cutting off his blessing from it.] What was it to bring forth abundantly when it was cursed? [Ans. Thorns and thistles.] Are these good for man to eat? [Ans. No. What was man to eat after the fall? 18. [Ans. The herb of

Were these things to [Ans. No; he was to How long was man to [Ans. Till he should re

the field and bread.] What is bread? [Ans. Food made of corn and other fruits of the earth.] grow without any trouble to man? eat them in the sweat of his brow.] eat bread in the sweat of his brow? turn unto the ground.]

Read verse 20 to the end. Explanation.The woman was not named Eve at the creation; this was her proper name, given to her by Adam, which has served to distinguish her from all other women. It seems that when mankind were innocent, and in Paradise,they had no need of clothing.

It is supposed they were clothed after the Fall with the skins of beasts that had been slain in sacrifices, by the commandment of the Lord; and mankind may still be said to be clothed in the skins of beasts, for savages really wear skins, and those who are civilized make clothing of them.

Cherubims are angels. As the tree of life was only de signed for Man in a state of innocence, none of the human race were ever allowed to enter Paradise after Adam and Eve had broken the Covenant of Works, but they have hopes, of everlasting life through the Redeemer. Adam's giving his wife the name of Eve, which signifies the mother of allflesh, shewed that he expected that a race of human beinga would proceed from her, which shews that he knew their lives were respited.

Questions. What did Adam shew by giving his wife the name of Eve? [Ans. That he expected a race to proceed from her.] Has this been the case? [Ans. Yes] What is Eve called? [Ans. The mother of the human race.] Did the Lord God turn Adam and Eve out of Paradise naked? [Ans. No; God clothed them with skins.] Are not mankind still clothed in the skins of beasts? [Ans. Yes.] Where does wool come from? [Ans. The backs of sheep.] Is not a great part of man's clothing made of wool?" [Ans. Yes.] What is leather made of? [Ans. The skins of beasts.] Do not mankind wear a great deal of leather? [Ans. Yes.] Who did God place with a flaming sword to prevent Adam and Eve from going back to the tree of life? [Ans. Cheru→ bims. What was the first man taken from? [Ans. The ground.] What was to be his latter end? [Ans. To return › to it.] Was this sentence passed upon Adam himself only, er upon mankind? [Ans. Upon mankind.].

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION.

Instruction.---This Lesson should confirm our belief of what we read in other parts of Scripture, concerning the Devil, as it shews there is a malicious spirit who has been the enemy of mankind from the beginning of the world, and that he is the Father of lies, as our Saviour calls him. This Lesson also shews that it pleased God, in the beginning, to permit the Devil to tempt mankind in order to try their obedience; but that they had Divine Revelation for their guide before they were tempted, for God told them they would bring death upon themselves if they broke his commandment; 30 that it was owing to themselves that the first pair fell into sin, for it appears, from the Devil's sly arts, that he had not the power to force men to sin. This wicked spirit has gone on from the beginning of the world, tempting the whole race of mankind to break God's commandments, and will do so as long as the world lasts, suiting his temptations to every one according to the circumstances he is in. We see, in the case of our first parents the sad effects of yielding to his temptation; we should therefore take warning from Adam and Eve, and resolve to keep the promise and vow made in our name at our baptism, whatever temptations we may have to the contrary, and then we may be sure God will gives us grace to resist the Devil.

Questions.---Does not this lesson plainly prove that mankind from the beginning have had a spiritual enemy? [Ans. Yes.] Who is this enemy? [Ans. The Devil.] Does it not appear from this lesson that the Devil is very malicious and deceitful? [Ans. Yes.] Was he not very spiteful to our first parents, in wishing to deprive them of all their happiness, and to bring everlasting death upon them? [Ans, Yes.] Why did God. permit the Devil to tempt mankind? [Ans. To try their obe dience.] Would it have appeared that they were willing to believe and obey God, if they had not been tried? [Ans. No.] Did the Devil leave off tempting mankind after he had occasioned the fall of the first pair? [ns. No.] Is not the Devil very sly, and ready to deceive all who are not upon their guard against him? [Ans. Yes. Can he force us to sin whether we will or no? [Ans. No.] What should we as Christians resolve to keep true to? [Ans. The promise and vow made in our name at our baptism.] What was that? [Ans. To renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lust of the flesh;

to believe all the articles of the Christian faith; to keep God's Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life.] If you resolve to do all this, what will God give you grace to do? [ns. To resist the Devil.] How came this world, which God made good, to be a wicked world? [Ans. By Adam's sin.]

Instruction.---We learn further from this Lesson the deadly nature of sin, and that nothing but the grace of God can save sinners from everlasting death. God has graciously taken mankind into a Covenant of Grace, but if they yield to the Devil, and live wickedly, they will still bring everlasting death upon themselves. We should therefore take warning by Adam's fall, and resolve to make use of the means of grace afforded us, lest we have a greater fall than his, even the death of the soul, after Christ has redeemed it. The means of grace are principally the Holy Scriptures, Prayer, and the two Sacraments.

Questions.---What alone can save sinners from everlasting death? [Ans. The grace of God.] Which are Christians under, the Covenant of Grace, or the Covenant of Works? [Ans. The Covenant of Grace.] Shall we be saved under this Covenant, if we live a life of wickedness? [Ans. No.] Are we secure from the Devil's temptations under the Covenant of Grace? Ans. No.] What may we still bring upon ourselves by disobedience? [Ans. Everlasting death.] What should the history of Adam's fall make us resolve to make use of?. [Ans. The means of grace afforded us.] What are these? [Ans. The Holy Scriptures, Prayer, and the two Sacraments.] What are the two Sacraments? [Ans. Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.] If we do not make use of these, shall not we have a worse fall than Adam's? [Ans.Yes.] What was he condemned to? [Ans. The death of the body.] What shall we be condemned to if we depart from the Covenant of Grace? [Ans. Everlasting death.]

Instruction.---When God condemned Adam, and in him all mankind, to return unto the dust from whence they were taken, he condemned them also to toil and sorrow in this world, and drove them away from the Tree of Life. In this God shewed his grace and mercy, for had mankind been allowed to continue in Paradise, they would have set their affections on the things of this world, and this would have made them un-willing to leave it when God saw fit for them to do so; and if they had continued to live a life of ease and comfort, they would have forgotten they were sinners, and this would have