PERIOD 1.] THE CREATION. God permitted Adam and Eve to eat of all the fruits that grew in Eden except one ; that one was the tree of knowledge. The serpent .deceived Eve, and tempted her to sin. She ate of the fruit which God had forbidden and gave also to her husband; thus they both disobeyed God. God 'cursed the serpent, and promised a Saviour to 'redeem man from his power. He said to the woman that her sorrow should be increased with the increase of children; and to the man he said, “ Cursed is the ground for thy sake ; 'in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." When God had thus 'sentenced Adam and Eve to suffering and to death, he expelled them from the garden of Eden. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. beginning—the commencement. fishes and birds—the animals of the created-caused to exist. waters and the firmament. heaven—the expanse which surrounds catlle and beasts-domestic and wild the earth, including the celestial bodies animals. -planets, stars, and comets. creeping things—this term is supposed earth—the planet on which we live, to apply to such animals as the lizard, with its various productions. snake, &c. as well as creeping insects. without form and void—not in its pre made man—formed man in his bodily sent shape, nor occupied by the num- parts and gave him a living soul. erous beings and productions which in his own image-having dominion; exist upon it. Ps. viii.6; true knowledge, Col. iii. 10; darkness—absence of light. holiness, Eccles. vii. 29; Ephes iv. 21. very good-admirably adapted for the face of the deep-surface of the waters which covered the whole earth. purposes intended. rested-ceased from further acts of light—the medium of vision. creative power. firmament—the atmosphere, or aerial blessed-added happiness to a holy medium surrounding the earth, and in observance of it. which it revolves; by its means light eastward-toward the sun-rising. and sound are transmitted, and animals tree of life—the means of renewed and exist. prolonged existence to man. divided, &c.-gathered the waters tree of knowledge—the test by which it into channels, or hollow places, thus should be known whether man would causing the dry land to appear. remain good, or prefer becoming evil. plants—everything included in the Adam the ground,' or ' earth;' the vegetable kingdom, viz.: grass, herbs, human body is composed of earthy and trees; there are more than 80,000 elements. Paul says, the first Adam species of plants. is of the earth, earthy;' Cor. xv. 47. GOD SEEN IN HIS WORKS. [4004-2348 B.C. dress and keep-to keep the trees and cursed-given over to punishment the plants in order, and to preserve the and misery. various species, not only by observing redeem—to restore by paying the their various habits, but by pruning, price. grasting, planting, &c. in sorrow—with feelings of anxiety, name-many of the Hebrew names of care, and trouble, yet not without hope animals express some peculiarity or sentenced-pronounced the punishquality of size, form, disposition, &c. ment for disobedience. help meet-a being endowed with a rational soul, and having feelings expelled-drove out. similar to his own. GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE. Eve— life;' the companion and Eden is supposed to have been situhelp-meet of Adam, and the mother of ated near the head of the Persian the whole human family. Neither Gulf, where the rivers Euphrates and Adam nor Eve had to pass through the Tigris empty their waters; but several years of infancy and childhood. other situations have been assigned to serpent—the devil. Rev. xii. 9; xx. 2. the garden of Eden. The name, Eden, deceived—caused to err, by making cating the great beauty and richness of means pleasure or delight, thus indiher believe a lie. Adam's first inheritance; hence it was tempted—offered inducements; spoke not uncommon for pleasant localities to of the advantages of disobedience. be called Eden. GOD'S EXISTENCE SHOWN IN THE UNIVERSE. “GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH." Who gave the sun his noonday light? Roscoe PERIOD 1.] HISTORY OF CAIN, ABEL, AND SETH. 2. CAIN, ABEL, AND SETH. Genesis iv.-v. 5. Cain was the eldest son of Adam and Eve. His brother · Abel was their second son. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but , Cain was a 'tiller of the ground. They both brought offerings to God. Cain's offering was of the fruits of the earth. Abel's offering was of the firstlings of his flock. God accepted Abel and his offering, but unto Cain and his offering he had not respect. Cain became very angry, and his 'countenance fell. The Lord reproved Cain, and said “Why art thou wroth ? and why is thy countenance fallen ? •If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted ?" And Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. The Lord then said unto Cain, “ What hast thou done ? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground, and now art thou 'cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength ; a 'fugitive, and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.” Cain feared that some one would slay him, but the Lord said unto him, “ Whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. Here he built a city, and had many descendants. One of his descendants, named Jabal, invented tents ; another, Jubal, invented 'musical instruments; another, Tubal, was an 'artificer in brass and iron. God gave Adam and Eve a son who was called Seth. He was a good man. His descendants were called the children of God. The descendants of Cain were called the children of men. Adam was one-hundred-and-thirty years old at the birth of Seth. Adam and Eve had many other sons and daughters. Mankind increased very fast because they lived so long. Adam lived nine-hundred-and-thirty years. “THE CURSE OF CAIN.” [4004-2348 B.C. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. Cain-possession ;' implying a high fugiiide-banished from the presence sense of value; Eve imagined this of his parents and kindred. child was the promised deliverer, vagabond-conscious guilt would hence she exclaimed on first seeing him render him unsettled in his habits even 'I have gotten a man from Jehovah.' though distant from his father's home, Abel - vanity; this name plainly the scene of his awful crime. shows that our first parents had their descendants-offspring, children, grandhopes centred in Cain, in contrast with children, &c. whom they esteemed this child as invented-found out; contrived a new 'vanity' thing. tiller-a husbandoan, a cultivator of tents-these were the constant dwellthe ground. ings of men in early times; the coverofferings—things dedicated to God, ings of the tents were generally of coarse hair-cloth. Lessons 7,20,116. as expressive of the gratitude and dependance of the offerer. musical instruments-many are men. tioned in the Bible which will be defruits-produce of the soil. scribed under their respective names. firstlings—the first born. artificer—a clever workman in arts accepted-showed favour towards by executed by the hand; a worker in a visible sign. metals. not respect—not regard; took no Seth—'a substitute;' because given favourable notice of it. instead of Abel; the invention of countenance fell-looked sullen and letters is ascribed to him. revengeful. GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE. Nop— land of wandering ;' was a country east of Eden. It was so named cursed from, &c.—not a spot on the because Cain the “fugitive” dwelt surface of the world would yield him there, when he fled from the presence comfort; unhappiness and discontent of his bereaved and sorrowing parents, would be his portion. after he had murdered his brother. THE CURSE OF CAIN. “ WHERE IS ABEL THY BROTHER ?" O the wrath of the Lord is a terrible thing ! PERIOD I.] ENOCH, THE DELUGE, ETC. The groans of a father his slumbers shall start, And the wife of his bosom—the faithful and fair And his offering may blaze-unregarded by Heaven; W. Knox. 3. ENOCH. METHUSELAH. NOAH. THE DELUGE. Genesis v. 6-vii. Enoch was a descendant of Seth. God took him to heaven when he was three-hundred-and-sixty-five years old, because he walked with God. Seth died some years after, being nine-hundred-and-twelve years old. Enoch had a son named Methuselah. He was the oldest man that we read of. He lived nine-hundred-and-sixty-nine years. Methuselah had a son named Lamech. Lamech was the father of ·Noah. When Noah was born Lamech said he should comfort them. Noah became the father of three sons, Shem, ·Ham, and Japheth. The wickedness of men increased on the earth. God said he would destroy mankind by a ·Flood, but he would save Noah and his family. God commanded Noah to make an 'ark of wood. He said “Behold I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven ; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I 'establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every living thing of all ' flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep |