Christ was "the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of his person;" (Heb. i. 3.)

(3.) Adam conveyed natural life to all his posterity, and Jesus Christ communicates spiritual life to all the children of God;

(4.) Adam was constituted the lord of the natural world, and Jesus Christ "the head over all things in the church;" (Eph. i. 22.)

(5.) Adam's side was opened, that from his rib a wife might be made for him; so the side of Christ was pierced by a spear, and by his death he became the "husband of the church," which is called his spouse; (Eph. v. 29.)

(6.) Adam was the first covenant head or representative of man; he was tempted, fell, and thus brought death into the world. Jesus Christ was the second covenant head; he was tempted, but fell not, and so by him we have eternal life. (Rom. v. 21.)

CHAPTER III.

CAIN AND ABEL.

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GENESIS IV.

of Adam.

The first offspring The first offspring of Adam and Eve was CAIN. ABEL, their next son, was born about a year after his brother.

Character of Cain. Cain, "a tiller of the ground," was a very wicked man.

Character of Abel. Abel, "a keeper of sheep," was a very holy man.

Why Cain hated Cain hated Abel because his

his brother.

own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

God's approval

of Abel shewn.

GOD shewed his approval of Abel by accepting the "firstlings of his flock" in sacrifice.

God's displeasure He shewed his displeasure at

of Cain shewn.

Cain by rejecting the offering of fruit which he presented.

How Cain was affected by it.

Cain's jealousy was excited by this mark of divine favour, and rising up against his brother he slew him. How God pu- God punished him for this murder by driving him away from the place of his birth "a fugitive and a vagabond."

nished him.

In order that no one might slay the first murderer, God set his mark upon him, and said: Whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold." (Gen. iv. 17.)

Whither Cain He went in exile to the land

went then.

of Nod, where he had a son, from whom descended a numerous progeny.

Nod, on the "East of Eden," is supposed to have been the low country of Susiàna.

For what they were renowned.

This progeny was famous for the invention of numerous handicrafts, but every man of it was wicked.

The most cele- The most celebrated of the

brated of them.

posterity of Cain were the five following:

(1.) Enoch, after whom the first city was named;

(2.) Lamech, the first to marry two wives, and a murderer like Cain;

(3.) Jabal, who invented the art of tent-making;

(4.) Jubal, the inventor of musical instruments, such as "the harp and organ ;"

(5.) Tubal-Cain, the first blacksmith; who discovered the art of melting metals, and of forging instruments of brass and iron.

Section I.

SETH.

B.C. 3870.

GENESIS V.

of Adam.

The third son The third son of Adam was SETH, who dwelt on the plains of Eden. He was a righteous man.

Seth means a substitute, a name given to this son because he was born after the death of Abel, whose place he supplied. He is thought to have been the inventor of letters.

What his descendants were called.

His descendants were called the sons of God, because they were good men; whereas the wicked descendants of Cain are called in Scripture the children of men.

brated of them.

The most cele- The most celebrated of Seth's posterity were these four:

(1.) Enoch,* a righteous man, who was translated to heaven without dying; (2.) Methuselah, who lived 969 years, the greatest age ever attained by man; (3.) Lamech,* father of Noah; and

Enoch and Lamech, the posterity of Seth, must not be confounded with Enoch and Lamech, the descendants of Cain. (See p. 16.)

c 3

gered God.

(4.) Noah, who was saved in an ark when the world was destroyed by water. How they an- In the process of time the descendants of Seth displeased God by intermarrying with the descendants of Cain; whereby they gradually became corrupted also. (Gen. vi. 11.)

CHAPTER IV.

THE FLOOD.

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GENESIS VI.-VIII.

How God shewed

his displeasure.

GOD shewed his anger at the corruption of mankind by sending a Flood to destroy the inhabitants of the earth.

How the flood

was produced.

The Flood was produced by breaking up the fountains of the great deep, and by a fall of rain, without intermission, for forty days and nights.