the face; and hence his nose, and the noses of all his descendants, became flat.

Buffon, a modern infidel philosopher, conjectures that this earth was originally a globe of liquid fire, struck from the body of the sun, by means of a comet, as a spark is produced by the collision of flint and steel; that at first it was surrounded by gross vapors which, cooling and condensing in process of time, constituted, according to their densities, earth, water, and air; which gradually arranged themselves according to their respective gravities, round the burning mass that formed their centre.

Darwin, an infidel also, in accounting for the origin of the world, supposes that the mass of chaos suddenly exploded, like a barrel of gunpowder, and in that act exploded the sun, which, in its flight, by a similar convulsion, exploded the earth, which in like manner exploded the moon; and thus, by a chain of explosions, the whole solar system was produced, and set in regular motion.

3. Adam and Eve, the names of the first human pair, were placed by the Deity, immediately subsequent to their creation, in the garden of Eden, with instructions to keep and dress it. They were allowed the free use of all the fruit of the garden, with a single reservation, which was designed as a trial of their obedience. The penalty of death was threatened if they should transgress the command of their Maker. Created pure and innocent, and placed in a state of unalloyed happiness, they had every inducement to do well.

§ Adam and Eve seem to have been created without the garden, and immediately afterwards brought into it. It is evident that Eden was east of Canaan, or of the wilderness where Moses wrote the sacred history. But the precise spot cannot now be ascertained. to The most extravagant opinions have been entertained on this subject; and not only the four quarters of the globe, but even the air and the moon, have been conjectured to include this delightful abode. Following the Bible as nearly as we are able, and judg ing from the well known names of the Hiddekel, or Tigris, and the Euphrates, we may determine, with some probability, that the Garden of Eden was situated in or near Mesopotamia, probably Diarbec, a part of that country.

It is clear that Moses intended to give an intelligible description of the situation of Eden to his countrymen, who might know it ex actly, though we cannot; and it is clear, also, that, though the face of the country may have been greatly changed by means of the deluge, the Tigris and Euphrates continued nearly the same course after that event as before.

The tree, the fruit of which Adam was forbidden to eat, is called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which intimates that, by abstaining from this fruit, the knowledge of good would be enjoyed, but, by eating it, the knowledge of evil would be fatally introduced.

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4. The innocence and felicity of the first pair were of very short duration. They violated, with daring impiety, the sole command of their Maker. The precise time of this transac tion cannot be determined; but it was probably only a few days after their creation.

The woman, being deceived by the subtlety of Satan, in the form of a serpent, was the first in transgression; and, by her means, Adam also sinned. A sense of guilt and misery unknown before, then pervaded their bosoms; though they were preserved from despair by the promise of a Saviour.

§ The greatness of the sin of our first parents is no less evident than the subtlety of the Tempter. In their sin was involved almost every crime-ingratitude, sensuality, ambition, unbelief, distrust, malignity, pride, insubordination.

The effect was decisive. The face of creation was altered. "Nature.. gave signs that all was lost." Death was introduced into the system, and our first parents, from that moment, became Table to dissolution, with all their posterity. The seeds of death were then planted in their frame, and the moral qualities of their souls became wholly corrupt and sinful.

The disclosure of their crime was in the highest degree distressing to the guilty pair. God called them to account, and his awful frown and displeasure, chilled and penetrated their souls. The ground was cursed for their sakes, and a great variety of evils was entailed upon them.

The serpent, who was the instrument of the crime, received his doom, in connexion with the promise of a deliverer on the part of man, who had been so fatally beset and overcome. The seed of the woman was eventually to bruise the Serpent's head-a declaration referable, in its full extent, only to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind. The immediate expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise, was the natural conclusion of this dreadful and calamitous scene, after their Maker had first mercifully provided them with coats of skin, to cover their nakedness. Cherubims, and a flaming sword, which turned every way, placed at the east of the garden, prevented all access to the once happy abode, particularly to the tree of life.

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5. In the first year of the world, 4004 years B. C. was born Cain, the first begotten of the human family. The sucreeding year. Abel was born. These brothers not only followed different occupations, but possessed very different characters. The bitter fruits of the apostacy appeared at length in the murder of the one by the other.

On an occasion of presenting an offering unto God, Cain, who was a husbandman, brought of the fruit of the ground; Abei, who was a shepherd, brought of the firstlings of his

flock. The offerers, being dissimilar in character, an offerings having a dissimilar significancy, were not alike cepted of Jehovah. Cain and his offering were rejected. This circumstance excited the indignation of Cain, who, taking his opportunity when they were alone in the field, rose up against his brother and slew him.

On account of his crime, Cain was forthwith punished by Jehovah. He was called to a solemn reckoning, and, hearing with anguish his doom pronounced, "a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth," he went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

He, however, built a city, at length, and his family and descendants became famous as inventors of useful and ingenious arts, though it does not appear that any of them were pious, and enjoyed the divine favour.

§ The murder of Abel occarred, it is generally supposed, but a short time before the birth of Seth, or about 130 years after the creation. As Adam and Eve, in the mean time, must have had other children, the human family was no doubt considerably multiplied during 130 years. Hence the events that are recorded by Moses, in connexion with the murder of Abel, are easily accounted for, without supposing more than one numan pair, from whom all the inha bitants then on the earth were descended.

After the death of Abel, Adam and Eve had many other children, the eldest of the sons was named Seth, and his descendants, from their piety, were styled "the children of God," in opposition to the descendants of Cain, who were styled "the children of men." These at length mingled together, and thus prepared the way for the universal wickedness that afterwards prevailed.

6. After a short account of Cain and his family, the sacred historian informs us respecting "the generations of Adam;" and recording the births of Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, and Jared, he presents us with a brief but interesting history of Enoch. Being eminently pious, he is said to have walked with God, for the space of 300 years, and at the expiration of that time, to have been taken up to heaven, without passing through the scene of death.

The sacred genealogy is carried on to the time of Noah and his sons, and the date of the life of each one of the patriarchs is minutely given.

§ As Adam lived 930 years, he must have beheld a numerous pos terity, and been conversant with many who survived till near the time of the deluge. Doubtless he must have been greatly affected,

in view of the wickedness which so soon began to spread over the earth, and which he had been the instrument of introducing.

The place of his sepulchre is not mentioned in scripture; yet various conjectures (and they are mere conjectures) have been formed on the subject. St. Jerome stations his remains in the cave of Machpelah; and the generality of the primitive fathers suppose him to have been buried on Mount Calvary, in the very spot whereon Christ, the second Adam, shed his blood for mankind.

The descendants of Seth, at first continuing pure and uncorrupted, at length, by intermarriages with the family of Cain, became, with the rest of mankind, exceedingly degenerate. From these interinarriages sprang the giants of those times, men of extraordinary strength and stature, and, perhaps, of more extraordinary wickedness. These became "men of renown," heroes, conquerors, and chieftains.

7. The Deity, justly provoked by the enormous degeneracy of his creatures, determined to destroy, by a universal deluge, the race of man, together with the whole animal creation, except a very small remnant who were to restock the earth after that catastrophe.

One hundred and twenty years, however, did he mercifully afford to the children of men, as a space for repentance, during which time, Noah, "a preacher of righteousness," endeavoured to reclaim them from their wickedness, and warned them of their doom. His zeal and labours seem to have produced no effect. The earth became at length filled with violence.

From the tremendous sentence which God had pronounced Noah and his family were excepted, he having "found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Connected with the intimation which Noah had received concerning the approaching deluge, were several particular instructions, relative to his deliver

ance.

This was to be accomplished by means of a large vessel called the ark, which he built during the intervening period, agreeably to the divine directions.

§ The ark was built of gopher wood, which some suppose to be the cypress tree. Its form was that of an oblong square, with a flat bottom and a sloping roof, elevated one cubit in the middle. It consisted of three stories, each of which, excluding the thickness of the floors, might be eighteen feet high, and was divided into separate apartments. It was pitched within and without, to Keep it tight, and lighted from the upper part. It was, probably, well supplied with air; and, though it had neither sails nor rudder, it was well contrived for lying steadily on the surface of the water.

With this means of safety, Noah awaited the destruction which was fast coming upon the world.

Distinguished characters in Period I.

1. Adam, the first of the human race.

2. Eve, the first woman.

3. Cain, the earliest born of mankind, and first murderer. 4. Jubal, the first musician.

5. Tubal-cain, the earliest instructer in the mechanic arts 6. Enoch, translated to heaven on account of his piety.. 7. Methuselah, the oldest man that has ever lived, being 969 years old when he died.

§ 1. Adam was created by the Almighty from the dust of the earth, on the 6th day of the creation. His Maker, it is said in Scripture, "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." He was thus endued with an immortal principle, and being placed in a probationary state, not only his own character, but the character of his posterity, was to be affected by his conduct.

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As he came from the hands of his Maker, he was pure, holy, and happy; and he had every motive to persuade him to continued rectitude of conduct. His outward circumstances also were favourable for this end. He was placed in a delightful garden, the easy tillage of which constituted his employment. God imposed upon him but one test of obedience, and that was abstinence in regard to eating the fruit of a certain tree in the garden.

Persuaded by Eve, who, having been tempted by Satan, had previously transgressed, he partook of the forbidden food, and thus death entered into the world, and "all our wo." His conduct involved the greatest impiety, and the consequences have been dreadful in time, and will be so throughout eternity, in regard to multitudes of his offspring, who have imitated him in his disobedience, and repented not.

It is highly probable that he, together with the woman, embraced an offered Saviour, immediately made known, both having repented of their sin. He lived many years afterwards, having begot sons and daughters, and died at the advanced age of 930 years. For further particulars, see Genesis, 2d, 3d, and 4th chapters.

2. Eve was created "an help meet" for Adam, having been formed, by the Creator, from one of the ribs of Adam, which was taken from him in a deep sleep. Thus she became "bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh," and was given to him as his wife.

She proved to be first “in the transgression." Satan, a fallen spirit, assuming the form of a serpent, and, through the organs of that animal, exerting the powers of speech, accosted her when alone, and 'interrogated her respecting the forbidden tree. Taking her by surprise, and securing her attention and good will, he at length persuaded her to disobey the express command of God. In hac rat