riety of pleasing amusement as well as instruction to their youthful minds, they must have been happy while looking out at the windows of their animate house of clay, they beheld the verdant landscape, the various herds, the puriing rills, the flowery plants and blooming trees, which all combined to yield delight. They also could hear all those pleasing sounds that tuned the air with harmless music, and taste the sweets of natures bounty. The happy pair were thus planted in the midst of a scene of wonder and beauty, where they had a good opportunity for exercising their mental faculties, and improving the mind in useful knowledge by comparing the many surrounding objects one with another, and learning the wisdom of God in their formation. And yet in the midst of all this beautiful scenery, there was danger of one thing, self dependence, which is recorded under the hieroglyphic figure of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because the fruits of depending on our own sagacity in ascertaining true wisdom, is always perplexed with a mixture of both knowledge of good and evil; knowledge of evil as we are fallible, and of course liable to disappointment; A knowledge of good, which on the other hand might result from the plan of an infinite mind. And thus he who seeks out many unprofitable inventions in his own strength, is left to reflect when overcome by disappointment, "Had I have been

infalible in the knowledge of all causes and effects, then I should have not been disappointed in my object. But now I have missed the good which I know would result from the plan of wisdom, and am left to feel the evil resulting from the folly of depending too much on myself."

"God made man upright, but he has sought out many inventions." Yea unprofitable inventions in his own creaturely wisdoin. Man in being formed into a compound of spirit and matter, was made subject to vanity, i.e. made liable to wander from his dependance on God, to a vain depenuance on himself. As St. Paul observes Rom. 8. 20, 21. "For the creature was made subject to yanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath

subjected the same in hope, because the creature shall be delivered, &c." From which it appears that God had no evil will or design towards man in making him subject to vanity. but a kind and most merciful object was the aim of infinite wisdom. However, let us consider the tree of knowledge, for perhaps the reader may think, I have no evidence in favor of my belief, that self dependance, self exaltation and ambition, was signified by the figure in that tree. But I would observe, the figure of trees are not unfrequently used in the prophecies to signify the same. Witness the self exaltation of the proud king of Babylon, represented by the vision of a lofty tree.. Dan. 4. 20, 21, 22. “The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, and whose height reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth. It is thou O king, that art grown and become strong," &c. Notice the 30th verse. Also, Ezek. 31. 5, 6, 7, 8. 9, 10. "Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, Thus was he fair in his greatness.-The cedars in the garden of God, could not hide him,-not any tree in the garden of God was like him in his beauty So that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him." Even the tree of knowledge of good and evil is not excepted; for the pride of that self exalted self dependent Assyrian monarch, arose above and eclipsed every tree of the same nature in Eden, the early garden of the Lord. And in the 18th verse the selfglory of Egypt is represented by the same figure," To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden, unto the nether parts of the earth."

Time would fail me, to adduce all the evidence that is to be found in the prophecies, which go to prove the point in question, and I think the reader must be already satisfied with what is brought forward.

CHAPTER 3.

ON THE LAW OF GOD AS REVEALED TO MAN,

Gen. Chap. 2, verses 16, 17. "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it." Thus far the law extends, and what follows after, in the text, makes no part of the law of God, but is a reason given to man why he was prohibited from indulging himself in the use of what is signified by the figure of a tree. "For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."

This shows the love and kindness of God to man, in revealing the holy law of his divine nature. It is also a sufficient evidence, that the holy reason why God is opposed to sin, is because it begets misery in the mind of his offspring, and renders mankind, who are objects of his love, incapable of enjoying and glorifying their creator. Therefore, the divine law forbids that act which he knew would be a source of so much evil in the world. So that as the inspired apostle says, "By the law is the knowledge of sin," i. e. the evil nature of sin is revealed in the righteous law of God, even so, God out of his great goodness to man, being willing to inform him what would injure him, and what would benefit hun as a dependent creature, revealed his holy law to that amount for man's best good. From which we learn the nature of moral good, and the sinful nature of moral evil, that as the apostle says, That sin might appear exceeding sinful." Again he says, "Where no law is there is no transgression, for sin is the transgression of the law." Hence, as man in his state of formation, was made subject to vanity, he needed a knowledge of the law of God to govern, or in other words, to restrain his actions.

Therefore, St. Paul says, Rom. 5. 20, "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." From which it appears that if even the nature of sin was magnified by a revelation of the law to man; the kindness, mercy and favour of God in that revelation, was much greater. Then what is the law of God in its divine nature? It is love, requiring us to love God and to love one another. For it is evident that God required this love from man from the beginning, when he first gave him the law as a test of his obedience; as knowing, if man loved his maker, then he would keep his law. Christ the image of the invisible God, repeats the spirit of that holy commandment to his followers, when he says, "It ye love me, ye will keep my commandments." He had given them a commandment to love one another.

Again he says, Matt. 22. 37, 38, 39, 40. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

The

subject is so plain here, we need not mistake; the spirit of the whole law is expressed. From which we must infer, that it can only be obeyed in the mind and soul of inan, as it requires its whole fulfilment in the mental exercise of love to God and man, no outward action of the body, unless dictated by love in the mind of man, touches the point; which shows us, that the mind or soul and not the flesh, is amenable to the divine law. It is given as a rule to govern the mind, in keeping the body in subjection; So that the soul or spirit must only be accountable in case of disobedience. For the mind receives the rule to go by, in propelling the body into action, for the soul is a spirit, created after the likeness of God who is a spirit, and the father of our spirits; of him his children received the law. But the body is no thing but mere matter formed of the dust of the ground, Now as matter cannot receive the things of the spirit,

even so the law was never given to the bodily machine, but to him who governs and dictates it, in keeping the body in motion. For it is not the house God calls upon but the master of the house. He must love and obey the king of Kings, or he is culpable, and he only; every one shall die for his own sins," The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Hence we must rationally conclude, the commandment of God, was given to man as a law of the mind. "For there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth it understanding."