STORIES FROM THE BIBLE -- 1

ADAM AND EVE      The bible tells us that the world was created in this way, but the man was quite alone. Seeing this, God said, " It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a good companion for him." He caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and took one of his ribs, and out of this rib he made a woman. We call this man Adam and this woman Eve.    God said Adam and Eve in dominion over all the earth, to rule it, to conquer it and to enjoy it. Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden in peace and happiness! The animals came to them when they call them; the birds sang over their heads as they walked;    and the fishes came to the side of the lake to watch them as they stood in the sunlight. What a happy garden this was! What a peaceful Paradise this was!      But this happy and peaceful life did not last. The bible tells us a strange story which fills our eyes with tears, And this is that strange story which the bible tells us. God had given man everything on the earth except one thing. There was one thing which man was not to do. If man did this one thing, he would lose all his peace and all his happiness. And man did do this very thing. The one thing man was not to do was to      eat the fruit growing on a certain tree in the garden of Eden. There were a thousand other fruits which man might eat, but this one was forbidden.      It was God's test of man's love. If man love God, he would not eat the fruit of this tree; if he did not love God, he would disobey. So, you see, this was God's test of man's love. Well, Satan, the wicked tempter, took the form of serpent and glided into the Garden of Eden, and sought out Eve while she was away from her husband's side, and suggested to her that she should eat the fruit. and, although Eve did not at once obey him, she argued with him, instead of driving him from her..So the temptation to eat the fruit stayed in her mind; she allowed herself to think about it; and at last the temptation was too great for her. She ate the fruit, and took it to Adam, her husband, and persuaded him also to do this forbidden thing.      Then Adam and Eve heard the voice of God, and they were afraid and hid themselves in the trees. And Got punished them. But the punishment was not a crule one. He made them go out of the Garden of Eden and toil for their existence. Now, though work is hard, it is yet far better than idleness; and in setting man to till  the earth,God has provided him with the opportunity of making himself better and kinder and purer. Did you ever see a picture of Adam and Eve going out with tears and shame from their beautiful Garden of Innocence? And did you ever notice that over them the face of God was smiling with love and pity? God knows that His children shall some day return to their Garden and to Him.