PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS by ELLEN G.WHITE

This is a public domain book, published in 1890.  The author 
Ellen G. White was one of the early women writer in the history
of America.  The raw etext was provided by the Trustees of
Ellen G. White Publications, 12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Springs, Maryland 20904.

May 6, 1994.
contact: seewei@orion.cc.andrews.edu (See-Wei Toh)

This text is in the public domain, posted to wiretap MAY 1994.

                                                                      17
                              PREFACE

THE PUBLISHERS SEND OUT THIS WORK FROM A CONVICTION THAT IT THROWS LIGHT
UPON A SUBJECT OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE AND UNIVERSAL INTEREST, AND ONE ON
WHICH LIGHT IS TO BE GREATLY DESIRED; THAT IT PRESENTS TRUTHS TOO LITTLE
KNOWN OR TOO WIDELY IGNORED. THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN TRUTH AND ERROR,
BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARKNESS, BETWEEN THE POWER OF GOD AND THE ATTEMPTED
USURPATIONS OF THE ENEMY OF ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS, IS THE ONE GREAT SPECTACLE
WHICH IT IS REASONABLE TO SUPPOSE MUST ENGAGE THE ATTENTION OF ALL WORLDS.
THAT SUCH A CONTROVERSY EXISTS AS THE RESULT OF SIN, THAT IT IS TO PASS
THROUGH VARIOUS STAGES OF PROGRESS, AND END AT LAST IN A MANNER TO REDOUND
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE HIGHER EXALTATION OF HIS LOYAL SERVANTS, IS AS
CERTAIN AS THAT THE BIBLE IS A REVELATION FROM GOD TO MEN. THAT WORD REVEALS
THE GREAT FEATURES OF THIS CONTROVERSY, A CONFLICT WHICH EMBRACES THE
REDEMPTION OF A WORLD; AND THERE ARE SPECIAL EPOCHS WHEN THESE QUESTIONS
ASSUME UNWONTED INTEREST, AND IT BECOMES A MATTER OF THE FIRST IMPORTANCE TO
UNDERSTAND OUR RELATION THERETO.

SUCH A TIME IS THE PRESENT, FOR ALL THINGS INDICATE THAT WE MAY NOW
CONFIDENTLY CHERISH THE HOPE THAT THIS LONG CONTROVERSY IS DRAWING NEAR ITS
CLOSE. YET MANY NOW SEEM DISPOSED TO RELEGATE TO THE REALM OF FABLE THAT
PORTION OF THE RECORD OPENING TO OUR VIEW THE STEPS BY WHICH OUR WORLD
BECAME INVOLVED IN THIS GREAT ISSUE; AND OTHERS, THOUGH AVOIDING THIS
EXTREME VIEW, SEEM NEVERTHELESS INCLINED TO REGARD IT AS OBSOLETE AND
UNIMPORTANT, AND ARE THUS LED TO TREAT IT WITH NEGLECT.

BUT WHO WOULD NOT WISH TO LOOK INTO THE SECRET CAUSES OF SO STRANGE A
DEFECTION; TO DISCERN ITS SPIRIT, TO MARK ITS CONSEQUENCES, AND TO LEARN HOW
TO AVOID ITS RESULTS? WITH SUCH THEMES THIS VOLUME DEALS. IT TENDS TO FOSTER
A LIVING INTEREST IN THOSE PORTIONS
        
                                                                      18

OF GOD'S WORD MOST OFTEN NEGLECTED. IT CLOTHES WITH NEW MEANING THE PROMISES
AND PROPHECIES OF THE SACRED RECORD, VINDICATES THE WAYS OF GOD IN DEALING
WITH REBELLION, AND SHOWS FORTH THE WONDERFUL GRACE OF GOD IN DEVISING A WAY
OF SALVATION FOR SINFUL MAN. THUS WE ARE TAKEN DOWN IN THE HISTORY OF THIS
WORK TO A TIME WHEN THE PLANS AND PURPOSES OF GOD HAD BEEN CLEARLY UNFOLDED
TO THE CHOSEN PEOPLE.

THOUGH DEALING WITH THEMES SO EXALTED, THEMES THAT STIR THE HEART TO ITS
DEPTHS AND AWAKEN THE LIVELIEST EMOTIONS OF THE MIND, THE STYLE OF THE BOOK
IS LUCID, AND THE LANGUAGE PLAIN AND DIRECT. WE COMMEND THIS VOLUME TO ALL
WHO TAKE PLEASURE IN STUDYING THE DIVINE PLAN OF HUMAN REDEMPTION AND WHO
FEEL ANY INTEREST IN THE RELATION OF THEIR OWN SOULS TO CHRIST'S ATONING
WORK; AND TO ALL OTHERS WE COMMEND IT, THAT IT MAY AWAKEN IN THEM AN
INTEREST IN THESE THINGS.

THAT ITS PERUSAL MAY BE BLESSED TO THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO READ, AND RESULT IN
TURNING THE FEET OF MANY INTO THE WAY OF LIFE, IS THE EARNEST PRAYER OF THE
PUBLISHERS.
                                                                      19
                              INTRODUCTION


THIS VOLUME TREATS UPON THE THEMES OF BIBLE HISTORY, THEMES NOT IN
THEMSELVES NEW, YET HERE SO PRESENTED AS TO GIVE THEM A NEW SIGNIFICANCE,
REVEALING SPRINGS OF ACTION, SHOWING THE IMPORTANT BEARING OF CERTAIN
MOVEMENTS, AND BRINGING INTO STRONGER LIGHT SOME FEATURES THAT ARE BUT
BRIEFLY MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE. THUS THE SCENES HAVE A VIVIDNESS AND
IMPORTANCE THAT TEND TO MAKE NEW AND LASTING IMPRESSIONS. SUCH A LIGHT IS
SHED UPON THE SCRIPTURE RECORD AS TO REVEAL MORE FULLY THE CHARACTER AND
PURPOSES OF GOD; TO MAKE MANIFEST THE WILES OF SATAN AND THE MEANS BY WHICH
HIS POWER WILL BE FINALLY OVERTHROWN; TO BRING TO VIEW THE WEAKNESS OF THE
HUMAN HEART, AND SHOW HOW THE GRACE OF GOD HAS ENABLED MEN TO CONQUER IN THE
BATTLE WITH EVIL. ALL THIS IS IN HARMONY WITH WHAT GOD HAS SHOWN TO BE HIS
PURPOSE IN UNFOLDING TO MEN THE TRUTHS OF HIS WORD. THE AGENCY BY WHICH
THESE REVELATIONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN IS SEEN--WHEN TESTED BY THE SCRIPTURES--TO
BE ONE OF THE METHODS GOD STILL EMPLOYS TO IMPART INSTRUCTION TO THE
CHILDREN OF MEN.

WHILE IT IS NOT NOW AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING, WHEN MAN IN HIS HOLINESS AND
INNOCENCE HAD PERSONAL INSTRUCTION FROM HIS MAKER, STILL MAN IS NOT LEFT
WITHOUT A DIVINE TEACHER WHICH GOD HAS PROVIDED IN HIS REPRESENTATIVE, THE
HOLY SPIRIT. SO WE HEAR THE APOSTLE PAUL DECLARING THAT A CERTAIN DIVINE
"ILLUMINATION" IS THE PRIVILEGE OF THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST; AND THAT THEY
ARE "ENLIGHTENED" BY BEING MADE "PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY GHOST." HEBREWS
10:32; 6:4. JOHN ALSO SAYS, "YE HAVE AN UNCTION FROM THE HOLY ONE." 1 JOHN
2:20. AND CHRIST PROMISED THE DISCIPLES, AS HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THEM, THAT
HE WOULD SEND THEM THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A COMFORTER AND GUIDE TO LEAD THEM
INTO ALL TRUTH. JOHN 14:16, 26.
        
                                                                      20


TO SHOW HOW THIS PROMISE WAS TO BE FULFILLED TO THE CHURCH, THE APOSTLE
PAUL, IN TWO OF HIS EPISTLES, PRESENTS FORMAL DECLARATION THAT CERTAIN GIFTS
OF THE SPIRIT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE CHURCH FOR ITS EDIFICATION AND
INSTRUCTION TO THE END OF TIME. I CORINTHIANS
12; EPHESIANS 4:8-13; MATTHEW 28:20 NOR IS THIS ALL: A NUMBER
OF CLEAR AND EXPLICIT PROPHECIES DECLARE THAT IN THE LAST DAYS THERE WILL BE
A SPECIAL OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THAT THE CHURCH AT THE TIME OF
CHRIST'S APPEARING WILL HAVE HAD, DURING ITS CLOSING EXPERIENCE, "THE
TESTIMONY OF JESUS," WHICH IS THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. ACTS 2:17-20, 39; I
CORINTHIANS 1:7; REVELATION 12:17; 19:10. IN THESE FACTS WE SEE AN EVIDENCE
OF GOD'S CARE AND LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE; FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
AS A COMFORTER, TEACHER, AND GUIDE, NOT ONLY IN ITS ORDINARY, BUT IN ITS
EXTRAORDINARY, METHODS OF OPERATION, CERTAINLY IS NEEDED BY THE CHURCH AS IT
ENTERS THE PERILS OF THE LAST DAYS, MORE THAN IN ANY OTHER PART OF ITS
EXPERIENCE.

THE SCRIPTURES POINT OUT VARIOUS CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT
WOULD OPERATE ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF MEN TO ENLIGHTEN THEIR
UNDERSTANDING AND GUIDE THEIR STEPS. AMONG THESE WERE VISIONS AND DREAMS. IN
THIS WAY GOD WOULD STILL COMMUNICATE WITH THE CHILDREN OF MEN. HERE IS HIS
PROMISE ON THIS POINT: "HEAR NOW MY WORDS: IF THERE BE A PROPHET AMONG YOU,
I THE LORD WILL MAKE MYSELF KNOWN UNTO HIM IN A VISION, AND WILL SPEAK UNTO
HIM IN A DREAM." NUMBERS 12:6. BY THIS MEANS SUPERNATURAL KNOWLEDGE WAS
COMMUNICATED TO BALAAM. THUS HE SAYS: "BALAAM THE SON OF BEOR HATH SAID, AND
THE MAN WHOSE EYES ARE OPEN HATH SAID: HE HATH SAID, WHICH HEARD THE WORDS
OF GOD, AND KNEW THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOST HIGH, WHICH SAW THE VISION OF THE
ALMIGHTY, FALLING INTO A TRANCE, BUT HAVING HIS EYES OPEN." NUMBERS 24:15,
16.

IT THUS BECOMES A MATTER OF GREAT INTEREST TO INVESTIGATE THE TESTIMONY OF
THE SCRIPTURES CONCERNING THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE LORD DESIGNED THAT THE
SPIRIT SHOULD MANIFEST ITSELF IN THE CHURCH DURING THE PERIOD OF HUMAN
PROBATION.
        
                                                                      21


AFTER THE PLAN OF SALVATION HAD BEEN DEVISED, GOD, AS WE HAVE SEEN, COULD
STILL, THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF HIS SON AND THE HOLY ANGELS, COMMUNICATE WITH
MEN ACROSS THE GULF WHICH SIN HAD MADE. SOMETIMES HE SPOKE FACE TO FACE WITH
THEM, AS IN THE CASE OF MOSES, BUT MORE FREQUENTLY BY DREAMS AND VISIONS.
INSTANCES OF SUCH COMMUNICATION ARE EVERYWHERE PROMINENT UPON THE SACRED
RECORD, COVERING ALL DISPENSATIONS. ENOCH THE SEVENTH FROM ADAM LOOKED
FORWARD IN THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY TO THE SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST IN POWER
AND GLORY, AND EXCLAIMED, "BEHOLD, THE LORD COMETH WITH TEN THOUSANDS OF HIS
SAINTS." JUDE 14. "HOLY MEN OF GOD SPAKE AS THEY WERE MOVED BY THE HOLY
GHOST." 2 PETER 1:21. IF THE OPERATION OF THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY HAS AT
TIMES SEEMED ALMOST TO DISAPPEAR, AS THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE PEOPLE WANED,
IT HAS NEVERTHELESS MARKED ALL THE GREAT CRISES IN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE
CHURCH, AND THE EPOCHS WHICH WITNESSED THE CHANGE FROM ONE DISPENSATION TO
ANOTHER. WHEN THE ERA MARKED BY THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST WAS REACHED, THE
FATHER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND PROPHESIED.
LUKE 1:67. TO SIMEON IT WAS REVEALED THAT HE SHOULD NOT SEE DEATH TILL HE
HAD SEEN THE LORD; AND WHEN THE PARENTS OF JESUS BROUGHT HIM INTO THE TEMPLE
THAT HE MIGHT BE DEDICATED, SIMEON CAME BY THE SPIRIT INTO THE TEMPLE, TOOK
HIM INTO HIS ARMS, AND BLESSED HIM WHILE HE PROPHESIED CONCERNING HIM. AND
ANNA, A PROPHETESS, COMING IN THE SAME INSTANT, SPAKE OF HIM TO ALL THEM
THAT LOOKED FOR REDEMPTION IN JERUSALEM. LUKE 2:26, 36.

THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH WAS TO ATTEND THE PREACHING OF THE
GOSPEL BY THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE PROPHET IN THESE
WORDS: "AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS AFTERWARD, THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT
UPON ALL FLESH; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR
OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS, YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS: AND ALSO UPON
THE SERVANTS AND UPON THE HANDMAIDS IN THOSE DAYS WILL I POUR OUT MY SPIRIT.
AND I WILL SHOW WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS AND IN THE EARTH, BLOOD, AND FIRE,
AND PILLARS OF SMOKE. THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED
        
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INTO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND THE TERRIBLE
DAY OF THE LORD COME." JOEL 2:28-31.

PETER, ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, QUOTED THIS PROPHECY IN EXPLANATION OF THE
WONDERFUL SCENE WHICH THEN OCCURRED. CLOVEN TONGUES LIKE AS OF FIRE SAT UPON
EACH OF THE DISCIPLES; THEY WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND SPAKE WITH
OTHER TONGUES. AND WHEN THE MOCKERS CHARGED THAT THEY WERE FILLED WITH NEW
WINE, PETER ANSWERED, "THESE ARE NOT DRUNKEN, AS YE SUPPOSE, SEEING IT IS
BUT THE THIRD HOUR OF THE DAY. BUT THIS IS THAT WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY THE
PROPHET JOEL." THEN HE QUOTES THE PROPHECY SUBSTANTIALLY AS FOUND IN JOEL
(QUOTED ABOVE), ONLY HE PUTS THE WORDS "IN THE LAST DAYS," IN THE PLACE OF
"AFTERWARD," MAKING IT READ, "AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS,
SAITH GOD, I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT," ETC.

IT IS EVIDENT THAT IT WAS THAT PART OF THE PROPHECY ONLY WHICH RELATES TO
THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT, THAT BEGAN TO BE FULFILLED ON THAT DAY; FOR
THERE WERE NO OLD MEN THERE DREAMING DREAMS, NOR YOUNG MEN AND MAIDENS
SEEING VISIONS AND PROPHESYING; AND NO WONDERS OF BLOOD AND FIRE AND PILLARS
OF SMOKE THEN APPEARED; AND THE SUN WAS NOT DARKENED AND THE MOON WAS NOT
TURNED TO BLOOD AT THAT TIME; AND YET WHAT WAS THERE WITNESSED WAS IN
FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY OF JOEL. IT IS EQUALLY EVIDENT THAT THIS PART OF
THE PROPHECY CONCERNING THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT WAS NOT EXHAUSTED IN
THAT ONE MANIFESTATION; FOR THE PROPHECY COVERS ALL DAYS FROM THAT TIME ON
TO THE COMING OF THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD.

BUT THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS IN FULFILLMENT OF OTHER PROPHECIES BESIDES THAT
OF JOEL. IT FULFILLED THE WORDS OF CHRIST HIMSELF AS WELL. IN HIS LAST
DISCOURSE TO HIS DISCIPLES BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION, HE SAID TO THEM: "I WILL
PRAY THE FATHER, AND HE SHALL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COMFORTER, . . . EVEN THE
SPIRIT OF TRUTH." JOHN 14:16, 17. "BUT THE COMFORTER, WHICH IS THE HOLY
GHOST, WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, HE SHALL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS."
VERSE 26. "HOWBEIT WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, IS COME, HE WILL GUIDE
        
                                                                      23

YOU INTO ALL TRUTH." CHAPTER 16:13. AND AFTER CHRIST HAD RISEN FROM THE
DEAD, HE SAID TO THE DISCIPLES, "BEHOLD, I SEND THE PROMISE OF MY FATHER
UPON YOU: BUT TARRY YE IN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM, UNTIL YE BE ENDUED WITH
POWER FROM ON HIGH." LUKE 24:49.

ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST THE DISCIPLES WERE THUS ENDUED WITH POWER FROM ON
HIGH. BUT THIS PROMISE OF CHRIST'S WAS NOT, ANY MORE THAN THE PROPHECY OF
JOEL, CONFINED TO THAT OCCASION. FOR HE GAVE THEM THE SAME PROMISE IN
ANOTHER FORM BY ASSURING THEM THAT HE WOULD BE WITH THEM ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE
END OF THE WORLD. MATTHEW 28:20. MARK TELLS US IN WHAT SENSE AND WHAT MANNER
THE LORD WAS TO BE WITH THEM. HE SAYS, "AND THEY WENT FORTH, AND PREACHED
EVERYWHERE, THE LORD WORKING WITH THEM, AND CONFIRMING THE WORD WITH SIGNS
FOLLOWING." MARK 16:20. AND PETER, ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, TESTIFIED
CONCERNING THE PERPETUITY OF THIS OPERATION OF THE SPIRIT WHICH THEY HAD
WITNESSED. WHEN THE CONVICTED JEWS SAID UNTO THE APOSTLES, "WHAT SHALL WE
DO?" PETER ANSWERED, "REPENT, AND BE BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE NAME
OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF
THE HOLY GHOST. FOR THE PROMISE IS UNTO YOU, AND TO YOUR CHILDREN, AND TO
ALL THAT ARE AFAR OFF, EVEN AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL." ACTS
2:37-39. THIS CERTAINLY PROVIDES FOR THE OPERATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE
CHURCH, EVEN IN ITS SPECIAL MANIFESTATIONS, TO ALL COMING TIME, AS LONG AS
MERCY SHALL INVITE MEN TO ACCEPT THE PARDONING LOVE OF CHRIST.

TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS LATER IN HIS LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS, PAUL SET BEFORE
THAT CHURCH A FORMAL ARGUMENT ON THE QUESTION. HE SAYS (1 CORINTHIANS 12:1),
"NOW CONCERNING SPIRITUAL GIFTS, BRETHREN, I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU
IGNORANT"--SO IMPORTANT DID HE DEEM IT THAT THIS SUBJECT SHOULD BE
UNDERSTOOD IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. AFTER STATING THAT THOUGH THE SPIRIT IS
ONE IT HAS DIVERSITIES OF OPERATION, AND EXPLAINING WHAT THOSE DIVERSITIES
ARE, HE INTRODUCES THE FIGURE OF THE HUMAN BODY, WITH ITS VARIOUS MEMBERS,
TO SHOW HOW THE CHURCH IS CONSTITUTED WITH ITS DIFFERENT OFFICES AND GIFTS.
AND AS THE BODY HAS ITS VARIOUS MEMBERS, EACH HAVING ITS
       
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PARTICULAR OFFICE TO FILL, AND ALL WORKING TOGETHER IN UNITY OF PURPOSE TO
CONSTITUTE ONE HARMONIOUS WHOLE, SO THE SPIRIT WAS TO OPERATE THROUGH
VARIOUS CHANNELS IN THE CHURCH TO CONSTITUTE A PERFECT RELIGIOUS BODY. PAUL
THEN CONTINUES IN THESE WORDS: "AND GOD HATH SET SOME IN THE CHURCH, FIRST
APOSTLES, SECONDARILY PROPHETS, THIRDLY TEACHERS, AFTER THAT MIRACLES, THEN
GIFTS OF HEALING, HELPS, GOVERNMENTS, DIVERSITIES OF TONGUES."

THE DECLARATION THAT GOD HATH SET SOME IN THE CHURCH, ETC., IMPLIES
SOMETHING MORE THAN THAT THE WAY WAS LEFT OPEN FOR THE GIFTS TO APPEAR IF
CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD CHANCE TO FAVOR. IT RATHER SIGNIFIES THAT THEY WERE TO
BE PERMANENT PARTS OF THE TRUE SPIRITUAL CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH, AND
THAT IF THESE WERE NOT IN ACTIVE OPERATION THE CHURCH WOULD BE IN THE
CONDITION OF A HUMAN BODY, SOME OF WHOSE MEMBERS HAD, THROUGH ACCIDENT OR
DISEASE, BECOME CRIPPLED AND HELPLESS. HAVING ONCE BEEN SET IN THE CHURCH,
THERE THESE GIFTS MUST REMAIN UNTIL THEY ARE FORMALLY REMOVED. BUT THERE IS
NO RECORD THAT THEY EVER HAVE BEEN REMOVED.

FIVE YEARS LATER THE SAME APOSTLE WRITES TO THE EPHESIANS RELATIVE TO THE
SAME GIFTS, PLAINLY STATING THEIR OBJECT, AND THUS SHOWING INDIRECTLY THAT
THEY MUST CONTINUE TILL THAT OBJECT IS ACCOMPLISHED. HE SAYS (EPHESIANS 4:8,
11-13): "WHEREFORE HE SAITH, WHEN HE ASCENDED UP ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY
CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS UNTO MEN. . . . AND HE GAVE SOME, APOSTLES; AND
SOME, PROPHETS; AND SOME, EVANGELISTS; AND SOME, PASTORS AND TEACHERS; FOR
THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS, FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, FOR THE EDIFYING
OF THE BODY OF CHRIST: TILL WE ALL COME IN THE UNITY OF THE FAITH, AND OF
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, UNTO A PERFECT MAN, UNTO THE MEASURE OF THE
STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST."

THE CHURCH DID NOT REACH THE STATE OF UNITY HERE CONTEMPLATED, IN THE
APOSTOLIC AGE; AND VERY SOON AFTER THAT AGE, THE GLOOM OF THE GREAT
SPIRITUAL APOSTASY BEGAN TO OVERSHADOW THE CHURCH; AND CERTAINLY DURING THE
STATE OF DECLENSION, THIS FULLNESS OF CHRIST, AND UNITY OF FAITH, WAS NOT
REACHED. NOR WILL IT BE REACHED TILL
         
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THE LAST MESSAGE OF MERCY SHALL HAVE GATHERED OUT OF EVERY KINDRED AND
PEOPLE, EVERY CLASS OF SOCIETY, AND EVERY ORGANIZATION OF ERROR, A PEOPLE
COMPLETE IN ALL GOSPEL REFORMS, WAITING FOR THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN.
AND TRULY, IF EVER IN HER EXPERIENCE THE CHURCH WOULD NEED THE BENEFIT OF
EVERY AGENCY ORDAINED FOR HER COMFORT AND GUIDANCE, ENCOURAGEMENT AND
PROTECTION, IT WOULD BE AMID THE PERILS OF THE LAST DAYS, WHEN THE POWERS OF
EVIL, WELL-NIGH PERFECTED BY EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING FOR THEIR NEFARIOUS
WORK, WOULD, BY THEIR MASTERPIECES OF IMPOSTURE, DECEIVE IF IT WERE POSSIBLE
EVEN THE ELECT. VERY APPROPRIATELY, THEREFORE, COME IN THE SPECIAL
PROPHECIES OF THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CHURCH IN
THE LAST DAYS.

IT IS, HOWEVER, USUALLY TAUGHT, IN THE CURRENT LITERATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN
WORLD, THAT THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT WERE ONLY FOR THE APOSTOLIC AGE; THAT
THEY WERE GIVEN SIMPLY FOR THE PLANTING OF THE GOSPEL; AND THAT THE GOSPEL
BEING ONCE ESTABLISHED, THE GIFTS WERE NO LONGER NEEDED, AND CONSEQUENTLY
WERE SUFFERED SOON TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE CHURCH. BUT THE APOSTLE PAUL WARNED
THE CHRISTIANS OF HIS DAY THAT THE "MYSTERY OF INIQUITY" WAS ALREADY AT
WORK, AND THAT AFTER HIS DEPARTURE, GRIEVOUS WOLVES WOULD ENTER IN AMONG
THEM, NOT SPARING THE FLOCK, AND THAT ALSO OF THEIR OWN SELVES MEN WOULD
ARISE, SPEAKING PERVERSE THINGS TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEM. ACTS
20:29, 30. IT CANNOT THEREFORE BE THAT THE GIFTS, PLACED IN THE CHURCH TO
GUARD AGAINST THESE VERY EVILS, WERE READY, WHEN THAT TIME CAME, TO PASS
AWAY AS HAVING ACCOMPLISHED THEIR OBJECT; FOR THEIR PRESENCE AND HELP WOULD
BE NEEDED UNDER THESE CONDITIONS MORE THAN WHEN THE APOSTLES THEMSELVES WERE
ON THE STAGE OF ACTION.

WE FIND ANOTHER STATEMENT IN PAUL'S LETTER TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH, WHICH
SHOWS THAT THE POPULAR CONCEPTION OF THE TEMPORARY CONTINUANCE OF THE GIFTS
CANNOT BE CORRECT. IT IS HIS CONTRAST BETWEEN THE PRESENT, IMPERFECT STATE,
AND THE GLORIOUS, IMMORTAL CONDITION TO WHICH THE CHRISTIAN WILL FINALLY
ARRIVE. 1 CORINTHIANS
13. HE SAYS (VERSES 9, 10). "FOR WE KNOW IN PART, AND WE
         
                                                                      26

PROPHESY IN PART. BUT WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME, THEN THAT WHICH IS
IN PART SHALL BE DONE AWAY." HE FURTHER ILLUSTRATES THIS PRESENT STATE BY
COMPARING IT TO THE PERIOD OF CHILDHOOD WITH ITS WEAKNESS AND IMMATURITY OF
THOUGHT AND ACTION; AND THE PERFECT STATE, TO THE CONDITION OF MANHOOD WITH
ITS CLEARER VISION, MATURITY, AND STRENGTH. AND HE CLASSES THE GIFTS AMONG
THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NEEDED IN THIS PRESENT, IMPERFECT CONDITION, BUT
WHICH WE SHALL HAVE NO OCCASION FOR WHEN THE PERFECT STATE IS COME. "NOW,"
HE SAYS (VERSE 12), "WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY; BUT THEN FACE TO FACE:
NOW I KNOW IN PART; BUT THEN SHALL I KNOW EVEN AS ALSO I AM KNOWN." THEN HE
STATES WHAT GRACES ARE ADAPTED TO THE ETERNAL STATE, AND WILL THERE EXIST,
NAMELY, FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY, OR LOVE, "THESE THREE; BUT THE GREATEST OF
THESE IS CHARITY."

THIS EXPLAINS THE LANGUAGE OF VERSE 8: "CHARITY NEVER FAILETH;" THAT IS,
CHARITY, THE HEAVENLY GRACE OF LOVE, WILL ENDURE FOREVER; IT IS THE CROWNING
GLORY OF MAN'S FUTURE, IMMORTAL CONDITION; BUT "WHETHER THERE BE PROPHECIES,
THEY SHALL FAIL;" THAT IS, THE TIME WILL COME WHEN PROPHECIES WILL BE NO
LONGER NEEDED, AND THE GIFT OF PROPHECY, AS ONE OF THE HELPS IN THE CHURCH,
WILL NO LONGER BE EXERCISED; "WHETHER THERE BE TONGUES, THEY SHALL CEASE;"
THAT IS, THE GIFT OF TONGUES WILL NO LONGER BE OF SERVICE; "WHETHER THERE BE
KNOWLEDGE, IT SHALL VANISH AWAY;" THAT IS, KNOWLEDGE, NOT IN THE ABSTRACT,
BUT AS ONE OF THE SPECIAL GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT, WILL BE RENDERED UNNECESSARY
BY THE PERFECT KNOWLEDGE WITH WHICH WE SHALL BE ENDOWED IN THE ETERNAL
WORLD.

NOW, IF WE TAKE THE POSITION THAT THE GIFTS CEASED WITH THE APOSTOLIC AGE,
BECAUSE NO LONGER NEEDED, WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE POSITION THAT THE
APOSTOLIC AGE WAS THE WEAK AND CHILDISH AGE OF THE CHURCH, WHEN EVERYTHING
WAS SEEN THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY; BUT THE AGE THAT FOLLOWED, WHEN GRIEVOUS
WOLVES WERE TO ENTER IN, NOT SPARING THE FLOCK, AND MEN WERE TO ARISE, EVEN
IN THE CHURCH, SPEAKING PERVERSE THINGS TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEM,
WAS AN AGE OF PERFECT LIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE, IN WHICH THE IMPERFECT AND
        
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CHILDISH AND DARKENED KNOWLEDGE OF APOSTOLIC TIMES HAD PASSED AWAY! FOR, BE
IT REMEMBERED, THE GIFTS CEASE ONLY WHEN A PERFECT STATE IS REACHED, AND
BECAUSE THAT STATE IS REACHED, WHICH RENDERS THEM NO LONGER NECESSARY. BUT
NO ONE, ON SOBER THOUGHT, CAN FOR A MOMENT SEEK TO MAINTAIN THE POSITION
THAT THE APOSTOLIC AGE WAS INFERIOR IN SPIRITUAL ELEVATION TO ANY AGE WHICH
HAS SUCCEEDED IT. AND IF THE GIFTS WERE NEEDED THEN, THEY CERTAINLY ARE
NEEDED NOW.

AMONG THE AGENCIES WHICH THE APOSTLE IN HIS LETTERS TO BOTH THE CORINTHIANS
AND EPHESIANS ENUMERATES AS "GIFTS" SET IN THE CHURCH, WE FIND "PASTORS,"
"TEACHERS," "HELPS," AND "GOVERNMENTS;" AND ALL THESE ARE ACKNOWLEDGED, ON
EVERY HAND, AS STILL CONTINUING IN THE CHURCH. WHY NOT, THEN, THE OTHERS
ALSO, INCLUDING FAITH, HEALING, PROPHECY, ETC.? WHO IS COMPETENT TO DRAW THE
LINE, AND SAY WHAT GIFTS HAVE BEEN "SET OUT" OF THE CHURCH, WHEN ALL WERE,
IN THE BEGINNING, EQUALLY "SET" THEREIN?

REVELATION 12:17 HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS A PROPHECY THAT THE GIFTS WOULD BE
RESTORED IN THE LAST DAYS. AN EXAMINATION OF ITS TESTIMONY WILL CONFIRM THIS
VIEW. THE TEXT SPEAKS OF THE REMNANT OF THE WOMAN'S SEED. THE WOMAN BEING A
SYMBOL OF THE CHURCH, HER SEED WOULD BE THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS COMPOSING THE
CHURCH AT ANY ONE TIME; AND THE "REMNANT" OF HER SEED WOULD BE THE LAST
GENERATION OF CHRISTIANS, OR THOSE LIVING ON THE EARTH AT THE SECOND COMING
OF CHRIST. THE TEXT FURTHER DECLARES THAT THESE "KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF
GOD, AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST;" AND THE "TESTIMONY OF JESUS"
IS EXPLAINED IN CHAPTER 19:10 TO BE "THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY," WHICH MUST BE
UNDERSTOOD AS THAT WHICH AMONG THE GIFTS IS CALLED "THE GIFT OF PROPHECY." 1
CORINTHIANS 12:9, 10.

THE SETTING OF THE GIFTS IN THE CHURCH DOES NOT IMPLY THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL
WAS TO HAVE THEM IN EXERCISE. ON THIS POINT THE APOSTLE (1 CORINTHIANS
12:29) SAYS, "ARE ALL APOSTLES? ARE ALL PROPHETS? ARE ALL TEACHERS?" ETC.
THE IMPLIED ANSWER IS NO; NOT ALL ARE; BUT THE GIFTS ARE DIVIDED AMONG THE
MEMBERS AS IT PLEASES
        
                                                                      28

GOD. 1 CORINTHIANS 12:7, 11. YET THESE GIFTS ARE SAID TO BE "SET IN THE
CHURCH," AND IF A GIFT IS BESTOWED UPON EVEN ONE MEMBER OF THE CHURCH, IT
MAY BE SAID THAT THAT GIFT IS "IN THE CHURCH," OR THAT THE CHURCH "HAS" IT.
SO THE LAST GENERATION WAS TO HAVE, AND IT IS BELIEVED DOES NOW HAVE, THE
TESTIMONY OF JESUS, OR THE GIFT OF PROPHECY.

ANOTHER PORTION OF SCRIPTURE EVIDENTLY WRITTEN WITH REFERENCE TO THE LAST
DAYS, BRINGS THE SAME FACT PLAINLY TO VIEW. 1 THESSALONIANS
5. THE APOSTLE OPENS THE CHAPTER WITH THESE WORDS: "BUT
OF THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS, BRETHREN, YOU HAVE NO NEED THAT I WRITE UNTO
YOU. FOR YOURSELVES KNOW PERFECTLY THAT THE DAY OF THE LORD SO COMETH AS A
THIEF IN THE NIGHT." IN VERSE 4 HE ADDS, "BUT YE, BRETHREN, ARE NOT IN
DARKNESS, THAT THAT DAY SHOULD OVERTAKE YOU AS A THIEF." THEN HE GIVES THEM
SUNDRY ADMONITIONS IN VIEW OF THAT EVENT, AMONG WHICH ARE THESE (VERSES
19-21): "QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT. DESPISE NOT PROPHESYINGS. PROVE ALL THINGS;
HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD." AND IN VERSE 23 HE PRAYS THAT THESE VERY ONES
WHO WERE THUS TO HAVE TO DO WITH "PROPHESYINGS" MAY BE PRESERVED BLAMELESS
UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD.

ON THE STRENGTH OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS ARE WE NOT JUSTIFIED IN BELIEVING
THAT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY WILL BE MANIFESTED IN THE CHURCH IN THE LAST DAYS,
AND THAT THROUGH IT MUCH LIGHT WILL BE IMPARTED, AND MUCH TIMELY INSTRUCTION
GIVEN?

ALL THINGS ARE TO BE TREATED ACCORDING TO THE APOSTLE'S RULE: "PROVE ALL
THINGS; HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD;" AND TO BE TESTED BY THE SAVIOUR'S
STANDARD: BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM." APPEALING TO THIS STANDARD IN
BEHALF OF WHAT CLAIMS TO BE A MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFT OF PROPHECY, WE
COMMEND THIS VOLUME TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE
IS THE WORD OF GOD, AND THAT THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF WHICH CHRIST IS HEAD.
                                                         U. SMITH.

                                                                      29
                              Contents

 1. Why was Sin Permitted? .........................................        33
 2. The Creation ...................................................        44
 3. The Temptation and Fall ........................................        52
 4. The Plan of Redemption .........................................        63
 5. Cain and Abel Tested ...........................................        71
 6. Seth and Enoch .................................................        80
 7. The Flood ......................................................        90
 8. After the Flood ................................................       105
 9. The Literal Week ...............................................       111
10. The Tower of Babel .............................................       117
11. The Call of Abraham ............................................       125
12. Abraham in Canaan ..............................................       132
13. The Test of Faith ..............................................       145
14. Destruction of Sodom ...........................................       156
15. The Marriage of Isaac ..........................................       171
16. Jacob and Esau .................................................       177
17. Jacob's Flight and Exile .......................................       183
18. The Night of Wrestling .........................................       195
19. The Return to Canaan ...........................................       204
20. Joseph in Egypt ................................................       213
21. Joseph and His Brothers ........................................       224
22. Moses ..........................................................       241
23. The Plagues of Egypt ...........................................       257
24. The Passover ...................................................       273
25. The Exodus .....................................................       281
26. From the Red Sea to Sinai ......................................       291
27. The Law Given to Israel ........................................       303
28. Idolatry at Sinai ..............................................       315
29. Satan's Enmity Against the Law .................................       331
30. The Tabernacle and Its Services ................................       343
31. The Sin of Nadab and Abihu .....................................       359
32. The Law and the Covenants ......................................       363
33. From Sinai to Kadesh ...........................................       374
34. The Twelve Spies ...............................................       387
35. The Rebellion of Korah .........................................       395
36. In the Wilderness ..............................................       406
37. The Smitten Rock ...............................................       411
38. The Journey Around Edom ........................................       422
39. The Conquest of Bashan .........................................       433
40. Balaam .........................................................       438
41. Apostasy at the Jordan .........................................       453
42. The Law Repeated ...............................................       462
43. The Death of Moses .............................................       469
44. Crossing the Jordan ............................................       481
45. The Fall of Jericho ............................................       487
46. The Blessings and the Curses ...................................       499
47. League With the Gibeonites .....................................       505
48. The Division of Canaan .........................................       510
49. The Last Words of Joshua .......................................       521
50. Tithes and Offerings ...........................................       525
51. God's Care for the Poor ........................................       530
52. The Annual Feasts ..............................................       537
53. The Earlier Judges .............................................       543
54. Samson .........................................................       560
55. The Child Samuel ...............................................       569
56. Eli and His Sons ...............................................       575
57. The Ark Taken by the Philistines ...............................       581
58. The Schools of the Prophets ....................................       592
59. The First King of Israel .......................................       603
60. The Presumption of Saul ........................................       616
61. Saul Rejected ..................................................       627
62. The Anointing of David .........................................       637
63. David and Goliath ..............................................       643
64. David a Fugitive ...............................................       649
65. The Magnanimity of David .......................................       660
66. The Death of Saul ..............................................       675
67. Ancient and Modern Sorcery .....................................       683
68. David at Ziklag ................................................       690
69. David Called to the Throne .....................................       697
70. The Reign of David .............................................       703
71. David's Sin and Repentance .....................................       717
72. The Rebellion of Absalom .......................................       727
73. The Last Years of David ........................................       746
    Appendix .......................................................       757



                                                                      (33)

                              Chapter 1

                              Why was Sin Permitted?


"God is love." 1 John 4:16. His nature, His law, is love. It ever has been;
it ever will be. "The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity," whose
"ways are everlasting," changeth not. With Him "is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning." Isaiah 57:15; Habakkuk 3:6; James 1:17.

Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love. The
sovereignty of God involves fullness of blessing to all created beings. The
psalmist says:

       "Strong is Thy hand, and high is Thy right hand.
        Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of Thy throne:
        Mercy and truth go before Thy face.
        Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound:
        They walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance.
        In Thy name do they rejoice all the day:
        And in Thy righteousness are they exalted.
        For Thou art the glory of their strength: . . .
         or our shield belongeth unto Jehovah,
        And our king to the Holy One."
                                       Psalm 89:13-18, R.V.[* IN THIS
                                       TEXT AND IN SOME OTHER BIBLE
                                       QUOTATIONS USED IN THIS BOOK THE
                                       WORD "JEHOVAH" IS EMPLOYED INSTEAD
                                       OF "LORD," AS RENDERED IN THE
                                       AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT TO THE REVISED
                                       VERSION.]


The history of the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it
first began in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total
eradication of sin, is also a demonstration of God's unchanging love.

34


The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He
had an associate--a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could
share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. "In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in
the beginning with God." John 1:1, 2. Christ, the Word, the only begotten of
God, was one with the eternal Father--one in nature, in character, in
purpose--the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes
of God. "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6. His "goings forth have
been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2. And the Son of God declares
concerning Himself: "The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way,
before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting. . . . When He
appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by Him, as one brought up
with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him."
Proverbs 8:22-30.

The Father wrought by His Son in the creation of all heavenly beings. "By
Him were all things created, . . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him."
Colossians 1:16. Angels are God's ministers, radiant with the light ever
flowing from His presence and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will.
But the Son, the anointed of God, the "express image of His person," "the
brightness of His glory," "upholding all things by the word of His power,"
holds supremacy over them all. Hebrews 1:3. "A glorious high throne from the
beginning," was the place of His sanctuary (Jeremiah 17:12); "a scepter of
righteousness," the scepter of His kingdom. Hebrews 1:8. "Honor and majesty
are before Him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary." Psalm 96:6. Mercy
and truth go before His face. Psalm 89:14.

The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness
of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great
principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service
of love--service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He
takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of
will, that they may render Him voluntary service.

                                                                      35


So long as all created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love, there was
perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. It was the joy of the
heavenly host to fulfill the purpose of their Creator. They delighted in
reflecting His glory and showing forth His praise. And while love to God was
supreme, love for one another was confiding and unselfish. There was no note
of discord to mar the celestial harmonies. But a change came over this happy
state. There was one who perverted the freedom that God had granted to His
creatures. Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most
honored of God and was highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of
heaven. Lucifer, "son of the morning," was first of the covering cherubs,
holy and undefiled. He stood in the presence of the great Creator, and the
ceaseless beams of glory enshrouding the eternal God rested upon him. "Thus
saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in
beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was
thy covering. . . . Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have
set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up
and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways
from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."
Ezekiel 28:12-15.

Little by little Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. The
Scripture says, "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast
corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." Ezekiel 28:17. "Thou hast
said in thine heart, . . . I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. .
. . I will be like the Most High." Isaiah 14:13, 14. Though all his glory
was from God, this mighty angel came to regard it as pertaining to himself.
Not content with his position, though honored above the heavenly host, he
ventured to covet homage due alone to the Creator. Instead of seeking to
make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of all created beings, it
was his endeavor to secure their service and loyalty to himself. And
coveting the glory with which the infinite Father had invested His Son, this
prince of angels aspired to power that was the prerogative of Christ alone.

Now the perfect harmony of heaven was broken. Lucifer's disposition to serve
himself instead of his Creator aroused a feeling of apprehension when
observed by those who considered that the

36

glory of God should be supreme. In heavenly council the angels pleaded with
Lucifer. The Son of God presented before him the greatness, the goodness,
and the justice of the Creator, and the sacred, unchanging nature of His
law. God Himself had established the order of heaven; and in departing from
it, Lucifer would dishonor his Maker and bring ruin upon himself. But the
warning, given in infinite love and mercy, only aroused a spirit of
resistance. Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail, and became
the more determined.

To dispute the supremacy of the Son of God, thus impeaching the wisdom and
love of the Creator, had become the purpose of this prince of angels. To
this object he was about to bend the energies of that master mind, which,
next to Christ's, was first among the hosts of God. But He who would have
the will of all His creatures free, left none unguarded to the bewildering
sophistry by which rebellion would seek to justify itself. Before the great
contest should open, all were to have a clear presentation of His will,
whose wisdom and goodness were the spring of all their joy.

The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in
their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the
relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the
Father's throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled
both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered
throng--"ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands"
(Revelation 5:11.), the most exalted angels, as ministers and subjects,
rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity.
Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but
Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and
to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son
of God had wrought the Father's will in the creation of all the hosts of
heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due.
Christ was still to exercise divine power, in the creation of the earth and
its inhabitants. But in all this He would not seek power or exaltation for
Himself contrary to God's plan, but would exalt the Father's glory and
execute His purposes of beneficence and love.

The angels joyfully acknowledged the supremacy of Christ, and prostrating
themselves before Him, poured out their love and adoration. Lucifer bowed
with them, but in his heart there was

                                                                      37

a strange, fierce conflict. Truth, justice, and loyalty were struggling
against envy and jealousy. The influence of the holy angels seemed for a
time to carry him with them. As songs of praise ascended in melodious
strains, swelled by thousands of glad voices, the spirit of evil seemed
vanquished; unutterable love thrilled his entire being; his soul went out,
in harmony with the sinless worshippers, in love to the Father and the Son.
But again he was filled with pride in his own glory. His desire for
supremacy returned, and envy of Christ was once more indulged. The high
honors conferred upon Lucifer were not appreciated as God's special gift,
and therefore, called forth no gratitude to his Creator. He glorified in his
brightness and exaltation and aspired to be equal with God. He was beloved
and reverenced by the heavenly host, angels delighted to execute his
commands, and he was clothed with wisdom and glory above them all. Yet the
Son of God was exalted above him, as one in power and authority with the
Father. He shared the Father's counsels, while Lucifer did not thus enter
into the purposes of God. "Why," questioned this mighty angel, "should
Christ have the supremacy? Why is He honored above Lucifer?"

Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer went
forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with
mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an
appearance of reverence for God. He began to insinuate doubts concerning the
laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that though laws might be
necessary for the inhabitants of the worlds, angels, being more exalted,
needed no such restraint, for their own wisdom was a sufficient guide. They
were not beings that could bring dishonor to God; all their thoughts were
holy; it was no more possible for them than for God Himself to err. The
exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father was represented as an
injustice to Lucifer, who, it was claimed, was also entitled to reverence
and honor. If this prince of angels could but attain to his true, exalted
position, great good would accrue to the entire host of heaven; for it was
his object to secure freedom for all. But now even the liberty which they
had hitherto enjoyed was at an end; for an absolute Ruler had been appointed
them, and to His authority all must pay homage. Such were the subtle
deceptions that through the wiles of Lucifer were fast obtaining in the
heavenly courts.

38


There had been no change in the position or authority of Christ. Lucifer's
envy and misrepresentation and his claims to equality with Christ had made
necessary a statement of the true position of the Son of God; but this had
been the same from the beginning. Many of the angels were, however, blinded
by Lucifer's deceptions.

Taking advantage of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by the holy
beings under his command, he had so artfully instilled into their minds his
own distrust and discontent that his agency was not discerned. Lucifer had
presented the purposes of God in a false light--misconstruing and distorting
them to excite dissent and dissatisfaction. He cunningly drew his hearers on
to give utterance to their feelings; then these expressions were repeated by
him when it would serve his purpose, as evidence that the angels were not
fully in harmony with the government of God. While claiming for himself
perfect loyalty to God, he urged that changes in the order and laws of
heaven were necessary for the stability of the divine government. Thus while
working to excite opposition to the law of God and to instill his own
discontent into the minds of the angels under him, he was ostensibly seeking
to remove dissatisfaction and to reconcile disaffected angels to the order
of heaven. While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, he with
consummate craft caused it to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty
and to preserve harmony and peace.

The spirit of dissatisfaction thus kindled was doing its baleful work. While
there was no open outbreak, division of feeling imperceptibly grew up among
the angels. There were some who looked with favor upon Lucifer's
insinuations against the government of God. Although they had heretofore
been in perfect harmony with the order which God had established, they were
now discontented and unhappy because they could not penetrate His
unsearchable counsels; they were dissatisfied with His purpose in exalting
Christ. These stood ready to second Lucifer's demand for equal authority
with the Son of God. But angels who were loyal and true maintained the
wisdom and justice of he divine decree and endeavored to reconcile this
disaffected being to the will of God. Christ was the Son of God; He had been
one with Him before the angels were called into existence. He had ever stood
at the right hand of the Father; His supremacy, so full of blessing to all
who came under its benignant control, had not heretofore

                                                                      39

been questioned. The harmony of heaven had never been interrupted; wherefore
should there now be discord? The loyal angels could see only terrible
consequences from this dissension, and with earnest entreaty they counseled
the disaffected ones to renounce their purpose and prove themselves loyal to
God by fidelity to His government.

In great mercy, according to His divine character, God bore long with
Lucifer. The spirit of discontent and disaffection had never before been
known in heaven. It was a new element, strange, mysterious, unaccountable.
Lucifer himself had not at first been acquainted with the real nature of his
feelings; for a time he had feared to express the workings and imaginings of
his mind; yet he did not dismiss them. He did not see whither he was
drifting. But such efforts as infinite love and wisdom only could devise,
were made to convince him of his error. His disaffection was proved to be
without cause, and he was made to see what would be the result of persisting
in revolt. Lucifer was convinced that he was in the wrong. He saw that "the
Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works" (Psalm
145:17); that the divine statutes are just, and that he ought to acknowledge
them as such before all heaven. Had he done this, he might have saved
himself and many angels. He had not at that time fully cast off his
allegiance to God. Though he had left his position as covering cherub, yet
if he had been willing to return to God, acknowledging the Creator's wisdom,
and satisfied to fill the place appointed him in God's great plan, he would
have been reinstated in his office. The time had come for a final decision;
he must fully yield to the divine sovereignty or place himself in open
rebellion. He nearly reached the decision to return, but pride forbade him.
It was too great a sacrifice for one who had been so highly honored to
confess that he had been in error, that his imaginings were false, and to
yield to the authority which he had been working to prove unjust.

A compassionate Creator, in yearning pity for Lucifer and his followers, was
seeking to draw them back from the abyss of ruin into which they were about
to plunge. But His mercy was misinterpreted. Lucifer pointed to the
long-suffering of God as an evidence of his own superiority, an indication
that the King of the universe would yet accede to his terms. If the angels
would stand firmly with him, he declared, they could yet gain all that

40

they desired. He persistently defended his own course, and fully committed
himself to the great controversy against his Maker. Thus it was that
Lucifer, "the light bearer," the sharer of God's glory, the attendant of His
throne, by transgression became Satan, "the adversary" of God and holy
beings and the destroyer of those whom Heaven had committed to his guidance
and guardianship.

Rejecting with disdain the arguments and entreaties of the loyal angels, he
denounced them as deluded slaves. The preference shown to Christ he declared
an act of injustice both to himself and to all the heavenly host, and
announced that he would no longer submit to this invasion of his rights and
theirs. He would never again acknowledge the supremacy of Christ. He had
determined to claim the honor which should have been given him, and take
command of all who would become his followers; and he promised those would
enter his ranks a new and better government, under which all would enjoy
freedom. Great numbers of the angels signified their purpose to accept him
as their leader. Flattered by the favor with which his advances were
received, he hoped to win all the angels to his side, to become equal with
God Himself, and to be obeyed by the entire host of heaven.

Still the loyal angels urged him and his sympathizers to submit to God; and
they set before them the inevitable result should they refuse: He who had
created them could overthrow their power and signally punish their
rebellious daring. No angel could successfully oppose the law of God, which
was as sacred as Himself. They warned all to close their ears against
Lucifer's deceptive reasoning, and urged him and his followers to seek the
presence of God without delay and confess the error of questioning His
wisdom and authority.

Many were disposed to heed this counsel, to repent of their disaffection,
and seek to be again received into favor with the Father and His Son. But
Lucifer had another deception ready. The mighty revolter now declared that
the angels who had united with him had gone too far to return; that he was
acquainted with the divine law, and knew that God would not forgive. He
declared that all who should submit to the authority of Heaven would be
stripped of their honor, degraded from their position. For himself, he was
determined never again to acknowledge the

                                                                      41

authority of Christ. The only course remaining for him and his followers, he
said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force the rights which had
not been willingly accorded them.

So far as Satan himself was concerned, it was true that he had now gone too
far to return. But not so with those who had been blinded by his deceptions.
To them the counsel and entreaties of the loyal angels opened a door of
hope; and had they heeded the warning, they might have broken away from the
snare of Satan. But pride, love for their leader, and the desire for
unrestricted freedom were permitted to bear sway, and the pleadings of
divine love and mercy were finally rejected.

God permitted Satan to carry forward his work until the spirit of
disaffection ripened into active revolt. It was necessary for his plans to
be fully developed, that their true nature and tendency might be seen by
all. Lucifer, as the anointed cherub, had been highly exalted; he was
greatly loved by the heavenly beings, and his influence over them was
strong. God's government included not only the inhabitants of heaven, but of
all the worlds that He had created; and Lucifer had concluded that if he
could carry the angels of heaven with him in rebellion, he could carry also
all the worlds. He had artfully presented his side of the question,
employing sophistry and fraud to secure his objects. His power to deceive
was very great. By disguising himself in a cloak of falsehood, he had gained
an advantage. All his acts were so clothed with mystery that it was
difficult to disclose to the angels the true nature of his work. Until fully
developed, it could not be made to appear the evil thing it was; his
disaffection would not be seen to be rebellion. Even the loyal angels could
not fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading.

Lucifer had at first so conducted his temptations that he himself stood
uncommitted. The angels whom he could not bring fully to his side, he
accused of indifference to the interests of heavenly beings. The very work
which he himself was doing, he charged upon the loyal angels. It was his
policy to perplex with subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God.
Everything that was simple he shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion
cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah. And his high position,
so closely connected with the divine government, gave greater force to his
representations.

42


God could employ only such means as were consistent with truth and
righteousness. Satan could use what God could not-- flattery and deceit. He
had sought to falsify the word of God and had misrepresented His plan of
government, claiming that God was not just in imposing laws upon the angels;
that in requiring submission and obedience from His creatures, He was
seeking merely the exaltation of Himself. It was therefore necessary to
demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven, and of all the worlds, that
God's government is just, His law perfect. Satan had made it appear that he
himself was seeking to promote the good of the universe. The true character
of the usurper and his real object must be understood by all. He must have
time to manifest himself by his wicked works.

The discord which his own course had caused in heaven, Satan charged upon
the government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of the divine
administration. He claimed that it was his own object to improve upon the
statutes of Jehovah. Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature
of his claims, to show the working out of his proposed changes in the divine
law. His own work must condemn him. Satan had claimed from the first that he
was not in rebellion. The whole universe must see deceiver unmasked.

Even when he was cast out of heaven. Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan.
Since only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of
His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence.
The inhabitants of heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to comprehend
the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice of
God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out of
existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The
influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would be
the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the
entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully developed his
principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in
their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of
God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all
question.

Satan's rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming
ages--a perpetual testimony to the nature of sin and its

                                                                      43

terrible results. The working out of Satan's rule, its effects upon both men
and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine
authority. It would testify that with the existence of God's government is
bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history
of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to
all holy beings, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of
transgression, to save them from committing sin, and suffering its penalty.

He that ruleth in the heavens is the one who sees the end from the
beginning--the one before whom the mysteries of the past and the future are
alike outspread, and who, beyond the woe and darkness and ruin that sin has
wrought, beholds the accomplishment of His own purposes of love and
blessing. Though "clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and
judgment are the foundation of His throne." Psalm 97:2, R.V. And this the
inhabitants of the universe, both loyal and disloyal, will one day
understand. "His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of
truth and without iniquity, just and right is He." Deuteronomy 32:4.





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                              Chapter 2

                              The Creation


"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by
the breath of His mouth." "For He spake, and it was;" "He commanded, and it
stood fast." Psalm 33:6,9. He "laid the foundations of the earth, that it
should not be removed forever." Psalm 104:5.

As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly
beautiful. Its surface was diversified with mountains, hills, and plains,
interspersed with noble rivers and lovely lakes; but the hills and mountains
were not abrupt and rugged, abounding in terrific steeps and frightful
chasms, as they now do; the sharp, ragged edges of earth's rocky framework
were buried beneath the fruitful soil, which everywhere produced a luxuriant
growth of verdure. There were no loathsome swamps or barren deserts.
Graceful shrubs and delicate flowers greeted the eye at every turn. The
heights were crowned with trees more majestic than any that now exist. The
air, untainted by foul miasma, was clear and healthful. The entire landscape
outvied in beauty the decorated grounds of the proudest palace. The angelic
host viewed the scene with delight, and rejoiced at the wonderful works of
God.

After the earth with its teeming animal and vegetable life had been called
into existence, man, the crowning work of the Creator, and the one for whom
the beautiful earth had been fitted up, was brought upon the stage of
action. To him was given dominion over all that his eye could behold; for
"God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them
have dominion over . . . all the earth. . . . So God created man in His own
image; . . . male and female created He them." Here is clearly set forth the
origin of the human race; and the divine record is so plainly stated that
there is no occasion for erroneous

                                                                      45

conclusions. God created man in His own image. Here is no mystery. There is
no ground for the supposition that man was evolved by slow degrees of
development from the lower forms of animal or vegetable life. Such teaching
lowers the great work of the Creator to the level of man's narrow, earthly
conceptions. Men are so intent upon excluding God from the sovereignty of
the universe that they degrade man and defraud him of the dignity of his
origin. He who set the starry worlds on high and tinted with delicate skill
the flowers of the field, who filled the earth and the heavens with the
wonders of His power, when He came to crown His glorious work, to place one
in the midst to stand as ruler of the fair earth, did not fail to create a
being worthy of the hand that gave him life. The genealogy of our race, as
given by inspiration, traces back its origin, not to a line of developing
germs, mollusks, and quadrupeds, but to the great Creator. Though formed
from the dust, Adam was "the son of God."

He was placed, as God's representative, over the lower orders of being. They
cannot understand or acknowledge the sovereignty of God, yet they were made
capable of loving and serving man. The psalmist says, "Thou madest him to
have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under
his feet: . . . the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, . . . and
whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." Psalm 8:6-8.

Man was to bear God's image, both in outward resemblance and in character.
Christ alone is "the express image" (Hebrews 1:3) of the Father; but man was
formed in the likeness of God. His nature was in harmony with the will of
God. His mind was capable of comprehending divine things. His affections
were pure; his appetites and passions were under the control of reason. He
was holy and happy in bearing the image of God and in perfect obedience to
His will.

As man came forth from the hand of his Creator, he was of lofty stature and
perfect symmetry. His countenance bore the ruddy tint of health and glowed
with the light of life and joy. Adam's height was much greater than that of
men who now inhabit the earth. Eve was somewhat less in stature; yet her
form was noble, and full of beauty. The sinless pair wore no artificial
garments; they were clothed with a covering of light and glory, such as the
angels wear. So long as they lived in obedience to God, this robe of light
continued to enshroud them.

46


After the creation of Adam every living creature was brought before him to
receive its name; he saw that to each had been given a companion, but among
them "there was not found an help meet for him." Among all the creatures
that God had made on the earth, there was not one equal to man. And God
said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help
meet for him." Man was not made to dwell in solitude; he was to be a social
being. Without companionship the beautiful scenes and delightful employments
of Eden would have failed to yield perfect happiness. Even communion with
angels could not have satisfied his desire for sympathy and companionship.
There was none of the same nature to love and to be loved.

God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided "an help meet for him"--a
helper corresponding to him-one who was fitted to be his companion, and who
could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken
from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the
head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his
side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of
his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self, showing the close
union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in this relation.
"For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it."
Ephesians 5:29. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and
shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one."

God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its
originator the Creator of the universe. "Marriage is honorable" (Hebrews
13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two
institutions that, after the Fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of
Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this
relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the
race, it provides for man's social needs, it elevates the physical, the
intellectual, and the moral nature.

"And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the
man whom He had formed." Everything that God had made was the perfection of
beauty, and nothing seemed wanting that could contribute to the happiness of
the holy pair;

                                                                      47

yet the Creator gave them still another token of His love, by preparing a
garden especially for their home. In this garden were trees of every
variety, many of them laden with fragrant and delicious fruit. There were
lovely vines, growing upright, yet presenting a most graceful appearance,
with their branches drooping under their load of tempting fruit of the
richest and most varied hues. It was the work of Adam and Eve to train the
branches of the vine to form bowers, thus making for themselves a dwelling
from living trees covered with foliage and fruit. There were fragrant
flowers of every hue in rich profusion. In the midst of the garden stood the
tree of life, surpassing in glory all other trees. Its fruit appeared like
apples of gold and silver, and had the power to perpetuate life.

The creation was now complete. "The heavens and the earth were finished, and
all the host of them." "And God saw everything that He had made, and,
behold, it was very good." Eden bloomed on earth. Adam and Eve had free
access to the tree of life. No taint of sin or shadow of death marred the
fair creation. "The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God
shouted for joy." Job 38:7.

The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of the earth; He had dressed the
whole world in the garb of beauty and had filled it with things useful to
man; He had created all the wonders of the land and of the sea. In six days
the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God "rested on the
seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh
day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work
which God created and made." God looked with satisfaction upon the work of
His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not
as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness
and the manifestations of His glory.

After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a
day of rest for man. Following the example of the Creator, man was to rest
upon this sacred day, that as he should look upon the heavens and the earth,
he might reflect upon God's great work of creation; and that as he should
behold the evidences of God's wisdom and goodness, his heart might be filled
with love and reverence for his Maker.

48


In Eden, God set up the memorial of His work of creation, in placing His
blessing upon the seventh day. The Sabbath was committed to Adam, the father
and representative of the whole human family. Its observance was to be an
act of grateful acknowledgment, on the part of all who should dwell upon the
earth, that God was their Creator and their rightful Sovereign; that they
were the work of His hands and the subjects of His authority. Thus the
institution was wholly commemorative, and given to all mankind. There was
nothing in it shadowy or of restricted application to any people.

God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man, even in Paradise. He needed to
lay aside his own interests and pursuits for one day of the seven, that he
might more fully contemplate the works of God and meditate upon His power
and goodness. He needed a Sabbath to remind him more vividly of God and to
awaken gratitude because all that he enjoyed and possessed came from the
beneficent hand of the Creator.

God designs that the Sabbath shall direct the minds of men to the
contemplation of His created works. Nature speaks to their senses, declaring
that there is a living God, the Creator, the Supreme Ruler of all. "The
heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge." Psalm
19:1, 2. The beauty that clothes the earth is token of God's love. We may
behold it in the everlasting hills, in the lofty trees, in the opening buds
and the delicate flowers. All speak to us of God. The Sabbath, ever pointing
to Him who made them all, bids men open the great book of nature and trace
therein the wisdom, the power, and the love of the Creator.

Our first parents, though created innocent and holy, were not placed beyond
the possibility of wrongdoing. God made them free moral agents, capable of
appreciating the wisdom and benevolence of His character and the justice of
His requirements, and with full liberty to yield or to withhold obedience.
They were to enjoy communion with God and with holy angels; but before they
could be rendered eternally secure, their loyalty must be tested. At the
very beginning of man's existence a check was placed upon the desire for
self-indulgence, the fatal passion that lay at the foundation of Satan's
fall. The tree of knowledge, which stood near the tree of life in the midst
of the garden, was

                                                                      49

to be a test of the obedience, faith, and love of our parents. While
permitted to eat freely of every other tree, they were forbidden to taste of
this, on pain of death. They were also to be exposed to the temptations of
Satan; but if they endured the trial, they would finally be placed beyond
his power, to enjoy perpetual favor with God.

God placed man under law, as an indispensable condition of his very
existence. He was a subject of the divine government, and there can be no
government without law. God might have created man without the power to
transgress His law; He might have withheld the hand of Adam from touching
the forbidden fruit; but in that case man would have been, not a free moral
agent, but a mere automaton. Without freedom of choice, his obedience would
not have been voluntary, but forced. There could have been no development of
character. Such a course would have been contrary to God's plan in dealing
with the inhabitants of other worlds. It would have been unworthy of man as
an intelligent being, and would have sustained Satan's charge of God's
arbitrary rule.

God made upright; He gave him noble traits of character, with no bias toward
evil. He endowed him with high intellectual powers, and presented before him
the strongest possible inducements to be true to his allegiance. Obedience,
perfect and perpetual, was the condition of eternal happiness. On this
condition he was to have access to the tree of life.

The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their
children should go forth to occupy the earth. That home, beautified by the
hand of God Himself, was not a gorgeous palace. Men, in their pride, delight
in magnificent and costly edifices and glory in the works of their own
hands; but God placed Adam in a garden. This was his dwelling. The blue
heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of
living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were
its canopy. Its was walls were hung with the most magnificent adornings--the
handiwork of the great Master Artist. In the surroundings of the holy pair
was a lesson for all time--that true happiness is found, not in the
indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His
created works. If men would give less attention to the artificial, and would
cultivate greater simplicity, they would come far nearer to answering the

50

purpose of God in their creation. Pride and ambition are never satisfied,
but those who are truly wise will find substantial and elevating pleasure in
the sources of enjoyment that God has placed within the reach of all.

To the dwellers in Eden was committed the care of the garden, "to dress it
and to keep it." Their occupation was not wearisome, but pleasant and
invigorating. God appointed labor as a blessing to man, to occupy his mind,
to strengthen his body, and to develop his faculties. In mental and physical
activity Adam found one of the highest pleasures of his holy existence. And
when, as a result of his disobedience, he was driven from his beautiful
home, and forced to struggle with a stubborn soil to gain his daily bread,
that very labor, although widely different from his pleasant occupation in
the garden, was a safeguard against temptation and a source of happiness.
Those who regard work as a curse, attended though it be with weariness and
pain, are cherishing an error. The rich often look down with contempt upon
the working classes, but this is wholly at variance with God's purpose in
creating man. What are the possessions of even the most wealthy in
comparison with the heritage given to the lordly Adam? Yet Adam was not to
be idle. Our Creator, who understands what is for man's happiness, appointed
Adam his work. The true joy of life is found only by the working men and
women. The angels are diligent workers; they are the ministers of God to the
children of men. The Creator has prepared no place for the stagnating
practice of indolence.

While they remained true to God, Adam and his companion were to bear rule
over the earth. Unlimited control was given them over every living thing.
The lion and the lamb sported peacefully around them or lay down together at
their feet. The happy birds flitted about them without fear; and as their
glad songs ascended to the praise of their Creator, Adam and Eve united with
them in thanksgiving to the Father and the Son.

The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly care of God but
students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. They were visited
by angels, and were granted communion with their Maker, with no obscuring
veil between. They were full of the vigor imparted by the tree of life, and
their intellectual power was but little less than that of the angels. The
mysteries of the visible universe--"the wondrous works of Him which is

                                                                      51

perfect in knowledge" (Job 37:16)--afforded them an exhaustless source of
instruction and delight. The laws and operations of nature, which have
engaged men's study for six thousand years, were opened to their minds by
the infinite Framer and Upholder of all. They held converse with leaf and
flower and tree, gathering from each the secrets of its life. With every
living creature, from the mighty leviathan that playeth among the waters to
the insect mote that floats in the sunbeam, Adam was familiar. He had given
to each its name, and he was acquainted with the nature and habits of all.
God's glory in the heavens, the innumerable worlds in their orderly
revolutions, "the balancings of the clouds," the mysteries of light and
sound, of day and night--all were open to the study of our first parents. On
every leaf of the forest or stone of the mountains, in every shining star,
in earth and air and sky, God's name was written. The order and harmony of
creation spoke to them of infinite wisdom and power. They were ever
discovering some attraction that filled their hearts with deeper love and
called forth fresh expressions of gratitude.

So long as they remained loyal to the divine law, their capacity to know, to
enjoy, and to love would continually increase. They would be constantly
gaining new treasures of knowledge, discovering fresh springs of happiness,
and obtaining clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the immeasurable,
unfailing love of God.





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                              Chapter 3

                              The Temptation and Fall


No longer free to stir up rebellion in heaven, Satan's enmity against God
found a new field in plotting the ruin of the human race. In the happiness
and peace of the holy pair in Eden he beheld a vision of the bliss that to
him was forever lost. Moved by envy, he determined to incite them to
disobedience, and bring upon them the guilt and penalty of sin. He would
change their love to distrust and their songs of praise to reproaches
against their Maker. Thus he would not only plunge these innocent beings
into the same misery which he was himself enduring, but would cast dishonor
upon God, and cause grief in heaven.

Our first parents were not left without a warning of the danger that
threatened them. Heavenly messengers opened to them the history of Satan's
fall and his plots for their destruction, unfolding more fully the nature of
the divine government, which the prince of evil was trying to overthrow. It
was by disobedience to the just commands of God that Satan and his host had
fallen. How important, then, that Adam and Eve should honor that law by
which alone it was possible for order and equity to be maintained.

The law of God is as sacred as God Himself. It is a revelation of His will,
a transcript of His character, the expression of divine love and wisdom. The
harmony of creation depends upon the perfect conformity of all beings, of
everything, animate and inanimate, to the law of the Creator. God has
ordained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but of all the
operations of nature. Everything is under fixed laws, which cannot be
disregarded. But while everything in nature is governed by natural laws, man
alone, of all that inhabits the earth, is amenable to moral law. To man, the
crowning work of creation, God has given power to understand His
requirements, to comprehend the justice and beneficence of His law, and its
sacred claims upon him; and of man unswerving obedience is required.

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Like the angels, the dwellers in Eden had been placed upon probation; their
happy estate could be retained only on condition of fidelity to the
Creator's law. They could obey and live, or disobey and perish. God had made
them the recipients of rich blessings; but should they disregard His will,
He who spared not the angels that sinned, could not spare them;
transgression would forfeit His gifts and bring upon them misery and ruin.

The angels warned them to be on their guard against the devices of Satan,
for his efforts to ensnare them would be unwearied. While they were obedient
to God the evil one could not harm them; for, if need be, every angel in
heaven would be sent to their help. If they steadfastly repelled his first
insinuations, they would be as secure as the heavenly messengers. But should
they once yield to temptation, their nature would become so depraved that in
themselves they would have no power and no disposition to resist Satan.

The tree of knowledge had been made a test of their obedience and their love
to God. The Lord had seen fit to lay upon them but one prohibition as to the
use of all that was in the garden; but if they should disregard His will in
this particular, they would incur the guilt of transgression. Satan was not
to follow them with continual temptations; he could have access to them only
at the forbidden tree. Should they attempt to investigate its nature, they
would be exposed to his wiles. They were admonished to give careful heed to
the warning which God had sent them and to be content with the instruction
which He had seen fit to impart.

In order to accomplish his work unperceived, Satan chose to employ as his
medium the serpent--a disguise well adapted for his purpose of deception.
The serpent was then one of the wisest and most beautiful creatures on the
earth. It had wings, and while flying through the air presented an
appearance of dazzling brightness, having the color and brilliancy of
burnished gold. Resting in the rich-laden branches of the forbidden tree and
regaling itself with the delicious fruit, it was an object to arrest the
attention and delight the eye of the beholder. Thus in the garden of peace
lurked the destroyer, watching for his prey.

The angels had cautioned Eve to beware of separating herself from her
husband while occupied in their daily labor in the garden; with him she
would be in less danger from temptation than if she were alone. But absorbed
in her pleasing task, she

54

unconsciously wandered from his side. On perceiving that she was alone, she
felt an apprehension of danger, but dismissed her fears, deciding that she
had sufficient wisdom and strength to discern evil and to withstand it.
Unmindful of the angels' caution, she soon found herself gazing with mingled
curiosity and admiration upon the forbidden tree. The fruit was very
beautiful, and she questioned with herself why God had withheld it from
them. Now was the tempter's opportunity. As if he were able to discern the
workings of her mind, he addressed her: "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not
eat of every tree of the garden?" Eve was surprised and startled as she thus
seemed to hear the echo of her thoughts. But the serpent continued, in a
musical voice, with subtle praise of her surpassing loveliness; and his
words were not displeasing. Instead of fleeing from the spot she lingered
wonderingly to hear a serpent speak. Had she been addressed by a being like
the angels, her fears would have been excited; but she had no thought that
the fascinating serpent could become the medium of the fallen foe.

To the tempter's ensnaring question she replied: "We may eat of the fruit of
the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst
of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch
it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely
die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall
be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

By partaking of this tree, he declared, they would attain to a more exalted
sphere of existence and enter a broader field of knowledge. He himself had
eaten of the forbidden fruit, and as a result had acquired the power of
speech. And he insinuated that the Lord jealously desired to withhold it
from them, lest they should be exalted to equality with Himself. It was
because of its wonderful properties, imparting wisdom and power, that He had
prohibited them from tasting or even touching it. The tempter intimated that
the divine warning was not to be actually fulfilled; it was designed merely
to intimidate them. How could it be possible for them to die? Had they not
eaten of the tree of life? God had been seeking to prevent them from
reaching a nobler development and finding greater happiness.

Such has been Satan's work from the days of Adam to the present, and he has
pursued it with great success. He tempts men to distrust God's love and to
doubt His wisdom. He is constantly

                                                                      55

seeking to excite a spirit of irreverent curiosity, a restless, inquisitive
desire to penetrate the secrets of divine wisdom and power. In their efforts
to search out what God has been pleased to withhold, multitudes overlook the
truths which He has revealed, and which are essential to salvation. Satan
tempts men to disobedience by leading them to believe they are entering a
wonderful field of knowledge. But this is all a deception. Elated with their
ideas of progression, they are, by trampling on God's requirements, setting
their feet in the path that leads to degradation and death.

Satan represented to the holy pair that they would be gainers by breaking
the law of God. Do we not today hear similar reasoning? Many talk of the
narrowness of those who obey God's commandments, while they themselves claim
to have broader ideas and to enjoy greater liberty. What is this but an echo
of the voice from Eden, "In the day ye eat thereof"--transgress the divine
requirement--"ye shall be as gods"? Satan claimed to have received great
good by eating of the forbidden fruit, but he did not let it appear that by
transgression he had become an outcast from heaven. Though he had found sin
to result in infinite loss, he concealed his own misery in order to draw
others into the same position. So now the transgressor seeks to disguise his
true character; he may claim to be holy; but his exalted profession only
makes him the more dangerous as a deceiver. He is on the side of Satan,
trampling upon the law of God, and leading others to do the same, to their
eternal ruin.

Eve really believed the words of Satan, but her belief did not save her from
the penalty of sin. She disbelieved the words of God, and this was what led
to her fall. In the judgment men will not be condemned because they
conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the truth,
because they neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth.
Notwithstanding the sophistry of Satan to the contrary, it is always
disastrous to disobey God. We must set our hearts to know what is truth. All
the lessons which God has caused to be placed on record in His word are for
our warning and instruction. They are given to save us from deception. Their
neglect will result in ruin to ourselves. Whatever contradicts God's word,
we may be sure proceeds from Satan.

The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree and placed it in the
hands of the half-reluctant Eve. Then he reminded her

56

of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it, lest they die.
She would receive no more harm from eating the fruit, he declared, than from
touching it. Perceiving no evil results from what she had done, Eve grew
bolder. When she "saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of
the fruit thereof, and did eat." It was grateful to the taste, and as she
ate, she seemed to feel a vivifying power, and imagined herself entering
upon a higher state of existence. Without a fear she plucked and ate. And
now, having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan in working
the ruin of her husband. In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with
her hands filled with the forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and
related all that had occurred.

An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished
and alarmed. To the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe
against whom they had been warned; and by the divine sentence she must die.
In answer she urged him to eat, repeating the words of the serpent, that
they should not surely die. She reasoned that this must be true, for she
felt no evidence of God's displeasure, but on the contrary realized a
delicious, exhilarating influence, thrilling every faculty with new life,
such, she imagined, as inspired the heavenly messengers.

Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God,
disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity
and love. There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He mourned that he had
permitted Eve to wander from his side. But now the deed was done; he must be
separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could he have it
thus? Adam had enjoyed the companionship of God and of holy angels. He had
looked upon the glory of the Creator. He understood the high destiny opened
to the human race should they remain faithful to God. Yet all these
blessings were lost sight of in the fear of losing that one gift which in
his eyes outvalued every other. Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator--all
were overborne by love to Eve. She was a part of himself, and he could not
endure the thought of separation. He did not realize that the same Infinite
Power who had from the dust of the earth created him, a living, beautiful
form, and had in love given him a companion, could supply her place. He
resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After
all, he

                                                                      57

reasoned, might not the words of the wise serpent be true? Eve was before
him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of
disobedience. She expressed greater love for him than before. No sign of
death appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized
the fruit and quickly ate.

After his transgression Adam at first imagined himself entering upon a
higher state of existence. But soon the thought of his sin filled him with
terror. The air, which had hitherto been of a mild and uniform temperature,
seemed to chill the guilty pair. The love and peace which had been theirs
was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a dread of the future,
a nakedness of soul. The robe of light which had enshrouded them, now
disappeared, and to supply its place they endeavored to fashion for
themselves a covering; for they could not, while unclothed, meet the eye of
God and holy angels.

They now began to see the true character of their sin. Adam reproached his
companion for her folly in leaving his side and permitting herself to be
deceived by the serpent; but they both flattered themselves that He who had
given them so many evidences of His love, would pardon this one
transgression, or that they would not be subjected to so dire a punishment
as they had feared.

Satan exulted in his success. He had tempted the woman to distrust God's
love, to doubt His wisdom, and to transgress His law, and through her he had
caused the overthrow of Adam.

But the great Lawgiver was about to make known to Adam and Eve the
consequences of their transgression. The divine presence was manifested in
the garden. In their innocence and holiness they had joyfully welcomed the
approach of their Creator; but now they fled in terror, and sought to hide
in the deepest recesses of the garden. But "the Lord God called unto Adam,
and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in the
garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And He
said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree,
whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?"

Adam could neither deny nor excuse his sin; but instead of manifesting
penitence, he endeavored to cast the blame upon his wife, and thus upon God
Himself: "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree,
and I did eat." He who, from love to Eve, had deliberately chosen to forfeit
the

58

approval of God, his home in Paradise, and an eternal life of joy, could
now, after his fall, endeavor to make his companion, and even the Creator
Himself, responsible for the transgression. So terrible is the power of sin.

When the woman was asked, "What is this that thou hast done?" she answered,
"The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." "Why didst Thou create the
serpent? Why didst Thou suffer him to enter Eden?"--these were the questions
implied in her excuse for her sin. Thus, like Adam, she charged God with the
responsibility of their fall. The spirit of self-justification originated in
the father of lies; it was indulged by our first parents as soon as they
yielded to the influence of Satan, and has been exhibited by all the sons
and daughters of Adam. Instead of humbly confessing their sins, they try to
shield themselves by casting the blame upon others, upon circumstances, or
upon God--making even His blessings an occasion of murmuring against Him.

The Lord then passed sentence upon the serpent: "Because thou hast done
this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field;
upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy
life." Since it had been employed as Satan's medium, the serpent was to
share the visitation of divine judgment. From the most beautiful and admired
of the creatures of the field, it was to become the most groveling and
detested of them all, feared and hated by both man and beast. The words next
addressed to the serpent applied directly to Satan himself, pointing forward
to his ultimate defeat and destruction: "I will put enmity between thee and
the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel."

Eve was told of the sorrow and pain that must henceforth be her portion. And
the Lord said, "Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over
thee." In the creation God had made her the equal of Adam. Had they remained
obedient to God--in harmony with His great law of love--they would ever have
been in harmony with each other; but sin had brought discord, and now their
union could be maintained and harmony preserved only by submission on the
part of the one or the other. Eve had been the first in transgression; and
she had fallen into temptation by separating from her companion, contrary to
the divine direction. It was by her solicitation that Adam sinned, and she
was now placed in subjection to her husband. Had the principles

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joined in the law of God been cherished by the fallen race, this sentence,
though growing out of the results of sin, would have proved a blessing to
them; but man's abuse of the supremacy thus given him has too often rendered
the lot of woman very bitter and made her life a burden.

Eve had been perfectly happy by her husband's side in her Eden home; but,
like restless modern Eves, she was flattered with the hope of entering a
higher sphere than that which God had assigned her. In attempting to rise
above her original position, she fell far below it. A similar result will be
reached by all who are unwilling to take up cheerfully their life duties in
accordance with God's plan. In their efforts to reach positions for which He
has not fitted them, many are leaving vacant the place where they might be a
blessing. In their desire for a higher sphere, many have sacrificed true
womanly dignity and nobility of character, and have left undone the very
work that Heaven appointed them.

To Adam the Lord declared: "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of
thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying,
Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt
thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it
bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat
of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out
of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

It was not the will of God that the sinless pair should know aught of evil.
He had freely given them the good, and had withheld the evil. But, contrary
to His command, they had eaten of the forbidden tree, and now they would
continue to eat of it-- they would have the knowledge of evil--all the days
of their life. From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan's
temptations. Instead of the happy labor heretofore appointed them, anxiety
and toil were to be their lot. They would be subject to disappointment,
grief, and pain, and finally to death.

Under the curse of sin all nature was to witness to man of the character and
results of rebellion against God. When God made man He made him rule over
the earth and all living creatures. So long as Adam remained loyal to
Heaven, all nature was in subjection to him. But when he rebelled against
the divine law, the inferior creatures were in rebellion against his rule.
Thus the

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Lord, in His great mercy, would show men the sacredness of His law, and lead
them, by their own experience, to see the danger of setting it aside, even
in the slightest degree.

And the life of toil and care which was henceforth to be man's lot was
appointed in love. It was a discipline rendered needful by his sin, to place
a check upon the indulgence of appetite and passion, to develop habits of
self-control. It was a part of God's great plan of man's recovery from the
ruin and degradation of sin.

The warning given to our first parents--"In the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17)--did not imply that they were to die
on the very day when they partook of the forbidden fruit. But on the day the
irrevocable sentence would be pronounced. Immortality was promised them on
condition of obedience; by transgression they would forfeit eternal life.
That very day would be doomed to death.

In order to possess an endless existence, man must continue to partake of
the tree of life. Deprived of this, his vitality would gradually diminish
until life should become extinct. It was Satan's plan that Adam and Eve
should by disobedience incur God's displeasure; and then, if they failed to
obtain forgiveness, he hoped that they would eat of the tree of life, and
thus perpetuate an existence of sin and misery. But after man's fall, holy
angels were immediately commissioned to guard the tree of life. Around these
angels flashed beams of light having the appearance of a glittering sword.
None of the family of Adam were permitted to pass the barrier to partake of
the life-giving fruit; hence there is not an immortal sinner.

The tide of woe that flowed from the transgression of our first parents is
regarded by many as too awful a consequence for so small a sin, and they
impeach the wisdom and justice of God in His dealings with man. But if they
would look more deeply into this question, they might discern their error.
God created man after His own likeness, free from sin. The earth was to be
peopled with beings only a little lower than the angels; but their obedience
must be tested; for God would not permit the world to be filled with those
who would disregard His law. Yet, in His great mercy, He appointed Adam no
severe test. And the very lightness of the prohibition made the sin
exceedingly great. If Adam could not bear the smallest of tests, he could
not have

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endured a greater trail had he been entrusted with higher responsibilities.

Had some great test been appointed Adam, then those whose hearts incline to
evil would have excused themselves by saying, "This is a trivial matter, and
God is not so particular about little things." And there would be continual
transgression in things looked upon as small, and which pass unrebuked among
men. But the Lord has made it evident that sin in any degree is offensive to
Him.

To Eve it seemed a small thing to disobey God by tasting the fruit of the
forbidden tree, and to tempt her husband also to transgress; but their sin
opened the floodgates of woe upon the world. Who can know, in the moment of
temptation, the terrible consequences that will result from one wrong step?

Many who teach that the law of God is not binding upon man, urge that it is
impossible for him to obey its precepts. But if this were true, why did Adam
suffer the penalty of transgression? The sin of our first parents brought
guilt and sorrow upon the world, and had it not been for the goodness and
mercy of God, would have plunged the race into hopeless despair. Let none
deceive themselves. "The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23. The law of God
can no more be transgressed with impunity now than when sentence was
pronounced upon the father of mankind.

After their sin Adam and Eve were no longer to dwell in Eden. They earnestly
entreated that they might remain in the home of their innocence and joy.
They confessed that they had forfeited all right to that happy abode, but
pledged themselves for the future to yield strict obedience to God. But they
were told that their nature had become depraved by sin; they had lessened
their strength to resist evil and had opened the way for Satan to gain more
ready access to them. In their innocence they had yielded to temptation; and
now, in a state of conscious guilt, they would have less power to maintain
their integrity.

In humility and unutterable sadness they bade farewell to their beautiful
home and went forth to dwell upon the earth, where rested the curse of sin.
The atmosphere, once so mild and uniform in temperature, was now subject to
marked changes, and the Lord mercifully provided them with a garment of
skins as a protection from the extremes of heat and cold.

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As they witnessed in drooping flower and falling leaf the first signs of
decay, Adam and his companion mourned more deeply than men now mourn over
their dead. The death of the frail, delicate flowers was indeed a cause of
sorrow; but when the goodly trees cast off their leaves, the scene brought
vividly to mind the stern fact that death is the portion of every living
thing.

The Garden of Eden remained upon the earth long after man had become an
outcast from its pleasant paths. The fallen race were long permitted to gaze
upon the home of innocence, their entrance barred only by the watching
angels. At the cherubim-guarded gate of Paradise the divine glory was
revealed. Hither came Adam and his sons to worship God. Here they renewed
their vows of obedience to that law the transgression of which had banished
them from Eden. When the tide of iniquity overspread the world, and the
wickedness of men determined their destruction by a flood of waters, the
hand that had planted Eden withdrew it from the earth. But in the final
restitution, when there shall be "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation
21:1), it is to be restored more gloriously adorned than at the beginning.

Then they that have kept God's commandments shall breathe in immortal vigor
beneath the tree of life; and through unending ages the inhabitants of
sinless worlds shall behold, in that garden of delight, a sample of the
perfect work of God's creation, untouched by the curse of sin--a sample of
what the whole earth would have become, had man but fulfilled the Creator's
glorious plan.




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                              Chapter 4

                              The Plan of Redemption


The fall of man filled all heaven with sorrow. The world that God had made
was blighted with the curse of sin and inhabited by beings doomed to misery
and death. There appeared no escape for those who had transgressed the law.
Angels ceased their songs of praise. Throughout the heavenly courts there
was mourning for the ruin that sin had wrought.

The Son of God, heaven's glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the
fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the
lost world rose up before Him. But divine love had conceived a plan whereby
man might be redeemed. The broken law of God demanded the life of the
sinner. In all the universe there was but one who could, in behalf of man,
satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only
one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. None but
Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law and bring him again
into harmony with Heaven. Christ would take upon Himself the guilt and shame
of sin--sin so offensive to a holy God that it must separate the Father and
His Son. Christ would reach to the depths of misery to rescue the ruined
race.

Before the Father He pleaded in the sinner's behalf, while the host of
heaven awaited the result with an intensity of interest that words cannot
express. Long continued was that mysterious communing--"the counsel of
peace" (Zechariah 6:13) for the fallen sons of men. The plan of salvation
had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is "the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8); yet it was a
struggle, even with the King of the universe, to yield up His Son to die for
the guilty race. But "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." John 3:16. Oh, the mystery of

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redemption! the love of God for a world that did not love Him! Who can know
the depths of that love which "passeth knowledge"? Through endless ages
immortal minds, seeking to comprehend the mystery of that incomprehensible
love, will wonder and adore.

God was to be manifest in Christ, "reconciling the world unto Himself." 2
Corinthians 5:19. Man had become so degraded by sin that it was impossible
for him, in himself, to come into harmony with Him whose nature is purity
and goodness. But Christ, after having redeemed man from the condemnation of
the law, could impart divine power to unite with human effort. Thus by
repentance toward God and faith in Christ the fallen children of Adam might
once more become "sons of God." 1 John 3:2.

The plan by which alone man's salvation could be secured, involved all
heaven in its infinite sacrifice. The angels could not rejoice as Christ
opened before them the plan of redemption, for they saw that man's salvation
must cost their loved Commander unutterable woe. In grief and wonder they
listened to His words as He told them how He must descend from heaven's
purity and peace, its joy and glory and immortal life, and come in contact
with the degradation of earth, to endure its sorrow, shame, and death. He
was to stand between the sinner and the penalty of sin; yet few would
receive Him as the Son of God. He would leave His high position as the
Majesty of heaven, appear upon earth and humble Himself as a man, and by His
own experience become acquainted with the sorrows and temptations which man
would have to endure. All this would be necessary in order that He might be
able to succor them that should be tempted. Hebrews 2:18. When His mission
as a teacher should be ended, He must be delivered into the hands of wicked
men and be subjected to every insult and torture that Satan could inspire
them to inflict. He must die the cruelest of deaths, lifted up between the
heavens and the earth as a guilty sinner. He must pass long hours of agony
so terrible that angels could not look upon it, but would veil their faces
from the sight. He must endure anguish of soul, the hiding of His Father's
face, while the guilt of transgression --the weight of the sins of the whole
world--should be upon Him.

The angels prostrated themselves at the feet of their Commander and offered
to become a sacrifice for man. But an angel's

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life could not pay the debt; only He who created man had power to redeem
him. Yet the angels were to have a part to act in the plan of redemption.
Christ was to be made "a little lower than the angels for the suffering of
death." Hebrews 2:9. As He should take human nature upon Him, His strength
would not be equal to theirs, and they were to minister to Him, to
strengthen and soothe Him under His sufferings. They were also to be
ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who should be heirs of
salvation. Hebrews 1:14. They would guard the subjects of grace from the
power of evil angels and from the darkness constantly thrown around them by
Satan.

When the angels should witness the agony and humiliation of their Lord, they
would be filled with grief and indignation and would wish to deliver Him
from His murderers; but they were not to interpose in order to prevent
anything which they should behold. It was a part of the plan of redemption
that Christ should suffer the scorn and abuse of wicked men, and He
consented to all this when He became the Redeemer of man.

Christ assured the angels that by His death He would ransom many, and would
destroy him who had the power of death. He would recover the kingdom which
man had lost by transgression, and the redeemed were to inherit it with Him,
and dwell therein forever. Sin and sinners would be blotted out, nevermore
to disturb the peace of heaven or earth. He bade the angelic host to be in
accord with the plan that His Father had accepted, and rejoice that, through
His death, fallen man could be reconciled to God.

Then joy, inexpressible joy, filled heaven. The glory and blessedness of a
world redeemed, outmeasured even the anguish and sacrifice of the Prince of
life. Through the celestial courts echoed the first strains of that song
which was to ring out above the hills of Bethlehem--"Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14. With a deeper
gladness now than in the rapture of the new creation, "the morning stars
sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:7.

To man the first intimation of redemption was communicated in the sentence
pronounced upon Satan in the garden. The Lord declared, "I will put enmity
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15. This
sentence, uttered in the

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hearing of our first parents, was to them a promise. While it foretold war
between man and Satan, it declared that the power of the great adversary
would finally be broken. Adam and Eve stood as criminals before the
righteous Judge, awaiting the sentence which transgression had incurred; but
before they heard of the life of toil and sorrow which must be their
portion, or of the decree that they must return to dust, they listened to
words that could not fail to give them hope. Though they must suffer from
the power of their mighty foe, they could look forward to final victory.

When Satan heard that enmity should exist between himself and the woman, and
between his seed and her seed, he knew that his work of depraving human
nature would be interrupted; that by some means man would be enabled to
resist his power. Yet as the plan of salvation was more fully unfolded,
Satan rejoiced with his angels that, having caused man's fall, he could
bring down the Son of God from His exalted position. He declared that his
plans had thus far been successful upon the earth, and that when Christ
should take upon Himself human nature, He also might be overcome, and thus
the redemption of the fallen race might be prevented.

Heavenly angels more fully opened to our first parents the plan that had
been devised for their salvation. Adam and his companion were assured that
notwithstanding their great sin, they were not to be abandoned to the
control of Satan. The Son of God had offered to atone, with His own life,
for their transgression. A period of probation would be granted them, and
through repentance and faith in Christ they might again become the children
of God.

The sacrifice demanded by their transgression revealed to Adam and Eve the
sacred character of the law of God; and they saw, as they had never seen
before, the guilt of sin and its dire results. In their remorse and anguish
they pleaded that the penalty might not fall upon Him whose love had been
the source of all their joy; rather let it descend upon them and their
prosperity.

They were told that since the law of Jehovah is the foundation of His
government in heaven as well as upon the earth, even the life of an angel
could not be accepted as a sacrifice for its transgression. Not one of its
precepts could be abrogated or changed to meet man in his fallen condition;
but the Son of God, who had created man, could make an atonement for him. As
Adam's

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transgression had brought wretchedness and death, so the sacrifice of Christ
would bring life and immortality.

Not only man but the earth had by sin come under the power of the wicked
one, and was to be restored by the plan of redemption. At his creation Adam
was placed in dominion over the earth. But by yielding to temptation, he was
brought under the power of Satan. "Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is
he brought in bondage." 2 Peter 2:19. When man became Satan's captive, the
dominion which he held, passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became "the god
of this world." 2 Corinthians 4:4. He had usurped that dominion over the
earth which had been originally given to Adam. But Christ, by His sacrifice
paying the penalty of sin, would not only redeem man, but recover the
dominion which he had forfeited. All that was lost by the first Adam will be
restored by the second. Says the prophet, "O tower of the flock, the
stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first
dominion." Micah 4:8. And the apostle Paul points forward to the "redemption
of the purchased possession." Ephesians 1:14. God created the earth to be
the abode of holy, happy beings. The Lord "formed the earth and made it; He
hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be
inhabited." Isaiah 45:18. That purpose will be fulfilled, when, renewed by
the power of God, and freed from sin and sorrow, it shall become the eternal
abode of the redeemed. "The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell
therein forever." "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God
and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him." Psalm
37:29; Revelation 22:3.

Adam, in his innocence, had enjoyed open communion with his Maker; but sin
brought separation between God and man, and the atonement of Christ alone
could span the abyss and make possible the communication of blessing or
salvation from heaven to earth. Man was still cut off from direct approach
to his Creator, but God would communicate with him through Christ and
angels.

Thus were revealed to Adam important events in the history of mankind, from
the time when the divine sentence was pronounced in Eden, to the Flood, and
onward to the first advent of the Son of God. He was shown that while the
sacrifice of Christ would be of sufficient value to save the whole world,
many would choose a life of sin rather than of repentance and obedience.

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Crime would increase through successive generations, and the curse of sin
would rest more and more heavily upon the human race, upon the beasts, and
upon the earth. The days of man would be shortened by his own course of sin;
he would deteriorate in physical stature and endurance and in moral and
intellectual power, until the world would be filled with misery of every
type. Through the indulgence of appetite and passion men would become
incapable of appreciating the great truths of the plan of redemption. Yet
Christ, true to the purpose for which He left heaven, would continue His
interest in men, and still invite them to hide their weakness and
deficiencies in Him. He would supply the needs of all who would come unto
Him in faith. And there would ever be a few who would preserve the knowledge
of God and would remain unsullied amid the prevailing iniquity.

The sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to be to man a perpetual
reminder and a penitential acknowledgment of his sin and a confession of his
faith in the promised Redeemer. They were intended to impress upon the
fallen race the solemn truth that it was sin that caused death. To Adam, the
offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must
be raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the first time he
had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God,
there would have been no death of man or beast. As he slew the innocent
victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the
spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of
the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God's
dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the infinite goodness that would
give such a ransom to save the guilty. A star of hope illumined the dark and
terrible future and relieved it of its utter desolation.

But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the
salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth;
it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the
law of God as it should be regarded; but it was to vindicate the character
of God before the universe. To this result of His great sacrifice--its
influence upon the intelligences of other worlds, as well as upon man--the
Saviour looked forward when just before His crucifixion He said: "Now is the
judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And
I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto

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Me." John 12:31, 32. The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man
would not only make heaven accessible to men, but before all the universe it
would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan.
It would establish the perpetuity of the law of God and would reveal the
nature and the results of sin.

From the first the great controversy had been upon the law of God. Satan had
sought to prove that God was unjust, that His law was faulty, and that the
good of the universe required it to be changed. In attacking the law he
aimed to overthrow the authority of its Author. In the controversy it was to
be shown whether the divine statutes were defective and subject to change,
or perfect and immutable.

When Satan was thrust out of heaven, he determined to make the earth his
kingdom. When he tempted and overcame Adam and Eve, he thought that he had
gained possession of this world; "because," said he, "they have chosen me as
their ruler." He claimed that it was impossible that forgiveness should be
granted to the sinner, and therefore the fallen race were his rightful
subjects, and the world was his. But God gave His own dear Son-- one equal
with Himself--to bear the penalty of transgression, and thus He provided a
way by which they might be restored to His favor, and brought back to their
Eden home. Christ undertook to redeem man and to rescue the world from the
grasp of Satan. The great controversy begun in heaven was to be decided in
the very world, on the very same field, that Satan claimed as his.

It was the marvel of all the universe that Christ should humble Himself to
save fallen man. That He who had passed from star to star, from world to
world, superintending all, by His providence supplying the needs of every
order of being in His vast creation--that He should consent to leave His
glory and take upon Himself human nature, was a mystery which the sinless
intelligences of other worlds desired to understand. When Christ came to our
world in the form of humanity, all were intensely interested in following
Him as He traversed, step by step, the bloodstained path from the manger to
Calvary. Heaven marked the insult and mockery that He received, and knew
that it was at Satan's instigation. They marked the work of counteragencies
going forward; Satan constantly pressing darkness, sorrow, and suffering
upon the race, and Christ counteracting it. They watched the battle between
light and darkness as it waxed stronger. And as Christ

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in His expiring agony upon the cross cried out, "It is finished" (John
19:30), a shout of triumph rang through every world and through heaven
itself. The great contest that had been so long in progress in this world
was now decided, and Christ was conqueror. His death had answered the
question whether the Father and the Son had sufficient love for man to
exercise self-denial and a spirit of sacrifice. Satan had revealed his true
character as a liar and a murderer. It was seen that the very same spirit
with which he had ruled the children of men who were under his power, he
would have manifested if permitted to control the intelligences of heaven.
With one voice the loyal universe united in extolling the divine
administration.

If the law could be changed, man might have been saved without the sacrifice
of Christ; but the fact that it was necessary for Christ to give His life
for the fallen race, proves that the law of God will not release the sinner
from its claims upon him. It is demonstrated that the wages of sin is death.
When Christ died, the destruction of Satan was made certain. But if the law
was abolished at the cross, as many claim, then the agony and death of God's
dear Son were endured only to give to Satan just what he asked; then the
prince of evil triumphed, his charges against the divine government were
sustained. The very fact that Christ bore the penalty of man's transgression
is a mighty argument to all created intelligences that the law is
changeless; that God is righteous, merciful, and self-denying; and that
infinite justice and mercy unite in the administration of His government.




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                              Chapter 5

                              Cain and Abel Tested


Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam, differed widely in character. Abel had a
spirit of loyalty to God; he saw justice and mercy in the Creator's dealings
with the fallen race, and gratefully accepted the hope of redemption. But
Cain cherished feelings of rebellion, and murmured against God because of
the curse pronounced upon the earth and upon the human race for Adam's sin.
He permitted his mind to run in the same channel that led to Satan's
fall--indulging the desire for self-exaltation and questioning the divine
justice and authority.

These brothers were tested, as Adam had been tested before them, to prove
whether they would believe and obey the word of God. They were acquainted
with the provision made for the salvation of man, and understood the system
of offerings which God had ordained. They knew that in these offerings they
were to express faith in the Saviour whom the offerings typified, and at the
same time to acknowledge their total dependence on Him for pardon; and they
knew that by thus conforming to the divine plan for their redemption, they
were giving proof of their obedience to the will of God. Without the
shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin; and they were to show
their faith in the blood of Christ as the promised atonement by offering the
firstlings of the flock in sacrifice. Besides this, the first fruits of the
earth were to be presented before the Lord as a thank offering.

The two brothers erected their altars alike, and each brought an offering.
Abel presented a sacrifice from the flock, in accordance with the Lord's
directions. "And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering." Fire
flashed from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. But Cain, disregarding the
Lord's direct and explicit command, presented only an offering of fruit.
There was no token from heaven to show that it was accepted. Abel pleaded
with his

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brother to approach God in the divinely prescribed way, but his entreaties
only made Cain the more determined to follow his own will. As the eldest, he
felt above being admonished by his brother, and despised his counsel.

Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to
the promised sacrifice and the necessity of the sacrificial offerings. His
gift expressed no penitence for sin. He felt, as many now feel, that it
would be an acknowledgment of weakness to follow the exact plan marked out
by God, of trusting his salvation wholly to the atonement of the promised
Saviour. He chose the course of self-dependence. He would come in his own
merits. He would not bring the lamb, and mingle its blood with his offering,
but would present his fruits, the products of his labor. He presented his
offering as a favor done to God, through which he expected to secure the
divine approval. Cain obeyed in building an altar, obeyed in bringing a
sacrifice; but he rendered only a partial obedience. The essential part, the
recognition of the need of a Redeemer, was left out.

So far as birth and religious instruction were concerned, these brothers
were equal. Both were sinners, and both acknowledged the claims of God to
reverence and worship. To outward appearance their religion was the same up
to a certain point, but beyond this the difference between the two was
great.

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain."
Hebrews 11:4. Abel grasped the great principles of redemption. He saw
himself a sinner, and he saw sin and its penalty, death, standing between
his soul and communion with God. He brought the slain victim, the sacrificed
life, thus acknowledging the claims of the law that had been transgressed.
Through the shed blood he looked to the future sacrifice, Christ dying on
the cross of Calvary; and trusting in the atonement that was there to be
made, he had the witness that he was righteous, and his offering accepted.

Cain had the same opportunity of learning and accepting these truths as had
Abel. He was not the victim of an arbitrary purpose. One brother was not
elected to be accepted of God, and the other to be rejected. Abel chose
faith and obedience; Cain, unbelief and rebellion. Here the whole matter
rested.

Cain and Abel represent two classes that will exist in the world till the
close of time. One class avail themselves of the appointed. PG 73
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sacrifice for sin; the other venture to depend upon their own merits; theirs
is a sacrifice without the virtue of divine mediation, and thus it is not
able to bring man into favor with God. It is only through the merits of
Jesus that our transgressions can be pardoned. Those who feel no need of the
blood of Christ, who feel that without divine grace they can by their own
works secure the approval of God, are making the same mistake as did Cain.
If they do not accept the cleansing blood, they are under condemnation.
There is no other provision made whereby they can be released from the
thralldom of sin.

The class of worshipers who follow the example of Cain includes by far the
greater portion of the world; for nearly every false religion has been based
on the same principle--that man can depend upon his own efforts for
salvation. It is claimed by some that the human race is in need, not of
redemption, but of development--that it can refine, elevate, and regenerate
itself. As Cain thought to secure the divine favor by an offering that
lacked the blood of a sacrifice, so do these expect to exalt humanity to the
divine standard, independent of the atonement. The history of Cain shows
what must be the results. It shows what man will become apart from Christ.
Humanity has no power to regenerate itself. It does not tend upward, toward
the divine, but downward, toward the satanic. Christ is our only hope.
"There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved." "Neither is there salvation in any other." Acts 4:12.

True faith, which relies wholly upon Christ, will be manifested by obedience
to all the requirements of God. From Adam's day to the present time the
great controversy has been concerning obedience to God's law. In all ages
there have been those who claimed a right to the favor of God even while
they were disregarding some of His commands. But the Scriptures declare that
by works is "faith made perfect;" and that, without the works of obedience,
faith "is dead." James 2:22, 17. He that professes to know God, "and keepeth
not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4.

When Cain saw that his offering was rejected, he was angry with the Lord and
with Abel; he was angry that God did not accept man's substitute in place of
the sacrifice divinely ordained, and angry with his brother for choosing to
obey God

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instead of joining in rebellion against Him. Notwithstanding Cain's
disregard of the divine command, God did not leave him to himself; but He
condescended to reason with the man who had shown himself so unreasonable.
And the Lord said unto Cain, "Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance
fallen?" Through an angel messenger the divine warning was conveyed: "If
thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin
lieth at the door." The choice lay with Cain himself. If he would trust to
the merits of the promised Saviour, and would obey God's requirements, he
would enjoy His favor. But should he persist in unbelief and transgression,
he would have no ground for complaint because he was rejected by the Lord.

But instead of acknowledging his sin, Cain continued to complain of the
injustice of God and to cherish jealousy and hatred of Abel. He angrily
reproached his brother, and attempted to draw him into controversy
concerning God's dealings with them. In meekness, yet fearlessly and firmly,
Abel defended the justice and goodness of God. He pointed out Cain's error,
and tried to convince him that the wrong was in himself. He pointed to the
compassion of God in sparing the life of their parents when He might have
punished them with instant death, and urged that God loved them, or He would
not have given His Son, innocent and holy, to suffer the penalty which they
had incurred. All this caused Cain's anger to burn the hotter. Reason and
conscience told him that Abel was in the right; but he was enraged that one
who had been wont to heed his counsel should now presume to disagree with
him, and that he could gain no sympathy in his rebellion. In the fury of his
passion he slew his brother.

Cain hated and killed his brother, not for any wrong that Abel had done, but
"because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." 1 John 3:12.
So in all ages the wicked have hated those who were better than themselves.
Abel's life of obedience and unswerving faith was to Cain a perpetual
reproof. "Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the
light, lest his deeds should be reproved." John 3:20. The brighter the
heavenly light that is reflected from the character of God's faithful
servants, the more clearly the sins of the ungodly are revealed, and the
more determined will be their efforts to destroy those who disturb their
peace.

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The murder of Abel was the first example of the enmity that God had declared
would exist between the serpent and the seed of the woman--between Satan and
his subjects and Christ and His followers. Through man's sin, Satan had
gained control of the human race, but Christ would enable them to cast off
his yoke. Whenever, through faith in the Lamb of God, a soul renounces the
service of sin, Satan's wrath is kindled. The holy life of Abel testified
against Satan's claim that it is impossible for man to keep God's law. When
Cain, moved by the spirit of the wicked one, saw that he could not control
Abel, he was so enraged that he destroyed his life. And wherever there are
any who will stand in vindication of the righteousness of the law of God,
the same spirit will be manifested against them. It is the spirit that
through all the ages has set up the stake and kindled the burning pile for
the disciples of Christ. But the cruelties heaped upon the follower of Jesus
are instigated by Satan and his hosts because they cannot force him to
submit to their control. It is the rage of a vanquished foe. Every martyr of
Jesus has died a conqueror. Says the prophet, "They overcame him ["that old
serpent, called the devil, and Satan"] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the
word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
Revelation 12:11, 9.

Cain the murderer was soon called to answer for his crime. "The Lord said
unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my
brother's keeper?" Cain had gone so far in sin that he had lost a sense of
the continual presence of God and of His greatness and omniscience. So he
resorted to falsehood to conceal his guilt.

Again the Lord said to Cain, "What hast thou done? The voice of thy
brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground." God had given Cain an
opportunity to confess his sin. He had had time to reflect. He knew the
enormity of the deed he had done, and of the falsehood he had uttered to
conceal it; but he was rebellious still, and sentence was no longer
deferred. The divine voice that had been heard in entreaty and admonition
pronounced the terrible words: "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."

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Notwithstanding that Cain had by his crimes merited the sentence of death, a
merciful Creator still spared h