The peacock shines with painted wing,
The dove does softly wail.
Insects with humming fill the air,
And sparkle in the sun:
The butterfly by colors fair
Surpasses every one.
The beasts tread firmly on the ground;
The goat has nimble feet,
The stag’s with branching antlers crown’d;
The lamb’s most soft and sweet.
Pleasure the whole creation fills;
They leap, they swim, they fly;
They skim the plains, they climb the hills,
Or in the valleys lie.
With herb for meat the Lord provides
His numerous family;
The lion with the lamb abides,
The dove and hawk agree.
In all the woods and no sound of strife,
Or piteous moans arise;
None takes away his fellow’s life,
And none expiring lies.
Those happy days, alas! are past,
And death has entered here;
Why did they not forever last,
And when did death appear?
LESSON IX.
ADAM AND EVE.
Genesis i., 26, to the end of Chap. ii.
Now I shall tell you of the last thing God made.
God took some of the dust of the ground, and made the body of a man; then he breathed on it, and gave it a soul; so the man could understand about God. Adam was quite good like God. Adam loved God very much.
God put him in a very pretty garden, full of trees covered with fruit. This garden was called the garden of Eden. God showed Adam all the beasts and birds, and let Adam give them what names he pleased. He said to Adam, I give you all the fishes, and insects, and birds, and beasts; you are their master. So Adam was king over all things on the earth.
God said to Adam, You may eat of the fruit that grows on the trees in the garden. Still God did not let him be idle, but told him to take care of the garden. You see how very kind God was to Adam.
But Adam had no friend to be with him; for the beasts and birds could not talk to Adam. Then God said he would make a woman, to be a friend to Adam. So God made Adam fall fast asleep. God took a piece of bone and flesh out of his side, and made it into a woman. When Adam woke, he saw her. He knew that she was made of his flesh and bone, and he loved her very much. Her name was “woman,” and afterwards her name was Eve.
You have heard of all the things God made. They were all beautiful: and all the living things were quite happy; there was no pain, and no sighing, and no sin in all the world.
God had been six days in making the world. And when he had finished it, he rested on the seventh day, and made no more things.
The angels saw the world that God had made: they were pleased, and sang a sweet song of praise to God. Jesus Christ the Son of God was pleased, for he loved Adam and Eve.
How did I know about the world being made? It is written in the Bible, which is God’s own book.
Let us count over all the things that God made:
1. Light. 2. Air. 3. Clouds. 4. Sea. 5. Dry land. 6. Things that grow out of the earth. 7. Sun, moon, and stars. 8. Living creatures.
LESSON X.
THE FIRST SIN.
Genesis iii.
Adam and Eve were very happy in the garden of Eden. They talked to each other, and walked together, and they never quarreled, and they praised God for all his kindness to them.
God used to talk with them sometimes. They were pleased to hear his voice, for they were not afraid of him.
There was one thing that God had told them not to do. There was a tree in the middle of the garden. Some beautiful fruit grew upon it; but God said to Adam and Eve, You must not eat of the fruit of that tree; for if you eat of it, you shall die. Adam and Eve liked to obey God, and they did not wish to eat of this fruit.
You know that the wicked angel, Satan, hates God, and he hated Adam and Eve. He wished to make them naughty, that they might go to hell and be burned in his fire. So he thought he would ask them to eat of that fruit. He went into the garden, and looked like a serpent. He saw Eve alone near the tree. He said to her, Why do you not eat of this fruit?
Eve answered, No, I will not; we must not eat of that fruit. If we do, God has said we shall die. Then the serpent said, You shall not die; the fruit will make you wise.
Eve looked at the fruit, and thought it seemed nice and pretty, and she picked some and ate it; and she gave some to Adam, and he ate it.
It was very wicked of them to eat this fruit. Now they were grown naughty, and did not love God.
Soon they heard God speaking in the garden; then they were frightened, and they went and hid themselves among the trees. But God saw them; for he can see everywhere.
So God said, Adam, where art thou? Then Adam and Eve came from under the trees.
God said to Adam, Have you eaten of the fruit that I told you not eat? And Adam said, It was this woman who asked me to eat some.
And God said to Eve, What is this that thou hast done? And Eve said, The serpent asked me to eat.
God was very angry with the serpent, and said he should be punished forever and ever.
God said to Adam and Eve, You shall die. I made your bodies of dust, and they will turn to dust again.
God would not let them stay in the sweet garden. He made them go out. He would not let them come back. He told one of his bright angels to stand before the gate with a sword of fire and to keep Adam and Eve out of the garden.
Near Eden’s land in days gone by,
A lovely garden stood:
The trees were pleasant to the eye;
The fruit was good for food.
Two holy creatures spent their days
Within that garden fair:
In love they dwelt; they sang God’s praise,
And humbly knelt in prayer.
In that sweet land one tree was placed,
Their faithful love to try
“That fruit,” said God, “you shall not taste:
Who eats shall surely die.”
O why did Eve to Satan’s lies
So readily attend?
Upon the fruit why fix her eyes,
Then pluck it with her hand?
No more shall Eve or Adam stay
Within that garden fair
An angel stands to guard the way,
That none may enter there.
Конец