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THE

HISTORICAL READI

READER.

THE CREATION.

1. THE creation of the world is the first transaction, with which we are presented by history, and is the most truly sublime and glorious, that imagination can conceive. But of this stupendous event, no particulars are recorded only calculated to gratify an idle curiosity it seems to have been the great, if not the only object of the inspired penman, to make known the important truth, that the heavens and the earth were created by the immediate power of God.)

2. The earth, subsequent to its creation, was a fluid, dark, and shapeless mass of matter; but at the sovereign command of the Almighty, the cheerful light appeared; the firmament expanded, to divide the upper from the lower waters; the congregated floods retired to their destined beds, and the dry land was crowned with a rich profusion of herbage, fruits, and flowers.

3. These great occurrences, having occupied the three first days, the succeeding one was devoted to an illumination of the newly created globe-on the fourth day, the face of heaven was decorated with myriads of stars, and the greater luminaries were so disposed, as to distinguish between day and night, and to divide the seasons of the year.

4. The waters were then replenished with an abundant variety of fish; the odoriferous air was fanned by the pinions of innumerable birds; the verdant meads were stocked with cattle; and every part of the earth

was inhabited by its appropriate tribes. To complete, and truly to excel the whole, on the sixth day, God created man of the dust of the ground; and breathing into his body the breath of life, or immortality, caused him to become a living soul. Shortly subsequent to his own creation, Adam was thrown into a deep sleep, during which the Almighty took from his side a rib, formed it into the body of a woman, and endued her also with life and immortality.

5. When Adam first beheld the fair partner of his life, finding her of his own likeness and complexion, he was struck with a secret sympathy, and exclaimed with rapture, This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. He easily foresaw, that the love and union which were now to take place between them, were to be lasting. The divine hand which conducted the woman to Adam, did it in the light of a matrimonial father; and having joined them together, he pronounced upon them a benediction, intimating, that they might live to see the earth replenished with a numerous progeny.

6. Thus, by the creative influence of the Eternal Spirit, were the heavens and the earth finished in the space of six days-so admirably finished-an unformed chaos changed into a system of perfect order and beauty-that the adorable Architect himself pronounced it very good, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

7. According to the Bible, or Hebrew chronology, the creation of the world is placed in the year 4004 before the christian æra, The Chinese, Hindoos, and Egyptians, have made pretensions to a much earlier origin; but these pretensions are supported by no decisive historick documents, and must therefore be attributed to national vanity, which prompts every people to trace back their origin into the remotest antiquity, in order to give additional eclat to their nation.

QUESTIONS.

1. What is the first event with which history présents us?2. Have we any particular account of the creation of the world? 3. What object had the inspired penman chiefly in view, when writing the history of the creation?-4. What is the chronolo

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gy of the creation of the world?-5. Have any nations pretended to an origin more remote than that given to the creation of the world by the chronology of the Bible?.

PARADISE.

1. To facilitate the intended happiness of our first parents, the Almighty Creator had provided for their residence a most delightful spot, called Eden. It was watered by four rivers, and from its natural fertility and the richness and variety of its productions, it was fitly called a Garden. Among its vegetable productions, were two remarkable Trees, one called the Tree of Life, and the other the Tree of Knowledge. It is supposed, that the first of these trees communicated immortality to all who should eat of it; or that it furnished a sovereign remedy against all the evils incident to the life of man; and the latter was to enable persons to distinguish between Good and Evil.

2. Into this earthly Paradise did the Almighty conduct Adam and Eve, giving them orders to take care of the garden, and to superintend the plants. He granted them permission to eat of the fruit of every tree, except of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This he strictly charged them not even to touch, on the penalty of incurring his displeasure, and thereby entailing upon themselves and their descendants, mortality, disease, and death. With this small restraint, God left them in the garden of Eden, where every thing was pleasing to the sight, and accommodated to their mutual enjoyment.

3. Thus fixed in the most beautiful situation, possessed of innocence, devoid of guilt, and free from care, the happiness of our first parents seemed completePerfection crown'd with wond'rous frame, And peace and plenty smil'd around; They felt no grief, they knew no shame, But tasted heaven on earthly ground.

But alas! their bliss was transient, their innocence fleeting, and short their exemption from toil and care.

4. The devil, viewing the felicity of the first human pair with those painful sensations which are natural to depravity of heart, determined to allure them from their innocence, and to stimulate them to the crime of disobedience. In consequence of this infernal design, he began by persuading Eve, through the agency of the serpent, to taste the prohibited Tree of Knowledge, telling her, that by so doing, both herself and her husband would become sensible of the difference between Good and Evil, would acquire much additional happiness, and even not be inferior, in point of wisdom, to God himself.

5. Unhappily the artifices of the serpent prevailed. Eve gazed on the tempting fruit till her appetite was inflamed; its beautiful hue made her fancy it a most delicious food; and, at length, she sacrificed her duty to gratify her curiosity. She stretched forth the presumptuous hand, took of the baneful fruit, and eat, to her own destruction.

She pluck'd, she eat;

Earth felt the wound, and nature, from her seat,
Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe
That all was lost,

6. Pleased with the taste of the fruit, and fancying herself already in possession of that additional happiness the serpent had promised her, she flew to Adam, and enticed him to participate in her crime.

He scrupled not to eat

Against his better knowledge; not deceiv'd,
But fondly overcome with female charm.
Earth trembled from her entrails, as again
In pangs, and Nature gave a second groan;
Sky lower'd, and mutt'ring thunder, some sad drops
Wept at completing of the mortal sin.

7. Remorse, the natural consequence of guilt, now opened their eyes to each other's nakedness. No longer shielded by innocence, from shame, they were mutually shocked at the reciprocal indecency of their own

appearance. Art was now substituted to conceal what their criminality rendered too obvious; aprons were made of fig-leaves; and they doubtless highly applauded themselves for acquiring, at the expense of their integrity, the faculty of invention, to remove difficulties which their former simplicity prevented their perceiving.

8. While they were in a state of innocence, they no sooner heard the voice of God approach them, than they ran with ecstacy to meet him, and with humble joy to welcome his gracious visits; but now their Maker was become a terror to them, and they a terror to each other. Their consciences painted their transgression in the blackest colours, all hope was banished, and nothing remained but horror and despair.

9. When, therefore, after their transgression, they heard the voice of the Lord in the garden, instead of running, with cheerfulness and joy, to meet him as before, they flew to its most retired parts, that they might conceal themselves from his sight. But the Almighty soon called them from their dark retreat; they were unable to escape the knowledge of his omniscient eye, though covered with foliage; they both appeared before him, and acknowledged their guilt.

10. The man, however, attempted to excuse himself by laying the blame to the woman, and pleaded her persuasions, as the cause of his criminality. The woman endeavoured to remove the crime from herself to the serpent; but the Almighty thought proper to make all three the objects of his distributive justice. As the serpent had been the original cause of this evil, God first passes sentence on him, which was, that he should ever after creep on the ground, and thereby become incapable of eating any food, except what was mingled with dust The woman was given to understand, that she had entailed upon herself sorrow and pain, and subjection to her husband The punishment of Adam consisted in a life of perpetual toil and slavery, in order to keep in due subjection those passions and appetites, to gratify which he had transgressed the divine command.

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