GOD OD tells us in the third chapter of Genesis, and the fifteenth verse, what the first promise is; it says: "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." These words were spoken about six thousand years ago. They carry us back to the Garden of Eden. That was the place where God put Adam and Eve to live after they were created. What a beautiful place it must have been! God had made to sight, and good for grow there "every tree that was pleasant to the food." The loveliest flowers too were blooming there. No thorns, nor briers were growing in that garden. The birds sang sweetly among its shady groves. Nothing disagreeable, I or hurtful, or poisonous was to be found there. The animals were all tame. They played lovingly with each other, as we sometimes see the young lambs playing together in the meadow. How bright and beautiful every thing must have been in that charming place! Well might it be said that "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." Gen. i: 31. And the reason why every thing was so bright and beautiful and happy in that garden was that there was no sin there. We know not how long Adam and Eve continued to enjoy the happiness of that blessed place. But, we know that by and by a change came over them, and their beautiful home. For after awhile we are told that Satan stole into the garden. Taking the form of a serpent, he tempted our first parents to break the only commandment that God had given them. They yielded to Satan's temptation. They broke God's law. This was the first great sin committed in our world. This was what we call the fall of Adam-or of man. The effect of that one sin was terrible. It was like putting poison into a fountain, and making all the streams that flow out from it poisonous too. Adam and Eve became sinners, and the consequence of this was that all their children also became sinners. As we think about this, it seems as if we were standing and looking at the brightness and beauty garden." of that garden, and while we are looking the "The angels visited them in the whole scene changes. A heavy cloud arises. It spreads all over the sky. It turns the day to night. It shuts out every ray of light, and leaves those two poor sinners trembling in the dark. And now God comes down to speak to them about what they have done. They are terribly frightened, and try to hide themselves. But |