Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/67

 paradise of  pleasure  and  placed  before  it  Cherubim  and  a flaming  sword,  turning  every  way  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree of life”.

God is  the  very  Truth.  He  had  threatened  Adam  and  Eve  with death if  they  ate  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  what  He  threatened  was brought to  pass. Of His  mercy,  Almighty  God  did  not  make  our  first parents die  immediately,  for  they  were  not  hardened  in  sin,  and  were capable of  amendment; but,  all  the  same,  from  that  moment  their  bodies lost the  supernatural  gift  of  immortality,  and  their  souls  lost  that  grace which was  their  life.

''The Justice  of  God. '' The punishment  of  Adam  and  Eve  reveals to us  the  infinite  justice  of  God. Their sin  is  the  sin  of  the  whole human race;  therefore,  the  evil  consequences  of  their  sin  have  passed down to  all  mankind. We are  by  birth  “children  of  wrath”  (Eph.  2,  3). The image  of  God  is  defaced  in  each  one  of  us. Our reason  is  obscured, our  will  is  weakened,  and  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  refuse  to  obey the spirit. We are  all  subject  to  suffering  and  death,  and  no  one could attain  to  heaven,  if  our  divine  Redeemer  had  not  died  for  us. — Think of  the  many  passions  which  hold  sway  over  man! Think of  the countless diseases  to  which  he  is  prone;  the  countless  tears  which are shed  by  him! Think of  the  bitter  pangs  of  the  dying;  and  of the  terrible  disasters  by  fire,  water  and  earthquake! All this  is the  consequence  of  sin. How terrible, then , is  the  justice  of Almighty  God!

Sin is  the  greatest  of  all  evils,  for  all  other  evils  came  into  the world by  sin.

''Pride comes  before  the  fall. '' Adam and  Eve  having  sinned  through pride, were  humbled  by  the  degrading  sentence:  “Dust  thou  art,  and into dust  thou  shalt  return.”

The first  promise  of  the  Messias. Before  Almighty  God  drove  our first parents  out  of  paradise  into  the  misery  of  the  outside  world,  He gave  them  the  promise  of  a Redeemer. The thought  that  by  their sin they  had  condemned  themselves  to  misery  in  this  world  and  eternal ruin in  the  next,  would  have  driven  them  to  despair,  had  not  God awakened in  their  hearts  the  hope  of  a coming  Saviour. The curse pronounced on  the  infernal  serpent  contained  a consolation  for  fallen man. The words:  “I  will  put  enmities  between  thee  and  the  woman &amp;c.”, told  Adam  and  Eve  that  sin  and  the  devil  would  be  overcome