February 3

1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he saw unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 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

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God hath know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman 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 one, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where are thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou roast naked? Hate thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shoudest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 14 And the Lord God said unto 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; 15 And 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.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, 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 in the ground for thy take; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall at bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever; 23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Learn, here, that however clearly we may be able to trace the Divine hand in bringing us into any position or calling, we may there yield to the tempter, and fall. That God can build no Eden this side the gates of glory which man cannot curse and wither, by listening to the suggestions of the devil.

"Mark the steps of the transgression. She 'saw:' she should have turned away her eyes from beholding vanity; but she enters into temptation by looking with pleasure on the forbidden fruit. 'She took:' it was her own act and deed. Satan may tempt, but he cannot force us into sin. She 'did eat:' when first she looked, perhaps she meant not to touch, or if she took, not to eat; but who can say, So far I will go in sin, and no further? It is a downward road. Our only safety is to stop the first thought, the first beginning. She 'gave also unto her husband with her.' No sooner was Eve a sinner than, like the devil, she became a tempter."—E. Blencowe, M. A.

Sin makes us afraid of God. There is no friend so good as a good conscience. There is no foe so ill as a bad conscience. It makes us either kings or slaves.

"So He drove out the man." God did not turn Adam out of Paradise till Adam had turned God out. It is a long lesson to learn to be able to keep the garden of the Lord, and the Lord of the garden both.

Closet Promise.—In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.—Zech. xiii. 1.

O precious blood! Lord, let it rest on me! I ask not only pardon from my King, but cleansing from my Priest. I come to Thee just as I came at first—a sinful, helpless thing.

Oh, cleanse me now! My Lord, I cannot stay For evening shadows and a silent hour.

Now I have sinned, and now, with no delay, I claim Thy promise and its total power.

O Saviour, bid me 'go and sin no more.' And keep me always 'neath the mighty flow Of Thy perpetual fountain; I implore That Thy perpetual cleansing I may fully know.

—Frances Ridley Havergai.