Temptation and Fall
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would die with her. After all, he reasoned, might not the words of the
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wise serpent be true? Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently
as innocent as before this act of disobedience. She expressed greater
love for him than before. No sign of death appeared in her, and he
decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly ate.
After his transgression Adam at first imagined himself entering
upon a higher state of existence. But soon the thought of his sin filled
him with terror. The air, which had hitherto been of a mild and uniform
temperature, seemed to chill the guilty pair. The love and peace which
had been theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin,
a dread of the future, a nakedness of soul. The robe of light which
had enshrouded them, now disappeared, and to supply its place they
endeavored to fashion for themselves a covering; for they could not,
while unclothed, meet the eye of God and holy angels.
They now began to see the true character of their sin. Adam re-
proached his companion for her folly in leaving his side and permitting
herself to be deceived by the serpent; but they both flattered themselves
that He who had given them so many evidences of His love, would
pardon this one transgression, or that they would not be subjected to
so dire a punishment as they had feared.
Satan exulted in his success. He had tempted the woman to distrust
God’s love, to doubt His wisdom, and to transgress His law, and
through her he had caused the overthrow of Adam.
But the great Lawgiver was about to make known to Adam and
Eve the consequences of their transgression. The divine presence was
manifested in the garden. In their innocence and holiness they had
joyfully welcomed the approach of their Creator; but now they fled in
terror, and sought to hide in the deepest recesses of the garden. But
“the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because
I was naked; and I hid myself. And He said, Who told thee that thou
wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee
that thou shouldest not eat?”
Adam could neither deny nor excuse his sin; but instead of mani-
festing penitence, he endeavored to cast the blame upon his wife, and
thus upon God Himself: “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with
me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” He who, from love to Eve,
had deliberately chosen to forfeit the approval of God, his home in
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