was not a literal place, where was the land of Nod situated, which lay on the east of it?

Gen xiii. 10. "And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt." In this text the plain of Jordan is described by being compared to the garden of the Lord, by which Eden is doubtless meant. Eden was watered by four rivers to which reference is made, to describe the well watered plain of Jordan. Now if Eden was not a literal garden, then the plain of Jordan is described by being compared to a place that never existed. That Eden is here referred to as a iiteral place, and not as a mere description given of it, as an ideal garden, is evident from its being connected with Egypt, which must be acknowledged to be literally a place. "As the garden of the Lord like the land of Egypt." The meaning appears to be this: As the garden of Eden was watered by four rivers, and as the land of Egypt was watered by the flowing of the Nile, so the plain of Jordan was well watered.

Isa. li. 3. "For the Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places, he will make her wildernesses like Eden, and her deserts like the garden of the Lord." Here the garden of the Lord or Eden is referred to, for the purpose of describing the prosperity of the church, when the moral wastes shall be made glad by the tidings of salvation, and when her borders shall be enlarged by the conversion of the gentiles to God. As the garden of Eden presented an assemblage of nature's excellencies, ever clad in a verdant and Bowery mantle, strewing her delightsome walks and pleasant shades with flowers and fruits; so shall Zion bloom with moral flowers, and shed her fragrance on the world, when her light shall come and the glory of the Lord shall rise upon her. But who does not see, that in order to sustain the Prophet's figure, Eden must have a real and literal existence? If Eden ad only an allegorical existence, and God make Zion like den, then, the latter day glory of christianity, which has been predicted by prophets, looked for by saints, and prayed for by all the faithful, vanishes into an allegory, and ends in mere phantom that will at last elude the grasp, and disapoint the hopes of the long expecting church. There are

other texts which speak of the garden of Eden, that might be noticed. Ezekiel xxviii. 13. "Eden the garden of God." Chap. xxxvi. 35. "And they shall say, this land, that was

desolate, is become like the garden of Eden." Joel i. 3. "The land is as the garden of Eden." These references to the garden of Eden, by inspired authors, clearly show that the garden described by Moses, as the first abode of man, had a literal and real existence.

But the scriptures not only contain references to the garden of Eden, but direct reference is made to the scenes said to have transpired therein, as we will now show.

Job xxxi. 33. "If I covered my transgressions as Adam." Job, no doubt, here refers to Adam's attempt to hide himself among the trees of the garden as described, Gen. iii. 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." Now who does not see that the account of Adam's sin, and attempt to hide himself, must be a narration of literal facts, in order to justify such allusions to them.

On the above text Dr. Clarke has the following note. "Here is a most evident allusion to the fall: Adam transgressed the commandment of his maker, and he endeavored to conceal it; first by hiding himself among the trees of the garden; secondly by laying the blame on his wife." 2 Cor. xi. 3. "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguil ed Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity of Christ." Here the seduction of Eve is directly referred to by an inspired Apostle, in the use of the same terms employed in the original account. Eve said, "the serpent beguiled me;" and Paul says, "the serpent beguiled Eve," referring to it as a literal fact. Again, it is said that "the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field; while Paul declares that it was through his subtlety that he beguiled the woman. From this, it must be clear that the Apostle understood the account of the first transgression as a literal history; and it is not possible for us to conceive how any one can think otherwise, who has any confidence in his inspiration.

1 Tim. i. 14. “And Adam was not deceived, but the

woman being deceived, was in the transgression" The Apostle is here speaking of the subjection of the woman to the the man." suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man." For the subjection of the woman, the Apostle assigns two reasons. The first is, the man was first formed The second reason is contained in the text under consideration. "Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression." This plain reference to the deception of the woman, and that too, in proof of an important principle, involved in the matrimonial relation, must clearly show, beyound all doubt, that the account of the fall of man is literal and real. If the account of the fall be a mere allegory, and the deception of the woman, consequently, be not a literal fact, it could furnish no argument in support of the authority of the man, over the woman. Indeed, to say that wives should be in subjection to their husbands, because "the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression," while, in fact, no such deception and transgression ever took place, the whole being a mere allegory, is too futile to charge upon such a master of logic as the Apostle Paul. Such an imputation, to an inspired Apostie, would not only be trifling, but profane. When the Apostle asserted that wives should be in subjection to their husbands, because "the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression," had some grave Universalist matron objected to his conclusions, saying that the story of Eve's deception and transgression, was a mere allegory, without any foundation in literal fact, he certainly would have been confounded, unless he contended for a literal interpretation of this portion of the Mosaic history.

Before we close our remarks upon this subject, we will devote a few observations to what has been said in opposition to the above literal exposition of the garden of Eden, and of the fall of its once happy inmates. On this subject Mr. Hosea Ballou has made the following remarks. After giving a summary statement of the scriptural account, he adds: "This is, in short, the scriptural representation of the first sin, and I consider it to be figurative. Should it be said that this garden was a literal garden, that the tree of life was a literal tree, and that the tree of knowledge of good and evil was also literal; I should be glad to be informed what evidence can be

other texts which speak of the garden of Eden, that mig be noticed. Ezekiel xxviii. 13. "Eden the garden of God. Chap. xxxvi. 35. "And they shall say, this land, that w desolate, is become like the garden of Eden." Joel i. "The land is as the garden of Eden." These references the garden of Eden, by inspired authors, clearly show th the garden described by Moses, as the first abode of m had a literal and real existence.

But the scriptures not only contain references to the den of Eden, but direct reference is made to the scenes to have transpired therein, as we will now show.

Job xxxi. 33. "If I covered my transgressions as Ada Job, no doubt, here refers to Adam's attempt to hide him among the trees of the garden as described, Gen. i "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid tl. selves from the presence of the Lord God, amongst the t of the garden." Now who does not see that the accou Adam's sin, and attempt to hide himself, must be a narra of literal facts, in order to justify such allusions to them.

himself among the trees he blame on his wife." 2

On the above text Dr. Clarke has the following "Here is a most evident allusion to the fall: Adam gressed the commandment of his maker, and he endeav to conceal it; first by hi garden; secondly by la xi. 3. "But I fear, le ed Eve through his rupted from the si Eve is directly of the same ter said, "the se per

means, as the serpent be So your minds should be Christ." Here the seducti an inspired Apostle, in th in the original account. and Pal

the

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