ignorance of them all, the enjoyment of all the happiness of which his two-fold nature was capable.

1. The most perfect health was his, and such perhaps as none of his children now enjoy. We are not careful to watch our sensations, and it is not desirable that we should; but the probability is, that not a day passes over our heads without our suffering some degree of disorder either very slight or very acute. The pleasurable feelings which belong to vivacious youth, the ceaseless mirth, the gleesome smile, the lively motion, the rapid glance, the elastic tread, are all to be referred to the full pulse of health-but alas! how soon the countenance becomes clouded, the eye grows wan, and the step falters-infirmity visits, and then dwells with us. But Adam and Eve had all the vigour and healthfulness which belonged to frames the immediate workmanship of God, at first hand from their Maker, and which he himself declared to be "very good," excellent and perfect in themselves. A consequence of all this must have been that each enjoyed the most perfect beauty, such as the eye of fallen man has never witnessed in his species.

"Goodliest of all his sons, since borne,
And fairest of her daughters, Eve."

There is a something in beauty which charms the sense with a feeling, upon occasions, which is as pure as it is lively, and God doubtless endued man with this sensibility to its attraction. But alas! my brethren, the faded remains of beauty which exist in this sinful world are frequently in union with disease. It is a remarkable fact that a great number of the finest countenances belong to persons of a diseased constitution: and we well know that every natural excellence is allied to corruption and to sin.

2. They had all the delight which the elements can impart. The air, instead of being loaded with noxious vapours diffusing disease and death, was perhaps impregnated with matters congenial to life and enjoyment: instead of being the scene of tempest and of cloud, it was calm, or only agitated by the summer breeze: instead of such variableness of temperature as now makes it the medium of scorching heat and chilling cold, it was so equable and so mild that the pure and holy pair needed no covering for protection; and, because their thoughts were as pure and unadorned as their persons, they knew no moral purpose which concealment could answer. "Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, for even their mind and conscience are defiled."

Again, the earth had received the command (Gen. i. 11) to be fruitful, and from that expression, as well as from chap. iii, 18 and 19, we infer, that in paradise, that garden planted of the Lord, (chap. ii, 8,) the earth brought forth fruit of itself. It needed rather pruning to check its luxuriance than any encouragement to its growth. Every fruit and flower had the highest excellence of its nature, and grew uncultured and unblighted.

Thus was this place

"A happy rural seat of various hue,

Groves whose rich trees wept od'rous gums and balm;

Others, whose fruit, burnish'd with golden rind,
Hung amiable, and of delicious taste:

Between them lawns, or level downs, and flocks
Grazing the tender herb, were interposed:
Or palmy hillock, or the flow'ry lap
Of some irriguous valley spread her store:
Flowers of all hue, and without thorn the rose.
Another side umbrageous grots, and caves
Of cool recess, o'er which the mantling vine

Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
Luxuriant. Meanwhile murm'ring waters fall
Down the slope hill, dispersed, or in a lake,
(That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
Her crystal mirror holds) unite their streams:
The birds their choir apply. Airs, vernal airs,
Breathing the smell of fields and groves, attune
The trembling leaves, while universal Pan
Knit with the Graces, and the Hours, in dances
Lead on th' eternal spring."-MILTON, book iv.

3. A state in which exertion is superfluous is not one suited to the corporeal faculties of man. To Adam and Eve was assigned the care of tending the garden of paradise, and in this delightful employment were they, six days out of the seven, to consume some of their hours. Doubtless the occupation every hour ministered something to nourish the understanding and the heart of man.

4. It was "not good for man to be alone," even in paradise, and, therefore, Eve was given to him to be his companion, his friend, his other self. And the circumstances under which she was given were such as unspeakably to endear the gift. What happiness they enjoyed in each other's society is what we can very hardly conceive-our joys are short, uncertain, and imperfect but theirs were enduring, stable, and complete. What conversation must theirs have been, pure, unpolluted, vigorous, clear-sighted as they were.

You will have observed two things in the remarks now made. First, That the view we have taken of Adam's happiness has been one of contrast and comparison with our own state: for we neither feel interested in, nor can well conceive of, one that bears no resemblance to our own. Secondly, Our observations apply to the happiness of man in his corporeal and temporal

capacity; but he had blessedness of a spiritual kind, and far different from that we enjoy.

1. He had supreme authority over all cattle and all fowl and every living creature was impressed with a sense of his superiority: each with an instinct that bade him reverence man. This is now weakened where it is not destroyed. Each beast and fowl came to do homage and to receive its name, and whatsoever he called each, that was its name; by which expression we understand much more than that each retained the name he gave it, In Hebrew, a name is not simply an appellation, it is a character of the thing in question. Adam gave to each an appellation, and that was its character, whatsoever he called it; the name denoted something distinguishing in its nature, or habits, or form; and the name was a description of the crea

ture.

2. He was enriched with knowledge.

St. Paul tells us, Col. iii, 10, this was included in that image of God in which man was created. The knowledge of Adam is to be inferred from this text, as well as from the facts, that he gave descriptive names to the lower creation as it passed before him, and that he at once apprehended the relationship of Eve,-"This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh."

As to the character of his knowledge, it would seem to have been intuitive, of a kind which rose in his mind of itself and without effort, or at least it would appear to have been gained with very little labour of thought, to have been vastly extensive, and to have been certain: whereas that of his children is all of it acquired, most of it the produce of much inquiry, experiment, and long-continued observation: and, with the exception of what belongs to revelation, the greater

part of it is uncertain and unsatisfying, and often, from the corruption of the heart, greatly confused. With respect to Adam, it may be supposed, if he knew so much of the brute creation, he was not ignorant of a thousand other equally interesting and important matters.

3. And again saith St. Paul, Eph. iv, 24, "And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Righteousness we generally understand to be an attribute of conduct, holiness to be a character of the soul. Adam was then created with every disposition to what was right, although he should be tempted to what was wrong. In fact he could not sin without doing violence to his nature. The temper and spirit of his mind were all purity and rectitude. There was no secret, no original bias to that which is wrong. He had no constitutional infirmity or predilection to sin. Uprightness of conduct and purity of mind were as natural to him as was uprightness of attitude. Every thing like vice, in thought or deed, was unnatural to the pure and happy being. Our intellectual exercises are soon broken in upon by exhaustion in ourselves and by obstruction to our inquiry: but Adam knew no such difficulties to be encountered. Our spiritual joys are those of conquest, the sunshine of winter, the bliss of hope: but those of Adam were such as belong to full and composed delight, that asks no addition, and suffers no interruption.

And in all this happiness Adam had a companion able to share and to enlarge his bliss, to echo and swell the hymn of his praise. Their utterance was music, and their language was poetry.

4. Lastly, he had the converse of angels, and the vision of God.