The Secret of the Creation | Page 6

was red after the appearance of Jehovah. And Jehovah caused all of the beasts to pass before Adam. And Adam gave names to them after their kinds. And he called the beast which had hands and feet and stood upright as himself, Serpent. And Jehovah placed Adam in the vineyard to live, and gave to him the serpent to be his servant, in the garden of rest which he so named Eden. And Jehovah returned about and refrained from his work on the seventh day, and sanctified it as a day of rest. And Adam dwelt alone in Eden. And he was lonesome. But after a time Jehovah returned with his hosts, and he said it is not good for Adam to dwell thus alone. I will now make for man his mother. And she shall be wiser and mightier than he in wisdom, and shall be his counselor, and a light to rule over him that his days be many in the earth.
And Jehovah caused a sleep to come over Adam, and he took out one of his ribs with the flesh of the bone, and closed up the flesh of Adam. And out of it he made the body of a child,--leaving Adam twelve ribs on one side and eleven on the other side. But the ribs of the child were even twelve on both sides. And Jehovah placed within her a soul and gave her to Adam, and he knew that she had been made of his flesh, and he called her Woman. And also shall her name be Eve, because she is the beginning of the mothers of man.
And there was a tree which Jehovah had planted in the garden of Eden. As if a hundred feet to the first limb, and the leaves of the tree hung to the ground--touching the ground on all sides, "Broad and strong like rubber, yet with velvet softness. Beneath this tree was the home of Adam and Eve." Beneath the downy fragrant leaves they were shielded from all heat and cold. And the eagles and the fowl of the air run into the branches of the tree in time of storm. Here in this sublimeness Eve grew up with Adam, and the Serpent was their servant.
The Trees of the vineyard brought forth every thing which was good for food. There were trees which bare fruits large and shining as gold, fruits of all manner colors as a field of stars in glory. A river run through the Garden. Crystal waters rifting over fields of beautiful stones. The bedellium and onyx stones and much gold abounding in and about the waters. And on one side of the river stood a tree which bare fruit twelve times in the year, whose substance would cause one to live forever. It was the tree of life. None that eat of its fruit should ever die. From month to month and from year to year it had power to renew life perpetually. And on the other side of the river stood a tree which had power to make one wise. It was a tree of knowledge, one whose fruit would intoxicate and revitalize,--speeding up the action of life, causing one to think rapidly, and to see with a clearer vision. Setting the vitalities in a key where they must wear out, bringing forth the order of death. This tree was called the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, because its power was the division between man and sin. He could eat of the tree of life and realize the power and nature of life in all its glory. But he could not realize the nature and effect of death and sorrow until he should eat of the fruit of the tree of death, and become intoxicated with the mania of its devastating forces. And for this cause Jehovah commanded Adam that he should not eat of the fruit of the tree of death or come near it.
But the command was not given to Eve, for she was but a child--left in Adam's keeping. And they dwelt in glory in their home beneath the wings of the tree in the vineyard. And they were naked 'But knew it not.' Satan was upon earth, and envied them in their salvation, but he could not come near the vineyard, neither could he tempt them to sin. For they were redeemed, and Satan could not break the decree. But when Eve was grown the servant walked to and fro beyond the templed paradise, and sat with Satan by a pool. And Satan taught the servant how that it could become free from its masters. Then she hastened back and came again into the vineyard. And Eve stood by the tree of death admiring its beauty. And the