Such a person as Man was then, amidst such earthly perfection, afforded such dominion, with such provisions for all of his needs, and with such freedom to make use of them altogether, this would certainly seem to be the summum bonum of all that could be desired.

But all this surpassing condition of pleasure and happiness was more than doubled for Man when the Creator formed for him, from bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, a helpmeet whom Man called Woman, for she was taken out of Man. Language would fail to express the pleasure and happiness of such a relationship under such conditions.

Far above and beyond all this earthly creation about them, however, they were made in the image and in the likeness of the Creator, which was doubtless the spiritual, infinite and eternal nature of Man. This part of Man's nature was also possessed of needs or need cells, as previously indicated, spiritually speaking, but infinitely higher needs than those of his physical nature, and infinitely greater and more numerous. The supply of these needs by the provisions of the Creator would afford not only inexpressible pleasure and happiness, but rapturous joy and glory. As a climax to all the excellencies thus bestowed upon Man by the Creator, he was endowed with a sovereign will, including the power of choice with responsibility for the exercise of his will and choice. This placed Man on the mountain-top of creation. He was in the closest relationship with the Creator, not only because of his mediatorial dominion over the earth, and all of its creatures, but as one who could rule in the spiritual world with the Creator Himself.

This was the condition of Man when the creation was

finished, and when the Creator looked upon all that He had made, and pronounced it good. All of Man's needs, physical and spiritual, were then overflowingly supplied. This was Man's first starting point. Oh, what a condition! Oh, what a starting point! This, beyond all comparison, transcended evolution from a protoplasm or from any creature or existence lower than Man himself. It was the work of an all-wise, all-just, all-beneficent, and almighty Creator.

We are told in this revelation that the Creator rested on the seventh day, the Sabbath, and hallowed it. What a glorious Sabbath must that day have been to the man and his wife in that perfect earthly paradise with heaven all about them.

The Sabbath was past. The Creator had done all He could for Man to afford him the right start in life. To have done more for Man under the circumstances, the Creator would have deprived him of the necessary exercise of his sovereign will, the power of choice and action, with which he was endowed, and whereby only he could render the greatest service to all the creation about him, and glorify the Creator most by such service in His name.

The man, therefore, must do his part in accordance with the purpose of his own creation, and with the will of the Creator, to whom he was subject and upon whom he was dependent for all the pleasure and joy which he had or could have.

Explicit instructions were given him by the Creator about what he might do and what he might not do: "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou

shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:16, 17). Man was so made that he could obey or disobey the Creator at his will. If he would obey, his whole body and soul would have throbbed with unutterable pleasure and joy because of the immediate and abundant supplies provided by the Creator for all of his needs, physical and spiritual, conditioned upon his obedience. But if he would disobey, he would not only not experience such pleasure of body and joy of soul, but would lose that higher spiritual life, by which only these exquisite experiences were possible, or, in the words of the command, he must "surely die."

When formed by the Creator, Man was perfect in every attribute of his creation. He was, however, but a childman, with no experience and no character. His character must be formed by his own choice and action, with the help of the Creator. Man must have the necessary trials to enable him to form his character, good or bad, according to his obedience or disobedience in conforming to the will of the Creator.

What the Creator had then in store for Man with his marvelous endowments and capabilities of body, mind and soul, (if he had obeyed the command) is not known, since it has not been revealed by the Creator. There can be no doubt, however, that Man was created with his great endowments to fill a most wonderful place in the vast kingdom of the Creator, in which he would share beyond expression the joy and glory of the Creator. Since Man was endowed with a sovereign will, and with the power to obey or disobey the Creator, he must be tried with a test adequate to the powers and capabilities bestowed upon him by the Creator in his creation to prove his absolute loyalty to the Creator, and absolute trustfulness in all

things pertaining to the kingdom of the Creator, in the face of any temptation whatever to disobey. Until thus tried and proved by the most severe tests, Man was not trial-proof nor trustworthy, and could have no part or share in the great and glorious kingdom of the Creator.

The clear, positive and definite account of the creation of Man, and of his perfect condition when formed by the Creator, is certainly what ought to be expected in a revelation from the Creator. Likewise, the story of Man's downfall, as contained in this revelation, is told in the same clear, positive and definite manner.

VIII

THE REVELATION OF THE FALL OF MAN WITH ITS DREADFUL CONSEQUENCES

The following is an outline of the story of the downfall of Man as contained in the Bible (the Hebrew revelation):

A. The Temptation by Satan, the Fall of Man, and the Immediate Punishments.

The command of the Creator, the Lord God, was: "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2: 16, 17).

The man and woman in their perfect and innocent state, as they came from the hand of God, were doubtless in full and intimate relationship with God, with each other and with all the living creatures of the earth. Doubtless, also, it may be said that for a time, however long, they dwelt in this earthly paradise in perfect pleasure, happiness and joy. During this sojourn they enjoyed to the full, as God designed that they should, His presence, the presence of each other, and of all the delightful things of the Garden. Without fear of God or of any creatures, as they all were friendly and familiar, the man and woman together, or separately, went about through the Garden or tarried under the trees with all the needs of their bodies and souls, to their fullest capacity, satisfied.