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love. Hence it is that from man more can be recognized of God's attributes than from
God's other creatures. And it is evident that God's glory and His attributes in general
were much more visible in man originally (that is to say, before sin had vitiated and
destroyed Adam's nature), than ever afterwards. For, when first created, man was free from
fault and defect, and internally he felt no unrest or conflict between good and evil. His
knowledge of God was, of course, limited, for no creature can attain to perfect knowledge
of his almighty and all-wise Creator; but it was true knowledge though imperfect, and he
loved his God and desired only to do His will. On this account he enjoyed inward union
(علاقة) and true friendship with his Creator, and possessed perfect happiness. And, if man had
not sinned, he would have advanced still further in that blissful state and position, and
would have at last attained perfection of happiness and glory. As Adam's spirit was at
first free from fault, so his body also was originally free from disease. Accordingly, had
he not fallen into sin, he would not have been liable to death. In consequence of his
position he was then able, in accordance with God's command, to rule over the earth and
all animals, and thus fulfil God's will with regard to them. It should be known that the
authority which man at the beginning exercised over the brutes was quite different from
that which he afterwards had and now possesses, since at first his rule was that of
kindness
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and goodwill. But when man disobeyed God, the animals revolted against man in their
turn, and so at the present time man rules them only by strength of arm and by the help of
various means, and they merely fear man, as it is written 'And 1 the fear of
you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of
the air; with all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your
hand are they delivered.' The place, too, where Adam and Eve lived in the beginning was
specially adapted to their condition. God had planted in Eden a garden with fruit bearing
trees for them, and had placed Adam there that he might 'dress 2 it and keep
it.' By the use of the word 'keep', God pointed out to Adam that there was an enemy to
man and to the Garden of Eden, and that it behoved him to be on his guard against him.
If you inquire where the Garden of Eden was, we cannot now tell with absolute
certainty, for doubtless the surface of the earth underwent much change during Noah's
flood, traces of which may still be found in many different parts of the world, as many
learned men think. We have learnt from the ancient inscriptions found at Babylon and
elsewhere in Mesopotamia that in very ancient times the name of the great plain in which
Babel was afterwards built was Eden, a word which in the earliest known human language
means an uninhabited plain. There is every reason to think that the Garden
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