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there in the univerfe, but the Creator, and DISC. the Creature? And between whom, but them, can the conteft fubfift, for the love and obedience of man?

The Tree of Knowlege was fituated in the midst of the garden, as was the Tree of Life. They stood near together, but they stood in oppofition. The divine difpenfations are always beft illuftrated by each other. Under the Gofpel, Jefus Chrift is the Tree of Life. What is it that opposes him, and, notwithstanding all that he has done, and fuffered, and commanded, and promised, and threatened, is continually, by it's folicitations, being ever present and at hand, seducing men into the path of death? Scripture and experience again join in affuring us, that it is the World. When we are in the houfe of God, which is Eden restored, engaged in hearing his word, and in the exercises of devotion, we fit down, as it were, under the shadow of the Tree of Life. No fooner are we gone from it, and too often even while we are there, the

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DISC. the World intrudes, and draws off to

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other fubjects our thoughts and our affections. What faith Mofes under the law? "Behold I fet before you, this day, life "and good, death and evil; choose ye *." Are not these the two Trees of Paradise ? But imagination cannot form to itself a more exquisite and affecting piece of scenery upon this fubject, than that exhibited by king Solomon in the book of Proverbs; a book whofe end and defign is, to teach us the true knowlege of good and evil, that we may pursue the one, and avoid the other. In his 7th chapter, under the usual figure of an harlot, loosely decked in a profufion of vain ornaments, he introduces the World, or the false wisdom thereof, by it's several fictitious charms, and meretricious blandishments, alluring the unwary to the chambers of deftruction. In the fucceeding chapter, by way of perfect contrast, appears, in the beauty and majesty of holinefs, the offspring of the Almighty, the Son of the Father, the true and eternal

* Deut. XXX. 15.

Wisdom

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Wifdom of God, with all the tender love DISC. and affectionate concern of a parent, inviting men to the substantial joys and unfading pleasures of immortality, in the house of salvation. Again we are prefented with the Tree of Death, and the Tree of Life. From Solomon let us pafs to St. Paul. "To be carnally minded is death; "but to be spiritually minded is life. If

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ye live after the flesh, ye fhall die; but if

ye through the Spirit do mortify the "deeds of the body, ye fhall live'." Behold once more the Trees of Death and Life. Such, in good truth, is the face of things every where offering itself to view; fuch is the conteft inceffantly carrying on in this prefent World, which, on the one hand, entices the children of Adam, by giving themselves up to it's enjoyments, to taste the Tree of Death; while the Redeemer, on the other, ftill continues to cry aloud by his word, "To him that over"cometh will I give to eat of the Tree of "Life."

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DISC.

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The Tree of Knowlege was defigned to be the test of Adam's obedience, the subject matter of his trial. The World, with it's defirable objects, is the test of our obedience, the subject matter of our trial, whether we will make it our chief good, or prefer the promise of God to it. Thus the trial of Abraham was, whether he would quit his country and kindred, and yield up his only fon in obedience to the divine command, trufting to a recompence in reverfion. The trial of Job was, whether he would ftill ferve God, when deprived of his poffeffions, his family, and his health. After this fort was our Lord Jesus Christ himself proved by the most powerful incitements of the human pasfions. Of the Tree of Knowlege Satan tempted him to put forth his hand and take and eat, that the fecond Adam might be tried after the example of the first. The difciples also are tried in like manner with their bleffed mafter. They are instructed to renounce the World, and to deny themfelves which is only the original prohibi

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tion in other words: " Of the Tree of DISC. "the Knowlege of good and evil thou "shalt not eat."

The apparent qualities of the forbidden tree are represented to have been these: It seemed " good for food, and fair to the

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fight, and a tree to be defired to make "one wife." It is remarkable, that St. John, laying before us an inventory of the world, and all that is in it, employs a divifion entirely fimilar. "Love not the "world," fays he, "neither the things that "are in the world. If any man love the

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world, the love of the Father is not in "him. For all that is in the world, the "defire of the flesh, and the defire of the

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eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the "Father, but is of the world. And the "world paffeth away, and the defire there<" of; but he that doth the will of God "abideth for ever "." Here is a picture of the fatal Tree, full blown, with all it's temptations about it, drawn, by the pencil

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