and confiding in God, she basely distrusted His goodness and cherished
the words of Satan.
After Adam’s transgression he at first imagined that he felt the rising
to a new and higher existence. But soon the thought of his transgression
terrified him. The air, that had been of a mild and even temperature,
seemed to chill them. The guilty pair had a sense of sin. They felt a
dread of the future, a sense of want, a nakedness of soul. The sweet
love and peace and happy contented bliss seemed removed from them,
and in its place a want of something came over them that they had never
experienced before. They then for the first time turned their attention to
the external. They had not been clothed but were draped in light as were
the heavenly angels. This light which had enshrouded them had departed.
To relieve their sense of lack and nakedness which they realized, their
attention was directed to seek a covering for their forms, for how could
they meet the eye of God and angels unclothed?
Their crime is now before them in its true light. Their transgression
of God’s express command assumes a clearer character. Adam censured
Eve’s folly in leaving his side and being deceived by the serpent. They
both flattered themselves that God, who had given them everything to
make them happy, might yet excuse their disobedience because of His
great love to them and that their punishment would not be so dreadful
after all.
Satan exulted in his success. He had now tempted the woman to
distrust God, to question His wisdom, and to seek to penetrate His all-wise
plans. And through her he had also caused the overthrow of Adam, who,
in consequence of his love for E
