Cherubim and flaming sword, and so they lost their beautiful home. Besides, God cursed the ground, so that it brought forth thorns and thistles instead of grain and fruit, and he told Adam that he would now have to labor hard to get a living. To the woman God promised much sorrow and bodily pain, and Adam was to rule over her instead of being the equal companion as before transgression entered.

Our race now suffer because of their sin, and always will in this life; but God has, in mercy, provided a way by which we may escape all suffering in the life to come, namely, by giving his only Son to die for us on the Cross; and through whom all may be saved and brought home at last to the Heavenly Paradise.

Soon after the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, God gave them two sons. Their names were Cain and Abel.

Cain's occupation was a tiller of the ground, while Abel was a shepherd. Abel in worshipping brought as his offering the firstlings or earliest lambs of his flock. Cain presented the fruits of the ground. The Lord was pleased with the spirit of Abel's worship, as well as with the offering which he made. The lamb was the type of innocence and an appropriate emblem of the Lamb of God who was to come and bear away

the sin of the world. God was not pleased with the worship of Cain, and did not accept his offering. This made Cain angry, and God said to him, If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? Cain was not angry with God, but was envious of his brother because his sacrifice was accepted; and one day, when in the field, Cain rose up against Abel and slew him. This was the first murder that was committed in the world. Cain was guilty of the sins of anger, hatred,

and murder; and to these he added the sin of lying, for when God asked him where Abel, his brother, was, he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper? But God showed Cain that he had seen him commit the crime, and told him of the punishment he should receive: that when he tilled the ground it should no more bring forth its fruit for him, and that he should be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth.

Cain told God that he was afraid men would kill him; but God set a mark upon Cain, and declared that if any man should attempt his life he should suffer vengeance. Abel's mother was deeply grieved at the loss of her son, as mothers always are, but God gave her another son named Seth to comfort her in the loss of Abel, whom Cain slew.

People became very numerous upon the earth in a very short time, because men lived so very long. A man then

H

lived ten times as long as men do now. They worked and traded as men have done ever since, but became remarkably wicked. There were several exceptions, no doubt, one of

whom was Enoch, who lived such a beautiful and holy life that it is said of him that "he walked with God." At the close of his earthly life he did not die, like other men, but was translated to heaven without dying.

CHAPTER IV.

THE FLOOD.

DURING the two thousand years between the Fall and the Flood those ancient men of the earth were wonderful in their