A MIGHTY PRINCE, clothed with great power and authority and having received a dominion over which to rule, with light heart and buoyant step walked in the way of happiness. His countenance was pleasing to the eye, his face radiant with smiles, and his voice musical and as clear as the trumpet sound on the morning air. The beasts of the field and the fowls of the air obediently responded to his call. His food and raiment were supplied in abundance; and his castle, situated in the sweet-scented groves, was a place of joy and delight. His relationship with God was that of confidence and trust. He was monarch of all he surveyed. But his happy situation was one of short duration.
A man, apparently bent with years, journeyed through the valley of darkness. His garments would mark him as a tiller of the soil and a feeder of swine. His visage was greatly marred, telling of thoughts impure and a heart wherein resided malice and ill will. His voice was husky and cruel. At his approach the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air fled before him.
The mighty prince was the selfsame one who became the cruel and repulsive man. Shorn of his power and authority, and alienated from the mighty God, he
no longer walked in the way of happiness. Now his journey lies along a dreary and dismal way and leads to the bog of despair.
Why the change from prince to pauper? His power and authority, his dominion and his life, he received from the Most High God. Because of disloyalty and unfaithfulness to his God and to the trust reposed in him he lost all. A wide gulf now separates him from his Creator and Benefactor.
Is there hope of a reconciliation between the man and the Most High God? Is it possible for the man ever to be restored to his dominion and to his place of honor and trust? These questions find answer in the Holy Word of Jehovah God. Therein are disclosed the cause of the alienation of the mighty prince from Jehovah and the statement of God's gracious provision leading to a way of reconciliation. The Bible is God's sacred Word of truth. From it and it alone is obtained the true history of the prince and the pauper. The story is more thrilling and fascinating than any fiction ever told.
The earth was the place of the beginning of this drama and the home of the mighty prince. The earth is yet the place of the domicile of man and all the offspring of the first man. Now after a lapse of more than sixty centuries comparatively few of his offspring understand who owns the earth, why it was created, and man's relationship to the Creator. No man can have a proper appreciation of the history of the race, of his obligation to the Creator, and of the prospect set before him, if he ignores or turns aside from the sacred truths contained in the Scriptures. The Bible is the fountain of truth. The more one
drinks at this fountain, the sweeter is its life-flowing stream.
The earth incites the wonder and admiration of man even though he is imperfect and his understanding greatly limited. Whether the earth is viewed with respect to the formation of its various strata or its vegetable and animal life; whether by the use of the microscope its endless varieties are seen; or whether by employing the telescope the relationship of the earth to the other planets and the stars is considered, the reverential man stands in awe and wonderment at the wisdom displayed in its creation. When he learns that the earth was created by the Most High God and made to be the lasting habitation of man his mind and his heart yearn to know more about it and more concerning its great Creator. The telescope was not discovered until 1600 A. D., and it is no matter for surprise that prior to that time man thought the earth to be the center of all things.
The knowledge of the great Creator, as he reveals himself in his creation of man and his provision for man, was preserved by a very few. This knowledge was merely a tiny stream of truth which trickled down through the centuries, and few were they that drank thereat. Early in the history of man he put God out of his thoughts; consequently the vision of man was limited to things he saw with his natural eye. When the sun and the moon and the stars came into view some men gave consideration to the creation but not to the Creator. Because it was apparent to them that all life enjoyed by all creation of earth proceeded from the sun, that planet became the object of worship by men. Those who did retain a knowledge
of the Creator and had faith in him knew that God was beyond the starry heavens and they worshiped him as the Creator of both heaven and earth. Such were so few, however, compared with the greater number, that they are hardly observable.
The development of the telescope, together with increased knowledge of things, brought men to see that the earth is not what man had once thought it to be. He learned that instead of being fixed and the center of all things the earth is a sphere and one among the other planets associated with the sun, and that the sun is the center of this planetary system known as the solar system.
The ecclesiastical system of Rome, and particularly its leaders, for a thousand years and more thought that the earth is fixed and that everything else revolves about it. They also claimed to be the sole interpreters of the Bible and they claim the Bible as authority for this erroneous conclusion. This had probably more to do than anything else to fix the thought in the minds of the people.
As knowledge increased men learned that the earth is a star or planet among the other planets which move about the sun. The facts learned by them disprove the theories held and taught by the clergy of Rome. This caused them to lose confidence in those teachers. It also produced suspicion and doubt about the Bible as an authority of truth. The result was that many were led entirely away from the Bible. Had they understood the truth, as taught in the Bible, and not been influenced by the misrepresentation of these incompetent teachers, they would not have turned away from the Bible and away from God.
Increased knowledge, commonly known as physical science, discloses that there are stars so enormous that the earth beside these is but a pigmy. Astronomers claim that Betelguese is so large that the sun and its satellites, including the earth, could be placed in the interior of Betelguese's shell and still keep their respective distances from each other. It is difficult for man to conceive the enormity of this tremendous star. The enlightened student of the Word of God knows, however, that the earth holds a place of importance in God's creation far greater than that of Betelguese or any other star or planet save alone the one which is the place of the throne of the Eternal God.
It is claimed by savants that the writers of the Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures were ignorant of the relationship between the earth and the other planets and stars of creation. There is no evidence, however, to support such a claim. It is quite evident that it was not the purpose of God to state in his Word, which constitutes our Bible, all the facts relative to the earth and its relationship to other bodies of creation. The spirit of God operated upon the minds of the faithful men of old who wrote the Bible and it is reasonable that they understood some things about the creation that are not recorded in the Scriptures. What they did write under divine direction was and is true, and of that we can be absolutely certain. These holy men of old wrote as they were moved upon by the holy spirit. — 2 Sam. 23: 2.
The Bible is the only credible guide either as to the real relationship between man and the earth and the great Creator of both or concerning the purpose of the creation of both. Taking the Bible as his guide
man sees that the earth occupies a place of great importance in God's plan and purposes and that in his due time every creature in heaven and in earth will be brought into one grand harmonious whole or unity, To this effect the inspired witness of Jehovah wrote: "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." — Eph. 1: 9, 10.
The constellation of the seven stars forming the Pleiades appears to be the crowning center around which the known systems of the planets revolve even as our sun's planets obey the sun and travel in their respective orbits. It has been suggested, and with much weight, that one of the stars of that group is the dwelling-place of Jehovah and the place of the highest heavens; that it is the place to which the inspired writer referred when he said: "Hear thou from thy dwellingplace, even from heaven" (2 Chron. 6:21); and that it is the place to which Job referred when under inspiration he wrote: "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?" — Job 38: 31.
The constellation of the Pleiades is a small one compared with others which scientific instruments disclose to the wondering eyes of man. But the greatness in size of other stars or planets is small when compared with the Pleiades in importance, because the Pleiades is the place of the eternal throne of God. For a like reason the various groups of stars, greater in size than the planet earth, must in the eyes of
Jehovah be of far less importance than the earth because of the close relationship between the earth and the throne of Jehovah. Concerning this relationship the prophet of God wrote: "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." (Isa. 66:1) Thus it is shown from his Word that there is a direct and intimate relationship between the throne of Jehovah and the earth.
The creation of the earth did not happen by chance, nor did it come into existence by the operation of blind force, as self-constituted savants and wise men claim. Its formation was by the will of God and it was created directly under his supervision. (Isa. 42: 5) "For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God." (Heb. 3:4) Future ages may witness these other planets of greater size giving glory to the Creator beyond anything that is now revealed to us, but man can not now conceive of any of them ever being more highly honored than the earth. When man comes to appreciate this fact he will more fully appreciate how he has been favored by the great Creator.
That which lifts the earth into a position of importance beyond anything possible with the other planets, is the fact that upon the earth has been staged the great drama of creation and here have been given the lessons of good and evil apparently intended for all time and for all the intelligent creatures of Jehovah.
It must also be kept in mind that the Logos, the glorious Son of God and the active agent in the creation of all things, at the will of Jehovah left the courts of heaven and came to earth and while on the earth
was subjected to the severest testings; that he here proved the perfect man's proper relationship to Jehovah; that he suffered an ignominious death and was raised out of death and then exalted to the highest place in heaven next to Jehovah. All this was done in order that God, in his due time, might establish his will amongst his creatures on earth and in heaven, and all to the everlasting good of the peoples of earth and to the glory of Jehovah.
Concerning this it is written: "Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." — Phil. 2:8-11.
The exaltation of Jesus was higher than all others of God's creation, and aside from Jehovah none other will ever be so high. That exaltation was not because of something Jesus had developed within himself. It was not because he had developed a character separate and distinct from himself; nor was it because of what he had done before he came to earth; but it was because of his fidelity, as a man while on the earth, to Jehovah in the faithful performance of his covenant and his duties and obligations laid upon him by his Father. The earth was made the place where Jesus gained his victory through faith. The earth was honored above all the other planets by reason of what Jesus did upon it.
Because God used the earth and man for his eternal purposes, and because his beloved Son Jesus when a man upon the earth proved his fidelity to God before men and angels, the conclusion must be that the earth is the most favored, and will remain the most favored, in the planetary creation of God and will always be dear to the heart of the Creator. The man who traverses the earth now does not have a proper appreciation of the favors that have been bestowed upon him at the hands of the Creator, but in God's due time he will come to a proper appreciation.
God made the earth suitable for animal life that is found upon it. The animal creation eats and drinks and enjoys existence and in due time perishes. Man is more than merely an animal to exist and propagate his species. His mind gives him capacity to search out the great truths in God's arrangement and this lifts him far above the other animal creation. His mind needs food and his gracious Creator has abundantly provided all his ways with food for both body and mind.
Some men now have a sufficient knowledge of things to prove that man may make an endless search into the wonders of the earth, and other great creative works of Jehovah which are related thereto, and that making this search his worshipful adoration toward the Creator will increase. In these marvelous works of creation God displays his wisdom, justice, love and power. When man begins to learn thereof he is filled with wonder, admiration, awe and reverence for the Master Workman. He needs to come to this attitude before he begins to learn wisdom. In fact wisdom is the application of knowledge according to the divine
standard; therefore man must know of God and know God, at least to a degree, before he can become in any measure wise. With profound respect and reverence, mingled with fear and trembling, man pursues his way in seeking knowledge of the Almighty. As his appreciation of his knowledge of God increases, his affection for Jehovah increases. Then he delights to know more of God's works, and his pleasure leads him to seek them out. One of the holy prophets of Jehovah, musing upon the wonders of creation, exclaimed: "The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein." — Psa. 111: 2.
The Bible is God's Word expressed and revealed to his creature, man. The general thought amongst men is that the Bible is a confused mass of thoughts expressed. This erroneous conception is due to men who have misrepresented God and his Word.
The Bible shows the clear statement of God's purposes concerning the earth, and man once made its prince. Its opening chapters show that it was intended for man's instruction. It discloses that God intended man to be the monarch of the earth as long as he would remain in full harmony with his Creator. Its first mention of man and of God's purposes concerning him is thus expressed: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God
said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." — Gen. 1:26-28.
This Scriptural statement, properly understood, means that God made man to be his representative on the earth. God endowed the perfect man with the faculties of reason and of justice, wisdom, love and power, and gave him the freedom to use his will. In these respects man was made in the image and likeness of his Creator.
Jehovah created the earth and therefore it is his by right of creation. He set in operation his laws, intended by him to produce results, and results followed in harmony with his will. The heavens and the earth were made by the expressed will of God. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." — Ps. 33:6, 9.
Alienated from God and disregarding his law men speak of the earth and treat it as though it were man's by right of discovery and occupancy. The laws adopted by the common consent of nations recognize the right to the possession of the land by reason of supposed discovery. When men braved the storms of the Atlantic and landed upon American shores they planted the flag of their respective rulers upon the land and claimed it. A man flies over the region of the North Pole and drops the flag of his nation and in the name of his sovereign king claims title thereto. But in truth and in fact no right to possession exists by
discovery. The class of ultraselfish, known as the rulers, mark out a portion of the earth, claim it as their own, and use it as lords; while other men till the soil as their serfs and are permitted to exercise no right of claim or possession thereof. There is no such inherent right in man.
The earth belongs to Jehovah God, to be used by man in harmony with God's will. Whether man could have adopted a better system of occupancy and use than has been, is not here the question. The real question here for determination is, To whom docs the earth belong? The answer must be, It belongs to Jehovah and in his own good time man shall occupy it in harmony with Jehovah's will.
God is just. It therefore follows that one class will not occupy the land by the exercise of injustice toward another class. "For the Lord most high is terrible [all-powerful]; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall choose our inheritance for us." — Ps. 47:2, 4.
That man has no right to use the earth contrary to God's way is shown by the declaration of his law: "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine." (Lev. 25: 23) God has permitted man to take his own course. But when the proper relationship between himself and God is understood and appreciated by man, the earth will be used for the common good of all mankind.
Man's Dominion
To have dominion means to reign or rule over. God intended from the creation of the earth that perfect
man should have dominion over the earth and its creatures. A prince means a governor or ruler who holds sway by authority. The perfect man Adam was made a prince or ruler of the earth. One clothed with authority is always subject to the one conferring that authority and must conform to the terms and conditions upon which the authority is conferred. All power and authority will, by final analysis, be found to reside in Jehovah. All power and authority rightfully exercised must be exercised in harmony with his will.
Jehovah expressed his purpose of creating man. Addressing himself undoubtedly to the Logos, his faithful and active agent in the creation of all things, he said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." — Gen. 1: 26.
The power of Jehovah knows no limitation. For him to will a thing to be created means that it is certain to be done according to his will. Having determined to make man in his own image and likeness he proceeded so to do. It being his will that man should be a prince and have dominion over the things of the earth, this was done. That man was created for the earth and that the earth was created for man there is not the slightest room for doubt. Upon this point God's will is expressed: "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited; I am the Lord, and there is none else. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands,
have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded." — Isa. 45:18, 12.
Since the dominion of all things resides in Jehovah he could give it to whomsoever he might will. It is written: "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Ps. 24:1) "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men." — Ps. 115:16.
Man, as well as the earth, belongs to Jehovah, because God created man. The authority of man to have dominion over the earth having been conferred upon man by Jehovah, man must exercise that authority and dominion in harmony with God's will. When Adam was granted dominion and made a prince in the earth the duty and obligation devolved upon him to exercise that authority in harmony with his Creator. Adam was placed in Eden as its caretaker. He was not required to put forth laborious efforts to produce his food. Eden yielded freely all the food that was essential for his sustenance and for his pleasure. He was given control over the animals, the fowls, and the fish, and these were to render and did render obedience to him. He was clothed with power and authority to produce his own kind. Had he exercised that God-given authority in harmony with his Creator's will he would have produced a perfect and happy family of children. God gave him the privilege to exercise his own faculties. He could willingly obey or disobey. This, however, did not at all relieve him from the obligation of being in harmony with Jehovah and exercising his authority in harmony with God's holy will.
Eden was a large district, larger than is generally
supposed. It must have embraced a considerable area of land. Four rivers flowed out from the garden and watered the land round about. Eden not only had beautiful groves which pleased the eye and produced food but therein were to be found all the precious stones and much fine gold. The garden portion of Eden was on the eastern side and the entrance was from the east. It was more beautiful than the other part of the district. It was in that garden that man was placed as the caretaker and where he found his pleasure and his employment. The earth was for man and the perfect prince was placed in a perfect home.
The ecclesiastical teachers misrepresenting God and his Word have led the people to believe that had Prince Adam remained a good and faithful officer of Jehovah God in due time God would have taken him to heaven. There is absolutely no evidence upon which to base such a conclusion. Adam had no promise of heaven. There never was a possibility, under any circumstances or conditions, of his going to heaven. He was strictly and purely of the earth. The earth alone was to be his everlasting home. Concerning this it is written: "The first man is of the earth, earthy." (1 Cor. 15:47) Since the earth was made for the home of man we should not expect to find any promise of heaven for him, and there is not a word found in the Scriptures whereby Adam was promised heaven as a home. A proper understanding of this matter here will enable the student to have a clear understanding of what shall be the final destiny of the human family.
The dominion of earth was never absolutely and irrevocably given to Adam. Had that been done God
could not have taken it away from him even though he disobeyed. Nor was Adam given life without some limitations. Upon this point the ecclesiastical teachers have misrepresented God and his Word and led the people into ways of error. The Scriptural proof is conclusive that life and dominion were conferred upon Adam to be held and enjoyed by him for ever upon condition that Adam render obedience to the great Giver. It would be inconsistent for God to give his creature life and dominion with no conditions or limitations added. In the event his creature, possessing life and dominion, should become a rebel his rebellion would continue for ever if his life were to continue for ever. The clergy, yielding to the seductive influence of Satan, have fallen into this great error. They have proceeded upon the theory that God granted Adam endless life; and that Adam, having become a rebel, must spend his eternity in torment, being alienated from God. But the Scriptures do not at all support such a conclusion.
On the contrary, the Scriptures show that God gave man life and made him a prince in the earth upon the expressed condition that man be obedient to God. Should man never be disobedient and always remain in harmony with his Creator he would for ever enjoy life and dominion over the earth. But in the event he should become a rebellious creature then the condition attached was: "Dying thou shalt die." With the coming of death all things would be lost. Death therefore would conclusively prove that man's dominion and his life were held conditionally.
There is no thought expressed in the creation of man, and dominion granted to him, that he should
ever go to torment. There is no thought expressed in the Bible anywhere that God purposes to put any of his creatures into a place of endless torture. On the contrary the declaration of his law is plain and simple, and means that the life and dominion of Adam were granted upon condition that he obey and that disobedience would mean the loss of his princely authority and his life.
There is no authority supporting the theory that God will ever destroy the earth by fire. No such intimation was ever given to Adam regardless of whether he should be faithful or unfaithful. Again the clergy have fallen into a great error. Misled by Satan, they have seized upon the statement of the Apostle Peter to support their theory that God intends to destroy the earth. That statement is: "The heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (2 Pet. 3:7) They reason that if the earth is destroyed the good ultimately go to heaven and the evil to a place of endless torture, and this being true, of course there would be no necessity for the existence of the earth. In this conclusion they are clearly wrong.
The words "heaven" and "earth", used by the apostle in the above text, are used symbolically. "Earth," as the word is used in the above text, means the visible part of the world, which world is Satan's organization. "Heaven" symbolically represents the invisible part of the same world. Heaven and earth, as used in this text, compose the world. "World" means mankind organized into forms of government under the supervision of an invisible overlord. For many
centuries Satan has been the overlord or god of this world. (2 Cor. 4:3, 4) Satan has been invisible and is invisible to man. The organization of men into governments is visible and is represented by the word "earth". Heaven and earth constitute the evil world which shall in due time pass away. This scripture has no reference whatsoever to the original dominion which God gave to Adam.
Jehovah, through his prophet, says: "The earth abideth for ever." (Eccl. 1:4) God is unchangeable. (Mal. 3:6) God having made the statement that he will never destroy the earth, therefore we may know that it will abide for ever. The Scriptures show that it is God's purpose and intention that the earth shall in due time be inhabited. The Scriptures are entirely consistent with themselves. The statement of the Apostle Peter and the statement of the prophet are entirely consistent when understood. The wicked world, made up of evil invisible power and visible organization, shall pass away. The Apostle Peter had this thought, because in the same connection he said: "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Pet. 3:13) The earth shall abide through all the ages and shall always stand as a witness to the glory of Jehovah God.
Adam, as the prince of the earth, resided in Eden. Adam was perfect and his home was perfect. It will not do to say that he was only partially perfect, and that he had at that time no opportunity to develop a character, and therefore his character was imperfect. It is written that 'all the works of Jehovah are perfect'. (Deut. 32:4) It was impossible for Adam to
develop a character, because God made him a character. Every creature of intelligence is a character. He does not possess a character.
Orthodox teachers fell into the great error of teaching that man has a soul; whereas the Scriptures clearly teach that man is a soul. They also fell into a like error by teaching that man has a character; whereas the Scriptures teach that man is a character. If Adam had to develop a character, then he was not perfect when he was put to the test; whereas the Scriptures declare he was perfect. He was endowed with the faculties of justice, wisdom, love and power. That did not mean that he possessed all knowledge. The Scriptures show that the highest of God's creation will continue to acquire knowledge in all the ages to come. (Ps. 27: 4) Adam had sufficient knowledge, however, to know what to do and what not to do. He knew what was wrong and what was right because God told him. He possessed the faculty of applying knowledge according to God's instructions and had he so applied it he would have proven his wisdom. He was clothed with power and this he exercised over the animal creation and he should have exercised it over Eve in the right way. He had the ability to be unselfish, which is love expressed, and had he chosen to exercise it properly he would have proven his love. He was perfect in his organism. He had all his faculties about him. He was therefore a perfect man. It is true that Adam had not then had much experience, but experience is not the only way of acquiring knowledge. God told him what he might and what he might not do, and that should have been sufficient. The experience through which he did thereafter pass only con-
firmed what God had previously told him. No excuse can therefore be offered for Adam because of his lack of experience.
Adam, with understanding clear and being perfect, beheld the earth and said: 'This is mine because Jehovah has given me dominion over it.' He summoned before him the animals and the birds, and named them and said: 'These are mine because Jehovah gave dominion over them to me.' At his call they obeyed his voice. He saw his beautiful wife and said: 'This lovable creature is mine because God made her and gave her to be my companion and helpmeet.' He walked amidst the beautiful groves and scented the sweet blossoms, and ate the fruits, and said: 'These are all mine because my God provided them for me; but he has asked me to not eat of the fruit of that one tree and has told me that death shall result if I do eat.' He would say: 'All these things are mine upon condition that I obey my Creator and if I disobey I will lose all of them.' This must have been his conclusion because it is written: "Adam was not deceived." (1 Tim. 2:14) This is proof that Adam was in possession of all his God-given faculties, which faculties were perfect.
Prince Adam was rich because all the gold and the precious stones were his, and all the cattle and the flocks were his because he was the man and the trusted representative of Jehovah and to him all of these things had been committed. He was strong and vigorous and knew no such thing as pain. He was happy because his environment was happy and everything about him was at ease.
One may possess all the means of doing good, but if he does not employ those means to that end he does not accomplish good. Adam was endowed with the faculties of wisdom, justice, love and power, and these he must use as he might choose. It was the will of God that he should do right, but God permitted Adam to exercise his own will as to whether he would do right or wrong. That which is exercised in opposition to love is selfishness. Pride is the fruit of selfishness. " Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
God made no law compelling Adam to exercise the faculty of love toward him, but he endowed Adam with that faculty and then told him what would be the result if he followed a selfish course. Jehovah has announced his rule of action, to wit, that he who loves God will keep God's commandments. (John 14:15) Love is therefore the fulfilment of God's law. God commends his love to his creatures in that everything he does for his creatures he does unselfishly. He afforded the opportunity for his perfect and intelligent creature to be like him. One must know God and follow a like course to for ever remain in harmony with him. Adam did know God, because God communicated with him; and Adam did have the opportunity to remain in harmony with God. Another irrevocable rule of action of Jehovah, which is announced in his Word, is, that to know God and to be like him means to enjoy endless life.
The mighty prince who started upon his way of peace, perfection, beauty and happiness, surrounded by every inducement to walk in harmony with God, might have enjoyed these blessed things for ever.
