Prophecy.

Upon reading the account of man's creation in the first chapters of
Genesis we conclude that he enjoyed perfect peace and happiness. From the
beautiful description given there of the garden of Eden--man's abode--we
understand that God was interested in his felicity. In the nature of
created things he could retain this happiness only by obedience to the
Creator's laws. By a subtle foe he was induced to transgress those laws
and thus became acquainted with sin and sorrow. After the transgression he
hid himself among the trees of the garden from the presence of the Lord
because a fear rested upon his conscious being.

Man in sweet felicity was made,
But sorrowed when God he disobeyed.

The man was turned out upon the world to earn his support by labor. The
ground was cursed for his sake. It brought forth thorns and thistles, and
in sorrow he must eat of it all the days of his life. Cherubims and a
flaming sword prevented his return to the tree of life, which stood in the
midst of the garden. The apostle John in his revelations beheld this sad
scene. He saw the book of life--tree of life--to be sealed with seven seals,
and he saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to
open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor
in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to
look thereon," and he wept much. Rev. 5:1-4. How sad the scene! Man was
created in holiness and happiness. He dwelt in the garden of Eden and had
access to the tree of life, the very source of peace. But sin entered his
heart. He was driven away to be in sorrow all his days. No man in heaven
nor earth could secure his return. God saw his wretchedness and that his
"wickedness was great in the earth" and "it grieved him at his heart."
Gen. 6:5, 6. Sin swayed its scepter over the heart of man and he groaned
beneath its tyrannical power, but God's mercy was not "clean gone
forever." They cried unto the Lord because of the oppressors and he
promised to send them a "Savior, and a great one," to deliver them. Isa.
19:20. Man was encaged in the prison-house of sin, but God promised to
send a deliverer "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of
the prison to them that are bound." Isa. 61:1.

The beloved apostle John, in the vision before mentioned, wept because no
man was found worthy to open the book; but one of the elders said unto
him, "Weep not: behold, th