ey become corrupt. This is spiritual death. They were
banished from the garden and forced to struggle for food. Their bodies
became subject to pain and death by separation from the animating
spirit. They could not longer eat of the life-giving tree of the
garden. The earth was cursed so that instead of ministering to man's
pleasure and support, it would produce much to his hurt. The woman in
her unredeemed state was to be in subordination to her husband. The
sad story of downtrodden women in heathen lands of all times since
then, and even today wherever Christ is not known, tells something of
the awful results of her sin.

The Hope Offered. The gloom of this sad story of their punishment was
relieved by an element of hope. The man and his wife are not beyond
the pale of God's love. There is given a promise (3:15) which assures
the coming of one, who would contend with the tempter and would
finally crush his head and repair the damage of the Fall. All of the
rest of the Bible unfolds the plan and work of God in fulfilling this
promise. There is beginning with Cain and Abel and running through the
entire scripture a record of the conflict caused by the enmity between
the seed of woman and that of her seducer. This conflict is to end
when Christ the "seed of the woman" shall return to reign and shall
cast his adversary into the bottomless pit. Along with this promise he
also provided for them garments of the skins of animals such as were
suited to their new and hostile environment and in which most writers
find a suggestion of the covering of righteousness that comes to
guilty sinners through the death of Jesus. Then too there was erected
at the east of the garden an alter of worship not unlike that provided
in connection with the Tabernacle later and where God dwelt in mercy
and could be approached. Here was opened up a way by which they might
after being forgiven again have a right to the tree of life and live
forever.

Some Teachings of this Story. Back of this story are many truths
worthy of most careful study. They constitute the basal facts of all
history and religion. The following are put down as among the most
vital: (1) Back of all nature is a personal Creator and Ruler who has
the tenderest solicitude and care for man, as the highest product of
his creation. (2) There was an orderly progress in creation from the
more simple and less important to the most complex and most important.
(3) All things were made for