CHAPTER IX.

THE TEMPTATION.

A peculiar musical sound now arrested my attention, and I beheld hovering above the tree bearing the forbidden fruit a large and beautiful bird, which was also under the charm of the evil spirits and influenced to attract the attention of Eve. The tree shone brilliantly, but its lustre was a fantastic halo which concealed the many demons within its boughs. Beneath stood the beast-agent of the prince of fiends, and the encompassing atmosphere was transformed into a base magnetic element. "Malicious yet most perfect design," remarked my guide. "If Eve shall hear and be enticed into that magnetic sphere, farewell to her purity and peace. The cloud of death shall encompass her, and unborn generations shall be the victims of the enemy of innocence and heaven! Father of mercies spare! Yet why should I pray? They know their duty; they can not, surely they will not heed the Tempter. Behold!" he ejaculated, and lo, Eve had heard and silently withdrew from Adam in the direction of the demons. As she approached, dissolving views most captivating played around the tree. Their influence reached her

sense! She lost her self-government charmed!

was

"Eve, thou favored of God," exclaimed the angel, "why dost thou wander? False beings allure: pause, or in a moment thy doom shall be sealed!" She heard him not. Her ear listened to the charmer's song, and her eye gazed upon the fantastic and bewildering colors. The beast drew near and invited her to partake of the forbidden fruit. This somewhat aroused her sense. And she boldly replied, "Nay! IT IS FORBIDDEN!" and a voice answered, "God said, 'the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.'' "The declaration is untrue," said the voice, "for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened; and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

The Tempter urged. Adam having missed now with her in the

The music charmed her, the magnetic sphere encompassed and pervaded her sensitive being, the mystery astonished her. She yielded and partook! Eve, pursued her, and was sphere of evil. To him she eat! THE DEED WAS DONE!! Earth changed its position.

gave and he did Nature convulsed. The heavens gath

ered blackness. Wild, tempestuous clouds obscured the sun. Terrific thunders burst upon the world, and rolled their stunning peals over land and sea. The globe shook to its

center. Oceans submerged the continents, valleys sank, and extensive plains were transformed into mountain ranges. ADAM AND EVE

HAD FALLEN !

Having accomplished their infamous design, the demons, for such they truly were, withdrew to witness the scene. And what insane satisfac tion they manifested! He who first presumed upon the government of Heaven, on the severed orb, now chief dictator, vaunted to diabolical excess over the victory he had obtained. And reaching forth his hand, from which streamed a sulphuric flame-the perfection of evil magnetism-he defied his Maker, when a bolt of light from on high struck him and he disappeared.

THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SON OF MAN.

As the tempest subsided, a cloud of effulgence appeared above the garden. From this cloud, the angel informed me, the bolt descended upon Apollyon and his clan, and hurled them to their nether abode. Within, was the manifestation of the Son of Man. Mercy and Justice were in attendance.

CHAPTER X.

THE EXPOSITION.

"WHAT has been revealed concerning the Rebellion prior to Earth's existence," said the Angel, "discloses the cause of the dread consequences which followed the fall of Adam and Eve. But this occurred with them while less mature in body and mind than the angel who rebelled.

"The philosophy of Adam's fall has not therefore been disclosed.

"The fruit of which they ate, as heretofore revealed, directly affected the faculties of generation. Its proper use would have developed, in perfection, the physical being, and prepared it for the offices of earthly existence. But the unripe fruit being taken into the system, while in its tender age, by overacting portions of the functions, induced premature results. Had the body and mind been mutually unfolded the laws of progression would have been observed and man obtained, without physical dissolution, to the immortal state. The process has been revealed in the vision of the severed orb.

"Adam and Eve, in yielding to the Tempter, suffered their minds to deviate from their natu

ral tendency, and as the character of influence was base, it inverted the action of their soul; closed the opening flower and attracted the unfolding essence into the stalk, hence gave the spirit an animal tendency. This overcharged the inferior organs of the mind, and robbed the superior of their natural vitality. At this period, when they gave heed to the first suggestion, their moral nature trembled in balances. They knew their duty, had power to hold the mind upon it, and thus keep the avenues closed through which the temptation affected their sympathies. Still, rather than repel the vile suggestive spirit, they allowed it to arrest the meditation and engage it, and therefore approach the natural affinities. Thus pausing, they became passive. This passiveness induced negativeness to the enticing power, which by this, advantage secured the disposition and thence bound the soul. Thus Eve submitted to the magnetism of the seducer. The first favorable thought she gave in the direction of the forbidden fruit, constituted her transgression. To guard against that constituted her great duty. It was simple then and could have been easily prevented from incorporating itself into her being; but when once indulged was the means of perverting her soul, and having yielded to the first insinuation, she was readily induced to approach