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by this circumstance to fix upon the Nile as the river probably intended by the Gihon. The Indus and the Nile therefore we imagine to have constituted the eastern and western boundaries of the primitive Eden. This, if well founded, will account for the fact that so many places within these limits lay a traditional claim to having been the very spot designated by the memo】 rable name of Eden.-Hiddekel.' Compounded of two words implying lightness and velocity; and pointing consequently to a stream distinguished by a rapid current. That such is the Tigris, universally understood to be meant by the Hiddekel, appears from the testimony of Pliny; The Tigris is so called from its celerity. In the oriental versions it is called Diglath, or Diklath, of which the pedigree is thus traced from Hiddekel ;-Heb. Hiddekel; Syr. Hidkalto; hence by dropping the first syllable, Dekalto; whence Diglitho, Diglith, Diglath. From Diglath Tigris is derived as follows: Diglath or Diglith, Tiglith, Tigrith, Tigris. 'Towards the east of Assyria,' or Heb. Eastward towards Assyria.'- Euphrates.' Heb. 'Pherath.' Euphrates is supposed to be compounded of two words 'Hu' and 'Pherath,' signifying, This is Pherath,' as if in answer to a question respecting the name of the river. This was too noted a stream in the time of Moses to require any additional specification, such as he had given in order to enable his readers to discriminate the others.

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For what purpose was Adam placed in the garden? v. 15.

The man.' Heb. 'The Adam.' Simple labor was not a part of the curse; but laboring with toil and sorrow was. To keep it.' Should it be deemed an objection to the view which we have given of the extent of Eden that man could not reasonably have been required to guard so large a territory from the encroachment of wild beasts, it may be answered, that there is no evidence that he had any thing to appre

hend in his state of innocence from the beasts of the field, besides that the word may be fairly interpreted to mean simply that he was to maintain possession of it by continuing obedient; not forfeiting it by sin.

What permission was now given him by the Creator, and by what limitation was it accompanied? v. 16, 17.

What was the threatened penalty in case of disobedience?

The original is, dying thou shalt die,' implying by the utmost emphasis of expression the absolute certainty of the punishment.

What kind or kinds of death are we to suppose intended in the threatening?

The different senses in which the word' death' is used in the Scriptures will be learned in good measure from the following passages, Ex. 10. 17; Cor. 11. 23; Eph.

2. 1; 1 Tim. 5. 6; Gen. 35. 18; Mat. 10. 28; Rev. 20. 6, 14. It is reasonable to believe, knowing as we do the actual result, that all the diversified evils embraced in these different senses of the word were included in the threatening, though Adam himself might not have understood the full import of it.

Was the punishment in case of disobedience to be confined to Adam, or to embrace his posterity? 1 Cor. 15. 22; Rom. 5. 12.

What would have been the consequence to our first father and the whole human race, provided he had not sinned?

What did God say of Adam's solitary condition, and how did he kindly purpose with himself to amend it? v. 18.

Not good; Heb. 'not good is the being of the man in his separation, or his solitary state.' Help meet.' The exact rendering of the original is, 'A help as be

fore him.' The Sept. and the Vulg. translate it 'like him.' The meaning is, a help, a counterpart of himself, one like him in nature, and always present before him, united to him in love, and a kind assistant in the offices of life.

How is the design of the woman's formation alluded to by the Apostle? 1 Cor. 11. 9.

What inference is to be drawn from this passage as to a state of celibacy? Eccl. 4. 9-12. What circumstance is introduced prior to the account of the woman's creation? v. 19, 20. The word formed' v. 19, it is supposed might more properly have been rendered had formed,' as is actually the case in many versions. Adam, by seeing the various tribes of animals provided with mates would naturally be reminded of his own deficiency in this respect. Was not found; Heb. ' one did not find.'

How were the animals probably conducted to him?

What was implied in the act of giving them names?

Ans. His being invested with sovereignty and dominion over them. See this proved Dan. 1.7; Num. 32. 38-42. The phrase, to see (lit. for the seeing,' in order to see') what he would call them' is to be understood of Adam and not of God, implying that Adamı, by contemplating them, might be enabled to bestow such names as were expressive of their peculiar natures and properties, as it is well known that names in Scripture are almost universally significant. The appellations of all the animals of which we read in the Heb. Scriptures are probably the very ones which were given by Adam in Paradise. God brought to Adam the several species of animals, exhibiting them to him male and female; and he imposed upon them the names by which they are even now called.' JOSEPHUS.

Relate the circumstances of the woman's

formation? v. 21, 22.

The deep sleep' here mentioned is rendered by the Sept. an ecstasy, or trance,' such as fell upon the prophets and others when they were favored with visions and revelations of God. Lightfoot supposes that such was the nature of Adam's sleep at this time, and that the whole scene of Eve's creation was presented to his imagination in a supernatural dream.

Of what was the woman's creation a figure? Eph. 5. 30-32.

What is the marginal renderingof 'made,' v. 22, and to what peculiar phraseology does it elsewhere give rise?

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Ans. Builded;' 'he builded the rib to a woman." Hence our bodies are called houses.' Job, 4. 19; 2 Cor. 5. 1.

What did Adam say of the woman when brought to him? v. 23.

'This is now' Heb. for this once ;'implying that another mode of production would thereafter be adopted. What duty does the Apostle urge from these words? Eph. 5. 28, 29.

By what name did Adam say she should be called?

The word 'called' here as elsewhere in the Scriptures is significant of nature rather than of title. See note on Gen. 32. 28. Woman' in the original is Isha, the feminine of Ish, man, and properly signifies, however uncouth the sound to our ears, man-ness. So in the old Latin vir,' a man, 'vira,' a woman. The Eng. word woman' will appear however a more appropriate rendering, if its Anglo-Saxon origin, womb-man, i. e. female-man, be borne in mind.

What comment upon this narrative is introduced in immediate connection?

What do we learn from this as to the author and the nature of the institution of marriage? See Prov. 1. 17.-Hence any other than a man's own wife is termed a strange woman;' Prov. 1. 16.

What inference is to be drawn from these words compared with Mat. 19. 5, as to polygamy?

Is divorce equally contrary to the original design of the institution? Mat. 19. 6-9.

What considerations does the Apostle adduce to shew that the woman should be subjected to the man rather than the reverse? 1 Cor. 11. 3, 9; 1 Tim. 2. 13, 14.

To what emotion, now common on account of sin, were our first parents in innocency entire strangers? v. 25.

HEADS OF PRACTICAL REEFLCTION.

V. 2. God's resting from his work on the seventh day, and sanctifying that day as a holy Sabbath or Sabbatism, was designed to teach a moral precept by a Divine example. We are therefore bound to honor that day with a religious observance,

V. 5. Although the Most High usually works by means, both in the kingdom of Providence and of Grace, yet he can and will dispense with them whenever it seemeth to him good.

V. 7. In the origin of man from the dust we are furnished with a constant motive to humility, and a salutary sense of our frailty should be kept alive by the thought that our vital being is but a breath of air. Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils.'